Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tropospheric N 20 Variability

Tropospheric N2O climatologies are simulated with the GFDL general circulation/tracer model for three idealized source specifications: (I) a constant surface flux of 1.44 x 109 molecules cm-2 S-I distributed uniformly over the earth's surface with a global source strength of 17 tg N2O yr-1 and an atmospheric lifetime of 131 yr; (2) a 13 month integration of the stable N2O field from experiment I with its N2O source removed; (3) a constant surface flux of 2.24 x 1010 molecules cm-2 S-I over only those land areas with precipitation in excess of an arbitrary limit of 127 cm yr-l, but with the same global strength (17 tg N2O yr-l) and atmospheric lifetime (131 yr) as in experiment I. In the boundary layer the model produces an interhemispheric gradient with a minimum in the northern hemisphere (N.H.). This is due to the greater downward transport in the N.H. which results in more dilution of N.H. boundary layer N2O mixing ratios by the N2O poor air from the lower stratosphere. The boundary layer distribution of N2O is also influenced by the distribution of the surface source. The lack of an N2O maximum in the model's N.H. boundary layer suggests that, unlike the model's idealized source, the true source has a large excess in the northern hemisphere. Above the boundary layer the north-south gradient is controlled by the large-scale vertical transport which produces a N.H. minimum in N2O mixing ratio. The impact of the surface source distribution is small. Current measurements at 500 mbar have too Iowa precision to confirm or disprove the model prediction of an interhemispheric gradient with a N.H. minimum in the middle troposphere. The sources of temporal variability in the model's N2O fields are transient motions of all scales acting on mixing ratio gradients, both vertical and horizontal. The model finds that a small surface source of 17 tg N2O yr-i. sufficient to balance stratospheric destruction, is more than able to maintain the observed variability in the boundary layer (sI.O%). The empirical Junge rule relating temporal relative standard deviation to lifetime clearly does not apply to measurements in the boundary layer. There, the variability is dependent on local meteorology and source strength rather than on atmospheric lifetime. It ranges from <0.1 % in regions far from any source to 1.0-2.0% in regions with both a source and weak vertical motion. However, the measurement of local mixing ratio time series in the boundary layer, when combined with local meteorological data, should give considerable information about the surrounding sources.
Italian Survey of Organizational Functioning and Readiness for Change: A Cross-Cultural Transfer of Treatment Assessment Strategies

To better understand why some drug abuse treatment programs are more effective than others, USA research about organizational functioning and its role in the provision of treatment services was extended through a study of a delivery system in another country. The Texas Christian University (TCU) organizational functioning and readiness for change instrument (ORC) was translated into Italian and administered to 405 treatment program directors and staff from both public and private sectors in the Veneto Region of Northern Italy. Results indicated that the psychometric properties of the ORC in the USA and Italy are consistent. Some general differences in staff attributes were found between USA and Italian programs, but organizational climates were remarkably similar.
The utility of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in mediastinal or hilar lymph node evaluation in extrathoracic malignancy: Benign or malignant?

OBJECTIVE: Newly arising enlarged or hypermetabolic mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with previously diagnosed extrathoracic malignancies raise suspicion of metastasis. Relatively high proportion of these LNs is due to a benign condition. We aimed to determine frequency of malignant LNs and role of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for clarification of the origin of suspicious LNs in these patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients with a known extrathoracic malignancy and suspected hilar/mediastinal LN were included in this prospective study. Computed tomography (CT) of thorax and positron emission tomography-CT of all patients were taken. LNs with short axis >1 cm at CT of thorax and SUV ≥ 2.5 were accepted suspicious for malignancy. All patients underwent EBUS-TBNA for pathological verification of LNs. Patients with benign diagnosis either underwent invasive procedures or were followed up. The results were evaluated for frequency of malignant hilar/mediastinal LNs and sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic values of EBUS-TBNA. RESULTS: A total of 48 cases with a mean age of 57.4±11.6 were included. All cases had the diagnosis of an extrathoracic malignancy. 78 LNs were aspirated with EBUS-TBNA in 48 cases (1.62 LNs/patient). The mean short axis of aspirated LNs was 1.51±0.63. Results of EBUS-TBNA revealed malignancy in 15 cases (31.2%), tuberculosis in six cases (12.5%), sarcoidosis in four cases (8.3%), and reactive adenitis in 23 cases (48%). The sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value of EBUS-TBNA for malignancy were 83.3%, 100%, and 90.9%, respectively. When both benign and malignant diseases were considered, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA were 89.2%, 100%, 86.9%, and 93.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of benign LNs in patients with extrathoracic malignancies is relatively high. EBUS-TBNA is a safe, minimally invasive, and effective method for clarification of intrathoracic LNs.
Metabolism at Evolutionary Optimal States

