Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biomechanical Evaluation of the Suitability of Monofilament Nylon Fishing and Leader Line for Extra-articular Stabilisation of the Canine Cruciate-deficient Stifle

Summary The use of monofilament nylon line for extra-articular stabilisation of the cruciate deficient canine stifle is widespread in veterinary surgery. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to examine the mechanical behaviour of two forms of monofilament line - standard nylon fishing line (NFL) and nylon leader line (NLL) - when sterilised by steam or ethylene oxide and formed into loops approximating their use in the clinical situation; 2) to compare the mechanical performance of the canine fabellar attachment site to the steel hooks used in the first part of the study. It was found that NLL loops were not affected by sterilisation and had higher failure loads and stiffness than NFL loops. Further testing of 27-kilo - gram-test (kgt) and 36 kgt steam-sterilised NFL and NLL found that of the materials tested, NLL 27 kgt was most suitable as an extra-articular stabiliser of the canine stifle. The performance of the fabellar attachment site was superior to the steel hooks when cycled to 50 N and inferior when cycled to 100 N. The suitability of monofilament nylon fishing line (NFL) and monofilament nylon leader line (NLL) for use as lateral fabel-lotibial sutures (LFTS) in canine cranial cruciate ligament repair was investigated. In vitro testing of loops of the materials was performed with steel hook and fabellar attachment points. Twenty-seven-kilogram test NLL was found to be the most suitable nylon line from which to construct an LFTS.
Sulphanilamide in the Treatment of Erysipelas

A report to the Therapeutic Trials Committee of the Medical Research Council on the effect of prontosil " red " in the treatment of erysipelas was recently published by us (Snodgrass and Anderson, 1937). Using ultra-violet light as the method of treatment in the control group, it was concluded that those cases which received prontosil " red " showed better results in respect of the curtailment of (1) the duration of the spread of the local lesion; (2) the duration of primary pyrexia; (3) the duration of toxaemia. The evidence supporting these statements was assessed statistically.
Interactive presentation: A shift register based clause evaluator for reconfigurable SAT solver

Several approaches have been proposed to accelerate the NP-complete Boolean Satisfiability problem (SAT) using reconfigurable computing. We present an FPGA based clause evaluator, where each clause is modeled as a shift register that is either right shifted, left shifted, or standstill according to whether the current assigned variable value satisfy, unsatisfy, or does not effect the clause, respectively. For a given problem instance, the effect of the value of each of its variables on its SAT formula is loaded in the FPGA on-chip memory. This results in less configuration effort and fewer hardware resources than other available SAT solvers. Also, we present a new approach for implementing conflict analysis based on a conflicting variables accumulator and priority encoder to determine backtrack level. Using these two new ideas, we implement an FPGA based SAT solver performing depth-first search with non-chronological conflict directed backtracking. We compare our SAT solver with other solvers through instances from DIMACS benchmarks suite.
Privacy and utility for defect prediction: Experiments with MORPH

Ideally, we can learn lessons from software projects across multiple organizations. However, a major impediment to such knowledge sharing are the privacy concerns of software development organizations. This paper aims to provide defect data-set owners with an effective means of privatizing their data prior to release. We explore MORPH which understands how to maintain class boundaries in a data-set. MORPH is a data mutator that moves the data a random distance, taking care not to cross class boundaries. The value of training on this MORPHed data is tested via a 10-way within learning study and a cross learning study using Random Forests, Naive Bayes, and Logistic Regression for ten object-oriented defect datasets from the PROMISE data repository. Measured in terms of exposure of sensitive attributes, the MORPHed data was four times more private than the unMORPHed data. Also, in terms of the f-measures, there was little difference between the MORPHed and unMORPHed data (original data and data privatized by data-swapping) for both the cross and within study. We conclude that at least for the kinds of OO defect data studied in this project, data can be privatized without concerns for inference efficacy.
Molecular Pathogenesis of Genetic and Inherited Diseases Critical Roles of Lysosomal Acid Lipase in T Cell Development and Function

Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) cleaves cholesteryl esters and triglycerides to generate free fatty acids and cholesterol in lysosomes. In LAL gene-knockout (lal / ) mice, blockage of cholesteryl ester and triglyceride metabolism led to abnormal organization of the thymus and spleen, as well as neutral lipid accumulation in these organs. LAL deficiency impaired T cell development in the thymus. Peripheral T cells were reduced dramatically in lal / mice, due largely to increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation of lal / T cells in the thymus and peripheral compartments. These lal / T cells lost the ability to respond to T cell receptor stimulation, including reduced expression of cell surface receptor CD69, abolishment of T cell proliferation, and decreased expression of T lymphokines after stimulation by either anti-CD3 plus anti-CD28 or phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and ionomycin. Differentiation of Th1 and Th2 CD4 effector lymphocytes by T cell receptor stimulation was blocked in lal / mice. The ratio of CD4 CD25 FoxP3 Tregs to CD4 T cells was increased in lal / spleens. Bone marrow chimeras demonstrated retardation of T cell development and maturation in lal / mice due to defects in T cell precursors. Therefore, LAL, its downstream genes, and lipid mediators all play essential roles in development, homeostasis, and function of T cells. The altered development and function of lal / T cells contributes to disease formation in various organs during LAL deficiency. (Am J Pathol 2009, 174:944–956; DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.080562)
Real-time grasping-force optimization for multifingered manipulation: theory and experiments

Real-time grasping-force optimization is a vital problem in dextrous manipulation with multifingered robotic hands. In this paper, we review two prominent approaches that have recently been proposed for this problem, and identify their common need for an appropriate initial condition to start the recursive algorithms. Then, we propose an efficient algorithm that combines a linear-matrix-inequality method with a gradient method for automatic generation of initial conditions. By incorporating the initial conditions, optimal grasping forces can be generated efficiently in real time. Finally, we implement and evaluate all the algorithms for grasping-force control in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology three-fingered hand platform. Experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.
Impact of Sex on the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of 1% Tenofovir Gel.

BACKGROUND Tenofovir (TFV) gel partially protected against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in one but not subsequent trials. The disappointing results were attributed largely to poor adherence. However, timing of gel application relative to sex may impact pharmacokinetics and contribute to outcomes. Thus, we conducted a single-dose pharmacokinetic study of TFV gel applied 1 or 24 hours before or 1 hour before and 1 hour after (BAT) sex and compared results with dosing without sex. METHODS Twenty-four couples were enrolled; cervicovaginal lavage (CVL) and tissue were collected 2 hours after sex with matching timed collections at no sex visits and assayed for drug concentrations and CVL anti-HIV activity. RESULTS Compared with dosing without sex, median TFV concentrations after sex decreased 72% and 78% (P < .001) in CVL, 75% and 71% (P < .001) in vaginal tissue, and 75% (P = .06) and 55% (P < .001) in cervical tissue with -1 hour and -24 hour dosing, respectively. Median concentration of TFV-diphosphate also decreased significantly in cervical tissue with -1 hour, dosing. BAT dosing resulted in drug levels at least as great as those in the absence of sex. Percent inhibition of HIV infection by post-coital CVL increased significantly from median (interquartile range) of 55% (54%) in the absence of gel to 99% (7%), 77% (57%), and 100% (0.4%) with -1 hour, -24 hour, or BAT dosing, respectively, and correlated significantly with drug concentration. CONCLUSIONS Timing of TFV gel application relative to sex significantly impacts drug levels. BAT dosing or sustained delivery may be optimal for preexposure prophylaxis.
Risk assessment of lingual plate perforation in posterior mandibular region: a virtual implant placement study using cone-beam computed tomography.

