Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forward cardiac output measurement with first-pass technique using 99mTc-labeled myocardial perfusion imaging agents.

UNLABELLED The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new first-pass method for the measurement of forward cardiac output (CO) using 99mTc-labeled myocardial perfusion imaging agents. METHODS In protocol 1, to test the new method for measuring CO, the conventional method and the new method for CO measurement were performed in 1 d in 57 patients (32 men, 25 women; age 68 +/- 11 y). In the conventional method, radionuclide angiography (1 frame/s) with in vivo 99mTc labeling (110 MBq) of red blood cells was performed for 2 min in the left anterior oblique projection. Five minutes later, a 1-min equilibrium image was obtained, and a blood sample was taken for calculation of the distribution volume. To obtain data for the new method, further radionuclide angiography (1 frame/sec) with 99mTc labeling (600-740 MBq) of red blood cells was then performed in the anterior projection. CO was calculated using the following equation: CO = Cmax x V(LV)/integral of f(t)dt, where Cmax is the background-corrected peak count of the whole thorax during angiography, integral of f(t)dt is the area under the gamma variate-fitted left ventricular (LV) time-activity curve after background correction and V(LV) is the LV volume obtained by the area length method applied to the radionuclide angiography and myocardial tomography. In protocol 2, to evaluate the new method, 24 patients (16 men, 8 women; age 71 +/- 9.2 y) underwent radionuclide angiography with 99mTc-tetrofosmin (600-740 MBq), and the measured CO was compared with the CO obtained by the conventional method with 99mTc-labeled red blood cells. RESULTS In protocol 1, good correlation was observed between the CO by the new method (Y) and the CO by the conventional method (X): Y = 1.0X + 57 mL/min and r = 0.95. There was good agreement between the two methods (mean difference -56 +/- 381 mL/min). Inter- and intraobserver correlation coefficients were 0.96 and 0.98, respectively. In protocol 2, the CO by the new method using 99mTc-tetrofosmin (Y) showed a good correlation with the CO by the conventional method (X): Y = 0.90X + 453 mL/min and r = 0.93. Good agreement between the two methods was observed (mean difference 73 +/- 390 mL/min). Inter- and intraobserver correlation coefficients were 0.95 and 0.98, respectively. CONCLUSION This new method permits accurate forward CO measurement using the first-pass data with 99mTc-terofosmin, which is applicable to other 99mTc-labeled myocardial perfusion imaging agents.
The effects of Fast ForWord Language on the phonemic awareness and reading skills of school-age children with language impairments and poor reading skills.

PURPOSE To examine the efficacy of Fast ForWord Language (FFW-L) and 2 other interventions for improving the phonemic awareness and reading skills of children with specific language impairment with concurrent poor reading skills. METHOD A total of 103 children (age 6;0 to 8;11 [years;months]) with language impairment and poor reading skills participated. The children received either FFW-L computerized intervention, a computer-assisted language intervention (CALI), an individualized language intervention (ILI), or an attention control (AC) computer program. RESULTS The children in the FFW-L, CALI, and ILI conditions made significantly greater gains in blending sounds in words compared with the AC group at immediate posttest. Long-term gains 6 months after treatment were not significant but yielded a medium effect size for blending sounds in words. None of the interventions led to significant changes in reading skills. CONCLUSION The improvement in phonemic awareness, but not reading, in the FFW-L, CALI, and ILI interventions limits their use with children who have language impairment and poor reading skills. Similar results across treatment conditions suggest that acoustically modified speech was not a necessary component for improving phonemic awareness.
Expression of T-Follicular Helper Markers in Sequential Biopsies of Progressive Mycosis Fungoides and Other Primary Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphomas

Abstract:T-follicular helper (Tfh) lymphocytes represent the neoplastic cells of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and have been observed also in several cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) and extracutaneous T-cell lymphomas, including peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, mycosis fungoides (MF), cutaneous CD4+ small/medium T-cell lymphoma (CD4+SMTCL), and Sezary syndrome. We studied a large number of different types of primary CTCL for expression of Tfh markers, including 36 biopsies from 21 patients with MF (with sequential biopsies from patch stage and tumor stage of 15 patients), 13 patients with CD4+SMTCL, 9 with lymphomatoid papulosis, 11 with cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (cALCL), 2 with cutaneous &ggr;/&dgr; T-cell lymphoma, 8 with subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma, 3 with cutaneous aggressive epidermotropic CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma, 6 with cutaneous peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, and 1 with Sezary syndrome. Expression of at least 3 of 5 markers (PD-1, CXCL-13, ICOS, Bcl-6, and CD10) in >10% of tumor cells was observed in 33 biopsies (MF = 20; CD4+SMTCL = 11; 1 each cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma and subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma, respectively). Our study shows that a Tfh phenotype is very common in MF and CD4+SMTCL but can be observed rarely also in other types of CTCL. Expression of Tfh markers should not be used for classification of any entity of CTCL and may only integrate other immunohistochemical stainings for a more accurate characterization of these disorders. Precise distinction of Tfh-positive CTCLs from secondary skin manifestations of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma cannot rest on demonstration of a Tfh phenotype alone and should be achieved by a synthesis of clinical, histological, and phenotypic features.
Maternal single nucleotide polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase 1 and 2 coding regions modify the impact of prenatal supplementation with DHA on birth weight.

