Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in peripheral serum levels of total activin A during the human menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

The main objective of this study was to determine whether activin A concentrations in peripheral blood fluctuate during the normal human menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Blood samples were collected longitudinally from five regularly cycling volunteers (22-30 yr) throughout a spontaneous menstrual cycle and cross-sectionally from normal pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic (8-38 weeks gestation: 3-20 subjects/time point). Total (i.e. bound plus free) activin A concentrations were measured using a recently developed two-site enzyme immunoassay that employs an analyte denaturation/oxidation step to eliminate interference due to endogenous activin-binding proteins. During the menstrual cycle, mean serum activin A levels varied in a biphasic manner (by ANOVA, P = 0.02), with highest levels around midcycle (approximately 220 pg/mL) and the late luteal/early follicular phase (approximately 310 pg/mL) and nadirs in both midfollicular (approximately 125 pg/mL) and midluteal (approximately 120 pg/mL) phases. Between the mid- to late luteal phase, the activin A level increased progressively (approximately 2.5-fold; P < 0.05), whereas inhibin A, estradiol, and progesterone all decreased progressively (approximately 10-fold; P < 0.001). During pregnancy, serum activin A levels were much higher than those in nonpregnant subjects, with a value of 2.12 +/- 0.31 ng/mL recorded in week 8. Levels remained at approximately 2 ng/mL between weeks 8-24, but increased thereafter to reach 25.5 +/- 6 ng/mL by week 38, a value approximately 100 times greater than that during the normal menstrual cycle. Serum activin A levels during pregnancy were significantly correlated with inhibin A (r = 0.69; P < 0.001), estradiol (r = 0.55; P < 0.001), and progesterone (r = 0.74; P < 0.001) values. Gel permeation chromatography indicated that all of the detectable activin A in human follicular fluid, pregnancy serum, and term placental extract eluted with an apparent molecular mass between 70-200 kDa, indicating that little, if any, free activin (molecular mass, 25 kDa) is present in these samples. Although these results support a possible endocrine role for circulating activin A during the human menstrual cycle and pregnancy, the observation that all detectable activin A is associated with binding protein(s) raises questions about its relative bioavailability for action on peripheral target cells.
Local-global principles in circle packings

We generalize work by Bourgain and Kontorovich [On the local-global conjecture for integral Apollonian gaskets, Invent. Math. 196 (2014), 589–650] and Zhang [On the local-global principle for integral Apollonian 3-circle packings, J. Reine Angew. Math. 737, (2018), 71–110], proving an almost local-to-global property for the curvatures of certain circle packings, to a large class of Kleinian groups. Specifically, we associate in a natural way an infinite family of integral packings of circles to any Kleinian group ${\mathcal{A}}\leqslant \text{PSL}_{2}(K)$ satisfying certain conditions, where $K$ is an imaginary quadratic field, and show that the curvatures of the circles in any such packing satisfy an almost local-to-global principle. A key ingredient in the proof is that ${\mathcal{A}}$ possesses a spectral gap property, which we prove for any infinite-covolume, geometrically finite, Zariski dense Kleinian group in $\operatorname{PSL}_{2}({\mathcal{O}}_{K})$ containing a Zariski dense subgroup of $\operatorname{PSL}_{2}(\mathbb{Z})$ .
Heilpädagogisches Reiten und Voltigieren mit Kindern mit Aufmerksamkeitsschwierigkeiten

