Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Load Transfer Mechanisms in Cylindrical Interbody Cage Constructs

Study Design. A finite-element model was created to study parametrically the load transfer characteristics of a lower lumbar motion segment implanted with dual anteroposterior cylindrical interbody cages. Objectives. To describe the frontal plane bone–implant interface stresses acting on a generic cylindrical interbody cage, to evaluate the effect of implant material properties on these stresses, and to determine the associated load transfer mechanisms. Summary of Background Data. From a biomechanical perspective, the long-term success of an interbody cage fusion depends on effective load transfer. The cage must stress the graft sufficiently to promote fusion, while keeping bone–implant interface stresses in a range that will prevent implant subsidence or loosening. At this writing, no published study has described interface stresses or load transfer mechanisms for these devices. Methods. A planar finite-element model was used to simulate uniform compression loading of the implanted segment. Material properties of the interbody cage were varied to simulate cortical bone, titanium, and stainless steel implants. Normal and shear interface stresses were output along the length of the interface. Results. Magnitudes of both the normal and shear interface stresses were substantially higher at the medial and lateral sides of the interface than in the center. Interface stresses were largely independent of implant material. Conclusions. Cylindrical interbody implants have inherent limitations, including stress concentrations at the bone–implant interface and possible stress shielding of the graft. The results from the current study suggest that implants made of cortical bone have substantially the same load transfer characteristics as metal devices of similar geometry.
Non‐homogeneous biofilm modeling applied to bioleaching processes

A two‐dimensional non‐homogeneous biofilm model is proposed for the first time to study chemical and biochemical reactions at the microorganism scale applied to biological metal leaching from mineral ores. The spatial and temporal relation between these reactions, microorganism growth and the morphological changes of the biofilm caused by solid inorganic precipitate formation were studied using this model. The model considers diffusion limitations due to accumulation of inorganic particles over the mineral substratum, and allows the study of the effect of discrete phases on chemical and microbiological mineral solubilization. The particle‐based modeling strategy allowed representation of contact reactions between the microorganisms and the insoluble precipitates, such as those required for sulfur attack and solubilization. Time‐dependent simulations of chemical chalcopyrite leaching showed that chalcopyrite passivation occurs only when an impervious solid layer is formed on the mineral surface. This mineral layer hinders the diffusion of one kinetically determinant mineral‐attacking chemical species through a nearly irreversible chemical mechanism. Simulations with iron and sulfur oxidizing microorganisms revealed that chemolithoautotrophic biofilms are able to delay passivation onset by formation of corrosion pits and increase of the solid layer porosity through sulfur dissolution. The model results also show that the observed flat morphology of bioleaching biofilms is favored preferentially at low iron concentrations due to preferential growth at the biofilm edge on the surface of sulfur‐forming minerals. Flat biofilms can also be advantageous for chalcopyrite bioleaching because they tend to favor sulfur dissolution over iron oxidation. The adopted modeling strategy is of great interest for the numerical representation of heterogeneous biofilm systems including abiotic solid particles. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;106: 660–676. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Researching the contribution of social support and occupational self-efficacy in work-related learning of nurses

Due to an aging population and increasing demands, the working environment for health care institutions changes continuously. Therefore, nurses need to engage in work-related learning in addition to formal learning. The present study aimed to understand the relation between social support of colleagues and supervisors and the participation in WRL activities by nurses, mediated by occupational self-efficacy. A survey was used to determine the relationships between the above mentioned factors. From the research it was found that social support of supervisor influences work-related learning activities to a greater extent than social support of colleagues. Social support of the supervisor predicted all learning activities, while social support of the colleagues only predicted social informal learning activities. However, occupational self-efficacy mediated the relationship of social support of colleagues with informal learning activities. This research contributes to evidence of the relation of social support of the supervisor and social support of colleagues with participating in work-related learning activities. It is important to emphasize that in literature, the role of the supervisor is researched many times, while colleagues are less mentioned. This research proved that colleagues also contribute for an important part for WRL. In addition, occupational self-efficacy is involved in this relation. As a follow-up research, it can be interesting to research if and how awareness of nurses of WRL activities can be stimulated by colleagues. This will add to the knowledge of support of colleagues in the field of WRL and provide guidelines in the practice of stimulating learning.
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot: The Mortality Cost of Colonizing Liberia in the Nineteenth Century.

