Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Operative and Immediate Postoperative Outcomes of Using a Latham-Type Dentomaxillary Appliance in Patients with Unilateral Complete Cleft Lip and Palate

Objective The objective of this study is to examine the operative and immediate postoperative effects of the use of a dentomaxillary appliance (DMA). Design Retrospective chart review of 40 treated patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate who had a comprehensive set of pre-, peri-, and postoperative records. Setting Boston Children's Hospital. Patients Forty treated patients with unilateral complete cleft lip and palate. Interventions Use of DMA. Main Outcome Measures Outcome variables of interest included cleft lip width reduction following use of DMA and odds of having primary gingivoperiostetoplasty (GPP). Results The study sample included 40 subjects (31 boys and 9 girls). The average age at the time of DMA insertion was 11 weeks. The average width of the alveolar cleft prior to DMA insertion was 10.77 mm. The mean cleft width reduction was 8.66 mm. Each 1-mm increase in pre-DMA cleft width was associated with a 0.631-mm reduction in cleft width (P < .001). Thirty-three patients (82.5%) had a GPP procedure. Each 1-mm increase in post-DMA width was associated with a lower odds of having a GPP (odds ratio = 0.32, 95% confidence interval = 0.14–0.77, P = .01). Conclusions Post-DMA width was the significant factor associated with the performance of GPP. The use of DMA is associated with a significant reduction in the width of the cleft, and outcomes are predictable without any major adverse events or complications.
Special delivery: vesicle trafficking in prokaryotes

Although the observation that Gram‐negative bacteria produce outer membrane vesicles (MVs) was made over 40 years ago, their biological roles have become a focus of study only within the past 10 years. Recent progress in this area has revealed that bacterial MVs are utilized for several processes including delivery of toxins to eukaryotic cells, protein and DNA transfer between bacterial cells, and trafficking of cell–cell signals. Some of these roles appear to be generalized among the Gram‐negative bacteria while others are restricted to specific bacterial species/strains. Here we review the known roles of MVs, propose other roles for MVs in mediating interspecies and inter‐kingdom communication, and discuss the mechanism of MV formation.
Membership, binarity and accretion among very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs of the σ Orionis cluster

Intermediate-resolution (R∼ 7000) spectroscopy is presented for 76 photometrically selected very low-mass (0.04 < M < 0.3 M⊙) candidate members of the young cluster around σ Orionis (σ Ori). More than two-thirds appear to be genuine cluster members on the basis that they exhibit Li i 6708-A absorption, weak Na i 8183/8195 A features and a radial velocity consistent with the cluster mean. Photometric selection alone therefore appears to be very effective in identifying cluster members in this mass range. Only six objects appear to be certain non-members; however, a substantial subset of 13 candidates have ambiguous or contradictory indications of membership and lack Li absorption. Together with an observed spread in the equivalent width of the Li absorption feature in the cooler stars of our sample, this indicates that there may be deficiencies in our understanding of the formation of this line in cool, low-gravity objects. Four candidate binary cluster members are identified. Consideration of sampling and radial velocity measurement precision leads us to conclude that either the fraction of very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in small separation (a < 1 au) binary systems is larger than in field M-dwarfs, or the distribution of separations is much less skewed towards large separations. This conclusion hinges critically on the correct identification of the small number of binary candidates, although it remains significant even when only the candidate members displaying Li absorption are considered. Broadened Hα emission, indicative of circum(sub)stellar accretion discs is found in five or six of the candidate cluster members, three of which probably have substellar masses. The fraction of accretors (10 ± 5 per cent) is similar to that found in stars of higher mass in the σ Ori cluster using Hα emission as a diagnostic, but much lower than found for very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs of younger clusters. The time-scale for accretion rates to drop to ≲10−11 M⊙ yr−1 is hence less than the age of the σ Ori cluster (3–7 Myr) for most low-mass objects.
Electrical Test Structures for Investigating the Effects of Optical Proximity Correction

Electrical test structures have been designed to enable the characterisation of corner serif forms of optical proximity correction. These structures measure the resistance of a conducting track with a right angled corner. Varying amounts of OPC have been applied to the outer and inner corners of the feature and the effect on the resistance of the track investigated. A prototype test mask has been fabricated which contains test structures suitable for on-mask electrical measurement. The same mask was used to print the structures using an i-line lithography tool for on-wafer characterisation. Results from the structures at wafer level have shown that OPC has an impact on the final printed features. In particular the level of corner rounding is dependent upon the dimensions of the OPC features employed and the measured resistance can be used to help quantify the level of aggressiveness of the inner corner serifs.
A quantitative analysis of loop nest locality

