Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement of arginine derivatives in pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Abstract Background: The arginine derivatives asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) interfere with endothelial nitric oxide synthesis. Plasma ADMA and SDMA have been shown to be risk factors for cardiovascular disease and/or kidney function deterioration in a variety of patient populations. Methods: We developed a method to quantitatively measure arginine, ADMA, and SDMA using HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry. 13C6-L-Arginine was used as the internal standard, while the derivatives were separated on a silica column in less than 14 min. Plasma levels of ADMA, SDMA, and arginine were measured in children with stage II or III chronic kidney disease (CKD) and age- and gender-matched siblings. Results: The chromatography exhibited no observable ion suppression in the patient specimens tested. There was no apparent carryover for any of the analytes. The assay was linear over 0.32–2.29, 0.23–4.43, and 1.00–303.89 μmol/L for ADMA, SDMA, and arginine, respectively. Plasma ADMA, SDMA, and arginine (mean±SD) were 1.10±0.35, 2.06±1.11, and 57.93±22.10 μmol/L for children with CKD, and 0.78±0.16, 0.71±0.23, and 65.29±21.30 μmol/L for the healthy siblings. Conclusions: The method exhibited no observable ion suppression in the patient specimens tested and has an acceptably short analytical cycle time. Children with CKD had higher levels of ADMA and SDMA than the healthy siblings. Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1305–12.
Monolithic integrated MEMS phased array antenna scanning in two dimensions

: A two-dimension scanning of phased array antenna has been presented. Aperture coupled microstrip patch antenna (ACMPA) elements are used to form a 2 × 2 array operating at 20 GHz. The array is monolithically fabricated with RF MEMS switches by using surface micromachining and anodic bonding process. The main beam can steer in two dimensions when the phase shifters are on the di ﬀ erent state. The measurement results show that the array can complete a beam steering angle of approximate ² 30° in both E-plane and H-plane, and the highest gain is 9.5 dB.
Distributed Caching Algorithms for Interconnected Operator CDNs

Fixed and mobile network operators increasingly deploy managed content distribution networks (CDNs) with the objective of reducing the traffic on their transit links and to improve their customers’ quality of experience. As network operator managed CDNs (nCDNs) become commonplace, operators will likely provide common interfaces to interconnect their nCDNs for mutual benefit, as they do with peering today. In this paper, we consider the problem of using distributed algorithms for computing a cache allocation for nCDNs. We show that if every network operator aims to minimize its cost and bilateral payments are not allowed, then it may be impossible to compute a cache allocation. For the case when bilateral payments are possible, we propose two distributed algorithms, the aggregate value compensation and the object value compensation algorithms, which differ in terms of the level of parallelism they allow and in terms of the amount of information exchanged between nCDNs. We prove that the algorithms converge, and we propose a scheme to ensure ex-post individual rationality. Simulations performed on a real autonomous system-level network topology and synthetic topologies show that the algorithms have geometric rate of convergence, and scale well with the graphs’ density and the nCDN capacity.
R&D, technology transfer and TFP

There are three avenues for Chinese technological advance: in-house R&D, domestic technology transfer and imported technology transfer. This paper examines the contributions of these avenues and their interactions on the TFP growth. The regression results show that low efficiency of R&D expenditure and limited spillover from technology transfer are main causes of yearly decreasing growth rate of TFP. Two parts of R&D, applied researches and experimental & development are functioning worse than basic researches. Domestic technology transfer substitutes the experimental & development and together impede the TFP growth.
An Ultrawideband to Dual-Band Switchable Antenna Design for Wireless Communication Applications

A switchable planar monopole antenna operating in ultrawide band (UWB)and dual-band mode is demonstrated. The switching is triggered with a photoconductive semiconductor switch triggered by light emitting diode. In the switched-off state, the antenna operates in the dual-band/UWB mode, while in the switch-on state the configuration converts to a dual-band antenna due to the extended ground plane. The measured and simulated results show that the dual-band/UWB mode entirely covers the UWB frequency band and the 2.4 GHz wireless local area network WLAN, while the dual-band mode represents a dual-band antenna operating at WiMAX and X-band Satellite communication bands.
Nomenclature for factors of the HLA system, update March 2014

