Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Second transplantation using allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells in a β‐thalassaemia major patient featuring stable mixed chimaerism

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for β‐thalassaemia major carries the risks of disease recurrence due to residual thalassaemic stem cells or true immune‐mediated rejection. We report a thalassaemic patient who displayed stable mixed chimaerism with only 5% donor‐derived cells for about 5 years after BMT. Displacement of host cells was accomplished by ambulatory non‐myeloablative conditioning and allogeneic G‐CSF mobilized peripheral blood stem cell transplantation from the same donor, resulting in full reconstitution. Patients featuring stable mixed chimaerism after BMT may benefit from allogeneic cell therapy with immunocompetent lymphocytes and stem cells, whilst avoiding supralethal conditioning.
Physicians' Psychologic Reactions to Malpractice Litigation

A questionnaire investigating the psychologic sequelae of malpractice litigation was administered to sued and nonsued physicians through a major malpractice insurer in a rural southern state. Factor analysis showed clusters of symptoms, including psychologic trauma, job strain, shame/doubt, and active coping. Psychologic stress decreased with time (but did not return to baseline after 2 years), with winning a case, and with increased age. Stress was increased among those with cases pending or multiple suits. Female physicians used more active coping strategies, and being in a high-risk specialty led to greater job strain and active coping, regardless of litigation experience. Malpractice litigation is a major life trauma that should be dealt with as any other trauma, including use of positive coping strategies such as knowledge of the psychologic sequelae, cognitive reframing, and collegial and personal support systems.
Genuine multipartite entanglement in the cluster-Ising model

We evaluate and analyze the exact value of a measure for local genuine tripartite entanglement in the one-dimensional cluster-Ising model for spin- 1 2 ? > particles. This model is attractive since cluster states are considered to be relevant sources for applying quantum algorithms and the model is experimentally feasible. Whereas bipartite entanglement is identically vanishing, we find that genuine tripartite entanglement is non zero in the anti-ferromagnetic phase and also in the cluster phase well before the critical point. We prove that the measure of local genuine tripartite entanglement captures all the properties of the symmetry-protected topological quantum phase transition. Remarkably, we find that the amount of genuine tripartite entanglement is independent of whether the ground states satisfy or break the symmetries of the Hamiltonian. We provide also strong evidences that local genuine tripartite entanglement represents the unique non-vanishing genuine multipartite entanglement.
Directional Difference of Conduction Velocity in the Cardiac Ventricular Syncytium Studied by Microelectrodes

In the theory of electrocardiography the direction of myocardial fibers has been almost ignored. In order to evaluate whether this is proper or not, directional difference of conduction velocity in the ventricular syncytium was examined by capillary microelectrodes. Conduction velocity in the direction of myocardial fibers was found to be usually several times larger than that vertical to them. This difference is significantly large and cannot be ignored even though rapidity of conduction through Purkinje fibers is considered. This statement became more applicable in various abnormal conditions. Thus it is concluded that the direction of myocardial fibers should be given more attention in discussion of propagation of excitation waves in the cardiac ventricle.
Rapid Exchange of Bound ADP on the Staphylococcus aureus Replication Initiation Protein DnaA*

