Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Senile cardiac amyloidosis.

Although the unexplained occurrence of amyloid deposits in the elderly was first described as long ago as 1876 (Soyka), it is not generally realized that appreciable deposition of amyloid is found in a high proportion of elderly people, and is almost entirely localized to the heart. A preliminary investigation has shown this condition in 10 per cent of patients over 80 dying in this hospital, and an incidence ranging from 2 to 15 per cent has been reported from other countries. If these figures are representative, senile cardiac amyloid would appear to be the commonest existing form of amyloid, and likely to continue increasing with the increasing age of the population. Since clinical signs and symptoms are produced in many cases, and there is an increased likelihood of digitalis sensitivity in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (Cassidy, 1961), this condition should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any elderly patient with congestive heart failure.
Deconstruction of Iterative Multidomain Polyketide Synthase Function

PksA, which initiates biosynthesis of the environmental carcinogen aflatoxin B1, is one of the multidomain iterative polyketide synthases (IPKSs), a large, poorly understood family of biosynthetic enzymes. We found that dissection of PksA and its reconstitution from selected sets of domains allows the accumulation and characterization of advanced octaketide intermediates bound to the enzyme, permitting the reactions controlled by individual catalytic domains to be identified. A product template (PT) domain unites with the ketosynthase and thioesterase in this IPKS system to assemble precisely seven malonyl-derived building blocks to a hexanoyl starter unit and mediate a specific cyclization cascade. Because the PT domain is common among nonreducing IPKSs, these mechanistic features should prove to be general for IPKS-catalyzed production of aromatic polyketides.
Nested clade analysis of the freshwater shrimp, Caridina zebra (Decapoda: Atyidae), from north‐eastern Australia

The freshwater shrimp, Caridina zebra, is endemic to montane rainforest streams of the Atherton Tableland, north‐eastern Australia. As the confluences of many of the headwater streams are in unsuitable habitat, dispersal is expected to be highly restricted. Results from a previous allozyme survey for this species suggested that historical dispersal between separate river drainages had occurred due to rearrangements of the drainage lines at some stage in the recent past. The aim of this study was to use temporal information from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (CO‐I) gene to determine whether the observed genetic structure was a result of historical processes, or alternatively, due to low levels of terrestrial dispersal. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data were analysed using nested clade analysis, which can differentiate between historical fragmentation and range expansion vs. contemporary restricted gene flow. The results displayed three divergent clades that were likely to have arisen in allopatry. One widespread clade, with individuals in more than one river drainage, reflected a pattern of restricted gene flow. This suggests that this species is capable of terrestrial dispersal.
A reconfigurable calibration method for current-steering DACs

A new calibration method for current steering DACs based on dynamically rearranging the switching sequence of the MSB current sources, also called switching-sequence post-adjustment (SSPA) is presented. This calibration method conducts a search for the optimal switching sequence that maximizes any desired performance metric instead of generating it based on ad-hoc or heuristic arguments. An add-on to the calibration method based on the correction of the output current is also proposed. The proposed calibration method improves the INL up to 9 times and the ENOB up to 1.1 bit when compared to a state-of-the-art SSPA calibration method.
Aflatoxin evaluation in ready-to-eat brazil nuts using reversed-phase liquid chromatography and post-column derivatisation

A high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence (HPLC-FD) method for aflatoxin quantification in brazil nuts was developed. Samples of brazil nuts collected in Brazilian markets were extracted with methanol:water and cleaned using an immunoaffinity column. Aflatoxins were eluted with methanol and a post-column derivatisation was performed with bromine, using a Kobra Cell system. The optimised method for total aflatoxins was sensitive, with detection and quantification limits of 0.05 and 0.25 µg kg–1, respectively. The method was accurate, with recovery values of 87.6%; 85.3% and 85.0% for 0.5, 5.0 and 14.6 µg kg–1 spiked levels, respectively. It was shown that the method was applicable to brazil nuts. From a total of 95 brazil nut samples analysed from 21 São Paulo supermarket samples and 51 Manaus and 23 Belém street markets samples, 37.9% showed detectable levels of aflatoxins and three exceeded the recommended Codex Alimentarius limit of 10 µg kg–1 for ready-to-eat brazil nuts.
Olhar de bebês em desenvolvimento típico: correlações longitudinais encontradas

