Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
OBSERVATIONS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF VISUALLY-DIRECTED REACHING.

This paper reports the results of a normative study of the development of visually-directed prehension during the first six months of life. Thirty-four normal infants born and reared under relatively uniform conditions in a state hospital were studied. The technique combined detailed longitudinal observations with a standardized testing procedure designed to elicit visual-motor responses including prehension. A sequence of development is described, categorized into eight stages of two weeks each. A number of separate and distinct visualmotor and tactual motor behaviors were found to contribute to this sequence, culminating in the development of visually-directed reaching just prior to 5 months of age. The prehensory abilities of man and other primates have long been regarded as one of the most significant evolutionary developments peculiar to this vertebrate group (2, 17). In man, the development of prehension is linked phylogenetically with the assumption of erect posture (thus freeing the forelimbs from the service of locomotion), the highly refined development of binocular vision, and the possession of an opposable thumb, among other specializations. One important accompaniment of the development of prehension is man's unique capacity to make and utilize tools. Considering the acknowledged importance of these developments in phylogeny, it is surprising how little is presently known about the ontogeny of prehension in
Patterns of Autologous Blood Use in Elective Orthopedic Surgery: Does the Availability of Autologous Blood Change Transfusion Behavior?

We studied the orthopedic surgery service at our institution to determine whether the mere availability of autologous blood (AB) affected transfusion practice. As a group, patients who had AB available received an average of 1.11 fewer red cell units per hospitalization than did patients with only homologous blood (HB) available. At every transfusion episode, those patients having AB available received fewer red cell units than did patients without AB available. Predeposit of autologous red cells was effective in protecting 77.6% of patients from HB exposure. The availability of autologous red cells resulted in an overall more conservative approach to transfusion.
Novel statistical framework to identify differentially expressed genes allowing transcriptomic background differences

MOTIVATION Tests of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from microarray experiments are based on the null hypothesis that genes that are irrelevant to the phenotype/stimulus are expressed equally in the target and control samples. However, this strict hypothesis is not always true, as there can be several transcriptomic background differences between target and control samples, including different cell/tissue types, different cell cycle stages and different biological donors. These differences lead to increased false positives, which have little biological/medical significance. RESULT In this article, we propose a statistical framework to identify DEGs between target and control samples from expression microarray data allowing transcriptomic background differences between these samples by introducing a modified null hypothesis that the gene expression background difference is normally distributed. We use an iterative procedure to perform robust estimation of the null hypothesis and identify DEGs as outliers. We evaluated our method using our own triplicate microarray experiment, followed by validations with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and on the MicroArray Quality Control dataset. The evaluations suggest that our technique (i) results in less false positive and false negative results, as measured by the degree of agreement with RT-PCR of the same samples, (ii) can be applied to different microarray platforms and results in better reproducibility as measured by the degree of DEG identification concordance both intra- and inter-platforms and (iii) can be applied efficiently with only a few microarray replicates. Based on these evaluations, we propose that this method not only identifies more reliable and biologically/medically significant DEG, but also reduces the power-cost tradeoff problem in the microarray field. AVAILABILITY Source code and binaries freely available for download at http://comonca.org. cn/fdca/resources/softwares/deg.zip.
Structure of the Glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol Membrane Anchor of the Leishmania major Promastigote Surface Protease *

In common with many other plasma membrane glycoproteins of eukaryotic origin, the promastigote surface protease (PSP) of the protozoan parasite Leishmania contains a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) membrane anchor. The GPI anchor of Leishmania major PSP was purified following proteolysis of the PSP and anaylzed by two-dimensional ‘H-‘H NMR, compositional and methylation linkage analyses, chemical and enzymatic modifications, and amino acid sequencing. From these results, the structure of the GPI-containing peptide was found to be Asp-Gly-Gly-Asn-ethanolamine-P04-6Manal-2Mancul-6MancY1-4GlcNal6myo-inositol-l-P04-(l-alkyl-2-acyl-glycerol). The glycan structure is identical to the conserved glycan core regions of the GPI anchor of Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein and rat brain Thy-l antigen, supporting the notion that this portion of GPIs are highly conserved. The phosphatidylinositol moiety of the PSP anchor is unusual, containing a fully saturated, unbranched 1-0-alkyl chain (mainly C24:O) and a mixture of fully saturated unbranched 2-0-acyl chains (C12:0, C14:0, C16:0, and Cl&O). This lipid composition differs significantly from those of the GPIs of T. brucei variant surface glycoprotein and mammalian erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase but is similar to that of a family of glycosylated phosphoinositides found uniquely in Leishmania.
Transient response of multiple thin wires located at different heights above a dielectric half-space

