Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statistical modeling of water vapor transport through woven fabrics

Water vapor transport through textile structures is complicated and governed by various factors, including fabric openness, fabric thickness, pore size, and intrinsic fiber properties. The objective of this study is to understand parameters that are critical in the moisture vapor transport through woven textiles and develop a predictive model that describes water vapor transport of woven fabrics using those parameters. Fifteen woven fabrics with various fabric thickness, weight, fabric construction, and staple fiber type were selected, and the water vapor transmission rate, fabric thickness, fabric count, weight, yarn number, yarn twist, yarn diameter, and pore size distribution were measured. Based on the mechanisms of water vapor transmission through porous textile materials, the fabric cover factor, solid volume fraction, yarn twist factor, and yarn packing factor were computed and used as possible predictor variables in the modeling. Moisture regains of fiber were obtained from literature and used as a possible predictor variable. Statistical analyses were performed to examine the relationship between these parameters and water vapor transmission. Statistical analyses revealed that fabric thickness, fabric cover factor, mean flow pore diameter of fabric, and moisture regain of fiber were significant parameters affecting water vapor transmission through woven fabrics. The adjusted R2 value for the final model selected was 0.97. Influence of yarn twist factor and yarn packing factor were shown to be insignificant at the 5% significance level for these experimental conditions.
Applying Dataflow and Transactions to Lee Routing

Programming multicore shared-memory systems is a challenging combination of exposing parallelism in your program and communicating between the resulting parallel paths of execution. The burden of communication can introduce complexity that is hard to separate from the pure expression of the algorithm and can negate the performance that is gained from parallelism. We are extending the Scala language with dataflow for creating parallelism and transactions for the controlled mutation of shared state. We take an early look at applying this work to Lee’s algorithm for routing circuit boards and consider the potential benefits of programming with this system with regard to the elegance of expression and the resulting performance. We show how our approach reduces the number of lines of code and synchronisation operations needed, at the same time as improving real-world performance.
Early Life Conditions and Later Sex Differences in Adult Lifespan

In this study we tested our hypothesis (and preliminary observations) that early-life conditions may determine in part the later sex differences in adult lifespan. We found that such variables as (1) father's age at person's conception, (2) parental lifespan, and (3) month of birth, have larger effects on adult lifespan (life expectancy at age 30) in females rather than males. Daughters born to particularly young fathers (below 25 years) or old fathers (above 45 years) live shorter lives, while sons are less affected by paternal age at conception. The response of progeny lifespan to exceptional parental longevity (lifespan above age 90) is particularly strong for female sex of the progeny. Women born in May or December live longer compared to those born in February, while male lifespan is less affected by the season of birth. Large family size (11+ siblings) increases daughter's lifespan, but decreases son's lifespan, thereby increasing the gender lifespan gap. These findings are confirmed through multivariate analysis of lifespan and hazard rates taking into account more than 20 predictor variables (including simultaneous consideration of such closely related variables as birth order, sibship size, parental ages at person's birth) as well as observed interfamilial differences and unobserved familial heterogeneity (through multilevel modeling).
Length of hospitalization and mortality for bleeding during treatment with warfarin, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban

Background Different outcomes among patients hospitalized for bleeding after starting anticoagulation could influence choice of anticoagulant. We compared length of hospitalization, proportion of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions, ICU length of stay, and 30- and 90-day mortality for adults with atrial fibrillation hospitalized for bleeding after starting warfarin, dabigatran, or rivaroxaban. Methods An US commercial database of 38 million members from 1 November 2010 to 31 March 2014 was used to examine adults with atrial fibrillation hospitalized for bleeding after starting warfarin (2,446), dabigatran (442), or rivaroxaban (256). Outcomes included difference in mean total length of hospitalization, proportion of ICU admissions, mean length of ICU stay, and all-cause 30- and 90-day mortality. Results Warfarin users were older and had more comorbidities. Multivariable regression modeling with propensity score weighting showed warfarin users were hospitalized 2.0 days longer (95% CI 1.8–2.3; p < 0.001) than dabigatran users and 2.6 days longer (95% CI 2.4–2.9; p < 0.001) than rivaroxaban users. Dabigatran users were hospitalized 0.6 days longer (95% CI 0.2–1.0; p = 0.001) than rivaroxaban users. There were no differences in the proportion of ICU admissions. Among ICU admissions, warfarin users stayed 3.0 days (95% CI 1.9–3.9; p < 0.001) longer than dabigatran users and 2.4 days longer (95% CI 0.9–3.7; p = 0.003) than rivaroxaban users. There was no difference in ICU stay between dabigatran and rivaroxaban users. There were no differences in 30- and 90-day all-cause mortality. Conclusions Rivaroxaban and dabigatran were associated with shorter hospitalizations; however, there were no differences in 30- and 90-day mortality. These findings suggest bleeding associated with the newer agents is not more dangerous than bleeding associated with warfarin.
Triiodothyronine induces collagenase-3 and gelatinase B expression in murine osteoblasts.