Figures and Maps Tables Acknowledgments Introduction Abbreviations I: Background to the Colonization of Liberia 1: Colonization and Mortality 2: The Return to Sierra Leone II: Colonization and Mortality in Early Nineteenth-Century Liberia 3: Migration and Colonization in Liberia 4: Mortality of the Liberian Immigrant Population 5: An Event History Analysis of Mortality in Liberia III: Liberian Mortality: Another Dimension of the African Diaspora 6: Liberian Mortality in Comparative Perspective 7: Epilogue Appendix A: Data and Methods Appendix B: Committee Report on the "Report on the Medical Statistics of the Colony by Dr. Henderson" Appendix C: Additional Tables Notes Bibliography Index
Vowel classification for computer-based visual feedback for speech training for the hearing impaired

A visual speech training aid for persons with hearing impairments has been developed using a Windows-based multimedia computer. The training aid provides real time visual feedback as to the quality of pronunciation for 10 steady-state American English monopthong vowels (/aa/, /iy/, /uw/, /ae/, /er/, /ih/, /eh/, /ao/, /ah/, and /uh/). This training aid is thus referred to as a Vowel Articulation Training Aid (VATA). Neural network (NN) classifiers are used to classify vowels and then provide real time feedback for several displays: a 10-category “vowel bargraph” which provides “discrete” feedback, an “ellipse display” which provides continuous feedback over a 2-D space similar to a formant1formant2 space, and three game displays (a form of "tetrus," controlled by one vowel, a "chicken crossing the road," controlled by two vowels, and pacman, controlled by four vowels.) Continuous feedback such as this is desirable for speech training to help improve articulation. In this paper we describe the overall speech training system, discuss some algorithmic refinements to the vowel classifier, and report some experiments related to the development of a database used for "training" the display.
Use of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio to rule out preeclampsia requiring delivery in women with suspected disease. Is the evidence reproducible?

Abstract Background: Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) to placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio has been proven to predict preeclampsia occurrence. Methods: Blood samples from 195 pregnant women with suspected preeclampsia were obtained at obstetric triage admission or from the high-risk pregnancy outpatient office. Serum PlGF and sFlt-1 were measured by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) on the immunoanalyser Cobas e601 (Roche Diagnostics) and the corresponding ratio was calculated. Final outcomes were reviewed by an independent obstetrician. Only the first determination was considered. Results: A sFlt-1/PlGF ratio of 38 or lower ruled out the need for pregnancy termination due to preeclampsia in the subsequent week with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.1% (sensitivity 97.1% and specificity 67.5%). None of the 76 pregnancies with first determination of an sFlt-1/PlGF ratio of 38 or lower between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation delivered due to early-onset preeclampsia. Positive likelihood ratio (PLR) of an sFlt-1/PlGF ratio above 38 for prediction of pregnancy termination due to preeclampsia within 4 weeks is analogous to published evidence. Conclusions: Between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation, no subsequent determination was needed to completely rule out early-onset preeclampsia when the first sFlt-1/PlGF ratio determination was 38 or lower in singleton pregnancies with signs or symptoms of this syndrome. These findings, if confirmed, will reduce costs and facilitate the implementation of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in women with clinical suspicion of preeclampsia in the third trimester.
Interhemispheric Connection of Motor Areas in Humans

Summary: We attempted to clarify functional interhemispheric connections of motor cortex (MC) by investigating cortico-cortical evoked potentials from human brains in vivo. Three patients with intractable epilepsy who underwent invasive EEG monitoring with subdural electrodes as presurgical evaluation were studied. Electric pulse stimuli were delivered in a bipolar fashion to two adjacent electrodes on and around MC. Cortico-cortical evoked potentials were recorded by averaging electrocorticograms from the contralateral hemisphere. An initial positive triphasic or an initial negative biphasic wave was recorded when the contralateral MCs were stimulated. When the non-MC electrodes were stimulated, no response was recorded. The latencies ranged from 9.2 to 23.8 ms for the initial positive peak, and 25.4 to 39.4 ms for the initial or the second negative peak. The cortico-cortical evoked potentials responses were maximal around the homonymous electrodes with the stimulated electrodes. Our results directly demonstrate the presence of the functional interhemispheric connections originating in MC. The interhemispheric transit time is indicated. The homotopic distribution of the responses indicates that motor coordination of the bilateral bodies is, at least partially, controlled within MC.
Impact of KCNE subunits on KCNQ1 (Kv7.1) channel membrane surface targeting

