Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A lifestyle assessment and intervention tool for pediatric weight management: the HABITS questionnaire.

BACKGROUND Lifestyle assessment and intervention tools are useful in promoting pediatric weight management. The present study aimed to establish convergent validity and reliability for a quick simple measure of food intake and physical activity/sedentary behaviour. The HABITS questionnaire can be used to identify and monitor behavioural intervention targets. METHODS Thirty-five youths (ages 7-16 years) were recruited from the waiting area of the Jacobi Medical Center Child and Teen Health Services. To establish convergent validity for the HABITS questionnaire, study participants completed the HABITS questionnaire, a 24-h recall and a modified version of the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (MAQ). Participants completed a second HABITS questionnaire within 1 month to assess test-retest reliability. Internal consistency for dietary and physical activity/sedentary behaviour subscales was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest reliability was assessed using Cohen's Kappa coefficient. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated for individual items using the 24-h recall and the MAQ as reference standards. RESULTS The HABITS questionnaire subscales showed moderate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha of 0.61 and 0.59 for the dietary and physical activity/sedentary behaviour subscale, respectively). The test-retest reliability was 0.94 for the dietary subscale and 0.87 for the physical activity/sedentary behaviour subscale. Several items on the HABITS questionnaire were moderately correlated with information reported in the MAQ and the 24-h recall (r = 0.38-0.59, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The HABITS questionnaire can reliably be used in a paediatric setting to quickly assess key dietary and physical activity/sedentary behaviours and to promote behaviour change for weight management.
Plant‐made vaccines for humans and animals

Summary The concept of using plants to produce high‐value pharmaceuticals such as vaccines is 20 years old this year and is only now on the brink of realisation as an established technology. The original reliance on transgenic plants has largely given way to transient expression; proofs of concept for human and animal vaccines and of efficacy for animal vaccines have been established; several plant‐produced vaccines have been through Phase I clinical trials in humans and more are scheduled; regulatory requirements are more clear than ever, and more facilities exist for manufacture of clinic‐grade materials. The original concept of cheap edible vaccines has given way to a realisation that formulated products are required, which may well be injectable. The technology has proven its worth as a means of cheap, easily scalable production of materials: it now needs to find its niche in competition with established technologies. The realised achievements in the field as well as promising new developments will be reviewed, such as rapid‐response vaccines for emerging viruses with pandemic potential and bioterror agents.
Passive 3-D simulators

Microwave/RF passive devices are mission-critical components for a variety of electronics systems. Using three-dimensional (3D) electromagnetic (EM) field simulators to design such devices is considered a must for most microwave/RF engineers. This paper gives an overview of using such tool in microwave/RF design engineering.
Coherent Quantum Tomography

We discuss a quantum mechanical indirect measurement method to recover a position dependent Hamilton matrix from time evolution of coherent quantum mechanical states through an object. A mathematical formulation of this inverse problem leads to weighted X-ray transforms where the weight is a matrix. We show that such X-ray transforms are injective with very rough weights. Consequently, we can solve our quantum mechanical inverse problem in several settings, but many physically relevant problems we pose also remain open. We discuss the physical background of the proposed imaging method in detail. We give a rigorous mathematical treatment of a neutrino tomography method that has been previously described in the physical literature.
Clarification of the structural and functional features of the osmoregulated kdp operon of Escherichia coli

Expression of the Escherichia coli kdpABC operon, which is responsible for a high‐affinity potassium‐uptake system, is regulated in response to a change in the medium osmolarity. In this study, we clarified the structure and function of the kdpABC promoter including its regulatory sequence at the molecular level. The canonical ‐35 and ‐10 regions determined for the promoter were not fully functional, i.e. in addition to them, a cis‐acting sequence located upstream of the ‐35 region was essential for full activation of the promoter. This upstream sequence was demonstrated to be the target site for the trans‐acting activator, KdpE.
HOW CAN DYNAMIC RIGID-BODY MODELING BE HELPFUL IN MOTOR LEARNING ? – LEARNING PERFORMANCE THROUGH DYNAMIC MODELING

