Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Progress and Challenges in Perioperative Pressure Ulcer Prevention

My fi rst encounter with a perioperative pressure ulcer (PPU) occurred in 1985 when I observed a large ecchymotic lesion in the sacral area of an abdominal aortic aneurysm patient on the second day after surgery. However, it was the use of pressure ulcer (PU) incidence data that drove my interest to study prevention in surgical patients. After becoming a WOC nurse in 1989, I began tracking hospital-acquired PUs. I observed higher incidence rates of PUs in surgical patients than in the medical or long-term care area where the patients were at a much higher risk. I searched the literature in 1992, which was limited to 25 articles on PPU. Based on that search, I consulted with colleagues and we concluded: (1) accurate and timely skin assessments and interventions by perioperative nurses may help to reduce incidence and mitigate severity, (2) research is needed to document PPU incidence and risk factors and evaluate the effi cacy of support surfaces for surgical tables, and (3) a risk assessment instrument sensitive to PPU was needed. 1 Now it is 2015 and I was asked to revisit these questions and determine whether we are doing a better job today of preventing PUs in surgical patients than we were 23 years ago.
Dew variability in three habitats of a sand dune transect in a desert oasis ecotone, Northwestern China

Dew, as a supplementary water source, may have an important ecological role in arid and semi‐arid regions. During August and September of 2007 and 2008, measurements were taken to investigate the dew accumulation and evaporation patterns in the very early morning hours, in three different habitats (dunetop, footslope, and interdune lowland) of a fixed sand dune in Northwest China. Dew quantities were measured using the cloth‐plate method. The results indicated that there was a positive correlation between dew amounts and relative humidity, but a negative correlation between dew amounts and mean temperature. Clear mornings were characterized by higher dew amounts and longer dew duration, whereas less dew was recorded during cloudy and especially windy mornings. Dew continued to condense even after sunrise, although a shorter warming time after dawn is also of vital importance in dew formation. The higher average maximum dew quantities (0.06 mm) and longer average dew duration (2.3 h) occurred in the interdune lowland; the lower and shorter average dew amounts (0.048 mm) and duration (1.9 h) were obtained at the dune top. The footslope habitat exhibited intermediate values. Clearly, the differences in dew deposition can be partially attributed to the distinguishing characteristics of the microhabitats. The present study highlighted the impacts of these characteristics on near‐ground dew condensation accumulation and evaporation in a fixed sand dune and may facilitate evaluation of the role of dew in arid and semi‐arid environments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The biocompatibility of SLA-treated titanium implants

The titanium implant surface was sandblasted with large grits and acid etched (SLA) to increase the implant surface for osseointegration. The topography of the titanium surface was investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a profilometer. The SLA implant demonstrated uniform small micro pits (1–2 µm in diameter). The values of average roughness (Ra) and maximum height (Rt) were 1.19 µm and 10.53 µm respectively after sandblasting and the acid-etching treatment. In the cell–surface interaction study, the human osteoblast cells grew well in vitro. The in vivo evaluation of the SLA implant placed in rabbit tibia showed good bone-to-implant contact (BIC) with a mean value of 29% in total length of the implant. In the short-term clinical study, SLA implants demonstrated good clinical performance, maintaining good crestal bone height.
Measuring the Effect of the Zero Lower Bound on Medium- and Longer-Term Interest Rates

The federal funds rate has been at the zero lower bound for over four years, since December 2008. According to standard macroeconomic models, this should have greatly reduced the effectiveness of monetary policy and increased the efficacy of fiscal policy. However, these models also imply that asset prices and private-sector decisions depend on the entire path of expected future short-term interest rates, not just the current level of the overnight rate. Thus, interest rates with a year or more to maturity are arguably more relevant for asset prices and the economy, and it is unclear to what extent those yields have been affected by the zero lower bound. In this paper, we measure the effects of the zero lower bound on interest rates of any maturity by comparing the sensitivity of those interest rates to macroeconomic news when short-term interest rates were very low to that during normal times. We find that yields on Treasury securities with a year or more to maturity were surprisingly responsive to news throughout 2008-10, suggesting that monetary and fiscal policy were likely to have been about as effective as usual during this period. Only beginning in late 2011 does the sensitivity of these yields to news fall closer to zero. We offer two explanations for our findings: First, until late 2011, market participants expected the funds rate to lift off from zero within about four quarters, minimizing the effects of the zero bound on medium- and longer-term yields. Second, the Fed's unconventional policy actions seem to have helped offset the effects of the zero bound on medium- and longer-term rates.
Observational Studies

