Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perturbation of precision grip in Friedreich's ataxia and late‐onset cerebellar ataxia

Perturbations of precision grip were tested in 7 patients with Friedreich's ataxia (FA) and 11 patients with late‐onset cerebellar ataxia (CA). Subjects were instructed to hold a small compressible manipulandum between thumb and index finger and to resist any perturbation of maintained finger position. A sudden increase of load induced a displacement of fingers until this was stopped by subjects' active intervention. The amount of initial displacement emerged as a highly sensitive parameter to differentiate the clinical subgroups: Responses in FA patients were missing or massively delayed, whereas displacements in CA patients were normal or only moderately abnormal. This discrimination of impaired hand function in FA and CA patients has not been possible by using only tasks of isometric grip force control. We concluded that our task relies more on intact sensory afferents, which are known to be impaired in FA, than on cerebellar function. In a second task the stiffness of the maintained grip was determined. On the average, preresponse stiffness was lower in FA patients as compared with CA patients and normal controls. However, stiffness appeared to be an independent parameter that did not influence the amount of displacement in the perturbation task.
Cost-Benefit Analysis for Project Appraisal

Written by two leading experts, this is a compact guide to the key tools and methods necessary to carry out cost-benefit analysis (CBA). The authors use modern economic tools to obtain general equilibrium cost-benefit rules that can be used to evaluate small projects, as well as large and even mega projects. Intertemporal issues like discounting, the shadow price of capital, and the treatment of risk are covered, and a state-of-the-art summary of available methods for the valuation of unpriced commodities is also included. In addition, the book provides detailed expositions of the marginal cost of public goods (MCPF), the marginal excess burden of taxes (MEB), and second-best evaluation rules, and shows how these concepts are interrelated. The importance of undertaking due diligence in evaluations is highlighted. This is an excellent toolkit for graduate students learning about the principles of CBA, and is a useful guide for government officials and policymakers.
Evaluation of Cubic-Spline Based Gas Kinetic Method for Simulating
 Compressible Turbulence

In this work, we implement and examine a new flow reconstruction methodology using cubic-splines for interpolations in the gas kinetic method (GKM). We compare this version of GKM with the existing WENO based interpolation method. The comparisons are made in terms of accuracy and computational speed. We find that at low to intermediate range of Mach number (Mt < 0.7), cubic-splines based interpolations are superior in terms of reduced numerical dissipation and higher computational speed (7x faster) as compared to the WENO interpolation method.
Assessment of Global Orientation Estimation Using Redundant Inertial and Magnetic Sensors

Inertial Measurements Units based on microelectromechanical technologies are extensively used in a vast range of applications due mainly to their reduced size, weight, power consumption and cost. However, the accuracy of the systems that rely on this technology is still the main hampering factor to its broad adoption. When it comes to global orientation estimation, the number of factors that play an important role in the final accuracy rise. It is possible to identify five important factors: sensor bias, sensor noise, algorithm robustness and tuning, and for the last, system bandwidth. Therefore this M.Sc. Dissertation details the development of a system with sensor redundancy, aiming to study the relation between inertial and magnetic data prevenient from different sensors, and finally, resulting in an improvement of the orientation estimation accuracy. Five different fusion algorithms were adapted and implemented, having also their parameters properly optimized. Additionally, a two degrees of freedom orientation system is developed and implemented to be used as orientation reference. The performed tests were also camera recorded for ease of visualization, the videos are available online. The results are presented in terms of Kinematic Tracking Error and angle Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The proposed system was able to reach orientation errors as low as 1.05° RMS for the yaw axis during static tests (the yaw axis usually presents the highest RMS error), while dynamic experiments showed results as low as 1.17°, 2.30° and 3.03° RMS, respectively, for what has been classified as Slow, Mid and Fast movement profile. Furthermore, it is presented the hardware project of a semi-commercial system, which would be able to overcome the main issues presented by the actual system, what would be able to promote new researches.
Anti-Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Activity of the Cyclooxygenase Inhibitor SC-560

