Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AS NORMAL A LIFE AS POSSIBLE: MOTHERS AND THEIR DAUGHTERS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE

In this study, I used a qualitative descriptive methodology to examine the effect of chronic illness on the mother-daughter relationship. Many studies have examined the effects of the child's illness on the mother-child relationship when the child is very young, but few have looked at the ongoing problems that chronic illness may cause. Eleven mothers and 11 daughters were interviewed. Normalizing in the face of chronic illness was the overriding theme of the study. Two subthemes related to normalizing arose from the data. "It's no big deal" was found to best describe how most mothers and their daughters with heart disease viewed their lives and relationships. One other subtheme, "Sometimes it's a very big deal," was described by those mothers and daughters who could not, due to ongoing health problems, normalize their lives. Relationships with family as well as age, severity of illness, and developmental stage, were seen as mediators of normalizing in the lives of the participants.
Hierarchical Planning in a Distributed Environment

Planning is a crucial aspect of many applications which are naturally suited to the use of distributed processing hardware. Use of a centralized planner is generally incongruous with effective distributed problem solving systems, motivating generalization of centralized planning techniques to accomodate multiple and distributed centers of planning control. Such a generalization of Sacerdoti's NOAH (Nets of Action Hierarchies) planning system is described. This generalization involves distribution of NOAH's criticism and world model mechanisms.
Reflex origin for the slowing of motoneurone firing rates in fatigue of human voluntary contractions.

During fatigue from a sustained maximal voluntary contraction (m.v.c.) the mean motoneurone discharge rates decline. In the present experiments we found no recovery of firing rates after 3 min of rest if the fatigued muscle was kept ischaemic, but near full recovery 3 min after the blood supply was restored. Since 3 min is thus sufficient time for recovery of any central changes in excitability, the results support the hypothesis that, during fatigue, motoneurone firing rates may be regulated by a peripheral reflex originating in response to fatigue‐induced changes within the muscle.
The Effects of Process and Outcome Similarity on Users' Evaluations of Decision Aids

Decision aids (DA) used in online shopping contexts have been shown to improve users' product choices. Given that previous research (e.g., Byrne & Griffitt, 1973) has demonstrated the positive effects of perceived similarity on an individual's evaluation of others, this study investigates the effects of users' perceived similarity with a DA on their evaluations of that DA. More specifically, we investigate the effect of users' perceptions of the similarity between their own decision process and that followed by the DA to arrive at a recommendation (decision process similarity), as well as the similarity between the recommendations made by the DA and users' initial choices (outcome similarity), on their evaluations of the DA's usefulness and trustworthiness. The results of this study show that perceived process similarity exerts positive and significant effects on users' perceptions of the DA's usefulness and trustworthiness. However, the effects of perceived outcome similarity on trust are completely mediated by perceived process similarity. It is also observed that the level of the user's domain knowledge moderates the effects of perceived decision process similarity on both perceived usefulness and trustworthiness. These results have implications for DA design. It is important that designers consider the process by which users make decisions for themselves and align the DA's decision process with those of the user's, especially for the novice user. The full mediation of the effect of outcome similarity on trust by process similarity highlights how a similar decision process can mitigate some of the negative effects of outcome dissimilarity.
Free-weighting matrices approach to H∞ filtering for a class of uncertain linear systems with time-varying delay

This paper investigates the problem of delay-dependent robust H∞ filtering for uncertain linear systems with time-varying delay. Given a stable system with parameter uncertainties residing in a polytope with s vertices, the focus is on designing a robust H∞ filter such that the filtering error system is robustly asymptotically stable with a prescribed H∞ noise attenuation level. The main technique used is the free-weighting matrix method by considering the additional useful terms. As a result, an improved linear matrix inequality-based delay-dependent stability criterion is obtained, which is less conservative. Finally, two examples have been presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Health care disparities and cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVES We compared cervical cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, and survival in Medicaid-insured and non-Medicaid-insured populations. METHODS We stratified the sample by age and used ordered logistic regression to predict stage at diagnosis and used Cox proportional hazards regression to predict survival. RESULTS Medicaid insured nearly one quarter of women diagnosed with cervical cancer. The likelihood of late-stage disease was greatest for women who enrolled in Medicaid after diagnosis. Women younger than 65 years who enrolled in Medicaid after diagnosis were more likely to die from cervical cancer than were women who were not insured by Medicaid (hazard ratio=2.40, 95% confidence interval=1.49, 3.86). CONCLUSIONS Our study underscores the importance of cervical cancer screening programs targeted at low-income women.
Wearable thermoelectric generator for human clothing applications