Metabolism is generally required for cellular maintenance and for the generation of offspring under conditions that support growth. The rates, yields (efficiencies), adaptation time and robustness of metabolism are therefore key determinants of cellular fitness. For biotechnological applications and our understanding of the evolution of metabolism, it is necessary to figure out how the functional system properties of metabolism can be optimized, via adjustments of the kinetics and expression of enzymes, and by rewiring metabolism. The trade-offs that can occur during such optimizations then indicate fundamental limits to evolutionary innovations and bioengineering. In this paper, we review several theoretical and experimental findings about mechanisms for metabolic optimization.
Reply to letter.

Moreover, since its creation, the 4A-Vet pain score has been used in other publications (Wenger et al. 2005, Sarrau et al. 2007, Rialland et al. 2012). Both the numeric rating scale (NRS) and the 4A-Vet pain score scales used in our study were translated in the investigator’s native language by veterinarian surgeons and a common guideline (translated by the same veterinary surgeons) explaining the use of the visual analogue scale (VAS) was provided. To our knowledge, no other validated pain-scoring system underwent a second validation following translation. Furthermore, the critique suggests that a cut-off limit of pain score to administer rescue analgesia would have been appropriate. We chose to rely on the investigating veterinary surgeons for case-to-case evaluation. The choice of an a priori cut-off value is debatable: e.g. should we use the same value for soft and orthopaedic surgeries? Should we fix a high value at a given time point or a lower one but observed at different successive time points? In similar large-size studies, using the GCMPS-SF, rescue analgesia relied on the veterinarian’s discretion and/or on a cut-off limit of pain (Gruet et al. 2011, 2013, Kondo et al. 2012). Only three animals, all of which belonged to the carprofen group, required rescue anesthesia and, therefore, were excluded from the study. This low number of exclusions did not alter the overall conclusion on the analyses of 240 dogs regarding efficacy. Consequently, no replacement method of the rescued animals’ data was implemented. The method proposed by the critique, also called last observation carried forward (LOCF), can introduce bias and distort mean as well as precision (Siddiqui et al. 2009). Finally, the critique’s understanding of the article as promoting that “NSAIDs alone would be suitable or appropriate as the sole analgesic therapy for these animals”, is erroneous and misguided. Cimicoxib is concluded to be as effective and safe as the reference compound, carprofen used according to its indication. The study was not designed to support the use of NSAIDs in lieu of multi-modal analgesia, and therefore, this conclusion cannot be made. As described in the Guidelines for Recognition, Assessment and Treatment of Pain (Mathews et al. 2014), it is strongly agreed that pain management is a key issue in veterinary medicine and that multi-modal analgesia is the best and effective approach and relies on a wide range of analgesic drugs including the use of NSAIDs like cimicoxib.
Finite element analysis of surface indentation on turbo-drill thrust ball bearing

