Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selected pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in cerebrospinal fluid in normal pressure hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVES Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a treatable neurological syndrome developing in the elderly. It is characterized by balance impairment, urinary incontinence and dementia development caused by disorders in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation. The diagnosis can be easily mistaken for other neurodegenerative diseases, which are often accompanied by inflammation and the production of cytokines. The aim of our study was to determine and compare selected CSF and plasma cytokines with respect to their informative value for laboratory diagnostics of NPH. METHODS The levels of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-25, IL-31, IL-33, INF-γ, sCD40L and TNF-α were measured in the CSF and plasma in age-matched subjects with NPH (n=20) and controls (n=20) by multiplex assay. RESULTS CSF IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly increased on the 1st day of lumbar drainage in NPH (p<0.01). No significant changes were observed in the plasma. The CSF cytokines were one to three orders of magnitude higher compared to the plasma. CONCLUSION CSF can better show the neurodegenerative changes in the brain. The cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 may be helpful in NPH diagnostics.
Sizing equation analysis for field controlled PM machines: a unified approach

In this paper, the sizing equation analyses are presented for two different radial and axial flux field controlled PM machines. These types of machines have two sources of excitation which allows one to easily control the airgap flux. Variable flux component provided by the field winding and fixed flux component obtained from PM converge into the airgap so that an additive or subtractive effect can be achieved over a wide range such that the machine speed range can be increased. A detailed analysis is made is order to evaluate the performance, power density and efficiency. In addition, guidelines for optimal design of the two machines are pointed out.
MANIFESTACIONES Y FACTORES DE LA VIOLENCIA EN EL ESCENARIO ESCOLAR

El proposito de este estudio de naturaleza cualitativa fue desvelar las manifestaciones y los factores que generan violencia en la Escuela Bolivariana “Padre Rasquin”. Se realizaron observaciones no participantes y se aplicaron entrevistas a profundidad a los informantes clave: 5 docentes, 5 familias (padres y representantes) y 5 estudiantes. Luego de plasmar los hallazgos y su interpretacion, se concluyo que si bien en la escuela, como espacio de socializacion secundaria, una gran parte de los aprendizajes son fruto de una ensenanza disenada por los docentes, es en las familias donde se educa de una forma mas espontanea e intuitiva, aun cuando, se suele conseguir profundos logros dado los fuertes vinculos efectivos entre padres e hijos. Las principales manifestaciones de violencia son: conflictos, bullying, agresion, indisciplina y vandalismo, provocado por factores exogenos y endogenos. Frente a las diversas manifestaciones de violencia escolar que amenazan en definitiva la posibilidad de convivir en armonia, es necesario construir espacios para la convivencia, donde predomine el dialogo, un buen clima institucional, ademas de una excelente relacion entre la familia y la escuela. Palabras clave: Violencia escolar, Factores endogenos, Factores exogenos, Manifestaciones de violencia escolar.
Diseño, desarrollo y aplicación de la tecnología LAMP para el diagnóstico de la esquistosomosis: del laboratorio al campo

La esquistosomosis, una enfermedad parasitaria producida por trematodos del genero Schistosoma, es una de las principales enfermedades tropicales desantendidas. En la actualidad no se dispone de un metodo de diagnostico adecuado ya que las tecnicas parasitologicas y serologicas presentan problemas de sensibilidad y especificidad. El diagnostico molecular no se utiliza de forma rutinaria, particularmente en zonas endemicas y de bajos recursos. El LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) es una tecnica de amplificacion de ADN que se realiza en condiciones isotermicas. Presenta las ventajas de ser rapida, sensible, especifica, permite la discriminacion visual de los resultados y puede ser aplicada como diagnostico point-of-care. En este trabajo se disenaron, desarrollaron y aplicaron metodos moleculares basados en la tecnologia LAMP para el diagnostico de Schistosoma mansoni y Schistosoma haematobium, asi como para la deteccion de caracoles infectados con S. mansoni. En primer lugar, se desarrollo una tecnica de amplificacion de ADN de S. mansoni, denominada SmMIT-LAMP, que ha mostrado su efectividad para la deteccion del parasito en la fase aguda de la infeccion. Su aplicacion en muestras humanas y de caracoles en un area endemica de baja transmision en Brasil ha demostrado una alta sensibilidad en comparacion con las tecnicas de diagnostico clasicas, asi como su utilidad para la identificacion de focos de transmision de la enfermedad. Estos estudios se detallan en los trabajos 1 y 5. A continuacion se diseno otro metodo LAMP (Sh-LAMP) para la deteccion de S. haematobium. Se puso a punto en muestras clinicas de orina en el laboratorio con y sin extraccion previa de ADN (Rapid-Heat LAMPellet method) y posteriormente se evaluo con exito en una zona de alta transmision en Angola. Ademas, Sh-LAMP mostro una elevada reproducibilidad en un laboratorio de referencia. Estos estudios se encuentran recogidos en los trabajos 2 y 4. Finalmente, Biompha-LAMP mostro ser una herramienta util para la deteccion de S. mansoni en caracoles infectados experimentalmente. Este estudio se encuentra detallado en el trabajo 3.
One cycle controlled bridge-less SEPIC converter fed BLDC motor drive

