Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vitamin K Intake and Plasma Desphospho-Uncarboxylated Matrix Gla-Protein Levels in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Vitamin K is essential for activation of γ-carboxyglutamate (Gla)-proteins including the vascular calcification inhibitor matrix Gla-protein (MGP). Insufficient vitamin K intake leads to production of uncarboxylated, mostly inactive proteins and contributes to an increased cardiovascular risk. In kidney transplant recipients, cardiovascular risk is high but vitamin K intake and status have not been defined. We investigated dietary vitamin K intake, vascular vitamin K status and its determinants in kidney transplant recipients. We estimated vitamin K intake in a cohort of kidney transplant recipients (n = 60) with stable renal function (creatinine clearance 61 [42–77] (median [interquartile range]) ml/min), who were 75 [35–188] months after transplantation, using three-day food records and food frequency questionnaires. Vascular vitamin K status was assessed by measuring plasma desphospho-uncarboxylated MGP (dp-ucMGP). Total vitamin K intake was below the recommended level in 50% of patients. Lower vitamin K intake was associated with less consumption of green vegetables (33 vs 40 g/d, p = 0.06) and increased dp-ucMGP levels (621 vs 852 pmol/L, p<0.05). Accordingly, dp-ucMGP levels were elevated (>500 pmol/L) in 80% of patients. Multivariate regression identified creatinine clearance, coumarin use, body mass index, high sensitivity-CRP and sodium excretion as independent determinants of dp-ucMGP levels. In a considerable part of the kidney transplant population, vitamin K intake is too low for maximal carboxylation of vascular MGP. The high dp-ucMGP levels may result in an increased risk for arterial calcification. Whether increasing vitamin K intake may have health benefits for kidney transplant recipients should be addressed by future studies.
Excursions into the Richness of Human Communication: Theory and practice during and before the 10 years of the International Master program on Communication and Congenital deafblindness

This article addresses the themes of the International Master Study in Congenital Deafblindness and Communication in the context of an ongoing dialogue between theory and practice, between scientists and practitioners. The article foregrounds how the contemporary thematic focus on dialogicality and embodiment in processes of meaning-making and sign-making is grounded in dialogues taking place in pre-master years. The emphasis is on how congenital deafblindness as a very specific and complex communicative circumstance pushes towards identifying relevant knowledge about universal processes, and vice versa. The article uses the notion of the third party to point at the implicit influence of normative ideologies about language, and at the need for a contrasting and explicit diversity perspective. The text exemplifies how microanalysis guided by concepts from dialogical theory can lift forward the bodily- tactile voice of the person with cdb, i.e. expressions of his/her subjectivity.
Interaural Time Sensitivity Dominated by Cochlea-Induced Envelope Patterns

To localize sounds in space, humans heavily depend on minute interaural time differences (ITDs) generated by path-length differences to the two ears. Physiological studies of ITD sensitivity have mostly used deterministic, periodic sounds, in which either the waveform fine structure or a sinusoidal envelope is delayed interaurally. For natural broadband stimuli, however, auditory frequency selectivity causes individual channels to have their own envelopes; the temporal code in these channels is thus a mixture of fine structure and envelope. This study introduces a method to disentangle the contributions of fine structure and envelope in both binaural and monaural responses to broadband noise. In the inferior colliculus (IC) of the cat, a population of neurons was found in which envelope fluctuations dominate ITD sensitivity. This population extends over a surprisingly wide range of frequencies, including low frequencies for which fine-structure information is also available. A comparison with the auditory nerve suggests that an elaboration of envelope coding occurs between the nerve and the IC. These results suggest that internally generated envelopes play a more important role in binaural hearing than is commonly thought.
Sampling time-based sliding windows in bounded space

Random sampling is an appealing approach to build synopses of large data streams because random samples can be used for a broad spectrum of analytical tasks. Users are often interested in analyzing only the most recent fraction of the data stream in order to avoid outdated results. In this paper, we focus on sampling schemes that sample from a sliding window over a recent time interval; such windows are a popular and highly comprehensible method to model recency. In this setting, the main challenge is to guarantee an upper bound on the space consumption of the sample while using the allotted space efficiently at the same time. The difficulty arises from the fact that the number of items in the window is unknown in advance and may vary significantly over time, so that the sampling fraction has to be adjusted dynamically. We consider uniform sampling schemes, which produce each sample of the same size with equal probability, and stratified sampling schemes, in which the window is divided into smaller strata and a uniform sample is maintained per stratum. For uniform sampling, we prove that it is impossible to guarantee a minimum sample size in bounded space. We then introduce a novel sampling scheme called bounded priority sampling (BPS), which requires only bounded space. We derive a lower bound on the expected sample size and show that BPS quickly adapts to changing data rates. For stratified sampling, we propose a merge-based stratification scheme (MBS), which maintains strata of approximately equal size. Compared to naive stratification, MBS has the advantage that the sample is evenly distributed across the window, so that no part of the window is over- or underrepresented. We conclude the paper with a feasibility study of our algorithms on large real-world datasets.
A generalization of exceptions and control in ML-like languages