Background: A number of compounds were examined for their inhibitory effect on bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) replication in cell cultures and found that some cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors had antiviral activity against the virus. Methods: Determination of compounds for their anti-BVDV activity was on the basis of the inhibition of virus-induced cytopathogenicity in Mardin–Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells. Anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) activity was assessed by the inhibition of viral RNA synthesis in the subgenomic HCV RNA replicon cells. Results: Among the test compounds, 5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole (SC-560) was the most active against BVDV, and its 50% effective and cytotoxic concentrations were 10.9 ±2.8 and 93.9 ±24.5 μM in virus and mock-infected MDBK cells, respectively. The compound also suppressed BVDV RNA synthesis in a dose-dependent fashion. Studies on the mechanism of action revealed that SC-560 did not interfere with viral entry to the host cells. Furthermore, it was assumed that the antiviral activity of SC-560 was not associated with its inhibitory effect on COX. The combination of SC-560 and interferon-α was additive to synergistic in inhibiting BVDV replication. More importantly, the compound proved to be a selective inhibitor of HCV replication. Conclusions: SC-560 and its derivative might have potential as novel antiviral agents against HCV.
Pseudovibrio ascidiaceicola sp. nov., isolated from ascidians (sea squirts).

Two bacterial strains, F423T and F10102, were isolated from two ascidians, Polycitor proliferus and Botryllidae sp. , respectively, which were collected from a beach on the Boso peninsula in Japan. Cells of both isolates were motile, rod-shaped and formed star-shaped aggregates in the early stage of exponential growth, but were coccoid in stationary growth phase. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, fatty acid analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization experiments and physiological and biochemical tests indicated that the two strains were members of a novel species of the genus Pseudovibrio for which the name Pseudovibrio ascidiaceicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is F423T (=NBRC 100514T=IAM 15084T=DSM 16392T=KCTC 12308T).
Effects of Antihypertensive Treatment on Composition of Cerebral Arterioles

Treatment of chronic hypertension with cilazapril, but not hydralazine, attenuates changes in distensibility of cerebral arterioles that occur in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSPs). In this study, effects of antihypertensive treatment on composition of cerebral arterioles was determined in SHRSPs. Cilazapril (45 mg/kg/day), an angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, or hydralazine (18 mg/kg/day) was begun when rats were 3 months of age. Both cilazapril and hydralazine reduced systolic arterial pressure in SHRSPs (from 199±6 to 122±7 mm Hg for cilazapril versus 143±5 mm Hg for hydralazine [mean±SEM];p<0.05). Cerebral arterioles were fixed in vivo, and the cross-sectional area of the vessel wall was measured histologically. In SHRSPs, both cilazapril and hydralazine reduced cross-sectional area of the vessel wall to values obtained in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Thus, both cilazapril and hydralazine prevented hypertrophy of cerebral arterioles in SHRSPs. Composition of the arteriolar wall was determined with point counting stereology. Cerebral arterioles in SHRSPs contained significantly more smooth muscle and elastin than in WKY rats (1,294 ±157 versus 853±88 μm2, respectively, for smooth muscle and 148±13 versus 108±7 μm2, respectively, for elastin). After treatment with the ACE inhibitor, the amount of smooth muscle (920±40 μm2) and elastin (120±8 μm2) in cerebral arterioles in SHRSPs was similar to that in WKY rats. Treatment with hydralazine was effective in preventing increases in elastin (128 ±14 μm2) and in attenuating increases in smooth muscle (1,008±18 fim1). The ratio of nondistensible (collagen, basement membrane) to distensible (smooth muscle, elastin, endothelium) components was greater in SHRSPs than in WKY rats. The ratio was normal in SHRSPs after treatment with cilazapril but not hydralazine. Thus, the ACE inhibitor, but not hydralazine, prevented changes in the relative composition of cerebral arterioles in SHRSPs. We speculate that changes in relative composition of cerebral arterioles may explain, in part, different effects of antihypertensive treatment on vascular mechanics.
Natural Selection on Pleiotropic Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting a Life-History Trade-Off in Avena barbata