Transient electromagnetic field coupling to multiple parallel wires located at different heights above a dielectric half-space is analyzed using the wire antenna theory, and transmission line (TL) method. The wire antenna theory formulation in the time domain is based on the set of the space-time Hallen integral equations. Transmission line approximation is based on the time domain telegrapher's equations. The space time integral equations arising from the wire antenna theory are treated by the time domain Galerkin-Bubnov scheme of the indirect boundary element method (TD GB-IBEM). The corresponding telegrapher's equations are solved using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) Method. Time domain numerical results obtained with both approaches are compared to the results computed via NEC 2 code combined with Inverse Fourier transform (IFT).
"Statistical," "practical", and "clinical": How many kinds of significance do counselors need to consider?

The present article reviews and distinguishes 3 related but different types of significance: “statistical,” “practical,” and “clinical. ” A framework for conceptualizing the many “practical” effect size indices is described. Several effect size indices that counseling researchers can use, or that counselors reading the literature may encounter, are summarized. A way of estimating “corrected” intervention effects is proposed. It is suggested that readers should expect authors to report indices of “practical” or “clinical” significance, or both, within their research reports; and it is noted that indeed some journals now require such reports.
Viruses and diseases of the kidneys.

Virus-induced kidney diseases are common, are increasing in frequency, have different mechanisms of injury, and are intensely studied because of the morbidity and mortality that are associated with them, yet these diseases are less familiar to clinical nephrologists than many other renal disorders. This supplement of CJASN , the result of two symposia at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology in which investigators with considerable and varied interest in viruses and diseases of the kidneys discussed their work, is intended to increase the understanding among clinical nephrologists of this interesting group of disorders. Faulhaber and Nelson describe manners of injury to the kidneys that result from the development of adaptive immune responses once viral infection is established. Cell-mediated immunity coupled with extracellular factors of the immune system, such as complement and lysozyme, are effective defenses to viral infection. However, once …
Functional Properties of the Apical Na+-K+-2Cl− Cotransporter Isoforms*

The bumetanide-sensitive Na+:K+:2Cl− cotransporter (BSC1) is the major pathway for salt reabsorption in the apical membrane of the mammalian thick ascending limb of Henle. Three isoforms of the cotransporter, known as A, B, and F, exhibit axial expression along the thick ascending limb. We report here a functional comparison of the three isoforms from mouse kidney. When expressed inXenopus oocytes the mBSC1-A isoform showed higher capacity of transport, with no difference in the amount of surface expression. Kinetic characterization revealed divergent affinities for the three cotransported ions. The observed EC50 values for Na+, K+, and Cl− were 5.0 ± 3.9, 0.96 ± 0.16, and 22.2 ± 4.8 mm for mBSC1-A; 3.0 ± 0.6, 0.76 ± 0.07, and 11.6 ± 0.7 mm for mBSC1-B; and 20.6 ± 7.2, 1.54 ± 0.16, and 29.2 ± 2.1 mm for mBSC1-F, respectively. Bumetanide sensitivity was higher in mBSC1-B compared with the mBSC1-A and mBSC1-F isoforms. All three transporters were partially inhibited by hypotonicity but to different extents. The cell swelling-induced inhibition profile was mBSC1-F > mBSC1-B > mBSC1-A. The function of the Na+:K+:2Cl−cotransporter was not affected by extracellular pH or by the addition of metolazone, 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS), orR(+)-[(2-n-butyl-6,7-dichloro-2-cyclopentyl-2,3-dihydro-1-oxo-1-H-indenyl-5-yl)-oxy]acetic acid (DIOA) to the extracellular medium. In contrast, exposure of oocytes to HgCl2 before the uptake period reduced the activity of the cotransporter. The effect of HgCl2 was dose-dependent, and mBSC1-A and mBSC1-B exhibited higher affinity than mBSC1-F. Overall, the functional comparison of the murine apical renal-specific Na+:K+:2Cl−cotransporter isoforms A, B, and F reveals important functional, pharmacological, and kinetic differences, with both physiological and structural implications.
Stimulation of human T cells by streptococcal "superantigen" erythrogenic toxins (scarlet fever toxins).

