Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Four-Generation Family With Ebstein Anomaly Highlights Future Challenges in Congenital Heart Disease Genetics.

Mercer et al1 describe a family in which a missense variant in Filamin A ( FLNA ) segregates with Ebstein anomaly. This is a syndromal form of congenital heart disease (CHD) in that affected individuals have craniofacial and musculoskeletal anomalies, as well as keloid scarring and oligodontia. Clinically, affected family members had no apparent neurological involvement, although cranial imaging was not reported. Overall, the phenotype is clearly in a continuum with other FLNA -associated disorders including otopalatodigital syndrome (OPD1 and OPD2) and Melnick–Needles syndrome. However, this represents a new addition to the stable phenotypes linked to FLNA , with the cardiac features being particularly noteworthy. See Article by Mercer et al Such families are a unique resource in expanding our knowledge of causal genes and mechanisms in CHD. The unfolding of this story (some of the family had previously been screened for NKX2-5 and MYH7 mutations in a previous era) over some 25 years, and 4 generations are testament to the persistence of the authors, as well as the effectiveness of modern sequencing technology. It also illustrates the power of the phenotype to illuminate the genotype. Previously, FLNA had been associated with cardiac valvular disease (not including Ebstein anomaly) …
Adenomectomía prostática en pacientes con PSA elevado

Introduccion: No obstante el gran valor del Antigeno Prostatico Especifico total (PSAt), su utilidad en ocasiones es discutible, particularmente en pacientes con PSAt elevado, biopsia prostatica negativa para Adenocarcinoma de Prostata (CaP) y sintomas obstructivos que requieren resolucion quirurgica. Material y metodos: Se evaluo en forma retrospectiva 171 pacientes adenomectomizados con PSAt elevado y biopsia preoperatoria negativa para CaP. Se analizo el PSAt pre y postoperatorio, la incidencia de CaP y sus posibles predictores. Resultados: Hubo 2 casos de CaP Incidental (CaPI) (1,2%), 2 pacientes con PSAt elevado y diagnostico de CaP en el seguimiento. No se encontro significancia ni tendencia estadistica del PSAt ni de la densidad del PSA (PSAd) con el CaPI. Observamos una reduccion del PSAt del 83,2%. Conclusiones: La adenomectomia fue una conducta segura, destacando el bajo valor predictivo del marcador y la baja prevalencia de CaPI en esta poblacion.
A novel microRNA and its pfk target control growth length in the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda

ABSTRACT MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression and play roles in a wide range of physiological processes, including ontogenesis. Herein, we discovered a novel miRNA, novel miR-26, which inhibits translation of the phosphofructokinase (PFK) gene by targeting the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of pfk directly, thereby inhibiting molting and body length growth of the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda. Lowering expression of pfk by RNA interference (RNAi) led to a longer ecdysis cycle and smaller individuals. This phenotype was mirrored in shrimps injected with novel miR-26 agomirs, but the opposite phenotype occurred in shrimps injected with novel miR-26 antagomirs (i.e. the ecdysis cycle was shortened and body length was increased). After injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone (ecdysone 20E), expression of the novel miR-26 was decreased, while expression of pfk was up-regulated, and the fructose-1,6-diphosphate metabolite of PFK accumulated correspondingly. Furthermore, expression of eIF2 (eukaryotic initiation factor 2) increased under stimulation with fructose-1,6-diphosphate, suggesting that protein synthesis was stimulated during this period. Taken together, our results suggest that the novel miR-26 regulates expression of pfk and thereby mediates the molting and growth of N. heteropoda. Summary: Identification of a novel microRNA that inhibits translation of the phosphofructokinase (pfk) gene, thereby inhibiting molting and body length growth of the freshwater shrimp Neocaridina heteropoda.
Innovations in the Utilization of Health Information Technology in Psychiatric Services

Abstract There is ever-increasing activity in applying information technology to various areas of healthcare, including mental health. Examples of innovations include applications in screening, treatment, clinical decision support, communication and coordination, telemedicine, Internet-based education and services, public health research, training and education, and bioinformatics. Issues and challenges include protection of privacy, managing narrative free text, assessing the reliability of information found online, and mitigating impact on clinical workflow. While many of the innovations described will not be fully realized until national information systems reach a larger scale, many are having a positive impact on mental healthcare today.
High-Density Low-Profile Coupled Inductor Design for Integrated Point-of-Load Converters