We add functional continuations and prompts to a language with an ML-style type system. The operators signi cantly extend and simplify the control operators in SML/NJ, and can be themselves used to implement (simple) exceptions. We prove that well-typed terms never produce run-time type errors and give a module for implementing them in the latest version of SML/NJ.
Future Efforts in Flynn Effect Research: Balancing Reductionism with Holism

After nearly thirty years of concerted effort by many investigators, the cause or causes of the secular gains in IQ test scores, known as the Flynn effect, remain elusive. In this target article, I offer six suggestions as to how we might proceed in our efforts to solve this intractable mystery. The suggestions are as follows: (1) compare parents to children; (2) consider other traits and conditions; (3) compare siblings; (4) conduct more and better intervention programs; (5) use subtest profile data in context; and (6) quantify the potential contribution of heterosis. This last section contains new simulations of the process of heterosis, which provide a plausible scenario whereby rapid secular changes in multiple genetically influenced traits are possible. If there is any theme to the present paper, it is that future study designs should be simpler and more highly focused, coordinating multiple studies on single populations.
PROBLEMATIC PARADIGMS: RACIAL DIVERSITY AND CORPORATE IDENTITY IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY

Review of International American Studies (RIAS), is the electronic journal of the International American Studies Association, the onlyworldwide, independent,non-governmental association of American Studies. RIAS serves as agora for the global network of international scholars, teachers, and students ofAmerica as hemispheric and global phenomenon. RIAS is published three times a year: in the Fall, Winter and Spring by IASA with the institutional support of the University of Silesia in Katowice lending server space to some of IASA websites and the electronic support of the Soft For Humans CMS Designers. Subscription rates or RIAS are included along with the Association’s annual dues as speci"ed in the “Membership” section of the Association’s website (www.iasaweb.org).
A 900-Mb/s CMOS data recovery DLL using half-frequency clock

A data recovery delay-locked loop (DILL) for nonreturn-to-zero (NRZ) data transmission is described. A reference clock is delayed for triggering a latch that samples the incoming NRZ data stream. The data rate can be twice the reference clock frequency. The circuit has a proportional nondead-zone sampling phase detector that also serves the role of charge pump. A self-correcting function reduces the problem of the finite phase capture range associated with conventional DLLs. The prototype circuit is fabricated in 2.5-V 0.25-/spl mu/m CMOS and occupies an area of only 270 /spl times/ 50 /spl mu/m/sup 2/. It is demonstrated that at 900-Mb/s NRZ data, jitter is reduced from 118.2- to 31.3-ps rms jitter for a power consumption of only 3 mW.
Supporting Adult Learners' Metacognitive Development with a Sociotechnical System

Metacognition is defined as thinking about and reflecting on one's cognitive processes. In learning contexts, strong metacognition leads to retention, academic success, and deep learning. While we know a lot about the metacognition of learners in grades K-12 and college, there are limited studies on adult learners' (24 and older) metacognitive awareness, how to support it, or the role technology can play, particularly since e-learning is quickly becoming the central mode of learning for adult learners. Thus, I have the following motivating research question: How can we support adult learners' metacognitive development in e-learning environments? To better understand adult learners' needs, I conducted a content analysis of adults' learning ePortfolios and surveyed a cross-section of adult learners to determine their metacognitive awareness. Based on those findings and the literature on designing learning technologies for adult learners, I iteratively designed and developed a web-based application with adult learning, social learning, and persuasive design elements. During two sections of an online course, a treatment group used the intervention and a control group did not. Both groups completed a pre-/post-self report of their metacognitive awareness, developed a learning portfolio that was rated by two raters for evidence of metacognition, and participated in interviews.
Outage performance of opportunistically placed low-powered base stations in heterogeneous cellular networks

Due to the recent deployment of various low-powered base stations (BSs) within the macro cells, intra-cell interference has increased. This adversely effects the network performance of users within the cells. Considering a closed access system, a user can only connect to the BS it belongs to and the rest of the BSs act purely as interferers. So, in order to avoid excessive interference, opportunistic placement of BSs becomes necessary. Recent literature on heterogeneous cellular networks consider the placement of all BSs according to some random distribution. Although this consideration is realistic for low-powered BSs, it is not feasible for macro BSs. The macro BSs are generally placed after careful network planning with a minimum separation between them. In this work, we consider a heterogeneous network model where the macro BSs are placed on a hexagonal grid lattice rather than in random. We propose to use the low-powered BSs opportunistically rather than randomly within the macro cells. We show that, instead of using the low-powered BSs randomly within the cell, placing them opportunistically near the macro cell boundary can improve user performance while reducing network interference.
Copyright Protection for Images with EXIF Metadata

