Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein C levels as a prognostic indicator of outcome in sepsis and related diseases

ObjectiveTo consider the appropriateness of protein C levels as a prognostic indicator for sepsis and related diseases. Data Sources/Study SelectionPublished research and review articles related to protein C deficiency in patients with sepsis and related diseases. Data Extraction and SynthesisAll applicable data were extracted, and relevant literature was cited to support factual statements in the text. The protein C pathway represents one of the major regulatory systems of hemostasis, exhibiting antithrombotic, profibrinolytic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Numerous studies have shown that acquired protein C deficiency is prevalent in the majority of septic patients (>85%) and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. This deficiency in protein C is not simply a transient marker for sepsis, but parallels the progress of the disease. In addition, protein C deficiency occurs in the presence of a wide range of pathogens and develops early in the disease process. ConclusionsA review of the relevant literature suggests that protein C levels may serve as a useful prognostic indicator of outcome in sepsis and related diseases.
Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. (Cirripedia, Tetraclitidae), a common intertidal barnacle from the Gulf of Oman, Iran

Abstract A new species of intertidal acorn barnacle Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. was identified from the Iranian coast in the Gulf of Oman. Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. inhabits low exposed rocky shores and also attaches to shells of molluscs and the barnacle Megabalanus species. Parietes of Tetraclita ehsani ranged from white to pink which is different from Tetraclita serrata (in South African waters), which has green parietes. Morphology of the tergum and cirrus III of Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. is distinctive from other described West Indian Ocean species which have pink or white parietes (Tetraclita rufotincta, Tetraclita achituvi and Tetraclita reni). The tergum of Tetraclita ehsani is very narrow and the basal margin is slightly concave or straight, in contrast to Tetraclita rufotincta and Tetraclita reni, in which the tergum are board and with a very concave basal margin. Cirrus I anterior ramus of both Tetraclita ehsani and Tetraclita reni is antenniform and thus differing from the cirrus I of Tetraclita rufotincta (see Chan et al. 2009). Cirrus III of Tetraclita ehsani sp. n. is non-antenniform and lacks multicuspidate type setae, which is different from Tetraclita reni by having an antenniform cirrus III and with multicuspidate setae.
Comparison of three computer office workstations offering forearm support: impact on upper limb posture and muscle activation

The aims of the study were: 1) to determine whether resting the forearms on the work surface, as compared to chair armrests, reduces muscular activation; 2) to compare the sensitivity of different electromyographic (EMG) summary parameters. Eighteen healthy subjects performed computer work (with keyboard and mouse alternately) for 20 min while resting their forearms on a work surface adjustable in height (Workstation A), on the chair's armrests with an adjustable workstation (Workstation B) or on their chair's armrests with a non-adjustable workstation (Workstation C). The EMG amplitude of the trapezius and deltoid muscles was little influenced by the workstations, whereas their EMG variability increased with Workstation A, which was interpreted as a positive effect. However, the EMG amplitude of the mouse-side extensor digitorum muscle was higher with Workstation A. Alternating between resting the forearms on the work surface and on the chairs' armrests could solicit different muscles during computer work, and could be considered as a strategy for preventing musculoskeletal disorders. The new exposure variation analysis summary parameters used were sensitive to small workstation changes, thus supporting their use in future studies.
The interaction between epidermal growth factor and matrix metalloproteinases induces the development of sweat glands in human fetal skin.

BACKGROUND The development of sweat glands is a very complicated biological process involving many factors. In this study, we explore the interrelationship among epidermal growth factor (EGF), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7), and the development of sweat glands in human embryos. Furthermore, we hope to elucidate the mechanism(s) underlying the induction of epidermal stem cells into sweat gland cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Skin biopsies of human embryos obtained from spontaneous abortions at different gestational ages from 11 to 31 weeks were used in this study. The dynamic expression of EGF, MMP-2, MMP-7, and keratin-7 (K7) in developing sweat gland cells or extracellular stroma surrounding the sweat gland cells was examined with SP immunohistochemical methods. The localization of the cellular sources of MMP-2 and MMP-7 was examined with in situ hybridization. RESULTS At 14-20 weeks of gestation, a gradual increase in EGF immunoreactivity was observed not only in developing sweat gland buds but also in extracellular stroma surrounding the buds, and the expression intensity of EGF peaked at 20-22 weeks of gestational age. All mRNA-positive buds or cells in developing sweat glands contained corresponding immunoreactive proteins. Positive immunostaining for K7 appeared in early sweat gland buds at 14-16 weeks of gestation, and from then on, the positive signal of K7 was concentrated in developing sweat gland cords or cells. CONCLUSIONS The morphogenesis of sweat glands in human fetal skin begins at 14-16 weeks of gestational age, and is essentially complete by 24 weeks. There is a close relationship among EGF, extracellular matrix remodeling, and morphogenesis of the sweat glands. EGF is one of the inducers in the development and maturity of sweat gland buds or cells.
PCNA function in the activation and strand direction of MutLα endonuclease in mismatch repair

