Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Prognostic value of the uterine doppler velocimetry at 20-24 gestation weeks for PIH and IUGR development in pregnancy].

OBJECTIVES Pathogenesis of pregnancy induced hypertension and intrauterine growth retardation is strictly connected with poor supply of the feto-maternal unit with well oxygenated blood rich in all nutritional substances. Monitoring of the pregnancy course and normal values estimation in the group of non-complicated pregnancies allows us to get PIH and IUGR prediction values of the uterine velocimetry. DESIGN Main aims of the study were: estimation of the normal values for utcrine velocimetry in II and III trimester of pregnancy (S/D, RI, and PI); analysis of the prognostic usefulness of these parameters (between 20-24 gestation weeks) and importance of notch in FVW for development of PIH and IUGR later in pregnancy. RESULTS We observed a decrease of uterine velocimetry parameters (mean values) in the course of normal pregnancy (19-40 gestation weeks). The sensitivity of the notch observation in 20-24 week in the uterine FVW for the prediction of PIH and/or IUGR (all study group) in the III trimester was 73,68% and the specificity 97,15%. The prognostic value of the examined pathology markers at 20-24 weeks was for notch or R >90% - 79,69% and notch or PI >90% - 70,31%. CONCLUSIONS Normal pregnancy is characterized by a decrease of the uterine S/D, RI and PI values. There is a significant dependence between high values of S/D, RI, PI and observation of notch in uterine FVW at 20-24 weeks and development of PIH and IUGR in the course of pregnancy. Doppler velocimetry of the uterine blood flow as a screening method at 20-24 weeks allows to get a prognosis about further course of pregnancy in the groups of low- and high-risk for PIH and IUGR development.
Studies of Radiative and Implosion Characteristics From Brass Planar Wire Arrays

Experiments with single-planar wire arrays (SPWA) and double PWAs (DPWAs) with brass 310 wires were carried out on the 1-MA Zebra generator at the University of Nevada, Reno. Brass 310 (70% Cu and 30% Zn) PWAs have either 10 or 16 wires with diameters of 10.9 or 7.62 ¿m, respectively. The diagnostic suite included a bolometer, fast X-ray detectors, an axially resolved time-integrated spectrometer, a time-gated spectrometer, a time-gated pinhole camera, and a streak camera. A wire dynamic model was applied to study implosion characteristics, and non-LTE Cu and Zn kinetic models were used to model L-shell radiation from brass. The analysis of the time-gated spectra showed a correlation between the modeled electron temperature and the X-ray signal, and it agrees well with the maximum values from the time-integrated spatially resolved spectra. Modeling of time-gated and time-integrated spectra from brass PWAs indicates stronger opacity effects in L-shell lines for DPWAs.
A novel digital circuit for astrocyte-inspired stimulator to desynchronize two coupled oscillators

Pathophysiologic neural synchronization is a sign of several neurological disorders such as parkinson and epilepsy. In addition, based on established neurophysiologic findings, astrocytes (more type of glial cells) regulate dynamically the synaptic transmission and have key roles in stabilizing neural synchronization. Therefore, in the present study, a new model for digital astrocyte-inspired stimulator is proposed and constructed to break the synchronous oscillations of a minimal network. The minimal network is composed of two Hopf oscillators connected via gap-junction. The complete digital circuit of the closed loop system that is the proposed astrocyte-inspired stimulator and the coupled Hopf oscillators are implemented in hardware on the ZedBoard development kit. The results of MATLAB, ModelSim simulations and FPGA implementations confirm that the digital proposed astrocyte-inspired stimulator can effectively desynchronize the synchronous oscillations of the coupled Hopf oscillator with a demand-controlled characteristic. In this way, the designed digital stimulator not only does not suppress oscillator natural features but also it successfully maintains the desired asynchronous activity.
RNA Colony Blot Hybridization Method for Enumeration of Culturable Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio mimicus Bacteria

ABSTRACT A species-specific RNA colony blot hybridization protocol was developed for enumeration of culturable Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio mimicus bacteria in environmental water samples. Bacterial colonies on selective or nonselective plates were lysed by sodium dodecyl sulfate, and the lysates were immobilized on nylon membranes. A fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probe targeting a phylogenetic signature sequence of 16S rRNA of V. cholerae and V. mimicus was hybridized to rRNA molecules immobilized on the nylon colony lift blots. The protocol produced strong positive signals for all colonies of the 15 diverse V. cholerae-V. mimicus strains tested, indicating 100% sensitivity of the probe for the targeted species. For visible colonies of 10 nontarget species, the specificity of the probe was calculated to be 90% because of a weak positive signal produced by Grimontia (Vibrio) hollisae, a marine bacterium. When both the sensitivity and specificity of the assay were evaluated using lake water samples amended with a bioluminescent V. cholerae strain, no false-negative or false-positive results were found, indicating 100% sensitivity and specificity for culturable bacterial populations in freshwater samples when G. hollisae was not present. When the protocol was applied to laboratory microcosms containing V. cholerae attached to live copepods, copepods were found to carry approximately 10,000 to 50,000 CFU of V. cholerae per copepod. The protocol was also used to analyze pond water samples collected in an area of cholera endemicity in Bangladesh over a 9-month period. Water samples collected from six ponds demonstrated a peak in abundance of total culturable V. cholerae bacteria 1 to 2 months prior to observed increases in pathogenic V. cholerae and in clinical cases recorded by the area health clinic. The method provides a highly specific and sensitive tool for monitoring the dynamics of V. cholerae in the environment. The RNA blot hybridization protocol can also be applied to detection of other gram-negative bacteria for taxon-specific enumeration.
Latina adolescent sleep and mood: an ecological momentary assessment pilot study.