The purpose of this research project was to bridge the gap between motion analysists and athletes and coaches by establishing a platform for the communication amongst the three parties. The first part of this project depicted that: 1) differences amongst the external view (motion analysists), internal sight (athletes) and internal sight from external view (coaches) were caused by the inertial (environment-fixed) and the non-inertial (body-fixed) system; 2) joint rotations were not identical with the muscular moment, therefore, passive rotations can occur; 3) critical phases in a skill control, which can be revealed by using modeling simulation, should be emphasized during learning; and 4) dynamic modeling has the potential to link and to unify the three views and supply a more holistic picture of human motor control. Based on these results, a learning model was constructed in the second part of the project. The essence of the model is to supply learners with the control signal (muscle moments) obtained from individual anthropometrical data and should-be-learned kinematics. Such an individualized learning process consists of: 1) obtaining kinematic characteristics of a should-be-learned skill using motion capture, 2) substituting the model’s anthropometrical data with a learner’s data, and applying inverse dynamic analysis to the model for obtaining muscle moments – the individualized control signal, and 3) applying the control information in the skill learning. The model was validated in a motor learning study. The study unveiled that dynamic modeling is well suited for improving communication with athletes and coaches as well as for improving efficiency of learning.
Protection against Vibrio cholerae El Tor infection by specific antibodies against mannose-binding hemagglutinin pili

Both specific polyclonal antiserum and monoclonal antibodies against mannose-binding hemagglutinin fimbriae of Vibrio cholerae (mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin [MSHA]) were shown to protect against experimental cholera caused by vibrios of the El Tor biotype in the infant mouse and in the rabbit intestinal loop models. MSHA-specific Fab immunoglobulin fragments were also protective. No protective effect was observed against challenge with V. cholerae O1 of the classical biotype. These results suggest that MSHA pili play an important role in the pathogenesis of cholera caused by the El Tor biotype of V. cholerae and that induction of intestinal anti-MSHA immunity may be a worthwhile additional objective in the development of oral cholera vaccines.
Influence of selected factors on growth performance of Suffolk lambs and their crossbreds

The monitoring was performed in one year period in selected population of Suffolk sheep (SF, n = 257) and their crossbreds with Merinolandschaf (SF × ML, n = 87). Total of 627 lambs (SF, n = 463; SF × ML, n = 164) were observed in breeding conditions of two semi-extensive flocks. Lambs’ live weight at 100 days of age (LW100); musculus longissimus lumborum et thoracis (MLLT100) depth and backfat thickness (BT100) at the same age were assessed. Effects of breed, ewes’ live weight at mating, litter size, sex of lambs and ewe’s age as linear regression were evaluated using SAS 9.1. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in LW100, MLLT100 and BT100 between SF and SF × ML were observed. All the evaluated traits of growth performance were also influenced (P < 0.05) by ewes’ live weight at mating. The highest lambs’ growth performance traits were detected in lambs of ewes with highest live weight at mating (group of ≥ 80.7 kg). Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among singles, twins and triplets lambs as well. Significantly higher LW100 was marked in ram lambs compared to ewe lambs (P < 0.05).
Beat Tracking for Interactive Dancing Robots

Dance movement is intrinsically connected to the rhythm of music and is a fundamental form of nonverbal communication present in daily human interactions. In order to enable robots to interact with humans in natural real-world environments through dance, these robots must be able to listen to music while robustly tracking the beat of continuous musical stimuli and simultaneously responding to human speech. In this paper, we propose the integration of a real-time beat tracking system with state recovery with different preprocessing solutions used in robot audition for its application to interactive dancing robots. The proposed system is assessed under different real-world acoustic conditions of increasing complexity, which consider multiple audio sources of different kinds, multiple noise sources of different natures, continuous musical and speech stimuli, and the effects of beat-synchronous ego-motion noise and of jittering in ego noise (EN). The overall results suggest improved beat tracking accuracy with lower reaction times to music transitions, while still enhancing automatic speech recognition (ASR) run in parallel in the most challenging conditions. These results corroborate the application of the proposed system for interactive dancing robots.
Redundancy RF MEMS Multiport Switches and Switch Matrices

