Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Anchor Density or Pedicle Screw Density Correlate With Short-Term Outcome Measures in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery?

Study Design. Retrospective review. Objective. Determine if factors under surgeon control (anchor density or pedicle screw density) or those not under surgeon control (curve magnitude, levels requiring fusion, and curve flexibility) correlate with standard, short-term quality and outcome measures for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Summary of Background Data. Pedicle screw fixation has revolutionized posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and seems to provide greater radiographical coronal plane curve correction than less expensive constructs. Other clinically relevant improvements in outcome have been difficult to demonstrate. Methods. Retrospective review of 119 posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion cases for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by 4 surgeons at 1 institution. Average follow-up was 586.7 days. Outcome measures were main thoracic curve correction, complications, reoperations, infection, intensive care unit days, length of stay, estimated blood loss, transfusion, procedure time, implant charges, and total hospital charges. “Surgeon-dependent” variables were implant density (fixation/instrumented level) and pedicle coefficient (implant density × percentage of anchors that are pedicle screws). “Surgeon-independent” variables were main thoracic curve magnitude, main thoracic curve flexibility, and levels fused. Correlations were estimated using Pearson correlation coefficients. One-way analysis of variance was used to estimate the effect of “type of surgeon” or “surgeon” on surgeon-dependent variables. Results. Complications, reoperations, and infections did not correlate with surgeon-dependent or surgeon-independent variables. Main thoracic curve correction correlated strongly with curve flexibility (correlation coefficient [cc] = 0.4089, P < 0.0001). Surgeon-independent variables were levels fused correlated significantly with procedure time (cc = 0.610, P < 0.001), hospital charges (cc = 0.309, P < 0.001), hospital length of stay (cc = 0.366 [P < 0.001]), implant charges (cc = 0.199, P < 0.047), and estimated blood loss (cc = 0.243, P < 0.013). Surgeon-dependent variables were implant density significantly correlated with implant charges (cc = 0.243, P < 0.015) and inversely with length of stay (cc = −0.236, P < 0.015). Pedicle coefficient was not significantly correlated with any outcome measure. Conclusion. Levels fused, a surgeon-independent variable, had the most consistently strong correlations with standard short-term quality indicators. With physician grading by payers largely dependent on easily measured outcomes from medical records, hospital and billing records, physicians need to be aware of the surgeon-dependent and surgeon-independent variables that may affect their outcomes and cost-effectiveness profile. Level of Evidence: 3
Onset of contractility in cardiac muscle

1. A technique is described whereby (i) quick stretches and releases of controlled velocity, amplitude and time of onset can be applied to muscle. (ii) Releases from isometric to isotonic contraction can be performed at controlled delays relative to the stimulus, and displayed on a delayed expanded oscilloscope sweep. An isotonic lever system with an equivalent mass of 12·8 mg is described.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals a Preformed Defense System in Apple Root of a Resistant Genotype of G.935 in the Absence of Pathogen

Two apple rootstock genotypes G.935 and B.9 were recently demonstrated to exhibit distinct resistance responses following infection by Pythium ultimum. As part of an effort to elucidate the genetic regulation of apple root resistance to soilborne pathogens, preinoculation transcriptome variations in roots of these two apple rootstock genotypes are hypothesized to contribute to the observed disease resistance phenotypes. Results from current comparative transcriptome analysis demonstrated elevated transcript abundance for many genes which function in a system-wide defense response in the root tissue of the resistant genotype of G.935 in comparison with susceptible B.9. Based on the functional annotation, these differentially expressed genes encode proteins that function in several tiers of defense responses, such as pattern recognition receptors for pathogen detection and subsequent signal transduction, defense hormone biosynthesis and signaling, transcription factors with known roles in defense activation, enzymes of secondary metabolism, and various classes of resistance proteins. The data set suggested a more poised status, which is ready to defend pathogen infection, in the root tissues of resistant genotype of G.935, compared to the susceptible B.9. The significance of preformed defense in the absence of a pathogen toward overall resistance phenotypes in apple root and the potential fitness cost due to the overactivated defense system were discussed.
Simultaneous resource binding and interconnection optimization based on a distributed register-file microarchitecture

