Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of CNTs/POM nanocomposite acetabular hip cup

ABSTRACT Polyoxymethylene (POM) considered as the most appropriate alternative for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in the hip joint replacement application due to their biocompatibility, high mechanical properties, and cheapness. The wear is the main cause of the failure in the hip joint and the wear resistance of UHMWPE is still better than the wear resistance of POM. This research aims to improve the wear behavior of POM by blending it with 0.02 wt% of functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and using paraffin oil dispersion technique to obtain a uniform dispersion. The injection molding and machining process were used to produce the new (CNTs/POM) nanocomposite acetabular hip cup which has a high wear performance. The wear rate of the CNTs/POM cups was evaluated using a total leg joint’s simulator at 1,000 N for 3 million cycles under serum-based lubricated conditions. Moreover, the wear mechanism of cups was examined by scanning electron microscopy as well as the dispersion of CNTs inside the cup matrix. The results show that the wear resistance of POM cup has been improved by adding functionalized CNTs ∼402% and ∼221%, when compared with a virgin POM and UHMWPE, respectively, because of increasing the melting temperature and crystallinity degree. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Comparative study of Modified Tension Band Wiring versus Tension Band Through Parallel CannulatedCancellous Screws in Patella Fractures

Introduction: Open reduction and internal fixation is indicated in patients with displaced patella fracturesand loss of the extensor apparatus.Transverse fractures of the patella are commonly treated with modified tension band wire (MTBW). Loosening of the wires along with the implant construct and soft tissue irritation by the wires had already been reported. The newer technique, tension band wiring through cannulated cancellousscrews(TBWCCS) is soft tissue friendly and gives better stability. Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the outcome of treatment of patella fractures by modified tension band wiring with k wires and tension band wiring through parallel cannulated cancellous screws in terms of union rate, functional outcome and complication rate. Methodology: We performed acomparative study between the two procedures from September 2017 to January 2019 at Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital. Total of 40 patients, 20 in each groupware enrolled in the study.Allthe patients were followed at regular intervals. Time taken for radiographic union was recorded. Variables of Modified Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score (MHSSKS) were recorded and graded till the last follow-up at 24 weeks. Complications of each procedure were recorded.The data was analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: All fractures united at 12.20±3.03 weeks in MTBWgroup and 11.20±2.78 weeks in TBWCCS group. Complication rate was significantly higher in MTBW group. In TBWCCS group, 90% patients had good to excellent MHSSKS score whilein MTBW group, 75% had good to excellent results at 24 weeks. Pain during walking was significantly better in TBWCCS group. Conclusion: On the basis of our study, tension band wiring through cannulated cancellousscrews is an effective method of treatment of patellar fractures.
A novel shape complementarity scoring function for protein‐protein docking

Shape complementarity is the most basic ingredient of the scoring functions for protein‐protein docking. Most grid‐based docking algorithms use the total number of grid points at the binding interface to quantify shape complementarity. We have developed a novel Pairwise Shape Complementarity (PSC) function that is conceptually simple and rapid to compute. The favorable component of PSC is the total number of atom pairs between the receptor and the ligand within a distance cutoff. When applied to a benchmark of 49 test cases, PSC consistently ranks near‐native structures higher and produces more near‐native structures than the traditional grid‐based function, and the improvement was seen across all prediction levels and in all categories of the benchmark. Without any post‐processing or biological information about the binding site except the complementarity‐determining region of antibodies, PSC predicts the complex structure correctly for 6 test cases, and ranks at least one near‐native structure in the top 20 predictions for 18 test cases. Our docking program ZDOCK has been parallelized and the average computing time is 4 minutes using sixteen IBM SP3 processors. Both ZDOCK and the benchmark are freely available to academic users (http://zlab.bu.edu/∼rong/dock). Proteins 2003;51:397–408. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid

Ameloblastomas seldom cause diagnostic difficulties due to classic histopathological presentations. Adenoid ameloblastoma is a rare variant in this category which can cause problem in diagnosis due to the presence of areas resembling adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) and occurrence of varying degrees of dentinoid formation. In this article, we report a case of adenoid ameloblastoma with dentinoid, which was diagnosed accurately after the third recurrence. To the best of our knowledge, so far, only 13 cases have been reported of tumors that histologically show features of amelobalstoma and AOT with hard tissue formation. The recurrences were due to under diagnosis of the lesion followed by a conservative treatment.
Metering motorbike mobility: informal transport in transition?

