Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Histological alterations in Leydig cells and macrophages in azoospermic men

The study aimed to compare the histological features of Leydig cells and macrophages in the testicular interstitium of obstructive versus nonobstructive azoospermia. Thirty‐nine azoospermic men undergoing testicular sperm extraction during intracytoplasmic sperm injection were allocated into obstructive azoospermia group (GI) and nonobstructive azoospermia group (GII) which was subdivided into Sertoli cell‐only syndrome (GIIA), germ cell arrest (GIIB) and hypospermatogenesis (GIIC) subgroups. Serum LH, FSH and testosterone levels were measured. Ultrastructural changes and the mean number of CD68‐positive cells were estimated in the different groups. In GIIA, Leydig cells' processes came in contact with macrophages and showed smooth endoplasmic reticulum dilatation. In GIIB, Leydig cells showed apoptotic changes. Macrophages were commonly encountered in their vicinity demonstrating large number of lysosomes. In GIIC, Leydig cells showed euchromatic nuclei. Macrophages showed expulsion of their lysosomal contents in the interstitium surrounded by apoptotic bodies. The mean count of total CD68‐positive macrophages was higher in cases of obstructive azoospermia with nonsignificant differences compared to nonobstructive azoospermia groups. Significant increase in FSH level was detected in GIIA compared to GI. It is concluded that structural interactions might take place between Leydig cells and macrophages in the interstitial tissue of azoospermic men.
Fast digital image stabilizer based on Gray-coded bit-plane matching

A fast digital image stabilizer based on the Gray-coded bit-plane matching is proposed which is robust to irregular conditions such as moving objects and intentional panning. The proposed digital image stabilization (DIS) system performs motion estimation using the Gray-coded bit-plane of video sequences, greatly reducing the computational load. This motion estimation method can be realized using only binary Boolean functions which have significantly reduced computational complexity, while the accuracy of motion estimation is maintained. In order to further improve the computational efficiency, the Gray-coded bit-plane matching with the three-step search (3SS) is proposed. Experimental results indicate that the proposed digital image stabilizer is a computationally efficient alternative to existing DIS systems.
Controllable Growth of Vertical Heterostructure GaTe(x)Se(1-x)/Si by Molecular Beam Epitaxy.

Two dimensional (2D) alloys, especially transition metal dichalcogenides, have attracted intense attention owing to their band-gap tunability and potential optoelectrical applications. Here, we report the controllable synthesis of wafer-scale, few-layer GaTexSe1-x alloys (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We achieve a layer-by-layer growth mode with uniform distribution of Ga, Te, and Se elements across 2 in. wafers. Raman spectroscopy was carried out to explore the composition-dependent vibration frequency of phonons, which matches well with the modified random-element-isodisplacement model. Highly efficient photodiode arrays were also built by depositing few-layer GaTe0.64Se0. 36 on n-type Si substrates. These p-n junctions have steady rectification characteristics with a rectifying ratio exceeding 300 and a high external quantum efficiency around 50%. We further measured more devices on MBE-grown GaTexSe1-x/Si heterostructures across the full range to explore the composition-dependent external quantum efficiency. Our study opens a new avenue for the controllable growth of 2D alloys with wafer-scale homogeneity, which is a prominent challenge in 2D material research.
Measuring the Reliability of Hate Speech Annotations: The Case of the European Refugee Crisis