BACKGROUND Specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene affect the activity and efficiency of enzymes that are responsible for the conversion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) into their long-chain active form. A high prevalence of SNPs that are associated with slow PUFA conversion has been described in Hispanic populations. OBJECTIVE We assessed the heterogeneity of the effect of prenatal supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on birth weight across selected FADS SNPs in a sample of Mexican women and their offspring. DESIGN We obtained information on the maternal genotype from stored blood samples of 654 women who received supplementation with 400 mg DHA/d or a placebo from weeks 18 to 22 of gestation through delivery as part of a randomized controlled trial conducted in Cuernavaca, Mexico. We selected 4 tag SNPs (rs174455, rs174556, rs174602, and rs498793) in the FADS region for analysis. We used an ANOVA to test for the heterogeneity of the effect on birth weight across each of the 4 SNPs. RESULTS The mean ± SD birth weight was 3210 ± 470 g, and the weight-for-age z score (WAZ) was -0.24 ± 1.00. There were no intention-to-treat differences in birth weights. We showed significant heterogeneity by SNP rs174602 (P= 0.02); offspring of carriers of alleles TT and TC in the intervention group were heavier than those in the placebo group (WAZ: -0.13 ± 0.14 and -0.20 ± 0.08 compared with -0.55 ± 0.15 and -0.39 ± 0.09, respectively); there were no significant differences in offspring of rs174602 CC homozygotes (WAZ: -0.26 ± 0.09 in the intervention group compared with -0.04 ± 0.09 in the placebo group). We showed no significant heterogeneity across the other 3 FADS SNPs. CONCLUSION Differential responses to prenatal DHA supplementation on the basis of the genetic makeup of target populations could explain the mixed evidence of the impact of DHA supplementation on birth weight. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00646360.
Production of High-Titer Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors in the Absence of Helper Adenovirus

ABSTRACT Recently, efficient and long-term in vivo gene transfer by recombinant adeno-associated virus type 2 (rAAV) vectors has been demonstrated in a variety of tissues. Further improvement in vector titer and purity will expedite this in vivo exploration and provide preclinical information required for use in human gene therapy. In an effort to obtain higher titers, we constructed a novel AAV helper plasmid which utilizes translational control of AAV Rep genes (J. Li et al., J. Virol. 71:5236–5243, 1997). To address the issue of purity, in this study we report the first rAAV production method which is completely free of adenovirus (Ad) helper virus. The new production system uses a plasmid construct which contains a mini-Ad genome capable of propagating rAAV in the presence of AAV Rep and Cap genes. This construct is missing some of the early and most of the late Ad genes and is incapable of producing infectious Ad. Transfection of 293 cells with the new mini-Ad helper and AAV packaging plasmids results in high-titer rAAV vectors with yields greater than 1,000 transducing units, or 105 viral particles per cell. When rAAV vectors were produced by using this production scheme and compared to traditional heat-inactivated rAAV preparations in vitro and in vivo, we observed transduction equivalent to or better than normal levels. The complete removal of infectious Ad from AAV production should facilitate a better understanding of immune response to AAV vectors in vivo, eliminate the need for developing replication-competent Ad assays, and provide a more defined reagent for clinical use.
Development of Small-Scale Axial Turbine for solar powered Brayton Cycle

An efficient small scale turbine, which can operate at low mass flowrates, relatively low pressure ratios and moderately high temperatures, is needed for developing a Small Scale Brayton Cycle SSBC to generate power for domestic applications. Although research work was carried out to develop Brayton cycle however the effect of turbine design on the cycle efficiency was not considered. This work aims to develop a Small Scale Axial Turbine (SSAT) using 3D CFD simulations. Different design and operating conditions, for both turbine and cycle were investigated to identify the most efficient turbine for this application. Results showed that a turbine with rotor stagger angel of 30°, and rotor flow angel of -51.5°, pressure ratio of 3, and rotational speed of 17500rpm, a turbine efficiency of 83.89% and power output of 5.25 kW and cycle overall thermal efficiency 9.1%.
A NOTE ON THE MULTIPLE-RECAPTURE CENSUS.