Vast numbers of people in rapidly growing cities throughout the developing world depend on informal transport services for their mobility needs. Thus far the field of transition studies has addressed the dynamics of socio-technical change in situations where regimes of automobility and sanctioned public transport constitute the dominant order, but not in contexts of cities in the developing world, where informal transit thrives. In this paper we enquire about stability and prospects for change in these kinds of socio-technical systems. To this end, we trace the evolution of Bangkok's motorcycle taxi industry including recent efforts to introduce a potentially radical innovation: an information and communications technology (ICT) platform used as a taximeter. The paper concludes that innovations in informal urban transport are opening up alternative mobility pathways for the developing world, which might even spread far beyond their original confines into the West; and that the persistence of informal transport systems and the proliferation of innovations within those systems in developing countries prove to be relevant phenomena for defining prominent topics on the agenda of (sustainability) transitions research.
Involvement of the amygdala in explicit memories

To the Editor: The studies conducted by Seeck et al.1-3 afford important insights about temporal lobe structures and memories. We would like to review one particular and important finding of these studies that deserves further comment. We refer to the role of the amygdala in implicit and explicit memories. The amygdala is involved in emotional aspects of learning and memory.4 …
GATA2 is Epigenetically Repressed in Human and Mouse Lung Tumors and Is Not Requisite for Survival of KRAS Mutant Lung Cancer

Introduction: GATA2 was recently described as a critical survival factor and therapeutic target for KRAS mutant non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, whether this role is affected by epigenetic repression of GATA2 in lung cancer is unclear. Methods: GATA2 expression and promoter CpG island methylation were evaluated using human and mouse NSCLC cell lines and tumor-normal pairs. In vitro assays were used to study GATA2 repression on cell survival and during tobacco carcinogen-induced transformation. Results: GATA2 expression in KRAS wild-type (n = 15) and mutant (n = 10) NSCLC cell lines and primary lung tumors (n = 24) was significantly lower, 1.3- to 33.6-fold (p = 2.2 × 109), compared with corresponding normal lung. GATA2 promoter was unmethylated in normal lung (0 of 10) but frequently methylated in lung tumors (96%, 159 of 165) and NSCLC cell lines (97%, 30 of 31). This highly prevalent aberrant methylation was independently validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas data for 369 NSCLC tumor-normal pairs. In vitro studies using an established carcinogen-induced premalignancy model revealed that GATA2 expression was initially repressed by chromatin remodeling followed by cytosine methylation during transformation. Similarly, expression of GATA2 in NNK-induced mouse lung tumors (n = 6) and cell lines (n = 5) was fivefold and 100-fold lower, respectively, than normal mouse lung. Finally, siRNA-mediated knockdown of GATA2 in KRAS mutant (human [n = 4] and murine [n = 5]) and wild-type (human [n = 4]) NSCLC cell lines showed that further reduction of expression (up to 95%) does not induce cell death. Conclusion: GATA2 is epigenetically repressed in human and mouse lung tumors and its further inhibition is not a valid therapeutic strategy for KRAS mutant lung cancer.
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN RISKY BEHAVIOR: A TERROR MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

Two studies examined the effects of mortality salience inductions on men and women's willingness to engage in risk-taking behaviors. In Study 1, a sample of American college students (N = 101) were exposed to either a mortality salient or a control condition and then rated their willingness to engage in a variety of risk-taking activities. In Study 2, a sample of Israeli high-school students (N = 106) completed a self-esteem measure, were exposed to either a mortality salient or control condition, and then rated their willingness to use various psychoactive substances that were offered in three different hypothetical scenarios. In both studies, findings indicated that mortality salience led to higher willingness to engage in risky behaviors in men but not in women. Study 2 also revealed that self-esteem moderated the effect of mortality salience on the willingness to use psychoactive substances but only when they were offered by a friend. The discussion offers a terror management perspective of risk-taking behaviors.
Sampling, characterisation and processing of solid recovered fuel production from municipal solid waste: An Italian plant case study

This article presents the classification of solid recovered fuel from the Massafra municipal solid waste treatment plant in Southern Italy in compliancy with the EN 15359 standard. In order to ensure the reproducibility of this study, the characterisation methods of waste input and output flow, the mechanical biological treatment line scheme and its main parameters for each stage of the processing chain are presented in details, together with the research results in terms of mass balance and derived fuel properties. Under this study, only 31% of refused municipal solid waste input stream from mechanical biological line was recovered as solid recovered fuel with a net heating value (NC=HV) average of 15.77 MJ kg−1; chlorine content average of 0.06% on a dry basis; median of mercury <0.0064 mg MJ−1 and 80th percentile <0.0068 mg MJ−1. The solid recovered fuel produced meets the European Union standard requirements and can be classified with the class code: Net heating value (3); chlorine (1); mercury (1).
In Search of Complementarity in Innovation Strategy: Internal R&D and External Knowledge Acquisition