Some users of social media are spreading racist, sexist, and otherwise hateful content. For the purpose of training a hate speech detection system, the reliability of the annotations is crucial, but there is no universally agreed-upon definition. We collected potentially hateful messages and asked two groups of internet users to determine whether they were hate speech or not, whether they should be banned or not and to rate their degree of offensiveness. One of the groups was shown a definition prior to completing the survey. We aimed to assess whether hate speech can be annotated reliably, and the extent to which existing definitions are in accordance with subjective ratings. Our results indicate that showing users a definition caused them to partially align their own opinion with the definition but did not improve reliability, which was very low overall. We conclude that the presence of hate speech should perhaps not be considered a binary yes-or-no decision, and raters need more detailed instructions for the annotation.
The Importance of Self-Efficacy in Parental Emergency Preparedness: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract Objective Disasters occur without warning and can have devastating consequences. Emergency preparedness can reduce negative effects. It is especially important that parents prepare, as children are particularly vulnerable after disasters. This study tested 2 hypotheses: (1) adults with more children are likely to be better prepared than those with fewer or no children because greater caretaking is linked to greater perceived threat of disaster leading to greater preparedness and (2) the strength of this mediational link varies as a function of parental self-efficacy. Methods Data from an online survey about human-made disasters (terrorism) with a community convenience sample were used to test the hypothesis that perceived threat mediates the relationship between parental status (number of children cared for) and preparedness behaviors, moderated by level of self-efficacy for emergency preparedness. Results A bootstrapping analysis with relevant covariates supported the hypothesized mediating effect of threat on the relationship between parental status and preparedness. This relationship was strengthened at higher levels of parental preparedness self-efficacy. Conclusions The results of this study are particularly relevant for preparedness interventions. Because threat leads to preparedness, particularly for parents with high self-efficacy, it is important to focus attention on factors that can improve parents’ sense of self-efficacy. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018; 12: 345–351)
Studies on hybridization effect of jute/kenaf/E-glass woven fabric epoxy composites for potential applications: Effect of laminate stacking sequences

Natural fiber-reinforced polymeric composites are gaining significant attention in engineering applications. The present investigation is an attempt to assess the hybridization effects of different laminate stacking sequence involving jute/kenaf/E-Glass woven fabric through study of physical and mechanical properties of nine different resulting composites. The composite laminates were fabricated using vacuum bagging method. The assessment of mechanical properties and study of fractured surfaces indicate significant improvement in tensile and flexural properties of jute/kenaf fabrics reinforced epoxy composites.
Race, Ethnicity, and Analgesia Provision at Discharge Among Children With Long-Bone Fractures Requiring Emergency Care

Background Inadequate treatment of painful conditions in children is a significant and complex problem. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of race/ethnicity on the provision of analgesic medicines at discharge in children treated emergently for a long-bone fracture. Methods A retrospective review of all patients during a 1-year period with a long-bone fracture treated in 2 urban pediatric emergency departments was performed. Results Eight hundred seventy-eight patients who met our inclusion criteria were identified. Sixty percent of patients received a prescription for an opioid-containing medicine, and 19% received a prescription for an over-the-counter analgesic medicine at emergency department discharge. Patients identified as African American, non-Hispanic, biracial, and Hispanic/Latino had significantly lower rates of opioid analgesic prescriptions when compared with other ethnic groups. White, non-Hispanic patients had lower rates of over-the-counter analgesic medicine prescriptions provided at discharge. Patients identified as white, non-Hispanic had a higher percentage of fractures that required reduction in the emergency department when compared with other ethnic groups. Conclusions Race/ethnicity is associated with different analgesic prescription patterns in children treated in the emergency department for a long-bone fracture.
Group‐level variations in motor representation areas of thenar and anterior tibial muscles: Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study

Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be used to stimulate functional cortical areas at precise anatomical location to induce measurable responses. The stimulation has commonly been focused on anatomically predefined motor areas: TMS of that area elicits a measurable muscle response, the motor evoked potential. In clinical pathologies, however, the well‐known homunculus somatotopy theory may not be straightforward, and the representation area of the muscle is not fixed. Traditionally, the anatomical locations of TMS stimulations have not been reported at the group level in standard space. This study describes a methodology for group‐level analysis by investigating the normal representation areas of thenar and anterior tibial muscle in the primary motor cortex. The optimal representation area for these muscles was mapped in 59 healthy right‐handed subjects using navigated TMS. The coordinates of the optimal stimulation sites were then normalized into standard space to determine the representation areas of these muscles at the group‐level in healthy subjects. Furthermore, 95% confidence interval ellipsoids were fitted into the optimal stimulation site clusters to define the variation between subjects in optimal stimulation sites. The variation was found to be highest in the anteroposterior direction along the superior margin of the precentral gyrus. These results provide important normative information for clinical studies assessing changes in the functional cortical areas because of plasticity of the brain. Furthermore, it is proposed that the presented methodology to study TMS locations at the group level on standard space will be a suitable tool for research purposes in population studies. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparative Analysis of the Tensile Properties of Polyester and Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Hemp Fibers