Behavior synthesis and optimization beyond the register-transfer level require an efficient utilization of the underlying platform features. This article presents a platform-based resource binding approach based on a Distributed Register-File Microarchitecture (DRFM), which makes efficient use of distributed embedded memory blocks as register files in modern FPGAs. DRFM contains multiple islands, each having a local register file, a functional unit pool, and data-routing logic. Compared to the traditional discrete-register counterpart, a DRFM allows use of the platform-featured on-chip memory or register-file IP blocks to implement its local register files, and this results in a substantial saving of multiplexing logic and global interconnects. DRFM provides a useful architectural template and a direct optimization objective for minimizing interisland connections for synthesis algorithms. Given the scheduling solution and resource (functional units) constraints, two novel algorithms in the resource binding stage are developed based on DRFM: (i) a simultaneous DRFM clustering and binding algorithm, which decides the configuration of DRFM and the assignment of operations into islands with the focus on optimizing global connections; (ii) a data-forwarding scheduling algorithm, which takes advantage of the operation slacks to handle the read-port restriction of register files. On the Xilinx Virtex4 FPGA platform, experimental results with a set of real-life test cases show a 50% logic area reduction achieved by applying our approach, with a 14.6% performance improvement, compared to the traditional discrete-register-based approach. Also, experiments on small-size designs show that our algorithm produces the same number of total connections and at most one more maximum feeding-in connection compared to optimal solutions generated by ILP.
Fast Object Retrieval Using Direct Spatial Matching

The conventional bag-of-visual-words (BoW) model is popular for the large-scale object retrieval system but suffers from the critical drawback of ignoring spatial information . RANSAC-based methods attempt to remedy this drawback, but often require traversing all the feature matches for each hypothesis , leading to the heavy computational cost which limits the number of gallery images to be verified for each online query. We propose an efficient direct spatial matching (DSM) approach to directly estimate the scale variation using region sizes, in which all feature matches voted for estimating geometric transformation . DSM is much faster than RANSAC-based methods and exhaustive enumeration approaches. A logarithmic term frequency- inverse document frequency (log tf-idf) weighting scheme is introduced to boost the performance of the base system. We have conducted extensive experimental evaluations on four benchmark datasets for object retrieval. The proposed DSM method, together with a carefully-tailored reranking scheme, achieves the state-of-the-art results on the Oxford buildings and Paris datasets, which demonstrates the efficacy and scalability of our novel DSM technique for large scale object retrieval systems.
Is intrinsic noise a limiting factor for subthreshold digital logic in nanoscale CMOS?

Intrinsic noise has been predicted as a limit to CMOS scaling. If this is the case, the effect would be more severe at low supply voltages, such as the ones applied in subthreshold digital circuits. In this work the effect of intrinsic noise in subthreshold digital nanoscale CMOS is analysed for the first time. Key issues such as variability and the actual bandwidth of the studied circuits are taken into account. Most of previous works overestimate the impact of intrinsic noise due to the use of simplified models of the MOS transistor. BSIM4 transistor model and PTM model files are used in order to correctly calculate noise RMS voltage at the output node of an inverter, which has not been done before in the subthreshold region. Technology scaling impact is explored by simulating technology nodes from 130 nm down to 16 nm and considering variability down to 32 nm. Simulation results show that variability strongly increases the minimum operating voltage of subthreshold digital nanoscale CMOS and thus making intrinsic noise not a problem, at least down to 32 nm, since commutation voltage maintains high enough to achieve negligible failure rates.
Tetrahydro iso-Alpha Acids from Hops Improve Glucose Homeostasis and Reduce Body Weight Gain and Metabolic Endotoxemia in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice

Obesity and related metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are associated with a low-grade inflammatory state possibly through changes in gut microbiota composition and the development of higher plasma lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels, i.e. metabolic endotoxemia. Various phytochemical compounds have been investigated as potential tools to regulate these metabolic features. Humulus lupulus L. (hops) contains several classes of compounds with anti-inflammatory potential. Recent evidence suggests that hops-derived compounds positively impact adipocyte metabolism and glucose tolerance in obese and diabetic rodents via undefined mechanisms. In this study, we found that administration of tetrahydro iso-alpha acids (termed META060) to high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese and diabetic mice for 8 weeks reduced body weight gain, the development of fat mass, glucose intolerance, and fasted hyperinsulinemia, and normalized insulin sensitivity markers. This was associated with reduced portal plasma LPS levels, gut permeability, and higher intestinal tight junction proteins Zonula occludens-1 and occludin. Moreover, META060 treatment increased the plasma level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 and decreased the plasma level of the pro-inflammatory cytokine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. In conclusion, this research allows us to decipher a novel mechanism contributing to the positive effects of META060 treatment, and supports the need to investigate such compounds in obese and type 2 diabetic patients.
Fungus dose-dependent primary pulmonary aspergillosis in immunosuppressed mice

We report on a model of primary pulmonary aspergillosis occurring after intranasal instillation of concentrated suspensions of conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus in immunocompromised mice. Unconcentrated suspensions of inoculum contained ca. 2 x 10(7) conidia per ml (1x). These suspensions were concentrated by centrifugation, adjusted to give ca. 2 x 10(8) (10x) or 2 x 10(9) (100x) conidia per ml, and delivered in 30-microliters droplets to the nares of anesthetized mice. Mice were untreated or injected with cortisone acetate (CA) or cyclophosphamide (CY) in various dosage regimens. It was not possible to obtain mortality of more than 50% with sublethal immunosuppressive treatment and 1x fungus. In contrast, mortality followed a fungus dose response in mice receiving sublethal immunosuppression with either CA or CY. Mortality rates of up to 100% were obtained with 100x fungus and a single dose of CY (200 mg/kg) or CA (250 mg/kg) or three alternate doses (125 mg/kg per day) of CA prior to infection. This model is applicable to the study of acute, fatal primary pulmonary aspergillosis and chemotherapy trials.
Identification of H‐ and L‐ferritin subunit binding sites on human T and B lymphoid cells

Monoclonal antibodies to the H and L subunits of ferritin were used in indirect immunofluorescent studies to investigate the subunit specificity of ferritin binding to transformed T and B lymphoid cell lines. Pre‐incubation of cells with recombinant H ferritin followed by antibodies to the H subunit produced a labelling pattern in which all cells showed strong fluorescent stippling. Corresponding experiments with liver ferritin and an antibody to the L subunit revealed that most cells were lightly stippled, but 3–5% of the cells were intensely labelled. These two labelling patterns were distinct as assessed by cross‐blocking experiments with recombinant H and liver ferritins. These results imply that different binding sites exist for each subunit.
THE 0.5–2.22 μm SCATTERED LIGHT SPECTRUM OF THE DISK AROUND TW Hya: DETECTION OF A PARTIALLY FILLED DISK GAP AT 80 AU

We present a 0.5–2.2 μm scattered light spectrum of the circumstellar disk around TW Hya from a combination of spatially resolved Hubble Space Telescope STIS spectroscopy and NICMOS coronagraphic images of the disk. We investigate the morphology of the disk at distances >40 AU over this wide range of wavelengths, and identify the presence of a depression in surface brightness at ∼80 AU that could be caused by a gap in the disk. Additionally, we quantify the surface brightness, azimuthal symmetry, and spectral character of the disk as a function of radius. Our analysis shows that the scattering efficiency of the dust is largely neutral to blue over the observed wavelengths. We model the disk as a steady α-disk with an ad hoc gap structure. The thermal properties of the disk are self-consistently calculated using a three-dimensional radiative transfer code that uses ray tracing to model the heating of the disk interior and scattered light images. We find a good fit to the data over a wide range of distances from the star if we use a model disk with a partially filled gap of 30% depth at 80 AU and with a self-similar truncation knee at 100 AU. The origin of the gap is unclear, but it could arise from a transition in the nature of the disk's dust composition or the presence of a planetary companion. Based on scalings to previous hydrodynamic simulations of gap-opening criteria for embedded proto-planets, we estimate that a planetary companion forming the gap could have a mass between 6 and 28 M⊕.
Effect of Machine Setting Parameters on Ring Slub Carded Yarn Quality and Spinning Performance

