Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Urinary Proteome of Steroid-Sensitive and Steroid-Resistant Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome of Childhood

The response to steroid therapy is used to characterize the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) of childhood as either steroid-sensitive (SSNS) or steroid-resistant (SRNS), a classification with a better prognostic capability than renal biopsy. The majority (∼80%) of INS is due to minimal change disease but the percentage of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis is increasing. We applied a new technological platform to examine the urine proteome to determine if different urinary protein excretion profiles could differentiate patients with SSNS from those with SRNS. Twenty-five patients with INS and 17 control patients were studied. Mid-stream urines were analyzed using surface enhanced laser desorption and ionization mass spectrometry(SELDI-MS). Data were analyzed using multiple bioinformatic techniques. Patient classification was performed using Biomarker Pattern SoftwareTM and a generalized form of Adaboost and predictive models were generated using a supervised algorithm with cross-validation. Urinary proteomic data distinguished INS patients from control patients, irrespective of steroid response, with a sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity of 93.7%, positive predictive value of 96% and a negative predictive value of 88.2%. Classification of patients as SSNS or SRNS was 100%. A protein of mass 4,144 daltons was identified as the single most important classifier in distinguishing SSNS from SRNS. SELDI-MS combined with bioinformatics can identify different proteomic patterns in INS. Characterization of the proteins of interest identified by this proteomic approach with prospective clinical validation may yield a valuable clinical tool for the non-invasive prediction of treatment response and prognosis.
Non-isolated high-step-up resonant DC/DC converter

A non-isolated high-step-up resonant DC/DC converter made up of a resonant inverter and a passive switched-capacitor (SC) rectifier, is proposed in this paper. The proposed converter is free of transformer and coupled-inductor. Thus, issues related to the leakage inductance and the large volume magnetic component caused by large turn's ratio of high-voltage-gain applications, are avoided. Besides, as the converter contains only one active switch, its control is simple. Second harmonic voltage across the switch is attenuated to provide low voltage stress for the active switch and a higher voltage gain of the converter. The voltage gain of the converter is not achieved by a single stage, but by the gain product of the resonant inverter and SC rectifier. A prototype with input voltage 6 V, 500 kHz switching frequency, 50% duty cycle, is constructed to validate the performance of the proposed converter. The voltage gain of the prototype is over 33 times and the achievable efficiency is close to 90% under a wide load resistance range.
Exploring lignification in conifers by silencing hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:shikimate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase in Pinus radiata

The enzyme hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA:shikimate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase (HCT) is involved in the production of methoxylated monolignols that are precursors to guaiacyl and syringyl lignin in angiosperm species. We identified and cloned a putative HCT gene from Pinus radiata, a coniferous gymnosperm that does not produce syringyl lignin. This gene was up-regulated during tracheary element (TE) formation in P. radiata cell cultures and showed 72.6% identity to the amino acid sequence of the Nicotiana tabacum HCT isolated earlier. RNAi-mediated silencing of the putative HCT gene had a strong impact on lignin content, monolignol composition, and interunit linkage distribution. AcBr assays revealed an up to 42% reduction in lignin content in TEs. Pyrolysis-GC/MS, thioacidolysis, and NMR detected substantial changes in lignin composition. Most notable was the rise of p-hydroxyphenyl units released by thioacidolysis, which increased from trace amounts in WT controls to up to 31% in transgenics. Two-dimensional 13C-1H correlative NMR confirmed the increase in p-hydroxyphenyl units in the transgenics and revealed structural differences, including an increase in resinols, a reduction in dibenzodioxocins, and the presence of glycerol end groups. The observed modifications in silenced transgenics validate the targeted gene as being associated with lignin biosynthesis in P. radiata and thus likely to encode HCT. This enzyme therefore represents the metabolic entry point leading to the biosynthesis of methoxylated phenylpropanoids in angiosperm species and coniferous gymnosperms such as P. radiata.
Price and Output Effects of Oligopoly Price Discrimination Under Best-Response Asymmetry