In Escherichia coli, regulatory inactivation of the replication initiator DnaA occurs after initiation as a result of hydrolysis of bound ATP to ADP, but it has been unknown how DnaA is controlled to coordinate cell growth and chromosomal replication in Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. This study examined the roles of ATP binding and its hydrolysis in the regulation of the S. aureus DnaA activity. In vitro, S. aureus DnaA melted S. aureus oriC in the presence of ATP but not ADP by a mechanism independent of ATP hydrolysis. Unlike E. coli DnaA, binding of ADP to S. aureus DnaA was unstable. As a result, at physiological concentrations of ATP, ADP bound to S. aureus DnaA was rapidly exchanged for ATP, thereby regenerating the ability of DnaA to form the open complex in vitro. Therefore, we examined whether formation of ADP-DnaA participates in suppression of replication initiation in vivo. Induction of the R318H mutant of the AAA+ sensor 2 protein, which has decreased intrinsic ATPase activity, caused over-initiation of chromosome replication in S. aureus, suggesting that formation of ADP-DnaA suppresses the initiation step in S. aureus. Together with the biochemical features of S. aureus DnaA, the weak ability to convert ATP-DnaA into ADP-DnaA and the instability of ADP-DnaA, these results suggest that there may be unidentified system(s) for reducing the cellular ratio of ATP-DnaA to ADP-DnaA in S. aureus and thereby delaying the re-initiation of DNA replication.
Biochemical and Molecular Characterization of Tetracycline-Resistant Aeromonas veronii Isolates from Catfish

ABSTRACT Eighty-one tetracycline-resistant Aeromonas sp. strains were isolated from farm-raised catfish. Morphological and biochemical characteristics indicated that 23 of the 81 aeromonads were Aeromonas hydrophila, 7 isolates were Aeromonas trota, 6 isolates were Aeromonas caviae, 42 isolates were Aeromonas veronii, and 3 isolates were Aeromonas jandaei. However, the AluI and MboI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns of the PCR-amplified 1.4-kb 16S rRNA gene from all 81 tetracycline-resistant aeromonads from catfish were identical to the RFLP banding patterns of A. veronii ATCC 35626, indicating that all 81 isolates were strains of A. veronii. A multiplex PCR assay successfully amplified the 5 tetracycline-resistant genes (tetA to E) from the genomic DNA of all 81 isolates. The assay determined that tetE was the dominant gene occurring in 73/81 (90.0%) of the aeromonads. Plasmids (2.0 to 20 kb) were isolated from 33 of the 81 isolates. Dendrogram analysis of the SpeI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified 15 distinct macrorestriction patterns among the isolates. Our results indicate the need for use of 16S rRNA in the identification of Aeromonas spp. and the prevalence of catfish as a reservoir of tet genes.
Subthalamic DBS replaces levodopa in Parkinson's disease.

To the Editor: By optimizing stimulation parameters of PD patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS), Vingerhoets et al.1 minimized the amount of antiparkinsonian medication required, maintaining many study patients off medication. We are concerned that this paper will lead other centers to regard elimination of medications as a specific treatment objective, with potential harmful consequences. Decreasing medications is desirable and may ameliorate side effects. However, stopping drugs can worsen motor signs, mood, and cognition.2,3⇓ Abrupt withdrawal of antiparkinsonian medications poses unnecessary risks; fortunately none of the patients in this study suffered more obvious severe motor complications of this approach. To support medication withdrawal, the authors state that DBS programming, if patients are taking medication, is suboptimal. However, we think medication cessation may adversely affect patients and in fact delay more effective programming adjustment. In this study three patients suffered postoperative confusion, and three developed new-onset depression, the potential for behavioral and cognitive adverse effects after surgery. The study noted a high incidence of dysarthria that may have been due to excessive drug withdrawal if limb …
Passively Harmonic Mode-Locked Fiber Laser With a High Signal-to-Noise Ratio via Evanescent-Light Deposition of Bismuth Telluride   $(\hbox{Bi}_{2}\hbox{Te}_{3} )$ Topological Insulator Based Saturable Absorber

Passively harmonic mode locking (HML) operation had been demonstrated in an erbium-doped fiber laser with a microfiber-based topological insulator (TI) Bi2Te3 saturable absorber (SA). It was found that the pulse train possessed different orders of HML (with a tunable repetition rate from 232 to 390 MHz) due to different incident pump powers. The spectra exhibited typical features of conventional solitons (perfect Gaussian profile with Kelly sidebands) with no continuous wave component. The measured signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) reached 60 dB, whereas the pulse duration was kept around 1.32 ps without significant change. The experimental observation revealed that the microfiber-based TI device could indeed be employed as a high-performance SA for further applications in ultrafast photonics.
Executive summary: The health and fitness benefits of regular participation in small‐sided football games