PURPOSE: To verify the longitudinal existing correlations between the babies' target of look in the free maternal-filial situation along the first months of development. METHODS: Seventeen healthy babies aged between zero and four months of life were monthly videotaped for 30 minutes in daily situations with their mothers. The recordings were analyzed in consecutive intervals of 30 seconds, being registered the presence or absence of eleven categories of observation of the gaze (target of babies gaze), while they were in state of alertness. RESULTS: Twenty one statistically significant correlations were found among the categories of observation of the gaze, being 16 positive (76.2%) and five negative (23.8%). The moment with the highest number of statistically significant correlations was the fourth recording and the moment with the lowest number of statistically significant correlations was the second recording. The most frequent statistically significant correlation, found in four of five moments (80%) was between the categories " look to the mother's face" and " look to the mother's eyes" . CONCLUSION: The obtained results, related to the existing information on the initial development of young children, allow us to imagine relations between their sensorial, cognitive, social and affective competences and their gaze. The deepening of the theme, with investigations on indications of shared attention in this early phase and considerations about the targets of the babies' gaze and the health of their development seem to contribute to the diagnosis and the prevention of the development disorders.
Applying behavioural science to issues of public health in South Africa: The case for social norms intervention

In the effort to address behavioural risk factors – which contribute significantly to the global burden of disease – there is a growing movement in public health towards the use of interventions informed by behavioural science. These interventions have the benefit of being amenable to testing in randomised controlled trials, are cost-effective and, when scaled up, can have significant public health benefits. A subset of these interventions attempts to change behaviour by shifting social norms perception (what I think everyone else does and thinks). We surveyed the work on social norms intervention and considered its applicability to issues of public health in South Africa. Social norms interventions have widespread and significant potential to address issues of public health in South Africa; policymakers should look to these interventions as cost-effective tools to address key issues. More broadly, we advocate for an expansion of the use of behavioural science in developing public policy in South Africa.
Development of a low pressure driven pneumatic actuator and its application to a robot hand

This paper presents a non-metallic and light robot hand that uses balloon-type pneumatic actuators that we developed. Recently, there has been a lot of research into robot coexisting with people and helping them. Such robots must be proven safe for contact with people. The drive system of our proposed robot hand uses balloon-type pneumatic actuators that we originally developed in consideration of the safety measures required for human contact. The results of test on the characteristics of the pneumatic actuator proved that it is possible to drive a robot hand and create enough generated force to grasp objects using lower inner pressure and lower air volume. Moreover, a model the same size as a human hand can be made without a big air compressor, we also consider the applications of such prosthetic hands
Rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes by a PCR assay specific for an aminopeptidase.

