Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non linear support vector machine based partial discharge patterns recognition using fractal features

Partial discharge (PD) is an important tool for assessing the quality of the insulation system in High Voltage (HV) power apparatus. In this work, four different PD sources namely corona and surface discharges in both air and oil are measured in the HV laboratory. Initially 3-D (Φ-q-n) PD patterns are extracted from the PD data. Then it is subjected to two different fractal image compression techniques namely box counting method and semi variance method. For box counting method, the fractal dimensions like fractal dimension average, standard deviation and lacunarity are evaluated. For semi variance method, horizontal and vertical fractal dimension averages are evaluated. The extracted fractal features from 3-D PD patterns are used as input parameters for non linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) for PD recognition. The performance of non linear SVM is compared with Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and linear SVM classifiers. The non linear SVM with semi variance method provides outer performance as compared with other methods due to its gain flexibility and good out-of-sample generalization.
A urea silver nitrate method for nerve fibers and nerve endings.

A silver nitrate stain for nerve fibers and endings applicable to paraffin sections on the slide utilizes the properties of urea to accelerate the procedure and improve the specificity of the stain. After removal of the paraffin the sections are run through absolute, 95% and 80% alcohol and placed for 60-90 minutes at 50-60°C. in: 1% aqueous silver nitrate, 100 ml. ; urea, 20-30 g. ; 1g. mercuric cyanide and 1 g. picric acid in 100 ml. of distilled water, 1-3 drops. After the silver bath they are rinsed quickly in 2 changes of distilled water and reduced for 3-5 minutes at 25-30°C. in: water, 100 ml. ; sodium sulfite, anhydrous, 10g. ; hydroquinone, 1-2g. ; urea, 20-30g. They are then washed thoroughly in 4-5 changes of distilled water, passed through graded alcohols into 80% alcohol and examined under the microscope. If nerve fibers are not distinct, the sections are returned to the same urea-silver-nitrate bath for 10-15 minutes, rinsed, reduced, washed and dehydrated as before. This process may be repeated .
Autonomous silencing of the imprinted Cdkn1c gene in stem cells

Parent-of-origin specific expression of imprinted genes relies on the differential DNA methylation of specific genomic regions. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) acquire DNA methylation either during gametogenesis (primary DMR) or after fertilisation when allele-specific expression is established (secondary DMR). Little is known about the function of these secondary DMRs. We investigated the DMR spanning Cdkn1c in mouse embryonic stem cells, androgenetic stem cells and embryonic germ stem cells. In all cases, expression of Cdkn1c was appropriately repressed in in vitro differentiated cells. However, stem cells failed to de novo methylate the silenced gene even after sustained differentiation. In the absence of maintained DNA methylation (Dnmt1-/-), Cdkn1c escapes silencing demonstrating the requirement for DNA methylation in long term silencing in vivo. We propose that postfertilisation differential methylation reflects the importance of retaining single gene dosage of a subset of imprinted loci in the adult.
[Association of adiponectin gene polymorphism with obesity in children].

OBJECTIVE To study the distribution characteristics of adiponectin gene +45 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in Chinese children, and to determine the role of adiponectin gene +45 polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of childhood obesity. METHODS A total of 147 Chinese obese and 118 healthy children were randomly selected and enrolled to identify adiponectin gene SNP+45 polymorphism by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. Plasma adiponectin levels were determined using ELISA. Waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR), percentage of body fat (%BF), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), plasma fasting insulin (FINS), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were measured. RESULTS The allelic frequency of adiponectin gene SNP+45 in children with obesity and healthy controls were 40.5% and 25.4%, respectively. There were significant differences in the distribution of genotypes and the allelic frequency between the two groups (P<0.05). The plasma adiponectin levels were significantly higher, in contrast, %BF, HOMA-IR, TC and LDL-C levels were significantly lower in obese children with TT genotype than those in obese children with TG or GG genotype. CONCLUSIONS The adiponectin gene SNP+45 polymorphism may be associated with pathogenesis of obesity in children. T→G variance may be associated an increased risk of childhood obesity and result in a decreased level of adiponectin.
Effect of localized innervation of the dendritic trees of feline motoneurons on the amplification of synaptic input: a computational study

