Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOWESS) regression to study selection signatures in Piedmontese and Italian Brown cattle breeds.

Selection is the major force affecting local levels of genetic variation in species. The availability of dense marker maps offers new opportunities for a detailed understanding of genetic diversity distribution across the animal genome. Over the last 50 years, cattle breeds have been subjected to intense artificial selection. Consequently, regions controlling traits of economic importance are expected to exhibit selection signatures. The fixation index (Fst ) is an estimate of population differentiation, based on genetic polymorphism data, and it is calculated using the relationship between inbreeding and heterozygosity. In the present study, locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOWESS) regression and a control chart approach were used to investigate selection signatures in two cattle breeds with different production aptitudes (dairy and beef). Fst was calculated for 42 514 SNP marker loci distributed across the genome in 749 Italian Brown and 364 Piedmontese bulls. The statistical significance of Fst values was assessed using a control chart. The LOWESS technique was efficient in removing noise from the raw data and was able to highlight selection signatures in chromosomes known to harbour genes affecting dairy and beef traits. Examples include the peaks detected for BTA2 in the region where the myostatin gene is located and for BTA6 in the region harbouring the ABCG2 locus. Moreover, several loci not previously reported in cattle studies were detected.
A Control Scheme for PWM Voltage-Source Distributed-Generation Inverters for Fast Load-Voltage Regulation and Effective Mitigation of Unbalanced Voltage Disturbances

This paper presents a control scheme for grid-connected pulsewidth-modulated voltage-source inverters (VSIs) featuring fast load-voltage regulation and effective mitigation of unbalanced voltage disturbances. To ensure perfect regulation of the voltage at the point of common coupling (PCC) and provide means for rejecting fast and dynamic voltage disturbances, the frequency modes of the disturbances to be eliminated should be included in the stable closed-loop system. Toward this, a hybrid voltage controller combining a linear with variable-structure control element is proposed for an inverter-based distributed-generation interface to regulate the voltage at the PCC. The proposed voltage controller can embed a wide band of frequency modes through an equivalent internal model. Subsequently, a wide range of voltage perturbations, including capacitor-switching disturbances, can be rejected. To account for unbalanced voltage disturbances, a dual-sequence voltage controller is proposed. To provide accurate and robust tracking of the generated active and reactive current trajectories, a newly designed deadbeat current control algorithm is proposed. The controller is designed under the practical considerations of inherent plant delays, which are associated with the digital implementation of the control algorithm, and the uncertain nature of the current dynamics. Theoretical analysis and comparative evaluation tests are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Technology in MicroRNA Profiling

This report describes technologies to identify and quantify microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential cancer biomarkers, using breast cancer as an example. Most breast cancer patients are not diagnosed until the disease has advanced to later stages, which decreases overall survival rates. Specific miRNAs are up- or downregulated in breast cancer patients at various stages, can be detected in plasma and serum, and have shown promising preliminary clinical sensitivity and specificity for early cancer diagnosis or staging. Nucleic acid testing methods to determine relative concentrations of selected miRNAs include reverse transcription, followed by quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), microarrays, and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Of these methods, NGS is the most powerful approach for miRNA biomarker discovery, whereas RT-qPCR shows the most promise for eventual clinical diagnostic applications.
Interventions to Promote Diabetes Self-Management: State of the Science

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to review the diabetes education literature that has emerged over the past 20 years to determine what we currently know about diabetes self-management interventions and their effectiveness in producing improved health outcomes. METHODS Findings of studies that were reported prior to 1990 were compared with findings of studies that have been conducted since 1990 to determine what recent changes and patterns in diabetes self-management education have occurred. Future directions in diabetes self-management research and practice were projected from these findings. RESULTS Most studies lacked adequate descriptions of the interventions tested, which precludes replication or application of the most effective strategies to clinical practice. Trends in interventions have evolved from education only to education plus behavioral models, with more attention given to interventions specifically for minority populations. The interventions that have been designed and tested seem to be longer, with more emphasis on simple, practical approaches to diabetes self-management. CONCLUSIONS The literature supports the effectiveness of diabetes education and behavioral interventions in improving psychosocial and health outcomes. The question of how to best achieve these improved outcomes continues to need further exploration.
Material Selection for Minimizing Direct Tunneling in Nanowire Transistors