The objective of this paper is to investigate novel configurations of planar multiport radio-frequency (RF) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) C-type and R-type switches and redundancy switch matrices for satellite communications. An in-house monolithic fabrication process dedicated to electrostatic multiport RF MEMS switches and switch matrices is developed and fine tuned. The proposed C-type switch is a four-port device with two operational states. This switch exhibits an insertion loss of less than 0.3 dB and isolation of about 25 dB at satellite C-band frequency range. The novel R-type switch is also a four-port device with an additional operational state. The measured results show an insertion loss of better than 0.4 dB and an isolation of better than 25 dB at C-band. This is the first time that an R-type RF MEMS switch is ever reported. Several of these switches are integrated in the form of redundancy switch matrices, and two novel monolithic five to seven redundancy switch matrices are developed, fabricated, and tested. It is shown that the additional operating state of the R-type switch not only decreases the number of elements by 50% but also reduces the size drastically
Correlation between liver metastasis of the colocalization of actin‐related protein 2 and 3 complex and WAVE2 in colorectal carcinoma

Directed movement of normal cells occurs when actin‐related protein 2 and 3 complex (Arp2/3 complex) triggers the actin polymerization that forms lamellipodia immediately after binding to WAVE2. In order to determine whether the same mechanism correlates with liver metastasis from colorectal cancer, paired mirror sections of 154 cancer specimens (29 cases with liver metastasis and 125 cases without liver metastasis in which T factor, gender, primary tumor site, and age at operation were matched) were examined immunohistochemically for the localization of Arp2 and WAVE2. Expression of both Arp2 and WAVE2 was detected in the same cancer cells in 55 (35.7%) of the 154 cases, but not detected in the normal colonic epithelial cells. Univariate analysis showed that the colocalization was significantly predictive of liver metastasis (risk ratio [RR] 8.760. Likewise, histological grade (RR 2.46), lymphatic invasion (RR 9.95), and tumor budding (RR 4.00) were significant predictors. Among these, colocalization and lymphatic invasion were shown to be independent risk factors by multivariate analysis. Another 59 colorectal specimens were examined for mRNA expression of Arp2 by real time polymerase chain reaction. High mRNA levels of Arp2, that in situ hybridization revealed to be expressed by the cancer cells, were significantly associated with liver metastasis. However, its effect was absorbed by the influence of risk of the colocalization that is closely related to high expression of Arp2. These results indicate that the colocalization of Arp2 and WAVE2 is an independent risk factor for liver metastasis of colorectal carcinoma. (Cancer Sci 2007; 98: 992–999)
A series of related nucleotide analogues that aids optimization of fluorescence signals in probing the mechanism of P-loop ATPases, such as actomyosin.

We have synthesized a set of ATP and ADP analogues that have a fluorophore linked to the nucleotide via the 3'-position of the ribose moiety. Combinations of three different coumarins are each attached via different length linkers. A linker based on propylenediamine increases the separation between the nucleotide and fluorophore relative to that of the previously reported ethylenediamine-linked coumarin nucleotides [Webb, M. R. , and Corrie, J. E. T. (2001) Biophys. J. 81, 1562-1569]. A synthesis of 3'-amino-3'-deoxyATP is described using a combination of chemical and enzymatic procedures, mostly from published methods for synthesis of this compound but with some modifications that improved the convenience of the experimental procedures. This compound is used as a basis of a series of analogues with effectively a zero-length linker. Fluorescence properties of all these analogues are described, together with the kinetics of their interaction with rabbit skeletal myosin subfragment 1 in the presence and absence of actin. One particular analogue, deac-aminoATP [3'-(7-diethylaminocoumarin-3-carbonylamino)-3'-deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate], shows a 17-fold enhancement of fluorescence upon binding to this (skeletal) myosin II. As the diphosphate, it exhibits a large signal change upon dissociation from the actomyosin, with kinetics similar to those of natural ADP. The ability of this set of analogues to produce large signals indicated potential uses when scarce proteins are studied in small amounts.
One organ at a time

