Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knee joint proprioception in ACL-deficient knees is related to cartilage injury, laxity and ageA retrospective study of 54 patients

BACKGROUND ACL-deficient patients have been found to have proprioceptive defects, but the cause of these defects has not been identified nor has the relationship between proprioception and subjective function, laxity, activity level and age been adequately studied. PATIENTS AND METHODS Therefore, we analyzed proprioception, defined as the threshold to detect a slow passive motion (TTDPM), in relation to activity level, laxity, meniscal injuries, collateral ligament injuries, cartilage injuries, age and subjective function in 54 patients with a previous ACL rupture. We used multiple pair-wise correlation analyses, followed by a stepwise linear regression model. RESULTS We found that poorer proprioception was related to lateral cartilage lesions, increased laxity and older age while a high activity level before injury was related with better proprioception after injury. The results also suggest a relation between proprioception and subjective knee function. INTERPRETATION Anatomical injuy classification may need to be considered when discussing proprioceptive ability in patients with an ACL injury, laxity is related to proprioception and proprioception may decrease with age.
Treatment with cucurbitacin B alone and in combination with gefitinib induces cell cycle inhibition and apoptosis via EGFR and JAK/STAT pathway in human colorectal cancer cell lines

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) associated with signaling pathways, such as Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), plays an important role in colorectal cancers (CRCs). Gefitinib (Gef) is an orally active inhibitor targeting the adenosine tri phosphate-binding domain of EGFR, and cucurbitacin B (CuB) is a selective inhibitor of JAK/STAT signaling with potent antitumor activity via suppression of STAT3 phosphorylation, but the underlying mechanism is not clear. We aimed to investigate the apoptotic and antiproliferative effects of CuB as a single agent and in combination with Gef on both HT-29 and HCT-116 cell lines. Cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis were evaluated using viability assay, fluorescent microscopy, cytotoxicity assay, proliferation, DNA fragmentation, and cleaved caspase 3 levels. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were performed to determine the expression of relevant genes and proteins including antiapoptotic, proapoptotic, and cell cycle regulation. EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR), STAT3, and pSTAT3 proteins were evalutaed with Western blot analysis. Our results showed that, compared to CuB alone, CuB plus Gef treatment caused a significant growth and cell cycle inhibition and induced apoptosis in both cell lines. Also CuB plus Gef treatment decreased DNA synthesis rate more effectively than CuB alone. Treatment with CuB alone and in combination with Gef decreased the expression levels of B-Cell CLL/Lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), BCL2-like 1 (BCL2L1), cyclin D1, pSTAT3, and pEGFR and increased the expression levels of Bcl-2-like protein 4, Bcl-2 homologous antagonist/killer, Bcl-2-associated death promoter, Bcl-2-like protein 11, and p27kip1 levels. Our results suggest that treatment with CuB alone and more likely in combination with Gef may be a considerable alternative therapeutic approach for CRC, at least in vitro.
EPR spectrometry of cytochrome P450 2B4: effects of mutations and substrate binding.

The EPR spectra of NH(2)-terminal-truncated P450 cytochrome 2B4 and of several active site mutants that were previously shown to be profoundly altered in catalytic properties were determined. From these spectra it was seen that the truncated P450 2B4, like the full length cytochrome, exists as the low spin ferric form, but upon mutation of threonine 302 to alanine approximately 40% of the cytochrome is present as the high spin ferric form (g approximately 8, 4, 2). A similar situation was observed in the double mutant E310L T302A, but not in the single mutant E301L. A rhombic high spin signal (g approximately 8, 4, 2) was observed when a substrate such as styrene, benzphetamine, or cyclohexane was added to the truncated cytochrome. Accompanying this change was the appearance of a signal at g = 1.98. Conversely, an axial high spin signal was observed (g approximately 6, 6, 2) when cyclohexanecarboxaldehyde or 3-phenylpropionaldehyde was added to the truncated P450 2B4.
Cutaneous photodamage in Koreans: influence of sex, sun exposure, smoking, and skin color.