The present special issue of Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports deals with health and fitness benefits of regular participation in small‐sided football games. One review article and 13 original articles were the result of a 2‐year multi‐center study in Copenhagen and Zurich and include studies of different age groups analyzed from a physiological, medical, social and psychological perspective. The main groups investigated were middle‐aged, former untrained, healthy men and women who were followed for up to 16 months. In addition, elderly, children and hypertensive patients were studied. A summary and interpretations of the main findings divided into an analysis of the physical demands during training of various groups and the effect of a period of training on performance, muscle adaptations and health profile follow. In addition, social and psychological effects on participation in recreational football are considered, the comparison of football training and endurance running is summarized and the effects of football practice on the elderly and children and youngsters are presented.
Reflective Framework for Interactive Modeling and Simulation of Intelligent Systems

This paper presents a new implementation of a modeling and simulation framework based on the DEVS formalism. This framework uses rapid prototyping, interactivity and a reflective interface to provide a high degree of dynamism during the design of systems. It utilizes exploratory programming techniques as well as the flexibility of prototype based object oriented programming. We are focusing on the description of the core part of our framework, discussing its advantages compared with other frameworks. We present some examples of application, too.
Geometric Morphometrics Sexual Dimorphism in Three Forensically-Important Species of Blow Fly ( Diptera : Calliphoridae ) 1

Forensic entomologists use adult and immature (larvae) insect specimens for estimating the minimum postmortem interval. Traditionally, this insect identification uses external morphology and/or molecular techniques. Additional tools like Geometric Morphometrics (GM) based on wing shape, could be used as a complement for traditional taxonomic species recognition. Recently, evolutionary studies have been focused on the phenotypic quantification for Sexual Shape Dimorphism (SShD). However, in forensically important species of blow flies, sexual variation studies are scarce. For this reason, GM was used to describe wing sexual dimorphism (size and shape) in three Calliphoridae species. Significant differences in wing size between females and males were found; the wing females were larger than those of males. The SShD variation occurs at the intersection between the radius R1 and wing margin, the intersection between the radius R2+3 and wing margin, the intersection between anal vein and CuA1, the intersection between media and radial-medial, and the intersection between the radius R4+5 and transversal radio-medial. Our study represents a contribution for SShD description in three blowfly species of forensic importance, and the morphometrics results corroborate the relevance for taxonomic purposes. We also suggest future investigations that correlated shape and size in sexual dimorphism with environmental factors such as substrate type, and laboratory/sylvatic populations, among others.
The connection between transcription and genomic instability

Transcription is a central aspect of DNA metabolism that takes place on the same substrate as replication, repair and recombination Not surprisingly, therefore, there is a physical and functional connection between these processes In recent years, transcription has proven to be a relevant player in the maintenance of genome integrity and in the induction of genetic instability and diversity The aim of this review is to provide an integrative view on how transcription can control different aspects of genomic integrity, by exploring different mechanisms that might be responsible for transcription‐associated mutation (TAM) and transcription‐associated recombination (TAR).
Forward and retraced scanning combined imaging method for fast scanning atomic force microscopy

For nearly all atomic force microscopies (AFMs) utilized now, only the signals in forward scanning process are employed to reconstruct the sample surface topography, while the retraced scanning process is just for adjustment. In this paper, a forward and retraced scanning combined imaging method for AFM is proposed to increase surface reconstruction accuracy. Specifically, two reconstructed topography images are obtained, one is for forward scanning and the other is for retraced scanning; the hysteresis distortion is compensated with a data fusion based post-processing method; then the two images are combined together with confidence levels to reconstruct the final accurate topography image. This novel imaging method is especially valid for fast scanning tasks, when it is hard to accurately reconstruct the sample surface topography with only forward scanning signals. Some simulation and experimental results are included to demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed imaging method.
Testing Atom and Neutron Neutrality with Atom Interferometry