Triiodothyronine (T3) increases bone resorption, but its effects on matrix metalloprotease (MMP) expression in bone are unknown. We tested the effects of T3 on collagenase-3 and gelatinase A and B expression in MC3T3 osteoblastic cells. T3 at 1 nM to 1 μM for 24-72 h increased collagenase-3 and gelatinase B mRNA levels, but it did not increase gelatinase A transcripts. In addition, T3 increased immunoreactive collagenase and gelatinase activity. Cycloheximide prevented the stimulatory effect of T3 on collagenase-3 but not on gelatinase B transcripts. Indomethacin did not prevent the effect of T3 on either MMP. T3 did not alter the decay of collagenase-3 or gelatinase B mRNA in transcriptionally arrested MC3T3 cells, and it increased the rate of collagenase-3 and gelatinase B gene transcription. Although T3enhanced the expression of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in MC3T3 cells, it increased collagen degradation in cultured intact rat calvariae. In conclusion, T3 increases collagenase-3 and gelatinase B synthesis in osteoblasts by transcriptional mechanisms. This effect may contribute to the actions of T3 on bone matrix remodeling.
Does prostate volume have an impact on the functional and oncological results of Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy?

BACKGROUND The objective of our study is to evaluate the effect of prostatic volume on the outcomes of Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RSP). METHODS All the consecutive patients undergoing RSP up to January 2015 were included. The series was divided into three groups based on prostate weight at radical prostatectomy specimen (<40 g, 40-60 g, >60 g). Perioperative, oncological and functional data were prospectively recorded. Potency was defined as erections sufficient for penetration; continence as no pad or one safety liner. Oncological results were reported as positive surgical margins (PSMs) and 1-year biochemical disease-free survival (PSA<0.2 ng/mL). RESULTS We evaluated 750 patients (366 with <40 g prostates, 272 with 40-60 g prostates, 112 with >60 g prostates). Median follow-up was 22 months; PSA was higher in larger prostates (6.6 vs. 6.8 vs. 8 ng/mL). Nerve-sparing and bladder-neck sparing procedures were in similar percentages. Larger prostates required longer surgeries (90 vs. 100 vs. 100 minutes, P=0.002). Perioperative results were similar (blood loss, discharge, complications, catheter removal). Larger prostates had more frequently localized disease (pT2 in 49.5% vs. 60.7% vs. 68.5%; P=0.001); PSMs were similar both in pT2 (15.5% vs. 9.4% vs. 11.8%) and in pT3 cases (40.1% vs. 42% vs. 34%). In the three study groups, immediate continence was reached by 88%, 89.5% and 81.3% (P=0.045), while no differences were observed concerning continence (93.4%, 94.1%, 94.7%; P=0.892) or potency after follow-up. CONCLUSIONS RSP is feasible in patients with prostates of any volume, with similar oncological and functional outcomes. Despite being inferior to the figures obtained in low volume prostates, the very high immediate continence rates observed in larger prostates encourage the use of this approach also in larger prostates.
Muscarinic blockade inhibits gastric emptying of mixed-nutrient meal: effects of weight and gender.

We compared the vagal contribution to gastric emptying in lean and obese subjects by monitoring gastric emptying of a meal during muscarinic blockade. Lean ( n = 6) and obese subjects ( n = 6) underwent two treatments: 1) saline infusion and 2) atropine infusion [0.4 mg/m2 bolus, 0.4 mg ⋅ (m2)-1 ⋅ h-1] for 2 h, initiated 30 min before ingestion of a 600-kcal breakfast (64% carbohydrate, 23% fat, 13% protein) composed of orange juice (labeled with Indium-111), egg sandwich (labeled with Technetium-99m), cereal, milk, and banana. Anterior and posterior images were taken every 90 s for 90 min using a dual-headed camera. Atropine significantly delayed emptying of both solid ( P < 0.007) and liquid ( P < 0.002). Obese subjects exhibited a greater delay in liquid emptying during muscarinic blockade compared with lean subjects ( P < 0.02). Female subjects exhibited a slower rate of gastric emptying and were less sensitive to atropine. These data suggest that obese subjects exhibit altered gastric cholinergic activity compared with lean subjects and that gender differences in gastric emptying rate may be due to differences in autonomic tone.
Risk Factors of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Producing Enterobacteriaceae Occurrence in Farms in Reunion, Madagascar and Mayotte Islands, 2016–2017

