Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electronic Prescribing Systems in Pediatrics: The Rationale and Functionality Requirements

The use of electronic prescribing applications in pediatric practice, as recommended by the federal government and other national health care improvement organizations, should be encouraged. Legislation and policies that foster adoption of electronic prescribing systems by pediatricians should recognize both specific pediatric requirements and general economic incentives required to speed the adoption of these systems. Continued research into improving the effectiveness of these systems, recognizing the unique challenges of providing care to the pediatric population, should be promoted.
Murine Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome genes: regulators of lysosome‐related organelles

In the mouse, at least 16 genes regulate vesicle trafficking to specialized lysosome‐related organelles, including platelet dense granules and melanosomes. Fourteen of these genes have been identified by positional cloning. All 16 mouse mutants are models for the genetically heterogeneous human disease, Hermansky–Pudlak Syndrome (HPS). Five HPS genes encode known vesicle trafficking proteins. Nine genes are novel, are found only in higher eukaryotes and encode members of three protein complexes termed BLOCs (Biogenesis of Lysosome‐related Organelles Complexes). Mutations in murine HPS genes, which encode protein co‐members of BLOCs, produce essentially identical phenotypes. In addition to their well‐known effects on pigmentation, platelet function and lysosome secretion, HPS genes control a wide range of physiological processes including immune recognition, neuronal functions and lung surfactant trafficking. Studies of the molecular functions of HPS proteins will reveal important details of vesicle trafficking and may lead to therapies for HPS. BioEssays 26:616–628, 2004. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Association of estrogen measurements in serum and urine of premenopausal women.

AIMS We evaluated conjugated and unconjugated urinary estrogen metabolites as surrogate biomarkers for serum levels of unconjugated E1 and E2 in premenopausal women. MATERIALS & METHODS Repeated blood and urine samples were analyzed for estrogens and their metabolites using radioimmunoassays and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. RESULTS The strongest correlation (r = 0.39) was observed between serum E1 and urinary E1 and E2. The correlations of urinary E2 (r = 0.35), E1 (r = 0.29), all E2 metabolites (r = 0.30), all E1 metabolites (r = 0.23) and total estrogens (r = 0.26) with serum E2 were only moderate although statistically significant. All correlations were substantially stronger for Whites than Asians. CONCLUSION Urinary E2 emerged as the best predictor for serum E1 and E2, but the large intra-subject variability in urinary estrogen levels limits its use as a biomarker.
Characterization of lipoprotein EnvA in Chlamydia psittaci 6BC

The primary sequence of the small cysteine-rich protein (EnvA) of Chlamydia psittaci 6BC has been shown to possess a potential lipid modification/signal peptidase II-processing site, and the mature protein was labeled by a [3H]palmitic acid precursor. We further characterized the mature EnvA, showing that it lacks the N-terminal methionine of the primary peptide, is hydrophobic despite a peptide sequence that is predicted to be hydrophilic, and appears to be lipid modified at an N-terminal cysteine in a manner analogous to that of murein lipoproteins of gram-negative bacteria. We also report the fatty acid content of the small cysteine-rich proteins of C. psittaci and Chlamydia trachomatis L2 as determined by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
One-Stage Immediate Breast Reconstruction with Implants in Conservative Mastectomies

The evolution of breast cancer surgery is focused on optimization of the balance between the oncologic radicality and the maximization the cosmetic outcomes. The final goal of reconstructive breast surgery is to achieve a pleasant and attractive breast that matches as much as possible what is considered a “normal breast. ”To do that, it is important first to understand which features define the normal female breast identity. Followings the works of Blondeel et al., the breast identity can be defined by a balanced combination of all the followings four elements:
Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse von Kriegspropaganda und Kritischem Friedensjournalismus

In seiner beruhmten Untersuchung der Propagandatechniken im Ersten Weltkrieg, kommt Lasswell (1927) zu dem Schlus, das die psychologischen Widerstande gegen den Krieg in modernen Gesellschaften so gros sind, das jedem Krieg der Anschein gegeben werden mus, ein Verteidigungskrieg gegen einen bedrohlichen, morderischen Aggressor zu sein. Um dies zu erreichen, ist ein massiver Aufwand an Propaganda erforderlich, deren Ziel es ist, den Kriegswillen der eigenen Soldaten und der eigenen Zivilbevolkerung zu starken und ihre Identifikation mit den Kriegszielen herzustellen.
Attitude Control of Spacecraft Formations Subject To Distributed Communication Delays