Specific and rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes is very important with regard to food safety since all other species of Listeria appear to be non-pathogenic to humans. Conventional microbiological detection methods are very time consuming. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the most promising techniques for rapid detection of micro-organisms in food products. We have developed a PCR assay, specific for L. monocytogenes, based on the gene encoding an aminopeptidase, which previously has not been described for this species. The L. monocytogenes aminopeptidase shares strong sequence similarity with aminopeptidase C from Streptococcus thermophilous, Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus helveticus, and with a cysteine proteinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Polymerase chain reaction primers were synthesized based on the DNA sequence of the aminopeptidase gene. A 90 bp product was apparent with all L. monocytogenes strains tested but not with other species of Listeria or other bacterial genera. The PCR assay, which is performed directly from whole bacterial cells, does not involve DNA purification and can be conducted in 4 h. It provided positive identification of L. monocytogenes in mixed culture.
Imaging-guided radiofrequency ablation of cystic renal neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to determine whether percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is effective and safe for the treatment of cystic renal neoplasms. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective review of imaging-guided RFA of Bosniak III and IV cysts from one institution. Thirty-eight subjects (19 men and 19 women; mean age, 71 years; age range, 46-95 years) underwent RFA of 40 cystic neoplasms (Bosniak III, n = 25; Bosniak IV, n = 15). Percutaneous biopsy was performed in 90% (36/40) of lesions. For patients with imaging follow-up of at least 1 year (n = 21), the mean duration of surveillance was 2.8 years (range, 1-6.5 years). The electronic medical record was reviewed for complications related to the procedure. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was measured before RFA and at the last follow-up visit more than 6 months after the RFA session. RESULTS According to percutaneous biopsy, 61.1% (22/36) of lesions were malignant, and 38.9% (14/36) of biopsies were inconclusive. There was no local tumor progression, and no subjects developed metastatic disease. One subject developed a new solid renal mass during the course of follow-up. Minor complications occurred in 5.3% (2/38) of ablations and included dysuria and mild hydronephrosis related to a blood clot in the ureter. There was one major complication (2.6%), a case of flash pulmonary edema. On average, estimated GFR decreased by 2.5 mL/min/1.73 m(2). CONCLUSION Imaging-guided RFA is an effective and safe treatment of Bosniak III and IV cystic renal neoplasms with outcomes comparable to those of surgical therapies.
MORBIDITY RISK OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

Lifetime morbidity risks and percentiles of the age of onset distribution are given for a series of psychiatric disorders based on data collected as part of a community survey in Edmonton, Canada. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS) was used to gather information from 3,258 community residents between January 1983 and May 1986. Using a recently developed method of estimating morbidity risks from survey data, the lifetime morbidity risks for depression (male 16.4%, female 22.3%), schizophrenia (male 1.2%, female 1.0%), and other disorders were calculated. These results are consistent with previously published reports.
Anatomical and Nonanatomical Double-Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background Studies have suggested that double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction may restore intact knee kinematics better than single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Although the tunnel position of the femoral anteromedial bundle is well established, the effects of different posterolateral bundle positions on knee kinematics are unknown. Hypothesis Double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with an anatomical (shallow) femoral posterolateral bundle tunnel placement will restore knee kinematics more closely than will a nonanatomical (deep) femoral posterolateral bundle tunnel position. Study Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods In 12 human cadaveric knees, the kinematics of the intact knee, anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knee, and double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament-reconstructed knees with nonanatomical femoral posterolateral tunnel placement and anatomical posterolateral bundle placement were determined in response to a 134-N anterior tibial load and a combined rotatory load of 10 Nm valgus and 4 Nm internal tibial rotation using a robotic/universal force moment sensor testing system. Statistical analyses were performed using a 2-way analysis of variance test. Results Double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with nonanatomical posterolateral bundle placement showed significantly higher anterior tibial translation under anterior tibial and combined rotatory load than did the intact knee at 0° and 30° of knee flexion (P < .05). Reconstruction with an anatomical posterolateral tunnel placement restored the intact knee kinematics and showed significantly lower anterior tibial translation under anterior tibial and combined rotatory load when compared with reconstruction with nonanatomical posterolateral placement (P < .05). Conclusion Double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the anatomical posterolateral bundle tunnel position restores the intact knee kinematics. A nonanatomical posterolateral bundle position results in rotatory instability. Clinical Relevance Double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction should be performed using anatomical tunnel placement of the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles. Nonanatomical double-bundle reconstruction may fail to show any clinical superiority to single-bundle reconstruction and should be avoided.
Comparative essential oil composition of aerial parts of Tanacetum dumosum Boiss. from Southern Zagros, Iran.