BACKGROUND Lingual plate perforation at the time of implant placement in posterior mandible is a potential surgical complication, and presence of a lingual concavity is considered a risk factor. Little is known about the spatial relationship between implant and lingual plate. The role of lingual concavity in the risk of lingual perforation has not yet been fully studied. This computer-simulated study investigates the incidence of lingual plate perforation in edentulous mandibular first molar region and the risk of perforation in the area of lingual concavity. METHODS One hundred and three qualified cone-beam computed tomography scans were selected from the database. Implants of various dimensions were virtually placed into the area using computer software. The distance between implant tip and lingual plate was measured using a digital caliper. Incidence of lingual plate perforation and proximity of the implant tip to lingual plate were measured for three types of cross-sectional mandibular morphology. RESULTS One hundred and three cone-beam computed tomography scans with 118 sites were available for analysis. The intraexaminer and interexaminer agreements were 0.93 and 0.89, respectively. The predicted incidence of lingual plate perforation was 1.1% to 1.2%. Most implants, which were within 1 mm from lingual plate, occurred in sites with lingual concavity (type-U ridge). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates a novel experimental design by which the spatial relation between implant and lingual plate in mandibular first molar region is investigated. Incidence of lingual plate perforation during implant placement is predicted to be 1.1% to 1.2% and it will most likely happen in type-U ridge.
Life-years-gained from population risk factor changes and modern cardiology treatments in Ireland.

BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates in Ireland have halved since the mid-1980s, and adult life expectancy has also steadily improved. This study estimated the life-years-gained by CHD treatments and by changes in cardiovascular risk factor levels. METHODS A previously validated Irish IMPACT CHD mortality model was used to integrate large amounts of data on (i) patient numbers, (ii) treatment uptake, (iii) risk factor trends, (iv) effectiveness of cardiology treatments and risk factor reductions, and (v) median survival in patients with and without CHD, all stratified by age and sex. Results were tested in rigorous sensitivity analyses. RESULTS There were 3763 fewer CHD deaths than expected in 2000 compared with the base year, 1985. This resulted in approximately 44,060 life-years-gained among people aged 25-84. Specific medical and surgical treatments given in 2000 for CHD patients together gained approximately 14,505 life-years. Population changes in cholesterol and smoking levels accounted for some 32,705 life-years-gained, 66% from reductions in cholesterol alone. Adverse changes in obesity and diabetes resulted in a loss of approximately 3670 life-years. CONCLUSIONS Use of modern cardiology treatments in Ireland from 1985 to 2000 gained many thousands of life-years. However, twice as many life-years were generated by relatively modest reductions in major risk factors. Effective policies, such as the promotion of healthy diets, and weight reduction, together with the recent nationwide workplace smoking ban, will be essential to maintain and further enhance health gain.
Neurobiology of early psychosis

Background Neurobiological studies of the early course of psychoses, such as schizophrenia, allow investigation of pathophysiology without the confounds of illness chronicity and treatment. Aims To review the recent literature on the biology of the early course of psychoses. Method We carried out a critical appraisal of the recent findings in the neurobiology of early psychoses, using structural, functional and neurochemical imaging techniques. Results Brain structural alterations are present early in the illness and may predate symptom onset. Some changes, notably those in frontal and temporal lobes, can progress during the early phases of the illness. Functional and neurochemical brain abnormalities can also be seen in the premorbid and the early phases of the illness. Some, although not all, changes can be trait-like whereas some others might progress during the early years. Conclusions A better understanding of such changes, especially during the critical periods of the prodrome, around the transition to the psychotic phase and during the early phases of the illness is crucial for continued research into preventive intervention strategies.
Overproduction of nitrogenase by nitrogen-limited cultures of Rhodopseudomonas palustris

