Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extent of cerebral white matter lesions is related to changes of circadian blood pressure rhythmicity.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship between circadian blood pressure patterns and the extent of cerebral white matter lesions (WML). DESIGN Case-control study. PARTICIPANTS A total of 227 healthy subjects older than 55 years were investigated. Extent and occurrence of WML were evaluated using a computer-supported image analysis system. Circadian blood pressure variation was defined as the average percentage change of nighttime blood pressure compared with the daily blood pressure values. RESULTS Subjects with WML were significantly older and showed more often a history of hypertension, elevated average systolic daily blood pressure, a reduced systolic circadian blood pressure variation, and an increased incidence of pathological nighttime blood pressure increases. A significant correlation was found between systolic circadian blood pressure variation and the extent of WML. A multiple regression analysis revealed that this parameter was best correlated with the extent of WML. CONCLUSION In addition to the absolute level of blood pressure, systolic circadian blood pressure variation and in particular a systolic nighttime blood pressure increase may play an important role in the pathogenesis of WML.
Convolution based compact thermal model for 3D-ICs: Methodology and accuracy analysis

Thermal analysis is essential in 3D-IC technology due to the reduced footprint and higher power densities compared to conventional 2D packaging [1]. Compact thermal models (CTM) are being developed for fast evaluation of the thermal distribution in the 3D packages. The CTM discussed in this paper is based on the Green's function theory and exploits convolution and fast Fourier transform to compute the temperature profiles starting from matrices storing the power dissipation densities (power maps) and the temperature responses to hot spots. Detailed accuracy assessments are presented for the grid size and for the number of images to be considered for an accurate modelling of the lateral insulating boundary conditions. A two dies stack case study is also analysed showing good agreement with the finite element model results (error less than 0.5%). Finally, the algorithm computational time is discussed indicating a O(N logN) behaviour where N is the number of elements in the matrices.
THE ANATOMICAL AND CLINICAL ASPECTS OF EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA

Patients who must undergo long surgical procedures, or those who are critically ill or aged, can be anesthetized with superior results by maintaining a segmental block, achieved by continuous epidural administration of smal l amounts of anesthetic agent. When prolonged therapy for pain, spasm, or sympathetic block is indicated, the catheter can remain in the epidural space for as PIDURAL ANESTHESIA has been perlong as one week without interference with the patient’s activity.
The Epidemiology of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Alberta, Canada

ABSTRACT: Objectives: To describe the incidence and pattern of traumatic spinal cord injury and cauda equina injury (SCI) in a geographically defined region of Canada. Methods: The study period was April 1, 1997 to March 31, 2000. Data were gathered from three provincial sources: administrative data from the Alberta Ministry of Health and Wellness, records from the Alberta Trauma Registry, and death certificates from the Office of the Medical Examiner. Results: From all three data sources, 450 cases of SCI were identified. Of these, 71 (15.8%) died prior to hospitalization. The annual incidence rate was 52.5/million population (95% CI: 47.7, 57.4). For those who survived to hospital admission, the incidence rate was 44.3/million/year (95% CI: 39.8, 48.7). The incidence rates for males were consistently higher than for females for all age groups. Motor vehicle collisions accounted for 56.4% of injuries, followed by falls (19.1%). The highest incidence of motor vehicle-related SCI occurred to those between 15 and 29 years (60/million/year). Fall-related injuries primarily occurred to those older than 60 years (45/million/year). Rural residents were 2.5 times as likely to be injured as urban residents. Conclusion: Prevention strategies for SCI should target males of all ages, adolescents and young adults of both sexes, rural residents, motor vehicle collisions, and fall prevention for those older than 60 years.
Flight Extraction and Phase Identification for Large Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Datasets