Previous studies show that the activation of voltage‐dependent channels is dependent on the local density of synapses in the dendritic region containing voltage‐dependent channels. We hypothesized that the selective innervation of excitatory vestibulospinal (VST) neurons on the medial dendrites of contralateral splenius motoneurons is designed to enhance the activation of persistent inward currents (PICs) mediated by dendritic L‐type Ca2+ channels. Using compartmental models of splenius motoneurons we compared the synaptic current reaching the soma in response to excitatory input generated by synapses with two different distribution patterns. The medial distribution was based on the arrangement of VST synapses on the dendrites of contralateral splenius motoneurons and the uniform distribution was based on an arrangement of synapses with no particular bias to any region of the dendritic tree. The number of synapses in each distribution was designed to match estimates of the number of VST synapses activated by head movements. In the absence of PICs, the current delivered by the synapses in the uniform distribution was slightly greater. However, the maximal currents were small, ≤ 4.1 nA, regardless of the distribution of synapses. In models equipped with L‐type Ca2+ channels, PIC activation was largely determined by the local density of synapses in proximity to the L‐type Ca2+ channels. In 3 of 5 cells, this led to a 2‐ to 4‐fold increase in the current generated by synapses in the medial distribution compared to the uniform distribution. In the other two cells, the amplification bias was in favour of the medial distribution but was either small or restricted to a narrow range of frequencies. These simulations suggest that the innervation pattern of VST axons on contralateral splenius motoneurons is arranged to strengthen an otherwise weak synaptic input by increasing the likelihood of activating PICs. Additional simulations suggest that this prediction can be tested using common experimental protocols.
The Influence of Hemorrhagic Shock on Etomidate: A Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Analysis

We studied the influence of hemorrhagic shock on the pharmacology of etomidate in swine. Sixteen swine were randomly assigned to control and shock groups. The shock group was bled to a mean arterial blood pressure of 50 mm Hg and held there until 30 mL/kg blood was removed. Etomidate 300 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1 was infused for 10 min to both groups. Fifteen arterial samples were collected until 180 min after the infusion began to determine drug concentration. Pharmacokinetic variables for each group were estimated by using a three-compartment model. The bispectral index scale was used as a measure of drug effect. The pharmacodynamics were characterized by using a sigmoid inhibitory maximal effect model. The raw data revealed a 25% increase in the plasma etomidate concentration at the end of the 10-min infusion which resolved after termination of the infusion in the shock group. The pharmacokinetic analysis revealed subtle changes in the variable estimates between groups. The etomidate infusion produced a similar Bispectral Index Scale change in both groups. These results demonstrated that, unlike the influence of hemorrhagic shock on other sedative hypnotics and opioids, moderate hemorrhagic shock produced minimal changes in the pharmacokinetics and no change in the pharmacodynamics of etomidate.
Decreased Innate Immune Cytokine Responses Correlate With Disease Severity in Children With Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Human Rhinovirus Bronchiolitis

The immunopathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human rhinovirus lower respiratory tract infections in children remains to be defined. We measured nasal wash concentrations of 29 cytokines in infants with RSV or human rhinovirus lower respiratory tract infections. Concentrations of interferon-&ggr; in RSV and innate immunity cytokines in both infections inversely correlated with disease severity.
PREVENTION EFFORTS In order to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with GBS disease in newborns , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC

1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. Epidemiology of group B Streptococcus 3.1. Disease presentation and incidence 3.2. Asymptomatic colonization 3.3. Transmission and pathogenesis 3.4. Risk factors 4. Prevention efforts 5. Overview of molecular methods 6. Phenotypic characteristics 6.1. Serotype 6.2. Antibiotic susceptibility profiles 6.3. Expressed virulence factors 6.3.1. Polysaccharide capsule 6.3.2. Alpha and beta C proteins 6.3.3. Other cell surface proteins 6.4. Allelic variation at enzyme loci 7. Genotypic characteristics 7.1. Plasmids 7.2. Bacteriophage 7.3. Nucleotide sequences 7.3.1. Putative virulence genes 7.3.2. Mobile genetic elements 7.4. DNA fingerprinting 7.4. 1. Restriction endonuclease analysis 7.4. 2. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis 7.4. 3. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods 8. Summary 9. Future work 10. Acknowledgment 11. References
A Dielectric Polymer with High Electric Energy Density and Fast Discharge Speed

Dielectric polymers with high dipole density have the potential to achieve very high energy density, which is required in many modern electronics and electric systems. We demonstrate that a very high energy density with fast discharge speed and low loss can be obtained in defect-modified poly(vinylidene fluoride) polymers. This is achieved by combining nonpolar and polar molecular structural changes of the polymer with the proper dielectric constants, to avoid the electric displacement saturation at electric fields well below the breakdown field. The results indicate that a very high dielectric constant may not be desirable to reach a very high energy density.
Essential structural features in the Schizosaccharomyces pombe pre-rRNA 5' external transcribed spacer.

