Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Demencia vascular hereditaria tipo CADASIL en Colombia. III. Análisis de ligamiento a Notch3

Objective. To perform linkage analysis between the Short Tandem Repeats (STR) microsatellite markers D19S923, D19S929, D19S22, which are in strong genetic linkage to Notch3 gene in order to contrast the hypothesis that the vascular hereditary dementia phenotype described in a multigenerational extended pedigree from Colombia correspond to CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy). Even we know that using techniques as the Single Strand Conformational Polymorphisms (SSCP) could determine mutations in Notch3, the rationality of this approach is that intronic variations could not be defined and that we are interested in determine if some forms of the clinical presentation and its phenotypic variability make part of CADASIL. Introduction. The CADASIL phenotype is caused by muta­ tions in the Notch3 gene. Clinical features of CADASIL are: 1. Recurrent cerebra-vascular episodes; 2. Migraine history; 3. History of transitory ischemic attack and, 4. Behavior changes and dementia. Material and methods. By using SIMLINK we showed that the extended genealogy had the enough power to detect significant LOD (logarithm of oods) score values when Notch3 was considered the disorder cause. Linkage analysis was carried out by using parametric and non parametrical methods. The Elston-Stewart general method was used as the parametrical analysis and the sib pair method as the non-parametrical one. We perform simulations changing the affection status codification by including as affected or not including those individuals with migraine. Furthermore, in order to detect the stability of the results, we changed the penetrance values, the genetic frequencies on both, the marker loci and the affection locus. Results. The maximum pair-wise LOD score was 2.04 which was detected at the marker D19S23 with q= 0.11cM. This distance correspond exactly with the Notch3 location. That is 100 times more probable that there is linkage that there is not. In other words this probability could be explained as if the phenotype correspond to CADASIL than to other vascular dementia. The non parametric results were compatibles with the parametric ones. When the migraine symptom was considered as a part of the affected status, the LOD score values showed not linkage.Conclusions. The results of the linkage analysis to these STR microsatellite markers suggest that the vascular hereditary dementia phenotype described in this family correspond to CADASIL caused by a polymorphism on the Notch3 gene. On the contrary, these same results suggest that the migraine phenotype is not a part of the progressive dementia. [REV NEUROL 2001; 32: 701-4]
XESS — Extended e-learning support system

In recent years, Universities have begun to offer innovative services to students using technologies such as videoconferencing and e-learning platforms to provide a variety of courses. These services differ quite substantially and offer different benefits at different costs. Generally speaking, it is very difficult to estimate the total cost of an e-learning infrastructure, that takes into account start-up and steady state phases. Besides, the use of freeware or open source platforms can create other difficulties as, in many cases, no complete cost-benefit analysis exists that can consider hidden or related costs using this technology. Various methods are proposed in the scientific literature for tackling the problems related to the evaluation and the comparison between e-learning solutions. In this paper we discuss a new method for solving this kind of problems using a Decision Support System called XESS (eXtended E-learning Support System).
A CMOS chaotic Boltzmann machine circuit and three-neuron network operation

This paper proposes CMOS VLSI implementation of a chaotic Boltzmann machine (CBM) model, which uses analog nonlinear dynamics instead of stochastic operation as in the original Boltzmann machine model. The CBM model is suitable for efficient VLSI implementation of Boltzmann machines because it requires no random number generator circuits, which consume a considerable footprint on a VLSI chip as well as considerable power. We describe the design results of CMOS circuits of neuron and synapse units. The neuron circuit uses subthreshold operation of MOSFETs to realize the exponential function used in the CBM model. We also provide measurement results of a fabricated CMOS chip for single-neuron unit circuit operation and demonstrate chaotic behavior in a three-neuron network.
Cities and Quality of Life - Should We Monitor Pakistani Cities?