In this paper, we propose an application of robust watermarking with the aid of EXIF metadata in digital images. Application for robust watermarking is one of the major branches in digital rights management (DRM) systems. Furthermore, implementation schemes for robust watermarking generally alter selected pixels in the spatial domain, or corresponding coefficients in the transform domain, to accomplish the embedding process. We consider not only the pixels or coefficients in the images, but we also employ the EXIF metadata, which serves as the role of watermark, to further protect the copyrights. Taking the manufacturer, camera model, date and time stamp, and some other information in the EXIF metadata as the watermark information, conventional watermarking techniques can be applied to ordinary pictures taken by ourselves, and watermarked images with good quality can be produced. Even when the marked image has been intentionally modified, the original EXIF with selected information can be recovered from the watermark extraction process. Simulation results present the effectiveness of such an implementation.
Ontology Mapping Validation: Dealing with an NP-Complete Problem

The use of ontologies and ontology mappings is increasing in companies. Often the same context is modeled in different ontologies. Mapping is necessary to integrate these ontologies; however, in many cases these mappings are incorrect, i.e., they incorrectly link semantic concepts with different meanings. Tools that validate these mappings are necessary to ensure reliable communication between heterogeneous systems. This validation cannot be done in a completely automatic way, because the mappings are based on human interpretation. This work describes a semi-automatic tool that supports this activity, based on graphs that generate instances validated in a semi-automatic process that aims to ensure mapping robustness. This algorithm deals with an NP-Complete problem in order to generate all the instances. This paper presents a first prototype of the tool and the methodology used to validate the instances automatically generated by the tool.
Wideband spectrum sensing based on group testing utilizing polyphase filter banks

A wideband spectrum sensing procedure based on the idea of group testing is proposed in this paper. A new polyphase filter bank (PFB) for which the output subbands have the same bandwidth and contain continuous frequency components is proposed. This PFB is utilized to form a two-stage wideband spectrum sensing method. The simulations show that the proposed method can reduce the number of binary tests greatly when the number of occupied primary channels is low.
Wisconsinan and holocene climate history from an ice core at taylor dome, western ross embayment, antarctica

Geochemical data and geophysical measurements from a 554‐m ice‐core from Taylor Dome, East Antarctica, provide the basis for climate reconstruction in the western Ross Embayment through the entire Wisconsinan and Holocene. In comparison with ice cores from central East and West Antarctica, Taylor Dome shows greater variance of temperature, snow accumulation, and aerosol concentrations, reflecting significant variability in atmospheric circulation and air mass moisture content. Extreme aridity during the last glacial maximum at Taylor Dome reflects both colder temperatures and a shift in atmospheric circulation patterns associated with the advance of the Ross Sea ice sheet and accounts for regional alpine glacier retreats and high lake levels in the Dry Valleys. Inferred relationships between spatial accumulation gradients and ice sheet configuration indicate that advance of the Ross Sea ice sheet began in late marine isotope stage 5 or early stage 4. Precise dating of the Taylor Dome core achieved by trace‐gas correlation with central Greenland ice cores shows that abrupt deglacial warming at Taylor Dome was near‐synchronous with the ∼14.6 ka warming in central Greenland and lags the general warming trend in other Antarctic ice cores by at least 3000 years. Deglacial warming was following by a warm interval and transient cooling between 14.6 and 11.7 ka, synchronous with the Bølling/Allerød warming and Younger Dryas cooling events in central Greenland, and out of phase with the Antarctic Cold Reversal recorded in the Byrd (West Antarctica) ice core. Rapid climate changes during marine isotope stages 4 and 3 at Taylor Dome are similar in character to, and may be in phase with, the Northern Hemisphere stadial–interstadial (Dansgaard–Oeschger) events. Results from Taylor Dome illustrate the importance of obtaining ice cores from multiple Antarctic sites, to provide wide spatial coverage of past climate and ice dynamics.
Genome-Wide Identification of Targets and Function of Individual MicroRNAs in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Mouse Embryonic Stem (ES) cells express a unique set of microRNAs (miRNAs), the miR-290-295 cluster. To elucidate the role of these miRNAs and how they integrate into the ES cell regulatory network requires identification of their direct regulatory targets. The difficulty, however, arises from the limited complementarity of metazoan miRNAs to their targets, with the interaction requiring as few as six nucleotides of the miRNA seed sequence. To identify miR-294 targets, we used Dicer1-null ES cells, which lack all endogenous mature miRNAs, and introduced just miR-294 into these ES cells. We then employed two approaches to discover miR-294 targets in mouse ES cells: transcriptome profiling using microarrays and a biochemical approach to isolate mRNA targets associated with the Argonaute2 (Ago2) protein of the RISC (RNA Induced Silencing Complex) effector, followed by RNA–sequencing. In the absence of Dicer1, the RISC complexes are largely devoid of mature miRNAs and should therefore contain only transfected miR-294 and its base-paired targets. Our data suggest that miR-294 may promote pluripotency by regulating a subset of c-Myc target genes and upregulating pluripotency-associated genes such as Lin28.
A GC-TOF-MS study of the stability of serum and urine metabolomes during the UK Biobank sample collection and preparation protocols.

