Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The potential of encapsulating “raw materials” in 3D osteochondral gradient scaffolds

Scaffolds with continuous gradients in material composition and bioactive signals enable a smooth transition of properties at the interface. Components like chondroitin sulfate (CS) and bioactive glass (BG) in 3D scaffolds may serve as “raw materials” for synthesis of new extracellular matrix (ECM), and may have the potential to completely or partially replace expensive growth factors. We hypothesized that scaffolds with gradients of ECM components would enable superior performance of engineered constructs. Raw material encapsulation altered the appearance, structure, porosity, and degradation of the scaffolds. They allowed the scaffolds to better retain their 3D structure during culture and provided a buffering effect to the cells in culture. Following seeding of rat mesenchymal stem cells, there were several instances where glycosaminoglycan (GAG), collagen, or calcium contents were higher with the scaffolds containing raw materials (CS or BG) than with those containing transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β3 or bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)‐2. It was also noteworthy that a combination of both CS and TGF‐β3 increased the secretion of collagen type II. Moreover, cells seeded in scaffolds containing opposing gradients of CS/TGF‐β3 and BG/BMP‐2 produced clear regional variations in the secretion of tissue‐specific ECM. The study demonstrated raw materials have the potential to create a favorable microenvironment for cells; they can significantly enhance the synthesis of certain extracellular matrix (ECM) components when compared to expensive growth factors; either alone or in combination with growth factors they can enhance the secretion of tissue specific matrix proteins. Raw materials are promising candidates that can be used to either replace or be used in combination with growth factors. Success with raw materials in lieu of growth factors could have profound implications in terms of lower cost and faster regulatory approval for more rapid translation of regenerative medicine products to the clinic. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 829–841. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Small stories, positioning, and the discursive construction of leader identity in business meetings

Stories are considered to be an essential part of organisational life and thus of leadership. However, to date research into stories and leadership has concentrated on big stories and life narratives and has tended to overlook the identity work that small stories perform as part of everyday workplace interaction. Working from the premise that leaders are managers of meaning, and using transcripts of naturally-occurring stories that were video-taped during a business meeting, this paper uses positioning theory as a research methodology to explain how leadership and leader identities are achieved through narrative both at a discourse (little-d) and Discourse (big-D) levels. Findings indicate that certain participants at the meeting are able to use discursive resources to manage the meaning of the organisation in both the story world and the real world and so do leadership and talk into being a leader identity.
Toxin-Independent Virulence of Bacillus anthracis in Rabbits

The accepted paradigm states that anthrax is both an invasive and toxinogenic disease and that the toxins play a major role in pathogenicity. In the guinea pig (GP) model we have previously shown that deletion of all three toxin components results in a relatively moderate attenuation in virulence, indicating that B. anthracis possesses an additional toxin-independent virulence mechanism. To characterize this toxin-independent mechanism in anthrax disease, we developed a new rabbit model by intravenous injection (IV) of B. anthracis encapsulated vegetative cells, artificially creating bacteremia. Using this model we were able to demonstrate that also in rabbits, B. anthracis mutants lacking the toxins are capable of killing the host within 24 hours. This virulent trait depends on the activity of AtxA in the presence of pXO2, as, in the absence of the toxin genes, deletion of either component abolishes virulence. Furthermore, this IV virulence depends mainly on AtxA rather than the whole pXO1. A similar pattern was shown in the GP model using subcutaneous (SC) administration of spores of the mutant strains, demonstrating the generality of the phenomenon. The virulent strains showed higher bacteremia levels and more efficient tissue dissemination; however our interpretation is that tissue dissemination per se is not the main determinant of virulence whose exact nature requires further elucidation.
Cephalopod Neural Networks

Cephalopods have arguably the largest and most complex nervous systems amongst the invertebrates; but despite the squid giant axon being one of the best studied nerve cells in neuroscience, and the availability of superb information on the morphology of some cephalopod brains, there is surprisingly little known about the operation of the neural networks that underlie the sophisticated range of behaviour these animals display. This review focuses on a few of the best studied neural networks: the giant fiber system, the chromatophore system, the statocyst system, the visual system and the learning and memory system, with a view to summarizing our current knowledge and stimulating new studies, particularly on the activities of identified central neurons, to provide a more complete understanding of networks within the cephalopod nervous system.
ICI mitigation by Doppler frequency shift estimation and pre-compensation in LTE-R systems