When firms competitively price discriminate, best-response functions may exhibit either best-response symmetry (firms’ ranking of strong and weak markets coincide) or best-response asymmetry (one firm’s strong market is another firm’s weak market). It has been shown in Corts (1998) and many models of behavior-based price discrimination that prices of all firms may decrease in all markets with best-response asymmetry. While one may presume that total consumption will increase upon low prices by all firms in all markets, such output effect has not been explicitly shown. We provide conditions on demands that are necessary for an output to increase as a result of competitive price discrimination. In particular, we link the condition to cross-price elasticity between the firms and the industry-level elasticity to average market price.
Transgenic mice carrying a human mutant superoxide dismutase transgene develop neuronal cytoskeletal pathology resembling human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis lesions.

Mutations in the human Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase gene (SOD1) are found in 20% of kindreds with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Transgenic mice (line G1H) expressing a human SOD1 containing a mutation of Gly-93 --> Ala (G93A) develop a motor neuron disease similar to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but transgenic mice (line N1029) expressing a wild-type human SOD1 transgene do not. Because neurofilament (NF)-rich inclusions in spinal motor neurons are characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, we asked whether mutant G1H and/or N1029 mice develop similar NF lesions. NF inclusions (i.e., spheroids, Lewy body-like inclusions) were first detected in spinal cord motor neurons of the G1H mice at 82 days of age about the time these mice first showed clinical evidence of disease. Other neuronal intermediate filament proteins (alpha-internexin, peripherin) also accumulated in these spheroids. The onset of accumulations of ubiquitin immunoreactivity in the G1H mice paralleled the emergence of vacuoles and NF-rich spheroids in neurons, but they did not colocalize exclusively with spheroids. In contrast, NF inclusions were not seen in the N1029 mice until they were 132 days old, and ubiquitin immunoreactivity was not increased in the N1029 mice even at 199 days of age. Astrocytosis in spinal cord was associated with a marked increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity in the G1H mice, but not in the N1029 mice. Finally, comparative studies revealed a striking similarity between the cytoskeletal pathology in the G1H transgenic mice and in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These findings link a specific SOD1 mutation with alterations in the neuronal cytoskeleton of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Thus, neuronal cytoskeletal abnormalities may be implicated in the pathogenesis of human familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Effects of Carbohydrate Pulses and pH on Population Shifts within Oral Microbial Communities in vitro