In this study, a wearable thermoelectric generator (TEG) in the flexible fabric is proposed for converting human body heat energy to electrical energy. The wearable TEG is composed of a flexible fabric material, thermoelectric columns (Bi2Te3) and electrical connection based on conductive fabric component. The proposed TEG showed the flexibility and the wearability suitable to be applied to the human body. The TEG was fabricated dispenser printing, and the fabricated device converted applied contact heat into electrical energy (0.98 μV/K). When the TEG applied to the human body, the measured output power was 178 nW in ambient temperature of 5 °C.
MicroRNA‐410 functions as a tumor suppressor by targeting angiotensin II type 1 receptor in pancreatic cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as key regulators of gene expression in diverse biological processes and are intimately involved in tumorigenesis. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of miR‐410 in pancreatic cancer remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that miR‐410 overexpression suppressed pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo as well as cell invasion and migration. miR‐410 also resulted in G1/S cell‐cycle arrest. We then showed that angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1) was a direct target of miR‐410, with miR‐410 suppressing AGTR1 expression levels. In contrast, inhibition of miR‐410 increased the expression of AGTR1. Silencing of AGTR1 inhibited cell growth and invasion, similar to miR‐410 overexpression. In addition, we found that the induction of vascular endothelial growth factor and the activation of the ERK signaling pathway by angiotensin II were blocked by miR‐410, similar to the angiotensin II inhibitor losartan. miR‐410 overexpression inhibited angiogenesis in mice through the repression of CD31 expression. ERK pathway knockdown suppressed pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. Finally, we found that miR‐410 was downregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues compared to adjacent nontumor tissues, whereas AGTR1 was upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues. Pearson correlation analysis showed that miR‐410 and AGTR1 were inversely expressed. In conclusion, our data indicate that miR‐410 suppresses pancreatic cancer growth, cell invasion, migration, and angiogenesis via the downregulation of AGTR1, acting as a tumor‐suppressive miRNA. In addition, our results suggest that miR‐410 is a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with pancreatic cancer. © 2015 IUBMB Life, 67(1):42–53, 2015
Characterization of immune-active peptides obtained from milk fermented by Lactobacillus helveticus

The objectives of this research were to confirm the effect of compounds derived from milk fermented by Lactobacillus helveticus (LH-2) on the nonspecific host defence system, and isolate and characterize the active peptides that mediate the immune response. The cell-free supernatant obtained from the fermented milk and its fractions were tested in vitro for immuno-modulating activity using murine macrophages (RAW 264·7 cell line). Cytokine production (Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), and Interleukin-1β (IL1-β)), nitric oxide (NO) production and phagocytosis were used as biomarkers. Macrophages stimulated with cell-free supernatant of fermented milk showed higher production of cytokines and NO compared with macrophages stimulated with LPS (Lipopolysaccharide) and a commercial immunomodulator derived from β-casein (f54-59). Phagocytosis was observed by macrophages stimulated with the supernatant. Two of nine fractions collected from the supernatant using size exclusion chromatography produced the highest response when used to stimulate macrophages. The results of the dose-response study of the effect of the fraction with the highest stimulation effect on the production of TNF-α showed a direct correlation between protein concentration and TNF-α release. The fraction contained four novel peptides, three derived from the hydrolysis of β-casein and one from the hydrolysis of α-lactalbumin. These results confirm that fermentation of milk by Lactobacillus helveticus (LH-2) results in the production of specific peptides capable of modulating macrophage activity.
Molecular genetics of inherited long QT syndromes Introduction

Unravelling the molecular cause of QT prolongation is one of the most exciting contributions of molecular biology to clinical cardiology in the last decade. Not only have mutations in four different genes been described, at least two additional chromosomal loci have been identified harbouring genes with an as yet unknown DNA sequence and protein function. Simultaneously cellular electrophysiology has provided the tools to study the effect of single base mutations on protein function. The development of molecular genetics in concert with molecular electrophysiology has provided substantial proof of the causative relationship among DNA mutation, amino acid change and changes in ion channel characteristics. The physiological in vivo experiments in transgenic or gene targeted animals, showing prolonged repolarization and potential arrhythmias, will complete the evidence in the near future. The long QT syndrome, defined as the association of prolonged QT intervals and life threatening polymorphic ventricular tachycardias (torsade de pointes), can be inherited or acquired. Not all family members who inherit a defective gene will develop symptoms. Mutation carriers only develop symptoms in specific circumstances. Whether these circumstances are related to sympathetic stimulation or genetic factors is the subject of ongoing research. Identification of the mutation and recognition of the changed ion channel function can have therapeutic consequences. Pre-symptomatic diagnosis of individuals at risk is generally poor and medical treatment may increase the risk of arrhythmias. Therefore identification of individuals at risk, and identification of the gene defect involved, is very important. In the development of cardiac arrhythmias both genetic and acquired factors are involved, with genetic factors accounting for half or more of the arrhythmias. In this review we will discuss the major group of inherited arrhythmias: the long QT syndromes. The long QT syndrome
THE CHROMATOGRAPHIC PURIFICATION OF FLUORESCEIN-ANTIBODY