A*01:01:60 HG00007698 KF712291 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*01:01:61 HG00007699 KF790846 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*01:01:62 HG00007826, HG00007827 KF925375, KF925374 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*01:67:02 HG00007416 KF673192 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*01:151 HG00007415 KF647785 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*01:152 HG00007700 KF804105 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*01:153 HG00007701 KF790815 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*01:154 HG00007825 KF905234 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*01:155 Xian63369 KF961696 XiaoFang Wang, Xian, China A*02:01:01:04 0201200536 AB839765 Silvia Ulrich, Graz, Austria A*02:489 HG00007420, HG00007421 KF673196, KF673197 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:490N HG00007423 KF601978 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:491 HG00007424 KF601991 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:492 HG00007425 KF647784 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:493 D10122433 FR871048 Jinghui Qu, Shenzhen, China A*02:494 HG00007710 KF737185 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:495 HG00007832 KF694992 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:496 HG00007833 KF882430 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:497 HG00007835 KF840737 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:498 HG00007836 KF694997 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:499 HG00007837 KF905236 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:500Q HG00007838 KF905239 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:501N HG00007839 KF694991 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:502 HG00007840 KF695000 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:503 HG00007841 KF925378 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:504 HG00007842 KF882429 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*02:505 Tb839 KJ125074 Wangxia Li, Wuhan, China A*02:506N KBBCA021 AB915693 Hiroyuki Ishii, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan A*03:01:46 HG00007417 KF601992 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*03:01:47 HG00007703 KF790845 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*03:01:48 HG00007704 KF790814 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*03:01:49 HG00007828 KF694998 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*03:01:50 HG00007829 KF905235 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*03:44:02 HG00007830 KF840738 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*03:186 HG00007702 KF749229 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*03:187 HG00007705 KF790832 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*03:188 HG00007706 KF712289 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA A*11:70:02 HG00007407 KF560429 Histogenetics, Ossining, USA
Maternal Exposure to Dioxin Imprints Sexual Immaturity of the Pups through Fixing the Status of the Reduced Expression of Hypothalamic Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone

Our previous studies have shown that treatment of pregnant rats with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD; 1 μg/kg) at gestational day (GD) 15 reduces the pituitary synthesis of luteinizing hormone (LH) during the late fetal and early postnatal period, leading to the imprinting of defects in sexual behaviors at adulthood. However, it remains unclear how the attenuation of pituitary LH is linked to sexual immaturity. To address this issue, we performed a DNA microarray analysis to identify the gene(s) responsible for dioxin-induced sexual immaturity on the pituitary and hypothalamus of male pups, born of TCDD-treated dams, at the age of postnatal day (PND) 70. Among the reduced genes, we focused on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in the hypothalamus because of published evidence that it has a role in sexual behaviors. An attenuation by TCDD of GnRH expression emerged at PND4, and no subsequent return to the control level was seen. A change in neither DNA methylation nor histone acetylation accounted for the reduced expression of GnRH. Intracerebroventricular infusion of GnRH to the TCDD-exposed pups after reaching maturity restored the impairment of sexual behaviors. Supplying equine chorionic gonadotropin, an LH-mimicking hormone, to the TCDD-exposed fetuses at GD15 resulted in a recovery from the reduced expression of GnRH, as well as from the defects in sexual behavior. These results strongly suggest that maternal exposure to TCDD fixes the status of the lowered expression of GnRH in the offspring by reducing the LH-assisted steroidogenesis at the perinatal stage, and this mechanism imprints defects in sexual behaviors at adulthood.
An introduction to the wound healing assay using live-cell microscopy