A mixed culture chemostat system was used to distinguish between the effects of carbohydrate availability per se and the low pH generated from carbohydrate metabolism on the proportions of bacteria within microbial communities. Nine oral bacteria were grown at pH 7 and pulsed with glucose on ten consecutive days. In one chemostat, the pH was maintained automatically at 7 throughout the experimental period, while in the other, pH control was discontinued for six hours after each pulse. Glucose pulses at neutral pH had little effect on the composition of the microflora. Only the proportions of A. viscosus and V. dispar increased; L. casei and S. mutans remained at low levels (0.2% and 1.0%, respectively). Acetate and propionate were the predominant end-products of metabolism; lactate levels were low. In contrast, when pH was allowed to fall after each glucose pulse, the composition of the microflora altered dramatically. The amounts of L. casei and S. mutans increased both as a proportion of the total count and in absolute numbers, as did V. dispar, whereas the amounts of the other Gram-negative organisms (B. intermedius, F. nucleatum, and N. subflava) and S. sanguis were considerably reduced. Lactate formed a major portion of the metabolic end-products. Successive glucose pulses resulted in both amplified changes in the microflora and a steadily greater rate and final extent of acid production. This is in agreement with the reported shifts in the oral microflora in vivo in response to frequent carbohydrate intake. Analysis of the data strongly suggests that the pH generated from carbohydrate metabolism, rather than carbohydrate availability per se, is responsible for the widely reported shifts in composition and metabolism of the oral microflora in vivo.
Glycosylation of Low-Density Lipoprotein Enhances Cholesteryl Ester Synthesis in Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Glucose can react with the lysine residues of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and convert the lipoprotein to a form with a receptor-mediated uptake by cultured cells that is impaired. However, in contrast to other modified lipoproteins taken up by both murine and human macrophages via the scavenger-receptor pathway that may induce the formation of foam cells, glycosylated LDL is not recognized by murine macrophages, and thus far, it has not been shown to lead to marked intracellular accumulation of cholesterol in human macrophages. This study illustrates that glycosylated LDL incubated with human monocyte-derived macrophages, at a concentration of 100 micrograms LDL/ml medium, stimulates significantly more cholesteryl ester (CE) synthesis than does control LDL (10.65 ± 1.5 vs. 4.8 ± 0.13 nmol.· mg−1 cell protein · 20 h−1; P < .05). At LDL concentrations similar to those of plasma, the rate of CE synthesis in macrophages incubated with glycosylated LDL is more markedly enhanced than that observed in cells incubated with control LDL (3-fold increase). The marked stimulation of CE synthesis in human macrophages exposed to glycosylated LDL is paralleled by a significant increase in CE accumulation in these cells (P < .001). The increase in CE synthesis and accumulation seem to be mediated by an increase in the degradation of glycosylated LDL by human macrophages. Glycosylated LDL enters the macrophages and is degraded by the classic LDL-receptor pathway in slightly smaller amounts than control LDL, but its degradation by pathways other than the classic LDL receptor or scavenger receptor is markedly enhanced. These studies have shown a possible mechanism by which glycosylation of LDL may lead to the formation of foam cells and contribute to the acceleration of atherosclerosis in diabetes mellitus.
BODY IMAGE AND SELF-ESTEEM OF PATIENTS WITH ONCOHEMATOLOGICAL DISEASES AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY

Summary Aim. To measure interactions between body image and self-esteem in patients with onco-hematological diseases. Method. The study included 30 patients with diagnosis of acute leukemia or lymphoma at the beginning of chemotherapy and control group of 30 healthy people. The study uses a structured interview, Body Image Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Tennessee Self Concept Scale, Profile of Mood States. Results. The higher level of concerns, care and poorer body image in patients body was found in comparison to controls. The correlation between body image and self-esteem in patients with onco-hematological diseases has also been confirmed. A relation between positive attitude towards the body and reduction of tension and anxiety was found. Depression was associated with a change in attitude towards the body. Patients who have a higher level of self-esteem, like their bodies more. The more they are occupied with how their body looks, the higher the level of interest of negative emotions and moods they show. Conclusions. There is a relationship between body image and feelings in patients with onco-hematological diseases after intensive treatment with chemotherapy. Body image in this case is poorer, than in healthy people.
New Rod-Plate Anterior Instrumentation for Thoracolumbar/Lumbar Scoliosis: Biomechanical Evaluation Compared With Dual-Rod and Single-Rod With Structural Interbody Support

Study Design. A new rod-plate anterior implant was designed to provide plate fixation at the cephalad and caudal-end segments of a 5-level anterior spine construct. Biomechanical testing was performed on calf spines instrumented with 5-segment anterior scoliosis constructs. Objectives. To analyze the initial and post-fatigue biomechanical performance of the new implant, and compare it to an anterior dual-rod construct and a single-rod construct with interbody cages. Summary of Background Data. Using single-rod anterior instrumentation for thoracolumbar and lumbar scoliosis, an unacceptable incidence of loss of correction, segmental kyphosis, and pseudarthrosis has been reported. Inadequate construct stiffness due to early postoperative bone-screw interface failure, especially at cephalad and caudal-end vertebrae, has been implicated as the cause of these complications. Methods. Thirty calf spines were instrumented over 5 segments with: (1) single-rod augmented with rod-plate implants, (2) dual-rod construct, and (3) single-rod with titanium mesh cages. Stiffness in flexion-extension and lateral bending modes was determined initially and post-cyclical loading by measuring segmental range of motion (ROM). Post-fatigue screw pullout tests were also performed. Results. In lateral bending, the caudal-end segmental ROM for rod-plate construct was 54% less than single-rod with cages construct (P < 0.05), with no difference between rod-plate and dual-rod constructs. In flexion-extension, the rod-plate construct showed 45% to 91% (initial test) and 84% to 90% (post-fatigue) less ROM than the single-rod with cages construct (P < 0.001). Again, there was no difference between rod-plate and dual-rod constructs at the cephalad and caudal-end segments. Post-fatigue screw pullout strengths of the rod-plate construct were significantly greater than those of the dual-rod and single-rod with cages constructs (P < 0.05). Conclusions. The rod-plate construct was significantly stiffer and provided greater stability of bone-screw interfacethan the single-rod with cages construct. It achieved similar stiffness and improved bone-screw interface stability compared to dual-rod construct.
Can Cross-Country Genomic Predictions Be a Reasonable Strategy to Support Germplasm Exchange? – A Case Study With Hydrogen Cyanide in Cassava