Rhodopseudomonas palustris cells grown on limiting nitrogen produced four- to eightfold higher nitrogenase specific activity relative to cells sparged with N2. The high activity of N-limited cells was the result of overproduction of the nitrogenase proteins. This was shown by four independent techniques: (i) titration of the Mo-Fe protein in cell-free extracts with Fe protein from Azotobacter vinelandii; (ii) direct detection of the subunits of Mo-Fe protein by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; (iii) monitoring of the electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of Mo-Fe protein in whole cells; and (iv) immunological assay of the Fe protein level with an antiserum against the homologous protein of Rhodospirillum rubrum. The derepressed level of nitrogenase found in N2-grown cells was not due to an increased turnover of nitrogenase. The apparent half-lives of nitrogenase in N2-grown and N-limited cells were 58 and 98 h, respectively, but were too long to account for the difference in enzyme level. Half-lives were determined by measuring nitrogenase after repression of de novo synthesis by ammonia and subsequent release of nitrogenase switch-off by methionine sulfoximine. Observations were extended to R. rubrum, Rhodopseudomonas capsulata, and Rhodomicrobium vannielii and indicated that overproduction of nitrogenase under nitrogen limitation is not an exceptional property of R. palustris, but rather a general property of phototrophic bacteria.
Morbidity and Mortality Outcomes of Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy at a Single Institution in Japan

Background. Even though cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are associated with a high morbidity and mortality rates, it has been reported that CRS and HIPEC improved survival of selected patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis. We aimed to report morbidity and mortality results of CRS and HIPEC from a single institution in Japan. Methods and Results. Total of 284 procedures of CRS were performed on patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei, peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from colon cancer and gastric cancer between 2007 and 2011 in our institution. The morbidity rate was 49% of all procedure, and grades I/II and grades III/IV complications were 28% and 17%, respectively. Most frequent complication was surgical site infections including intraabdominal abscess. The mortality rate was 3.5%, and reoperation was needed in 11% of all procedures. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) greater than 20 was the only significant factor for occurrence of postoperative complications (P < 0.01). In contrast, HIPEC significantly reduced postoperative complications (P < 0.05). Conclusions. The morbidity and mortality rates of our institution are comparable with previous reports that are in acceptable rates. Optimal patient selection such as patients with PCI less than 20 seems to be of paramount importance to CRS and HIPEC.
On the Expressive Power of Node Construction in XQuery

the relational model it has been shown that the flat rela- tional algebra has the same expressive power as the nested relational algebra, as far as queries over flat relations and with flat results are concerned (6). Hence, for each query that uses the nested relational model and that, with a flat table as input always has a flat table as output, there exists an equivalent flat query that only uses the flat relational model. In analogy, we study a related flat-flat problem for XQuery: for each expression containing operations that con- struct new nodes and whose XML result contains only orig- inal nodes, there exists an equivalent "flat" expression in XQuery that does not construct new nodes.
TGF-β-Induced Endothelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Fibrotic Diseases

Fibrotic diseases are characterized by net accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins in affected organs leading to their dysfunction and ultimate failure. Myofibroblasts have been identified as the cells responsible for the progression of the fibrotic process, and they originate from several sources, including quiescent tissue fibroblasts, circulating CD34+ fibrocytes and the phenotypic conversion of various cell types into activated myofibroblasts. Several studies have demonstrated that endothelial cells can transdifferentiate into mesenchymal cells through a process termed endothelial- mesenchymal transition (EndMT) and that this can give rise to activated myofibroblasts involved in the development of fibrotic diseases. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) has a central role in fibrogenesis by modulating the fibroblast phenotype and function, inducing myofibroblast transdifferentiation and promoting matrix accumulation. In addition, TGF-β by inducing EndMT may further contribute to the development of fibrosis. Despite extensive investigation of the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases, no effective treatment strategies are available. Delineation of the mechanisms responsible for initiation and progression of fibrotic diseases is crucial for the development of therapeutic strategies for the treatment of the disease. In this review, we summarize the role of the TGF-β signaling pathway and EndMT in the development of fibrotic diseases and discuss their therapeutic potential.
Novel EUV Resist Materials Design for 14 nm Half Pitch and below