BACKGROUND Severe wrinkles and pigmentary changes of the exposed skin indicate substantial damage due to UV radiation. Many investigators believe that the principal manifestation of photodamage in Asians is pigmentary change rather than wrinkles. However, to our knowledge, no well-designed study has investigated the characteristics of cutaneous photodamage in Asian skin. OBJECTIVE To access the severity of wrinkles and dyspigmentation in Koreans exposed to sun and who smoked. METHODS We developed new photographic scales for grading wrinkles and dyspigmentation in 407 Koreans to assess the severity of the wrinkles and dyspigmentation. We interviewed subjects to determine cumulative sun exposure and smoking history, and measured the skin color of individual subjects. RESULTS Our photographic scales provided a reliable evaluation of photodamage severity in Koreans. The pattern of wrinkling in both sexes is similar, but women tended to have more severe wrinkles (prevalence odds ratio, 3.7). However, the pattern of dyspigmentation differed between the sexes. Seborrheic keratosis is the major pigmentary lesion in men, whereas hyperpigmented macules are the prominent features in women. Cigarette smoking is an independent risk factor for wrinkles, but not for dyspigmentation, in Koreans, and causes additive detrimental effects to wrinkles induced by aging and sun exposure. The constitutive skin color did not show any correlation with wrinkles or dyspigmentation. However, facultative pigmentation (sun exposure index) may reflect lifetime sun exposure, and it shows a good correlation with wrinkles in Koreans. CONCLUSION Wrinkling is a major feature of photoaging in Koreans, as are pigmentary changes; smoking, sun exposure, and female sex are independent risk factors for wrinkles.
Two-dimensional GaGeTe film: a promising graphene-like material with tunable band structure and high carrier mobility

Exploring experimentally feasible two-dimensional (2D) films with high carrier mobility and tunable band structure is one key to developing next-generation nanodevices. Motivated by successful synthesis of the layered GaGeTe in previous experiments, we performed first-principles calculations to explore the geometric and electronic properties of GaGeTe few-layers, with a focus on the monolayer. The interlayer interaction in layered GaGeTe was found to be rather weak, with a cleavage energy of 0.53 J m−2, suggesting that the exfoliation of bulk crystal is a viable means for the preparation of GaGeTe few-layers. When thinned from bulk to few-layers, a transition from semimetal to semiconductor occurs with a band gap in the range of 0–0.74 eV, which is promising for the photovoltaic emitting devices. Moreover, the indirect band gap of the GaGeTe monolayer can be effectively tuned by applying mechanical strain and decreases with increasing tensile strain, while it increases and turns into a direct band gap under a compressive strain of 2.0%. Anisotropic carrier mobility can be observed along zigzag and armchair directions of the GaGeTe monolayer, and particularly for the former, a maximum of 7.83 × 104 cm2 V−1 s−1 was observed. Considering that the GaGeTe monolayer is both dynamically and thermodynamically stable at a temperature of 600 K, these findings expand the potential applications of the emerging field of 2D germanene-based crystals in nanoelectronics.
Stresses and Birefringence in Rubber subjected to General Homogeneous Strain

A method is described by which a sheet of rubber may be subjected to the most general type of homogeneous strain, with simultaneous measurement of the principal stresses and the birefringence. As predicted by the molecular network theory, the birefringence is found to be proportional (a) to the difference of the squares of the principal extension ratios, and (b) to the difference of the principal stresses in the sheet. An examination of the stresses shows that these cannot be accurately represented by the equations derived from the network theory. A closer approximation is given by a more general theory of Mooney, the simplest form of which gives a satisfactory account of the behaviour of a swollen rubber. For a dry rubber, on the other hand, the Mooney formula, though better than the network theory, does not adequately represent the experimental data.
Stories We Tell About Labor: Turkopticon and the Trouble with "Design"

This paper argues that designers committed to advancing justice and other non-market values must attend not only to the design of objects, processes, and situations, but also to the wider economic and cultural imaginaries of design as a social role. The paper illustrates the argument through the case of Turkopticon, originally an activist tool for workers in Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT), built by the authors and maintained since 2009. The paper analyzes public depictions of Turkopticon which cast designers as creative innovators and AMT workers as without agency or capacity to change their situation. We argue that designers' elevated status as workers in knowledge economies can have practical consequences for the politics of their design work. We explain the consequences of this status for Turkopticon and how we adapted our approach in response over the long term. We argue for analyses of power in design work that account for and develop counters to hegemonic beliefs and practices about design as high-status labor.
Soil moisture and land use are major determinants of soil microbial community composition and biomass at a regional scale in northeastern China

Abstract. Global environmental factors impact soil microbial communities and further affect organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling and vegetation dynamic. However, little is known about the relative contributions of climate factors, soil properties, vegetation types, land management practices and spatial structure (which serves as a proxy for underlying effects of temperature and precipitation for spatial variation) on soil microbial community composition and biomass at large spatial scales. Here, we compared soil microbial communities using phospholipid fatty acid method across 7 land use types from 23 locations at a regional scale in northeastern China (850 × 50 km). The results showed that soil moisture and land use changes were most closely related to microbial community composition and biomass at the regional scale, while soil total C content and climate effects were weaker but still significant. Factors such as spatial structure, soil texture, nutrient availability and vegetation types were not important. Higher contributions of gram-positive bacteria were found in wetter soils, whereas higher contributions of gram-negative bacteria and fungi were observed in drier soils. The contributions of gram-negative bacteria and fungi were lower in heavily disturbed soils than historically disturbed and undisturbed soils. The lowest microbial biomass appeared in the wettest and driest soils. In conclusion, dominant climate and soil properties were not the most important drivers governing microbial community composition and biomass because of inclusion of irrigated and managed practices, and thus soil moisture and land use appear to be primary determinants of microbial community composition and biomass at the regional scale in northeastern China.
Molecular Systematics of the Phoxinin Genus Pteronotropis (Otophysi: Cypriniformes)