This paper presents a One Cycle Controlled (OCC) Bridge-less (BL) SEPIC converter fed Brush-Less DC (BLDC) motor drive for air conditioning application. The speed control of proposed drive is obtained by Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) of three-phase Voltage Source Inverter (VSI). The Pulse Amplitude Modulation is facilitated by the DC bus voltage variation via duty ratio modulation of BL-SEPIC converter switches. A non-linear technique called One Cycle Control (OCC) is used to accomplish the duty ratio control of BL-SEPIC converter. Autoshaping of supply current is achieved by designing BL-SEPIC converter to ensure Discontinuous Inductor Current Mode (DICM) operation. The Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of supply current is maintained within the limits as specified by IEC-61000-3-2. The proposed system is designed and simulated in MATLAB/Simulink environment and its performance is analyzed for speed control over a wide range.
Analysis of the avalanche effect of the AES S box

AS the unique nonlinear structure in most block ciphers, S-box accounts for the AES algorithm's security. Firstly, this paper introduces the cryptographic properties of the S box. Then a detail analysis of the avalanche effect of the AES S box and inverse S box are made. Lastly, the paper indicates that AES S box and inverse S box indeed have the good avalanche effect by detailed data.
The regulatory potential of upstream open reading frames in eukaryotic gene expression

Upstream open reading frames (uORFs) are prevalent cis‐regulatory sequence elements in the transcript leader sequences (TLSs) of eukaryotic mRNAs. The majority of uORFs is considered to repress downstream translation by the consumption of functional pre‐initiation complexes or by inhibiting unrestrained progression of the ribosome. Under distinct conditions, specific uORF properties or sequential arrangements of uORFs can oppositely confer enhanced translation of the main coding sequence, designating uORFs as versatile modifiers of gene expression. Ribosome profiling and proteomic studies demonstrated widespread translational activity at AUG‐ and non‐AUG‐initiated uORFs in eukaryotic transcriptomes from yeast to human and several reports linked defective uORF‐mediated translational control to the development of human diseases. This review summarizes the structural features affecting uORF‐mediated translational control in eukaryotes and describes the highly divergent mechanisms of uORF regulation that result in repression or induction of downstream protein translation. WIREs RNA 2014, 5:765–768. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1245
Transposable element (TE) display and rapid detection of TE insertion polymorphism in the Anopheles gambiae species complex

Transposable element (TE) display was shown to be a highly specific and reproducible method of detecting the insertion sites of TEs in individuals of the African malaria mosquito, Anopheles gambiae, and its sibling species, A. arabiensis. Relatively high levels of insertion polymorphism were observed during the TE display of several families of miniature inverted‐repeat TEs (MITEs) that have variable copy numbers. The genomic locations of selected insertion sites were identified by matching the sequences of their corresponding bands in a TE display gel to specific regions of the draft A. gambiae genome assembly. We discuss different scenarios in which TE display will provide powerful dominant and co‐dominant genetic markers to study the behaviour of TEs in A. gambiae populations and to illustrate the complex population genetics of this intriguing disease vector. We suggest that TE display can also provide tools for a phylogenetic analysis of the A. gambiae complex.
Ultrasonic modification of Sn-Ag-Cu alloy microstructure