Polymers with a different Tg and activation energy were prepared to clarify influences of acid diffusion on resolution at 15 nm half-pitch (hp) and 14 nm hp using a EUV micro-field exposure tool (MET) at LBNL. Resolution on such a narrow pattern was limited by collapse and pinching. Clear relationship between pinching numbers and polymer Tg indicates that acid diffusion is one of major contributors on the pinching. In addition, polymers with a low thermal activation energy (Ea) on deprotection were effective for reducing pinching. This is probably originated from its high chemically amplification character even in low post-exposure bake (PEB) temperature to obtain both large chemical contrast and short acid diffusion. On the other hand, a good correlation between a cleanable outgassing amount and Ea indicates trade-off relationship between outgassing and resolution. Advantages of n-butyl acetate (nBA) developer have been investigated in viewpoint of dissolution uniformity. Surface roughness of a non-patterned resist film at half-exposed area, which was well correlated with LWR, was measured by AFM as indicator of uniformity in development process. To avoid any differences in resist chemistry other than development process, cross linking negative tone resist was applied for this study. The surface roughness obtained by nBA, which is conventional negative-tone imaging (NTI) developer, was 32 % lower than that obtained by 2.38 % TMAH solution. NTI resist system with a nBA developer and optimized resist reduced LWR from 4.8 nm to 3.0 nm in comparison with conventional positive tone resist with a 2.38 % TMAH developer. In addition, advantage on semi-dense trench patterning was well defined. New EUV sensitizer with 1.15 times higher EUV absorption resulted in 1.15 times higher acid yield by EUV exposure. Lithography performance of the new EUV sensitizer has been investigated by MET at SEMATECH Albany. Sensitivity was indeed improved from 20 mJ/cm to 17 mJ/cm according to the acid yield increase, but resolution was significantly degraded.
Human DNA Helicase B Functions in Cellular Homologous Recombination and Stimulates Rad51-Mediated 5′-3′ Heteroduplex Extension In Vitro

Homologous recombination is involved in the repair of DNA damage and collapsed replication fork, and is critical for the maintenance of genomic stability. Its process involves a network of proteins with different enzymatic activities. Human DNA helicase B (HDHB) is a robust 5′-3′ DNA helicase which accumulates on chromatin in cells exposed to DNA damage. HDHB facilitates cellular recovery from replication stress, but its role in DNA damage response remains unclear. Here we report that HDHB silencing results in reduced sister chromatid exchange, impaired homologous recombination repair, and delayed RPA late-stage foci formation induced by ionizing radiation. Ectopically expressed HDHB colocalizes with Rad51, Rad52, RPA, and ssDNA. In vitro, HDHB stimulates Rad51-mediated heteroduplex extension in 5′-3′ direction. A helicase-defective mutant HDHB failed to promote this reaction. Our studies implicate HDHB promotes homologous recombination in vivo and stimulates 5′-3′ heteroduplex extension during Rad51-mediated strand exchange in vitro.
MODELING THE RESIDUAL EFFECTS AND THRESHOLD SATURATION OF TRAINING: ACASE STUDY OF OLYMPIC SWIMMERS

The aim of this study was to model the residual effects of training on the swimming performance and to compare a model that includes threshold saturation (MM) with the Banister model (BM). Seven Olympic swimmers were studied over a period of 4 ± 2 years. For 3 training loads (low-intensity wLIT, high-intensity wHIT, and strength training wST), 3 residual training effects were determined: short-term (STE) during the taper phase (i.e., 3 weeks before the performance [weeks 0, 1, and 2]), intermediate-term (ITE) during the intensity phase (weeks 3, 4, and 5), and long-term (LTE) during the volume phase (weeks 6, 7, and 8). ITE and LTE were positive for wHIT and wLIT, respectively (p < 0.05). Low-intensity training load during taper was related to performances by a parabolic relationship (p < 0.05). Different quality measures indicated that MM compares favorably with BM. Identifying individual training thresholds may help individualize the distribution of training loads.
Selling Information

A firm considers hiring an agent who may be competent for a potential project or not. The agent can prove her competence but faces a holdup problem. We propose a model of persuasion and show how gradualism helps mitigate the holdup problem. We show when it is optimal to give away part of the information at the beginning of the bargaining and sell the remainder in dribs and drabs. The agent can appropriate only part of the value of information. Introducing a third party allows her to extract the maximum surplus.