Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of in Vitro Bioactivity of 45S5 Bioactive Glass/Poly Lactic Acid Scaffolds Produced by 3D Printing

In this study 45S5 Bioactive Glass-based scaffolds produced by 3D Printing techniques have been evaluated. Three-dimensional printing (3DP) technique was used to fabricate scaffolds with a novel micro- and macro-architecture. In this study, Poly Lactic Acid/45S5 bioactive glass composites were produced. 45S5 bioactive glass was synthetized by sol-gel process using microwave exposure. Cylindrical scaffolds of different designs were fabricated. The in vitro bioactivity of the composites was investigated by incubation in simulated body fluid (SBF). The apatite layer was assessed using scanning electronic microscope (SEM) coupled to energy-dispersive electron X-ray spectroscopy and confirmed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-Transformed Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results confirmed that after incubation in simulated body fluid, it was formed a layer of carbonate hydroxyapatite in the surface of the scaffolds.
Adaptive Optical Technologies for Optical Transmission Systems

The emerging popularity of bandwidth-starving applications (such as internet video, cloud storage etc) has lead to an exponential growth of the amount of data to be transmitted over long distances using optical fibre. Fibre transmission impairments, like chromatic dispersion (CD) remain a limiting factor on optical transmission and hence their compensation becomes of vital importance. Furthermore, the severe reduction of dispersion tolerances in high-rate systems escalates the necessity of addressing any induced pulse broadening. Since the usage of dispersion compensating fibre has proved to be a bulky and expensive solution accompanied with significant power loss, current focus is on the deployment of cost efficient Digital Signal Processing approaches for mitigating CD effects. In this work, assessment of DSP based equalization techniques is performed and specifically three different equalizers are deployed and investigated in terms of their performance with respect to their feasibility and complexity. In order to fully explore their ability in alleviating residual dispersion, each equalizer's performance is evaluated in different optical transmission system configurations. For this purpose, a point to point optical transmission system comprising various Direct Detection modulation formats and different bit rates with variable ratios of uncompensated chromatic dispersion are examined.
Chagas' Disease: A Clinical, Epidemiologic, and Pathologic Study

A study of the most important clinical and pathologic aspects of Chagas' disease has been presented, on the basis of the analysis of 180 cases of acute infection (11 with autopsy), 657 cases of chronic asymptomatic infection, and 683 cases of chronic Chagas' heart disease (21 autopsied cases with Schizotrypanum cruzi in myocardium).
A SURVEY OF THE HIGH ORDER MULTIPLICITY OF NEARBY SOLAR-TYPE BINARY STARS WITH Robo-AO

We conducted a survey of nearby binary systems composed of main sequence stars of spectral types F and G in order to improve our understanding of the hierarchical nature of multiple star systems. Using Robo-AO, the first robotic adaptive optics instrument, we collected high angular resolution images with deep and well-defined detection limits in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey i′ band. A total of 695 components belonging to 595 systems were observed. We prioritized observations of faint secondary components with separations over 10″ to quantify the still poorly constrained frequency of their subsystems. Of the 214 secondaries observed, 39 contain such subsystems; 19 of those were discovered with Robo-AO. The selection-corrected frequency of secondary subsystems with periods from 103.5 to 105 days is 0.12 ± 0.03, the same as the frequency of such companions to the primary. Half of the secondary pairs belong to quadruple systems where the primary is also a close pair, showing that the presence of subsystems in both components of the outer binary is correlated. The relatively large abundance of 2+2 quadruple systems is a new finding, and will require more exploration of the formation mechanism of multiple star systems. We also targeted close binaries with periods less than 100 yr, searching for their distant tertiary components, and discovered 17 certain and 2 potential new triples. In a subsample of 241 close binaries, 71 have additional outer companions. The overall frequency of tertiary components is not enhanced, compared to all (non-binary) targets, but in the range of outer periods from 106 to 107.5 days (separations on the order of 500 AU), the frequency of tertiary components is 0.16 ± 0.03, exceeding the frequency of similar systems among all targets (0.09) by almost a factor of two. Measurements of binary stars with Robo-AO allowed us to compute first orbits for 9 pairs and to improve orbits of another 11 pairs.
Prolongation of canine liver allograft survival by a novel immunosuppressant, FTY720: effect of monotherapy and combined treatment with conventional drugs.