The genus Pteronotropis is widely distributed along the gulf slope of eastern North America from Louisiana to Florida and rivers in South Carolina along the Atlantic slope. Pteronotropis have very distinctive, flamboyant coloration. The habitats most frequently associated with these species include heavily vegetated backwater bayous to small sluggish or flowing tannin-stained streams. Although Pteronotropis is recognized as a valid genus, no phylogenetic analysis of all the species has corroborated its monophyly. In recent years, four additional species have been either described or elevated from synonymy: P. merlini, P. grandipinnis, P. stonei, and P. metallicus, with the wide-ranging P. hypselopterus complex. To examine relationships within this genus and test its monophyly, phylogenetic analyses were conducted using two nuclear genes, recombination activating gene 1, RAG1, and the first intron of S7 ribosomal protein gene in both maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses. In no analysis was Pteronotropis, as currently recognized, recovered as monophyletic without the inclusion of the currently recognized Notropis harperi, herein referred to as Pteronotropis. Two major clades are supported: one inclusive of P. hubbsi, P. welaka, and P. harperi and the second inclusive of P. signipinnis, P. grandipinnis, P. hypselopterus plus P. merlini sister to P. euryzonus, and P. metallicus plus P. stonei.
Hierarchical Language Models for Expert Finding in Enterprise Corpora

Enterprise corpora contain evidence of what employees work on and therefore can be used to automatically find experts on a given topic. We present a general approach for representing the knowledge of a potential expert as a mixture of language models from associated documents. First we retrieve documents given the expert's name using a generative probabilistic technique and weight the retrieved documents according to expert-specific posterior distribution. Then we model the expert indirectly through the set of associated documents, which allows us to exploit their underlying structure and complex language features. Experiments show that our method has excellent performance on TREC 2005 expert search task and that it effectively collects and combines evidence for expertise in a heterogeneous collection
Methodologies for the preparation of soft materials using cryoFIB SEM

The recent advent of focused ion beam (FIB) technology in combination with the more familiar scanning electron microscope (SEM) is bringing new insights to the characterization of a range of bulk materials. Furthermore, the FIB SEM can be augmented by a cryo-preparation/transfer system, enabling both frozen and frozen-hydrated soft materials to be FIB-milled at low temperature. This provides an opportunity to perform in situ site-specific crosssectioning, and hence study the interior of a bulk material in two and three dimensions, and serves as an alternative to the freeze-fracturing techniques associated with conventional cryo-SEM. For soft materials in particular, the quality of FIB SEM results is dependent on correct preparation of the specimen's top surface, which is rather challenging for specimens at low temperature. We therefore demonstrate methods for 'cold deposition' of a protective, planarising surface layer on a cryo-prepared sample, enabling high-quality cross-sectioning and investigation of structures at the nano-scale.
Evaluation of single-stage adjustable strabismus surgery under conscious sedation

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility and stability of ocular alignment after single-stage adjustable strabismus surgery (SSASS) performed under topical anesthesia. Materials and Methods Forty-five patients of concomitant exodeviations were randomized into three groups of 15 cases each and were operated with three different techniques: Group I - conventional surgery, Group II - two-stage adjustable suture technique with suture adjustment performed 6h postoperatively and Group III- SSASS under topical anesthesia and intravenous conscious sedation with midazolam and fentanyl. Intraoperative suture adjustment was done by giving a cross target to the patient on the ceiling at the end of the procedure. Surgical results were compared among the three groups at three months follow-up. Intraoperative hemodynamic parameters and patients' experience of the surgery (by questionnaire) were also compared. Results Mean preoperative deviation for distance in Groups I, II, III was −41.67 prism diopter (pd) ±9.0, −38.93 pd ±11.05 and −41.87 pd ±8.91 (P=0.6) respectively. At three months, mean correction achieved for distance was +31.87 pd ±11.71, +35.47 pd ±10.86 and +42.80 pd ±10.71 respectively which was significantly different between Group III and Group I (P =0.03). Intraoperatively all hemodynamic parameters remained stable and comparable (P=0.5) in all groups. Intraoperative pain (P<0.001) and time taken for surgery (P<0.001) was more in the SSASS group. Amount of exodrift was 10-12 pd, comparable in all three groups (P = 0.5). Conclusions SSASS, performed under topical anesthesia, is safe and has better outcomes than conventional recession-resection surgery for concomitant exodeviation. An overcorrection of about 10-12 pd is recommended to check the exodrift and achieve stable alignment.
Feedback regulation of murine Ly‐1 B cell development