Abstract The wound healing assay is used in a range of disciplines to study the coordinated movement of a cell population. In this technical review, we describe the workflow of the wound healing assay as monitored by optical microscopy. Although the assay is straightforward, a lack of standardization in its application makes it difficult to compare results and reproduce experiments among researchers. We recommend general guidelines for consistency, including: (1) sample preparation including the creation of the gap, (2) microscope equipment requirements, (3) image acquisition, and (4) the use of image analysis to measure the gap size and its rate of closure over time. We also describe parameters that are specific to the particular research question, such as seeding density and matrix coatings. All of these parameters must be carefully controlled within a given set of experiments in order to achieve accurate and reproducible results.
Tuberculin reactivity in first‐year schoolchildren in Madagascar

Objective The tuberculin skin test (TST) is an important tool in the diagnosis of tuberculosis infection in children. However, the interpretation of TST may be complicated by prior Bacillus Calmette‐Guerin (BCG) vaccination. We evaluated the effect of vaccination with BCG on TST reactivity in first‐year pupils attending state schools in Antananarivo.
Automatic Input of Logic Diagrams by Recognizing Loop-Symbols and Rectilinear Connections

An automatic system that reads an image of a logic diagram, digitized by a document scanner, and generates a description of the diagram in terms of logic symbols and their interconnections is proposed. The digitized image is converted into a set of line segments by way of a sequence of picture processing operations, Then symbols and connections are recognized by identifying loops and rectilinear polylines. Graphical description of a set of symbol models is provided as prior knowledge about input diagrams. Experiments show that the system can recognize more than 96% of logic symbols and connections and that an A4 size diagram (210×297 mm) of average complexity can be processed within 10 seconds on a workstation.
Self-, collateral- and clinician assessment of depression in persons with cognitive impairment

Objectives: This investigation examined the associations between self-reports, collateral-source reports and a clinician's diagnosis of depression in persons with cognitive impairment. Method: Responses on the Geriatric Depression Scale – 15 (GDS-15) from 162 participants with a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment (n = 78) or Alzheimer's Dementia and a Mini-Mental State score ≥15 (n = 84) were compared with both their collateral sources’ report on either the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (n = 93) and/or the collateral-source GDS-15 (n = 67), or a clinician's diagnosis of Major Depression (MD). Results: Significant differences were seen between self- versus collateral-source reports of depression in these participants. Participants’ reports of loss of interest (anhedonia) significantly increased the odds of disagreement with their collateral sources (OR = 3.78, 95% CI: 1.3–11.2) while reports of negative cognitions significantly decreased the odds of such a disagreement (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.1–0.9). The symptom of anhedonia also showed the strongest association with the clinician's diagnosis of MD. Conclusion: A motivational symptom like loss of interest was seen to play an important role in depression experienced by those with cognitive impairment.
Computerized measurement of motor performance after stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Stroke scales usually convert motor status to a score along an ordinal scale and do not provide a permanent recording of motor performance. Computerized methods sensitive to small changes in neurological status may be of value for studying and measuring stroke recovery. METHODS We developed a computerized dynamometer and tested 23 stroke subjects and 12 elderly control subjects on three motor tasks: sustained squeezing, repetitive squeezing, and index finger tapping. For each subject, scores on the Fugl-Meyer and National Institutes of Health stroke scales were also obtained. RESULTS Sustained squeezing by the paretic hand of stroke subjects was weaker (9.2 kg) than the unaffected hand (20.2 kg; P < .0005), as well as control dominant (23.1 kg; P < .0005) and nondominant (19.9 kg; P < .005) hands. Paretic index finger tapping was slower (2.5 Hz) than the unaffected hand (4.2 Hz; P < .01), as well as control dominant (4.7 Hz; P < .0005) and nondominant (4.9 Hz; P < .0005) hands. Many features of dynamometer data correlated significantly with stroke subjects' Fugl-Meyer scores, including sustained squeeze maximum force (rho = .91) and integral of force over 5 seconds (rho = .91); repetitive squeeze mean force (rho = .92) and mean frequency (rho = .73); and index finger tap mean frequency (rho = .83). Correlation of these motor parameters with National Institutes of Health stroke scale score was weaker in all cases, a consequence of the scoring of nonmotor deficits on this scale. Dynamometer measurements showed excellent interrater (r = .99) and intrarater (r = .97) reliability. CONCLUSIONS The degree of motor deficit quantitated with the dynamometer is strongly associated with the extent of neurological abnormality measured with the use of two standardized stroke scales. The computerized dynamometer rapidly measures motor function along a continuous, linear scale and produces a permanent recording of hand motor performance accessible for subsequent analyses.
Childhood auditory processing disorder as a developmental disorder: The case for a multi-professional approach to diagnosis and management