PROBLEM Sleep and mood represent two important malleable opportunities for adolescent health. This study investigated the sleep-mood relationship in adolescent girls. METHODS Short-term, longitudinal design. Latina adolescents (N = 19, mean age 15) completed ecological momentary assessments on sleep (perceived quality, self-report quantity) and mood (negative affect, positive affect, and positivity ratio). FINDINGS Adolescents sent 1,598 texts on sleep and mood. Bidirectional sleep-mood relationships were in expected directions; negative affect and the positivity ratio affect predicted adolescents' sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS Interventions should encourage sleep-mood relationship awareness, and further research should identify significant differences to inform tailored interventions with adolescents.
The Improvement of System Damping by Grid Integration of PV Energy Sources

The impact of static generators on power system small signal stability is evaluated by means of micro-synchrophasors collected in a distribution system using a class A Power Quality recorder that also functions as a Phasor Measurement Unit. Distributed generation of renewable energy could be a possible concern to the traditional power system where inertia of rotating generators is available during system disturbances. Field data is used to demonstrate that large grid-connected photovoltaic energy sources can improve system damping, mitigating some of the concerns on introducing static generation into power systems.
Quick‐freezing of cultured cardiac cells in situ with special attention to the mitochondrial ultrastructure

A new method has been developed which allows quick‐freezing in situ of primary, cardiac cell cultures grown to confluence on gas‐permeable membranes (Petriperm dishes). Small pieces of the growth substratum, with rhythmically beating myocardial cells, were slam‐frozen, without cryoprotectants, against the surface of a helium‐cooled copper block at approximately 16 K. The quality of the cellular cryopreservation, as judged by ultrastructural criteria, was studied in freeze‐substituted specimens processed for transmission electron microscopy. The ultrastructure of cryofixed cardiac cells was compared with that of unfrozen, chemically fixed samples. The severity of cryodistortions increased progressively with increasing distance from the point of first impact. Of particular interest were the dramatic alterations of the mitochondrial ultrastructure. The concept that the reticular and the outer mitochondrial membranes are intimately and strongly associated was clearly demonstrated. Optimally frozen material revealed cryopreserved ultrastructure of high quality. The method described appears to offer an ideal model system for correlating the information gained by phase‐contrast microscopy of living cell cultures with the ultrastructure of the same samples fixed in situ by chemical or physical techniques. Cryofixation would be particularly useful for studying dynamic cellular processes associated with physiological and pathophysiological conditions, e.g. metabolic inhibition, anoxia and substrate deprivation.
Secondary vaginal involvement following radical surgical treatment for a stage I ovarian adenocarcinoma arising in mature cystic teratoma.

BACKGROUND Vaginal carcinoma represents 1-2% of all gynecologic malignancies. Most cases reported secondary involvement from adjacent organs including cervix, uterus, and colorectum. Vaginal involvement from adenocarcinoma arising in mature cystic teratoma (MCT) has never been reported. CASE A 29-year-old female presented with postcoital vaginal bleeding. She had had a history of right ovarian adenocarcinoma arising in MCT, FIGO stage IC, for 18 months' duration. Incisional biopsy of the vaginal lesion revealed adenocarcinoma, morphologically and immunohistologically identical to the right oophorectomized specimen. She received three courses of paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy; however, she developed massive right pleural effusion with superior vena cava syndrome and finally succumbed to the disease, three months later. CONCLUSION Adenocarcinoma is rarely found in MCT. This is the first case of ovarian adenocarcinoma arising in MCT with secondary vaginal involvement, presenting as postcoital vaginal bleeding.
Giving voice to equitable collaboration in participatory design