This paper considers the problem of achieving attitude consensus in spacecraft formations with bounded, time-varying communication delays between spacecraft connected as specified by a strongly connected topology. A state feedback con- troller is proposed and investigated using a time domain approach (via LMIs) and a frequency domain approach (via the small-gain theorem) to obtain delay depen- dent stability criteria to achieve the desired consensus. Simulations are presented to demonstrate the application of the strategy in a specific scenario.
The $\hbox{1}/f$ Noise and Random Telegraph Noise Characteristics in Floating-Gate nand Flash Memories

We have characterized low-frequency noise (LFN) such as 1/f noise and random telegraph noise (RTN) in a NAND flash memory cell string for the first time and shown its fundamental properties. The NAND flash memory cells showed specific LFN characteristics under various conditions such as bit-line bias, word-line bias of a selected cell, and pass bias of the unselected cells in the NAND string. Also, LFN was investigated with the program/erase (P/E) cycling of a cell or all cells in a string, and maximum threshold voltage fluctuation of several tens of millivolts after ~100 000 cycles at the 70-nm technology node was shown. Finally, we predicted the effects of LFN in sub-70-nm NAND flash memories.
Advances in avian immunology—prospects for disease control: a review

In order to develop novel solutions to avian disease problems, including novel vaccines and/or vaccine adjuvants, and the identification of disease resistance genes which can feed into conventional breeding programmes, it is necessary to gain a more thorough understanding of the avian immune response and how pathogens can subvert that response. Birds occupy the same habitats as mammals, have similar ranges of longevity and body mass, and face similar pathogen challenges, yet birds have a different repertoire of organs, cells, molecules and genes of the immune system compared to mammals. This review summarises the current state of knowledge of the chicken's immune response, highlighting differences in the bird compared to mammals, and discusses how the availability of the chicken genome sequence and the associated postgenomics technologies are contributing to theses studies and also to the development of novel intervention strategies againts avian and zoonotic disease.
Improved wavelet based a-priori SNR estimation for speech enhancement

To obtain a reliable estimate of the a-priori signal to noise (SNR) ratio is crucial to most frequency domain speech enhancement algorithms. Recently, the low variance multitaper spectrum (MTS) estimator with wavelet denoising was suggested for the estimation of the a-priori SNR However, traditional approach directly plugs in the wavelet shrinkage denoiser and adopts the universal threshold which is not fully optimized to the characteristic of the MTS of noisy signals. In this paper, a two-stage estimation algorithm is proposed. First, the log MTS components that are dominated by noise are detected and removed in the wavelet domain. Second, a modified SUREshrink scheme is applied to further remove the noise remained in the speech spectral peaks. The new estimator is applied to the traditional Wiener filter and log MMSE speech enhancement algorithms and leads to significantly better performance.
Expression analysis of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (STAR) gene in developing porcine conceptuses

Steroidogenesis in porcine non‐conceptus tissue is regulated by the STAR‐dependent transport of cholesterol from the outer to inner mitochondrial membrane. Previous serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) identified a STAR mRNA transcript in the porcine peri‐implantation conceptus during trophectoderm elongation and increased conceptus estrogen synthesis between gestational day 11 and 12. To assess a potential role for STAR in the modulation of conceptus steroidogenesis via cholesterol transport, the conceptus STAR transcript was PCR cloned and temporal expression of mRNA and protein were examined. Northern analysis of day 12 corpora lutea and pig conceptus RNA detected multiple STAR transcripts in both tissues and identified the cloned transcript as the longest variant. The transcript had a 99% similarity to a truncated ovarian STAR transcript. The conceptus STAR transcript was temporally regulated during elongation but trace expression was present in day 6 blastocysts and day 25 conceptuses. Differential regulation of STAR mRNA was concomitant with the presence of the stimulatory transcription factor steroidogenic factor 1, and absence of the inhibitory transcription factor dosage‐sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, critical region on the X chromosome, gene‐1, transcripts. In contrast to peak STAR mRNA expression at the filamentous stage, Western blot analyses revealed STAR protein levels were highest in tubular conceptuses. These data confirm the presence of STAR mRNA and protein during porcine conceptus elongation and suggest regulation of STAR at two levels, transcriptionally, in part, through differential regulation of transcription factors, and post‐transcriptionally, evidenced by the disparity of protein to RNA in filamentous conceptuses. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lymphatic function and immune regulation in health and disease.