We applied QTL mapping to fitness variation of Avena barbata under well-watered greenhouse conditions. One hundred eighty recombinant inbred lines were assayed for flowering time, total size, mass allocation, and fitness. Composite Interval Mapping identified two to five loci affecting these traits. These were well supported in more powerful Multiple and Bayesian interval mapping analyses that indicated that additional QTL, as well as epistatic interactions also affect the traits. The posterior distribution of the number of QTL peaked at five to eight additive loci and one to two interactions, but the specific locations of the additional loci could not be determined with certainty. In most cases in which loci for separate traits mapped to similar locations, explicit tests supported pleiotropy over close linkage of separate loci. Alleles that hastened first flowering generally reduced vegetative mass, increased reproductive mass, and were associated with high fitness. Because effects on mass allocation generally cancelled one another, few loci affected total plant size. Only one QTL affected vegetative mass independent of reproductive mass and this locus had little effect on fitness. Thus selection acts to shift the mass allocation toward greater reproductive allocation, because the correlated decrease in vegetative mass poses only a minor fitness cost.
Methylglyoxal-derivative advanced glycation endproducts: detection by competitive immunofluorometric assay and quantifying in serum and urine.

BACKGROUND Advanced glycation endproducts (AGE) are a family of heterogeneous chemical structures formed on the host protein in the conditions of carbonyl or oxidative stress. Among AGE precursors, methylglyoxal (MG) is considered one of the key intermediates. METHODS In the current study, we describe and evaluate a solid phase time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA) based on the competitive reaction between MG-AGE antibody and competitive antigen for detecting MG-adducts in serum and urine. The fluorometry assay was validated by comparison with previously established competitive ELISA. RESULTS The concentration of MG-adducts assayed by competitive DELFIA in the sera of diabetic patients (DM, n=66) were higher in comparison to non-diabetic controls (C, n=28); DM median=294 mgEq/L (10th and 90th percentile 158-564) vs. C median=224 mgEq/L (10th and 90th percentile 124-290) (p=0.0022). In diabetic subjects, urinary excretion of MG-adducts exceeded the mean level measured in controls; DM median=36.0 mgEq/L (10th and 90th percentile 1-210) vs. C median=11.5 mgEq/L (10th and 90th percentile 1-49) p=0.0036. MG-adducts in urine were low and undetectable in 8 of 28 control subjects and 2 of 66 diabetics. The percentage recovery of MG-adduct added in the same concentration to control and diabetic pool sera showed under-recovery in the latter. Comparison of total AGE level and the amount of MG-adducts revealed MG-derivatives to account for 37% of the heterogeneous structure commonly termed AGE. CONCLUSIONS The fluoroimmunoassay for MG-derivative AGE evaluated can be utilized on biomonitoring of MG-adducts in serum and its urinary excretion. The competitive DELFIA assay was found to be substantially more sensitive than the standard ELISA having a wider dynamic range, while sharing similar quenching attributes.
Transferrin Receptor 1 and Ferroportin Expression in the Full-Term Human Placenta and its Association with Maternal and Neonatal Iron Status: A Pilot Study

Background: Maternal iron deficiency negatively affects the iron status of the newborn and could have adverse effects during childhood and adult life, particularly on cognitive and productive processes. Because few studies have related thelevel of iron receptor expression in the placenta with maternal and/or newborn iron status, the objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the iron statuses in the mother and the newborn and the expression of transferrinreceptor-1 (TfR1) and ferroportin (FPN) in the full-term human placenta. Materials and methods: A pilot study, cross-sectional design, we selected full-term pregnant women based on their antepartum iron status: iron deficiency with anemia (IDA, n=5), iron deficiency without anemia (IDNA, n=9) and normal ironstatus (NIS, control group, n=10). All newborns were delivered by caesarean section (between weeks 37 and 39 of pregnancy). Blood samples were taken from the newborn by umbilical vein sampling for serum ferritin measurements. Theexpression of TfR1 and FPN in placental villous tissue and isolated trophoblast cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and flow cytometry, respectively. Results: The expression levels of TfR1 and FPN in villous tissue were significantly correlated, with no significant differences between groups. TfR1 and FPN expression was predominantly found in the apical membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast and villous stroma, respectively. Neonatal ferritin serum levels significantly correlated with FPN expression.
Reciprocal Regulatory Interaction between Human Herpesvirus 8 and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1*