Empirical research on complementarity between organizational design decisions has traditionally focused on the question of existence of complementarity. In this paper, we take a broader approach to the issue, combining a productivity and an adoption approach, while including a search for contextual variables in the firms strategy that affects complementarity. Analysis of contextual variables is not only interesting per se, but also improves the productivity test for the existence of complementarity. We use our empirical methodology to analyze complementarity between innovation activities: internal research and development (R&D) and external knowledge acquisition. Our results suggest that internal R&D and external knowledge acquisition are complementary innovation activities, but that the degree of complementarity is sensitive to other elements of the firms strategic environment. We identify reliance on basic R&Dthe importance of universities and research centers as an information source for the innovation processas an important contextual variable affecting complementarity between internal and external innovation activities.
Air Stacking: A Detailed Look Into Physiological Acute Effects on Cough Peak Flow and Chest Wall Volumes of Healthy Subjects

BACKGROUND: Air stacking (AS) is a lung insufflation method that requires the use of a manual insufflator to provide air volumes higher than inspiratory capacity. Neuromuscular patients benefit the most from the maneuver; however, the acute effects of AS in healthy subjects are still unclear. METHODS: Twenty healthy subjects (8 males) were studied by optoelectronic plethysmography to investigate the immediate effects of AS on cough peak flow, operational volume variations, distribution of these volumes in the chest wall compartments (pulmonary rib cage, abdominal rib cage, and abdominal), breathing pattern, and shortening velocity of the respiratory muscles during a protocol that included vital capacity maneuvers and spontaneous coughs before and after AS. RESULTS: Statistically significant increases in cough peak flow (P < .03) and inspiratory capacity (P < .001) were found immediately after AS. During its application, the pulmonary rib cage compartment was the largest contributor (P = .002) to chest wall volume displacement. A significant increase in chest wall tidal volume (P < .001), mainly in the pulmonary rib cage (P < .001), was observed. Significant increases (P < .001) in end-inspiratory chest wall volume were observed with main distribution in pulmonary (P < .001) and abdominal rib cage (P = .01). Significant increases in shortening velocity index of inspiratory muscles (P < .001), expiratory muscles (P < .001), and diaphragm (P < .001) were also observed. In addition, significant decreases in expiratory time (P < .001) and increases in duty cycle (P = .02), breathing frequency (P = .02), minute ventilation (P < .001), maximum inspiratory (P < .001), and expiratory flow (P < .001) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: In healthy subjects, cough peak flow and chest wall volumes can be increased immediately after the application of the AS maneuver.
Tests for zero-inflation and overdispersion

We propose a new methodology to detect zero-inflation and overdispersion based on the comparison of the expected sample extremes among convexly ordered distributions. The method is very flexible and includes tests for the proportion of structural zeros in zero-inflated models, tests to distinguish between two ordered parametric families and a new general test to detect overdispersion. The performance of the proposed tests is evaluated via some simulation studies. For the well-known fetal lamb data, we conclude that the zero-inflated Poisson model should be rejected against other more disperse models, but we cannot reject the negative binomial model.
Experimental characterization of the sliding friction of a degrading wet friction clutch

Wet friction clutches have become widely used in today’s transmissions, e.g. automatic transmissions, dual clutch transmissions, etc. It is known that the central role of this particular component is strongly determined by its friction characteristics. While a clutch is in use, degradation inevitably takes place that consequently deteriorates its friction characteristics. However, to the authors knowledge, how the friction characteristics evolve with the clutch degradation progression is not fully understood yet. A profound understanding of the clutch friction characteristics during its lifetime can improve our knowledge, which enable us to model and simulate the dynamic engagement behavior of a clutch with the progression of the degradation. Eventually, the gained knowledge can aid in deriving physical features, which are useful for clutch monitoring, prognostics and adaptive control. This study aims at experimentally investigating the sliding friction characteristics of a wet friction clutch during its lifetime. More precisely, the objective of the study is to understand how the Stribeck and the frictional lag (i.e. sliding hysteresis) parameters evolve as the degradation progresses. For this purpose, a novel test procedure has been proposed and the test has been carried out on a fully assembled (commercial) clutch using a modified SAE#2 test setup. The clutch consists of a predefined number of commercial friction and separator discs and is lubricated with a commercial automatic transmission fluid (ATF). Furthermore, a systematic methodology for the identification of the Stribeck and the frictional lag parameters is developed. The experimental results reveal that the identified parameters evolve deterministically during the clutch lifetime.
Pharmacotherapeutic management of erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is a common condition in aging men and significantly affects their quality of life and interpersonal relationships. Its prevalence and incidence are associated with aging, lifestyle factors and cardiovascular comorbidities. Preoccupation with male virility has been present for centuries, and a wide variety of herbs and potions have been used to treat any sexual deficiencies. Recent major advances in understanding of erectile physiology and pathophysiology led to development of currently available systemic and local pharmacotherapies. They are designed to work either centrally or peripherally and to either suppress anti‐erectile mechanisms, enhance the pro‐erectile ones or influence both. Since all the current formulations have variable safety and efficacy profiles, the search for highly specific, simple, convenient and clinically effective impotence treatments or prophylactics continues.
Convergence of a two-layer scheme for equations of gas dynamics in Eulerian variables with geo-physical applications