The essential oils of leaves and flowers of Tanacetum dumosum Boiss. , an endemic medicinal shrub, were extracted by using hydrodistillation method and analysed using GC and GC–MS. A total of 43 and 44 compounds were identified in the essential oils from the leaves and flowers of T. dumosum, respectively. The major chemical constituents of leaves oil were borneol (27.9%), bornyl acetate (18.4%), 1,8-cineol (17.5%), α-terpineol (5.3%), cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (3.3%), camphene (2.7%) and terpinene-4-ol (1.9%), while the main components of the flower oil were isobornyl-2-methyl butanoate (41.1%), trans-linalyl oxide acetate (11.9%), 1,8-cineole (7.7%), thymol (4.2%), linalool (3.9%), camphor (2.9%), isobornyl propanoate (2.9%), α-terpineol (2.1%) and caryophyllene oxide (2.0%). Major qualitative and quantitative variations for some main chemical compounds among different aerial parts of T. dumosum were identified. High contents of borneol, bornyl acetate, 1,8-cineol and linalool in the leaves and flowers of T. dumosum show its potential for use in the food and perfumery industry.
The Role of Choice in the Development of an M-Government Strategy in Turkey

Enhanced data services through mobile phones are expected to be soon fully transactional, interactive and embedded with other mobile consumption practices. While private services will continue to take the lead in the mobile data revolution, others such as government and NGOs are becoming more prominent m-players. This paper adopts a qualitative case study approach interpreting micro-level municipality officers’ mobility concept, ICT histories and choice practices for m-government services in Turkey. The findings highlight that in-situs ICT choice strategies are non-homogenous, sometimes conflicting with each other, and that current strategies have not yet justified the necessity for municipality officers to engage and fully commit to m-government efforts. Furthermore, beyond m-government initiatives’ success or failure, the mechanisms related to public administration mobile technical capacity building and knowledge transfer are identified to be directly related to m-government engagement likelihood.
The utility of texture analysis to improve per‐pixel classification for high to very high spatial resolution imagery

Earth observation data are becoming available at increasingly finer resolutions. Sensors already in existence (IKONOS, Quickbird, SPOT 5, Orbview) or due to be launched in the near future will reach 1–5 m resolution. These very high resolution (VHR) data will provide more details of the urban areas, but it seems evident that they will create additional problems in terms of information extraction using automatic classification. In this framework, this paper examines the potential of the spectral/textural approach to improve the classification accuracy of intra‐urban land cover types. The utility of the textural analysis was measured in comparison with multi‐spectral per‐pixel classifications. Haralick's second‐order statistics were applied to the co‐occurrence matrix. Four texture indices with six window sizes created from panchromatic images were tested on images at high to very high resolutions (10–1 m). The results show that the optimal index improving the global classification accuracy is the homogeneity measure, with a 7×7 window size. Moreover, for 1 m images, texture measure of homogeneity allows one to decrease the shadows.
Pyrethroid cross resistance spectrum among populations of Anopheles gambiae s.s. from Côte d'Ivoire.

