Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estratificación social en Venezuela: revelando la estructura latente a la desigualdad en "capacidades"

CISOR es recordado por muchos, incluyendome, como una escuela de formacion en donde, en compania de otros tambien novatos, disfrutamos de largas horas de platica y aprendizaje bajo la tutela generosa del profesor Alberto Gruson. Cuando me invitaron a contribuir con este libro, me pidieron que aportara un texto vinculado a un trabajo que desarrolle por varios anos pero que surgio a raiz de mi trabajo en CISOR y/o a raiz de intercambios con Gruson. Dificil eleccion, puesto que casi todas las investigaciones que hoy desarrollo de una u otra forma tienen vinculacion con el rico aprendizaje que fue y sigue siendo compartir con el ‘profe’ Gruson.
Relevance of measuring diastolic time intervals in the ductus venosus during the early stages of twin–twin transfusion syndrome

To determine if the discrete myocardial diastolic dysfunction documented previously in the recipient twin during the early stages of twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) has any repercussion on flow velocities through the ductus venosus (DV) and to investigate if this could allow early differentiation between TTTS and selective intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
Procedures for minimization of "exclusive-OR" and "logical-equivalence" switching circuits

The transformation which carries an arbitrary switching function represented by its disjunctive (or conjunctive) canonical form to its EXCLUSIVE-OR (Δ) (or the LOGICAL EQUIVALENCE (∇)) requiresmanipulation of vectors and square matrices of dimension 2n where n is the number of input variables. In this paper we develop a simple iterative procedure which gives the minimal Δ (or ∇) canonical switching circuit configuration using only uncomplemented (or complemented inputs. Our next algorithm assigns best polarities (true or complemented) to every input variable such that on application of the first algorithm we get a configuration with a minimum number of Δ(or ∇) circuits. The latter algorithm appears to be a significant synthesis procedure. These techniques provide valuable tools for day to day synthesis of these circuits because of their inherent simplicity and iterarive nature, in contrast to the methods already proposed. These synthesis procedures are extended to the cases when the truth table contains some "Don't Care" states and multiple outputs. Consideration is also given to decomposition and factorization. Also simple transformational rules are given that take the switching functions from Δ to ∇ form and from these to the disjunctive (or conjunctive) canonical forms.
Design of a 0 . 97 dB , 5 . 8 GHz fully integrated CMOS low noise amplifier

This paper presents a 5.8 GHz fully integrated CMOS low noise amplifier (LNA) with on chip spiral inductors for wireless applications. Simulation results show that the noise figure (NF) of the proposed LNA at 5.8 GHz central frequency is only 0.972 dB, which is perfectly close to NFmin while maintaining the other performances. The LNA also has a power consumption of 6.4 mW, a gain of 17.04 dB, and an input 1-dB compression point (IP1dB) about -21.22 dBm while at 1.8V supply voltage. The proposed LNA topology is very suitable for IEEE 802.11a, 802.11n wireless applications.
Tapping school facilities for community health: joint-use agreements.

Executive Director William T. Pound Denver 7700 East First Place Denver, Colorado 80230 Phone (303) 364-7700 www.ncsl. org Washington, D.C. 444 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 515 Washington, D.C. 20001 Phone (202) 624-5400 State Action Joint-use agreements address school district concerns. Physical activity promotes good health and reduces the risk of chronic disease. Exercise can help control weight, reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve mental health. Physical inactivity, on the other hand, can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Stimulation of Cultured Cerebellar Granule Cells via Glutamate Receptors Induces TRE‐ and CRE‐Binding Activities Mediated by Common DNA‐Binding Complexes