Inter-carrier interference (ICI) caused by high Doppler frequency shift has severe impact on link performance and capacity for High-Speed Railway (HSR) communications. In this paper we investigate the ICI mitigation scheme by utilizing the estimation and pre-compensation of high Doppler shifts in Long Term Evolution for Railway (LTE-R) systems with distributed remote radio units (RRU). We propose several schemes to estimate and mitigate ICI caused by Doppler frequency shifts. In addition, we propose to use cellular cyclic delay diversity (C-CDD) technique for mobile relay station (MRS) on the roof of HSR. Additional frequency diversity gain can be obtained when MRS lies within coverage area of two RRUs so that the communication quality is improved. The simulation results show that our proposed schemes can achieve the trade-off between complexity and performance.
Differences in goal orientation, self-determined motivation, emotional intelligence and sport satisfaction between expert and novice canoeing paddlers

The aim of the present study is to analyze the differences in goal orientation, self-determined motivation, emotional intelligence and sport satisfaction between expert and novice canoeing paddlers. 214 male paddlers from 20 different countries took part in the study and were chosen by the number of medals in their national championships [Novices, no medals (n = 73), Experts 1, from 1 to 3 medals (n = 62), and Experts 2, more than 3 medals (n = 79)] and the years of training experience [few years, from 1 to 4 (n = 53), Intermediate, from 4 to 9 (n = 89), and many years, more than 9 (n = 72)]. A 3 x 3 MANOVA was conducted (number of medal x years of experience) that showed statistically significant differences. The expert athletes showed higher levels in both goal orientations (ego, task); more motivation, intrinsic as well as extrinsic motivation; higher emotional intelligence and more sport satisfaction. These findings are consistent with previous studies with elite athletes from various other sports.
Midterm results of osteochondral lesions of the talar shoulder treated with fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation.

BACKGROUND With osteochondral lesions of the talar shoulder, their size, the articular cartilage geometry, and the loss of the medial or lateral articular buttress often preclude treatment with traditional osteochondral autograft techniques. We hypothesized that fresh, large osteochondral allograft transplantation is a viable treatment option for patients with such lesions. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of patients who underwent fresh talar shoulder allograft transplantation between 2000 and 2007. All patients failed initial conservative management. Preoperatively, a visual analog pain scale of 0 to 10 (with 0 denoting no pain and 10 denoting the worst pain imaginable) and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale were administered. At the time of most recent follow-up, the visual analog pain scale, the Lower Extremity Functional Scale, the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scale, and the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment questionnaire were administered. Radiographs were assessed for allograft incorporation and joint deterioration. RESULTS Eight patients with a mean age of thirty-one years and a mean follow-up of forty-eight months were included. There was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in pain, from a mean of 6 points (range, 5 to 8 points) preoperatively to a mean of 1 point (range, 0 to 2 points) postoperatively. The mean Lower Extremity Functional Scale score improved from 37 points initially (range, 24 to 52 points) to 65 points (range, 31 to 75 points; p < 0.05) at the time of final follow-up. The mean postoperative American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score was 84 points. The mean Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment dysfunction index score was 13.3 points and the mean bother index score was 14.3 points. Radiographic lucencies at the graft-host interface were seen in five patients. Four patients required an additional surgical procedure. No patients needed to undergo subsequent arthrodesis or arthroplasty. CONCLUSIONS These midterm results in a small group of patients indicate that structural fresh allograft transplantation can be a successful surgical option in the treatment of large osteochondral defects of the talar shoulder [corrected].
Comparison of anthropometric and training characteristics between recreational male marathoners and 24-hour ultramarathoners

Background Of the anthropometry and training variables used to predict race performance in a 24-hour ultrarun, the personal best marathon time is the strongest predictor in recreational male 24-hour ultramarathoners. This finding raises the question of whether similarities exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners. Methods The association between age, anthropometric variables (ie, body mass, body height, body mass index, percent body fat, skeletal muscle mass, limb circumference, and skinfold thickness at the pectoral, mid axillary, triceps, subscapular, abdominal, suprailiac, front thigh, and medial calf sites), previous experience and training characteristics (ie, volume, speed, and personal best time), and race time for 79 male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and 126 male recreational marathoners was investigated using bivariate and multivariate analysis. Results The 24-hour ultramarathoners were older (P < 0.05), had a lower circumference at both the upper arm (P < 0.05) and thigh (P < 0.01), and a lower skinfold thickness at the pectoral, axillary, and suprailiac sites (P < 0.05) compared with the marathoners. During training, the 24-hour ultramarathoners were running for more hours per week (P < 0.001) and completed more kilometers (P < 0.001), but were running slower (P < 0.01) compared with the marathoners. In the 24-hour ultramarathoners, neither anthropometric nor training variables were associated with kilometers completed in the race (P > 0.05). In the marathoners, percent body fat (P < 0.001) and running speed during training (P < 0.0001) were related to marathon race times. Conclusion In summary, differences in anthropometric and training predictor variables do exist between male recreational 24-hour ultramarathoners and male recreational marathoners for race performance.
Another civil war in South Sudan: the failure of Guerrilla Government?