In South Western Indian ocean (IO), Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) are a main public health issue. In livestock, ESBL-E burden was unknown. The aim of this study was estimating the prevalence of ESBL-E on commercial farms in Reunion, Mayotte and Madagascar and genes involved. Secondly, risk factors of ESBL-E occurrence in broiler, beef cattle and pig farms were explored. In 2016–2017, commercial farms were sampled using boot swabs and samples stored at 4 °C before microbiological analysis for phenotypical ESBL-E and gene characterization. A dichotomous questionnaire was performed. Prevalences observed in all production types and territories were high, except for beef cattle in Reunion, which differed significantly. The most common ESBL gene was blaCTX-M-1. Generalized linear models explaining ESBL-E occurrence varied between livestock production sectors and allowed identifying main protective (e.g., water quality control and detergent use for cleaning) and risk factors (e.g., recent antibiotic use, other farmers visiting the exploitation, pet presence). This study is the first to explore tools for antibiotic resistance management in IO farms. It provides interesting hypothesis to explore about antibiotic use in IO territories and ESBL-E transmission between pig, beef cattle and humans in Madagascar.
Experimental In Vivo Models of Candidiasis

Candidiasis is a multifaceted fungal disease including mucosal-cutaneous, visceral, and disseminated infections caused by yeast species of the genus Candida. Candida infections are among the most common human mycoses. Candida species are the third to fourth most common isolates from bloodstream infections in neutropenic or immunocompromised hospitalized patients. The mucosal-cutaneous forms—particularly vaginal infections—have a high prevalence. Vaginitis caused by Candida species is the second most common vaginal infection. Hence, candidiasis is a major subject for research, including experimental in vivo models to study pathogenesis, prevention, or therapy of the disease. The following review article will focus on various experimental in vivo models in different laboratory animals, such as mammals (mice, rats, rabbits), the fruit fly–Drosophila melanogaster, the larvae of the moth Galleria mellonella, or the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The review will describe the induction of the different clinical forms of candidiasis in the various models and the validity of such models in mimicking the human clinical situations. The use of such models for the assessment of antifungal drugs, evaluation of potential vaccines to protect before candidiasis, exploration of Candida virulence factors, and comparison of pathogenicity of different Candida species will be included in the review. All of the above will be reported as based on published studies of numerous investigators as well as on the research of the author and his group.
The ODC 3′-Untranslated Region and 5′-Untranslated Region Contain cis-Regulatory Elements: Implications for Carcinogenesis

It has been hypothesized that both the 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) and the 5′-untranslated region (5′UTR) of the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) mRNA influence the expression of the ODC protein. Here, we use luciferase expression constructs to examine the influence of both UTRs in keratinocyte derived cell lines. The ODC 5′UTR or 3′UTR was cloned into the pGL3 control vector upstream or downstream of the luciferase reporter gene, respectively, and luciferase activity was measured in both non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic mouse keratinocyte cell lines. Further analysis of the influence of the 3′UTR on luciferase activity was accomplished through site-directed mutagenesis and distal deletion analysis within this region. Insertion of either the 5′UTR or 3′UTR into a luciferase vector resulted in a decrease in luciferase activity when compared to the control vector. Deletion analysis of the 3′UTR revealed a region between bases 1969 and 2141 that was inhibitory, and mutating residues within that region increased luciferase activity. These data suggest that both the 5′UTR and 3′UTR of ODC contain cis-acting regulatory elements that control intracellular ODC protein levels.
In Vivo Determination of Direct Targets of the Nonsense-Mediated Decay Pathway in Drosophila

Nonsense-mediated messenger RNA (mRNA) decay (NMD) is a mRNA degradation pathway that regulates a significant portion of the transcriptome. The expression levels of numerous genes are known to be altered in NMD mutants, but it is not known which of these transcripts is a direct pathway target. Here, we present the first genome-wide analysis of direct NMD targeting in an intact animal. By using rapid reactivation of the NMD pathway in a Drosophila melanogaster NMD mutant and globally monitoring of changes in mRNA expression levels, we can distinguish between primary and secondary effects of NMD on gene expression. Using this procedure, we identified 168 candidate direct NMD targets in vivo. Remarkably, we found that 81% of direct target genes do not show increased expression levels in an NMD mutant, presumably due to feedback regulation. Because most previous studies have used up-regulation of mRNA expression as the only means to identify NMD-regulated transcripts, our results provide new directions for understanding the roles of the NMD pathway in endogenous gene regulation during animal development and physiology. For instance, we show clearly that direct target genes have longer 3′ untranslated regions compared with nontargets, suggesting long 3′ untranslated regions target mRNAs for NMD in vivo. In addition, we investigated the role of NMD in suppressing transcriptional noise and found that although the transposable element Copia is up-regulated in NMD mutants, this effect appears to be indirect.
Cementless total hip arthroplasty in patients with severely dysplastic hips and a previous Schanz osteotomy of the femur