Field samples of Anopheles gambiae s.s. from Côte d'Ivoire were tested with 5 pyrethroids (cyfluthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, alpha-cypermethrin, deltamethrin, permethrin), 1 pseudo-pyrethroid (etofenprox), and an organochlorine (DDT). With the use of World Health Organization diagnostic tests, 5 out of 6 samples were found cross-resistant to these insecticides. A strong decrease in knockdown effect and mortality was also observed when testing deltamethrin-impregnated nettings. With a polymerase chain reaction amplification of specific alleles diagnostic test, resistance was found associated with the presence of a kdr mutation. The strong correlation between kdr allelic frequency and resistance to DDT or etofenprox indicated that kdr was the main resistance factor for these 2 insecticides. On the contrary, a lower correlation was observed between kdr frequency and resistance to 4 of the 5 pyrethroids tested, suggesting that another mechanism was also involved, likely a metabolic detoxification. These results point out the necessity to monitor pyrethroid resistance and the presence of kdr before implementation of any impregnated bed-net programs for malaria control.
Histologic Subtype and Margin of Resection Predict Pattern of Recurrence and Survival for Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the pattern of recurrence and prognostic significance of histologic subtype in a large series of patients with primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma. Summary Background Data Classification of liposarcoma into subtypes, based on morphologic features and cytogenetic aberrations, is now widely accepted. Previous studies have shown that high histologic grade and incomplete gross resection are the most important prognostic factors for survival in patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma and suggest that patients with liposarcoma have a 3-fold higher risk of local recurrence compared with other histologies. Methods A prospective database was used to identify 177 patients with primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma treated between July 1982 and June 2002. Histology at primary presentation was reviewed by a sarcoma pathologist and subtyped into 4 distinct groups according to strict criteria. The influence of clinicopathological factors on local recurrence, distant recurrence, and disease-specific survival was analyzed. Results Of 177 patients with primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma operated on for curative intent, 99 (56%) presented with well-differentiated, 65 (37%) with dedifferentiated, 9 (5%) with myxoid, and 4 (2%) with round cell morphology. The tumor burden was determined by the sum of the maximum tumor diameters. The median tumor burden was 26 cm (5–139). Median follow-up time for 92 (52%) surviving patients was 37 (mean, 0.5–192) months. Multivariate analysis showed that dedifferentiated liposarcoma subtype was associated with a 6-fold increased risk of death compared with well-differentiated histology (P < 0.0001). In addition to histologic subtype, incomplete resection (P < 0.0001), contiguous organ resection (excluding nephrectomy; P = 0.05), and age (P = 0.03) were important independent prognostic factors for survival in retroperitoneal liposarcoma. Retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma was associated with an 83% local recurrence rate and 30% distant recurrence rate at 3 years. Conclusions The histologic subtype and margin of resection are prognostic for survival in primary retroperitoneal liposarcoma. Dedifferentiated histologic subtype and the need for contiguous organ resection (excluding nephrectomy) was associated with an increase risk of local and distant recurrence. Nephrectomy may be needed to achieve complete resection, but has no measurable influence on disease specific survival.
Models of the extracellular domain of the nicotinic receptors and of agonist- and Ca2+-binding sites

We constructed a three-dimensional model of the amino-terminal extracellular domain of three major types of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, (α7)5, (α4)2(β2)3, and (α1)2β1γδ, on the basis of the recent x-ray structure determination of the molluscan acetylcholine-binding protein. Comparative analysis of the three models reveals that the agonist-binding pocket is much more conserved than the overall structure. Differences exist, however, in the side chains of several residues. In particular, a phenylalanine residue, present in β2 but not in α7, is proposed to contribute to the high affinity for agonists in receptors containing the β2 subunit. The semiautomatic docking of agonists in the ligand-binding pocket of (α7)5 led to positions consistent with labeling and mutagenesis experiments. Accordingly, the quaternary ammonium head group of nicotine makes a π-cation interaction with W148 (α7 numbering), whereas the pyridine ring is close to both the cysteine pair 189–190 and the complementary component of the binding site. The intrinsic affinities inferred from docking give a rank order epibatidine > nicotine > acetylcholine, in agreement with experimental values. Finally, our models offer a structural basis for potentiation by external Ca2+.
Study on Ripple of Output Voltage of Chaotic Power Converter

Chaotic spectrum-spread technology is advantageous in improving EMC of power converters, but it increases ripple of output voltage. This paper puts forward a method for calculating output voltage' s ripple of chaotic power converter. Simulation shows, ripple of output voltage increases with the increase of chaotic modulation coefficient. For suppressing the ripple of output voltage, we suggest adding an active filter to the output circuit of power converter, the active filter has small size and low cost, and its effect to the dynamic characteristic of power converter is small.