This paper analyzes and quantifies the locality characteristics of numerical loop nests in order to suggest future directions for architecture and software cache optimizations. Since most programs spend the majority of their time in nests, the vast majority of cache optimization techniques target loop nests. In contrast, the locality characteristics that drive these optimizations are usually collected across the entire application rather than the nest level. Indeed, researchers have studied numerical codes for so long that a number of commonly held assertions have emerged on their locality characteristics. In light of these assertions, we use the Perfect Benchmarks to take a new look at measuring locality on numerical codes based on references, loop nests, and program locality properties. Our results show that several popular assertions are at best overstatements. For example, we find that temporal and spatial reuse have balanced roles within a loop nest and most reuse across nests and the entire program is temporal. These results are consistent with high hit rates, but go against the commonly held assumption that spatial reuse dominates. Another result contrary to popular assumption is that misses within a nest are overwhelmingly conflict misses rather than capacity misses. Capacity misses are a significant source of misses for the entire program, but mostly correspond to potential reuse between different loop nests. Our locality measurements reveal important differences between loop nests and programs; refute some popular assertions; and provide new insights for the compiler writer and the architect.
Neurotrypsin cleaves agrin locally at the synapse

The synaptic serine protease neurotryp sin is considered to be essential for the establishment and maintenance of cognitive brain functions, because humans lacking functional neurotrypsin suffer from severe mental retardation. Neurotrypsin cleaves agrin at two homologous sites, liberating a 90‐kDa and a C‐terminal 22‐kDa fragment from the N‐terminal moi ety of agrin. Morphological analyses indicate that neu rotrypsin is contained in presynaptic terminals and externalized in association with synaptic activity, while agrin is localized to the extracellular space at or in the vicinity of the synapse. Here, we present a detailed biochemical analysis of neurotrypsin‐mediated agrin cleavage in the murine brain. In brain homogenates, we found that neurotrypsin exclusively cleaves glycanated variants of agrin. Studies with isolated synaptosomes obtained by subcellular fractionation from brains of wild‐type and neurotrypsin‐overexpressing mice re vealed that neurotrypsin‐dependent cleavage of agrin was concentrated at synapses, where the most heavily glycanated variants of agrin predominate. Because agrin has been shown to play an important role in the formation and the maintenance of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system, its local cleavage at the synapse implicates the neurotrypsin/agrin system in the regulation of adaptive reorganizations of the synaptic circuitry in the context of cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. — Stephan, A. , Mateos, J. M. , Kozlov, S. V. , Cinelli, P., Kistler, A. D. , Hettwer, S. , Rulicke, T. , Streit, P., Kunz, B. , Sonderegger, P. Neu rotrypsin cleaves agrin locally at the synapse. FASEB J. 22, 1861–1873 (2008)
The effectiveness of the APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA prognostic scoring systems in patients with haematological malignancies in the intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND Cancer-related mortality remains the second most common cause of death in Poland. In many cases, the occurrence of treatment-related complications requires admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to assess the clinical application of the APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA scales to evaluate the risk of death in patients with haematological malignancies treated in the ICU. METHODS This study's analysis included 99 patients, who were each assigned to one of the following two groups: surviving patients who were discharged from the ICU (n = 24); and patients who died in the ICU (n = 75). Analysis was performed using demographic, clinical and laboratory data obtained during the patient's admission to the ICU and also during the first 24 hours of intensive therapy. Patient assessment was performed using the APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA scoring systems as well as other clinical variables. RESULTS Univariate logistic regression identified the following risk factors of death in patients with haematological malignancies: systolic (P = 0.006), diastolic (P = 0.01) and mean arterial pressure values (P = 0.009); occurrence of acute kidney injury; neutrophil (P = 0.009) and platelet count in the peripheral blood (P = 0.001); and the SAPS II (P = 0.00005), SOFA (P = 0.00009) and APACHE II (P = 0.0007) scores. SAPS II score was the only independent risk factor of patient death in multivariate analysis (P = 0.0004; unitary OR 1.052 [95% CI: 1.022-1.082]). CONCLUSION Of all the applied patient assessment scales, only the SAPS II score was found to be useful in subjects with haematological malignancies hospitalised in the ICU.
Collaboration between biology and the social sciences: A milestone