Stem cell research—and investment into it—has been largely inspired by the hope of using stem cells to regenerate, repair or replace damaged tissue or even whole organs. Stem cell‐based therapies promise to eventually solve the problems associated with conventional organ transplantation: notably tissue rejection, a shortage of donors and the poor quality of donor organs. A much improved knowledge of the factors needed to coax stem cells to differentiate into specialized cells, in combination with advances in tissue engineering, has brought that promise closer to reality. Specific tissues and even whole organs generated from stem cells can now be grown in vitro and then transplanted into a patient to continue their development in vivo . Scientists have already successfully transplanted relatively simple laboratory‐grown organs, such as the bladder and wind‐pipe, and have for decades conducted now‐standard skin and bone marrow transplantation. > Specific tissues and even whole organs generated from stem cells can now be grown in vitro and then transplanted into a patient to continue their development in vivo The first laboratory‐grown internal organs were transplanted in 1999 in the USA, although the results were not reported until 2006, after tracking the patients for several years [1]. These first transplants did not involve the specific differentiation of stem cells, but they established that laboratory‐grown organs could be transplanted and subsequently function correctly. The team involved, under the leadership of Anthony Atala, Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Winston‐Salem, North Carolina, implanted laboratory‐grown bladders into seven children with spina bifida and severely malfunctioning bladders. They extracted cells from the children's malfunctioning bladders and used them to grow thin sacs of tissue in the laboratory. These rudimentary organs were then grafted back on to the patients' own bladders. The work was an important stepping stone and …
Pediatric pedestrian injuries: a community assessment using a hospital surveillance system.

OBJECTIVE To provide a descriptive demographic and environmental account of pedestrian injuries among children aged < or =15 years in Jefferson County, Alabama. METHODS This was a retrospective study with a case definition for inclusion of individuals, aged < or =15 years, who suffered a pedestrian injury and sought care at The Children's Hospital of Alabama between 1989 and 1991. Demographic and injury-related information was obtained from the medical record and analyses were performed using t-test and a simple correlation. RESULTS The majority of the cases were nonwhite, and nearly half had Medicaid or were uninsured. The most common injuries were fractures and closed head trauma. The geographic locations of injury events were not uniformly distributed: a comparison of areas wherein an injury occurred with those that were injury-free revealed a number of significant differences with regard to specific demographic, socioeconomic, and ecological factors. CONCLUSIONS Some of the possible manageable environmental risk factors identified in this study were relatively high posted speed limits; sidewalks that were narrow, absent, or in a state of disrepair; vehicular parking on both sides of the street; and the absence of a divided highway. In this community, the most cost-effective educational intervention may best be targeted to elementary-aged schoolchildren living in areas with low-income families and that have a high density of children.
Una introducción a los algoritmos de satisfactibilidad

En este articulo se presenta una introduccion a los algoritmos de satisfactibilidad. Primero, se describe el procedimiento de Davis-Putnam, que constituye la base de la mayoria de algoritmos completos (por ejemplo: Satz, SATO, GRASP y Cha®). Despues, se presentan las mejoras que pueden incorporarse al procedimiento de Davis-Putnam para obtener un algoritmo competitivo: estructuras de datos optimizadas, heuristicas de seleccion de variable, backtracking no cronologico, aprendizaje de clausulas, aleatorizacion y reinicios. Finalmente, se describen GSAT y WalkSAT, que son los algoritmos incompletos de busqueda local mas utilizados.
Effects of high temperature and humidity on heat prostration of broiler chickens.