As with most specialized books like this one, which are written in part to provide software that gets included with the book, the updating of the software has been one of the drivers for the second edition (2E). Also a comprehensive methodology book, the  rst edition (1E) was reviewed extensively by Joliffe (1996), who described the software as “unsophisticated and run under DOS but a useful resource” (p. 403). Even in 1994, when the 1E was published, DOS programs certainly were already archaic. Now, in the Preface to the 2E, the authors describe their software as “run under DOS or Windows; a full Windows version will be available by the end of 2000” (p. xiii). However, they do not offer any exchange privileges for the CD-ROM included with the 2E. As for the content of the book, the 2E is nearly 50% larger than the 1E. The largest single addition is a new chapter on biplots. These multidimensional plots, which illustrate observations and variables simultaneously, have been added to new editions of several textbooks recently, following the publication of the biplot methodology by Gower and Hand (1996). Most of the other chapters have also been updated with the addition of at least one new section. Several are enhanced by an illustration with a new dataset concerned with “properties of the nose and taste of nineteen whiskies. ” That is understandable, since the authors reside in Scotland. The authors comment in the Preface that “multidimensional scaling has now become popular and has extended into areas other than its traditional place in the behavioral sciences. ” This is the essential reference. It has been updated suf ciently to merit purchase even by persons who already own the 1E.
Advanced processing steps for high efficiency solar cells based on EFG material

In the past few years the quality of Edge-defined Film-fed Growth (EFG) material has strongly improved and can now compete with most standard multicrystalline materials. The maximum conversion efficiency of solar cells based on high quality EFG material is at the moment mostly limited by the applied solar cell processing steps. The state-of-the-art high efficiency process at the University of Konstanz (UKN) in combination with some additional processing steps is presented. The latter include hydrogen passivation of bulk defects, texturisation of the front surface by remote SF6 plasma (most samples shown here were textured at IMEC), surface passivation using a silicon oxide / silicon nitride stack and the application of Laser Fired Contacts (LFC). Single additional processing steps are investigated as well as various combinations of additional processing steps.
Systemic Ventricular Function in Patients with Tetralogy of Fallot, Ventricular Septal Defect and Transposition of the Great Arteries Repaired During Infancy

Work-function curves relating systemic ventricular end-diastolic pressure (EDP) to minute work index (MWI) were used to assess ventricular performance in eight patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), five patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD), and nine patients with d-transposition of the great arteries (TGA). All patients underwent repair when they were younger than 18 months of age and, when studied 13 months after surgery, were found to have satisfactory anatomic results by catheterization. Results were compared with seven control subjects. All patients had normal systemic ventricular hemodynamics at rest. A work-function curve for each patient was generated using a methoxamine infusion to increase afterload and measuring EDP, mean ventricular systolic pressure and cardiac index. Heart rate was maintained within a narrow range for each patient.The systemic ventricle in the TGA patients responded to the afterload stress with a smaller increase in MWI than was noted for either the TOF (p < 0.05), VSD (p < 0.01) or control (p < 0.01) groups. This difference in MWI for the TGA patients occurred despite a comparable increase in systemic ventricular EDP for all groups. The net result was a highly significant difference in mean slope of the work-function curves for the TGA patients compared with the TOF (p < 0.02), VSD (p < 0.01) or control (p < 0.01) patients. There was no significant difference in mean slope for the TOF, VSD and control groups.Thus, an afterload stress at early postoperative follow-up identified preclinical systemic ventricular dysfunction in TGA patients not evident in age-matched TOF and VSD patients. This finding takes on added significance with the recent development of alternative surgical approaches to repair of TGA that use the left ventricle as the systemic pumping chamber.
Downregulating serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) suppresses tumorigenesis in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Serine-glycine biosynthetic pathway diverts the glycolytic intermediate 3-phosphoglycerate to synthesize serine and glycine, of which the latter was found to correlate with cancer cell proliferation. Increased de novo biosynthesis of glycine by serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) is the central mechanism to fuel one-carbon pools supporting tumorigenesis. However, the therapeutic potential in targeting SHMT2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unknown. In this study we showed that SHMT2 inhibition significantly suppressed liver tumorigenesis. In vitro, SHMT2-knockdown was found to reduce cell growth and tumorigenicity in Huh-7 and HepG2 liver cancer cells. Moreover SHMT2-knockdown Huh-7 cells failed to form tumor xenograft after subcutaneous inoculation into nude mice. Similarly, inducible SHMT2 inhibition, via doxycycline-added drinking water, was found to reduce tumor incidence and tumor growth in a human tumor xenograft mouse model. SHMT2-knockdown increased the susceptibility of Huh-7 cells to doxorubicin suggesting its potential in combination chemotherapy. Through isotopomer tracing of [2–13C] glycine metabolism, we demonstrated that SHMT2 activity is associated with cancer phenotype. However, overexpression of SHMT2 was insufficient to transform immortalized hepatic cells to malignancy, suggesting that SHMT2 is one of the building blocks in liver cancer metabolism but does not initiate malignant transformation. Moreover, our results suggest that glycine, but not 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate, from the SHMT2-mediated enzymatic reaction is instrumental in tumorigenesis. Indeed, we found that SHMT2-knockdown cells exhibited increased glycine uptake. Taken together, our data suggest that SHMT2 may be a potential target in the treatment of human HCC.
Streamflow sensitivity analysis to climate change for a large water‐limited basin