Despite its importance, the linkage between genetic and cultural evolution has until now been little explored. An understanding of this linkage is needed to extend evolutionary theory so that it can deal for the first time with the phenomena of mind and human social history. We characterize the process of gene-culture coevolution, in which culture is shaped by biological imperatives while biological traits are simultaneously altered by genetic evolution in response to cultural history. A case is made from both theory and evidence that genetic and cultural evolution are inseverable, and that the human mind has tended to evolve so as to bias individuals toward certain patterns of cognition and choice rather than others. With the aid of mathematical models we trace the coevolutionary circuit: The genes prescribe structure in developmental pathways that lay down endocrine and neural systems, imposing regularities in the development of cognition and behavior; these regularities (loosely labeled "epigenetic rules") translate upward into holistic patterns of culture, which can be predicted in the form of probability density distributions (ethnographic curves); natural selection acts within human history to favor certain epigenetic rules over others; and the selection alters the frequencies of the underlying genes. The effects of genetic and cultural changes reverberate throughout the circuit and are consequently tested with the passage of each life cycle. In addition to modeling gene-culture coevolution, we apply methods from island biogeography and information theory to examine the cultural capacity of the genes, the factors determining the magnitude of cultural diversity, and the possible reasons for the uniqueness of the human achievement.
Effect of Ultrasound on Tissue‐Type Plasminogen Activator‐Induced Thrombolysis

BackgroundThe efficacy of fibrinolytic therapy is limited by the small surface area of the clot that is available for the binding of the thrombolytic agent, such as tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA). We hypothesized that exposure of the clot to ultrasound during thrombolytic treatment could enhance lysis through perturbation of the thrombus, which would expose additional fibrin binding sites for t-PA Methods and ResultsWhole human blood clots containing radiolabeled fibrinogen were incubated in vitro for 200 minutes with Tris-albumin buffer containing t-PA at concentrations ranging from 3 to 3,000 IU/ml. In paired experiments, one of the clots also was exposed to intermittent ultrasound (1 MHz, 1.75 W/cm2) throughout the experiment. The ultrasound was delivered as a 2-second exposure followed by a 2-second rest interval. The overall difference in mean clot lysis between thrombi receiving ultrasound and those receiving no ultrasound was significant (p < 0.001) at all concentrations of t-PA. For clots incubated with t-PA at a concentration of 300 IU/ml, ultrasound increased the percent lysis at 200 minutes from 42±5% (mean±SEM) to 64±10%. In six paired experiments in a rabbit jugular vein thrombosis model, rabbits received 1 mg t-PA alone or t-PA and intermittent ultrasound (1 MHz, 1.75 W/cm2) for 200 minutes. For rabbits receiving ultrasound and t-PA, lysis was 55±11% at 100 minutes compared with 30±12% for rabbits receiving only t-PA. Lysis was 6±10% for rabbits (n = 4) receiving ultrasound alone. No evidence for tissue damage was noted in rabbits exposed to intermittent ultrasound ConclusionsExposure of whole blood clots in vitro to intermittent ultrasound combined with t-PA caused a significant enhancement of thrombolysis compared with t-PA alone. Intermittent ultrasound also showed a trend toward enhancement of t-PA-induced clot lysis in an animal thrombosis model. These data suggest that noninvasive intermittent ultrasound may be a useful adjunct to thrombolytic therapy.
The Psychological Importance of Collective Assembly: Development and Validation of the Tendency for Effervescent Assembly Measure (TEAM)

Although previous research suggests that connection to large, mostly anonymous groups is important for the fulfillment of psychological needs and a sense of psychological well-being, no measure exists to assess individual differences in this area. In 5 studies, we developed and provided support for the validity of the Tendency for Effervescent Assembly Measure (TEAM). Utilizing data from student and community samples, we conducted exploratory factor analyses to guide item selection for the scale (Study 1), evaluated the structure of the scale in an independent sample (Study 2), examined the convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity of the scale (Study 3), and assessed measurement invariance of the scale across different demographic groups (Study 4). Study 5 explored the role of social needs fulfillment in effervescent assembly, as well as examined the relationship of the scale with recent collective effervescence experiences. Results revealed that our final 11-item scale was unidimensional, with excellent internal consistency and good test–retest reliability over 2 months. Measurement invariance was established across gender, ethnicity, and religion, providing support for the validity of the measure across demographic subgroups. Importantly, the TEAM predicted decreased loneliness, increased positive feelings, a sense of meaning in one’s life, self-awareness, and spiritual transcendence, above and beyond the effects of the big 5 factors of personality and collective and relational interdependence. Furthermore, results suggested that positive outcomes associated with the TEAM are because of social need fulfillment.
Relative validity of an FFQ to estimate daily food and nutrient intakes for Chilean adults