The pyrogenic (erythrogenic) exotoxins A and C (SPEA and SPEC) of Streptococcus pyogenes belong to the family of mitogenic toxins of which the staphylococcal enterotoxins are the prototypes. The erythrogenic toxin B (SPEB) is a proteinase precursor. All SPE have been reported to be superantigens. Here we have analyzed the human T cell response to these toxins. We used highly purified preparations of SPEA, SPEB, and SPEC from different S. pyogenes strains. These toxins were apparently homogenous in SDS-PAGE, IEF, and HPLC. In addition, recombinant SPEA and SPEC were produced in Escherichia coli. In cultures of PBMC, all three toxins expanded preferentially a fraction of T cells. Using mAb against V beta 2, -5, -6, -8, and -12, we investigated the phenotype of the stimulated cells. Natural SPEA, SPEB, and SPEC strongly stimulated V beta 8+ T cells, whereas recombinant SPEA and SPEC did not. Both natural and recombinant SPEA stimulated V beta 12+ cells and both natural and recombinant SPEC stimulated V beta 2+ cells. In accordance with these findings, a human V beta 8+ line responded to all three toxins derived from S. pyogenes but not to the recombinant proteins. An antiserum against natural SPEC neutralized specifically the V beta 2-stimulating activity of SPEC and the V beta 8-stimulating activity of all three toxins, but had no effect on the response to other superantigens. This shows that trace amounts of a potent novel V beta 8-stimulating activity not identical to SPEA and SPEC are responsible for the stimulation of V beta 8+ T cells by natural SPEA and SPEC reported previously. In a preliminary screening of S. pyogenes strains from patients, we found that this novel superantigen appears to be more widely distributed than SPEA and SPEC. Furthermore, we present evidence that also the superantigenic properties of SPEB are due to contaminations with this V beta 8 stimulator. The response to SPEB usually required 1000 times higher concentrations than to SPEA or SPEC. Antisera to SPEC but not to SPEB inhibited the response of PBMC and V beta 8+ Jurkat cells to SPEB. Furthermore, more stringent purification of SPEB yielded SPEB preparations devoid of mitogenic activity. These results indicate that the mitogenicity that is commonly attributed to SPEB is due to minute contaminations of the V beta 8 stimulator. These results raise two important caveats for the work with these highly potent T cell mitogens. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Endemic tuberculosis among homeless men in New York City.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of the study was to describe demographic and clinical characteristics of patients at the only long-term care facility for homeless men with tuberculosis in New York City, and to evaluate the outcome of a directly observed therapy program for these men. METHODS The study population included residents at the "tuberculosis unit" for men in the New York City municipal shelter system. A cross-sectional survey described the characteristics of 76 men in the unit during November 1991. A retrospective cohort study evaluated 104 consecutive admissions to the facility from October 1, 1990, through March 30, 1991, and determined the outcome of directly observed therapy. RESULTS Cross-sectional survey (n = 76). The median age was 43 years (range, 25 to 60 years); 67 patients (88%) had pulmonary tuberculosis. Among 58 isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, eight were resistant to one drug (14%) and an additional nine were resistant to at least two drugs (16%). A history of previous treatment was associated with an odds ratio of 5.1 for having multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis (exact 95% confidence interval, 0.8 to 53.5). Retrospective cohort (n = 104). Excluding 21 men whose care was transferred to other agencies or institutions, 39 (47%) of 83 subjects completed or were still receiving treatment after 12 months and 44 (53%) of 83 subjects failed to complete the program. CONCLUSIONS As expected, previous treatment for tuberculosis among homeless men is associated with an increased risk of having multiple-drug resistance. A directly observed therapy program successfully treated less than half of the enrolled subjects. Increased efforts are needed to control the spread of tuberculosis among homeless individuals.
Decreased expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the nucleus tractus solitarii inhibits sympathetically mediated baroreflex responses in rat