Abstract: By use of nuclear mini‐extracts prepared from cultured cerebellar granule cells in a gel‐mobility assay, exogenous N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) or kainate was shown to increase both 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate‐responsive element (TRE)‐ and cyclic AMP‐responsive element (CRE)‐binding activity. These increases were specifically prevented by the NMDA receptor antagonist D,L‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonovalerate and the non‐NMDA receptor antagonist 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione, respectively. The increase of TRE‐binding activity was dependent on de novo protein synthesis, and its inductions by both NMDA and kainate required extracellular Ca2+. TRE‐binding activity was competitively inhibited by the CRE, and vice versa, showing higher DNA‐binding affinity to the CRE than to the TRE. A proteolytic clipping bandshift assay demonstrated that the increase in CRE‐binding activity could be mediated by the TRE‐binding activity. Thus, the TRE‐binding activity cross‐binding to the CRE could be activated by NMDA or kainate stimulation. The involvement of c‐Fos or Fos‐related proteins in the TRE‐ and CRE‐binding complexes was shown by a supershift gel‐mobility assay using anti‐c‐Fos antiserum.
Diffusion‐weighted multiple shot echo planar imaging of humans without navigation

A new method is proposed for reducing the artifacts produced in diffusion‐weighted imaging. When data are acquired using multiple shot echo planar acquisitions, conventional reconstruction methods produce artifactual images as a consequence of diffusion weighting and small amounts of bulk motion of the subject. If the amount of motion can be determined, it is possible to correct the data before reconstruction, which removes the artifact. A method for estimating the motion from the acquired data has been developed and evaluated. This method assumes that ghost image effects will be minimized when motion has been correctly compensated. By considering the amount of signal in the background of the image, appropriate corrections to the data can be made, and the accuracy of the motion compensation may be estimated. This technique has been evaluated by computer simulation, and its performance has been demonstrated in a phantom and humans with both two‐ and four‐shot echo planar acquisitions and using both “mosaic” and “interleaved” sampling schemes.
Optimization of broadband drain modulation in GaN HEMT devices

This paper focuses on the optimization of broadband envelope termination for reliable device characterization for future UMTS-LTE systems. Drain bias modulation is suppressed in 8times500 mum GaN HEMT using compensation network overcoming the parasitic effects of the DC feed, generally ignored during broadband measurements. Drain modulation index (DMI) metric is defined for quantifying the extent of drain voltage modulation as a function of carrier spacing and up to 80% reduction in DMI is achieved after drain bias compensation. Further, based on the experimental analysis, a simple bias tee is designed which can overcome improper DC feed conditions. Under 2-carrier CW and W-CDMA excitation, maximum of 19 dB and 18 dB IMD3 suppression together with the minimization of IMD asymmetry, were achieved using in- house bias tee, emphasizing the importance of broadband bias network design.
The challenge of antibiotic resistance in haematology patients

Bacterial infections were once a major obstacle to the treatment of acute leukaemia. Improvement in management strategies, including the use of broad‐spectrum antibacterial drugs targeting Gram‐negative bacteria, has reduced the mortality in neutropenic patients developing blood stream infections and other severe infections. In many countries these achievements are threatened by development of multi‐resistant bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This review addresses the epidemiology, clinical importance and possible management of these multi‐resistant organisms.
Active queue management with flow proportional buffering

Most active queue management schemes maintain an average of the queue length which they use together with a number of queue thresholds to detect congestion. However, the setting of the queue thresholds is problematic because the required buffer size for good sharing among TCP connections is dependent on the number of TCP connections using the buffer. This paper describes an improved active queue management scheme which dynamically changes its threshold settings as the number of connections and system load changes. This technique allows network devices to effectively control packet losses and TCP timeouts while maintaining high link utilization. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.
Human norovirus infection and the acute serum cytokine response