ABSTRACT In harsh drilling conditions (e.g. abrasive drilling fluid), turbo-drill thrust ball may suffer from raceway surface indentation under the high axial load. The indentation can cause early failure of the bearing components. This paper establishes a micro-scale finite element model (FEM) to discuss the raceway surface indentation resulted from solid particle. For the sake of simplicity, the interaction between steel ball and solid particle as the latter is pressed into the raceway surface was depicted by axial and circumferential displacements. The distribution of stress and strain in solid particle and raceway surface was obtained from the finite element analysis. Through the discussion on solid particle ellipticity and the effect of friction coefficient on indentation features, it is learned that the variation in ellipticity has a slight impact on indentation depth, but a marked effect on raceway surface deformation; the friction coefficient has a significant impact on indentation edge shape and bottom centre of indentation. The simulation results provide a valuable reference for prevention of bearing raceway indentation.
Age- and stereovision-dependent eye-hand coordination deficits in children with amblyopia and abnormal binocularity.

PURPOSE To examine factors contributing to eye-hand coordination deficits in children with amblyopia and impaired stereovision. METHODS Participants were 55 anisometropic or strabismic children aged 5.0 to 9.25 years with different degrees of amblyopia and abnormal binocularity, along with 28 age-matched visually-normal controls. Pilot data were obtained from four additional patients studied longitudinally at different treatment stages. Movements of the preferred hand were recorded using a 3D motion-capture system while subjects reached-to-precision grasp objects (two sizes, three locations) under binocular, dominant eye, and amblyopic/nonsighting eye conditions. Kinematic and "error" performance measures were quantified and compared by viewing condition and subject group using ANOVA, stepwise regression, and correlation analyses. RESULTS Movements of the younger amblyopes (age 5-6 years; n = 30) were much slower, particularly in the final approach to the objects, and contained more spatial errors in reaching (∼×1.25-1.75) and grasping (∼×1.75-2.25) under all three views (P < 0.05) than their age-matched controls (n = 13). Amblyopia severity was the main contributor to their slower movements with absent stereovision a secondary factor and the unique determinant of their increased error-rates. Older amblyopes (age 7-9 years; n = 25) spent longer contacting the objects before lifting them (P = 0.015) compared with their matched controls (n = 15), with absence of stereovision still solely related to increases in reach and grasp errors, although these occurred less frequently than in younger patients. Pilot prospective data supported these findings by showing positive treatment-related associations between improved stereovision and reach-to-grasp performance. CONCLUSIONS Strategies that children with amblyopia and abnormal binocularity use for reach-to-precision grasping change with age, from emphasis on visual feedback during the "in-flight" approach at ages 5 to 6 years to more reliance on tactile/kinesthetic feedback from object contact at ages 7 to 9 years. However, recovery of binocularity confers increasing benefits for eye-hand coordination speed and accuracy with age, and is a better predictor of these fundamental performance measures than the degree of visual acuity loss.
Assisted closed-loop optimization of SSVEP-BCI efficiency

We designed a novel assisted closed-loop optimization protocol to improve the efficiency of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) based on steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP). In traditional paradigms, the control over the BCI-performance completely depends on the subjects' ability to learn from the given feedback cues. By contrast, in the proposed protocol both the subject and the machine share information and control over the BCI goal. Generally, the innovative assistance consists in the delivery of online information together with the online adaptation of BCI stimuli properties. In our case, this adaptive optimization process is realized by (1) a closed-loop search for the best set of SSVEP flicker frequencies and (2) feedback of actual SSVEP magnitudes to both the subject and the machine. These closed-loop interactions between subject and machine are evaluated in real-time by continuous measurement of their efficiencies, which are used as online criteria to adapt the BCI control parameters. The proposed protocol aims to compensate for variability in possibly unknown subjects' state and trait dimensions. In a study with N = 18 subjects, we found significant evidence that our protocol outperformed classic SSVEP-BCI control paradigms. Evidence is presented that it takes indeed into account interindividual variabilities: e.g., under the new protocol, baseline resting state EEG measures predict subjects' BCI performances. This paper illustrates the promising potential of assisted closed-loop protocols in BCI systems. Probably their applicability might be expanded to innovative uses, e.g., as possible new diagnostic/therapeutic tools for clinical contexts and as new paradigms for basic research.
Unusually large erupted complex odontoma: A rare case report