Abstract Auditory processing disorder (APD) is diagnosed when a patient presents with listening difficulties which can not be explained by a peripheral hearing impairment or higher-order cognitive or language problems. This review explores the association between auditory processing disorder (APD) and other specific developmental disorders such as dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The diagnosis and aetiology of APD are similar to those of other developmental disorders and it is well established that APD often co-occurs with impairments of language, literacy, and attention. The genetic and neurological causes of APD are poorly understood, but developmental and behavioural genetic research with other disorders suggests that clinicians should expect APD to co-occur with other symptoms frequently. The clinical implications of co-occurring symptoms of other developmental disorders are considered and the review concludes that a multi-professional approach to the diagnosis and management of APD, involving speech and language therapy and psychology as well as audiology, is essential to ensure that children have access to the most appropriate range of support and interventions. Sumario Los problemas de procesamiento auditivo (APD) se diagnostican cuando un paciente presenta dificultades de atención que no se pueden explicar por un trastorno auditivo periférico o por otros problemas cognitivos de orden superior o del lenguaje. Esta revisión explora la asociación entre APD y otros trastornos específicos del desarrollo como la dislexia o el déficit de atención con hiperactividad. El diagnóstico y la etiología de los APD son similares a los de otros trastornos del desarrollo y está bien establecido que los APD frecuentemente se asocian a problemas del lenguaje, lectura y atención. Las causas genéticas y neurológicas del APD están muy pobremente comprendidas, pero la investigación genética sobre el desarrollo y la conducta en otros trastornos, sugiere que los clínicos esperarían que los APD se presenten frecuentemente con otros síntomas. Se han considerado las implicaciones clínicas de los síntomas que concurren con otros trastornos del desarrollo. Por ello, la revisión concluye que es esencial un enfoque multi-profesional para el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de los APD, que involucran al terapeuta en habla/lenguaje, al psicólogo y al audiólogo, para asegurar que el niño tenga acceso a las posibilidades de apoyo y de intervención más apropiadas.
Biomarkers of inflammation are associated with colorectal cancer risk in women but are not suitable as early detection markers

Initial studies have investigated the association between inflammation and colorectal cancer (CRC) using C‐reactive protein (CRP) as a proinflammatory biomarker and have noted inconsistent results among women. We here report the findings from a large prospective study with repeat measurements of CRP, as well as serum amyloid A (SAA), an additional biomarker of inflammation, and risk of CRC. In the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, we examined associations of CRP and SAA with CRC using repeat assessments (baseline and 3‐year follow‐up) among 953 matched case–control pairs for CRP and 966 pairs for SAA. Multivariate‐adjusted conditional‐logistic regression models were used with two‐sided tests of significance. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis assessed their utility as early detection markers. Colon cancer risk (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence intervals) among women in the highest quintiles of CRP or SAA compared to those in the lowest quintiles was ORcolon/CRP = 1.37 (0.95–1.97, p‐trend = 0.04) and ORcolon/SAA = 1.26 (0.88–1.80, p‐trend = 0.10), respectively. Women with elevated concentrations of both CRP and SAA had an increased risk of ORcolon = 1.50 (1.12–2.00, p‐value = 0.006) compared to those with low concentrations. No positive associations were observed with rectal cancer and weaker associations for CRC overall. Temporal changes in biomarkers more than 3 years did not predict risk. The area under the 6‐month ROC curve for CRP+SAA was 0.62 (95% confidence interval = 0.55–0.68). Elevated inflammatory biomarkers are associated with an increased risk of CRC, mainly colon cancer. Nevertheless, changes in the biomarkers over time do not suggest that they merit consideration as early detection markers for CRC.
A transformer-less unified power quality conditioner having fast dynamic control