The proximal region in the 5' external transcribed spacer (5'ETS) of the genes encoding ribosomal RNAs in Schizosaccharomyces pombe was examined with respect to structural features which underlie rRNA maturation. Computer analyses and partial digestion with nuclease probes indicate a crucifix-like structure composed primarily of three extended hairpins which are more highly ordered than previously proposed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A re-evaluation of the same region in S. cerevisiae indicates a conserved core structure, including the U3 snoRNA binding site within this higher-order structure. The sequences encoding the individual hairpins were deleted by PCR-mediated mutagenesis and the mutant rDNAs were expressed in vivo to determine the effect of these features on rRNA maturation. Quantitative hybridization analyses indicate that the first hairpin only has modest effects on 18 S rRNA maturation, but the other two regions are critical and no mature 18 S rRNA was observed. When smaller changes were systematically introduced into the critical regions, strong correlations were observed with known or putative events in rRNA maturation. Changes associated with an intermediate cleavage site in helix II and with the putative U3 snoRNA binding site were again critical to 18 S rRNA production. In each case, the effects were sequence dependent and not simply the result of disrupted structure. Further analyses of the 5.8 S rRNA indicate that the large ribosomal subunit RNA can be properly processed in each case but the efficiency is reduced by as much as 60 %, an observation which provides new evidence of interdependency in the maturation process. The results illustrate that rRNA processing is more critically dependent on the 5'ETS than previously believed.
The influence of corneal stromal matrix proteins on the migration of human corneal fibroblasts.

Motivated by the alterations seen in the corneal matrix composition after photorefractive keratectomy and the migration of corneal keratocytes seen following this procedure, the locomotor response of corneal stromal fibroblasts to various extracellular matrix proteins was determined. In addition, the involvement of integrin mediated attachment to the matrix proteins was investigated. Quantitative invasion assays were performed using collagen gels, supplemented with either fibronectin, tenascin, collagen type V, collagen type VI, chondroitin sulfate or keratan sulfate. The ultrastructure of the gels was visualized by scanning electron microscopy and related to the migration results. The extent of alpha(1)beta(1), alpha(2)beta(1), alpha(3)beta(1)and alpha(5)beta(1)integrin mediated attachment to the matrix proteins was evaluated using blocking antibodies. Fibronectin increased corneal fibroblast migration significantly, and served as an excellent substrate for cellular attachment, mediated by the alpha(5)beta(1)integrin. Addition of tenascin to the fibronectin-containing gels disrupted these effects, while attachment to this matrix also involved the integrins alpha(2)beta(1)and alpha(3)beta(1). Chondroitin sulfate and collagen types V and VI primarily altered the structure of the collagen matrix, resulting in an inhibition of migration by the collagens and an increase by chondroitin sulfate. They all served as poor substrates for attachment. Thus, the migratory activity of corneal fibroblasts in vitro is influenced by the composition of the surrounding extracellular matrix, either by integrin mediated cell-matrix interactions or through matrix-matrix interactions. This study provides evidence that the provisional matrix deposited in a corneal stromal wound may facilitate the entry of migrating corneal fibroblasts.
Neural Network Aided Adaptive Minimum L1-Norm Filter for EP Estimation

Summary: Evoked potentials (EPs) have been widely used to quantify neurological system properties. Traditional EP analyses are developed under the condition that the background noises in EP are Gaussian distributed. Alpha stable distribution, a generalization of Gaussian, is better for modeling impulsive noises than Gaussian distribution in biomedical signal processing. This paper presents a new minimum L1-norm filter algorithm for EP estimation based on neural network. Simulation results show that the new algorithm is very effective under both Gaussian and lower order
Audiology patient fall statistics and risk factors compared to non-audiology patients

Abstract Objective: To compare fall statistics (e.g. incidence, prevalence), fall risks, and characteristics of patients who seek hearing healthcare from an audiologist to individuals who have not sought such services. Design: Case-control study. Study sample: Two groups of community-dwelling older adult patients: 25 audiology patients aged 60 years or older (M age: 69.2 years, SD: 4.5, range: 61–77) and a control group (gender- and age-matched ±2 years) of 25 non-audiology patients (M age: 69.6, SD: 4.7, range: 60–77). Results: Annual incidence of falls (most recent 12 months) was higher in audiology patients (68.0%) than non-audiology patients (28.0%; p = .005). Audiology patients reported a higher incidence of multiple recent falls (p =.025) and more chronic health conditions (p = .028) than non-audiology patients. Conclusions: Significantly more audiology patients fall on an annual basis than non-audiology patients, suggesting that falls are a pervasive issue in general hearing clinics. Further action on the part of healthcare professionals providing audiologic services may be necessary to identify individuals at risk for falling.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RELATIVELY LOW INCIDENCE OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN THE PULMONARY, RENAL, AND MESENTERIC ARTERIES *

