Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of GSM 900 MHz on Middle Cerebral Artery Blood Flow Assessed by Transcranial Doppler Sonography

Mobile phone use has increased worldwide but its possible effects on the brain remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of acute exposure to a radio frequency electromagnetic field (RF EMF) generated by a mobile phone operating in the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) 900 MHz on cerebral blood flow. Twenty-nine volunteers attended two experimental sessions: a sham exposure session and a real exposure session in a cross-over double-blind study in which a mobile phone was positioned on the left side of the head. In one session, the mobile phone was operated without RF radiation (sham phone) and in the other study it was operated with RF radiation (real phone) for 20 min. Thus, each subject served as its own control. Middle cerebral artery blood flow was monitored noninvasively by transcranial Doppler sonography to measure middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity. Pulsatility index and resistance index were also evaluated. A voluntary breath holding physiological test was carried out as a positive control for testing cerebral vasoreactivity. Hemodynamic variables were recorded and analyzed before, during and after mobile phone exposure. No significant changes were detected in studied variables in middle cerebral arteries during sham or real exposure. In the exposed side the cerebral blood flow velocity, the pulsatility index and the resistance index during sham and real exposure were respectively: [61.9 ± 1.3, 61.7 ± 1.3 cm/s (P = 0.89)]; [0.93 ± 0.03, 0.90 ± 0.02 (P = 0.84)] and [0.58 ± 0.01, 0.58 ± 0.01 (P = 0.96)] at baseline; and [60.6 ± 1.3, 62 ± 1.6 cm/s (P = 0.40)]; [0.91 ± 0.03, 0.87 ± 0.03 (P = 0.97)]; [0.57 ± 0.01, 0.56 ± 0.01 (P = 0.82)] after 20 min of exposure. Twenty minutes of RF exposure to a mobile phone does not seem to affect the cerebral circulation.
Equal Channel Angular Extrusion of Tungsten Heavy Alloy

Equal Channel Angular Extrusion of Tungsten Heavy Alloy. (May 2012) Venkata Ravi Kiran Vasiraju, B.E. , Osmania University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. K. Ted Hartwig Tungsten heavy alloys (WHA’s) are composite two phase materials with tungsten particles embedded in an alloy matrix. The alloy matrix can be a binary mixture of Ni with either Fe, Cu, Co or Mn. Owing to their high density and good mechanical properties, these materials are used in a wide range of applications ranging from weights to kinetic energy penetrators. The goal of this thesis was to impart maximum strain to the tungsten heavy alloy via equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE), and evaluate the variation in tungsten particle morphology with level of plastic strain. Severe plastic deformation of tungsten heavy alloys is difficult and challenging. The WHA used in this project was 90W-8Ni-2Fe. Both high temperature and low temperature ECAE processing were done on this material. Successful multi-pass extrusions were possible only with intermediate annealing at 1300C and at low extrusion rates. The microstructures of the processed materials were examined using optical and scanning electron microscopy. The recrystallization behavior and hardness variation
The relationship between critical speed and the respiratory compensation point: Coincidence or equivalence

Abstract It has previously been suggested that the respiratory compensation point (RCP) and critical speed (CS) parameters are equivalent and, therefore, like CS, RCP demarcates the boundary between the heavy- and severe-intensity domains. However, these findings are equivocal and therefore must be interpreted cautiously. Thus, we examined the relationship between CS and RCP across a wide range of subject fitness levels, in an attempt to determine if CS and RCP are equivalent. Forty men and 30 women (age: 23.2 ± 2.5 year, height: 174 ± 10 cm, body mass: 74.1 ± 15.7 kg) completed an incremental and four constant-speed protocols on a treadmill. RCP was determined as the point at which the minute ventilation increased disproportionately to CO2 production and the end-tidal CO2 partial pressure began to decrease. CS was determined from the constant-speed protocols using the linearized 1·time−1 model. CS and RCP, expressed as speed or metabolic rate, were not significantly different (11.7 ± 2.3 km·h−1 vs. 11.5 ± 2.3 km·h−1, p = 0.208; 2.88 ± 0.80 l·min−1 vs. 2.83 ± 0.72 l·min−1, p = 0.293) and were significantly correlated (r2 = 0.52, p < 0.0001; r2 = 0.74, p < 0.0001, respectively). However, there was a high degree of variability between the parameters. The findings of the current study indicate that, while on average CS and RCP were not different, the high degree of variability between these parameters does not permit accurate estimation of one from the other variable and suggests that these parameters may not be physiologically equivalent.
Quality risk in outsourcing: Noncontractible product quality and private quality cost information