Lymphatic vessels are present throughout the body, except in the central nervous system and bone marrow. The lymph nodes (LNs), spleen, and other secondary lymphoid organs (e.g., Peyer's patches) are strategically located in anatomical sites where they collect foreign antigen and antigen presenting cells to activate antigen-specific lymphocytes efficiently.1 In the peripheral tissues, specialized lymphatic capillaries—called initial lymphatic vessels—allow soluble materials and cells to enter the lymphatic system easily. The collected fluid and cells form lymph, which is transported by smooth muscle-invested collecting lymphatic vessels to the draining lymph node. The lymph node provides a highly organized microarchitecture that supports optimal immune surveillance. The “filtered” lymph fluid, as well as naive and activated lymphocytes, exit the lymph node via efferent lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic capillaries, collecting lymphatic vessels, and lymph nodes together provide protective immunity for the body. Disruptions of lymphatic function compromise immune function and result in lymphedema. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge of how lymphatic function is altered in inflammatory states, cancer, and infection.
Piecewise constant reinforcement learning for robotic applications

Writing good behaviors for mobile robots is a hard task that requires a lot o f hand tuning and often fails to consider all the possible configurations that a robot may face. By using re forcement learning techniques a robot can improve its performance through a direct interaction with the su rrounding environment and adapt its behavior in response to some non-stationary events, thus achieving a hig her degree of autonomy with respect to pre-programmed robots. In this paper, we propose a novel reinfo cement learning approach that addresses the main issues of learning in real-world robotic applications: experience is expensive, explorative actions are risky, control policy must be robust, state space is continuous. Pre liminary results performed on a real robot suggest that on-line reinforcement learning, matching some sp ecific solutions, can be effective also in real-world physical environments.
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells as an Alternative Approach to the Conventional Photovoltaic Technology Based on Silicon - Recent Developments in the Field and Large Scale Applications

Utilization of renewable energies is of major importance because of the increase in fossil energy costs in combination with carbon dioxide reduction preventing global warming. The importance of the solar energy can be considered as the sustainable energy which may successfully satisfy a part of the energy demand of future generations. The 3x1024 joule/year energy supply from sun to the earth is ten thousand times more than the global need. It means that the use of 10% efficiency photovoltaic cells could cover the present needs in electricity covering only the 0.1% of earth’s surface (Wu, et al. 2008). Handling this opportunity of solar energy utilization is a big bet for the future. Besides the development of new clean techniques to the electrical power generation is urgently important in order to protect global environment and assure economic growth of sustainable resources. Taking into account the present status in photovoltaic technology, some improvements have to be made which are summarized in three basic fields: (a) in costs, (b) in their applicability and (c) sustainability. Although the cost per peak watt of crystalline silicon solar cells has significantly dropped, it is still expensive compared to the conventional grid electricity resources. Silicon wafers made of pure semiconducting material to avoid limitations in energy conversion, are still expensive. For this reason developments on potentially cheaper solar cells based on thin-film technology have been made. According to this technology, thin films made of purely inorganic materials such as amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, and copper indium diselenide successfully prepared on glass substrates. Almost two decades ago, dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were proposed as low cost alternatives to the conventional amorphous silicon solar cells, owing to the simplicity of their fabrication procedures, practically under ambient conditions with mild chemical processes. DSSCs are placed in the category of third generation photovoltaics where new trends in the photovoltaic technology are applied. In the 1st generation PV cells, the electric interface is made between doped n-type and p-type bulk silicon. 1st generation PV cells provide the highest so far conversion efficiency. The 2nd generation PV cells are based on
The heart‐rate‐reducing agent, ivabradine, reduces mechanical allodynia in a rodent model of neuropathic pain