Atherosclerosis does not develop to the same degree in all of the major visceral arteries. Arteries such as the coronary, carotid, cerebral, iliac, and splenic may be considered to be selectively involved in most individuals by comparison with other major branches. Lesions of vital organs associated with atherosclerosis of the coronary, carotid, and cerebral arteries are major causes of mortality and inorhidity. The manifestations of the arteriosclerotic process in these sites have, therefore, received considerable attention ; gross and histologic characterizations of the lesions a re numerous. Other vessels such as the pulmonary, internal inammary, renal, hepatic, and mesenteric arteries are ~ is~ia l ly relatively spared. even in individuals with severe aortic disease. Atherosclerosis of the main renal and mesenteric arteries has only recently received attention, for the progress of both arteriography and arterial surgery has resulted in improved methods of diagnosis and treatment of olistructive lesioiis.lS2 Recent studies of the incidence of atherosclerotic lesions in mesenteric, renal, and pulmonary arteries have included cotiiparisons with other arteries in individual arterial trees. The purpose of this coinniunication is to review some selected quantitative observations that sullstantiate the impressions of earlier ohservers that the main renal, mesenteric, aiid pulmonary arteries are regularly less atherosclerotic than are some other vessels and to discuss some of the conditions under which atherosclerosis may hecome prominent in these vessels in man and in experimental animals.
HUPO Plasma Proteome Project specimen collection and handling: Towards the standardization of parameters for plasma proteome samples

There is a substantial list of pre‐analytical variables that can alter the analysis of blood‐derived samples. We have undertaken studies on some of these issues including choice of sample type, stability during storage, use of protease inhibitors, and clinical standardization. As there is a wide range of sample variables and a broad spectrum of analytical techniques in the HUPO PPP effort, it is not possible to define a single list of pre‐analytical standards for samples or their processing. We present here a compendium of observations, drawing on actual results and sound clinical theories and practices. Based on our data, we find that (1) platelet‐depleted plasma is preferable to serum for certain peptidomic studies; (2) samples should be aliquoted and stored preferably in liquid nitrogen; (3) the addition of protease inhibitors is recommended, but should be incorporated early and used judiciously, as some form non specific protein adducts and others interfere with peptide studies. Further, (4) the diligent tracking of pre‐analytical variables and (5) the use of reference materials for quality control and quality assurance, are recommended. These findings help provide guidance on sample handling issues, with the overall suggestion being to be conscious of all possible pre‐analytical variables as a prerequisite of any proteomic study.
RF MEMS, BST, and GaAs varactor system‐level response in complex modulation systems

This article presents the response of RF microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS), barium strontium titanate (BST), and gallium arsenide (GaAs)‐based tunable filters and reconfigurable matching networks to a wideband code‐division‐multiple‐access signal centered at 1.95 GHz. The RF MEMS tunable filter and impedance tuner result in very low intermodulation distortion and spectral regrowth compared to their BST and GaAs counterparts. The linearity of the BST and GaAs tunable networks improves considerably by using a series combination of BST and GaAs varactors, but the RF MEMS‐based networks still show the best linearity of all three technologies. Also, it is shown that the reconfigurable networks, tuned with capacitive RF MEMS can handle up to 1 W of RF power with no self‐actuation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2008.
Feature based weighted neural network for hand gesture recognition

Recently, developing interaction techniques that allow gesture recognition for home application and game control is one popular field in Human-ComputerInteraction (HCI) research. In this paper, we proposed a method for hand gesture recognition using artificial neural network algorithm commonly used in HCI. Previous studies have generally used distinguished distribution datasets. However, in the real world, gesture data are imbalanced. In addition, if gesture distribution data are imbalanced, it is difficult to classify gesture. To solve these problems, we present a gesture distribution feature based weighted Neural Network (FWNN) after adding trajectory distribution data to input layer before network training. Specific hand trajectory coordinate and the number of extrema of hand trajectory are added to the trajectory distribution data. Our experimental results demonstrate that our method is much more accurate than the method of using only sequence data.
Noninvasive imaging in cardiac deposition diseases

Infiltrative cardiomyopathy represents a heterogeneous group of diseases of the heart tissue with similar phenotypic expression. The condition is rare, but can be easily mistaken for other more common conditions of the heart. The diagnosis of infiltrative cardiomyopathy is therefore challenging and has often required the use of invasive procedures in the past. In the last decade there have been great advances in non‐invasive cardiac imaging modalities like echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance and nuclear imaging. Although no single imaging modality abnormality on its own is pathognomic for infiltrative cardiomyopathy, a combination of these different modalities are synergistic, and can greatly aid in the clinical diagnosis. In this review, we describe these advancements in non‐invasive cardiac imaging modalities with a particular focus on cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.