The present work compares the tensile properties of polyester and epoxy matrix composites reinforced with hemp fibers. Polyester and epoxy reinforced with different volume fractions of hemp fibers up to 30% were prepared according to ASTM D-638-14 and tensile tested. The epoxy matrix composites reinforced with 30% of fibers presented tensile strength of 53 MPa, while those of polyester matrix, 25 MPa. The elastic modulus of the epoxy matrix composites was 1.75 GPa and that of the polyester matrix 4.05 GPa. The tests showed that the resistance of the epoxy composites reinforced with hemp fiber is superior to those of polyester matrix. However, the stiffness of the polyester/hemp fiber composites is higher than the epoxy/hemp fiber ones.
The Effects of Chronic Exposure to Aircraft Noise on the Prevalence of Hypertension

Exposure to environmental noise has been suggested to increase the prevalence of hypertension. The present study investigated whether or not chronic exposure to military aircraft noise is related to an increased prevalence of hypertension. The study population consisted of 137 subjects (mean age 60±14 years) who lived within 5 km of a helicopter airbase and 486 subjects (58±16 years) living within 5 km of a fighter-jet airbase. A control group consisted of 252 subjects (58±16 years) not exposed to aircraft noise. Overall, the subjects exposed to military aircraft noise had a higher prevalence of hypertension than those in the control group (p=0.037). However, whereas those exposed to helicopter noise had a higher prevalence than the control group (p=0.020), those exposed to fighter-jet noise did not (p=0.094). The prevalence of known hypertension in the helicopter group was higher than in the control group (p=0.024). The prevalence odds ratio for hypertension adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, current smoking, alcohol intake, diabetes, and regular exercise was 1.62 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.02–2.59) for the subjects exposed to helicopter noise, and 1.23 (95% CI, 0.87–1.74) for those exposed to fighter-jet noise. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that chronic exposure to military aircraft noise may be associated with hypertension. The difference in the effects between helicopter and fighter-jet noise implies that different kinds of noise will have different influences on the prevalence of hypertension.
Interactions of bacterial flagellar chaperone–substrate complexes with FlhA contribute to co‐ordinating assembly of the flagellar filament

Assembly of the bacterial flagellar filament is strictly sequential; the junction proteins, FlgK and FlgL, are assembled at the distal end of the hook prior to the FliD cap, which supports assembly of as many as 30 000 FliC molecules into the filament. Export of these proteins requires assistance of flagellar chaperones: FlgN for FlgK and FlgL, FliT for FliD and FliS for FliC. The C‐terminal cytoplasmic domain of FlhA (FlhAC), a membrane component of the export apparatus, provides a binding‐site for these chaperone–substrate complexes but it remains unknown how it co‐ordinates flagellar protein export. Here, we report that the highly conserved hydrophobic dimple of FlhAC is involved in the export of FlgK, FlgL, FliD and FliC but not in proteins responsible for the structure and assembly of the hook, and that the binding affinity of FlhAC for the FlgN/FlgK complex is slightly higher than that for the FliT/FliD complex and about 14‐fold higher than that for the FliS/FliC complex, leading to the proposal that the different binding affinities of FlhAC for these chaperone/substrate complexes may confer an advantage for the efficient formation of the junction and cap structures at the tip of the hook prior to filament formation.
Growth of components in random graphs