Die vorliegende Diplomarbeit behandelt die Moglichkeit der tiergestutzten Therapie mit dem Medium Pferd bei Kindern mit Aufmerksamkeitsschwierigkeiten. AD(H)S-Diagnosen scheinen in den letzten Jahrzehnten immer mehr zu steigen und die Anzahl an betroffenen Kindern erweckt den Eindruck, explodiert zu sein. Der steigende Verbrauch von Methylphenidaten zur medikamentosen Therapie ist besorgniserregend. Im Untersuchungsteil der Diplomarbeit wird mittels standardisierten Fragebogen fur Eltern bzw. Angehorige und TherapeutInnen eine Befragung zum Thema HPV/R durchgefuhrt wurde. Folgende Ergebnisse der empirischen Studie seien trotz nicht signifikanter Bedeutung hervorzuheben: 83,3% der Eltern/Angehorigen der von AD(H)S betroffenen Kinder stehen im Berufsleben. Es lasst sich also ein relativ hoher Wert an Kindern ermitteln, die oftmals auf sich alleine gestellt sind. 66,7% der betroffenen Kinder gehoren dem mannlichen Geschlecht an, was auch im ersten Teil der Diplomarbeit durch die Literaturrecherche untermauert wird. Die Frage nach der genetischen Disposition konnte durch die Befragung der Angehorigen nicht bestatigt werden, da nur 50% Vorfahren mit AD(H)S vermuten. Der Prozentsatz zu den Antworten zum Thema „fruhere Therapien“, die durch das HPV/R uberflussig geworden sind, liegt bei 66,7% und ist somit erheblich hoher als die Verneinung dieser Frage. Mit 81,8% der betroffenen Kinder hat der Grosteil schon mindestens einmal Probleme im schulischen Kontext gehabt, was die dazu aufgestellte Hypothese untermauert. Mit jeweils 75% haben Eltern die Ablenkbarkeit und die mangelnde Ausdauer ihrer Kinder bestatigt. Zwei Drittel der Befragten konnten die Unaufmerksamkeit ihrer Kinder als Primarsymptom der AD(H)S bestatigen. 83,3% der Eltern/Angehorigen wurden das heilpadagogische Voltigieren und Reiten fur Kinder mit AD(H)S weiterempfehlen.
Design and development of a tendon-driven and axial-driven hybrid humanoid leg with high-power motor driving system

High-powered humanoid robots are expected that it can move at a high speed in the same environment as human. In that case, when they receive shocks suddenly, instantaneous impact is applied to the structure of the feet and they can be broken. So, robots require shock-reduction mechanisms. In this paper, we consider a high-powered elastic humanoid robot and we propose a mechanism to make a hybrid leg, which uses a tendon driven joint as an ankle and axial-driven joints as other joints. We designed and developed this shock-reduction mechanisms and verify the validity of this mechanisms.
Taint Propagation in a Network

This paper proposes a network taint propagation algorithm and is a combination of software taint propagation and botnet infection. We propose an efficient algorithm to monitor the spread of infection in a local area network. In our approach, whenever an infected machine communicated with an uninfected machine, the new machine was considered infected as well. Initially, one machine was considered tainted by a gateway monitoring system and thus became a bot. Then, as this machine infected others in the local network to create a sub-botnet, our taint propagation algorithm monitored the spread of this infection. This algorithm effectively implemented network taint propagation with a less than 10 percent increase in traffic.
Investigation of Polychlorinated Dioxins, Furans (PCDD/Fs) and Dioxin-like Polychlorinated Bbiphenyls (dl-PCBs) in Human Milk

A study on polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) was conducted in a pooled sample of breast milk from 27 first-time mothers (primiparous) living in twelve locations at mesoregion industrial area, southern of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between August 2012 and July 2014 . Questionnaires with questions regarding to food habits, social and economic conditions, places of dwelling were applied. Mothers were breast-feeding only one infant and milk was collected between 4 and 6 weeks after delivery . TEQs of PCDDs/Fs, and dl-PCBs were 10.6, 4.77, 6.96 TEQ pg/g, respectively. The understanding and identification of pollution sources may be helpful for taking better counter measures against breast milk dioxin contamination. It’s important for pregnant women to have a diet free as possible of contaminants chemical. Further research must be undertaken in the context of epidemiological investigations to more accurately assess the effects of these compounds. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;}
Learning to see the familiar: Technological assemblages in a higher education (non)classroom setting