Noroviruses (NoV) are the most common cause of epidemic gastroenteritis worldwide. The acute immune response to NoV in humans is poorly understood, hindering research on prevention and treatment. To elucidate the acute immune response and test for cytokine predictors of susceptibility to infection, serum samples from two human NoV challenge studies were tested for 16 cytokines. Subjects who became infected (n = 26) were age‐matched with subjects who remained uninfected following NoV challenge (n = 26). Samples were tested from prechallenge and days 1‐4 post‐challenge. Cytokine responses were compared between infected and uninfected groups. Overall, infected individuals exhibited an elevation in T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th2 cytokines, as well as chemokines interleukin (IL)‐8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP‐1), compared to uninfected individuals (all P < 0·05). Most cytokines peaked on day 2 post‐challenge in infected subjects, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, IL‐8, and IL‐10 remained elevated to day 3. The only cytokine elevated significantly among infected subjects to day 4 post‐challenge was IL‐10 (P = 0·021). Prechallenge cytokine concentrations were not predictive of infection status post‐challenge. There were no significant changes in serum cytokines among NoV‐challenged subjects who remained uninfected. These results suggest that NoV infection elicits a Th1‐type response, with some Th2 activation. Persistent elevation of IL‐10 among infected subjects is consistent with activation of adaptive immune responses, such as B cell expansion, as well as down‐regulation of Th1 cytokines. This study presents the first comprehensive description of the acute cytokine response to GI.1 NoV in humans.
Biological and biochemical activities of a chimeric epidermal growth factor-Elk receptor tyrosine kinase

Eph, Elk, and Eck are prototypes of a large family of transmembrane protein-tyrosine kinases, which are characterized by a highly conserved cysteine-rich domain and two fibronectin type III repeats in their extracellular regions. Despite the extent of the Eph family, no extracellular ligands for any family member have been identified, and hence, little is known about the biological and biochemical properties of these receptor-like tyrosine kinases. In the absence of a physiological ligand for the Elk receptor, we constructed chimeric receptor molecules, in which the extracellular region of the Elk receptor is replaced by the extracellular, ligand-binding domain of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. These chimeric receptors were expressed in NIH 3T3 cells that lack endogenous EGF receptors to analyze their signaling properties. The chimeric EGF-Elk receptors became glycosylated, were correctly localized to the plasma membrane, and bound EGF with high affinity. The chimeric receptors underwent autophosphorylation and induced the tyrosine phosphorylation of a specific set of cellular proteins in response to EGF. EGF stimulation also induced DNA synthesis in fibroblasts stably expressing the EGF-Elk receptors. In contrast, EGF stimulation of these cells did not lead to visible changes in cellular morphology, nor did it induce loss of contact inhibition in confluent monolayers or growth in semisolid media. The Elk cytoplasmic domain is therefore able to induce tyrosine phosphorylation and DNA synthesis in response to an extracellular ligand, suggesting that Elk and related polypeptides function as ligand-dependent receptor tyrosine kinases.
Rheumatic heart disease in school children in Samoa

Editor,—Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries,1and its true importance may be much greater than is generally recognised. We conducted a prevalence survey of RHD in 8767 school children aged between 5 and 17 years in Samoa; the analysis was weighted to adjust for stratification by urban and rural populations and school level clustering. The prevalence of RHD in our survey was 77.8 per 1000 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 64.0 to 91.6). The diagnosis of RHD was made on clinical rather than echocardiographic findings by a paediatrician with extensive experience …
Structural analyses of the 7SK ribonucleoprotein (RNP), the most abundant human small RNP of unknown function

The human 7SK ribonucleoprotein (RNP) has been analyzed to determine its RNA secondary structure and protein constituents. HeLa cell 7SK RNA alone and within its RNP have been probed by chemical modification and enzymatic cleavage, and sites of modification or cleavage have been mapped by primer extension. The resulting secondary structure suggests that structural determinants necessary for capping (a 5' stem followed by the sequence AUPuUPuC) and nuclear migration (the sequence AUPuUPuC) of 7SK RNA may be similar to those for U6 small nuclear RNA (snRNA). It also supports existence of a 3' stem structure which could serve to self-prime cDNA synthesis during pseudogene formation. Oligonucleotide-directed RNase H digestion indicated regions of 7SK RNA capable of base pairing with other nucleic acids. Antisense 2'-O-methyl RNA oligonucleotides were used to affinity select the 7SK RNP from an in vivo 35S-labeled cell sonic extract and identify eight associated proteins of 83, 48, 45, 43, 42, 21, 18, and 13 kDa. 7SK RNA has extensive sequence complementarity to U4 snRNA, within the U4/U6 base pairing domain, and also to U11 snRNA. The possibility that the 7SK RNP is an unrecognized component of the pre-mRNA processing machinery is discussed.
The dilemma of internal audit function adaptation: The impact of ERP and corporate governance pressures