Abstract Tests were conducted to determine the effects of humidity, body weight, and acclimation on mortality due to heat prostration when market-size male broiler chickens were exposed to an ambient temperature of 40.6°C. Results indicate that acclimation temperature varied diurnally between 23.9° and 32.2° or 35°C. , compared to a constant 21.1°C. , effectively reduced mortality when 8-week-old broiler males were exposed to the high ambient temperature. The humidity level was found to have an important effect on heat prostration. For 8-week-old male broiler chickens, the critical dewpoint temperature when ambient temperature is 40.6°C. was found to be between 21.1° and 23.9°C. , where thermal radiation was not a factor. Critical relative humidity for these conditions would be between 33 and 38 percent.
A universal Java interface to native 3D rendering platforms using multiple scenegraph representations

There are many 3D formats used for displaying 3D objects and supporting interactivity, sophisticated lighting and cinematography, and media integration of geometry, text, images, sound, vector graphics and video. Some of these also permit access to virtual scenes on the Web, and many permit some sort of programmatic scripting of the scenes. A few of these are VRML, X3D, MPEG4 and a variety of game engine formats. For reasons of processing speed and availability of 3D libraries these formats are generally implemented in native C/C++ code. However, these languages may not be the most elegant languages to use for artificially intelligent control of 3D for dramatic narrative, believable speaking characters, dynamic cinematography and stage management. A good alternative is the Java language which provides very productive syntax and a body of developed application code for control and management of 3D scenes. We first present an analysis of the problems of interfacing Java to 3D rendering systems, and some preliminary solutions in the context of interfacing Java to VRML. Finally we present a Java interface which is defined independent to the underlying 3D representation and format. This solution makes it possible to abstract out the particular field types used in the 3D rendering platform. Therefore a Java control system using the interface presented should be simple to port and integrate with any 3D rendering system using any 3D format
Proteinase-Activated Receptors in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract: Evidence for Glial–Neural Interactions in Autonomic Control of the Stomach

Bleeding head injury is associated with gastric stasis, a symptom of collapse of autonomic control of the gut described by Cushing around 1932. Recent work suggests that the proteinase thrombin, produced secondary to bleeding, may be the root cause. Results from our in vivo physiological studies show that fourth ventricular injection of PAR1 agonists, as well as thrombin itself, produced significant reductions in gastric transit in the awake rat. We expected that the PAR1 effect to inhibit gastric transit was the result of direct action on vagovagal reflex circuitry in the dorsal medulla. Surprisingly, our immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that PAR1 receptors are localized exclusively to the astrocytes and not the neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST; principal locus integrating visceral afferent input and part of the gastric vagovagal reflex control circuitry). Our in vitro calcium imaging studies of hindbrain slices revealed that PAR1 activation initially causes a dramatic increase in astrocytic calcium, followed seconds later by an increase in calcium signal in NST neurons. The neuronal effect, but not the astrocytic effect, of PAR1 activation was eliminated by glutamate receptor antagonism. TTX did not eliminate the effects of PAR1 activation on either glia or neurons. Thus, we propose that glia are the primary CNS sensors for PAR agonists and that the response of these glial cells drives the activity of adjacent (e.g., NST) neurons. These results show, for the first time, that changes in autonomic control can be directly signaled by glial detection of local chemical stimuli.
SOFC Powering The Telecommunication In Future

The SOFC converts by means of an electro chemical reaction the energy in fuel directly into electricity and heat, this conversion makes power generation using an SOFC significantly more efficient than conventional technology. The high efficiency of power generation is also maintained through part load operation conditions. The high temperature SOFC is environmentally friendly based on the high efficiency. Fuel flexibility (NG, biogas, coal gas syngas) allows a broad spectrum of applications and flexibility for the customer. Low degradation of the SOFC system maintains the highly efficient power generation for the customer over the complete plant lifetime