Low-profile integrated point-of-load (POL) converter is today's industry trend for portable electronic applications. Magnetics is the major challenge and bottleneck for achieving a low-profile high-power-density integrated POL. So, how to design a low-profile magnetic becomes one of the key technologies for integrated POL. Inverse coupling is one of the possible methods used to reduce inductor size due to the dc flux cancelling effect. Several integrated low-profile coupled inductor structures with different flux patterns (vertical flux and lateral flux) are proposed and studied in this paper based on low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) technology. Two LTCC coupled inductor prototypes are designed and fabricated to verify the theoretical analysis. A 1.5-MHz, 5-1.2 V, 40-A 3-D integrated buck converter with LTCC coupled inductor substrate is also fabricated. The peak efficiency of this integrated converter is as high as 89%. The power density of this integrated converter is as high as 680 W/in3, which is almost six times higher than today's industry products with the same current level.
Erythropoietin Stimulates Proliferation and Interferes with Differentiation of Myoblasts*

Erythropoietin (Epo) is required for the production of mature red blood cells. The requirement for Epo and its receptor (EpoR) for normal heart development and the response of vascular endothelium and cells of neural origin to Epo provide evidence that the function of Epo as a growth factor or cytokine to protect cells from apoptosis extends beyond the hematopoietic lineage. We now report that the EpoR is expressed on myoblasts and can mediate a biological response of these cells to treatment with Epo. Primary murine satellite cells and myoblast C2C12 cells, both of which express endogenous EpoR, exhibit a proliferative response to Epo and a marked decrease in terminal differentiation to form myotubes. We also observed that Epo stimulation activates Jak2/Stat5 signal transduction and increases cytoplasmic calcium, which is dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation. In erythroid progenitor cells, Epo stimulates induction of transcription factor GATA-1 and EpoR; in C2C12 cells, GATA-3 and EpoR expression are induced. The decrease in differentiation of C2C12 cells is concomitant with an increase in Myf-5 and MyoD expression and inhibition of myogenin induction during differentiation, altering the pattern of expression of the MyoD family of transcription factors during muscle differentiation. These data suggest that, rather than acting in an instructive or specific mode for differentiation, Epo can stimulate proliferation of myoblasts to expand the progenitor population during differentiation and may have a potential role in muscle development or repair.
Identification of a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 (HIV-2) Encapsidation Determinant and Transduction of Nondividing Human Cells by HIV-2-Based Lentivirus Vectors

ABSTRACT Although previous lentivirus vector systems have used human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), HIV-2 is less pathogenic in humans and is amenable to pathogenicity testing in a primate model. In this study, an HIV-2 molecular clone that is infectious but apathogenic in macaques was used to first define cis-acting regions that can be deleted to prevent HIV-2 genomic encapsidation and replication without inhibiting viral gene expression. Lentivirus encapsidation determinants are complex and incompletely defined; for HIV-2, some deletions between the major 5′ splice donor and thegag open reading frame have been shown to minimally affect encapsidation and replication. We find that a larger deletion (61 to 75 nucleotides) abrogates encapsidation and replication but does not diminish mRNA expression. This deletion was incorporated into a replication-defective, envelope-pseudotyped, three-plasmid HIV-2 lentivirus vector system that supplies HIV-2 Gag/Pol and accessory proteins in trans from an HIV-2 packaging plasmid. The HIV-2 vectors efficiently transduced marker genes into human T and monocytoid cell lines and, in contrast to a murine leukemia virus-based vector, into growth-arrested HeLa cells and terminally differentiated human macrophages and NTN2 neurons. Vector DNA could be detected in HIV-2 vector-transduced nondividing CD34+CD38− human hematopoietic progenitor cells but not in those cells transduced with murine vectors. However, stable integration and expression of the reporter gene could not be detected in these hematopoietic progenitors, leaving open the question of the accessibility of these cells to stable lentivirus transduction.
Language and Context: A Functional Linguistic Theory of Register

Register and genre, context, register, genre, functional theory, applied linguisitics, social semiotics, register or genre? , cultural theory context, levels of context, context of culture, context of situation, function, meaning field tenor and mode, modelling context, field, tenor, mode, medium language medium, metafunctions, orality and literacy, orders of meaning, proficiency, cline of register, power, literariness, communication strategies, linguistic realization linguistic realization, function and form, development processes, levels of context, iconicity, abstraction - hierarchization, generlaization - lexicalization, realities and grammars, metaphor hierarchicization, oral and literate cultures, syntachization, casuality, hierarchized structures, clauses, complexity, intricacy lexicalization, generalization, the lexicon, process, tense, difference, nominality, modification, technicalization, lexical selection, coreness, non-finite structures, cline of lexicalization, decontextualization theme and information structure, implicitness/explicitness, cohesion, frames, theme-rheme, prominence, topic choice, global topics, thematic progression, rhetorical structure, given-new, topic availability, presuppositionality.
Estimation of frequency in the presence of nonrandom interference

This paper develops a method of error analysis for Fourier transform-based sinusoidal frequency estimation in the presence of nonrandom interferences. A general error formula is derived and then specialized to the cases of additive and multiplicative interferences. Approximate error formulas are derived for the case of additive polynomial-phase interference. Finally, an application to error analysis in estimating the parameters of multiple polynomial-phase signals is discussed in detail.
The Efficacy of Advanced Visual Display Technologies in Simulated Airborne Command and Control Environments