The creation and growth of components of a given complexity in a random graph process are studied. In particular, the expected number and total size of all such components is found. It follows that the largest '-component during the process is Op(n 2/3 ) for any given '. The results also yield a new proof of the asymptotic behaviour of Wright's coecients. between the two processes is that in {G(n,m)}, the edges are added at the fixed times 1,2,. , so at time m we have the random graph G(n,m) with m edges, while in {G(n,t)} the edges are added at random times in such a way that at time t = p, we have the random graph G(n,p). ({G(n,t)} may be constructed by letting each edge e in the complete graph Kn appear at a random time Te, with Te independent and uniformly distributed on (0,1), and letting G(n,t) contain the edges that have appeared before t. ) In this paper, we will study random variables that depend on the order the edges appear in the process, but not on the time scale. All such variables will thus have the same distribution for both processes (not only asymptotically, but also for each finite n). Hence all results below are valid for both processes. We define the complexity of a connected graph to be its number of edges minus its number of vertices. A component of a graph of complexity ' is called an '-component. Here ' 1; a ( 1)-component is a tree, a 0-component is unicyclic, and '-components with ' 1 are known as complex components. In the beginning of the random graph process, there are no edges at all, and thus n components of order 1 and complexity 1; at the end, we have the complete graph, with a single component of complexity n 2 n. Several authors have studied what happens in between, see e.g. (4, 9, 6, 7, 11, 8). We will here add some results obtained by studying, as in (6), the ways '-components are created. Each time a new edge is added, there are two possibilities:
Efficient fine-grain thread migration with active threads

Thread migration is established as a mechanism for achieving dynamic load sharing. However, fine-grained migration has not been used due to the high thread and messaging overheads. This paper describes a fine-grained thread migration system whose extensible event mechanism permits an efficient interface between threads and communications without compromising the modularity and performance of either. Migration is supported by user level primitives based on which applications may implement different migration policies. The system is portable and can be used directly or serve as a compilation target for parallel languages. The system runs on a cluster of SMPs and observed performance is orders of magnitude better than other reported measurements.
The genotyping of Infectious bronchitis virus in Taiwan by a multiplex amplification refractory mutation system reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV; Avian coronavirus) causes acute respiratory and reproductive and urogenital diseases in chickens. Following sequence alignment of IBV strains, a combination of selective primer sets was designed to individually amplify the IBV wild-type and vaccine strains using a multiplex amplification refractory mutation system reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (ARMS RT-PCR) approach. This system was shown to discriminate the IBV wild-type and vaccine strains. Moreover, an ARMS real-time RT-PCR (ARMS qRT-PCR) was combined with a high-resolution analysis (HRMA) to establish a melt curve analysis program. The specificity of the ARMS RT-PCR and the ARMS qRT-PCR was verified using unrelated avian viruses. Different melting temperatures and distinct normalized and shifted melting curve patterns for the IBV Mass, IBV H120, IBV TW-I, and IBV TW-II strains were detected. The new assays were used on samples of lung and trachea as well as virus from allantoic fluid and cell culture. In addition to being able to detect the presence of IBV vaccine and wild-type strains by ARMS RT-PCR, the IBV Mass, IBV H120, IBV TW-I, and IBV TW-II strains were distinguished using ARMS qRT-PCR by their melting temperatures and by HRMA. These approaches have acceptable sensitivities and specificities and therefore should be able to serve as options when carrying out differential diagnosis of IBV in Taiwan and China.
Detecting communities is Hard (And Counting Them is Even Harder)

We consider the algorithmic problem of community detection in networks. Given an undirected friendship graph $G=\left(V,E\right)$, a subset $S\subseteq V$ is an $\left(\alpha,\beta\right)$-community if: * Every member of the community is friends with an $\alpha$-fraction of the community; * Every non-member is friends with at most a $\beta$-fraction of the community. Arora et al [AGSS12] gave a quasi-polynomial time algorithm for enumerating all the $\left(\alpha,\beta\right)$-communities for any constants $\alpha>\beta$. Here, we prove that, assuming the Exponential Time Hypothesis (ETH), quasi-polynomial time is in fact necessary - and even for a much weaker approximation desideratum. Namely, distinguishing between: * $G$ contains an $\left(1,o\left(1\right)\right)$-community; and * $G$ does not contain an $\left(\beta+o\left(1\right),\beta\right)$-community for any $\beta\in\left[0,1\right]$. We also prove that counting the number of $\left(1,o\left(1\right)\right)$-communities requires quasi-polynomial time assuming the weaker #ETH.
Immunohistochemical characterization of axonal sprouting in mice.