This article addresses the concept of quality risk in outsourcing. Recent trends in outsourcing extend a contract manufacturer's (CM's) responsibility to several functional areas, such as research and development and design in addition to manufacturing. This trend enables an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to focus on sales and pricing of its product. However, increasing CM responsibilities also suggest that the OEM's product quality is mainly determined by its CM. We identify two factors that cause quality risk in this outsourcing relationship. First, the CM and the OEM may not be able to contract on quality; second, the OEM may not know the cost of quality to the CM. We characterize the effects of these two quality risk factors on the firms' profits and on the resulting product quality. We determine how the OEM's pricing strategy affects quality risk. We show, for example, that the effect of noncontractible quality is higher than the effect of private quality cost information when the OEM sets the sales price after observing the product's quality. We also show that committing to a sales price mitigates the adverse effect of quality risk. To obtain these results, we develop and analyze a three‐stage decision model. This model is also used to understand the impact of recent information technologies on profits and product quality. For example, we provide a decision tree that an OEM can use in deciding whether to invest in an enterprise‐wide quality management system that enables accounting of quality‐related activities across the supply chain. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 2009
Outcome of Repeat Supratrigonal Obstetric Vesicovaginal Fistula Repair after Previous Failed Repair

Introduction: Currently, surgical repair for vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) provides excellent results, but the recurrent VVF is difficult to treat as compared to primary. Patients and Methods: Sixty-eight patients (44 primipara and 24 multipara) with recurrent VVF repair from January 2002 to December 2007 were included in present study. The mean size of fistula was 2.8 cm (1.0–6.5). The previous surgical repair was through the abdominal route in 50 patients (73.53%) and through the vaginal route in the remaining 18 patients (26.47%). Results: The procedure was successful in 62 of 68 patients (91.17%). The mean duration of surgery was 146.6 min (100–210). Mean blood loss was 160 ml (110–400) and mean hospital stay was 5.6 days (4–10). Eight patients developed complications. Conclusion: Recurrent VVF is difficult to treat, but excellent results can still be achieved by strictly sticking to the principals of surgical repair for VVF.
HIV-infected Rwandan women have a high frequency of long-term survival

Objectives:To evaluate rates of long-term survival in a prospective, longitudinal, closed HIV cohort in Africa between 1986 and 2006. Methods:A total of 548 HIV-infected Rwandan women were recruited from prenatal clinics in Kigali and followed at 3–6 month intervals to February 2006. Overall, 401 women (73%) were HIV positive at initial cross-sectional testing in 1986 (seroprevalent cohort) and 147 women (27%) were initially HIV negative but seroconverted during follow-up from 1986 to 1993 (seroincident cohort). Kaplan–Meier survival methods were used to calculate survival times censored in mid-2003. Results:In February 2006, 109 women (20%) remained alive in the cohort. Time to 50% non-genocide mortality was 11.9 years among seroincident women and 8.9 years among seroprevalent women. Smoothed mortality rates increased with duration of follow-up to a peak of 0.12 deaths per person-year at 9.5 years of follow-up but subsequently declined. After 15 years of follow-up (pre-HAART introduction), the survival probability was 36% for seroincident women and 26% for seroprevalent women. Most survivors had virological and immunological evidence of disease progression. The median CD4 cell count of survivors declined from 447 cells/μl in 1998 to 268 cells/μl in 2003. Among survivors, 57 women (52%) met treatment criteria and initiated antiretroviral treatment by 2006. Conclusion:Although median survival times in this cohort were similar to those observed in high-income countries, the rates of long-term survival after 15 years of follow-up were higher than expected. A levelling off of mortality rates during the late stages of follow-up may explain this high rate of long-term survival.
Evaluation du statut mycorhizien chez Allanblackia floribunda en vue de sa domestication en zones forestières humides du Cameroun