Abstract : Increases in information availability have elevated the issue of display cluttering in application domains in which display space is limited. To remediate this problem, evaluations of potential display technologies should be conducted. This paper discusses the examination of head-mounted displays (HMDs) and a multi-layer display (MLD) in a simulated airborne environment. Eight participants engaged in tasks in which they were required to retrieve information presented on one of several display technologies. This information was available via two types of HMD, on paper, on the MLD, or on the primary display. The results indicated that the HMDs and MLD tested did not in general deliver a performance benefit over the other methods of information retrieval. However, the MLD did produce a decrease in the subjective rating of mental workload and a perceived improvement on several post-experimental scales.
Declining sex differences in mortality from lung cancer in high-income nations

After decades of widening, the difference in mortality from lung cancer between men and women has begun to narrow in recent years. Recognizing that the increase in smoking among women relative to men is the proximate cause of the changing sex difference in rates of lung cancer, I analyzed two approaches to identify the more distant sources of the changes. A gender-equality argument suggests that the difference is related to the more general equalization of women’s and men’s work and family roles, which also encourages the adoption of harmful behaviors such as smoking by women. An alternative explanation suggests that the convergence in mortality from lung cancer among men and women is the byproduct of a lag in the adoption, diffusion, and abatement of smoking by women. Using mortality data on 21 nations from 1955 to 1996, an analysis of logged rates of men’s and women’s lung cancer mortality and the logged ratio of the rates demonstrated little relationship between the sex difference and gender equality. However, I found a strong and consistent relationship between the sex difference and the stage of diffusion of the use of cigarettes.
Monitoring Aircraft Structural Health Using Optical Fiber Sensors

We have developed a system for monitoring aircraft structural health that uses optical fiber sensors. Our prototype device for Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis (BOCDA) uses an optical fiber as a sensor, and we verified that this device is sufficiently durable for installation on board aircraft. It functioned effectively as an aircraft structural health monitoring system in a flight demonstration test using a business jet. As the next development step, we plan to improve the reliability of this system for practical application as a product monitoring service.
Members' perception of their participation in the governance of cooperatives: the key to trust and commitment in agricultural cooperatives

This study explores the extent to which members' assessment of their cooperatives' degree of success is related to various member attributes, notably the members' perception of their participation in the governance of the cooperatives. Three categories of member attributes are identified: satisfaction with the profitability of farm operations, age of the member, and experience from board work. The cooperatives' degree of success is measured as members' commitment towards cooperatives, and members' trust in the board of directors. The data originate from a mail survey among 2,250 Swedish farmers. The results indicate differences in members' commitment and their trust towards directors to be due to farm profitability, the members' age and experience as directors. After adding members' perception of their participation in the governance as a covariate, most of the other differences are explained by this variable. Age is still partly associated with trust towards directors; older farmers have less trust. lEconLit Classifications: Q13, D23, D72r. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor Based on Amplitude Modulation of Metallic and Semiconductor Nanoparticles in a Liquid Crystal Mixture

The response of an amplitude modulation temperature sensor based on a liquid crystal doped with either metallic or semiconductor nanoparticles has been theoretically analyzed. The effects of the concentration, the type of nanoparticle material, and liquid crystal compound have been studied in detail. The high sensitivity of light resonances to refraction index changes, in collaboration with the high thermooptic coefficients of liquid crystal materials, has resulted in the design of an optical fiber sensor with high temperature sensitivity. This sensitivity has been demonstrated to be dependent on nanoparticle concentration. A maximum theoretical sensitivity of 64 × 10-2 dB/°C has been observed. Moreover, the sensitivity is highly linear with a regression coefficient of 99.99%.
Grading the graders: how hospitals in California and New York perceive and interpret their report cards.

BACKGROUND Concerns about quality of care are increasing as hospitals struggle to lower costs. Hospital report cards are controversial, but little is known about their impact. OBJECTIVES To determine whether recent hospital report cards are viewed more favorably than pioneering federal efforts; whether a report based on clinical data is viewed more favorably than one based on administrative data; and whether attitudes toward report cards are related to hospital characteristics. DESIGN Mailed survey of chief executives at 374 California hospitals and 31 New York hospitals listed in report cards on myocardial infarction and coronary bypass mortality. SUBJECTS Two-hundred-and-seventy-four hospitals in California (73.3% response) and 27 in New York (87.1% response). California hospitals were categorized on ownership, size, occupancy, risk-adjusted mortality, teaching status, patient volume, and surgical capability. MEASURES Number of hospital units that received or discussed the report card, ratings of its quality, perceptions of its usefulness, and knowledge of its methods. RESULTS In both states, report cards were widely disseminated within hospitals. The mean quality rating was higher (P = 0.0074) in New York than in California; New York respondents appeared to be more knowledgeable about key methods. One or more hospital characteristics was associated with each outcome measure. Leaders at high-mortality hospitals were especially critical and did not find the report useful, despite limited understanding of its methods. CONCLUSIONS Recent hospital report cards were rated better than pioneering federal efforts. A report based on clinical data was rated better, understood better, and disseminated more often to key staff than one that was based on administrative data. Barriers to constructive use of outcomes data persist, especially at high mortality hospitals.
Learning knowledge to support domain-independent narrative intelligence