Partitioning precipitation (P) between streamflow (Q) and actual evapotranspiration (Ea) on a basin scale is controlled by climate change in combination with catchment characteristics. Fu's formulation of the Budyko framework was used to estimate Q as a function of two meteorological variables, P and potential evaporation (Ep), and one adjustable parameter reflecting characteristics of catchment conditions (ω). Results show that ω reflects the impacts of catchment characteristics on the partitioning of P between Q and Ea for the different water yielding regions. As predicted, Q was more sensitive to P than to comparable changes in Ep for the whole of the Yellow River Basin (YRB), a water‐limited basin, while it was shown to be highly sensitive to changes in P, Ep, and ω in the low water yielding region (LWYR) of the basin, followed by YRB and the high water yielding region of the basin. The high sensitivity of Q to P, Ep, and ω in LWYR indicates that the management of catchments within these zones is critical to the management of overall basin flow, mitigating impacts of climate change on Q. The Budyko framework, incorporating the adjustable parameter ω, outlines interactions between Q, climate, and characteristics specific to different water yielding regions. It also provides a new approach in understanding hydrological process response to climate change. Due to the obscure physical attributes of ω, an explanation of the parameter using soil or vegetation characteristics will aid in the understanding of the eco‐hydrological behaviour of catchments and help to provide more detailed catchment management options for which to mitigate climate change with respect to concerns regarding agricultural water usage. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two-sided Learning in New Keynesian Models: Dynamics, (Lack of) Convergence and the Value of Information

This paper investigates the role of learning by private agents and the central bank (two-sided learning) in a New Keynesian framework in which both sides of the economy have asymmetric and imperfect knowledge about the true data generating process. We assume that all agents employ the data that they observe (which may be distinct for different sets of agents) to form beliefs about unknown aspects of the true model of the economy, use their beliefs to decide on actions, and revise these beliefs through a statistical learning algorithm as new information becomes available. We study the short-run dynamics of our model and derive its policy recommendations, particularly with respect to central bank communications. We demonstrate that two-sided learning can generate substantial increases in volatility and persistence, and alter the behavior of the variables in the model in a signifficant way. Our simulations do not converge to a symmetric rational expectations equilibrium and we highlight one source that invalidates the convergence results of Marcet and Sargent (1989). Finally, we identify a novel aspect of central bank communication in models of learning: communication can be harmful if the central bank's model is substantially mis-specified
Numerical simulations of the atmospheric and land conditions over the Jinta oasis in northwestern China with satellite‐derived land surface parameters

[1] Mesoscale meteorological modeling is an important tool to help understand the energy budget of the oasis, while some of its initial field data are rough limited to describe the atmosphere and land conditions over a small oasis. Local factors including land surface parameters and their interaction with the atmosphere play a dominant role in the local circulation. Therefore, in this study, land surface parameters such as land-use types, vegetation cover fraction, and surface layer soil moisture are derived by satellite remote sensing data from EOS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (EOS/MODIS), and soil moisture at 10 cm and 200 cm depth are obtained by combining surface layer soil moisture with experiential statistics. Then the parameters are used to specify the respective options in the MM5 model. Comparison with the observations shows that the modeling including satellite values leads to improved meteorological simulations in the Jinta oasis, both for the oasis effect and the local wind circulation, especially for description of the inhomogeneous characteristics over the oasis. Replacing values in the initial field with data obtained from remote sensing removes the number of unknowns in the model and increases the accuracy of the energy budget. This work is a very valuable addition to current numerical research on local circumfluence over the oasis areas.
The effects of a composite non-Newtonian and Newtonian rheology on mantle convection