The KCNQ1 (Kv7.1) channel plays an important role in cardiovascular physiology. Cardiomyocytes co‐express KCNQ1 with KCNE1‐5 proteins. KCNQ1 may co‐associate with multiple KCNE regulatory subunits to generate different biophysically and pharmacologically distinct channels. Increasing evidence indicates that the location and targeting of channels are important determinants of their function. In this context, the presence of K+ channels in sphingolipid–cholesterol‐enriched membrane microdomains (lipid rafts) is under investigation. Lipid rafts are important for cardiovascular functioning. We aimed to determine whether KCNE subunits modify the localization and targeting of KCNQ1 channels in lipid rafts microdomains. HEK‐293 cells were transiently transfected with KCNQ1 and KCNE1–5, and their traffic and presence in lipid rafts were analyzed. Only KCNQ1 and KCNE3, when expressed alone, co‐localized in raft fractions. In addition, while KCNE2 and KCNE5 notably stained the cell surface, KCNQ1 and the rest of the KCNEs showed strong intracellular retention. KCNQ1 targets multiple membrane surface microdomains upon association with KCNE peptides. Thus, while KCNQ1/KCNE1 and KCNQ1/KCNE2 channels target lipid rafts, KCNQ1 associated with KCNE3–5 did not. Channel membrane dynamics, analyzed by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments, further supported these results. In conclusion, the trafficking and targeting pattern of KCNQ1 can be influenced by its association with KCNEs. Since KCNQ1 is crucial for cardiovascular physiology, the temporal and spatial regulations that different KCNE subunits may confer to the channels could have a dramatic impact on membrane electrical activity and putative endocrine regulation. J. Cell. Physiol. 225: 692–700, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bimodal Winter Haul-Out Patterns of Adult Weddell Seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in the Southern Weddell Sea

Hauling out is an essential component of pinniped life-history. Haul-out behaviour may be affected by biological (e.g. sex, age and condition) and physical factors (e.g. food availability and environmental conditions), and identifying these factors may help explain the spatio-temporal distribution and habitat use of pinnipeds. The aim of this study is to describe observed winter haul-out patterns of adult Weddell seals in the Weddell Sea and investigate the role of potential predictors to gain insight into the way these animals interact with the physical environment in this region. We examined the haul-out behaviour in relation to available biological (i.e., diving effort, sex) and physical information (i.e., sun angle). Thirty-three satellite telemetry tags were deployed on adult Weddell seals in the southern Weddell Sea during February 2007, 2009 and 2011, following their annual moult recording information on the behavioural mode of the animal: at surface, hauled out or diving. At the end of the austral summer Weddell seals spent, on average, more than 40% of their time hauled out on the ice. Under constant light conditions, it appears that physiological factors drive sex differences in the timing and duration of haul-out behaviour, with females spending on average more time hauled out than males during daylight hours. This time spent hauled-out declined to around 15% in both sexes by the beginning of autumn and remained at this level with a clear nocturnal haul-out pattern during the winter. The time spent diving increased during this period, indicating an increase in foraging effort during the winter months, and led to a common haul-out pattern in both sexes over winter. We found a positive relationship between haul-out duration and the percentage of time spent diving prior to a haul-out in both sexes, with the exception of female daytime haul-outs early in the year.
'Housing first' and the changing terrains of homeless governance

Over the last fifteen years, programs based on ‘housing first’ models have swept to prominence as solutions to homelessness. Such programs serve a small subset of the overall homeless population, namely the ‘chronically’ homeless, offering direct access to permanent housing with comprehensive and flexible support services attached. Hailed as socially progressive responses to homelessness—based on their opposition to traditional emphases on client passivity, sobriety and moralised deservingness—the popularity of housing first models has often depended on congruence with wider projects of welfare retrenchment and fiscal austerity. Despite the rapid globalisation and high public profile of housing first ideas, they have been largely overlooked in geographical accounts of homeless governance. In response, this article discusses the growing importance and influence of housing first ideas, before looking to contemporary debates on homeless governance for interpretive insights. Informed by these debates, we sketch conceptual areas to which future research on housing first models and programs might attend: first, to their ambivalent politics and, second, to the processes and practices of translation that are central to their implementation and political consequence. Moving beyond questions of operational efficacy, efficiency and fidelity, we call for critical but constructive accounts focused on the constitutive relations between housing first ideas and governance transformations at and across a range of scales and sites.
A genetically determined incompatibility system between spermatozoa and eggs leading to embryonic death in mice.