If an objective of public higher education is to engage with a diversity of communities, then coursework should be less insulated within classrooms. This work describes and analyzes a university course design that supports undergraduate students to experience learning as relational and transformational via Site Visits within various communities. We focus on "technological assemblages" as a way to understand students' reorientation to the process and purpose of learning (and teaching). We analyze experiences within the course as moments of disorientation, reassembly and stabilization in which students use their mobile devices, bodies and interactions‐in‐place to understand familiar locations as socially and historically contingent sites of learning (and teaching). We argue that this instructional model does important work of putting students at the nexus of building relationships between the university and other community settings around the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] uracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Evaluation of an interprofessional team-based learning nutrition and lifestyle modification course

ABSTRACT An interprofessional, team-based learning elective was developed, implemented, and evaluated to determine the knowledge gained, attitude changes towards interprofessional education, and overall satisfaction with the course. Thirty participants, 14 osteopathic medicine students and 16 pharmacy students, completed the course. The majority of students (88–96%) responded favourably to the team-based learning aspects of the course. Knowledge about nutrition and lifestyle modification was significantly improved by taking the course. Overall, students’ readiness for and perception of interprofessional learning improved by taking the course, although not all improvements were statistically significant. In conclusion, the benefits of team-based learning, such as enhancing communication and teamwork skills, can enhance interprofessional education.
Interpreting Universe’s Secrets

Dias, Adalberto da Costa, presented a type of somnambulism, which only manifested during his adolescence, causing him to be stuck facing the wall while he slept, because there, for all purposes, there was a door. Adalberto, throughout his life, has always been concerned with interpreting the explanation for this unusual situation. Now, nearing 75-years-old, Adalberto finally interpreted that trance state, which afflicted him in youth. There interpretation is as follows: The wall did represent an insurmountable obstacle originated in poverty and in lack of opportunity to have a good and satisfactory scientific education, especially in physics and mathematics. Despite this tremendous obstacle in his life, Adalberto is aware that he must do what must be done so that his work reaches the highest scientific level. Thinking in this way, Adalberto uses in this paper his acquired cosmo-reach in what he is stronger, which is his power to interpret universe’s secrets. Adalberto acts like a hummingbird, which carry in his beak a drop of water to spread in the forest that is on fire. He’s just doing his part.
Memory of the Traumatic Event as a Risk Factor for the Development of PTSD: Lessons from the Study of Traumatic Brain Injury

ABSTRACT Traumatic memories, and the mechanisms by which they operate, continue to occupy a central role in the scientific investigation of risk factors for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, empirically based studies are constrained by practical and ethical considerations and are limited to naturalistic models. Consequently, the paradigms most appropriate for the exploration of the relationship between traumatic memories and PTSD have been identified in conditions involving traumatic events where memories may be compromised. Indeed, traumatic brain injury, a condition that is commonly associated with memory impairment, has often been utilized as a naturally occurring model for the study of traumatic memory and its contribution to the development of PTSD. This article presents a critical review of these research efforts and discusses their theoretical and clinical implications.
Correlations with six‐month protocol biopsy findings in pediatric transplant recipients on low‐ and regular‐dose CNI regimens

Protocol biopsies (PB) are seldom performed after pediatric kidney transplantation (KTx), and factors influencing PB results have not previously been investigated. We performed PB in 79 children six months after KTx and evaluated the results using Banff 2007 criteria. Complications such as bleeding or infections were not detected. The influence of different variables on PB results was evaluated by covariance analysis. Children treated with a low‐dose calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) together with an mTOR inhibitor exhibited decreased subclinical rejection (0% vs. 19%, p = 0.001) and decreased interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IF/TA) (15% vs. 42%, p = 0.013) compared with patients treated with a conventional regimen consisting of normal‐dose CNI and mycophenolate mofetil. Children with IF/TA had a lower GFR four wk after Tx (83 ± 22 vs. 62 ± 20 mL/min/1.73 m2, p = 0.001). Cold ischemia time, living‐related donors, pre‐emptive KTx, and donor age did not influence PB results. Treatment with low‐dose CNI and mTOR inhibitor and high GFR directly after Tx are the main factors associated with less inflammation and fibrosis in PB and might therefore lead to better long‐term graft function.
Reconfigurable beam shaping antenna with Wilkinson Power Divider at 5.8GHz