Crude fluorescein antibody-globulin conjugates may be freed of soluble fluorescein derivatives and other low-molecular weight by-products by filtration through a Sephadex column of G25. Nonspecifically staining conjugate may be removed by filtration of the fluorescein-globulin through a column of N,N-diethlaminoethyl cellulose in pH 6.0 0.02 M phosphate buffer. The method may be used for either purifiying fluores and antibody or for isolating the non-specifically staining components of the crude conjugates.
High-level Behavior Representation Languages Revisited

Abstract : There has only been a short history of high level languages to model human cognition based on cognitive architectures. TAQL is an early example (Yost, 1993). TAQL showed a large (3x) speed increase over plain Soar, but because it did not support Soar's learning mechanism and because Soar changed soon after its release, TAQL's impact was not as great as its developer probably would have liked. It is time again to consider high level behavior representation languages. Cognitive models and intelligent agents are becoming more complex and pervasive. This is driving the need for development environments that make it easier to create, share, and reuse cognitive models. Several high level modeling languages have recently been created and several of them are described briefly here. These languages are each different, but they have a common goal of making modeling human data easier to perform. We can now see some generalities and common lessons. By holding this symposium we will identify lessons for the development of these languages as well as for their users. These languages are reviewed briefly in the next section.
University of Birmingham Short-term power load probability density forecasting method using kernel-based support vector quantile regression and Copula theory

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Bone Scan Flare Phenomenon in Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Gefitinib

Purpose: The bone scan flare phenomenon has been evaluated in various cancers in the presence of positive response to therapy. The aim of this study was to determine whether flare phenomenon occurs in non-small-cell lung cancer patients, especially adenocarcinoma in East-Asians, who respond dramatically and promptly to gefitinib. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the radiographic and scintigraphic images of 125 lung cancer patients who had previous gefitinib treatment between July 2003 and October 2005. Those patients who had the first post-treatment scan done within 3 months and the second scan performed after 3 months after starting the therapy were included. New lesions or increased intensity observed on the first follow-up bone scan with improvement on the second one during gefitinib treatment was defined as positive for flare phenomenon. The results were correlated with clinical disease status. Results: Thirty-three non–small-cell lung cancer patients were included. Seven (21.2%) of them showed bone scan flare phenomenon. Of these seven, 5 had adenocarcinoma and 2 had unclassified non–small-cell lung cancer. Partial response was achieved after treatment in all these cases, and flare phenomena were detected between 29 and 77 days (median: 34 days) after treatment. Conclusion: The findings show that the flare is common during the first 3 months of gefitinib initiation; hence, a repeat bone scan should be reserved for later in the treatment course.
[Association between H-ras and L-myc gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to colorectal cancer].

OBJECTIVE To explore the association between the polymorphisms of oncogenes H-ras and L-myc and colorectal cancer risk, and the interaction of those genes. METHODS The genotypes of H-ras and L-myc genes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Stratified analysis and logistic model were used to detect the gene-gene interaction. The gene-gene interaction was validated by multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) analysis. RESULTS The single SNP model showed that the polymorphisms of H-ras and L-myc genes were not significantly related with colorectal cancer risk (P > 0.05). Stratified analysis revealed that among the L-myc LS + SS genotype carriers, those with H-ras TC + CC genotype showed significantly increased risk of rectal cancer than those with TT genotype (OR = 1.81, P = 0.005). The positive interaction between L-myc and H-ras was detected by logistic regression model. The OR of the interaction effect was 2.74 (P = 0.024). This result was confirmed in the MDR model, with 54.83% testing balanced accuracy and 10/10 cross-validation consistency, and the model was still significant after the 1000 times permutation test (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the polymorphism of H-ras and L-myc genes is not related to colorectal cancer risk, but there is a synergy between H-ras and L-myc polymorphisms in the development of rectal cancer.
A 5.8-GHz CMOS frequency synthesizer for WLAN application