We propose an atom-interferometry experiment based on the scalar Aharonov-Bohm effect which detects an atom charge at the 10{sup -28} e level, and improves the current laboratory limits by 8 orders of magnitude. This setup independently probes neutron charges down to 10{sup 28} e, 7 orders of magnitude below current bounds.
Traits, Habitats, and Clades: Identifying Traits of Potential Importance to Environmental Filtering

Environmental filtering is a fundamental process in the ecological assembly of communities. Recently developed phylogenetic tools identify patterns associated with environmental filtering across whole communities. Here we introduce a novel method that allows the detection of traits involved in the environmental filtering of species from specific clades in specific habitat types. Our approach identifies nonindependent trait/habitat/clade (THC) associations and also provides a framework for detecting clearly defined two‐way trait/clade, trait/habitat, and clade/habitat associations. The THC method relies on exact binomial tests and differentiates THC associations resulting from a three‐way interaction from those that are generated by one or more underlying significant two‐way interactions. It can also detect THC associations for which there are no significant two‐way associations (trait/habitat, trait/clade, clade/habitat). To illustrate the THC method, we examine plant pollination and dispersal traits from six habitat types in a fragmented Costa Rican landscape. Results suggest that these traits are not widely important for the environmental filtering of most clades in this landscape, but animal dispersal and insect pollination are involved in the filtering of monocots and the Piperaceae in rain forest understory.
Brain structural and cognitive correlates of clock drawing performance in Alzheimer's disease

The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is widely used in the assessment of dementia and is known to be sensitive to the detection of deficits in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). CDT performance is dependent not only on visuospatial and constructional abilities, but also on conceptual and executive functioning; therefore, it is likely to be mediated by multiple brain regions. The purpose of the present study was to identify component cognitive processes and regional cortical volumes that contribute to CDT performance in AD. In 29 patients with probable AD, CDT performance was significantly related to right-, but not left-hemisphere, regional gray matter volume. Specifically, CDT score correlated significantly with the right anterior and posterior superior temporal lobe volumes. CDT scores showed significant relationships with tests of semantic knowledge, executive function, and visuoconstruction, and receptive language. These results suggest that in AD patients, CDT performance is attributable to impairment in multiple cognitive domains but is related specifically to regional volume loss of right temporal cortex. (JINS, 1999, 5, 502–509.)
Robustness of sequential probability ratio tests in case of nuisance parameters

This paper deals with the computation of OC- and ASN-function of sequential probability ratio tests in the multi-parameter case. In generalization of the method of conjugated parameter pairs Wald-like approximations are presented for the OC- and ASN-function. These characteristics can be used describing robustness properties of a sequential test in case of nuisance parameters. As examples tests are considered for the mean and the variance of a normal distribution.
A 10BIT 30MSPS CMOS A/D converter for high performance video applications

This paper describes a 10bit 30 MSPS CMOS analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for high-speed signal processing, especially for subsampling applications, for example digital video broadcasting over cable (DVB-C), terrestrial (DVB-T) and handheld (DVB-H) systems. The proposed pipelined ADC adopts a power efficient amplifier sharing technique, an improved gate-bootstrapping technique for a wideband SHA, a proposed stable high-swing bias circuit for a wide-swing gain-boosting telescopic amplifier. The measured differential and integral nonlinearities of the prototype in a 0.25/spl mu/m CMOS technology show less than 0.4 least significant bit (LSB) and 0.85LSB respectively at full sampling rate. The ADC exhibits higher than 9 effective number of bits (ENOB) for input frequencies up to 60MHz, which is the fourfold Nyquist rate (fs/2), at 30 MS/s. The ADC consumes 60 mW from a 3-V supply and occupies 1.36 mm/sup 2/.
Guilly - Um Agente Pedagógico Animado para o AVEI