Popular explanations for the outbreak of a new civil war in South Sudan have centred on ethnic factors and leadership personalities. This article demonstrates that the conflict is rooted in deep cleavages within the ruling political party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM). When internal tensions came to a head in late 2013, a combination of neopatrimonial politics, a weak state structure and legacies of violence from the previous civil war allowed this to escalate into a full-scale armed conflict.
DNA-binding properties of the major structural protein of simian virus 40

We investigated whether the VP1 protein of simian virus 40 binds to DNA. In vitro DNA-binding experiments clearly indicate that VP1 bound strongly to double-stranded and single-stranded DNA, with a higher affinity for the latter; additional experiments show that VP1 did not bind to a specific sequence of simian virus 40 DNA.
An Equalized Ultra-Wideband Channel-Select Filter with a Discrete-Time Charge-Domain Band-Pass IIR Filter

An ultra-wideband channel-select filter with equalized pass-band characteristics has been implemented with a 0.13 mum CMOS technology. A discrete-time charge-domain IIR band-pass filter is used to compensate degradation of the 3rd-order continuous-time LC-LPF and the sine response of the 1st-order charge-domain LPF, thus significantly equalizing the total filter response through clock signals. Measurements show that the IIR BPF reshapes the pass-band, allowing a 3-dB bandwidth of 500 MHz with a notch at 1 GHz. The total filter, including 3rd-order LC-LPF, 1st-order sine LPF, 1st-order IIR BPF, and clock generator, dissipates 18.8 mW from a 1.2-V supply voltage.
Complex analysis of united states flight data using a data mining approach

On an average day in the United States, thousands of commercial flights make their way through more than 5,000,000 square miles of U.S airspace. People rely on these flights for business and pleasure needs. Flying can be a very frustrating experience. Data mining past flight data can help consumers make informed decisions about many aspects of flying such as when the best days to fly are and out of which airports? We also wish to find how time is made up for in the air during late flights and how airport size relates to efficiency? Using data mining techniques such as classification, clustering and decision tree algorithms, we hope to be able to predict when you are most likely to encounter delays and increase the knowledge for consumers advising them on the best and most efficient ways to travel.
Character Composition Model with Convolutional Neural Networks for Dependency Parsing on Morphologically Rich Languages

We present a transition-based dependency parser that uses a convolutional neural network to compose word representations from characters. The character composition model shows great improvement over the word-lookup model, especially for parsing agglutinative languages. These improvements are even better than using pre-trained word embeddings from extra data. On the SPMRL data sets, our system outperforms the previous best greedy parser (Ballesteros et. al, 2015) by a margin of 3% on average.
Unselfish? Understanding the Role of Altruism, Empathy, and Beliefs in Volunteering Commitment

This study explores the extent to which young volunteers perform voluntary service for selfless reasons by investigating the role of altruism, empathy, and beliefs in their commitment to voluntary projects that last for an extended period of time. A sample of young volunteers who have begun a voluntary long-term project completed a survey on the theoretical constructs under investigation. An objective measure of actual volunteering behavior was taken from the voluntary organization’s records from 4 to 6 months after the questionnaires had been completed. Results show that volunteers fulfilled their agreement to take part in the projects independently of the motivation underlying their behavior, whether egoistic or altruistic. Volunteers do not differ in terms of altruism, empathy, and attitudinal and normative beliefs when compared by levels of committed volunteering behavior, but they do differ in terms of two control beliefs: lack of time and the hindrances to volunteering work.
The Displaced, Uncomfortable Entrepreneur

Given that personal initiative and enterprise are taken for granted in the United States, it is surprising that - as of 1975 - only 350,000 to 500,000 individuals per year actually start a new company. This study discusses the conditions and the kinds of personalities associated with people who become entrepreneurs, in contrast to others with the same education and opportunities who do not. The research finds that most entrepreneurs are DPs, displaced persons, who have been dislodged from a comfortable, safe situation. Some are literal DPs, such as political refugees, but most common are people fired from their jobs, or deprived of an opportunity to advance in their jobs. Another factor impacting entrepreneurial behavior is the perception that the individual has no future, or does not want to do her or his current job for the rest of her or his life. This tends to occur when individuals near the age of 40 or 50. Two categories of people are identified, who differ in terms of locus of control, i.e. the degree to which people feel they can affect the world around them. Some people are "external" and believe that their success is mostly impacted by outside forces, while others are "internal" and believe in their own influence on the course of events, which tends to help in entrepreneurial success. Other entrepreneurial conditions and characteristics identified by the study are: a need for independence; being able to imagine oneself in the role of an entrepreneur; having examples around of others who resemble one and have started businesses; and coming from an ethnic group that has traditionally been associated with entrepreneurial success. Apart from all those, having the necessary resources such as labor, materials, and facilities, is a necessary element. The analysis concludes by listing certain tactics for creating more entrepreneurs -- e.g., acquiring knowledge of conditions that induce potential entrepreneurs to take action, and using this knowledge to make new towns and regions more entrepreneurially active; and demonstrating to individuals that they do have internal control. (AT)
The Effects of Sex Differences and Hormonal Contraception on Outcomes after Collegiate Sports-Related Concussion.