Peripheral nerve injury increases the excitability of primary sensory neurons. This triggers the onset of neuropathic pain and maintains its persistence. Because changes in hyperpolarization‐activated cyclic nucleotide‐gated cation (HCN) channels are implicated in this process, we examined the action of the heart‐rate‐reducing agent, ivabradine, a clinically approved HCN blocker, in the rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain.
Design patterns for topological modeling

Theoretical frameworks of topological modeling and various potential applications have been proposed by Kunii and his collaborators. However serious applications are still wanted to prove the ubiquitous importance of the topological modeling technology. To accelerate progress in this field we need to pay more attention to design patterns that are to be shared among researchers and developers of topological modeling tools. This paper presents some useful patterns derived from experience in developing interactive topological modeling tools.
Hsp90 Inhibitor–Mediated Disruption of Chaperone Association of ATR with Hsp90 Sensitizes Cancer Cells to DNA Damage

Following DNA damage that results in stalled replication fork, activation of ATR-CHK1 signaling induces the DNA damage response (DDR) in transformed cells. In the present studies on human cervical and breast cancer cells, we determined the effects of hsp90 inhibition on the levels and accumulation of DNA damage/repair–associated proteins following exposure to γ-ionizing radiation (IR; 4 Gy). We show that hsp90 inhibition with 17-allylamino-demehoxygeldanamycin or the novel, nongeldanamycin analogue AUY922 (resorcinylic isoxazole amide; Novartis Pharma) dose-dependently reduced the levels of ATR and CHK1 without affecting ATM levels. AUY922-mediated depletion of ATR and CHK1 was associated with an increase in their polyubiquitylation and decreased binding to hsp90. Cotreatment with bortezomib partially restored AUY922-mediated depletion of ATR and CHK1 levels. Additionally, treatment with AUY922 reduced the accumulation of ATR, p53BP1, and CHK1 but not γ-H2AX to the sites of DNA damage. Following exposure to IR, AUY922 treatment abrogated IR-induced phospho (p)-ATR and p-CHK1 levels, but significantly enhanced γ-H2AX levels. AUY922 treatment also increased IR-induced accumulation of the cells in G2–M phase of the cell cycle, inhibited the repair of IR-induced DNA damage, and augmented IR-mediated loss of clonogenic survival. Short hairpin RNA–mediated depletion of ATR also inhibited IR-induced p-ATR and p-CHK1, but increased γ-H2AX levels, sensitizing cancer cells to IR-induced apoptosis and loss of clonogenic survival. These findings indicate that ATR is a bona fide hsp90 client protein and post-IR administration of AUY922, by inhibiting ATR-CHK1–mediated DDR, sensitizes cancer cells to IR. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(7); 1194–206. ©2011 AACR.
Multiparameter Monitoring and Analysis of In Vivo Ischemic and Hypoxic Heart

We describe a unique in vivo technique which addresses the multifactorial function of the heart, i.e., simultaneous measurement of myocardial ion transport (two mini-electrode systems to measure K+e and Ca2+e), energy metabolism (NADH fluorescence to measure NADH redox state), and coronary flow (laser-Doppler perfusion) using a multiprobe assembly (MPA) which contains transducers for all measurements. The MPA (which is 6 mm in diameter) was applied to the external surface of the heart in an open chest dog model. To test MPA function, myocardial ischemia was produced by application of a balloon occluder to the left anterior descending coronary (LAD) artery, and hypoxia was produced by changing the inspired O2-N2 ratio until the PaO2 was 20-30 torr. The MPA simultaneously monitored changes in ion flux, heart metabolism, and tissue perfusion during pathophysiological intervention.
Evaluation of the Binax NOW, BD Directigen, and BD Directigen EZ Assays for Detection of Respiratory Syncytial Virus