MutLα (MLH1–PMS2) is a latent endonuclease that is activated in a mismatch-, MutSα-, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-, replication factor C (RFC)-, and ATP-dependent manner, with nuclease action directed to the heteroduplex strand that contains a preexisting break. RFC depletion experiments and use of linear DNAs indicate that RFC function in endonuclease activation is limited to PCNA loading. Whereas nicked circular heteroduplex DNA is a good substrate for PCNA loading and for endonuclease activation on the incised strand, covalently closed, relaxed circular DNA is a poor substrate for both reactions. However, covalently closed supercoiled or bubble-containing relaxed heteroduplexes, which do support PCNA loading, also support MutLα activation, but in this case cleavage strand bias is largely abolished. Based on these findings we suggest that PCNA has two roles in MutLα function: The clamp is required for endonuclease activation, an effect that apparently involves interaction of the two proteins, and by virtue of its loading orientation, PCNA determines the strand direction of MutLα incision. These results also provide a potential mechanism for activation of mismatch repair on nonreplicating DNA, an effect that may have implications for the somatic phase of triplet repeat expansion.
Noncontact Respiration Rate Measurement System Using an Ultrasonic Proximity Sensor

This research presents the ultrasonic proximity sensor approach to respiration measurement. The ultrasonic proximity sensor measures respiration signatures and rates in real-time and for long-term monitoring, which is necessary for mobility from the end-user perspective. The study used a 240 kHz ultrasonic sensor to measure the time of flight of a sound wave between the transmitted signal and received signal during respiration in the abdominal wall-motion. Respiration rates measured with the ultrasonic proximity sensor were then compared with those measured with a thermocouple sensor on ten male subjects. Data from the measurement of respiration rates at 100 cm is provided. We have used this data from the method comparison study to confirm agreement with the reference signal to determine that the current version of respiratory rate detection system using ultrasonic can successfully measure respiration rates. The proposed respiratory measurement method could be used to monitor an unconscious person without the need to apply electrodes or other sensors in the correct position and to wire the subject to the system. Monitoring respiration using ultrasonic sensor offers a promising possibility of noncontact measurement of respiration rates. In particular, this technology offers a potentially inexpensive means to extend applications to consumer home-healthcare and mobile-healthcare products. Further advances in the sensor design, system design and signal processing can increase the range and quality of the measurement, broadening the potential application areas of this technology.
Economics of Virtual Communities - The Case of the Berlin Stock Exchange

The use of social software and virtual community platforms in particular promises to offer opportunities for customer integration into a company’s value adding activities. Therefore, ideas and innovations generated by members of a virtual community can be analyzed and used in order to enhance the quality of products and services. However, evaluating economic consequences associated with the set-up, operation and maintenance of virtual communities on a quantitative basis has widely been neglected in social network research. Accordingly, no framework for valuation of web 2.0 applications has been established as yet. Thus, the objective of this paper is therefore to develop a measurement framework for the financial performance of a virtual community platform reflecting specific economic conditions relevant to a certain situation. The measurement framework is then applied to a real life example of the Berlin Stock Exchange.
Panoramic Images for Situational Awareness in a 3D Chart-of-the-Future Display