There is conflicting evidence regarding whether females are more adversely affected after concussion than males. Further, recent research suggests that hormonal contraceptive (HC) use may affect symptom severity and duration post-concussion. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of sex and HC use on outcomes following concussion among collegiate varsity athletes. We hypothesized that females would have longer length of recovery (LOR), and that peak symptom severity would be associated with longer LOR in both males and females. Among females, we hypothesized that non-HC users would have longer LOR and higher peak symptom severity than HC users. Ninety collegiate student-athletes were included in this study (40 males, 50 females; 24 HC users, 25 non-HC users). Demographic, injury, and recovery information was abstracted via retrospective record review. LOR was defined as days between injury and clearance for full return to play by team physician. Peak symptom severity score (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool [SCAT] 2 or 3) was used in analyses. Study results revealed that males had shorter LOR than females (F[1, 86] = 5.021, p < 0.05, d = 0.49), but had comparable symptom severity scores. Symptom severity was strongly related to LOR for males (r = 0.513, p < 0.01) but not females (r = -0.003, p > 0.05). Among females, non-HC users demonstrated higher symptom severity than HC users (F[1,47] = 5.142, p < 0.05, d = 0.70). No significant differences between female HC users and non-HC users on LOR were observed. This study provides evidence for differential concussion outcomes between male and female collegiate athletes and between HC users and nonusers among females.
Clinical skills assessment: limitations to the introduction of an "OSCE" (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) in a traditional Brazilian medical school.

CONTEXT Assessment of clinical skills has a central role in medical education and the selection of suitable methods is highly relevant. The OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) is now established as one of the most valid, reliable and effective tests for the assessment of clinical skills. OBJECTIVE To describe student and faculty perceptions of an OSCE introduced in a traditional Brazilian medical school. TYPE OF STUDY Descriptive, semi-quantitative study. SETTING Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo. PARTICIPANTS 258 junior medical students finishing an introductory course on basic clinical skills and six faculty members deeply involved with the OSCE administration. PROCEDURES Over a period of three consecutive years, student perceptions on the examination were evaluated using a structured questionnaire containing several five-point scales; faculty members' opinions were collected using a structured questionnaire plus a personal interview. MAIN MEASUREMENTS Student satisfaction or dissatisfaction with aspects of OSCE administration and positive or negative opinions from faculty members. RESULTS Students were comfortable with cases and tasks, but nearly half (48%) of them criticized organizational aspects of the OSCE. Substantial proportions of students reported difficulties with both time management (70%) and stress control (70%). Improvement of several aspects of exams reduced criticism of organization to a minority (5%) of students, but the proportions of students reporting difficulties with time management (40%) and stress control (75%) during the exam remained virtually unchanged. Faculty members acknowledged the accuracy of the OSCE, but criticized its limitations for assessing the integrated approach to patients and complained that the examination was remarkably time and effort-consuming. The educational impact of the OSCE was felt to be limited, since other faculty members did not respond to the communication of exam results. CONCLUSIONS In addition to shortage of resources and organizational difficulties, local cultural aspects and the absence of a more favorable educational climate may hinder lasting improvements in assessment methods in traditional medical schools.
Depressed mood in Chinese children: Development significance for social and school adjustment

Children’s socioemotional problems have been largely neglected in Chinese collectivistic cultures. The purpose of the study was to examine contributions of depressed mood to social and school adjustment in Chinese children. A sample of children in the People’s Republic of China, initially aged 12 years, participated in this two-year longitudinal study. Data concerning depressed mood, and social and academic performance were obtained from multiple sources including self-reports, peer assessments, teacher ratings, and school records. It was found that depressed mood was stable over the two years. Moreover, depression contributed negatively to later social and school achievement and positively to the development of adjustment difficulties. These results suggest that depressed mood is a significant phenomenon in social and psychological development in Chinese children and thus deserves attention from parents, teachers and professionals.