ABSTRACT The Binax NOW assay (Binax, Inc., Portland, Maine) and the BD Directigen EZ assay (Becton Dickinson and Company, Sparks, Md.), two new rapid immunoassays for detection of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as the BD Directigen RSV assay (DRSV) (Becton Dickinson and Company) and direct immunofluorescence staining (DFA) were compared with culture for detection of RSV in fresh specimens from both children and adults during the 2002-2003 respiratory virus season. The majority (95%) of specimens were nasal or nasopharyngeal washes or aspirates. A total of 47 (26%) were culture positive for RSV. The overall sensitivities of DFA (n = 149), NOW (n = 118), EZ (n = 88), and DRSV (n = 180) compared with culture (n = 180) were 93, 89, 59, and 77%, respectively. The specificities of DFA, NOW, EZ, and DRSV were 97, 100, 98, and 96%, respectively. However, when results were separated into those from children and those from adults, DFA was the only rapid test adequate for detection of RSV (sensitivity of 100% compared to 0, 0, and 25% for NOW, EZ, and DRSV, respectively) in adults. For children the sensitivities of DFA, NOW, EZ, and DRSV were 93, 94, 72, and 81%. The NOW assay was the most sensitive and specific and the easiest to perform of the kit tests for detecting RSV in children. None of these three rapid kit tests was sensitive for detecting RSV in specimens from adults. DFA remains the rapid method of choice for detecting RSV in the adult population.
A multimodalidade ao serviço da representação: análise de uma brochura empresarial

Num mercado empresarial competitivo, a imagem, os produtos e servicos das empresas sao cada vez mais divulgados em diferentes generos multimodais como os sitios Web ou as brochuras. Pretende-se, neste artigo, analisar algumas praticas discursivas multimodais (sistemas verbal e visual) numa brochura de uma empresa portuguesa, considerando que as empresas se constroem pelas representacoes de significados, produzidos e reproduzidos em diferentes sistemas semioticos. Para a prossecucao deste objectivo, seguem-se os principios da Linguistica Sistemico-Funcional (Halliday 1994, 2004) e da Semiotica Social (Kress e van Leeuwen, 1996, 2006). A tendencia de representacao aponta para uma construcao coerente entre os dois sistemas semioticos e para a expansao de significados. Conclui-se que o principal participante e o produto (obras, processos e fases), representado no universo do ser (relacional) e do fazer (material).
Characterization of an Obese Syndrome in the Pig 1

Summary Metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity were studied with two strains of pigs possessing varying propensities for lipid and protein deposition. The lean strain has a subcutaneous fat thickness of 2.8 cm and the obese strain, 8.0 cm. Adipose tissue enzymes associated with lipogenesis were elevated severalfold in the obese pig. The same enzymes in the liver were not altered. Gluconeogenic enzymes were elevated in the obese pig indicating a shift in the metabolism of amino acids. Enzymatic response to fasting and refeeding appears to be more dynamic in the lean type pig.
Screening for possible failure of herpes simplex virus PCR in cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the reliability of herpes simplex virus (HSV) PCR testing in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the detection of herpes simplex encephalitis. This was done by examining retrospectively the clinical follow‐up of a large group of patients tested routinely by HSV‐PCR. In addition, an attempt was made to assess the incidence of herpes simplex encephalitis in a central European population. CSF samples from 1,427 patients from all Vienna hospitals were submitted for HSV‐PCR testing during a period of 4 years and 8 months. Herpes simplex encephalitis was detected by PCR in 12 cases and by serological methods in one additional patient. Retrospective analysis of the course of disease, which was possible in 799 PCR‐negative patients, led to the identification of three additional cases in which herpes simplex encephalitis appears to have occurred despite negative PCR results. Failure of the PCR in these patients is most likely due to the time of obtaining CSF during the course of disease. A high specificity of the assay was demonstrated by the lack of false positive results in any of the 708 cases in which other causes for the neurological symptoms had been identified in the follow‐up. The incidence of herpes simplex encephalitis in the population of Vienna was between 1 case/469,000–577,000 individuals/year. The highest annual incidence was detected in the age group between 3 months and 3 years, which, however, could not be confirmed statistically. J. Med. Virol. 64:531–536, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.