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) is the primary viral etiologic agent in Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). However, individuals dually infected with both HHV8 and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) show an enhanced prevalence of KS when compared with those singularly infected with HHV8. Host immune suppression conferred by HIV infection cannot wholly explain this increased presentation of KS. To better understand how HHV8 and HIV-1 might interact directly in the pathogenesis of KS, we queried for potential regulatory interactions between the two viruses. Here, we report that HHV8 and HIV-1 reciprocally up-regulate the gene expression of each other. We found that the KIE2 immediate-early gene product of HHV8 interacted synergistically with Tat in activating expression from the HIV-1 long terminal repeat. On the other hand, HIV-1 encoded Tat and Vpr proteins increased intracellular HHV8-specific expression. These results provide molecular insights correlating coinfection with HHV8 and HIV-1 with an unusually high incidence of KS.
Donor kidney microthrombi and outcomes of kidney transplant: a single‐center experience

The kidney wait list has outgrown the supply of available organs every year. Efforts are being made to minimize discard rate of organs. One such area is the use of kidneys with glomerular microthrombi (MT). We retrospectively examined graft/patient outcomes in 28 cases with MT in pre‐implantation biopsies. All patients had follow‐up of at least 36 months, or until graft loss or death. In total, 17 of the 18 patients who underwent follow‐up biopsy within 90 days of transplantation had cleared all MT. Most patients had excellent long‐term graft function. On a closer review of the biopsies included in our study, we found that even in the organs with the most widespread thrombosis, the median percentage of glomeruli with more than 50 percentage of the capillary loops occluded was 8% (range 0–17%). The current practice of mentioning the % of glomeruli with thrombi cannot adequately capture the extent of donor organ pathology, as the actual % glomerular area involved can vary greatly from case to case. Future studies should attempt to quantify donor thrombi by a more robust method and revisit the issue of using clinico‐pathologic parameters to predict allograft function in the setting of MT.
Sex and age differences in the association of obesity and smoking with hypertension and type 2 diabetes in Southern California American Indians, 2002-2006.

OBJECTIVE Assess age and sex differences in the association of obesity and smoking with diabetes and hypertension and report the prevalence of these cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in Southern California American Indian/Alaska Native (AlAN) adults. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Visit data from 2002-2006 were extracted from one Southern California AlAN health clinic system. PARTICIPANTS 10,351 AIAN adults visiting the health clinic system. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Odds ratios were examined to assess the association of obesity and smoking with diabetes and hypertension and prevalence rates for obesity, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension were reported. RESULTS Obesity (women: 53%, men: 55%), smoking (women: 16%, men: 18%), diabetes (women: 14%, men: 16%), and hypertension (women: 32%, men: 37%) were very prevalent. For women aged -35 years, increasing obesity was significantly associated with diabetes. For men aged -25 years, morbid obesity and smoking were significantly associated with diabetes for many age groups. Increasing overweight/obesity and smoking were associated with hypertension among adults aged 18-65 years. CONCLUSIONS Southern California AIANs had higher obesity, diabetes, and hypertension prevalence than the general Southern California population, and higher obesity prevalence compared to other AIANs. Highly prevalent risk factors create a great burden, as CVD is the leading cause of death among AIAN adults. AIANs are diverse and need interventions tailored to cultural customs and health problems most prevalent in each tribal community.
The Rise of Sap in a Tropical Liana.