Around the world, national governments as well as international organization measure and monitor performance of large cities and the Quality of Life (QoL) of urban residents, to gain insights into the well-being of the citizens and the state of various amenities at city level and make informed policy decisions. There is a need to develop a system of measuring and monitoring QoL and city performance in the large urban areas of Pakistan. The paper suggests a framework for measuring quality of life in Pakistani cities
Viscoelasticity of Poly(ethylene glycol) Solutions on Supported Lipid Bilayers via Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation

Supported lipid bilayers of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn- glycero-3-phosphocholine were formed on a silicon oxide substrate, and the viscoelasticity of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) solutions above the bilayer was subsequently studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. No detectable adsorption of PEG molecules to the bilayer was found over a broad range of PEG molecular weight at various concentrations. The viscoelastic properties of the PEG solutions were obtained from the shifts in the resonance frequency and the energy dissipation factor of the polymer solution in contact with the resonator-supported lipid bilayer. The resulting viscoelastic properties of PEG solutions were found to be in excellent agreement with the Zimm model for linear polymer chains in a good solvent. The excluded volume scaling exponent ν for PEG in water shows an ideal-to-real crossover with increasing molecular weight. The exponent adopts a value of 0.50 for short chains and gradually increases to 0.565 for long chains. The onset of the excluded volume effect of PEG in water, a good solvent, lies in the molecular weight range between 4000 and 8000.
Efficient and Fast Implementation of Embedded Time-of-Flight Ranging System Based on FPGAs

Time-of-flight cameras perceive depth information about the surrounding environment with an amplitude-modulated near-infrared light source. The distance between the sensor and objects is calculated through measuring the time the light needs to travel. To be used in fast and embedded applications, such as 3-D reconstruction, visual SLAM, human-robot interactions, and object detection, the 3-D imaging must be performed at high frame rates and accuracy. Thus, this paper presents a real-time field programmable gate arrays platform that calculates the phase shift and then the distance. Experimental results shown that the platform can acquire ranging images at the maximum frame rate of 131fps with a fine measurement precision (appropriately 5.1mm range error at 1.2m distance with the proper integration time). Low resource utilization and power consumption of the proposed system make it very suitable for embedded applications.
[Serum concentration of insulin, C-peptide and insulin-like growth factor I in patients with colon adenomas and colorectal cancer].

UNLABELLED Colon carcinogenesis is a multi-steps process in which many growth factors are involved. In some studies the increased risk of colon cancer development was observed in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 with accompanying hyperinsulinemia. It is also known that insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) plays an important role in proliferation, growth, differentiation and inhibiting apoptosis of both epithelial and carcinoma cells. The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum concentration of insulin, C-peptide and IGF-I in patients with colon adenomas and colorectal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 17 patients with colon cancer, 32 patients with colon adenomas and in 12 healthy persons the serum concentration of insulin, C-peptide and IGF-I was determined using ELISA kits. RESULTS In patients with colon cancer significantly higher serum IGF-I concentration comparing to the control group was observed (85.66 ng/ml vs. 60.96 ng/ml; p < 0.05). Higher IGF-I concentration was also observed in patients with distal tumors comparing to the proximal localisation (95.40 ng/ml vs. 64,65 ng/ml, p < 0.05) and in more differentiated tumors (84.36 ng/ml vs. 75.24 ng/ml). Similarly, higher C-peptide concentrations were observed in distal tumors (635.64 pmol/ I vs. 578.69 pmol/l) and in well-differentiated carcinoma (671.32 pmol/ I vs. 575.66 pmol/l). In patients with colon adenomatous polyps we also observed higher serum IGF-I concentrations I comparing to the control group (82.1 ng/ml vs. 60.96 ng/ml), in high dysplasia adenomas (84.12 ng/ml vs. 79.67 ng/ml) and in smaller adenomas to 1 cm diameter (97.98 ng/ml vs. 73.28 ng/ml), but the differences were not significant. We also observed higher concentration of C-peptide in patients with low grade dysplasia adenomas (665.24 pmol/l vs. 498.13 pmol/l) and with small polyps (611.51 pmol/l vs. 514.89 pmol/l). There were no differences in serum concentration of IGF-I and C-peptide between patients with tubular and villous adenomas. There was no statistical difference observed in insulin serum concentration in all groups of patients. CONCLUSIONS IGF-I is probably involved particularly in the early stage of colon carcinogenesis.
Branding vs contract manufacturing: capability, strategy, and performance