1. Objectif general Determiner le statut mycorhizien d’Allanblakia floribunda dans son aire naturelle. 2. Objectifs specifiques (OS) OS1 : Determiner la composition chimique des sols de la rhizosphere d’A. floribunda ; OS2 : Decrire le type de champignon mycorhizien qui s’associe a A. floribunda ; OS3 : Determiner la densite et les differents morphotypes de spores de la rhizosphere d’A. floribunda. 3. Hypotheses H1: Les sols en general et la rhizosphere en particulier sont caracterises en differentes teneurs d’elements physico-chimiques. H2: Il existe une diversite d’especes des champignons mycorrhiziens qui colonisent les racines d’A. floribunda. H3: la diversite et la densite sporale specifiquement et/ou generalement sont liees ecologiquement a la rhizosphere d’A. floribunda. 4. Methodologie 4.1 Zone d’etude L’etude s’est deroulee dans quatre sites (Mouanko, Yalpenda, Ngoumou, Nkenglikok) en raison de la forte representativite en cette espece vegetale et leur appartenance a des zones agro ecologiques differentes a savoir: la zone forestiere humide a pluviometrie bimodale (Ngoumou et Nkenglikok) et la zone forestiere humide a pluviometrie monomodale (Mouanko et Yalpenda). 4.2 Methode de collecte des donnees Cette etude a consiste en un ensemble d’operations successives effectuees sur le terrain (pour le prelevement des echantillons de racine et de sol a la rhizosphere d’A. floribunda), au laboratoire de microbiologie appliquee de l’Institut de Recherche Agricole pour le Developpement (IRAD) (pour la coloration racinaire, le piegeage, l’extraction, le comptage et la caracterisation morphologique des spores) et le laboratoire d’analyse des sols de l’International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) (pour les analyses chimiques du sol). Les differents facteurs ont ete les suivants : la population (Yalpenda, Ngoumou, Nkenglikok et Mouanko), la zone agro-ecologique (bimodale et monomodale), l’etat du systeme (perturbe et non perturbe) et la classe d’âge (DHP < 50 cm et DHP ≥ 50 cm). De plus, l’humidite, la temperature, les coordonnees GPS ont egalement ete considerees, bien que n’etant pas pris ici comme facteur. - Analyse des donnees La richesse sporale a ete evaluee selon la methodologie adaptee a partir de l’indice de Shannon Wiener (H’) et qui s’accompagne toujours de l’indice de l’Equitabilite de Pielou (E’) - Analyses statistiques Le logiciel SPSS Version 18 a ete utilise pour les analyses. Les tests de normalite ont ete conduits, ce qui nous a orientes vers les transformations ArcsinX et log (X+1) respectivement pour la colonisation racinaire et la densite sporale. Les donnees ont ete ensuite soumises a une analyse de variance (ANOVA) multivariee. Les moyennes ont ete separees a l’aide du PPDS. Le modele general lineaire a ete applique pour l’analyse de variance avec P < 5%. Les correlations de Pearson entre la colonisation et (les teneurs en elements chimiques du sol, l’humidite, la longitude, l’altitude, la latitude et la temperature) ont ete effectuees.
Teenage use of portable listening devices: a hazard to hearing?