An AHRC funded research project titled Experimentin g with the Co-experience Environment (June 2005 – June 2006) culminated in a physical environm e t designed in resonance with a small group of participants. The participants emerged from differe nt disciplines coming together as a group to share their expertise and contribute their knowledge to d esign. They engaged in storytelling, individual and co-thinking, creating and co-creating, sharing idea s that did not require justification, proposed desi gns even though most were not designers . and played. The research questioned how a physical environment designed specifically for co-experienci ng might contribute to new knowledge in design? Through play and by working in action together the participants demonstrated the potential of a physical co-experience environment to function as a scaffold for inter-disciplinary design thinking, saying, doing and making (Ivey & Sanders 2006) . Ultimately the research questioned how this outcome might influence our approach to engaging pa rticipants in design research and experimentation? 1 This paper deals with one aspect of the Co-experien ce Project. Ivey & Sanders (2006) Designing a Physical Environment for Co-experience and Assessing Particip ant Use to be published in Wonderground 2006, the Design Research Society International Conference Proceeding s fully explains the project, includes illustration s from the probe returns and pictures of the co-experience env ironment. The co-experience environment can also be viewed at www.creativekit. co.uk
School-based research in group scribbles: Sustaining and creating impact in schools

Effectively integrating and sustaining the use of technology in cl assroom practices is always a challenge. Our intervention project helps schools adopt a li ght-weight technology called GroupScribbles (GS) by collaborating with a primary school fr m 2007-2009 and scaling up to two secondary schools in 2009. In these collaborations, we have worked w ith nine teachers, three heads of IT departments and three technical ass istant in integrating GS technology lessons into the school curriculum. GS lessons have been implem ented in Secondary School subjects i.e. Mathematics, Chinese, Higher Chinese, Physics and in Primary School subjects i.e. Science, Mathematics, Chinese and Higher Chinese. W will report the opportunities and challenges that we as researchers faced as we tried to i mplement technology in the classroom. Some of the wide-ranging challenges include technical problem, attitudes of teachers and school leaders, teachers’ pedagogy and students’ learni ng (TAPS). More importantly, we will give accounts of how researchers and schools ha ve established mutually beneficial collaborative relationships during the various stages of the research encompassed within the School-based Research Framework (SRF). These stages include the introduction stage, setup stage, enculturation stage, lesson implementation and pr ofessional sharing stage and the eventual independence stage. For sustained innovation in schools, teac hers nd school leaders play a pivotal role .
Pharmacodynamic target attainment with high-dose extended-interval tobramycin therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis

Abstract Utilization of high-dose extended-interval aminoglycoside therapy (HEAT) in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) is supported by primary literature and national guidelines. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a local aminoglycoside guideline to achieve pharmacodynamic goals in patients with CF that received ≧3 doses of HEAT from 2005 to 2011. Patients with renal dysfunction at baseline, status-post-lung transplant, or receiving inhaled tobramycin were excluded. In the 282 patient admissions, the average initial tobramycin dose was 10·3 mg/kg with an average initial peak of 21·5 mg/l. At least one dose titration was seen in 39% of patients. Patients who achieved the pharmacodynamic goal received a higher dose (10·4 mg/kg versus 9·7 mg/kg; P<0·001). A mean starting dose of tobramycin at 10·3 mg/kg every 24 hours achieved an average peak above goal. Higher initial dosing resulted in a higher likelihood of achieving the pharmacodynamic goal.
Function of the DEMETER DNA glycosylase in the Arabidopsis thaliana male gametophyte

In double fertilization, the vegetative cell of the male gametophyte (pollen) germinates and forms a pollen tube that brings to the female gametophyte two sperm cells that fertilize the egg and central cell to form the embryo and endosperm, respectively. The 5-methylcytosine DNA glycosylase DEMETER (DME), expressed in the central cell, is required for maternal allele demethylation and gene imprinting in the endosperm. By contrast, little is known about the function of DME in the male gametophyte. Here we show that reduced transmission of the paternal mutant dme allele in certain ecotypes reflects, at least in part, defective pollen germination. DME RNA is detected in pollen, but not in isolated sperm cells, suggesting that DME is expressed in the vegetative cell. Bisulfite sequencing experiments show that imprinted genes (MEA and FWA) and a repetitive element (Mu1a) are hypomethylated in the vegetative cell genome compared with the sperm genome, which is a process that requires DME. Moreover, we show that MEA and FWA RNA are detectable in pollen, but not in isolated sperm cells, suggesting that their expression occurs primarily in the vegetative cell. These results suggest that DME is active and demethylates similar genes and transposons in the genomes of the vegetative and central cells in the male and female gametophytes, respectively. Although the genome of the vegetative cell does not participate in double fertilization, its DME-mediated demethylation is important for male fertility and may contribute to the reconfiguration of the methylation landscape that occurs in the vegetative cell genome.
Immunohistochemical expression of nestin in adenohypophysial vessels during development of pituitary infarction.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this work was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of nestin, a member of the intermediate filament family, in adenohypophysial vasculature during development and progression of pituitary infarction. METHODS Forty-five nontumorous adenohypophyses and 34 pituitary adenomas of various types, all exhibiting acute or healing infarcts, were examined immunohistochemically using the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method. RESULTS In both adenohypophyses and pituitary adenomas without infarction, nestin was expressed in only a few capillaries and endothelial cells. In acute infarcts without a vascular response, no nestin was demonstrable within necrotic capillaries (50 cases). In organizing infarcts, newly formed vessels spreading into necrotic zones showed nestin expression in all capillaries and practically every endothelial cell (25 cases). In the hypocellular, fibrotic scar phase, only a few vessels (4) were apparent, and immunoreactivity was focal and mild. CONCLUSIONS Nestin is strongly expressed in newly formed capillaries and is downregulated when infarcts transform to fibrous tissue. Nestin expression may provide valuable insight into the process of pituitary angiogenesis.
Is port site metastasis a result of systemic involvement?