Abstract Objective FFQ are commonly used to rank individuals by their food and nutrient intakes in large epidemiological studies. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate an FFQ to rank individuals participating in an ongoing Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study in Chile. Design An FFQ and four 24 h dietary recalls were completed over 1 year. Pearson correlation coefficients, energy-adjusted and de-attenuated correlations and weighted kappa were computed between the dietary recalls and the FFQ. The level of agreement between the two dietary assessment methods was evaluated by Bland–Altman analysis. Setting Temuco, Chile. Subjects Overall, 166 women and men enrolled in the present study. One hundred men and women participated in FFQ development and sixty-six individuals participated in FFQ validation. Results The FFQ consisted of 109 food items. For nutrients, the crude correlation coefficients between the dietary recalls and FFQ varied from 0·14 (protein) to 0·44 (fat). Energy adjustment and de-attenuation improved correlation coefficients and almost all correlation coefficients exceeded 0·40. Similar correlation coefficients were observed for food groups; the highest de-attenuated energy-adjusted correlation coefficient was found for margarine and butter (0·75) and the lowest for potatoes (0·12). Conclusions The FFQ showed moderate to high agreement for most nutrients and food groups, and can be used to rank individuals based on energy, nutrient and food intakes. The validation study was conducted in a unique setting and indicated that the tool is valid for use by adults in Chile.
The cooling of atomic and molecular gas in DR21

We present an overview of a high-mass star formation region through the major (sub-)mm, and far-infrared cooling lines to gain insight into the physical conditions and the energy budget of the molecular cloud. We used the KOSMA 3m telescope to map the core ($10'\times 14'$) of the Galactic star forming region DR 21/DR 21 (OH) in the Cygnus X region in the two fine structure lines of atomic carbon CI and four mid-$J$ transitions of CO and $^{13}$CO, and CS $J=7\TO6$. These observations have been combined with FCRAO $J=1\TO0$ observations of $^{13}$CO and C$^{18}$O. Five positions, including DR21, DR21 (OH), and DR21 FIR1, were observed with the ISO/LWS grating spectrometer in the \OI 63 and 145 $\mu$m lines, the \CII 158 $\mu$m line, and four high-$J$ CO lines. We discuss the intensities and line ratios at these positions and apply Local Thermal Equilibrium (LTE) and non-LTE analysis methods in order to derive physical parameters such as masses, densities and temperatures. The CO line emission has been modeled up to J=20. From non-LTE modeling of the low- to high-$J$ CO lines we identify two gas components, a cold one at temperatures of T$_\RM{kin}\sim 30-40$ K, and one with T$_\RM{kin}\sim 80-150$ K at a local clump density of about n(H$_2$)$\sim 10^4-10^6$ cm$^{-3}$. While the cold quiescent component is massive containing typically more than 94 % of the mass, the warm, dense, and turbulent gas is dominated by mid- and high-$J$ CO line emission and its large line widths. The medium must be clumpy with a volume-filling of a few percent. The CO lines are found to be important for the cooling of the cold molecular gas, e.g. at DR21 (OH). Near the outflow of the UV-heated source DR21, the gas cooling is dominated by line emission of atomic oxygen and of CO.
From athlete to employee: A quantitative study of the impact of emotional intelligence in the workplace---elite athletes versus nonathletes

This study examined emotional intelligence in the workplace. The researcher desired to discern whether former elite-level athletes, currently in the workplace, possess significantly different levels of emotional intelligence than their nonathlete counterparts. Assessment instruments used in this study include the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory, a well-known and highly respected emotional intelligence inventory (2003, Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory, Bar-On EQ-i). Also used is a demographic survey designed to ascertain the level of athletic experience and professional experience that each participant possesses in his or her personal history. In an effort to compare similar data, composite scores were compared between the two groups of the sample population. In addition, each individual facet of the Bar-On (Bar-On, R. (2003). Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (Bar-On EQ-i) model of emotional intelligence was examined in comparison to the other facets of emotional intelligence in order to determine if one or more facet is found more abundantly then the others. The sample population included individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 employed by school districts in the Southeast. It was hypothesized that the former elite-level athletes possessed higher levels of multiple facets of emotional intelligence, according to the Bar-On (1997) model. The data indicated that athletes do possess higher levels of emotional intelligence than nonathletes in the workplace, as indicated by the mean of composite scores. Mean scores also indicated that athletes possess significantly higher levels of interpersonal skills as well as general mood. The relationship between years of athletic experience and level of emotional intelligence was significant. Athletes did not, however, score significantly higher on any one facet of Bar-On’s (1997) model of emotional intelligence. iii Dedication Although completion of a PhD program seems as if it is the culmination of a lifelong dream, this dissertation represents a new beginning. The opportunities and honors afforded to people who possess an earned doctoral degree will provide a better quality of life for my family, and that is the goal that I had in mind when I began this journey years ago. Without my wife, Rebecca, and our son, Jacob, my life has no meaning. It is with great pleasure and tremendous joy that I dedicate this work to you. In addition, the wonderful group of extended family members that I gained when I spoke the words “I do” have been a tremendous blessing and inspiration in my life. I love every one of you. Thank you for all that you continue to teach me about life, love, and happiness.