BACKGROUND Recently, a number of popular media articles have raised some concern that portable listening devices (PLDs) may be increasing the risk for music-induced hearing loss (MIHL). However, literature regarding adolescents' listening behavior and how their attitudes and beliefs relate to behavior is currently limited. PURPOSE The purposes of this study were (1) to investigate the relationship between volume control settings and output levels of PLDs, (2) to examine how adolescents' listening behavior changes as a function of background noise and noise isolation, (3) to investigate the relationship between self-reported listening levels and laboratory-measured listening levels, and (4) to evaluate the validity of the Listening Habits Questionnaire as a research tool for evaluating how attitudes and beliefs relate to PLD use behavior. RESEARCH DESIGN A descriptive study. Experiment 1 evaluated the output levels of a set of PLDs, and Experiment 2 characterized the listening behavior and attitudes toward PLD use of a group of adolescents. STUDY SAMPLE Twenty-nine adolescents aged 13-17 yr, with normal hearing, participated in Experiment 2. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Experiment 1 evaluated the output levels of a set of PLDs with stock and accessory earphones using an acoustic manikin. Experiment 2 included survey measures of listening behavior and attitudes as well as output levels measured using a probe microphone. CONCLUSIONS The output levels of PLDs are capable of reaching levels that could increase the risk for MIHL, and 14% of teenagers in this study reported behavior that puts them at increased risk for hearing loss. However, measured listening levels in the laboratory settings did not correlate well with self-reported typical listening levels. Further, the Listening Habits Questionnaire described in this study may provide a useful research tool for examining the relationship between attitudes and beliefs and listening behavior.
Parental Perceived Control and Social Support: Linkages to Change in Parenting Behaviors During Early Adolescence.

Prior studies have found that parents' perceptions of control over their lives and their social support may both be important for parenting behaviors. Yet, few studies have examined their unique and interacting influence on parenting behaviors during early adolescence. This longitudinal study of rural parents in two-parent families (N = 636) investigated (a) whether perceived control and social support when their youth were in sixth grade were independently or interactively associated with changes in parenting behaviors (discipline, standard setting) and parent-child warmth and hostility 6 months later and (b) if these linkages differed by parent gender. We also investigated the interactive links between perceived control, social support, and parenting. Specifically, we tested if parents' perceived control moderated the linkages between social support and parenting and if these linkages differed by parent gender. Greater perceived control predicted more increases in parents' consistent discipline and standard setting, whereas greater social support predicted increases in parent-child warmth and decreases in parent-child hostility. Parental perceived control moderated the effect of social support on parental warmth: For mothers only, social support was significantly linked to parent-child warmth only when mothers had low (but not high) perceived self-control. The discussion focuses on reasons why perceived control and social support may have associations with different aspects of parenting and why these might differ for mothers and fathers.
Use of sodium fluorescein in skull base tumors

Objective: The authors present this study using sodium fluorescein (SF) to enhance skull base tumors by performing a quantitative digital analysis of tumor enhancement. The purpose of this study is to observe the grade of SF enhancement by the tumors. Methods: A prospective experiment within-subjects study design was performed which included six patients with skull base lesions. Digital pictures were taken before and after the SF systemic injection, using the same light source of the microsurgical field. The pictures were analyzed by computer software which calculated the wavelength (WL) of the SF pre- and post-injection. Results: The group of tumors was as follows: one vestibular schwannoma, three meningiomas, one craniopharyngioma and one pituitary adenoma. The SF enhancement in all tumors was strongly positive. The digital analysis of the pictures, considering the SF WL pre- and post-injection, presented P = 0.028 (Wilcoxon T test). Conclusions: The enhancement of the tumors by SF was consistent and evident. The introductory results suggest the possibility of using SF as an adjuvant tool for the skull base surgery. Further studies should test the clinical application of the SF in skull base tumors.
Reliable stair climbing in the simple hexapod 'RHex'

RHex is a hexapod with compliant legs and only six actuated degrees of freedom. Its ability to traverse highly fractured and unstable terrain, as well ascend and descend a particular flight of stairs has already been documented. In this paper, we describe an open loop controller that enables our small robot (length: 51 cm, width: 20 cm, height: 12.7 cm, leg length: 16 cm) to reliably climb a wide range of regular, full-size stairs with no operator input during stair climbing. Experimental data of energy efficiency in a form of specific resistance during stair climbing is given. The results presented in this paper are based on a new half circle leg design that implements a passive, effective leg length change.
Brain system for mental orientation in space, time, and person