AUTOMATIC dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) [1,2] is widely implemented in modern commercial aircraft and will become mandatory equipment in 2020. Flight state information such as position, velocity, and vertical rate are broadcast by tens of thousands of aircraft around the world constantly using onboard ADS-B transponders. These data are identified by a 24-bit International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) address, are unencrypted, and can be received and decoded with simple ground station set-ups. This large amount of open data brings a huge potential for ATM research. Most studies that rely on aircraft flight data (historical or real-time) require knowledge on the flight phase of each aircraft at a given time [3–7]. However, when dealing with large datasets such as from ADS-B, which can contain many tens of thousands of flights, exceptions to deterministic definitions of flight phases are inevitable, due to large variances in climb rate, altitude, velocity, or a combination of these. In this case, instead of using deterministic logic to process and extract flight data based on flight conventions, robust and versatile identification algorithms are required. In this paper, a twofold method is proposed and tested: 1) a machine learning clustering step that can handle large amounts of scattered ADS-B data to extract continuous flights, and 2) a flight phase identification step that can segment flight data of any type of aircraft and trajectory by different flight phases.
Optimal resource allocation in cellular sensing systems

Significance Cells continually have to sense their environments to make decisions—to stay put or move, to differentiate or proliferate, or even to live or die. However, they are thwarted by noise at the cellular scale. Cells use signaling networks to filter this noise as much as possible and sense accurately. To operate these networks, resources are required: time, protein copies, and energy. We present a theory for the optimal design of cellular sensing systems that maximize sensing precision given these resources. It reveals a new design principle, namely that of optimal resource allocation. It describes how these resources must be allocated so that none are wasted. We show that the chemotaxis network of Escherichia coli obeys this principle. Living cells deploy many resources to sense their environments, including receptors, downstream signaling molecules, time, and fuel. However, it is not known which resources fundamentally limit the precision of sensing, like weak links in a chain, and which can compensate each other, leading to trade-offs between them. We present a theory for the optimal design of the large class of sensing systems in which a receptor drives a push–pull network. The theory identifies three classes of resources that are required for sensing: receptors and their integration time, readout molecules, and energy (fuel turnover). Each resource class sets a fundamental sensing limit, which means that the sensing precision is bounded by the limiting resource class and cannot be enhanced by increasing another class—the different classes cannot compensate each other. This result yields a previously unidentified design principle, namely that of optimal resource allocation in cellular sensing. It states that, in an optimally designed sensing system, each class of resources is equally limiting so that no resource is wasted. We apply our theory to what is arguably the best-characterized sensing system in biology, the chemotaxis network of Escherichia coli. Our analysis reveals that this system obeys the principle of optimal resource allocation, indicating a selective pressure for the efficient design of cellular sensing systems.
Influence of Glutamine on Multiplication and Cytopathic Effect of Respiratory Syncytial Virus.∗

Summary Glutamine was found to be an essential component in Eagle's medium for the maximal multiplication of RS virus and for the development of syncytia cytopathic effect in Hep-2 cell cultures. The minimal amount of glutamine needed for syncytium formation was only 18 μg/ml. It is suggested that it be ascertained that the culture medium used contains glutamine when Hep-2 cell cultures are used for the cultivation and recognition of RS virus.
Study of angiotensin converting enzyme and genotype among Egyptian preeclampsia patients