Summary A finite element method based on a primitive variables formulation is used to model both steady-state and time-dependent mantle convection with a composite Newtonian and non-Newtonian (power-law) rheology. The rheological model employs the transition stress as a means of partitioning the relative importance of the two rheologies. Results show that there is no direct correlation between viscosity and temperature anomalies. Fluctuations of the velocity fields are much greater and faster than for Newtonian flows. Fluctuations with amplitudes several times the background velocity are quite common. Intermittency effects with quiescent periods punctuated by chaotic bursts are observed. From scaling arguments temporal fluctuations of the volume-averaged viscosity are comparable in magnitude to the variations in the surface heat flow for the non-Newtonian flows, but are smaller than the variations in the velocity field. At larger transition stress the Newtonian behaviour becomes dominant and the temporal variations of the viscosity diminish. Both steady-state and time-dependent results show that for a given transition stress the non-Newtonian behaviour prevails to a greater extent with increasing Rayleigh number. Implications of this non-Newtonian tendency for Archaean tectonics are discussed.
Human Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein 1a Contributes Significantly to Hepatic Lipogenic Gene Expression

Background/Aims: Sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) 1, the master regulator of lipogenesis, was shown to be associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is attributed to its major isoform SREBP1c. Based on studies in mice, the minor isoform SREBP1a is regarded as negligible for hepatic lipogenesis. This study aims to elucidate the expression and functional role of SREBP1a in human liver. Methods: mRNA expression of both isoforms was quantified in cohorts of human livers and primary human hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were treated with PF-429242 to inhibit the proteolytic activation of SREBP precursor protein. SREBP1a-specifc and pan-SREBP1 knock-down were performed by transfection of respective siRNAs. Lipogenic SREBP-target gene expression was analyzed by real-time RT-PCR. Results: In human liver, SREBP1a accounts for up to half of the total SREBP1 pool. Treatment with PF-429242 indicated SREBP-dependent auto-regulation of SREBP1a, which however was much weaker than of SREBP1c. SREBP1a-specifc knock-down also reduced significantly the expression of SREBP1c and of SREBP-target genes. Regarding most SREBP-target genes, simultaneous knock-down of both isoforms resulted in effects of only similar extent as SREBP1a-specific knock-down. Conclusion: We here showed that SREBP1a is significantly contributing to the human hepatic SREBP1 pool and has a share in human hepatic lipogenic gene expression.
Rethinking the Ancient Sulfur Cycle

The sulfur biogeochemical cycle integrates the metabolic activity of multiple microbial pathways (e.g., sulfate reduction, disproportionation, and sulfide oxidation) along with abiotic reactions and geological processes that cycle sulfur through various reservoirs. The sulfur cycle impacts the global carbon cycle and climate primarily through the remineralization of organic carbon. Over geological timescales, cycling of sulfur is closely tied to the redox state of Earth's exosphere through the burial of oxidized (sulfate) and reduced (sulfide) sulfur species in marine sediments. Biological sulfur cycling is associated with isotopic fractionations that can be used to trace the fluxes through various metabolic pathways. The resulting isotopic data provide insights into sulfur cycling in both modern and ancient environments via isotopic signatures in sedimentary sulfate and sulfide phases. Here, we review the deep-time δ34S record of marine sulfates and sulfides in light of recent advances in understanding h.
Susceptibility-Induced Loss of Signal: Comparing PET and fMRI on a Semantic Task

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become a popular tool for investigations into the neural correlates of cognitive activity. One limitation of fMRI, however, is that it has difficulty imaging regions near tissue interfaces due to distortions from macroscopic susceptibility effects which become more severe at higher magnetic field strengths. This difficulty can be particularly problematic for language tasks that engage regions of the temporal lobes near the air-filled sinuses. This paper investigates susceptibility-induced signal loss in the temporal lobes and proposes that by defining a priori regions of interest and using the small-volume statistical correction of K. J. Worsley, S. Marrett, P. Neelin, A. C. Vandal, K. J. Friston, and A. C. Evans (1996, Hum. Brain Mapp. 4: 58-83), activations in these areas can sometimes be detected by increasing the statistical power of the analysis. We conducted two experiments, one with PET and the other with fMRI, using almost identical semantic categorization paradigms and comparable methods of analysis. There were areas of overlap as well as differences between the PET and fMRI results. One anticipated difference was a lack of activation in two regions in the temporal lobe on initial analyses in the fMRI data set. With a specific region of interest, however, activation in one of the regions was detected. These experiments demonstrate three points: first, even for almost identical cognitive tasks such as those in this study, PET and fMRI may not produce identical results; second, differences between the two methods due to macroscopic susceptibility artifacts in fMRI can be overcome with appropriate statistical corrections, but only partially; and third, new data acquisition paradigms are necessary to fully deal with susceptibility-induced signal loss if the sensitivity of the fMRI experiment to temporal lobe activations is to be enhanced.