Aims: Port site metastasis (PSM) is an unwelcome consequence of laparoscopy for oncological procedures with uncertain etiology. We present the clinical evidence to prove that PSM is likely to be due to the hematogenous spread of tumor cells. Materials and Methods: Six cases of port site metastasis, four following laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC), one after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy done in two patients and one after laparoscopic partial cystectomy for tumor at bladder dome done in two were studied. One case of metastatic RCC with bilateral gluteal masses and two cases of open radical nephrectomy, with recurrence at the drain and incision site were also studied. Results: During the median follow up of 59 months (range 24–120), 4/136 patients with RCC (1.47%) developed port site metastasis between 7–36 months after surgery. All six cases of PSM had advanced disease and recurrences at other sites, that is, peritoneum, omentum, bones, and lungs. None of the patients had isolated PSM. One patient of metastatic RCC, who did not have any intervention but repeated intramuscular injections of analgesics-developed bilateral gluteal masses, confirmed to be RCC on fine needle aspiration cytology. Two patients had metastasis at the incision site (one at the drain site) with distance, including cutaneous metastases. Conclusions: Port site metastasis did not develop in isolation. There could be a likely existence of circulating tumor cells at the time of surgical trauma of penetrating nature, that is, port site or injection site, which manifest in some patients depending upon their immune response.
Managing Customer Relationships: A Comprehensive Literature Review and Future Directions

Customer relationship management (CRM) can be seen as a scientific decision-making system, incorporating methodologies, software and internet capabilities that enable organisations to focus on customer needs and further manage customer relationships in a systematic and holistic way. However, the understanding of the CRM concept is still incomplete and growing. As an emergent field, CRM requires more time and study to clarify all its facets. The purpose of this paper is to enlighten some practical aspects of CRM implementation, by critically reviewing the related literature. Consideration is given to the key phases of CRM implementation process, the three options for a CRM solution, the CRM project evaluation, the critical success factors for CRM implementation and the CRM perceived benefits. Some future directions are also highlighted as regards CRM implementation.
Resolution of cannabis hyperemesis syndrome with topical capsaicin in the emergency department: a case series

Abstract Background: Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is characterized by symptoms of cyclic abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting in the setting of prolonged cannabis use. The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptor may be involved in this syndrome. Topical capsaicin is a proposed treatment for CHS; it binds TRPV1 with high specificity, impairing substance P signaling in the area postrema and nucleus tractus solitarius via overstimulation of TRPV1. This may explain its apparent antiemetic effect in this syndrome. Purpose: We describe a series of thirteen cases of suspected cannabis hyperemesis syndrome treated with capsaicin in the emergency departments of two academic medical centers. Methods: A query of the electronic health record at both centers identified thirteen patients with documented daily cannabis use and symptoms consistent with CHS who were administered topical capsaicin cream for symptom management. Results: All 13 patients experienced symptom relief after administration of capsaicin cream. Conclusion: Topical capsaicin was associated with improvement in symptoms of CHS after other treatments failed.
Modeling dynamic high-DOF finger postures from surface EMG using nonlinear synergies in latent space representation

Accurate proportional myoelectric control of the hand is important in replicating dexterous manipulation in robot prostheses and orthoses. However, this is still difficult to achieve due to the complex and high degree-of-freedom (DOF) nature present in the governing musculoskeletal system. To address this problem, we suggest using a low dimensional encoding based on nonlinear synergies to represent both the high-DOF finger joint kinematics and the coordination of muscle activities taken from surface electromyographic (EMG) signals. Generating smooth multi-finger movements using EMG inputs is then done by using a shared Gaussian Process latent variable model that learns a dynamical model between both the kinematic and EMG data represented in a shared latent space. The experimental results show that the method is able to synthesize continuous movements of a full five-finger hand model, with total dimensions as large as 69 (although highly redundant and correlated). Finally, by comparing the estimation performances when the number of EMG latent dimensions are varied, we show that these synergistic features can capture the variance, shared and specific to the observed kinematics.