In the field of biology the problem of estimating population parameters such as population size, death rate, birth rate, etc., for animal populations is obviously an important one. Various capture-tag-recapture models have been developed to estimate these population parameters with a minimum number of assumptions on the underlying population. One such method, the multiple-recapture census, has been the topic of many papers and is described briefly as follows. The experimenter takes a sequence of random samples a,, a2, . , a8, say. The members of each sample a* are tagged and returned to the population before taking the next sample. Thus the members of a2, a3, . , a, can be classified according to when, if at all, they have been captured before. Although several models have been developed from different basic assumptions, three papers in particular by Darroch (1958, 1959) and Jolly (1965) give the most general treatment of this method in the form of exact, fully stochastic models which lend themselves readily to the method of maximum-likelihood estimation. The first paper of Darroch's deals with the closed population, i.e. a population in which there is neither augmentation due to immigration (or birth) nor departure due to death (or emigration). This population is usually dealt with separately as the algebra involved is quite different from that which arises in more general populations. The main assumption made, which in fact underlies all capturerecapture models, is that marked and unmarked individuals have the same probability of being caught and as far as the author knows no test statistic has been given for testing this assumption. In ? 4 of this paper we shall consider this problem and a likelihood-ratio test statistic will be derived which gives an approximate test of the above assumption. In Darroch's second paper he derives, for a population in which there is either immigration or death (but not both), modified maximum-likelihood estimates of the population parameters that are almost unbiased and asymptotically efficient, that is efficient for a certain class of reasonable estimates. For the population in which there is both immigration and death he gives only the probability generating function for the model and derives moment estimates of the parameters. However, Jolly (1965), tackling this problem from a different viewpoint, gives a very elegant solution to the problem of finding maximumlikelihood estimates of the unknown population parameters and gives the means and variances of these estimates. In this paper we shall consider this general population with both immigration and death and set up a model which differs slightly from that of Darroch and Jolly in that certain parameters are treated as unknown constants rather than as random variables. The notation and approach to the model is essentially that of Darroch's while the method of solution is similar to that given in Seber (1962). The estimates obtained from this model will be compared briefly with those obtained by Jolly.
Relationships among Coordinated Exertion of Force and Performance on Pegboard and Pursuit Rotor Tests Using Upper Limbs and Fingers

This study assessed the relationships between coordinated exertion of force and performance on pegboard and pursuit-rotor tests. University students (30 men and 30 women; M = 20.4 yr., SD = 1.1) matched their submaximal grip strength to changing demand values displayed as either a bar chart or a waveform appearing on the display of a personal computer and performed pursuit-rotor and pegboard tests. Sex differences were not significant. Correlations with maximal grip strength were minimal. Performance on coordinated exertion of force test was moderately correlated (men: r = −.42, women: r = −.70) with performance on the pursuit-rotor test for both sexes, but not with scores on the pegboard test. Scores on the coordinated exertion of force test and these two tests using upper limbs and fingers have little relation to maximal grip strength, and the correlations among them are similar for both sexes.
PC Board Thermal Management of High Power LEDs

Increasing requirements of closely packed high power LEDs pose challenges for PC board thermal management. This paper presents a cost-effective thermal solution using FR4 based PCB technology and filled and capped vias. This robust technology enables superior thermal performance on board level for closely packed power LEDs. No solder joint or board level reliability failures were found during a temperature cycling test (TCT) from -40degC to 125degC after 1000 cycles. Moreover no solder joint and board level failure was found after 4000 cycles for open via FR4 when monitoring changes of board thermal resistance. Trade-offs are given for board thermal resistance versus packing density, various board designs, PCB technology, solder joint reliability and PCB board level reliability including open vias and filled and capped vias.
Application of failure analysis process flow in multifunctional SiP

SiP is becoming a popular technology as it can provide an effective method for system integration and miniaturization. The complex structure and diversity of technologies applied in SiP may cause unexpected failure. Failure analysis of SiP is getting more difficult than that of single die packaging. In this paper, failure analysis of a SiP which integrated four functional dies and one silicon interposer with die-stack structure was studied. Part of SiP samples did not passed function test and different yield of packaging turned out between two batches. Following the failure analysis process flow for pilot run of SiP, nondestructive inspection (X-ray/C-SAM/Probe Test) and destructive inspection (Acid De-cap/Laser De-cap/FIB) were applied to locate the precise failure site and dig out the root cause. The electrical short between bonding wire and exposed trace nearby was affirmed at last. Design optimization was carried out. Meanwhile, in order to improve processing compatibility and yield of packaging, stringent design rule and process specification for SiP, especially for those with long loop, multi-tier bonding wires and fine pitch bonding fingers, were summarized.
Invited Paper : Advances in Millimeter Wave Imaging and Radar Systems for Civil Applications