Near-eutectic ternary system Sn-Ag-Cu is becoming an evident choice in transition to lead-free technology in the microelectronic industry in view of numerous advantages comparing to other lead-free alternative solders. The present article investigates the principles of Sn-Ag-Cu alloy crystallization and ultrasonic influence on the nucleating alloy in order to optimize its microstructure. It has been shown that size, shape and quantity of intermetallic phases Ag3Sn, Cu6Sn5 and a phase composition of the near-eutectic ternary system Sn-Ag-Cu is under ultrasonic frequency influence.
Budget deficits and interest rates: a fresh perspective

We extend the literature on budget deficits and interest rates in three ways: we examine both advanced and emerging economies and for the first time a large emerging market panel; explore interactions to explain some of the heterogeneity in the literature; and apply system Generalized Method of Moments (GMM). There is overall a highly significant positive effect of budget deficits on interest rates, but the effect depends on interaction terms and is only significant under one of the several conditions: deficits are high, mostly domestically financed, or interact with high domestic debt; financial openness is low; interest rates are liberalized; or financial depth is low.
Clustering Spectral avec Contraintes de Paires réglées par Noyaux Gaussiens

Resume Nous considerons le probleme du clustering spectral partielle-ment supervise par des contraintes de la forme « must-link » et « cannot-link ». De telles contraintes apparaissent frequemment dans divers pro-blemes, comme la resolution de la coreference en traitement automatique du langage naturel. L'approche developpee dans ce papier consiste a ap-prendre une nouvelle representation de l'espace pour les donnees, ainsi qu'une nouvelle distance dans cet espace. Cette representation est ob-tenue via une transformation lineaire de l'enveloppe spectrale des don-nees. Les contraintes sont exprimees avec des fonctions Gaussiennes qui reajustent localement les similarites entre les objets. Un probleme d'op-timisation global et non convexe est alors obtenu et l'apprentissage du modele se fait grâce a des techniques de descentes de gradient. Nous evaluons notre algorithme sur des jeux de donnees standards et le com-parons a divers algorithmes de l'etat de l'art, comme [14,18,32]. Les re-sultats sur ces jeux de donnees, ainsi que sur le jeu de donnees de la tâche de coreference CoNLL-2012, montrent que notre algorithme ame-liore significativement la qualite des clusters obtenus par les precedentes approches, et est plus robuste en montee en charge.
Perlin Noise and 2D Second-Order Tensor Field Visualization

There has been much research in the use of texture for visulization the vector (cid:2)eld data, whereas there has only been a few papers concerned speci(cid:2)cally with tensor (cid:2)eld data. This set is more complex and embeds more information than vector (cid:2)elds. In this paper, (cid:2)rstly texture is modeled by Perlin Noise. We show that by controlling the parameters of Perlin Noise, the user can control the output texture effectively, which is similar to Spot Noise. Then the modeled texture is used to visualize eigenvector (cid:2)elds of tensor (cid:2)elds by simple convolution. Several examples are shown. Compared to Line Integration Convolution, this method does not need to integrate the streamline along the vector (cid:2)eld.
Color-to-grayscale conversion to maintain discriminability

Monochrome devices that receive color imagery must perform a conversion from color to grayscale. The most common approach is to calculate the luminance signal from the three color signals. The problem with this approach is that the distinction between two colors of similar luminance (but different hue) is lost. This can be a significant problem when rendering colors within graphical objects such as pie charts and bar charts, which are often chosen for maximum discriminability. This paper proposes a method of converting color business graphics to grayscale in a manner that preserves discriminability. Colors are first sorted according to their original lightness values. They are then spaced equally in gray, or spaced according to their 3-D color difference from colors adjacent to them along the lightness dimension. This is most useful when maximum differentiability is desired in images containing a small number of colors, such as pie charts and bar graphs. Subjective experiments indicate that the proposed algorithms outperform standard color-to-grayscale conversions.
Human Genetic Susceptibility to Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases

The existence of a genetic component in mycobacterial disease susceptibility is no longer in doubt and the investigations now being conducted aim to determine which genes are involved, to what extent, and in which disease phenotype they are relevant. In certain rare instances of susceptibility to poorly pathogenic mycobacteria, the genetic component is clear. The approaches employed to elucidate common disease susceptibility include linkage studies, particularly genome‐wide linkage analysis of both tuberculosis and leprosy, and association studies. A number of candidate genes have shown association with tuberculosis, and in many cases, on replication of the study, association has been confirmed in a disparate population, indicating the wider importance of the gene in the disease process. In other instances, associations appear to be particular to a population or a subtype of disease.
Sperm performance under hypoxic conditions in the intertidal fish Porichthys notatus

Hypoxia (low oxygen) exposure generally leads to decreased reproductive capacity, exhibited by reductions in testicular mass, reproductive hormones, and sperm swimming speed. However, in many fish species, reproduction occurs either periodically or exclusively under hypoxic conditions. In this study we assessed how hypoxia influences sperm performance in the plainfin midshipman (Porichthys notatus Girard, 1854), a species that lives in intertidal nests that become hypoxic during low tides. We exposed sperm from the same male to normoxic or hypoxic conditions and compared sperm characteristics and oxygen consumption between treatments. Sperm exposed to hypoxic water swam faster and consumed more oxygen than sperm swimming in normoxic conditions. Sperm swimming speed was positively related with oxygen consumption. For each male, the percentage of motile spermatozoa did not differ between treatments, suggesting that the same number of sperm were active but their performance was dependent on the dissolved oxy.
Two-year composite/dentin bond stability.

PURPOSE To examine the composite-to-dentin shear bond strengths over 2 yrs of three chemically different single bottle dentin adhesives: water-based Syntac Single Component (SSC); acetone-based Prime & Bond 2.1 (PB), and; ethanol-based and filled OptiBond Solo (OS). MATERIALS AND METHODS Extracted human molars stored in 0.2% sodium azide were randomly assigned to each of three dentin bond groups for testing at 5 time periods (n=15). The crowns of the teeth were sectioned to expose occlusal dentin and the roots embedded in acrylic. The dentin was etched with 37% H3PO4 for 20 s, rinsed and dentin adhesives applied per manufacturers' instructions. A column of Z-100 composite was bonded to the treated dentin surface and light cured. Teeth were stored in distilled water at 37 degrees C and thermocycled for 1,000 cycles between 5 degrees C and 55 degrees C and tested in shear at 24 hrs (baseline), 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Mean +/- SD shear bond strengths (SBS) were determined. RESULTS ANOVA at a significance level of P< 0.05 revealed OS had significantly higher SBS at 6 and 12 months compared to baseline. PB had significantly higher SBS at 12 months compared to baseline. SSC had significantly higher SBV at 18 months compared to baseline. However, at 24 months the SBV for OS and SSC were significantly lower than at baseline. During all time periods, OS and PB had significantly higher SBS than SSC. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The long-term stability of resin-based composite to dentin bond strengths from single bond adhesives is questionable because after 2 yrs, bond strengths for two of the three tested dentin adhesives, OptiBond Solo and Syntac Single Component, were significantly lower than initial strengths.
Short-term homeostasis of REM sleep throughout a 12:12 light:dark schedule in the rat.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Intervals extending from the end of a rapid eye movement (REM) sleep episode until the triggering of the next tend to be longer when they follow a longer REM sleep episode. A short-term REM sleep homeostatic process has been hypothesized to explain this effect. The present study assessed and modeled the REM sleep episode-interval relationship and compared its expression at different phases of a 12:12 light: dark schedule. DESIGN Chronically implanted rats were continuously recorded for 3 consecutive days. Automated state scoring in 15-second epochs determined lengths of REM sleep episodes and intervals and non-rapid eye movement sleep and wakefulness content of intervals. SETTING Individual sound-attenuated temperature-regulated boxes. PARTICIPANTS 16 Sprague-Dawley rats. INTERVENTIONS Scheduled 12:12 light:dark cycle. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The effect of REM sleep episode length is evidenced by a rising trend in the means and robust means of intervals and non-rapid eye movement content that follow REM sleep episodes of a given length. The relationship of robust means of intervals and REM sleep episode length was best fitted by a Gompertz sigmoid function. The parameters of the Gompertz equation were modulated throughout the 24 hours, presenting the highest amplitude and earliest rise in hours 1 to 4 after lights on and the lowest amplitude at the start of lights off. The modulation was also evident when only intervals with less than 3 minutes of wakefulness were considered. CONCLUSIONS Short-term REM sleep homeostasis is modulated throughout the 24 hours under a 12:12 light:dark regime. Its assessment may provide a useful measure of REM sleep propensity, regulation, and recurrence.
The role of the ubiquitin proteasome system in synapse remodeling and neurodegenerative diseases