This paper deals with the convergence of a completely conservative, two-layer difference scheme for equations of gas dynamics in Eulerian variables. The convergence of the difference solution to the smooth solution of the original periodic Cauchy problem of order τ2+h 2 at layer-by-layer norm L 2 is proved, provided that the mesh step sizes are sufficiently small and that τ=h 1+ϵ (ϵ=constant>0). Several modifications of the proposed method were used for the numerical solution of a one-dimensional mathematical model (on the basis of the shallow water theory), which describes crash events produced by dam collapse.
On Coding Non-Contiguous Letter Combinations

Starting from the hypothesis that printed word identification initially involves the parallel mapping of visual features onto location-specific letter identities, we analyze the type of information that would be involved in optimally mapping this location-specific orthographic code onto a location-invariant lexical code. We assume that some intermediate level of coding exists between individual letters and whole words, and that this involves the representation of letter combinations. We then investigate the nature of this intermediate level of coding given the constraints of optimality. This intermediate level of coding is expected to compress data while retaining as much information as possible about word identity. Information conveyed by letters is a function of how much they constrain word identity and how visible they are. Optimization of this coding is a combination of minimizing resources (using the most compact representations) and maximizing information. We show that in a large proportion of cases, non-contiguous letter sequences contain more information than contiguous sequences, while at the same time requiring less precise coding. Moreover, we found that the best predictor of human performance in orthographic priming experiments was within-word ranking of conditional probabilities, rather than average conditional probabilities. We conclude that from an optimality perspective, readers learn to select certain contiguous and non-contiguous letter combinations as information that provides the best cue to word identity.
Research on Software Security Testing

— Software security testing is an important means to ensure software security and trustiness. This paper first mainly discusses the definition and classification of software security testing, and investigates methods and tools of software security testing widely. Then it analyzes and concludes the advantages and disadvantages of various methods and the scope of application, presents a taxonomy of security testing tools. Finally, the paper points out future focus and development directions of software security testing technology.
Cryptographic verification of test coverage claims

The market for software components is growing, driven on the "demand side" by the need for rapid deployment of highly functional products and, on the "supply side", by distributed object standards. As components and component vendors proliferate, there is naturally a growing concern about quality and the effectiveness of testing processes. White-box testing, particularly the use of coverage criteria, Is a widely used method for measuring the "thoroughness" of testing efforts. High levels of test coverage are used as indicators of good quality control procedures. Software vendors who can demonstrate high levels of test coverage have a credible claim to high quality. However, verifying such claims involves knowledge of the source code, test cases, build procedures, etc. In applications where reliability and quality are critical, it would be desirable to verify test coverage claims without forcing vendors to give up valuable technical secrets. In this paper, we explore cryptographic techniques that can be used to verify such claims. Our techniques have certain limitations, which we discuss in this paper. However, vendors who have done the hard work of developing high levels of test coverage can use these techniques (for a modest additional cost) to provide credible evidence of high coverage, while simultaneously reducing disclosure of intellectual property.
Functional mechanisms underlying impaired recognition memory and conscious awareness in patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND Schizophrenia impairs episodic memory in its critical feature, autonoetic awareness, i.e., the type of awareness that is characterized by mentally reliving events from one's personal past. It spares noetic awareness, another form of awareness based on feelings of familiarity. We investigated the hypothesis that the impairment of autonoetic awareness is related to defective information that binds together separate aspects of events. METHODS An experiential approach to recognition memory was used. Twenty-five patients with schizophrenia and 25 normal subjects performed or watched actions consisting of pairing objects. Then, they had to recognize pairs of objects and who paired them (source recognition). Subjects were also asked to provide a "remember" (autonoetic awareness) or a "know" (noetic awareness) response according to their subjective state at the time they recognized each pair of objects and each source. RESULTS Patients exhibited an impaired recognition memory. When actions were observed, recognition of pairs of objects, but not of source, was no better than chance. There was a reduction in frequency of autonoetic awareness, its consistency throughout recognition of objects and source, and its relationship to source discrimination accuracy. Recognition was based largely on noetic awareness. CONCLUSIONS Patients with schizophrenia are unable to link the separate aspects of events into a cohesive, memorable, and distinctive whole. The corollary of this defective relational binding is a quantitative and qualitative impairment of autonoetic awareness.