This paper presents a reconfigurable multiple element microstrip rectangular linear array antenna integrated with radio frequency (RF) switches. The corporate feed design concept is used to excite the linear array antenna that consists of 8 elements of rectangular patches at 5.8 GHz. Two PIN diode switches were deployed at the feeding line to activate the two arrays of patches that is located on the left and right side of the antenna structure. The behavior of the reconfigurable multiple element linear antenna array system has been investigated with respect to beam shaping characteristic. The comparisons of the performance between two structures, with Wilkinson power divider (WPD) and without WPD are discussed in this paper. Two different beam patterns were achieved through the reconfigurable antenna at different number of elements design that incorporates with PIN diode switches and modified WPD concept. The simulations and the measurement results for 4 and 8 elements array antenna structure are presented.
Analysis of Magnetic Anisotropy and the Role of Magnetic Dilution in Triggering Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) Behavior in a Family of CoII YIII Dinuclear Complexes with Easy-Plane Anisotropy.

Three new closely related CoII YIII complexes of general formula [Co(μ-L)(μ-X)Y(NO3 )2 ] (X- =NO3- 1, benzoate 2, or 9-anthracenecarboxylato 3) have been prepared with the compartmental ligand N,N',N''-trimethyl-N,N''-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-5-methylbenzyl)diethylenetriamine (H2 L). In these complexes, CoII and YIII are triply bridged by two phenoxide groups belonging to the di-deprotonated ligand (L2- ) and one ancillary anion X- . The change of the ancillary bridging group connecting CoII and YIII ions induces small differences in the trigonally distorted CoN3 O3 coordination sphere with a concomitant tuning of the magnetic anisotropy and intermolecular interactions. Direct current magnetic, high-frequency and -field EPR (HFEPR), frequency domain Fourier transform THz electron paramagnetic resonance (FD-FT THz-EPR) measurements, and ab initio theoretical calculations demonstrate that CoII ions in compounds 1-3 have large and positive D values (≈50 cm-1 ), which decrease with increasing the distortion of the pseudo-octahedral CoII coordination sphere. Dynamic ac magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that compound 1 exhibits field-induced single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior, whereas compounds 2 and 3 only display this behavior when they are magnetically diluted with diamagnetic ZnII (Zn/Co=10:1). In view of this, it is always advisable to use magnetically diluted complexes, in which intermolecular interactions and quantum tunneling of magnetism (QTM) would be at least partly suppressed, so that "hidden single-ion magnet (SIM)" behavior could emerge. Field- and temperature-dependence of the relaxation times indicate the prevalence of the Raman process in all these complexes above approximately 3 K.
Antenna design through variable-fidelity simulation-driven optimization

In most cases, the adjustment of antenna geometry parameters requires repetitive electromagnetic (EM) simulations. As accurate, high-fidelity EM simulations are computationally expensive, an automated optimization process by embedding the EM solver directly into the optimization algorithm may be prohibitive. In this paper, a simple yet efficient simulation-driven design methodology of antenna structures is discussed and demonstrated. Our approach exploits a family of EM-based models of increasing discretization density that are sequentially optimized with the optimal design of the lower-fidelity model being the initial design for the higher-fidelity one. The design is further refined using a suitable response surface approximation model. We show that-using this technique-an optimized antenna design can be obtained at a low computational cost. Two examples are provided: a wideband microstrip antenna and a double ring antenna.
The Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Pathway Is Required for Activation-induced Cell Death of T Cells*