Significance Processing of spatial, temporal, and social relations relies on mental cognitive maps, on which the behaving self is oriented relative to different places, events, and people. Using high-resolution functional MRI scanning in individual subjects, we show that mental orientation in space, time, and person produces a sequential posterior–anterior pattern of activity in each participant’s brain. These activations are adjacent and partially overlapping, highlighting the relation between mental orientation in these domains. Furthermore, the activity is highly overlapping with the brain’s default-mode network, a system involved in self-referential processing. These findings may shed new light on fundamental cognitive processing of space, time, and person and alter our understanding of disorientation phenomena in neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Orientation is a fundamental mental function that processes the relations between the behaving self to space (places), time (events), and person (people). Behavioral and neuroimaging studies have hinted at interrelations between processing of these three domains. To unravel the neurocognitive basis of orientation, we used high-resolution 7T functional MRI as 16 subjects compared their subjective distance to different places, events, or people. Analysis at the individual-subject level revealed cortical activation related to orientation in space, time, and person in a precisely localized set of structures in the precuneus, inferior parietal, and medial frontal cortex. Comparison of orientation domains revealed a consistent order of cortical activity inside the precuneus and inferior parietal lobes, with space orientation activating posterior regions, followed anteriorly by person and then time. Core regions at the precuneus and inferior parietal lobe were activated for multiple orientation domains, suggesting also common processing for orientation across domains. The medial prefrontal cortex showed a posterior activation for time and anterior for person. Finally, the default-mode network, identified in a separate resting-state scan, was active for all orientation domains and overlapped mostly with person-orientation regions. These findings suggest that mental orientation in space, time, and person is managed by a specific brain system with a highly ordered internal organization, closely related to the default-mode network.
Advances in the development of new biologics in inflammatory bowel disease

Biologics have revolutionized the therapeutic approach in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents infliximab and adalimumab currently constitute the major biological therapy in IBD. Additional anti-TNFs such as golimumab and other new biologics are currently being developed for both anti-TNF-naïve and -resistant patients. These include anti-integrins (vedolizumab and etrolizumab), a JAK inhibitor (tofacitinib) and an anti-anti-interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-12 antibody (ustekinumab), among additional drugs in development. The following review discusses the indications, efficacy and safety issues for these novel medications.
The K20 survey - IV. The redshift distribution of $K_{\rm s}<20$ galaxies: A test of galaxy formation models

We present the redshift distribution of a complete sample of 480 galaxies with $K_{\rm s} 2 . The redshift completeness is 87% and 98% respectively with spectroscopic and high-quality and tested photometric redshifts. The redshift distribution of field galaxies has a median redshift $z_{\rm med}\sim 0.80$, with ~32% and ~9% of galaxies at $z>1$ and $z>1.5$ respectively. A “blind” comparison is made with the predictions of a set of the most recent Λ CDM hierarchical merging and pure luminosity evolution (PLE) models. The hierarchical merging models overpredict and underpredict the number of galaxies at low- z and high- z respectively, whereas the PLE models match the median redshift and the low- z distribution, still being able to follow the high- z tail of $N(z)$. We briefly discuss the implications of this comparison and the possible origins of the observed discrepancies. We make the redshift distribution publicly available.
Consensus and controversies regarding the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma

Optimal treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) requires multidisciplinary approach, incorporating chemotherapy with local control. Although current therapies are built on cooperative group trials, a comprehensive standard of care to guide clinical decision making has been lacking, especially for relapsed patients. Therefore, we assembled a panel of pediatric and adolescent and young adult sarcoma experts to develop treatment guidelines for managing RMS and to identify areas in which further research is needed. We created algorithms incorporating evidence‐based care for patients with RMS, emphasizing the importance of clinical trials and close integration of all specialties involved in the care of these patients.
Replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations of reversible folding

The replica exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) approach is applied to a 20-residue three-stranded antiparallel β-sheet peptide. At physiologically relevant temperature REMD samples conformational space much more efficiently than constant temperature molecular dynamics (MD) and allows reversible folding (312 folding events during a total simulation time of 32 μs). The energetic and structural properties during the folding process are similar in REMD and conventional MD at the temperature values where there is enough statistics for the latter. The simulation results indicate that the unfolded state contains a significant amount of non-native interactions especially at low temperature. The folding events consist of a gradual replacement of non-native contacts with native ones which is coupled with an almost monotonic decrease of the REMD temperature.