Recent developments in the field of millimeter wavelength imagers intended for security and other applications are described. Passive mm-wave systems are now available that exploit high performance MMIC based sensors combined with mechanically scanned optics to provide highly cost effective industrial security cameras. The paper will describe the general principles inherent in the approach, describe the supporting technology and provide performance examples. Additionally the potential for the development of longer range sensor systems intended for surveillance and other applications is discussed
Increased FcγRII expression and aberrant tumour necrosis factor α production by mature dendritic cells from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives: To investigate potential differences in phenotype and behaviour of immature (iDC) and mature dendritic cells (mDC) from patients with RA and healthy subjects. Methods: iDC and mDC were derived from blood monocytes of patients with RA and healthy controls following standardised protocols. FACS was used to analyse expression of FcγRI, II, and III and molecules to characterise DC. Discrimination between FcγRIIa and FcγRIIb was achieved by RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry was performed on synovial biopsy specimens of three patients with RA and three healthy controls. TNFα production by iDC and mDC upon FcγR dependent stimulation was compared between patients with RA and controls by ELISA. Results: iDC from patients with active RA but not from patients with inactive RA or healthy controls markedly up regulated FcγRII. mDC from patients with active RA also lacked the physiological down regulation of FcγRII that occurs upon maturation in both control groups. RT-PCR analysis confirmed the increased expression of FcγRII in RA—especially marked for FcγRIIb. FcγR dependent stimulation of DC using antigen-IgG immune complexes (IC) significantly increased TNFα production by DC from healthy subjects, but significantly decreased TNFα by DC from patients with RA. Overlapping expression patterns between FcγRII and DC-LAMP in the synovial tissue of patients with RA imply that in vivo, also, mature DC express increased levels of FcγRIIb. Conclusion: The presence and altered characteristics of DC during active RA suggest that DC help to modulate autoimmunity in RA. Further studies should elucidate the role of local factors in altering the function of DC in RA and in increasing expression of FcγRII.
Using FIB SEM to control the critical dimensions of nano-structured materials

Application of state-of-the-art focused ion beam technology (FIB), in combination with high-performance scanning electron microscopy (SEM), gives the ability to perform advanced nanofabrication, via sputtering or chemical vapor deposition. Numerous parameters must be considered in order to achieve high quality results, particularly where stringent critical dimensions are required or when dealing with challenges such as electrically insulating and/or soft materials.
Feature selection and classification in gene expression cancer data

Gene Expression data comprising more number genes and samples are used for cancer classification. Gene Expression information provides the gene expression level contributing to specific action. Cancer classification is done using the gene expression data. In our work, feature selection methods such as mutual information and genetic algorithm are used for examining cancer microarray Gene expression Data. By using feature selection methods most probable cancer associated genes are selected from large microarray Gene Expression data. The objective of the present work to attain enhanced classification accuracy. We have used the colon cancer dataset contains 2000 gene has 62 types, in which 40 are colon cancer tissue's types and the other 20 are normal types.
High serum cardiac troponin T concentrations in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome *

In preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), cardiac function is negatively influenced by the severity of the lung disease. On day 2 of life, cardiac troponin T (cTnT), biochemical marker of myocardial injury, was measured in 46 preterm infants (gestational age ≤32 wk), 26 with RDS and 20 without: median (range) 0.38 (0.02–1.57) μgL vs 0.13 (0.02–0.85) μgL, respectively.
Deficiency of Sorting Nexin 27 (SNX27) Leads to Growth Retardation and Elevated Levels of N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor 2C (NR2C)

ABSTRACT Phox (PX) domain-containing sorting nexins (SNXs) are emerging as important regulators of endocytic trafficking. Sorting nexin 27 (SNX27) is unique, as it contains a PDZ (Psd-95/Dlg/ZO1) domain. We show here that SNX27 is primarily targeted to the early endosome by interaction of its PX domain with PtdIns(3)P. Although targeted ablation of the SNX27 gene in mice did not significantly affect growth and survival during embryonic development, SNX27 plays an essential role in postnatal growth and survival. N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor 2C (NR2C) was identified as a novel SNX27-interacting protein, and this interaction is mediated by the PDZ domain of SNX27 and the C-terminal PDZ-binding motif of NR2C. Increased NR2C expression levels, together with impaired NR2C endocytosis in SNX27−/− neurons, indicate that SNX27 may function to regulate endocytosis and/or endosomal sorting of NR2C. This is consistent with a role of SNX27 as a general regulator for sorting of membrane proteins containing a PDZ-binding motif, and its absence may alter the trafficking of these proteins, leading to growth and survival defects.