In this paper, we present a fully integrated 5.8GHz frequency synthesizer realized in 0. 13µm CMOS technology. It incorporates a LC voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) which is capable of automatically adjusting its nominal center frequency to a desired frequency. A digital controlled band-switching topology employing Accumulation-Mode MOS varactors (AMOS) with virtual ground node was adopted to provide a wide-band frequency range to allow calibration for process and temperature variations (PTV). An optimal VCO gain (Kvco) method, allows Kvco to be small and be flat over a wide tuning range, results in good phase noise performance and loop linearity. To minimize the reference spurs and stabilize the loop bandwidth, a matched charge pump with a current correction technique for frequency synthesizer is proposed. The measured VCO tuning range is 400MHz from 5.70 GHz to 6.1GHz with a gain of 45MHz/V. The phase noise of the frequency synthesizer is −121dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset away from the 5.840GHz carrier. The synthesizer consumes 40mW dc power, and its reference spurs and settling time are −60dBm and 40µS respectively.
AFM tip-induced dielectrophoresis for 3D manipulation of nanoparticles

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dielectrophoresis (DEP) technologies have been used as excellent tools for nanomanipulation and nanoassembly. AFM-based manipulation exhibits excellent positioning and very high accuracy. The advantage of DEP is its ability to carry out parallel and massive manipulation of nanomaterials. In this study, we develop AFM tip-induced dielectrophoresis for three dimensional (3D) manipulation of nanoparticles by integrating AFM with DEP techniques. A spatially nonuniform electric field can be induced when applying alternating current (AC) voltage between the AFM tip and a glass substrate coated with a thin layer of indium tin oxide (ITO). This work mainly focuses on the theoretical analysis and numerical simulation of the electric-field distribution between the probe tip and the ITO glass. Finally, we experimentally demonstrate the manipulation and assembly of dielectric nanoparticles with an average diameter of 200 nm. Compared with the traditional DEP method, predesigned electrodes are not required. The spatial electric-field distribution depends on the position of the AFM probe. Therefore, AFM-tip-induced dielectrophoresis is more flexible and efficient.
Implementation of the stable states transition control algorithm for a four free joints walking robot

The paper presents a systemic approach of a walking robot behavior and control in uncertain environments, with application to a hexapod robot. For simplicity, this paper considers only the vertical xz-plane evolution taking into account that the structure is symmetrical in the horizontal xy-plane and the results can be easily extended. Based on the mathematical model of the robot, determined considering all the points in the xz-plane as being complex numbers, a new concept of walking called SSTA, "Stable States Transition Approach", is proposed. Applications of this algorithm for a walking robot with four free joints are implemented on a user-friendly simulation and educational platform and also a control system development environment for control of walking robots systems - RoPa. All the examples demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control algorithm.
EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE–INDUCED FULL-THICKNESS MACULAR HOLES: The Clinical Features and Surgical Outcomes

Purpose: To investigate the clinical features and surgical outcomes in patients with epiretinal membrane–induced full-thickness macular holes (FTMHs). Methods: Consecutive cases with epiretinal membrane–induced FTMH followed by a single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed (study group, 24 cases). The criteria of epiretinal membrane–induced FTMH selection were 1) documented lamellar macular hole before FTMH formation, 2) FTMH with lamellar hole–associated epiretinal proliferation at the hole edge, and 3) FTMH with wider inner opening and narrower base. Consecutively treated Stage 2 (Control A, 20 cases) and Stage 4 (Control B, 22 cases) MH patients served as controls. All patients were followed up for at least 12 months after treatment. Results: Patients in the study group were younger and had a higher rate of high myopia than Controls A and B. The average hole size (203.6 ± 104.9 &mgr;m) was similar to that in Control A group and smaller than that in Control B group; the postoperative visual improvement (2–3 lines in Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study) was lower than that in Control A and B groups. Similar results were found when excluding high myopia cases from the study group. Conclusion: Epiretinal membrane–induced FTMH has distinct features from the typical Stage 2 or 4 FTMH. Despite the small size, visual improvement is not as good as that in Stage 2 FTMH.
Electrospinning of hexanoyl chitosan/polylactide blends

The electrospinning of hexanoyl chitosan (H-chitosan), polylactide (PLA) and their blends was performed using chloroform, dichloromethane or tetrahydrofuran as a spinning solvent. The as-spun PLA fibers appeared to be cross-sectionally round, with rough surface morphology, while the as-spun H-chitosan fibers were flat with smooth surface morphology. Electrospinning of the H-chitosan/PLA blend solutions in chloroform with the H-chitosan solution content of less than or equal to 50% (w/w) produced continuous fibers without the presence of beads, while that of the blend solutions in dichloromethane produced beaded fibers or even just beads at high H-chitosan solution contents. The size of the as-spun fibers from blend solutions with a H-chitosan solution content of less than or equal to 50% (w/w) was found to decrease with increasing the H-chitosan solution content. Thermal characteristics and crystalline structure of selected as-spun fibers from pure and blend solutions in chloroform were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) techniques.