Purpose – This study attempts to investigate the relationships among organizational capabilities, strategic choice, and firm performance and examine three questions: What are the relationships between organizational capabilities and the firm's strategic choice – contract manufacturing and branding? Do branding firms perform better than contract manufacturing firms after controlling for endogeneity bias? Do firms usually choose their strategy (contract manufacturing/branding) appropriately to achieve a better performance under the conditions they encounter? Design/methodology/approach – The empirical study employs a questionnaire approach to collect data from the population of the top 5,000 Taiwanese firms listed in the yearbook published by the China Credit Information Service Incorporation for testing the validity of the model and research hypotheses. This study uses a Heckman two‐step estimation procedure and follows the procedure proposed by Shaver to examine the economic implications of strategic choic.
A Meta-Analysis of Applications of Diffusion Models

A meta-analysis of 213 applications of diffusion models from 15 articles relates model parameters to the nature of the innovation, the country under study, model specification, and estimation procedure. The effect of use of the same data by several researchers is examined, as are weighting schemes for improving efficiency of the meta-analysis. A Bayesian scheme is used to combine results from the metaanalysis with new data for estimation of parameters in a new situation.
A passivity based admittance control for stabilizing the compliant humanoid COMAN

This paper presents a generic stabilization framework which is applicable for both compliant and stiff humanoids. The proposed control framework is applied to the passive compliant humanoid robot COMAN which is equipped with series elastic actuators. The stabilization control framework combines the compliance control and the intrinsic angular momentum modulation to achieve an agile and compliant interaction against external perturbations. The admittance based compliance control uses the force/torque sensing in both feet to regulate the active compliance for the position controlled system. The physical elasticity in the new full body COMAN is exploited for the reduction and absorption of the instantaneous impacts while the admittance control further dissipates the excessive elastic energy. The angular momentum controller reduces the overall inertia effect for providing more rapid reactions. Both the theoretical work and experimental validation were presented. The effectiveness of the control scheme is demonstrated by COMAN's capabilities of withstanding various types of perturbations applied over the body, balancing on a moving platform and stabilizing while walking. Experimental data of the ground reaction force/torque, center of mass references and estimations, and the stored elastic energy are presented and analyzed.
Investigating the Factors Determining e-Learning Effectiveness in Tourism and Hospitality Education

Although e-learning is widely being adopted in tourism and hospitality education, little is known regarding the factors determining e-learning effectiveness. To fill in this gap, this study reviews the literature in order to identify potential factors determining e-learning effectiveness and then tests their learning impact by gathering data from students participating in Virtual Learning Environments that were developed for supporting and enhancing students' traditional classroom-based instruction. Three factors clustered under three categories were found to affect e-learning effectiveness: technology, instructor and student factors. Suggestions for the development and implementation of technologically and pedagogically effective e-learning platforms are provided.
The Impact of Empowerment on Customer Contact Employees’ Roles in Service Organizations

A pilot study was conducted to test a hierarchical model in which empowerment of contact personnel is presented as an antecedent condition to role conflict, role ambiguity, adaptability, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction. The latter are, in turn, presented as antecedents to helping behaviors directed at customers. The model is structured on three interfaces: employee-manager, employee-role, and employee-customer. The data were collected in six branches of the same bank in a major North American city. Results reveal that empowerment is a very efficacious managerial control tool in that it significantly affects the behavior and attitudinal dispositions of boundary-spanning service employees. Specifically, role ambiguity emerges as the most influential variable in the employee-role interface, and employee adaptability is a highly determining factor for the delivery of effective role-prescribed and extra-role performances. Implications for the management of customer-contact service employees and directions for further research are discussed.
The anti‐inflammatory role of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor in macrophage–dendritic cell crosstalk after Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR‐1 exposure