Odontomas are nonaggressive, hamartomatous developmental malformations composed of mature tooth substances and may be compound or complex depending on the extent of morphodifferentiation or on their resemblance to normal teeth. Among them, complex odontomas are relatively rare tumors. They are usually asymptomatic in nature. Occasionally, these tumors become large, causing bone expansion followed by facial asymmetry. Odontoma eruptions are uncommon, and thus far, very few cases of erupted complex odontomas have been reported in the literature. Here, we report the case of an unusually large, painless, complex odontoma located in the right posterior mandible.
The Yeast Proteome Database (YPD): a model for the organization and presentation of genome-wide functional data

The Yeast Proteome Database (YPD) is a model for the organization and presentation of comprehensive protein information. Based on the detailed curation of the scientific literature for the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, YPD contains more than 50 000 annotations lines derived from the review of 8500 research publications. The information concerning each of the approximately 6100 yeast proteins is structured around a convenient one-page format, the Yeast Protein Report, with additional information provided as pop-up windows. Protein classification schema have been revised this year, defining each protein's cellular role, function and pathway, and adding a Functional to the Yeast Protein Report. These changes provide the user with a succinct summary of the protein's function and its place in the biology of the cell, and they enhance the power of YPD Search functions. Precalculated sequence alignments have been added, to provide a crossover point for comparative genomics. The first transcript profiling data has been integrated into the YPD Protein Reports, providing the framework for the presentation of genome-wide functional data. The Yeast Proteome Database can be accessed on the Web at http://www.proteome. com/YPDhome.html
Remimazolam: The future of its sedative potential

Remimazolam (CNS 7056) is a new drug innovation in anesthesia. It combines the properties of two unique drugs already established in anesthesia – Midazolam and remifentanil. It acts on GABA receptors like midazolam and has organ-independent metabolism like remifentanil. It is likely to be the sedative of the future, as preliminary phase II trials have shown minimal residual effects on prolonged infusions. It has potential to be used as a sedative in ICU and as a novel agent for procedural sedation. Unlike most rapidly acting intravenous sedatives available presently, the propensity to cause apnea is very low. Availability of a specific antagonist (flumazenil) adds to its safety even in cases of overdose. The present review discusses remimazolam's potential as a new drug in anesthesia along with the presently available literary evidence.
Effects of long-term administration of pituitary-derived bovine growth hormone and estradiol on growth in steers.

Sixty-three Friesian steers (9 mo old, 257 kg; n = 15 or 16/treatment) were employed in a 2 x 2 factorial to test bovine growth hormone (bGH) and estradiol (Compudose implant). Steers received daily subcutaneous injections of vehicle or bGH (40 micrograms/kg body weight) for 22 wk. Steers were slaughtered 8 wk after the end of bGH treatment (wk 30). Steers had ad libitum access to silage plus a fixed amount (4 to 5.5 kg/d) of concentrate. Average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) improved (P less than .05) in response both to bGH and to estradiol during wk 0 to 22. Although bGH did not affect ADG or FCE during wk 23 to 30, estradiol improved (P less than .05) them; bGH and estradiol appeared additive (nonsignificant interactions) during wk 0 to 22. At slaughter, estradiol increased (P less than .05) carcass weight and carcass and leg length while decreasing (P less than .05) conformation score and percentage of kidney, knob and channel fat (KHP); bGH decreased (P less than .05) KHP. Although both bGH and estradiol increased (P less than .01) plasma GH, their effects were not additive. Both bGH and estradiol increased (P less than .01) plasma somatomedin-C and decreased (P less than .01) plasma urea nitrogen concentrations; effects were additive. Estradiol, but not bGH, increased (P less than .05) plasma glucose, whereas neither bGH nor estradiol altered plasma creatinine and nonesterified fatty acids. In summary, both bGH and estradiol improved growth and FCE, and their effects appeared to be additive. It is likely that some of their effects were mediated by somatomedin-C.
Mixed-initiative procedural generation of dungeons using game design patterns