Studies presented here, conducted with allotype homozygotes, demonstrate the existence of a feedback mechanism that regulates development of Ly‐1 B cells from immature progenitors. In the preceding study (P. A. Lalor et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 1989. 19: 501), conducted with allotype heterozygotes, we showed that treating neonates with monoclonal antibody to the paternal allotype IgM depletes roughly half of the neonatal B cell population (i.e. those expressing the paternal IgM allotype) and that paternal allotype Ly‐1 B cells specificically remain depleted for the life of the animal. Here we show that treating allotype homozygotes with the same antibody depletes all (rather than half) of the B cells and that, under these conditions, relatively normal numbers of Ly‐1 B cells reappear shortly after the treatment antibody disappears. This recovery, we also show, is prevented by restoring allotype‐congenic Ly‐1 B cells to the treated homozygotes, i.e. by reconstituting treated neonates with allotype‐congenic peritoneal cells, sorted Ly‐1 B cells or a monoclonal population of Ly‐1 B “tumor” cells.
The Extended Blue Continuum and Line Emission around the Central Radio Galaxy in Abell 2597

We present results from detailed imaging of the centrally dominant radio elliptical galaxy in the cooling-flow cluster Abell 2597, using data obtained with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). This object is one of the archetypal "blue-lobed" cooling-flow radio elliptical galaxies, also displaying a luminous emission-line nebula, a compact radio source, and a significant dust lane and evidence of molecular gas in its center. We show that the radio source is surrounded by a complex network of emission-line filaments, some of which display a close spatial association with the outer boundary of the radio lobes. We present a detailed analysis of the physical properties of ionized and neutral gas associated with the radio lobes, and show that their properties are strongly suggestive of direct interactions between the radio plasma and ambient gas. We resolve the blue continuum emission into a series of knots and clumps, and present evidence that these are most likely due to regions of recent star formation. We investigate several possible triggering mechanisms for the star formation, including direct interactions with the radio source, filaments condensing from the cooling flow, or the result of an interaction with a gas-rich galaxy, which may also have been responsible for fueling the active nucleus. We propose that the properties of the source are plausibly explained in terms of accretion of gas by the cD during an interaction with a gas-rich galaxy, which, combined with the fact that this object is located at the centre of a dense, high-pressure intracluster medium, can account for the high rates of star formation and the strong confinement of the radio source.
Synthesis and Properties of Novel Polyurethanes Containing Long-Segment Fluorinated Chain Extenders

In this study, novel biodegradable long-segment fluorine-containing polyurethane (PU) was synthesized using 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and 1H,1H,10H,10H-perfluor-1,10-decanediol (PFD) as hard segment, and polycaprolactone diol (PCL) as a biodegradable soft segment. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to perform 1H NMR, 19F NMR, 19F–19F COSY, 1H–19F COSY, and HMBC analyses on the PFD/PU structures. The results, together with those from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), verified that the PFD/PUs had been successfully synthesized. Additionally, the soft segment and PFD were changed, after which FTIR and XPS peak-differentiation-imitating analyses were employed to examine the relationship of the hydrogen bonding reaction between the PFD chain extender and PU. Subsequently, atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the changes in the microphase structure between the PFD chain extender and PU, after which the effects of the thermal properties between them were investigated through thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical analysis. Finally, the effects of the PFD chain extender on the mechanical properties of the PU were investigated through a tensile strength test.
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A Dataset for Improved RGBD-Based Object Detection and Pose Estimation for Warehouse Pick-and-Place

An important logistics application of robotics involves manipulators that pick-and-place objects placed in warehouse shelves. A critical aspect of this task corresponds to detecting the pose of a known object in the shelf using visual data. Solving this problem can be assisted by the use of an RGBD sensor, which also provides depth information beyond visual data. Nevertheless, it remains a challenging problem since multiple issues need to be addressed, such as low illumination inside shelves, clutter, texture-less and reflective objects as well as the limitations of depth sensors. This letter provides a new rich dataset for advancing the state-of-the-art in RGBD-based 3D object pose estimation, which is focused on the challenges that arise when solving warehouse pick-and-place tasks. The publicly available dataset includes thousands of images and corresponding ground truth data for the objects used during the first Amazon Picking Challenge at different poses and clutter conditions. Each image is accompanied with ground truth information to assist in the evaluation of algorithms for object detection. To show the utility of the dataset, a recent algorithm for RGBD-based pose estimation is evaluated in this letter. Given the measured performance of the algorithm on the dataset, this letter shows how it is possible to devise modifications and improvements to increase the accuracy of pose estimation algorithms. This process can be easily applied to a variety of different methodologies for object pose detection and improve performance in the domain of warehouse pick-and-place.