BACKGROUND The immunosuppressive effect and other properties of a novel immunosuppressant, FTY720, have been studied mostly in the experimental transplantation of various extrahepatic organs. In this experiment, we evaluated the antirejection potency and adverse effects of this agent on liver grafts using a canine liver transplantation model. METHODS Forty-eight orthotopic liver transplantations were performed by the standard technique under a veno-venous bypass. Liver recipients were divided into two studies: a single-dose study with FTY720 at various doses and a combined dose study with conventional immunosuppressants (cyclosporine or tacrolimus) alone and combined with FTY720. Survival, biochemical and hematological tests, blood levels of immunosuppressants, and postmortem histology were determined. RESULTS The median survival of untreated control animals was 9 days, whereas treatment with FTY720 at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg/day prolonged graft survival to 49.5 days. FTY720 at 1 mg/kg/day showed a slight but insignificant prolongation to 16 days, but when the dose was increased to 5 mg/kg/day, the graft was rejected at 10 days. The combination of FTY720, 0.1 mg/kg/day, with a subtherapeutic dose of cyclosporine, 5 mg/kg/ day, prolonged median animal survival from 40 days with cyclosporine alone to 74 days. A combination of FTY720 (0.1 mg/kg/day) with tacrolimus (0.5 mg/kg/ day) compromised animal survival, reducing survival from 83.5 days with tacrolimus alone to 30.5 days due to infectious complication and emaciation by overimmunosuppression. No evident drug-induced side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS FTY720 has a potent immunosuppressive effect when used alone at 0.1 mg/kg/day in canine liver transplantation. FTY720 is a promising candidate for future clinical application in orthotopic liver transplantation.
Hypoxic pre-conditioning increases the infiltration of endothelial cells into scaffolds for dermal regeneration pre-seeded with mesenchymal stem cells

Many therapies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) rely on their ability to produce and release paracrine signals with chemotactic and pro-angiogenic activity. These characteristics, however, are mostly studied under standard in vitro culture conditions. In contrast, various novel cell-based therapies imply pre-seeding MSC into bio-artificial scaffolds. Here we describe human bone marrow-derived MSC seeded in Integra matrices, a common type of scaffold for dermal regeneration (SDR). We show and measured the distribution of MSC within the SDR, where cells clearly establish physical interactions with the scaffold, exhibiting constant metabolic activity for at least 15 days. In the SDR, MSC secrete VEGF and SDF-1α and induce transwell migration of CD34+ hematopoietic/endothelial progenitor cells, which is inhibited in the presence of a CXCR4/SDF-1α antagonist. MSC in SDR respond to hypoxia by altering levels of angiogenic signals such as Angiogenin, Serpin-1, uPA, and IL-8. Finally, we show that MSC-containing SDR that have been pre-incubated in hypoxia show higher infiltration of endothelial cells after implantation into immune deficient mice. Our data show that MSC are fully functional ex vivo when implanted into SDR. In addition, our results strongly support the notion of hypoxic pre-conditioning MSC-containing SDR, in order to promote angiogenesis in the wounds.
Obatoclax mesylate: pharmacology and potential for therapy of hematological neoplasms