T cells can undergo activation-induced cell death (AICD) upon stimulation of the T cell receptor-CD3 complex. We found that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway is activated during AICD. Transient transfection of a dominant interfering mutant of mitogen-activated/extracellular signal-regulated receptor protein kinase kinase (MEK1) demonstrated that down-regulation of the ERK pathway inhibited FasL expression during AICD, whereas activation of the ERK pathway with a constitutively active MEK1 resulted in increased expression of FasL. We also found that pretreatment with the specific MEK1 inhibitor PD98059 prevented the induction of FasL expression during AICD and inhibited AICD. However, PD98059 had no effect on other apoptotic stimuli. We found only very weak ERK activity during Fas-mediated apoptosis (induced by Fas cross-linking). Furthermore, preincubation with the MEK1 inhibitor did not inhibit Fas-mediated apoptosis. Finally, we also demonstrated that pretreatment with the MEK1 inhibitor could delay and decrease the expression of the orphan nuclear steroid receptor Nur77, which has been shown to be essential for AICD. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the ERK pathway is required for AICD of T cells and appears to regulate the induction of Nur77 and FasL expression during AICD.
A Narrative Review of the Evidence Supporting Factors Used by Residency Program Directors to Select Applicants for Interviews.

Background Residency applicants feel increasing pressure to maximize their chances of successfully matching into the program of their choice, and are applying to more programs than ever before. Objective In this narrative review, we examined the most common and highly rated factors used to select applicants for interviews. We also examined the literature surrounding those factors to illuminate the advantages and disadvantages of using them as differentiating elements in interviewee selection. Methods Using the 2018 NRMP Program Director Survey as a framework, we examined the last 10 years of literature to ascertain how residency directors are using these common factors to grant residency interviews, and whether these factors are predictive of success in residency. Results Residency program directors identified 12 factors that contribute substantially to the decision to invite applicants for interviews. Although United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 is often used as a comparative factor, most studies do not demonstrate its predictive value for resident performance, except in the case of test failure. We also found that structured letters of recommendation from within a specialty carry increased benefit when compared with generic letters. Failing USMLE Step 1 or 2 and unprofessional behavior predicted lower performance in residency. Conclusions We found that the evidence basis for the factors most commonly used by residency directors is decidedly mixed in terms of predicting success in residency and beyond. Given these limitations, program directors should be skeptical of making summative decisions based on any one factor.
Candida albicans Secreted Aspartyl Proteinases in Virulence and Pathogenesis

SUMMARY Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of humans and has developed an extensive repertoire of putative virulence mechanisms that allows successful colonization and infection of the host under suitable predisposing conditions. Extracellular proteolytic activity plays a central role in Candida pathogenicity and is produced by a family of 10 secreted aspartyl proteinases (Sap proteins). Although the consequences of proteinase secretion during human infections is not precisely known, in vitro, animal, and human studies have implicated the proteinases in C. albicans virulence in one of the following seven ways: (i) correlation between Sap production in vitro and Candida virulence, (ii) degradation of human proteins and structural analysis in determining Sap substrate specificity, (iii) association of Sap production with other virulence processes of C. albicans, (iv) Sap protein production and Sap immune responses in animal and human infections, (v) SAP gene expression during Candida infections, (vi) modulation of C. albicans virulence by aspartyl proteinase inhibitors, and (vii) the use of SAP-disrupted mutants to analyze C. albicans virulence. Sap proteins fulfill a number of specialized functions during the infective process, which include the simple role of digesting molecules for nutrient acquisition, digesting or distorting host cell membranes to facilitate adhesion and tissue invasion, and digesting cells and molecules of the host immune system to avoid or resist antimicrobial attack by the host. We have critically discussed the data relevant to each of these seven criteria, with specific emphasis on how this proteinase family could contribute to Candida virulence and pathogenesis.