Many early charts featured sketches of the coastline, providing a good picture of what the shore looked like from the bridge of a ship. These helped the mariner to distinguish one port from another during an approach and establish their rough position within that approach. More recent experimental 3D chart interfaces have incorporated 3D models of land topography and man-made structures to perform the same function. However, topography is typically captured from the air, by means of stereophotogrammetry or lidar and fails to present a good representation of what is seen from a vessel’s bridge. We have been conducting an investigation of ways to present photographic imagery to the mariner to better capture the utility of the early coastline sketches. Our focus has been on navigation in restricted waters, using the Piscataqua River as a test area. This is part of our “Chart-of-the-Future” project being conducted by The Data Visualization Research Lab at the UNH Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping. Through our investigation, we have developed a new method for presenting photographic imagery to the mariner, in the form of a series of panoramic images progressing down the channel. The panoramas consist of images stitched almost seamlessly together into circular arcs, whose centers are intended to be close to the position of a vessel’s bridge during transit. When viewed from this center, there is no distortion, and distortion increases to a maximum between two panorama centers. Our preliminary trials suggest that panoramas can provide an excellent supplement to electronic navigation aids by making them visible in the context of what can be seen out the window. We believe panoramas will be especially useful both in familiarizing a mariner with an unfamiliar approach during planning, and in enhancing situational awareness at times of reduced visibility such as in fog, dusk, or nightfall.
[HBx induction of epithelial mesenchymal transition in mouse hepatic progenitor cells].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) function of HBx in hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs). METHODS The plasmids of pSEB-Flag-HBX and the packaging plasmids pAmpho were co-transfected in HEK 293T cells, and the recombinant retroviruses carrying HBx gene generated from the cell line were used to infect mouse HPCs HP14.5. We screened HP14.5 cells which stably expressed HBx by blasticidin to observe the morphological changes and investigate the epithelial and mesenchymal markers by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The metastatic capacity of HPCs infected with HBx was evaluated by wound-healing assay. RESULTS HP14.5 cells with stable expression of HBx protein suffered morphological changes from polygonal to a spindle-like shape. The expressions of neural cadherin (N-cadherin), Snail and vimentin at both protein and mRNA levels significantly increased (P<0.05), but epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) and cytokeratin-18 (CK18) decreased (P<0.05). In addition, the migratory potential was enhanced in HP14.5 cells infected with HBx. CONCLUSION HBx can induce EMT and enhance the migratory potential of HPCs.
Modeliranje i optimalno punjenje floteelektričnih dostavnih vozila

Sa stanovista elektroenergetske mreže, elektricna vozila (EV) predstavljaju prostorno-distribuirano baterijsko skladiste elektricne energije, koje se u okviru naprednog punjenja EV može iskoristiti za razne primjene poput poravnanja opterecenja mreže. Kako bi se ispitala isplativost elektrifikacije ciljane flote vozila i njen utjecaj na elektricnu mrežu, potrebno je provesti optimiranje punjenja odgovarajuce flote EV primjenom prikladnih optimizacijskih postupaka temeljenih na preciznim i racunalno-ucinkovitim modelima flote EV, a sto predstavlja glavni cilj ovog rada. U radu je predložen novi agregatni model flote EV koji je validiran u odnosu na precizniji, ali i racunalno neucinkovitiji, distribuirani model. Pritom je optimiranje punjenja, za svaki od modela, provedeno koristenjem algoritma dinamickog programiranja (DP), koji za opci nelinearni optimizacijski problem garantira globalno optimalne rezultate. Cilj optimiranja je minimizacija cijene elektricne energije koja se koristi za punjenje flote EV uz zadovoljenje ogranicenja vezanih uz stanje napunjenosti (SoC) baterije te snagu punjenja. Osim jednorazinskog DP optimiranja punjenja, predloženo je i dvorazinsko optimiranje gdje se jednorazinsko DP optimiranje prosiruje nadređenom razinom,na kojoj se koristenjem genetskog algoritma dodatno optimira maksimalna snaga punjaca,te vrijednost SoC-a na pocetku svakog voznog ciklusa s ciljem minimizacije operativnih troskova flote EV. U svrhu parametriranja i validiranja predloženog agregatnog modela flote EV, postavljenje model elektricnog vozila s prosirenim dometom (EREV) te je predložena pripadna upravljacka strategija pogona. Upravljacka strategija EREV pogona temelji se na regulatoru zasnovanom na bazi pravila (RB),koji se kombinira sa strategijom minimizacije ekvivalentne potrosnje goriva (ECMS). Pritom se održivost SoC-a baterije postiže SoC regulatorom koji je sadržan u RB regulatoru, dok se ECMS-om postiže optimalnost radnih tocaka motora s unutarnjim izgaranjem. Predložena upravljacka strategija ispitana je simulacijski, te usporedbom rezultata simulacija s globalno optimalnim rezultatima dobivenima DP optimiranjem upravljackih varijabli pogona za raznevozne cikluse. Također su pribavljeni i analizirani podaci o voznim ciklusima konkretne flote dostavnih vozila i o energetskom sustavu pripadnog distributivnog centra. Za potrebe parametriranja modela flote, provedene su simulacije razvijenog EREV modela preko snimljenih voznih ciklusa te preko sintetickih voznih ciklusa koji statisticki vjerno reprezentiraju polazni skup snimljenih voznih ciklusa. Konacno, na temelju razvijenih alata provedena je pilot studija vezana uz ispitivanje mogucnosti elektrifikacije spomenute flote dostavnih vozila za razlicite scenarije udjela obnovljivih izvora energije i vremenske razdiobe cijene elektricne energije.
Microcirculation in the ICU: a small step for monitoring, a giant leap for tissue viability.