It was discovered in a Palestine orchard that citrus trees do not necessarily wilt when the trunk is cut from opposite sides at different levels so that every vessel is severed (2). Similar observations have been made on several other species Qf trees (3). Furthermore, it is known that every transpiration column throughout the cross section of a tall grapevine can be broken by air, without retarding the water uptake. When the air breaks are too extensive the transpiration slows down considerably, but it still may be sufficient to prevent wilting or even to permit a wilting plant to recover (4). It is common to these cases that air breaks existed in all or most of the active vessels throughout a full cross section of the stem, so that the transpiration stream for some distance, at least, must have run only through the interstices between the vessels. These phenomena have an important bearing on the cohesion theory, as well as on the relation between vascular and interstitial sap flow in the stem, and it has been our endeavor in the present investigation to elucidate the situation by experimental studies of hydrodynamic conditions in a liana.
Sociodemographic and Incident Variables as Predictors of Victim Injury From Intimate Partner Violence: Findings From Police Reports

Predictors of victim injury from intimate partner violence (IPV) were investigated using 1,292 police reports collected in South Carolina in 2009/2010. All cases were opposite sex adults. Results from bivariate statistics showed that IPV cases with (n = 649) and without visible injuries (n = 643) differed on victim gender, victim race, type of relationship, and perpetrator’s alcohol use. Results from a logistic regression analysis predicting victim injury showed higher odds ratios for males, Whites, and couples identified as cohabitants. Although most victims, including most injured victims, were Black women, males and Whites were overrepresented in the injured group.
Visual moving object tracking via sparse representation based trackers: A comparative study

Motion tracking is one of the richest research fields in computer vision. Indeed, numerous algorithms have been implemented for object tracking. In this paper we briefly present the principles of three recent methods treating the motion tracking: the discriminative sparse similarity map (DSS map), the probability continuous outlier model (PCOM) and the L2 regularized least square (L2-RLS). And then we evaluate them quantitatively and qualitatively by testing them on nine image sequences which including various challenging factors. In order to achieve that, two most popular criterions: the center location error and the overlap rate are computed for each method. The most effective tracker is the one that has the greatest overlap rate and the smallest center error.
Genetic Variation in the Renin-Angiotensin System and Response to Endurance Training

Objective: To investigate the relationship between genetic variation in the renin-angiotensin system and the effect of 12-week endurance training in Korean women. Materials and Methods: Seventeen women who participated in an endurance training program for 12 weeks were genotyped for the angiotensinogen M235T polymorphism, angiotensin II type 1 receptor A1166C polymorphism, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) T-3892C polymorphism, and angiotensin II type 2 receptor C3123A polymorphism. The following clinical parameters were measured before and after the endurance training program: blood pressure, body composition, ventilatory response, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose. Results: Of the genetic markers investigated, the frequency of the T allele for the ACE T-3892C polymorphism was significantly associated with the response in body mass index and VO2max after 12 weeks of endurance training (p< 0.05). None of the other polymorphisms were significantly associated with the effect of training. Conclusion: The significant association between ACE T-3892C and the change in body mass index and VO2max in Korean women are attributed to training, suggesting that this genetic variation is a useful genetic marker for clarifying the interindividual response to endurance training.
Short and Long Run Approaches to Water Demand Estimation

Implementation of Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and State based water reform initiatives are likely to create significant structural adjustment pressures in irrigation areas throughout the Murray Darling Basin. There are concerns about the adequacy of short run models in both analyzing the impacts of these reforms and capturing the responses of irrigators to structural adjustment pressures. The legitimacy of these concerns are explored in this paper. A long run specification of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area has been developed, against which the short-run regional linear programming model developed by Jones and Fagan (1996) is compared. A range of policy settings are examined under these alternative specifications to investigate the level of divergence between the two approaches. This information provides an indication of the importance of accommodating strategic longer term changes in resource allocation in analyzing the impact of water reforms.