Procedural Content Generation (PCG) can be a useful tool for aiding creativity in the process of designing game levels. Mixed-initiative level generation tools where a designer and an algorithm collaborate to iteratively generate game levels have been used for this purpose. However, it can be difficult for designers to work with tools that do not respond to the common language of games: game design patterns. We present the Evolutionary Dungeon Designer, the first step towards a mixed-initiative dungeon design tool which evolves dungeon rooms using game design patterns, as well as several metrics regarding the placement of treasures and enemies, in the fitness function of a genetic algorithm. Our results show that we are able to control the frequency, shape and type of design patterns, as well as properly place enemies and treasures in the generated rooms, using design pattern-related input parameters.
Molecular basis of the voltage-dependent gating of TREK-1, a mechano-sensitive K(+) channel.

TREK-1 is a member of the mammalian two P domain K(+) channel family. Mouse TREK-1 activity, in transiently transfected COS cells, is reduced at negative resting membrane potentials by both an external Mg(2+) block and an intrinsic voltage-dependent gating mechanism leading to a strong outward rectification. Deletional and chimeric analysis demonstrates that the carboxy terminal domain of TREK-1, but not the PKA phosphorylation site S333, is responsible for voltage-dependent gating. Since the same region is also critically required for TREK-1 mechano-gating, both mechanisms might be functionally linked. Preferential opening of TREK-1 at depolarized potentials will greatly affect action potential duration, recovery from inactivation and neuronal repetitive firing activity.
Pre-Surgery Depression and Confidence to Manage Problems Predict Recovery Trajectories of Health and Wellbeing in the First Two Years following Colorectal Cancer: Results from the CREW Cohort Study

Purpose This paper identifies predictors of recovery trajectories of quality of life (QoL), health status and personal wellbeing in the two years following colorectal cancer surgery. Methods 872 adults receiving curative intent surgery during November 2010 to March 2012. Questionnaires at baseline, 3, 9, 15, 24 months post-surgery assessed QoL, health status, wellbeing, confidence to manage illness-related problems (self-efficacy), social support, co-morbidities, socio-demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics. Group-based trajectory analyses identified distinct trajectories and predictors for QoL, health status and wellbeing. Results Four recovery trajectories were identified for each outcome. Groups 1 and 2 fared consistently well (scores above/within normal range); 70.5% of participants for QoL, 33.3% health status, 77.6% wellbeing. Group 3 had some problems (24.2% QoL, 59.3% health, 18.2% wellbeing); Group 4 fared consistently poorly (5.3% QoL, 7.4% health, 4.2% wellbeing). Higher pre-surgery depression and lower self-efficacy were significantly associated with poorer trajectories for all three outcomes after adjusting for other important predictors including disease characteristics, stoma, anxiety and social support. Conclusions Psychosocial factors including self-efficacy and depression before surgery predict recovery trajectories in QoL, health status and wellbeing following colorectal cancer treatment independent of treatment or disease characteristics. This has significant implications for colorectal cancer management as appropriate support may be improved by early intervention resulting in more positive recovery experiences.
Fine Grained Classification of Named Entities

While Named Entity extraction is useful in many natural language applications, the coarse categories that most NE extractors work with prove insufficient for complex applications such as Question Answering and Ontology generation. We examine one coarse category of named entities, persons, and describe a method for automatically classifying person instances into eight finer-grained subcategories. We present a supervised learning method that considers the local context surrounding the entity as well as more global semantic information derived from topic signatures and WordNet. We reinforce this method with an algorithm that takes advantage of the presence of entities in multiple contexts.