Critical Care Medicine www.ccmjournal. org 233 therapy and survival after HIV infection (11), and between kidney function and all-cause mortality (12), with important implications for both policy and clinical practice. Both the American Delirium Society and European Delirium Association are vibrant groups with large annual meetings and would be well suited to facilitate such an initiative. Collecting and measuring a common set of important variables and standardizing the methods and reporting of delirium assessment would be a major advance. Further, creating a collaborative network would facilitate sharing of data with similar analytic approaches to allow much stronger evaluation of risk factors and lend insight into the pathophysiology and optimal clinical management of delirium. In summary, Zaal et al (6) should be applauded for their exhaustive review of risk factors for delirium. However, the authors’ most important contribution may not be the methodology of their review, but rather their elucidation of the limitations in our current approach to delirium research. In doing so, the authors demonstrate the need for collaborative standardized research approaches if we are ultimately to understand the importance of risk factors for ICU delirium and prevent the complications of delirium among critically ill patients.
Resistance to fracture of endodontically treated teeth restored with different post systems.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Very little is known about the resistance to fracture of endodontically treated teeth restored with newly developed esthetic post systems. Purpose. This in vitro study compared the effect of 1 titanium and 3 esthetic post systems on the fracture resistance and fracture patterns of crowned, endodontically treated teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 40 recently extracted human maxillary canines with their crowns removed were endodontically treated. Four groups of 10 specimens were formed. Teeth were restored with titanium, quartz fiber, glass fiber, and zirconia posts and numbered as groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. All posts were cemented with Single Bond dental adhesive system and dual-polymerizing RelyX ARC adhesive resin cement. All teeth were restored with composite cores, and metal crowns were fabricated and cemented with glass ionomer cement. Each specimen was embedded in acrylic resin and then secured in a universal load-testing machine. A compressive load was applied at a 130-degree angle to the long axis of the tooth until fracture, at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. One-way analysis of variance and a Tukey test were used to determine the significance of the failure loads between groups (P<.001). A non-parametric chi(2) test was conducted for evaluation of the mode of failure (P<.001). RESULTS The mean failure loads (kg) were 66.95, 91.20, 75.90, and 78.91 for groups 1 to 4, respectively. Teeth restored with quartz fiber posts (group 2) exhibited significantly higher resistance to fracture (P<.001) than the other 3 groups. Teeth restored with glass fiber and zirconia posts (groups 3 and 4) were statistically similar (P>.05). Fractures that would allow repair of the tooth were observed in groups 2 and 3, whereas unrestorable, catastrophic fractures were observed in groups 1 and 4 (P<.001). CONCLUSION Within the limitations of this study, significantly higher failure loads were recorded for root canal treated teeth restored with quartz fiber posts. Fractures that would allow repeated repair were observed in teeth restored with quartz fiber and glass fiber posts.
Portable ultrasound scanner for remote diagnosis

Fast diagnosis plays a crucial role in treating the patients, which can be life saving manytimes. Ultrasound scanning have the capability to image the organs in real time, thus offering quick diagnosis. Recent advancements in computing platforms greatly reduced the size of an ultrasound machine to portable level. Portable ultrasound machines can be used for point of care and remote diagnosis, this comforts the patients by making them not going to the ultrasound scanner for diagnosis. Diagnosing the patients at their bedside reduces the diagnosis and medication time. Lack of sonographers limits the benefits of using portable ultrasound machines in remote diagnosis. Tele-radiology can be effectively used as a solution to provide better health-care to more number of patients with less number of experts. Portable ultrasound in remote diagnosis is concerned with wireless connectivity for web-based diagnosis, security, data aggregation of patients etc., In this paper, we propose a working prototype of portable ultrasound scanning system integrated with wireless connectivity, biometric authentication, Global Positioning System (GPS). Additional interfaces to the portable ultrasound system enables secured cloud based diagnosis, improving the health-care and reducing the geographical separation between patients and doctors.
Work function engineering of ZnO electrodes by using p-type and n-type doped carbon nanotubes

Transparent electrodes in organic electronic devices are strongly needed in order to replace indium tin oxide (ITO). Some of the best candidates are ZnO films, which have shown both good electronic properties and solution processability compatible with roll-to-roll production of the devices. We present the possibility to engineer the work function of ZnO by blending it with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). B-doped (p-type), N-doped (n-type) and undoped CNTs as well as their blends with ZnO have been characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results of Raman spectroscopy demonstrate the substitutional doping of carbon nanotubes, which preserves their covalent structure although increasing the disorder within the nanotubes. The roughness and average shape of grains of ZnO when blended with the doped nanotubes have been measured by AFM. Finally, SKPM shows that the work function of the blends can be engineered from 4.4 ± 0.1 to 4.9 ± 0.1 eV according to the kind of nanotube that is blended even if only a small amount of nanotubes is added to the blend (0.08 wt%).