PURPOSE Transgenic manipulation of mouse physiology facilitates the preclinical study of genetic risk factors, neural plasticity, and reactive processes accompanying Alzheimer's disease. Alternatively, entorhinal cortex lesions (ECLs) model pathophysiological denervation and axonal sprouting in rat. Given reports of anatomical differences between the mouse and rat hippocampus, application of the ECL paradigm to transgenic mice first requires comprehensive characterization of axonal sprouting in the wild-type. METHODS Adult male C57BL/6 mice sustained unilateral transections of the perforant pathway. Subjects were sacrificed at 1, 4, 10, 18, and 28 days postlesion, and hippocampal sections were stained for AChE, the postsynaptic terminal marker drebrin, and the presynaptic terminal proteins SNAP-25, GAP-43, synapsin, and synaptophysin. To examine synaptic turnover and reinnervation, ipsilateral-to-contralateral staining densities were determined within the dentate molecular layer, and shrinkage-corrected ratios were compared to 28 day-yoked sham cases. RESULTS At 28 days postlesion, ipsilateral terminal marker densities exhibited significant depression. In contrast, qualitative analyses at earlier time points suggested altered AChE staining patterns and increased SNAP-25 and synapsin immunoreactivity in the inner molecular layer (IML) of the dentate gyrus. CONCLUSIONS C57BL/6 mice exhibit synaptic reorganization following perforant path transections. The IML may provide a key target for evaluation and intervention in ECL mouse models.
Hepatitis B virus X protein induces IKKα nuclear translocation via Akt‐Dependent phosphorylation to promote the motility of hepatocarcinoma cells

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx) has been implicated in HBV‐associated carcinogenesis through activation of IκB kinase (IKK)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling pathway. Besides activating NF‐κB in the cytoplasm, IKKα was found in the nucleus to regulate gene expression epigenetically in response to various stimuli. However, it is unknown whether nuclear IKKα plays a role in HBx‐associated tumor progression. Moreover, the molecular mechanism underlying IKKα nuclear transport also remains to be elucidated. Here, we disclosed HBx as a new inducer of IKKα nuclear transport in hepatoma cells. HBx induced IKKα nuclear transport in an Akt‐dependent manner. HBx‐activated Akt promoted IKKα nuclear translocation via phosphorylating its threonine‐23 (Thr23). In addition, IKKα ubiquitination enhanced by HBx and Akt also contributed to the IKKα accumulation in the nucleus, indicating the involvement of ubiquitination in Akt‐increased IKKα nuclear transport in response to HBx. Furthermore, inhibition of IKKα nuclear translocation by mutation of its nuclear localization signal and Thr23 diminished IKKα‐dependent cell migration. Taken together, our findings shed light on the molecular mechanism of IKKα nuclear translocation and provide a potential role of nuclear IKKα in HBx‐mediated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 1446–1454, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Common Case Studies of Marine Structural Failures

Marine structures are designed with a requirement to have reasonably long and safe operational life with a risk of catastrophic failures reduced to the minimum. Still, in a constant wish for reduced weight structures that can withstand increased loads, failures occur due to one or several following causes: excessive force and/or tempera-ture induced elastic deformation, yielding, fatigue, corrosion, creep, etc. Therefore, it is important to identify threats affecting the integrity of marine structures. In order to understand the causes of failures, structure’s load response, failure process, pos- sible consequences and methods to cope with and prevent failures, probably the most suitable way would be reviewing case studies of common failures. Roughly, marine structural failures can be divided into structural failures of ships, propulsion system failures, offshore structural failure, and marine equipment failures. This book chapter will provide an overview of such failures taking into account failure mechanisms, tools used for failure analysis and critical review of possible improvements in failure analysis techniques.