Resumo: A Inteligencia Artificial (IA) constitui-se de uma das areas de maior interesse para a Informatica na Educacao, principalmente no desenvolvimento de softwares educacionais. Nessa categoria inclui-se o AVEI, caracterizado por um ambiente multiagente que objetiva orientar criancas com relacao a coleta seletiva do lixo. Utilizando a tecnologia de agentes, propoe-se a modelagem e formalizacao de um agente pedagogico animado para o AVEI, responsavel por monitorar o aluno atraves de estrategias de ensino e modelos de aluno. Abstract: A Inteligencia Artificial (IA) constitui-se de uma das areas de maior interesse para a Informatica na Educacao, principalmente no desenvolvimento de softwares educacionais. Nessa categoria inclui-se o AVEI, caracterizado por um ambiente multiagente que objetiva orientar criancas com relacao a coleta seletiva do lixo. Utilizando a tecnologia de agentes, propoe-se a modelagem e formalizacao de um agente pedagogico animado para o AVEI, responsavel por monitorar o aluno atraves de estrategias de ensino e modelos de aluno.
Older listeners' decreased flexibility in adjusting to changes in speech signal reliability

Under noise or speech reductions, young adult listeners flexibly adjust the parameters of lexical activation and competition to allow for speech signal unreliability. Consequently, mismatches in the input are treated more leniently such that lexical candidates are not immediately deactivated. Using eyetracking, we assessed whether this modulation of recognition dynamics also occurs for older listeners. Dutch participants (aged 60+) heard Dutch sentences containing a critical word while viewing displays of four line drawings. The name of one picture shared either onset or rhyme with the critical word (i.e., was a phonological competitor). Sentences were either clear and noise-free, or had several phonemes replaced by bursts of noise. A larger preference for onset competitors than for rhyme competitors was observed in both clear and noise conditions; performance did not alter across condition. This suggests that dynamic adjustment of spoken-word recognition parameters in response to noise is less available to older listeners.
Mortality of a Police Cohort: 1950-2005.

BACKGROUND The authors conducted a retrospective cohort mortality study on police officers from 1950-2005. METHODS Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) analyses were conducted separately for white male (n=2761), black (n=286), and female (n=259) officers. RESULTS Mortality from all causes of death combined for white male officers was significantly higher than expected (SMR=1.20; 95% confidence interval (CI) =1.14-1.26). Increased mortality was also seen for all malignant neoplasms combined (SMR=1.32; 1.19-1.46), all benign neoplasms combined (SMR=2.50; 1.08-4.93), and all diseases of the circulatory system combined (SMR=1.11; 1.02-1.19). The elevated mortality for all malignant neoplasms was primarily due to statistically significant excesses in cancers of the esophagus, colon, respiratory system, Hodgkin's disease and leukemia. Black officers had lower than expected mortality from all causes (SMR=0.45; 0.18-0.92) while female officers had elevated all-cause mortality (SMR=2.17; 1.12-3.79). CONCLUSIONS Findings of increased risk for malignant neoplasms should be replicated and studied in relation to measured risk factors.
Low-Cost Wideband Microstrip Arrays With High Aperture Efficiency

Three novel two-dimensional wideband arrays of microstrip E shaped patches are designed for use in a 10% frequency range around the 2.45 GHz ISM band. The proposed arrays are intended to serve as subarray in a switchable outdoor antenna that has to be low-cost and very compact. The scan in the horizontal plane is performed by using switching between six subarrays covering 180 degrees. The main design criterion was a combination of the bandwidth with an aperture efficiency as high as possible, since this allows to minimize occupied space. The design is based on a method of moments algorithm in combination with a particle swarm optimization. CST MW Studio was employed for validation purposes before manufacturing. A very good agreement was achieved between simulated and measured results. The maximum measured aperture efficiencies of the last two arrays are 105% and 86%, respectively, which is considerably higher than what has been reported up to now in literature for wideband microstrip arrays.