ed from artificially segmented perceptual inputs of the human senses. This dissertation follows the three-tier model proposed by Bal [5]. Thus, I consider a narrative to contain three tiers, as defined below: Definition 3 (Fabula). A fabula is the complete set of events that include but are not limited to all events presented in the narrative, that happen to and around all story characters within a continuous time period, and that are temporally partially ordered as multiple events can happen simultaneously. Definition 4 (Sjuzhet). A sjuzhet is a linear sequence of events that are selected from the fabula to constitute the narrative, possibly in a different ordering from the fabula and with possible repetition of events. One event may be repeated from multiple viewpoints, such as viewpoints of an omniscient narrator or different story characters. Definition 5 (Media). The media is the form of representation in which the sjuzhet is actualized and presented to the audience, including but not limited to oral narration, audio recordings, video footages, theatrical performances, text, multimedia hypertext, and so on. An example story that illustrates the differences between the three tiers of fabula, sjuzhet, and media is shown in Figure 2. Many different literary techniques may be used to transform a fabula into a sjuzhet, including but not limited to: linearization, which turns partial-ordered events into a single sequence that is suitable to telling; reorganization, which orders the events differently from the order in which they actually occur (e.g. flashbacks); compression and expansion, which selects more or less events from the fabula, creating a slower or faster pace; focalization, which tells events from different points of view. This dissertation follows this three-tier model and proposes methods to generate fabula, sjuzhet, and text respectively. For the purpose of this dissertation, the task Other complex models have been proposed. See, for example, Branigan’s 8-tier model [16], whose structure is vastly different from those reviewed.
MicroRNA-29b Inhibits Endometrial Fibrosis by Regulating the Sp1-TGF-β1/Smad-CTGF Axis in a Rat Model

Intrauterine adhesions (IUAs), which are characterized by endometrial fibrosis, increase the risk of secondary infertility and recurrent miscarriage. MicroRNA-29 (miR-29) is a potent inhibitor of TGF-β1/Smad signaling. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of agomir-29b, an miR-29b mimic, in endometrial fibrosis induced by dual injury (uterine curettage and lipopolysaccharide treatment) in a rat model of IUA and explored the underlying mechanism. We found that injured rats developed endometrial fibrosis characterized by increased COL1A1 and α-smooth muscle actin expression and decreased E-cadherin expression, associated with a loss of miR-29b. Overexpression of miR-29b before injury prevented endometrial fibrosis including collagen accumulation and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Delay of agomir-29b treatment until endometrial fibrosis was established on day 4 also halted the progression of disease. Further experiments indicated that miR-29b inhibited endometrial fibrosis via blockade of the Sp1-TGF-β1/Smad-CTGF pathway. In conclusion, agomir-29b may act as a novel and effective therapeutic agent against IUAs.
Comparison of cell counting methods in rodent pulmonary toxicity studies: automated and manual protocols and considerations for experimental design

Abstract Pulmonary toxicity studies often use bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) to investigate potential adverse lung responses to a particulate exposure. The BAL cellular fraction is counted, using automated (i.e. Coulter Counter®), flow cytometry or manual (i.e. hemocytometer) methods, to determine inflammatory cell influx. The goal of the study was to compare the different counting methods to determine which is optimal for examining BAL cell influx after exposure by inhalation or intratracheal instillation (ITI) to different particles with varying inherent pulmonary toxicities in both rat and mouse models. General findings indicate that total BAL cell counts using the automated and manual methods tended to agree after inhalation or ITI exposure to particle samples that are relatively nontoxic or at later time points after exposure to a pneumotoxic particle when the response resolves. However, when the initial lung inflammation and cytotoxicity was high after exposure to a pneumotoxic particle, significant differences were observed when comparing cell counts from the automated, flow cytometry and manual methods. When using total BAL cell count for differential calculations from the automated method, depending on the cell diameter size range cutoff, the data suggest that the number of lung polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) varies. Importantly, the automated counts, regardless of the size cutoff, still indicated a greater number of total lung PMN when compared with the manual method, which agreed more closely with flow cytometry. The results suggest that either the manual method or flow cytometry would be better suited for BAL studies where cytotoxicity is an unknown variable.