Introduction: Augmentation and acceleration of apoptosis for cancer therapy are logical therapeutic strategies given the increasing body of data suggesting the dysregulation of control of cell death in many neoplasms. Apoptosis is particularly well studied in hematological neoplasms, thus these varied diseases present opportunities for pro-apoptotic drug development both as single agents and in combination with established therapies. Accordingly, several agents targeting function of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members have entered clinical trials in the last decade and are discussed. Areas covered: The pan Bcl-2 family member BH3 domain mimetic obatoclax (GX15-070) is currently under clinical evaluation in solid tumors and hematological neoplasms. This agent offers the attractive property of uniformly inhibiting all of the anti-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 protein family. Its chemistry and preclinical development and activity are reviewed. Pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, drug resistance and clinical use of this agent in leukemias and lymphomas are discussed. The prospects for obatoclax in changing clinical practice are addressed. Expert opinion: Obatoclax may not prove to have dramatic single agent activity for hematological neoplasms. It seems more likely that its activity will be manifest in combination therapy with other agents, particularly cytotoxic chemotherapies. Results of ongoing studies are awaited.
The CINOD, AZD3582, exhibits an improved gastrointestinal safety profile compared with naproxen in healthy volunteers

COX-inhibiting nitric oxide donators (CINODs) are a new class of drugs in development for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. They comprise a COX-inhibiting moiety linked to a nitric-oxide-donating component and are designed to provide an innovative mechanism of action of balanced COX inhibition and controlled nitric oxide donation. Through these pathways, CINODs should provide analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy, while offering gastrointestinal safety through the tissue-protective effects of nitric oxide donation. AZD3582 [4-(nitrooxy)butyl-(2S)-2-(6-methoxy-2-naphthyl)propanoate] is the first agent in the CINOD class to enter extensive clinical development. Pre-clinical studies demonstrate that AZD3582 has a superior gastrointestinal safety profile to naproxen, while demonstrating analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy. In healthy human volunteers, AZD3582 caused little gastrointestinal damage compared with equimolar doses of naproxen. Studies to evaluate the longer-term gastrointestinal safety of AZD3582, alongside its efficacy in alleviating chronic and acute pain, are ongoing.
Smooth sensitivity and sampling in private data analysis

We introduce a new, generic framework for private data analysis.The goal of private data analysis is to release aggregate information about a data set while protecting the privacy of the individuals whose information the data set contains.Our framework allows one to release functions f of the data withinstance-based additive noise. That is, the noise magnitude is determined not only by the function we want to release, but also bythe database itself. One of the challenges is to ensure that the noise magnitude does not leak information about the database. To address that, we calibrate the noise magnitude to the smoothsensitivity of f on the database x --- a measure of variabilityof f in the neighborhood of the instance x. The new frameworkgreatly expands the applicability of output perturbation, a technique for protecting individuals' privacy by adding a smallamount of random noise to the released statistics. To our knowledge, this is the first formal analysis of the effect of instance-basednoise in the context of data privacy. Our framework raises many interesting algorithmic questions. Namely,to apply the framework one must compute or approximate the smoothsensitivity of f on x. We show how to do this efficiently for several different functions, including the median and the cost ofthe minimum spanning tree. We also give a generic procedure based on sampling that allows one to release f(x) accurately on manydatabases x. This procedure is applicable even when no efficient algorithm for approximating smooth sensitivity of f is known orwhen f is given as a black box. We illustrate the procedure by applying it to k-SED (k-means) clustering and learning mixtures of Gaussians.
Impact of the type of dialyser on the clinical outcome in chronic haemodialysis patients: does it really matter?