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework that helps to investigate how the internal audit function (IAF) responds to both the introduction of the control logic of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, and corporate governance’s (CG) institutional pressures. Furthermore, the paper aims to articulate the concurrence between the external pressures of CG and internal control logic of ERP systems. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a review of the normative literature pertaining to the increase in significance of CG in the light of the worldwide economic crisis. The paper highlights a literature gap related to the lack of studies focusing on the impact of ERP systems implementation on the IAF practices. Findings – The authors articulate institutional theory to formulate a conceptual framework that explains the reciprocal interplay between the macro external governance pressures, micro internal institutional logics inscribed in the ERP systems and their effect.
Analysis and Experiments on a Single-Inductor Half-Bridge LED Driver With Magnetic Control

This paper presents the analysis and experiments of a variable inductor (VI) based LED driver for dc grid lighting applications. The proposed driver requires only a series inductor and a transformer as major components to drive the LED lamp from a half-bridge inverter. By introducing a VI as the series inductor, the LED current can be controlled independently from any other parameter, which makes it possible to drive and regulate several LED branches from the same half-bridge output. Other advantages of the proposed converter include inherent open-circuit and short-circuit protections, zero-voltage switching for the bridge transistor and zero-current switching for the output rectifier diodes, simple dynamics, possibility of analog and pulse width modulation dimming, constant switching frequency operation, and high efficiency. The converter is thoroughly analyzed and modeled for both steady-state and dynamic operation. As another novelty of this paper, the dynamic response of the VI has been studied and taken into account to obtain the complete transfer function of the VI-controlled system. In addition, some housekeeping issues that usually arise when dealing with VI, e.g., how to drive the VI bias winding, are solved in this work. Experimental results provided from a 50 W laboratory prototype demonstrate the correctness of the performed analysis and the good possibilities of the proposed converter.
The constipated serviceman: prevalence among deployed U.S. troops.

The prevalence of constipation in deployed servicemen was determined in a sample of military personnel aboard the USS Iwo Jima LPH 2 during Operation Desert Shield. Results were obtained from a bowel function questionnaire issued to 500 deployed marines and sailors. When constipation is defined as no bowel movement for greater than 3 days, 3.9% of the Marine/sailor personnel are constipated when in their home environment as compared to 6.0% when they are aboard ship and 30.2% while in the field. Alternatively, when constipation is defined as the presence of certain anorectal complaints (hard stools, straining, painful defecation, and bleeding with defecation), the incidence is 7.2% when at home as compared to 10.4% aboard ship and 34.1% in the field. These results confirm that whether constipation is defined as infrequent bowel movements or presence of symptoms of constipation, significantly more servicemen will be constipated when in the field as compared to their home environment. Since approximately one-third of Navy/Marine Corps personnel deployed in a field environment will be constipated, preventive measures ought to be evaluated.
Management of various organic fractions of municipal solid waste via recourse to VFA and biogas generation