BACKGROUND The stability of mammalian serum and urine in large metabolomic investigations is essential for accurate, valid and reproducible studies. The stability of mammalian serum and urine, either processed immediately by freezing at -80 degrees C or stored at 4 degrees C for 24 h before being frozen, was compared in a pilot metabolomic study of samples from 40 separate healthy volunteers. METHODS Metabolic profiling with GC-TOF-MS was performed for serum and urine samples collected from 40 volunteers and stored at -80 degrees C or 4 degrees C for 24 h before being frozen at -80 degrees C. Subsequent Wilcoxon rank sum test and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) methods were used to assess whether differences in the metabolomes were detected between samples stored at 4 degrees C for 0 or 24 h. RESULTS More than 700 unique metabolite peaks were detected, with over 200 metabolite peaks detected in any one sample. PCA and Wilcoxon rank sum tests of serum and urine data showed as a general observation that the variance associated with the replicate analysis per sample (analytical variance) was of the same magnitude as the variance observed between samples stored at 4 degrees C for 0 or 24 h. From a functional point of view the metabolomic composition of the majority of samples did not change in a statistically significant manner when stored under two different conditions. CONCLUSIONS Based on this small pilot study, the UK Biobank sampling, transport and fractionation protocols are considered suitable to provide samples, which can produce scientifically robust and valid data in metabolomic studies.
A review of single-phase PFC topologies based on the boost converter

The need for solid-state ac-dc converters to improve power quality in terms of power-factor correction (PFC), reduced total harmonic distortion at input ac mains, and precisely regulated dc output have motivated the proposal of several topologies based on classical converters such as buck, boost, and buck-boost. Additionally, novel control techniques dedicated to PFC have also been introduced, motivating the manufacturing of commercial integrated circuits to impose sinusoidal currents in the front-end stage of switch-mode converters. Boost converters operating in continuous current mode (CCM) have become particularly popular because reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) levels result from its utilization. Within this context, this work deals with a comprehensive review of some of the most relevant ac-dc singlephase boost converters for PFC applications. The evolution of the conventional boost converter is demonstrated in terms of improved characteristics achieved by other boost-based topologies. Besides, it seeks to establish a fast and concise guide on ac-dc boost converters to researchers and experts in power electronics by comparing the topologies.
Energy aware real-time scheduling policy with guaranteed security protection

In this work, we address the emerging scheduling problem existed in the design of secure and energy-efficient real-time embedded systems. The objective is to minimize the energy consumption subject to security and schedulability constraints. Due to the complexity of the problem, we propose a dynamic programming based approximation approach to find the near-optimal solutions with respect to predefined security constraint. The proposed technique has polynomial time complexity which is about half of traditional approximation approaches. The efficiency of our algorithm is validated by extensive experiments.
Andrew Bateman in Vivo and Promotes Tumor Growth Gene Expression Regulates Epithelial Cell Growth Progranulin Updated

Progranulin is a 593-amino acid glycoprotein, the mRNA of which is expressed by many epithelial cells bothin vitro and in vivo, but the biological significance of this expression is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that overexpression of theprogranulin gene in SW-13 adrenal carcinoma cells and MDCK nontransformed renal epithelia results in the transfection-specific secretion of progranulin, acquired clonogenicity in semisolid agar, and increased mitosis in monolayer culture, whereas diminution of progranulin gene expression impairs growth of these cells. Purified recombinant progranulin reproduces the effects of forced progranulin expression, being clonogenic in soft agar and mitogenic in monolayer culture to SW-13 and MDCK cells and other epithelia of various origins such as GPC16 colonic epithelium and A549 lung carcinoma cells. Progranulin overproduction in SW-13 cells markedly increases its tumorigenicity in nude mice, demonstrating that it can regulate epithelial proliferation in vivo. We propose that the rate of growth for some epithelia, such as SW-13 and MDCK, is proportional to the level of intrinsic progranulin gene expression, and that elevated progranulin gene expression confers a transformed phenotype on epithelial cells including anchorage independencein vitro and growth as tumors in nude mice.