Despite the relative efficiency of modern equipment, haemodialysis (HD) remains inferior to normal kidney function for several reasons. First of all, HD treatment results in a weekly clearance of small molecular weight substances of only 10–15ml/min, as compared with 90–120ml/min for normal kidneys. Secondly, so-called ‘middle molecules’ (MMs) as well as some larger peptides, which are normally excreted or metabolized by the healthy kidney, are cleared inadequately and will therefore accumulate in chronic HD (CHD) patients. Thirdly, various undesirable interactions, including both shortand long-term side effects—termed bio(in)compatibility—may occur between the living organism and the extracorporeal circuit (ECC) [1]. In the last decades, a variety of new dialysers, differing in design, material, membrane surface area and permeability, have been developed. Very recently, one of the world’s largest companies involved in the production and development of dialysers replaced its total set of low-flux (LF) dialysers by a new one with better urea clearances and higher ultrafiltration (UF) coefficients. Actually, these new devices do not fulfil the criteria for LF (UF <10ml/mmHg/h), but must be considered medium flux (UF 10–20ml/mmHg/h). However, today there is no general agreement as to whether the use of dialysers with an increased urea removal and/or a higher UF rate is associated with a better clinical course. In fact, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is already observed in the pre-dialysis phase and is the major cause of death in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [2]. Dialysis patients suffer from atherosclerotic complications at a relatively young age and die relatively young from ischaemic heart disease [3]. Therefore, it is conceivable that individual patient factors, such as the burden of CVD, greatly surpass the influence of the dialysis equipment in this respect. In this review, we will first discuss various aspects of the dialyser which have been associated with the clinical outcome in CHD patients. Besides the type of membrane, various aspects of bio(in)compatibility and solute mass transport are discussed. Thereafter, we will summarize the influence of the type of dialyser on a number of indirect parameters for CVD, including several biochemical and functional tests. Finally, we will review critically the relevant literature to determine whether the choice of the dialyser contributes to the life expectancy of patients with ESRD.
Young and Heavy Patients with a Cementless TKA Do As Well As Older and Lightweight Patients

Given concerns about long term implant loosening in young, heavy patients, we asked whether these patients would fare as well as older, lightweight patients with bone-ingrowth fixation. Cementless total knee arthroplasty was performed consecutively in 1328 patients (1556 knees) using a total knee system designed for porous-ingrowth fixation. A consecutive series of 122 patients (167 knees) whose age was younger than 55 years and whose weight was greater than 90 kg was compared with a gender-matched consecutive series of 122 patients (167 knees) who were 65 years of age or older and who weighed less than 80 kg. The minimum followup was 5 years (mean 7.3 years; range 5-10 years). The mean Knee Society scores and pain scores were similar at each interval for both groups. Function scores were better for the young, heavy patients at each interval. None of the knees in either group loosened. One patient in the young, heavy group underwent polyethylene component revision for wear. These results indicate young, heavy patients fare as well as older, lightweight patients when this implant is used with the osteointegration technique.Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The Association between Freedom of Choice and Effectiveness of Home Care Services

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to study home care clients’ freedom to choose their services, as well the association between the effectiveness of home care services and freedom of choice, among other factors. Methods: A structured postal survey was conducted among regular home care clients (n = 2096) aged 65 or older in three towns in Finland. Freedom of choice was studied based on clients’ subjective experiences. The effectiveness of the services was evaluated by means of changes in the social-care-related quality of life. Regression analyses were used to test associations. Results: As much as 62% of home care recipients reported having some choice regarding their services. Choosing meals and visiting times for the care worker were associated with better effectiveness. The basic model, which included needs and other factors expected to have an impact on quality of life, explained 15.4% of the changes in quality of life, while the extended model, which included the freedom-of-choice variables, explained 17.4%. The inclusion of freedom-of-choice variables increased the adjusted coefficient of determination by 2%. There was a significant positive association between freedom of choice and the effectiveness of public home care services. Conclusion: Freedom of choice does not exist for all clients of home care who desire it. By changing social welfare activities and structures, it is possible to show respect for clients’ opinions and to thereby improve the effectiveness of home care services.
A proposal of categorisation for analysing inductive reasoning

We present an analysis of the inductive reasoning of twelve Spanish secondary students in a mathematical problem-solving context. Students were interviewed while they worked on two different problems. Based on Polya´s steps and Reid’s stages for a process of inductive reasoning, we propose a more precise categorization for analyzing this kind of reasoning in our particular context. In this paper we present some results of a wider investigation (Cañadas, 2002). Una propuesta de categorización para analizar el razonamiento inductivo Presentamos un análisis del razonamiento inductivo de doce estudiantes de educación secundaria en un contexto de resolución de problemas matemáticos. Los estudiantes fueron entrevistados mientras trabajaban en dos problemas diferentes. Basándonos en los pasos considerados por Pólya y Reid para un proceso de razonamiento inductivo, proponemos una categorización más precisa para analizar este tipo de razonamiento en nuestro contexto particular. En este documento presentamos algunos resultados de una investigación más amplia (Cañadas, 2002). Handle: http://hdl.handle. net/10481/4717Nº de citas en WOS (2017): 7 (citas de 2º orden, 11)Nº de citas en SCOPUS (2017): 5 (citas de 2º orden, 9)
The Impact of PD-L1 Expression in Patients with Metastatic GEP-NETs