Apart from high power density, unified power quality conditioner (UPQC) offers a cost-effective and energy-efficient way to deal with power quality issues. A single-phase transformer-less unified power quality conditioner (TL-UPQC) utilizing four switching devices only is presented. The proposed UPQC consists of two voltage source inverters, one is connected in parallel with the load and another one is connected in series with the AC mains. The parallel inverter, which is controlled by a hysteresis current controller, is used to shape the current drawn from the AC mains and regulate the DC-link voltage. The series inverter, which is controlled by a boundary controller with second-order switching surface, is used to regulate the load voltage, eliminate voltage distortion and provide voltage sag / swell ride-through. The operating principle of the whole system will be described. A 1kVA, 110V, 60Hz prototype has been built and evaluated on a testing setup with nonlinear loads and simulated voltage sag / swell conditions.
Bis(μ-l-arginine-κ3 N 2,O:O′)bis(l-arginine-κ2 N 2,O)tetra-μ-chlorido-tetrachloridotetracopper(II)

The title compound, [Cu4Cl8(C6H14N4O2)4], contains four molecules in the asymmetric unit. In the molecular structure, each of the four Cu2+ ions binds to three Cl atoms, one N atom and one O atom, resulting in distorted square-pyramidal coordination environments. The molecular structure is stabilized by weak C—H⋯O and N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds. The crystal structure exhibit weak intermolecular N—H⋯O, C—H⋯O and N—H⋯Cl interactions, generating a three-dimensional network.
Perception Based Multi-Genre Labeling On Music Data

Research in automatic genre classification has historically been very popular. As of recent, the performance of genre classification approaches has fallen into a local maxima and tend to only offer minor performance gains. Strategies are needed to overcome the limitations of the current approaches and offer more robust classification performance. In this work we investigate the need for a classification approach to involve multi-genre labeling of audio recordings, i.e., the necessity of describing a single audio recording with multiple genre labels. We conduct a series of perception experiments on audio recordings. Given a set of excerpts from an audio recording, the human subjects in our experiments are asked to classify each excerpt and assign it to one genre. The results show that, although there exist audio recordings with clear genre boundaries, recordings can be considered a composition of multiple musical genres, making the practice of single-genre labeling in current classification approaches highly subjective and ambiguous.
Virus excretion and cell‐mediated immunity during cytomegalovirus infection among healthy infants and children

Specific cell‐mediated immunity (CMI) and virus isolation were examined longitudinally to clarify the mechanism of the cessation of virus excretion in inapparent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection among healthy infants and children. We measured leukocyte procoagulant activity (LPCA) responses to CMV antigen and to a purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD), with results expressed as a percentage reduction of recalcification (RC) time. Based on the results in seropositive and seronegative adult control subjects, reductions in RC time of more than 10% were considered indicative of a positive LPCA response. The CMV‐specific LPCA response was negative in all infants shedding the virus, despite the presence of circulating antibodies, but were converted from negative to positive when the virus excretion ceased. This suggests that cessation of the virus excretion in inapparent CMV infection among healthy infants and children probably results from the specific CMI.
The Design and Implementation of an International Trading Scheme for Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The inclusion of emissions trading in the Kyoto Protocol reflects an important decision to address climate-change issues through flexible market mechanisms. The author addresses a number of policy issues that must be considered in designing and implementing an international greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-trading scheme. These include: how much of a Party's assigned amount of GHG emissions can be traded internationally; emissions-trading models; competitiveness concerns in the allocation of emissions permits; banking and borrowing; liability for noncompliance; how to enlarge the emissions-trading system; and bubbles. Although the focus is exclusively on emissions trading, its relationship with the clean development mechanism, joint implementation, and bubbles are discussed wherever necessary. By providing some new insights, the author aims to contribute to the design and operationalization of an international emissions-trading scheme.