Preeclampsia is a frequent disorder with reported incidence in pregnancies. In Egypt, it complicates 6%-8% of pregnancies and reaches 15% in referral centers. The renin-angiotensin system activation during the early stages of Preeclampsia proved to be a direct cause. Women carrying the D allele of the ACE-I/D polymorphism have higher measures of uterine artery resistance, which is a marker for development of intrauterine growth retardation and preeclampsia. The maternal syndrome of preeclampsia (PE) during the latter half of pregnancy is believed to result from impaired placentation in early gestation and a failure to develop low resistance uteroplacental circulation. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association with angiotensin converting enzyme gene polymorphism and changes in its enzyme serum level in preeclamptic patients compared to non preeclamptic control group together with studying the changes in umbilical artery and uterine artery Doppler. Subjects: The study was conducted on 180 pregnant women allocated into two groups having the same inclusion and exclusion criteria except for hypertension and proteinuria; each group comprised of 90 pregnant women with matched age. Methods: Doppler study of umbilical and uterine arteries and the detection of Angiotensin converting gene polymorphism by PCR with Estimation of serum ACE in serum by ELISA technique. Results: The distribution of the ACE-I/D genotypes and allelic frequencies in the present study of polymorphism was 37.8% for the DD, 48.9% for the ID, 13.3% for the II in preeclampsia group while it was 33.3% for the DD, 46.7% for the ID, and 20% for the II in the control group. There was no significant difference between cases and controls regarding the cumulative D effect. Conclusions: No existence of a relation between preeclampsia and ACE gene polymorphism considering different modes of inheritance whether is dominance or recessiveness. No effect of ACE gene polymorphism is on ACE serum level. Positive correlation between ACE gene polymorphism and the uterine artery Doppler changes gives strong evidence that ACE gene may have a role in the histopathological changes taking place in these vessels, therefore affecting maternal prognosis. It is unclear to explain this mismatched ACE genetic influence on the incidence of preeclampsia, but the multifactorial pathogenesis of the development and complication in preeclampsia and also physician’s intervention may contribute to the pregnancy outcome. Recommendations: International collaborations, particularly among countries with a high incidence of preeclampsia, may help to include participants with different cultural and genetic backgrounds, which can provide further insight into the etiology of the disease both genetic and environmental.
Control of a Cascade STATCOM With Star Configuration Under Unbalanced Conditions

A control scheme for star-connected cascade static synchronous compensators (STATCOMs) operating under unbalanced conditions is proposed. The STATCOM is assumed to be connected to an equivalent three-phase star-connected power supply. By selecting the line-to-neutral voltages of the equivalent power supply, zero average active power in each phase can be obtained under unbalanced compensation currents or unbalanced supply voltages. Furthermore, to implement a separate control for the three-phase dc-link voltages, the average active power in each phase can also be adjusted to a target value determined by the dc-link voltage control loop. Then, by forcing the converter neutral voltage to be equal to the counterpart of the equivalent power supply, the STATCOM can be decoupled into three single-phase systems and the line-to-neutral voltage of the equivalent power supply can be used as the input voltage to the corresponding phase leg. Accordingly, reference current tracking and dc-link voltage maintaining can be simultaneously achieved under unbalanced conditions. The valid operating range of the star-connected cascade STATCOM under unbalanced conditions is also analyzed. The proposed control scheme has been tested using the power systems computer-aided design/electromagnetic transient in dc system (EMTDC) simulation results and the experimental results based on a 30-kVAr cascade STATCOM laboratory prototype are proposed.
Minireview: Secondary β-Cell Failure in Type 2 Diabetes-A Convergence of Glucotoxicity and Lipotoxicity.

Chronic hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia can exert deleterious effects on -cell function, respectively referred to as glucotoxicity and lipotoxicity. Over time, both contribute to the progressive deterioration of glucose homeostasis characteristic of type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms of glucotoxicity involve several transcription factors and are, at least in part, mediated by generation of chronic oxidative stress. Lipotoxicity is probably mediated by accumulation of a cytosolic signal derived from the fatty acid esterification pathway. Our view that hyperglycemia is a prerequisite for lipotoxicity is supported by several recent studies performed in our laboratories. First, prolonged in vitro exposure of isolated islets to fatty acids decreases insulin gene expression in the presence of high glucose concentrations only, and glucose is ratelimiting for the incorporation of fatty acids into neutral lipids. Second, normalization of blood glucose in Zucker diabetic fatty rats prevents accumulation of triglycerides and impairment of insulin gene expression in islets, whereas normalization of plasma lipid levels is without effect. Third, high-fat feeding in Goto-Kakizaki rats significantly impairs glucoseinduced insulin secretion in vitro, whereas a similar diet has no effect in normoglycemic animals. We propose that chronic hyperglycemia, independent of hyperlipidemia, is toxic for -cell function, whereas chronic hyperlipidemia is deleterious only in the context of concomitant hyperglycemia. (Endocrinology 143: 339 –342, 2002)
Set-membership non-linear observers with application to vehicle localisation