• Arteries send nerve signals to the brain in response to changes in blood pressure. • Nerves carrying these signals release chemical transmitters onto other neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii, a nucleus in the brainstem. • One chemical that has been considered such a transmitter is nitric oxide, but there has been debate over the action of nitric oxide in brainstem influences on responses to changes blood pressure. • We show that use of a molecular tool that allows us to prevent the normal production of nitric oxide by nerve cells leads to altered reflex regulation of heart rate in rats. • Our findings, which clarify the role of neuronally derived nitric oxide in control of the cardiovascular system by the brain, could lead to better control of blood pressure in individuals with either high or low blood pressure.
A testable design for electrical interconnect tests of 3D ICs

A testable design method for electrical testing is proposed in this paper to detect open defects occurring at interconnects between dies in a 3D IC and locate the defective interconnects. An IEEE 1149.1 test circuit is utilized to provide a test input vector to a targeted interconnect in the electrical tests. Feasibility of the electrical tests is evaluated by Spice simulation. It is shown by the experiments that a hard open defect and a resistive open defect can be detected at a test speed of 1GHz.
Genome-wide linkage scan to detect loci influencing levels of dehydroepiandrosterones in the HERITAGE Family Study.

A genome-wide linkage scan was performed to identify genomic regions that influence levels of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate (DHEAS), and DHEA fatty acid esters (DHEA-FA) at baseline and in response to 20 weeks of endurance exercise training in sedentary white and black participants in the HERITAGE Family Study. The baseline levels were log-transformed and adjusted for the effects of age and sex prior to genetic analysis. The training responses were adjusted for the effects of age, sex, and the baseline values. A total of 509 autosomal component polymorphic markers were used for the genome scan with an average spacing of 6.0 Mb. Multipoint variance components linkage analyses were performed in nuclear families containing 360 white and 106 black sibling pairs. We found 5 genomic regions with significant linkages for baseline DHEA-FA in whites, with log odd (LOD) scores over 3.6 (P < 2 x 10(-5)). They include (1) D1S468 (LOD 4.56, 2.533 Mb, 1p36.22); (2) D2S177 (LOD 5.65, 52.663 Mb, 2p16.3); (3) D4S2397 (LOD 3.98, 32.246 Mb, 4p15.2); (4) the paraoxonase loci (LOD 3.93 approximately 3.99, 101.544 approximately 102.933 Mb, 7q21.3), and D7S821 (LOD 3.88, 104.497 Mb, 7q22.1); and (5) D12S372 (LOD 4.66, 2.129 Mb, 12q13.33). In addition, we obtained evidence of suggestive linkages (2.2 < LOD < 3.6; 2 x 10(-5) < P < 7 x 10(-4)) on chromosomes 3p, 6q, and 8q for baseline DHEAS; on chromosomes 2q, 3p, 9q, 10p, 16q, and 17p for baseline DHEA-FA in whites; and on chromosomes 9q and 11p for baseline DHEA in blacks. This is the first genome-wide linkage scan searching for genomic regions influencing human DHEA levels. Several potential candidate genes are located in these genomic regions, which warrant further studies in HERITAGE and other cohorts.
A review of the terms agglomerate and aggregate with a recommendation for nomenclature used in powder and particle characterization.