When the physical gate length is reduced to 5 nm, direct channel tunneling dominates the leakage current for both field-effect transistors (FETs) and tunnel FETs. Therefore, a survey of materials in a nanowire geometry is performed to determine their ability to suppress the direct tunnel current through a 5 nm barrier. The materials investigated are InAs, InSb, InP, GaAs, GaN, Si, Ge, and carbon nanotubes. The tunneling effective mass gives the best indication of the relative size of the tunnel currents when comparing two different materials of any type. The indirect-gap materials, Si and Ge, give the largest tunneling masses in the conduction band, and they give the smallest conduction band tunnel currents within the range of diameters considered. Si gives the lowest overall tunnel current for both the conduction and valence bands, and therefore, it is the optimum choice for suppressing tunnel current at the 5 nm scale. A semianalytic approach to calculating tunnel current is demonstrated, which requires considerably less computation than a full-band numerical calculation.
Spectral karyotyping in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and a complex karyotype shows hidden aberrations, including recurrent overrepresentation of 21q, 11q, and 22q

We used spectral karyotyping (SKY) to study 29 adults with acute myeloid leukemia and a complex karyotype containing one to nine abnormalities that were not fully identifiable by G‐banding. SKY showed the origin of rings and unidentified material in unbalanced translocations in all cases and the origin of markers in most, allowing reinterpretation of 136 aberrations and discovery of three aberrations hidden in normal chromosomes. SKY confirmed 10 and refined the interpretation of three balanced aberrations recognized by G‐banding and identified another nine balanced aberrations, including a novel translocation involving the RUNX1 gene. Eleven of 32 deletions found by G‐banding were shown to be cryptic translocations or insertions, including three of four chromosome 3 deletions, two of three del(7q), and two of 12 del(5q). Of the 92 chromosomes deemed lost entirely by G‐banding, 63 (68%) were shown to be involved in structural aberrations. This was especially true for −21 (eight of eight patients), −5 (five of six patients), −20 (seven of nine patients), and −18 (six of 12 patients). Unexpectedly, SKY uncovered a hidden overrepresentation of segments from at least one chromosome in 21 patients. The most frequently overrepresented was 21q, found in eight patients, including four with high‐level 21q amplification. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the RUNX1 gene was not the target of amplification in seven of these patients. Also frequently gained were 11q (in seven patients, including three with high‐level MLL gene amplification) and 22q (in seven patients). We conclude that SKY considerably enhances the accuracy of karyotype interpretation, and that amplification of chromosomal material may play a greater role in leukemogenesis than has been recognized. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Breaks and the Statistical Process of Inflation: The Case of the ‘Modern’ Phillips Curve

‘Modern’ theories of the Phillips curve inadvertently imply that inflation is an integrated or near integrated process but this implication is strongly rejected using United States data. However, if we assume that inflation is a stationary process around a shifting mean (due to changes in monetary policy) then any estimate of long-run relationships will suffer from a ‘small-sample’ problem as there are too few inflation ‘regimes’ where the data are stationary. We offer a ‘4-stage’ solution to this problem and applying this solution to United States data we estimate a significant negative sloping non-linear long-run Phillips curve.
Interval squeeze: altered fire regimes and demographic responses interact to threaten woody species persistence as climate changes