At present ring slub carded yarn is very popular to produce value added product for ornamentation purpose in the apparel industry. During spinning different parameters influenced the spinning performance. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of spindle speed as well as traveller weight on yarn quality. The Ne 28, Ne 30 and Ne 34 carded slub yarns were produced at the spindle speed of 15,500 rpm, 16,000 rpm, 16,500 rpm, 17,000 rpm and 17,500 rpm on the ring frame with using traveller number 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 and 6/0. The yarn properties like mass variation percentage (CVm%), unevenness (U%), hairiness, yarn breakage rate, yarn imperfection were investigated. It was found that traveller number 5/0 showed lower Um%, CVm% for Ne 28 and Ne 30 carded slub yarn compared to traveller number 3/0 and 4/0. On the other hand traveller number 6/0 showed better Um%, CVm%, thin places (-50%)/km and end breakage% for Ne 34 carded slub yarn compared to traveller number 4/0 and 5/0. It was also observed that increasing end breakage rate as the spindle speed of ring frame was increased.
Essential role of postsynaptic NMDA receptors in developmental refinement of excitatory synapses

Neurons in the brains of newborns are usually connected with many other neurons through weak synapses. This early pattern of connectivity is refined through pruning of many immature connections and strengthening of the remaining ones. NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are essential for the development of excitatory synapses, but their role in synaptic refinement is controversial. Although chronic application of blockers or global knockdown of NMDARs disrupts developmental refinement in many parts of the brain, the ubiquitous presence of NMDARs makes it difficult to dissociate direct effects from indirect ones. We addressed this question in the thalamus by using genetic mosaic deletion of NMDARs. We demonstrate that pruning and strengthening of immature synapses are blocked in neurons without NMDARs, but occur normally in neighboring neurons with NMDARs. Our data support a model in which activation of NMDARs in postsynaptic neurons initiates synaptic refinement.
Frequency-Division Multiplexing Sensing System Based on Multilongitudinal Mode Fiber Lasers and Beat Frequency Demodulation

A five-channel frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) fiber laser sensor array based on multilongitudinal mode fiber lasers (MLMFLs) and beat frequency demodulation was proposed. Detailed theoretical analysis of the FDM principle was also described. The potential application of the MLMFL-based FDM for strain measurement was further experimentally studied. The strain sensitivity of -0.92 kHz/με at 1183.52 MHz is consistent with the theoretical calculation. The proposed FDM sensing system only needs one detector and one general frequency analyzer for monitoring all sensors. This all-electrical demodulation improves the stability of the fiber sensor and greatly decreases the cost of sensors. It offers a competitive technology for large-scale monitoring field.
Salt-driven Equilibrium between Two Conformations in the HAMP Domain from Natronomonas pharaonis

HAMP domains (conserved in histidine kinases, adenylyl cyclases, methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins, and phosphatases) perform their putative function as signal transducing units in diversified environments in a variety of protein families. Here the conformational changes induced by environmental agents, namely salt and temperature, on the structure and function of a HAMP domain of the phototransducer from Natronomonas pharaonis (NpHtrII) in complex with sensory rhodopsin II (NpSRII) were investigated by site-directed spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance. A series of spin labeled mutants were engineered in NpHtrII157, a truncated analog containing only the first HAMP domain following the transmembrane helix 2. This truncated transducer is shown to be a valid model system for a signal transduction domain anchored to the transmembrane light sensor NpSRII. The HAMP domain is found to be engaged in a “two-state” equilibrium between a highly dynamic (dHAMP) and a more compact (cHAMP) conformation. The structural properties of the cHAMP as proven by mobility, accessibility, and intra-transducer-dimer distance data are in agreement with the four helical bundle NMR model of the HAMP domain from Archaeoglobus fulgidus.
Investors’ Perspectives on Barriers to the Deployment of Renewable Energy Sources in Chile