The ubiquitin proteasome system is a potent regulatory mechanism used to control protein stability in numerous cellular processes, including neural development. Many neurodegenerative diseases are featured by the accumulation of UPS‐associated proteins, suggesting the UPS dysfunction may be crucial for pathogenesis. Recent experiments have highlighted the UPS as a key player during synaptic development. Here we summarize recent discoveries centered on the role of the UPS in synapse remodeling and draw attention to the potential link between the synaptic UPS dysfunction and the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. BioEssays 30:1075–1083, 2008. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Contemporary impact of transrectal ultrasound lesions for prostate cancer detection.

PURPOSE Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided systematic biopsy of the prostate is the gold standard diagnostic modality for prostate cancer. Consequently, the value of discrete hypoechoic lesions on TRUS lesions considered suspicious for cancer deserves meticulous reevaluation, specifically in the prostate specific antigen era when the majority of tumors diagnosed are nonpalpable. We studied whether the predictability of a biopsy core changes if the tissue comes from an isoechoic vs hypoechoic lesion. MATERIALS AND METHODS Prospective data were collected on 3,912 consecutive patients referred to our medical center between 1993 and 1999 for biopsy of the prostate. A sextant technique (apex, mid gland and base) with an additional core biopsy from the transitional zone was used. If a hypoechoic lesion was identified, the biopsy was taken from the lesion. Correlation between hypoechoic lesions, isoechoic areas and cancer detection for each core was performed. RESULTS A total of 31,296 cores were obtained from the cohort. Overall 2,642 (68%) cores had at least 1 hypoechoic lesion ultrasonographically. Cancer was detected in 675 (25.5%) and 323 (25.4%) patients with or without hypoechoic lesions (p = 0.97). The per core cancer detection was fairly uniform and averaged 9.3% and 10.4% for hypoechoic and isoechoic areas, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.3). Gleason scores were less than 7, 7 and greater than 7 in 46%, 34% and 20% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Despite the higher prevalence of cancers discovered in prostates with hypoechoic areas, the hypoechoic lesion itself was not associated with increased cancer prevalence compared with biopsy cores from isoechoic areas. For impalpable tumors TRUS findings are not contributory for staging.
4 Methylene Blue and Dialysis-Related Hypotension

End stage renal disease (ESRD) affects over 400,000 Americans, and over 8 million have chronic renal insufficiency [1]. Chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) describes a continuum of impaired renal function based on several parameters including glomerular filtration rate and serum creatinine. As renal function deteriorates, the risk of all-cause mortality increases [1]. The most prevalent form of renal replacement therapy is hemodialysis (HD), with over 75% of ESRD patients being treated with this modality [2, 3]. Patients requiring chronic HD have been noted to experience an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality [4]. In fact, between 10-20% of patients who require HD die each year and approximately 45% of these deaths are attributable to cardiovascular causes [2, 3]. Hemodialysis itself is associated with substantial morbidity, including complications related to vascular access and those inherent to the HD procedure itself. One of the most common complications of hemodialysis is intradialytic hypotension (IDH), which occurs in approximately 25% of HD sessions [5]. There are several therapeutic options available for the treatment of IDH. However, “resistant” forms of IDH do occur and a multimodality approach is usually necessary in such cases. The aim of this chapter is to discuss IDH and outline existing clinical approaches to IDH. Specifically, we will focus on the use of methylene blue (MB) in the treatment of IDH. Methylene blue, a nitric oxide pathway mediator, has shown promise in prevention or treatment of IDH in difficult-totreat cases [6, 7].