The terms "agglomerate" and "aggregate" are widely used by powder technologists to describe assemblages of particles that are found in dry powders and powders in liquid suspensions. Each term has a specific meaning but, unfortunately, they are frequently interchanged at will and this has resulted in universal confusion. This confusion is perpetuated by conflicting definitions in national and international standards and this presents problems when describing powder properties or communicating results in reports and research papers. This paper reviews the current status of the definitions, with particular emphasis on their use in the pharmaceutical industry. It is proposed that just one term, agglomerate, should be used to describe an assemblage of particles in a powder and that the term aggregate should be confined to pre-nucleation structures.
Complexity Measurement and Fault Detection Techniques for H.264 Optimized Functions

In this paper, we systematically studied the complexity measurement, SIMD (Single Input Multiple Data) fault types and testing methodologies for H.264 codec. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first attempt to address these problems. Firstly, two complexity metrics are calculated for various optimized functions in H.264 reference software. These measures have been found to be strongly correlated to the number of faults in software testing. Secondly, we introduced a new category of SIMD faults. Conformance testing, random testing and manual testing are proposed to deal with these SIMD faults as well as conventional faults. Results have shown that, conformance testing, often used as a mechanism to verify the conformity of a decoder under test (DUT), can also be used to discover faults in the studied optimized functions. Random testing is able to detect simple faults at both encoder and decoder functions. Manual testing is especially effective for difficult faults. In practice, one or more of the three techniques can be chosen as needed to increase fault detection rate and speed for H.264 video codec testing.
Cell matrix interactions in asthma

Chronic inflammatory responses, such as asthma, are chciracterized by extensive tissue remodelling resulting from the constant insults by inflammatory mediators and cytokines. Even in patients with mild asthma, there is evidence of inflammation and tissue remodelling [1]. These changes include damage to the epithelial layer [2], alterations in the proflle of matrix proteins [2,3], proliferation of myofibroblasts [2], influx of leucocytes [4,5] and changes in mast cell distribution [6,7]. While the pro-inflammatory effects of mediators or cytokines on the cells involved in asthma have been extensively investigated, the changes in the extracellular matrix may also affect these cells and have a profound effect on the course of the disease. While the importance of providing a suitable matrix for the growth of cell lines or tissue explants has been appreciated for many years, recent investigations have highlighted the profound effects that the matrix can have on cell signalling and gene expression [8-10]. Matrix proteins participate in attachment of cells, tissue growth and repair [It], proliferation and differentiation [12], cell migration and activation [13,14], cell survival/delay of apoptosis [15,16] and chemotaxis [17]. These interactions between the cell and matrix are transduced by adhesion molecules, including the integrins, on the surface ofthe cell. In addition to regulating adhesion to the endothelium and recruitment to the tissues [18], the integrins convey information about the cellular environment into the cell interior and influence a range of cellular responses [19,20]. Integrin-dependent signals are known to influence a range of responses including gene expression, cytokine production [8-10], cytoskeletal reorganization [21,22], eytoplasmic alkalinization [23] and protein phosphorylation [24-26]. The ability of the matrix to convey information into the cell via the integrins can occur in many different ways. The matrix composition may vary in different areas or there may be changes in the matrix isoforms expressed in disease [27]. Alternatively, there may be changes in the availability of ligand binding sites in different contexts [28] or the affinity of integrins for the matrix protein may be changed [29].
Ultra-Small Diameter Round REBCO Wire With Robust Mechanical Properties

The compressive bend diameter (REBa2Cu3Ox (REBCO) layer facing inward in all cases) dependence of critical current (Ic) of commercial (stabilizer free, 50-μm substrate) and thin (22-μm substrate) REBCO tapes has been compared after copper electroplating only on REBCO side and on both sides of the tape. We have experimented with different substrate and stabilizer thickness of the REBCO tape to maximize high Ic retention while the tape is bent into smaller diameter forms. Single-layer round wires made by winding the most robust REBCO tapes on 0.81-mm copper former have been tested for its critical current at different twist pitches under combined torsion and compressive strains. Using the best tape, the critical current of a multilayer round wire of 1.6-mm overall diameter (0.81-mm core) has been tested under bending over a range of diameters from 12 to 3 cm. These studies confirm the superior retention of critical current under combined effect of high torsion and compressive bend strain of our ultra-small diameter REBCO wires.