Genomic prediction (GP) offers great opportunities for accelerated genetic gains by optimizing the breeding pipeline. One of the key factors to be considered is how the training populations (TP) are composed in terms of genetic improvement, kinship/origin, and their impacts on GP. Hydrogen cyanide content (HCN) is a determinant trait to guide cassava’s products usage and processing. This work aimed to achieve the following objectives: (i) evaluate the feasibility of using cross-country (CC) GP between germplasm’s of Embrapa Mandioca e Fruticultura (Embrapa, Brazil) and The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA, Nigeria) for HCN; (ii) provide an assessment of population structure for the joint dataset; (iii) estimate the genetic parameters based on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and a haplotype-approach. Datasets of HCN from Embrapa and IITA breeding programs were analyzed, separately and jointly, with 1,230, 590, and 1,820 clones, respectively. After quality control, ∼14K SNPs were used for GP. The genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) were predicted based on SNP effects from analyses with TP composed of the following: (i) Embrapa genotypic and phenotypic data, (ii) IITA genotypic and phenotypic data, and (iii) the joint datasets. Comparisons on GEBVs’ estimation were made considering the hypothetical situation of not having the phenotypic characterization for a set of clones for a certain research institute/country and might need to use the markers’ effects that were trained with data from other research institutes/country’s germplasm to estimate their clones’ GEBV. Fixation index (FST) among the genetic groups identified within the joint dataset ranged from 0.002 to 0.091. The joint dataset provided an improved accuracy (0.8–0.85) compared to the prediction accuracy of either germplasm’s sources individually (0.51–0.67). CC GP proved to have potential use under the present study’s scenario, the correlation between GEBVs predicted with TP from Embrapa and IITA was 0.55 for Embrapa’s germplasm, whereas for IITA’s it was 0.1. This seems to be among the first attempts to evaluate the CC GP in plants. As such, a lot of useful new information was provided on the subject, which can guide new research on this very important and emerging field.
Intensive Hemodialysis, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy, and Cardiovascular Disease.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease, including cardiac arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, and valvular heart disease, is higher in hemodialysis (HD) patients than in the US resident population. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in HD patients and the principal discharge diagnosis accompanying 1 in 4 hospital admissions. Furthermore, the rate of hospital admissions for either heart failure or fluid overload is persistently high despite widespread use of β-blockers and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors and attempts to manage fluid overload with ultrafiltration. An important predictor of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in dialysis patients is left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). LVH is an adaptive response to increased cardiac work, typically caused by combined pressure and volume overload, resulting in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and increased intercellular matrix. In new dialysis patients, the prevalence of LVH is 75%. Regression of LVH may reduce cardiovascular risk, including the incidence of heart failure, complications after myocardial infarction, and sudden arrhythmic death. Multiple randomized clinical trials show that intensive HD reduces left ventricular mass, a measure of LVH. Short daily and nocturnal schedules in the Frequent Hemodialysis Network trial reduced left ventricular mass by 14 (10%) and 11 (8%) g, respectively, relative to 3 sessions per week. Comparable efficacy was observed in an earlier trial of nocturnal HD. Intensive HD also improves cardiac rhythm. Clinical benefits have been reported only in observational studies. Daily home HD is associated with 17% and 16% lower risks for cardiovascular death and hospitalization, respectively; admissions for cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, and hypertensive disease, which collectively constitute around half of cardiovascular hospitalizations, were less likely with daily home HD. Relative to peritoneal dialysis, daily home HD is likewise associated with lower risk for cardiovascular hospitalization. In conclusion, intensive HD likely reduces left ventricular mass and may lead to lower risks for adverse cardiac events.
Using our present realities to shape our futures: Literacy development of Latino students