Projected effects of climate change across many ecosystems globally include more frequent disturbance by fire and reduced plant growth due to warmer (and especially drier) conditions. Such changes affect species - particularly fire-intolerant woody plants - by simultaneously reducing recruitment, growth, and survival. Collectively, these mechanisms may narrow the fire interval window compatible with population persistence, driving species to extirpation or extinction. We present a conceptual model of these combined effects, based on synthesis of the known impacts of climate change and altered fire regimes on plant demography, and describe a syndrome we term interval squeeze. This model predicts that interval squeeze will increase woody plant extinction risk and change ecosystem structure, composition, and carbon storage, especially in regions projected to become both warmer and drier. These predicted changes demand new approaches to fire management that will maximize the in situ adaptive capacity of species to respond to climate change and fire regime change.
Characterization and functional studies of a FYVE domain‐containing phosphatase in C. elegans

The myotubularin (MTM) enzymes are phosphatidylinositol 3‐phosphate (PI3P) and phosphatidylinositol 3,5‐bisphosphate phosphatases. Mutation of MTM1, the founder member of this family, is responsible for X‐linked myotubular myopathy in humans. Here, we have isolated and characterized a Caenorhabditis elegans homology of the enzymes designated ceMTM3. ceMTM3 preferably dephosphorylates PI3P and contains a FYVE lipid‐binding domain at its C‐terminus which binds PI3P. Immunoblotting analyses revealed that the enzyme is expressed during the early development and adulthood of the animal. Immunofluorescent staining revealed predominant expression of the enzyme in eggs and muscles. Knockdown of the enzyme by using feeding‐based RNA interference resulted in an increased level of PI3P and caused severe impairment of body movement of the worms at their post‐reproductive ages and significantly shortened their lifespan. This study thus reveals an important role of the MTM phosphatases in maintaining muscle function, which may have clinical implications in prevention and treatment of sarcopenia. J. Cell. Biochem. 104: 1843–1852, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nitric Oxide and Related Aspects Underlying Angina

Increased number of patients affected by metabolic syndrome (MS) has prompted the necessity of better understanding what is involved in such syndrome. Nevertheless, the establishment of promising therapies depends on the knowledge about the interaction of molecules within MS. In such context, Nitric Oxide (NO) emerges from a bulk of works relating its roles on aspects of MS, including cardiovascular diseases, their symptoms and comorbidities, which are thought to be triggered by similar sources. NO, nitric oxide synthase and enzymatic chains are keys for those disease and symptoms processes. NO has been separately described as part of hypertensive, ischemic and pain signaling. Although there are similar pathways likely shared for generating cardiovascular symptoms such angina, they are barely associated to NO in literature. The present review aims to clarify the patterns of NO alteration in metabolic syndrome directly concerned to cardiovascular symptoms, especially angina.
Elongation arrest is a physiologically important function of signal recognition particle

Signal recognition particle (SRP) targets proteins for co‐translational insertion through or into the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. Mammalian SRP slows nascent chain elongation by the ribosome during targeting in vitro. This ‘elongation arrest’ activity requires the SRP9/14 subunit of the particle and interactions of the C‐terminus of SRP14. We have purified SRP from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and demonstrated that it too has elongation arrest activity. A yeast SRP containing Srp14p truncated at its C‐terminus (ΔC29) did not maintain elongation arrest, was substantially deficient in promoting translocation and interfered with targeting by wild‐type SRP. In vivo, this mutation conferred a constitutive defect in the coupling of protein translation and translocation and temperature‐sensitive growth, but only a slight defect in protein translocation. In combination, these data indicate that the primary defect in SRP ΔC29 is in elongation arrest, and that this is a physiologically important and conserved function of eukaryotic SRP.
Q fever and HIV infection.