Background and purpose Historically, a Schanz osteotomy of the femur has been used to reduce limp in patients with severely dysplastic hips. In such hips, total hip arthroplasty is a technically demanding operation. We report the long-term results of cementless total hip arthroplasty in a group of patients who had all undergone a Schanz osteotomy earlier. Patients and methods From 1988 through 1995, 68 total hip replacements were performed in 59 consecutive patients previously treated with a Schanz osteotomy. With the cup placed at the level of the true acetabulum, a shortening osteotomy of the proximal part of the femur and distal advancement of the greater trochanter were performed in 56 hips. At a mean of 13 (9–18) years postoperatively, we evaluated these patients clinically and radiographically. Results The mean Harris hip score had increased from 51 points preoperatively to 93 points. Trendelenburg sign was negative and there was good or slightly reduced abduction strength in 23 of 25 hips that had not been revised. There were 12 perioperative complications. Only 1 cementless press-fit porous-coated cup was revised for aseptic loosening. However, the 12-year survival rate of these cups was only 64%, as 18 cups underwent revision for excessive wear of the polyethylene liner and/or osteolysis. 6 CDH femoral components had to be revised due to technical errors. Interpretation Our results suggest that cementless total hip arthroplasty combined with a shortening osteotomy of the femur and distal advancement of the greater trochanter can be recommended for most patients with a previous Schanz osteotomy of the femur. Because of the high incidence of liner wear and osteolysÍs of modular cementless cups in this series, nowadays we use hard-on-hard articulations in these patients.
Assessment of linear and nonlinear/complex heartbeat dynamics in subclinical depression (dysphoria)

Objective: Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Most previous studies have focused on major depression, and studies on subclinical depression, such as those on so-called dysphoria, have been overlooked. Indeed, dysphoria is associated with a high prevalence of somatic disorders, and a reduction of quality of life and life expectancy. In current clinical practice, dysphoria is assessed using psychometric questionnaires and structured interviews only, without taking into account objective pathophysiological indices. To address this problem, in this study we investigated heartbeat linear and nonlinear dynamics to derive objective autonomic nervous system biomarkers of dysphoria. Approach: Sixty undergraduate students participated in the study: according to clinical evaluation, 24 of them were dysphoric. Extensive group-wise statistics was performed to characterize the pathological and control groups. Moreover, a recursive feature elimination algorithm based on a K-NN classifier was carried out for the automatic recognition of dysphoria at a single-subject level. Main results: The results showed that the most significant group-wise differences referred to increased heartbeat complexity (particularly for fractal dimension, sample entropy and recurrence plot analysis) with regards to the healthy controls, confirming dysfunctional nonlinear sympatho-vagal dynamics in mood disorders. Furthermore, a balanced accuracy of 79.17% was achieved in automatically distinguishing dysphoric patients from controls, with the most informative power attributed to nonlinear, spectral and polyspectral quantifiers of cardiovascular variability. Significance: This study experimentally supports the assessment of dysphoria as a defined clinical condition with specific characteristics which are different both from healthy, fully euthymic controls and from full-blown major depression.
Fine root responses to temporal nutrient heterogeneity and competition in seedlings of two tree species with different rooting strategies

Abstract There is little direct evidence for effects of soil heterogeneity and root plasticity on the competitive interactions among plants. In this study, we experimentally examined the impacts of temporal nutrient heterogeneity on root growth and interactions between two plant species with very different rooting strategies: Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum), which shows high root plasticity in response to soil nutrient heterogeneity, and Pinus taeda (loblolly pine), a species with less plastic roots. Seedlings of the two species were grown in sandboxes in inter‐ and intraspecific combinations. Nutrients were applied in a patch either in a stable (slow‐release) or in a variable (pulse) manner. Plant aboveground biomass, fine root mass, root allocation between nutrient patch and outside the patch, and root vertical distribution were measured. L. styraciflua grew more aboveground (40% and 27% in stable and variable nutrient treatment, respectively) and fine roots (41% and 8% in stable and variable nutrient treatment, respectively) when competing with P. taeda than when competing with a conspecific individual, but the growth of P. taeda was not changed by competition from L. styraciflua. Temporal variation in patch nutrient level had little effect on the species’ competitive interactions. The more flexible L. styraciflua changed its vertical distribution of fine roots in response to competition from P. taeda, growing more roots in deeper soil layers compared to its roots in conspecific competition, leading to niche differentiation between the species, while the fine root distribution of P. taeda remained unchanged across all treatments. Synthesis. L. styraciflua showed greater flexibility in root growth by changing its root vertical distribution and occupying space of not occupied by P. taeda. This flexibility gave L. styraciflua an advantage in interspecific competition.