This communication proposes to re-consider the localization problem (i.e. the configuration estimation) of a moving car as the state estimation of a discrete-time non-linear process. The use of set-theoretic concepts for state estimation is presented under the form of the computation of the direct and reverse images of a set by a function using interval analysis. One simplification of the computation of the direct image is shown for a class of non-linear systems and enables to reduce the computational complexity of the algorithm. The considered application belongs to this class and the method is applied to experimental data.
Solid-State Lighting: Toward Superior Illumination

Solid-state lighting technology is now emerging as a cost-competitive,energy-efficient alternative to conventional electrical lighting. We review the history of lighting, discuss the benefits and challenges of the solid-state lighting technologies, and compare two approaches for generating white light from solid-state sources based on phosphor LEDs (which could be considered as solid-state replacement of fluorescent tubes) and multichip LED lamps,which offer many advantages, such as chromaticity control, better light quality,and higher efficiency.
Underpinning a Guiding Theory of Patient-Centered E-Health

ion. E-health services are supported and transported via Internet technologies, which are dynamic and fastchanging. Our approach to ensure adequate abstraction across time in our research design was to search across the most recent five years of published studies rather than extending the search back to an era of limited bandwidth and reduced computational capabilities. Abstraction across space was ensured by the wide reach of publications indexed in the PubMed database. We argue that this approach ensures adequate abstraction in assessment of the PCEH domain. Relationships Among PCEH Characteristics To explore relationships, follow-up correlational analysis was conducted using the ordinal coded data from the patient-focus, patient-activity, and patient-empowerment columns in Table 1. We find the PCEH characteristics to be substantially intercorrelated (Spearman’s rho ranged from 0.69 to 0.77 between columns). This indicates that, although conceptually distinct, these characteristics are strongly related in the manner in which they are implemented in e-health services. The significant shared variance exhibited by these characteristics further suggests that it may be appropriate to model a distinct PCEH construct as a second-order latent factor in future theory development [Liu, Li and Zhu, 2012; Thurstone, 1944]. Further research will be necessary to confirm this interpretation; however, the initial finding is encouraging to further development and testing of our research model. Additional Implications There are two further implications from observations we made during screening and analysis in this study.
Excitation of surface plasmon polaritons on titanium nitride thin films through energy transfer from dye molecules

We have fabricated titanium nitride (TiN) thin films on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, and excited surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on TiN thin films by energy transfer from dye molecules. The system was fabricated by depositing a thin polymer layer containing rhodamine 6G (R6G) on a TiN thin film, separated by a thin spacer made of silica. The SPPs were excited by irradiating the dye layer with a blue laser. We successfully collected radiation from SPPs by converting them into far-field radiation using a prism coupling technique.
A wideband GaN HEMT distributed power amplifier for WiMAX applications

In this paper, we propose a high power and wideband dual-fed GaN HEMT DP A for 2.6 GHz WiMAX applications, which is implemented a push-pull GaN HEMT with the P1dB of 20 W to avoid circuit complexity and large size. From the measured results for a continuous wave (CW) and a WiMAX signal, the dual-fed GaN HEMT DPA shows wideband performances.
Molecular epidemiology of African and Asian Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever isolates