The factors in the eggs of DDK mice and in alien spermatozoa which are responsible for embryonic death in DDK females mated with males from other strains were subjected to genetic analysis. (1) In reciprocal backcrosses involving DDK mice and three other inbred strains, embryonic survival was halved when DDK females were mated with F1 males, or when F1 females of DDK and two other strains were mated with males of the corresponding strains, compared to the results of matings of F1 females with DDK males. (2) Reduction of litter size in the semi-sterile backcrosses was found to be caused by embryonic death at the morula-blastocyst and pre-egg cylinder stages at or around the time of implantation. A common feature of the dead embryos was a defect in trophoblast formation. (3) Genetic analysis suggests that the cytoplasmic factor of the egg and the factor in spermatozoa are both controlled by autosomal genes located at the same locus or closely linked. The gene symbol om (ovum mutant) has been given to the mutant gene possessed by the DDK strain, and it is proposed that the cytoplasmic factor of the egg interacts specifically with the gene of sperm origin to synthesize a substance which is necessary for trophoblast formation.
Urban restorative justice : developing a restorative justice program in the city of Vancouver

This study examines how to implement an urban restorative justice-based community development program using as a case study Thunderbird Restorative Justice (TRJ), based in Vancouver BC. The term restorative community development is used to describe the program central to the study. Restorative community development is distinct from other community development approaches because of its values-based orientation and emphasis on social interconnection. It is distinct from conventional restorative justice practice because of its intentional focus on building and strengthening community, which is consistent with restorative justice theory, but sometimes missing in practice. The researcher identifies nine key steps to implementation and offers a conceptual model through which to better understand three stages of implementation: foundation, design, implementation. Main challenges to program implementation are discussed, such as making meaningful connections with locals, obtaining and maintaining organizational capacity, and securing sustainable funding. Key lessons about implementation that can be learned include striking a balance between planning and action, being prepared to address many time-consuming details, and planning ahead by creating an ongoing engagement strategy to stay connected with community, partners, and volunteers. New avenues are identified for future research and academic examination, including using more holistic approaches to community development, exploring further the overlap of restorative justice and social work, and investigating implications for restorative social work arising from the communitarian movement. The study identifies additional skill sets that should be included in social work education, including grant writing, visioning and strategic planning. The researcher advocates for better communication and collaboration within the broad social justice movement, beginning with increased interdisciplinary education opportunities. ii
Correlations between Shine-Dalgarno Sequences and Gene Features Such as Predicted Expression Levels and Operon Structures

ABSTRACT This work assesses relationships for 30 complete prokaryotic genomes between the presence of the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence and other gene features, including expression levels, type of start codon, and distance between successive genes. A significant positive correlation of the presence of an SD sequence and the predicted expression level of a gene based on codon usage biases was ascertained, such that predicted highly expressed genes are more likely to possess a strong SD sequence than average genes. Genes with AUG start codons are more likely than genes with other start codons, GUG or UUG, to possess an SD sequence. Genes in close proximity to upstream genes on the same coding strand in most genomes are significantly higher in SD presence. In light of these results, we discuss the role of the SD sequence in translation initiation and its relationship with predicted gene expression levels and with operon structure in both bacterial and archaeal genomes.
Estrés escolar y empatía en estudiantes de bachillerato practicantes de Mindfulness

Este articulo expone el resultado de una investigacion que contemplo la practica de Mindfulness dentro de un marco cientifico y pedagogico. Se selecciono el estres escolar y la empatia como variables para medir aplicando cuestionarios a dos grupos de adolescentes de la Institucion Educativa Distrital “Juan Lozano Lozano” de la Localidad de Suba en Bogota. Constituyo un estudio cuantitativo de caracter correlacional con un diseno cuasiexperimental de mediciones pre y post, con grupo control, el tratamiento fue la practica meditativa durante dos meses. Para analizar la existencia de diferencias significativas entre las medidas pretest y postest, tanto en el grupo experimental como en el grupo control, se utilizo el t de Studentpara muestras relacionadas. Se realizo un analisis entre el grupo experimental y el grupo control a partir de las diferencias antes y despues de la intervencion en ambos grupos, utilizando la prueba t de Studentpara muestras independientes.
Rapid development of tangible interactive appliances: achieving the fidelity/time balance

For some years, the global research community has been developing techniques to rapidly design and develop information appliances. Despite significant advances, many industrial and user interface designers still rely on 2D, software only interactive prototypes, particularly early in the design process when many key decisions are made. A core assumption of many of those tackling this issue is that designers need to be able to make 'quick and dirty' 3D prototypes to evaluate their concepts properly. Some attempts have been made to examine how quick or how dirty the prototyping process can be for software only applications, but to date no one has carried out a similar exercise for 3D information appliance prototypes. This article presents the results of three experiments, presenting empirical data that determines whether tangible prototypes are better than software prototypes and how 'quick and dirty' designers should be prototyping.
Diagnostic accuracy of CSF Ab42 and florbetapir PET for Alzheimer's disease

Reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) β‐amyloid42 (Aβ42) and increased florbetapir positron emission tomography (PET) uptake reflects brain Aβ accumulation. These biomarkers are correlated with each other and altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but no study has directly compared their diagnostic performance.