OBJECTIVE To study the frequency of Q fever in HIV-infected individuals. DESIGN A seroprevalence study. SETTING French National Reference Centre for Rickettsial Agents, Marseille, France. PATIENTS AND METHODS Five out of the 68 hospitalized cases of Q fever diagnosed in 1987-1989 were also HIV-infected and are described here. Sera from a blood-donor bank (n = 925) and from HIV-positive individuals selected at random, irrespective of clinical or immunological status (n = 500) were tested for Q fever. RESULTS Comparisons of the two groups showed a statistically significant difference (2.4 versus 0.8%; Fisher's exact test) at the diagnostic dilution 1:200 and at the dilution considered positive for seroprevalence study (1:1000). CONCLUSIONS Using the estimated incidence of HIV infection in Marseille, the number of Q fever cases in 1987-1989 was 13 times higher and the clinical expression more frequently symptomatic in the HIV-positive population than in the general one. The prevalence:seroprevalence ratio for Q fever was 1.37% in the HIV-positive group and 0.36% in the blood-donor group. Sera positive for Q fever were confirmed by Western blot analysis in order to minimize cross-reaction. Transmission of Q fever appears to be more frequent in HIV-positive individuals than in the general population; this is not surprising, since Coxiella burnetii lives in the phagolysosome, like other micro-organisms described in immunocompromised hosts. Q fever should be added to the spectrum of diseases that occur more frequently during HIV infection.
Temporal lobe epilepsy due to hippocampal sclerosis in pediatric candidates for epilepsy surgery

Objective: To characterize the clinical, EEG, MRI, and histopathologic features and explore seizure outcome in pediatric candidates for epilepsy surgery who have temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) caused by hippocampal sclerosis (HS). Methods: The authors studied 17 children (4 to 12 years of age) and 17 adolescents (13 to 20 years of age) who had anteromesial temporal resection between 1990 and 1998. Results: All patients had seizures characterized by decreased awareness and responsiveness. Automatisms were typically mild to moderate in children and moderate to marked in adolescents. Among adolescents, interictal spikes were almost exclusively unilateral anterior temporal, as opposed to children in whom anterior temporal spikes were associated with mid/posterior temporal, bilateral temporal, extratemporal, or generalized spikes in 60% of cases. MRI showed hippocampal sclerosis on the side of EEG seizure onset in all patients. Fifty-four percent of children and 56% of adolescents had significant asymmetry of total hippocampal volumes, whereas the remaining patients had only focal atrophy of the hippocampal head or body. Subtle MRI abnormalities of ipsilateral temporal neocortex were seen in all children and 60% of adolescents studied with FLAIR images. On histopathology, there was an unexpectedly high frequency of dual pathology with mild to moderate cortical dysplasia as well as HS, seen in 79% of children and adolescents. Seventy-eight percent of patients were free of seizures at follow-up (mean, 2.6 years). A tendency for lower seizure-free outcome was observed in patients with bilateral temporal interictal sharp waves or bilateral HS on MRI. The presence of dual pathology did not portend poor postsurgical outcome. Conclusions: TLE caused by HS similar to those in adults were seen in children as young as 4 years of age. Focal hippocampal atrophy seen on MRI often was not reflected in total hippocampal volumetry. Children may have an especially high frequency of dual pathology, with mild to moderate cortical dysplasia as well as HS, and MRI usually, but not always, predicts this finding. Postsurgical seizure outcome is similar to that in adult series.
Prediction of Spontaneous Preterm Delivery in Twin Pregnancies By Cervical Length at Mid-Gestation

Abstract The objective of our study was to evaluate the correlation of the cervical length at 20–25 weeks of gestation with the incidence of spontaneous preterm delivery in twins in a country with a high incidence of preterm delivery compared to other European countries. Cervical length was measured in 262 consecutive patients. Previous preterm delivery before 34 weeks of gestation, chorionicity, maternal age, body-mass-index, smoking habit and parity were recorded as risk factors for preterm delivery. Women who were symptomatic at 20–25 weeks and who delivered because of other reasons than spontaneous labour and preterm rupture of membranes or at term were excluded. The primary outcome was incidence of preterm birth before 34 weeks. Two hundred and twenty-three patients were analyzed. Thirty-two (14%) delivered before 34 weeks. There was a significant correlation between cervical length of less than 25 mm and spontaneous delivery before 34 weeks (50% vs. 13%, p = .007). In addition, logistic regression analysis found cervical length to be the only significant predictor of spontaneous delivery before 34 weeks (OR 1.084; 95% CI 1.015; 1.159; p = .017). We conclude that the risk of severe preterm delivery in twins is high. Cervical length at mid-gestation was the only predictor of delivery before 34 weeks.
Comparison of the effect of different techniques for measurement of Ki67 proliferation on reproducibility and prognosis prediction accuracy in breast cancer