A hybrid anaerobic solid–liquid system was used for anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) consisting of mixed food + fruit waste and vegetable waste. Hydrolysis and acidogenesis potential of the above wastes were evaluated with the aim of producing value-added products in the form of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and biogas recovery. Efficient hydrolysis and acidogenesis of mixed food + fruit waste was observed at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1–3 d with a five-fold increase in soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) followed by VFA production consisting of 50–75% acetic acid. Longer time was required for hydrolysis of vegetable waste with optimum hydrolysis and SCOD generation at 9 d HRT followed by VFA synthesis consisting of 45% acetic acid. Higher inoculum:substrate ratios resulted in improved hydrolysis and acidogenesis rates for vegetable waste in shorter time of 6 d with higher VFA production and increase in acetic acid content to 70%. When acidogenic leachate was fed into methanogenic reactors, detectable biogas production was observed after 25 d with 37–53% SCOD removal from leachate from mixed food + fruit waste and methane production of 0.066–0.1 L g−1 SCOD removed and methane content of 38%. Though biogas yield from acidogenic leachate from vegetable waste was lower, nearly 94% volatile solids (VS) removal was observed in the reactors thereby providing methane yield of 0.13–0.21 L g−1 VS consumed. Thus, the study provided a method for generation of value-added products from an otherwise misplaced resource in the form of OFMSW.
McNair Research Journal - Summer 2015

Major theories of addiction propose that stress plays an important role in the motivation to abuse substances. Research suggests that the likelihood of an individual to abuse a substance is higher for someone with previous exposure to a stressful event than one without that prior experience (Reed et al., 2007). 5-α reduced neurosteroids are endogenous regulators of stress and anxiety and may play an important role in stress-induced sensitization, such as drug abuse perpetuated by previous or current stressful events (Bortolato et al., 2011). Allopregnanolone (AP) is a neurosteroid and a potent modulator of the GABAA receptors. In the present study, we examined the role of AP by using the 5-α reductase antagonist, finasteride. On days 1-2, 30 male Long-Evans rats were pretreated with vehicle, 10 mg/kg, or 25 mg/kg of finasteride. On day 3, rats received either control treatment or restraint stress. On day 4, all rats were tested for behavioral responses to saline and 1.0 mg/kg of d-amphetamine. Hippocampal tissue was extracted on day 5. Hippocampal AP levels and plasma corticosterone were quantified using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Two-way ANOVA confirmed significance of stress on amphetamine-induced stereotypies but not of finasteride dose. Unfortunately, this study did not demonstrate a relationship between neurosteroids, stress, and amphetamine responses as we hypothesized. More research will need to be performed to observe to what extent neurosteroids could be involved in addiction. INTRODUCTION The chronic, recurring nature of addiction remains a widespread problem in the United States. Even after successful treatment and long-term abstinence, individuals may still relapse several months or years later. Animal and human studies also suggest long term and acute stressors increase sensitivity to cocaine and amphetamine (Sinha et al., 2006, Robinson and Becker, 1986). 5-α reduced neurosteroids may play an important role in stressinduced sensitization as endogenous regulators of stress and anxiety (Bortolato et al., 2011). Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine what role 5α-reduced neurosteroids might play in the development of stress-induced sensitization to amphetamines. This study is primarily based on another study performed by L.M Pritchard in 2005 titled SexSummer 2015 UNLV McNair Journal
A novel membrane-associated threonine permease encoded by the tdcC gene of Escherichia coli

A novel L-threonine transport system is induced in Escherichia coli cells when incubated in amino acid-rich medium under anaerobic conditions. Genetic and biochemical analyses with plasmids harboring mutations in the anaerobically expressed tdcABC operon indicated that the tdcC gene product was responsible for L-threonine uptake. Competition experiments revealed that the L-threonine transport system is also involved in L-serine uptake and is partially shared for L-leucine transport; L-alanine, L-valine, and L-isoleucine did not affect L-threonine uptake. Transport of L-threonine was inhibited by the respiratory chain inhibitors KCN and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and was Na+ independent. These results identify for the first time an E. coli gene encoding a permease specific for L-threonine-L-serine transport that is distinct from the previously described threonine-serine transport systems. A two-dimensional topological model predicted from the amino acid composition and hydropathy plot showed that the TdcC polypeptide appears to be an integral membrane protein with several membrane-spanning domains exhibiting a striking similarity with other bacterial permeases.