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which is expressed on many cancer cells, interacts with PD1 expressed on the surface of T cells, inhibiting the T cells and blocking the antitumor immune response. Expression of PD-L1 in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) has not been studied. We investigated the impact of PD-L1 expression in 32 patients with metastatic GEP-NET. The expression of PD-L1 was evaluated using an anti-PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) antibody optimized for staining of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. The correlation between PD-L1 and clinicopathological data including survival and response to systemic treatments was analyzed. Primary sites were 24 foregut-derived GEP-NETs, including stomach (n=1), duodenum (n=2), biliary tract (n=7), and pancreas (n=14), and 8 hindgut-derived GEP-NETs of the distal colon and rectum. Among the 32 patients with metastatic GEP-NET analyzed in this study, 7 (21.9%) had expression of PD-L1 in tumor tissues. Expression of PD-L1 was significantly associated with high-grade WHO classification (grade 3) (p=0.008) but not with gender, primary site, and number of metastatic sites (p>0.05). The status of PD-L1 expression was statistically associated with progression-free survival (PFS) for first-line systemic treatment (p=0.047). Moreover, the status of PD-L1 expression could significantly predict overall survival (p=0.037). The expression of PD-L1 was associated with higher WHO tumor grade (grade 3) in metastatic GEP-NETs. PD-L1 expression had both predictive and prognostic value for survival of patients with metastatic GEP-NETs.
Exploring Pathways From Television Viewing to Academic Achievement in School Age Children

The author's purpose in this study was to test 4 hypotheses that proposed different paths for the influences of children's television viewing on their academic achievement. Data were drawn from the 1997 Child Development Supplement (CDS) to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). The population for this study included 1,203 children between the ages of 6 and 13 years from the CDS-PSID data set. The author used structural equation modeling to test pathways from children's television viewing to their academic achievement. The author assumed that children's television viewing hindered their academic achievement by reducing certain traits that related to academic achievement. Results showed that 3 hypothetical models fit the data—the time-displacement hypothesis, the mental effort-passivity hypothesis, and the attention-arousal hypothesis. A 4th hypothetical model, the learning-information hypothesis, which proposed that children's television viewing practices stimulate their academic achievement, was not supported. In sum, children who watched more television tended to spend less time doing homework, studying, and reading for leisure. In addition, their behaviors became more impulsive, which resulted in an eventual decrease in their academic achievement.
A survey of condition number estimation for triangular matrices

We survey and compare a wide variety of techniques for estimating the condition number of a triangular matrix, and make recommendations concerning the use of the estimates in applications. Each of the methods is shown to bound the condition number; the bounds can broadly be categorised as upper bounds from matrix theory and lower bounds from heuristic or probabilistic algorithms. For each bound we examine by how much, at worst, it can overestimate or underestimate the condition number. Numerical experiments are presented in order to illustrate and compare the practical performance of the condition estimators.
Effect of macrolide usage on the emergence of erythromycin-resistant Campylobacter in 1 chickens 2 3

1 chickens 2 3 Jun Lin 1£ , Meiguan Yan 2£ , Orhan Sahin 2 , Sonia Pereira 2 , Yun-Juan Chang 1 , and Qijing Zhang 2 * 4 5 6 Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 1 ; and Department 7 of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 2 . 8 9 Running title: Erythromycin-resistant Campylobacter in chickens 10 11 *Corresponding author: 12 Dr. Qijing Zhang 13 Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine 14 1116 Veterinary Medicine Complex 15 Iowa State University 16 Ames, IA 50011 17 Phone: (515)294-2038; Fax: (515)294-8500 18 Email: zhang123@iastate.edu 19 20