Gudlaugsson E, Skaland I, Janssen E A M, Smaaland R, Shao Z, Malpica A, Voorhorst F & Baak J P A (2012) Histopathology Comparison of the effect of different techniques for measurement of Ki67 proliferation on reproducibility and prognosis prediction accuracy in breast cancer
The Cellular Form of Human Fibronectin as an Adhesion Target for the S Fimbriae of Meningitis-AssociatedEscherichia coli

ABSTRACT The adhesion of the S fimbriae of meningitis-associatedEscherichia coli O18ac:K1:H7 to the cellular and the plasma forms of human fibronectin was studied. E. coliHB101(pAZZ50) expressing the complete S-fimbria II gene cluster ofE. coli O18 adhered to cellular fibronectin (cFn) on glass but not to plasma fibronectin (pFn). Adhesion to cFn was specifically inhibited by neuraminidase treatment of cFn as well as by incubation of the bacteria with sialyl-α2-3-lactose, a receptor analog of the S fimbriae. No significant adhesion to cFn or pFn was detected withE. coli HB101(pAZZ50-67) expressing S fimbriae lacking the SfaS lectin subunit. Strain HB101(pAZZ50) also adhered to a human fibroblast cell culture known to be rich in cFn, and the adhesion was specifically inhibited in the presence of polyclonal antibodies to cFn. The results show that the SfaS lectin of the S fimbriae mediates the adherence of meningitis-associated E. coli to sialyl oligosaccharide chains of cFn.
A novel method for along-track velocity estimation of moving targets in SAR image

A novel method for along-track motion parameter estimation of moving targets is presented in this paper. The along-track velocity causes moving targets smeared in SAR images, hence it is in great need to estimate the along-track velocity of moving targets. In this paper, a method known as Coherent Map-Drift (CMD) is adopted to estimate the velocity of moving targets. By using this approach, the along-track velocity of moving targets can be estimated accurately without any iteration. Therefore it needs less computation compared to conventional methods. In addition, a range parameter estimation method using the range walk of moving target in time domain is adopted before the estimation of along-track parameters. Simulation is performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Correlation between cyclin D1 expression and standard clinicopathological variables in invasive breast cancer in Eastern India

Abstract Introduction: Breast cancer is the leading oncogenic threat in South-East Asian women showing an inexplicable biological aggressiveness. High expression of cyclin D1, a key molecule in breast cancer pathogenesis, has been shown by previous studies in the Western world to be associated with favorable tumoral characteristics. Apart from determining the correlation between cyclin D1 expression and standard clinicopathological variables in invasive breast cancer in Eastern India, questions that we aimed to answer through this study included: Is there a significant regional difference in expression patterns of this protein? And if yes, can it possibly account for the epidemiological differences in breast cancer occurrence and biological behavior? Finally, is testing for overexpression of this protein in regions with limited resources beneficial? Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out on 110 previously untreated, female patients with primary breast carcinoma. Cyclin D1 expression was determined by immunohistochemistry using specific anti-cyclin D1 monoclonal antibodies. Results: Overexpression of cyclin Dl was found in 78 of 110 cases (70.9%). High expression of cyclin D1 showed a significant negative correlation with tumor size (P = 0.023) and tumor grade (P = 0.045). Estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor positive cases showed a significantly positive correlation with cyclin D1 overexpression (P = 0.026 and 0.046, respectively). Interestingly, cyclin D1 positivity showed a strong correlation with the type of surgical procedure performed (P = 0.002). Conclusion: Cyclin D1 overexpression in breast cancer is associated with less aggressive tumoral characteristics. Furthermore, its potential epidemiological role and utility as a prognostic marker have been discussed.