MΦs are important sensory cells of the innate immune system and regulate immune responses through releasing different combinations of cytokines. In this study, we examined whether cytokines released by MΦs in response to the probiotic bacterial strain GR‐1 modulate the responses of DCs. The cytokine profile released by GR‐1‐treated MΦs was characterized by low levels of TNF‐α, GM‐CSF, IL‐6, and IL‐12 but very high levels of G‐CSF. GR‐1 CM did not induce expression of the shared p40 subunit of IL‐12 and IL‐23 and costimulatory molecules CD80 or CD86 or increase T cell stimulatory capacity in DCs. However, in G‐CSFR‐deficient DCs or after antibody‐mediated neutralization of G‐CSF, GR‐1 CM induced IL‐12/23 p40 production significantly, indicating that G‐CSF within the GR‐1 CM inhibits IL‐12/23 p40 production induced by other CM components. GR‐1 CM and rG‐CSF also inhibited LPS‐induced IL‐12 production at the mRNA and protein levels. The inhibition of IL‐12 production by G‐CSF was at least in part mediated through inhibition of JNK activation. Finally, splenic DCs of GR‐1‐injected mice produced less IL‐12/23 p40 than those of PBS‐injected mice in response to LPS ex vivo, and this was at least partially dependent on exposure to GR‐1‐induced G‐CSF in vivo. Altogether, these results suggest that G‐CSF modulates the IL‐12/23 p40 response of DCs in the context of the probiotic GR‐1 through MΦ–DC crosstalk.
LMWH to prevent placenta‐mediated pregnancy complications: an update

Placenta‐mediated pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, placental abruption, intrauterine growth restriction/small for gestational age and recurrent or late pregnancy loss, affect over 5% of pregnancies and can result in significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. These complications have been suggested to at least partly arise from placental insufficiency, possibly as a result of inappropriate coagulation activation. This association has led to the hypothesis that anticoagulant therapy, such as low molecular weight heparin, might reduce their occurrence. The following review will attempt to summarize the extensive research that has been performed to date exploring this hypothesis and provide guidance on the current and future role of low molecular weight heparin in women at risk for placenta‐mediated pregnancy complications. A case will be made to question the widely adopted practice of prescribing low molecular weight heparin to women with prior placenta‐mediated pregnancy complications and suggest possible areas for future research.
The Influence Exposure Has on Consumer Behavior

Advertising has been around for thousands of years and has proven to be a valuable asset to company revenue. The methods used in advertising have been examined closely more recently, specifically from a psychological standpoint. The human brain reacts to advertisements in different ways. Low and high involvement advertisements stimulate the brain in the subconscious and conscious state effectively. While each of these advertising methods are useful, complex messaging techniques seem to stimulate recall more effectively than simple messaging. In the age of digital advertising, sponsors look to put new resources to use to ensure paid advertisements are doing their job. With data mining and location based services available, advertisers are getting more in touch with the consumer than ever before. The bombardment of advertising is changing the consumer’s eye for low and high involvement and the advertising industry will be forced to adjust yet
Attentional bias modification based on visual probe task: methodological issues, results and clinical relevance.

INTRODUCTION Attentional bias, the tendency that a person has to drive or maintain attention to a specific class of stimuli, may play an important role in the etiology and persistence of mental disorders. Attentional bias modification has been studied as a form of additional treatment related to automatic processing. OBJECTIVES This systematic literature review compared and discussed methods, evidence of success and potential clinical applications of studies about attentional bias modification (ABM) using a visual probe task. METHODS The Web of Knowledge, PubMed and PsycInfo were searched using the keywords attentional bias modification, attentional bias manipulation and attentional bias training. We selected empirical studies about ABM training using a visual probe task written in English and published between 2002 and 2014. RESULTS Fifty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Most (78%) succeeded in training attention in the predicted direction, and in 71% results were generalized to other measures correlated with the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS ABM has potential clinical utility, but to standardize methods and maximize applicability, future studies should include clinical samples and be based on findings of studies about its effectiveness.
Review: Do We Still Need a Viability Study before Considering Revascularization in Patient with Stable Coronary Artery Disease and Significant Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction?

Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy constitute a heterogeneous group of patients with an extremely complex condition in which many factors play an important prognostic role. So it is difficult and probably unrealistic to expect that a single feature like presence of viable myocardium would provide an unequivocal answer to a critical question of revasculrization or not for all patients. Opposite to the hopes of investigators and physicians involved in the care of these patients, the findings of prospective studies with the use of different viability testing methods did not help in the decision-making process regarding CABG in ischemic cardiomyopathy. Instead, they left us with the same dilemma. The implication of most of these trials is that in patients with CAD and significant LV dysfunction, assessment of myocardial viability does not identify patients who will have the greatest survival benefit from adding CABG to aggressive medical therapy. In the clinical practice, these observations remind physicians to consider the multiplicity of factors involved in the decision-making process for patients with such a complex disease.
Autoregulation of renal blood flow in the conscious dog and the contribution of the tubuloglomerular feedback

1 The aim of this study was to investigate the autoregulation of renal blood flow under physiological conditions, when challenged by the normal pressure fluctuations, and the contribution of the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF). 2 The transfer function between 0.0018 and 0.5 Hz was calculated from the spontaneous fluctuations in renal arterial blood pressure (RABP) and renal blood flow (RBF) in conscious resting dogs. The response of RBF to stepwise artificially induced reductions in RABP was also studied (stepwise autoregulation). 3 Under control conditions (n= 12 dogs), the gain of the transfer function started to decrease, indicating improving autoregulation, below 0.06‐0.15 Hz (t= 7‐17 s). At 0.027 Hz a prominent peak of high gain was found. Below 0.01 Hz (t> 100 s), the gain reached a minimum (maximal autoregulation) of ‐6.3 ± 0.6 dB. The stepwise autoregulation (n= 4) was much stronger (‐19.5 dB). The time delay of the transfer function was remarkably constant from 0.03 to 0.08 Hz (high frequency (HF) range) at 1.7 s and from 0.0034 to 0.01 Hz (low frequency (LF) range) at 14.3 s, respectively. 4 Nifedipine, infused into the renal artery, abolished the stepwise autoregulation (‐2.0 ± 1.1 dB, n= 3). The gain of the transfer function (n= 4) remained high down to 0.0034 Hz; in the LF range it was higher than in the control (0.3 ± 1.0 dB, P< 0.05). The time delay in the HF range was reduced to 0.5 s (P < 0.05). 5 After ganglionic blockade (n= 7) no major changes in the transfer function were observed. 6 Under furosemide (frusemide) (40 mg + 10 mg h−1 or 300 mg + 300 mg h−1 i.v.) the stepwise autoregulation was impaired to ‐7.8 ± 0.3 or ‐6.7 ± 1.9 dB, respectively (n= 4). In the transfer function (n= 7 or n= 4) the peak at 0.027 Hz was abolished. The delay in the LF range was reduced to ‐1.1 or ‐1.6 s, respectively. The transfer gain in the LF range (‐5.5 ± 1.2 or ‐3.8 ± 0.8 dB, respectively) did not differ from the control but was smaller than that under nifedipine (P < 0.05). 7 It is concluded that the ample capacity for regulation of RBF is only partially employed under physiological conditions. The abolition by nifedipine and the negligible effect of ganglionic blockade show that above 0.0034 Hz it is almost exclusively due to autoregulation by the kidney itself. TGF contributes to the maximum autoregulatory capacity, but it is not required for the level of autoregulation expended under physiological conditions. Around 0.027 Hz, TGF even reduces the degree of autoregulation.