In the last decade, the importance of exploiting Chile’s Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) has increased significantly, as fossil fuel prices have risen and concerns regarding climate change issues grown, posing an important threat to its economy. However, to date, the advancement of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) in the country has been very limited due to various barriers. For this reason, identifying and mitigating the main barriers that hamper the advancement of RETs is necessary to allow the successful deployment of these technologies. Based on data collected from a questionnaire survey and interviews conducted among the major renewable project developers, the authors identify and rank the major barriers to the adoption of renewable energy technologies in Chile. Our findings show that the most significant barriers include “grid connection constraints and lack of grid capacity”, “longer processing times for a large number of permits”, “land and/or water lease securement” and “limited access to financing”. Furthermore, we discuss the most critical barriers in detail together with policy recommendations to overcome them.
Scaled Minimum Unscented Multiple Hypotheses Mixing Filter

This work brings two new contributions. First, it introduces the Scaled Minimum Unscented Multiple Hypotheses Mixing Filter, a novel filter for hybrid dynamical systems that 1) uses a new minimum set of sigma points along with the scaled unscented transform in a hybrid framework; 2) can estimate the Markovian Transition Probability Matrix in real-time; 3) features a pruning step that reduces the filter's computational effort and prevents its estimates from being degraded by very unlikely hypotheses; and 4) has a mixing step with merging depth greater than one. Second, we present a result revealing the conservativeness of one of the scaled unscented transform forms.
Screening for Suicide Ideation among Older Primary Care Patients

Objectives:Older adults have high rates of suicide and typically seek care in primary medical practices. Older adults often do not directly or spontaneously report thoughts of suicide, which can impede suicide prevention efforts. Therefore, the use of additional approaches to suicide risk detection is needed, including the use of screening tools. The objective of this study was to assess whether brief screens for depression have acceptable operating characteristics in identifying suicide ideation among older primary care patients and to examine potential sex differences in the screen's accuracy. Methods: We administered the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), which includes a 5-item GDS subscale (GDS-SI) designed to screen for suicide ideation, to a cross-sectional cohort of 626 primary care patients (235 men, 391 women) 65 years of age or older in the Northeastern United States. We assessed presence of suicide ideation with items from the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Results: Patients expressing suicide ideation (n = 69) scored higher on the GDS and GDS-SI than those who did not (n = 557). A GDS cut score of 4 maximized sensitivity (0.754) and specificity (0.815), producing an area under the curve of 0.844 (P < .001) and positive and negative predictive values of 0.335 and 0.964, respectively. Optimal cut scores were 5 for men and 3 for women. A GDS-SI cut score of 1 was optimal for the total sample and for both men and women. Conclusions: The GDS and GDS-SI accurately identify older patients with suicide ideation. Research is needed to examine their acceptability and barriers to routine use in primary care.
Node-to-node consensus tracking of multi-agent systems with sampled-data communication

This paper addresses the distributed node-to-node consensus problem of multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics and sampled-data communication. Unlike most existing works on consensus control of multi-agent systems, the coordination goal in the present paper is to make the states of each follower track those of its corresponding leader asymptotically. To do this, a distributed sampled-data-based control law is provided and employed. By using a combined tool from Lyapunov stability theory and input-delay approach, some sufficient node-to-node consensus conditions depend on the upper bound of the maximal allowable sampling intervals are then provided. At last, a multi-step algorithm is given to estimate the upper bound of the maximal allowable sampling intervals.