Phylogenetic relationships were examined for 70 Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) isolates from southern, central and West Africa, the Middle East and Greece using sequence data determined for a region of the S segment of the genome. Analysis revealed up to 18% genetic differences. Tree topology supports previous evidence for the existence of three groups of genetically related isolates, A, B and C. Within group A there are two clades: an African clade and a predominantly Asian clade comprising isolates from Pakistan, China, Iran, Russia and Madagascar. Group B includes isolates from southern and West Africa and Iran, and group C includes a single isolate from Greece. Despite the potential which exists for dispersal of the virus between Africa and Eurasia, it appears that circulation of the virus is largely compartmentalized within the two land masses, and the inference is that the geographic distribution of phylogenetic groups is related to the distribution and dispersal of tick vectors of the virus.
Rabies Virus-Induced Activation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase and NF-κB Signaling Pathways Regulates Expression of CXC and CC Chemokine Ligands in Microglia

ABSTRACT Following virus infection of the central nervous system, microglia, the ontogenetic and functional equivalents of macrophages in somatic tissues, act as sources of chemokines, thereby recruiting peripheral leukocytes into the brain parenchyma. In the present study, we have systemically examined the growth characteristics of rabies virus (RV) in microglia and the activation of cellular signaling pathways leading to chemokine expression upon RV infection. In RV-inoculated microglia, the synthesis of the viral genome and the production of virus progenies were significantly impaired, while the expression of viral proteins was observed. Transcriptional analyses of the expression profiles of chemokine genes revealed that RV infection, but not exposure to inactivated virions, strongly induces the expression of CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) and CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) in microglia. RV infection triggered the activation of signaling pathways mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinases, including p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). RV-induced expression of CXCL10 and CCL5 was achieved by the activation of p38 and NF-κB pathways. In contrast, the activation of ERK1/2 was found to down-regulate CCL5 expression in RV-infected microglia, despite the fact that it was involved in partial induction of CXCL10 expression. Furthermore, NF-κB signaling upon RV infection was augmented via a p38-mediated mechanism. Taken together, these results indicate that the strong induction of CXCL10 and CCL5 expression in microglia is precisely regulated by the activation of multiple signaling pathways through the recognition of RV infection.
The role of next-generation sequencing in understanding the genomic basis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma and advancing targeted therapies

ABSTRACT Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) has redefined the genetic landscape of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) by identifying recurrent somatic mutations. Importantly, in some cases these mutations impact potentially actionable targets, thus affording novel personalized therapy opportunities. At the forefront of today’s precision therapy era, how to best incorporate NGS into daily clinical practice is of primordial concern, in order to tailor patient’s treatment regimens according to their individual mutational profiles. With the advent of cell-free DNA sequencing, which provides a sensitive and less invasive means of monitoring DLBCL patients, the clinical feasibility of NGS has been greatly improved. This article reviews the current landscape of DLBCL mutations, as well as the targeted therapies developed to counter their effects, and discusses how best to utilize NGS data for treatment decision-making.
Growth and viability of Bifidobacterium bifidum in cheddar cheese.

Bifidobacterium bifidum (ATCC 15696) was grown in MRS broth containing cysteine.HCl at 37 degrees C, and the cells were harvested by centrifuging at 1300 x g for 15 min at 4 degrees C. Equal volumes of the cell slurry and a 2.5% solution of kappa-carrageenan were mixed and transferred by drops into a solution of . 3 M KCl at 20 degrees C under an atmosphere of nitrogen. The gelled beads were separated, frozen, and lyophilized immediately. This preparation and a commercial powder preparation were added to Cheddar cheese curd at milling as two treatments. Treatments did not affect cheese composition. Soluble protein increased during ripening at 7 degrees C but without differences between treatments; SDS-PAGE patterns of proteolysis were also similar. Lactic acid content of cheeses increased during ripening, but differences between treatments were minor. Acetic acid and ethanol, common metabolites of bifidobacteria, were not detected during ripening. Bifidobacteria remained viable and increased in numbers in cheese during this 24-wk study but did not affect the flavor, flavor intensity, texture, or appearance of the cheese compared with that of the control.