This study demonstrates how Latino high school students engaged in authentic literary analysis through the use of Latino Literature that made their lives visible, relevant, and valued in everyday life. It also shows how a successful literacy program was organized to promote reading success. Students self selected their literature, reflected in writing on a daily basis in their literature response journals, and discussed their interpretations through literature studies. Included in the analysis are literary responses by the students that capture the impact of the literature on their lives. The theory and research governing the teaching/learning of this reading program are based on a variety of paradigms, e.g. sociocultural theory, sociopolitical theory of education, reading comprehension, and literary analysis. It is clearly demonstrated how Latino high school students' literary potential is orchestrated and how they successfully become literary critics and avid readers.
Assessment of intestinal integrity after ischemic preservation by luminal and vascular perfusion in vitro.

BACKGROUND In the present study a technique for isolated perfusion of rat intestines in vitro should be tested as an evaluative tool in the assessment of intestinal alterations related to ischemia and reoxygenation. METHODS Segments of upper jejunum (15 cm) were isolated from Wistar rats with vascular pedicle (superior mesenteric artery, SMA and portal vein). The SMA was cannulated with polyethylene tubing and flushed with 10 ml of University of Wisconsin (UW) preservation solution. The intestinal lumen was rinsed with 10-15 ml of UW solution and the organ was stored immersed in UW solution at 4 degrees C for 4 or 18 h. After cold ischemic storage structural and functional integrity of the preparation was tested by biluminal perfusion with artificial buffer via SMA (5 ml/min modified Krebs-Henseleit buffer, 200 mg% glucose, 5% dextran 78, 0.06 mg% dexamethasone, 7 mg% atropine to counteract paralytic hypersecretion) and the intestinal lumen (0.5 ml/min NaCl 0.9% with 200 mg% of galactose). The in vitro model was validated by perfusion of control preparations harvested without ischemic alteration. It was seen that ischemic preservation of 4 h had only a minor impact on the recovery of cellular ATP content and enzyme release (LDH) upon reperfusion, whereas both parameters were significantly changed after 18 h of preservation. Functional parameters like transmucosal carbohydrate absorption and luminal water balance, however, were significantly impaired already after 4 h of ischemic storage of the gut, thus yielding sensitive criteria for the appreciation of the postischemic integrity of the gut. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that the isolated gut preparation, being an inexpensive and technically feasible model, may be a useful tool in experimental research of intestinal ischemia/reperfusion.
Does relative deprivation induce migration? Evidence from Sub‐Saharan Africa

This paper revisits the decades-old relative deprivation theory of migration. In contrast to the traditional view which portrays absolute income maximization as a driver of migration, we test whether relative deprivation induces migration in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. Taking advantage of the internationally comparable longitudinal data from integrated household and agriculture surveys from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Uganda, we use panel fixed effects to estimate the effects of relative deprivation on migration. We find that a household s migration decision is based not only on its wellbeing status but also on the relative position of the household in the wellbeing distribution of the local community. Results are robust to alternative specifications including pooled data across the five countries and the migration relative deprivation relationship is amplified in rural, agricultural, and male-headed households. Results imply a need to renew the discussion of relative deprivation as a cause of migration. Acknowledgement :