Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical analysis of the neural structures of the posterior cruciate ligament in osteoarthritis patients submitted to total knee arthroplasty: an analysis of thirty-four cases

OBJECTIVES: Many authors recommend posterior cruciate ligament-retaining arthroplasty with the intention to maintain the proprioception properties of this ligament. Preservation of the neuroreceptors and nervous fibers may be essential for retaining the proprioception function of the posterior cruciate ligament. The present study was thus developed to evaluate the presence of neural structures in the posterior cruciate ligament resected during posterior stabilized arthroplasty in osteoarthritis patients. In particular, clinical, radiographic and histological parameters were correlated with the presence or absence of neural structures in the posterior cruciate ligament. METHODS: In total, 34 posterior cruciate ligament specimens were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Gomori trichrome. An immunohistochemical analysis using antibodies against the S100 protein and neurofilaments was also performed. The presence of neural structures was correlated with parameters such as tibiofemoral angulation, histological degeneration of the posterior cruciate ligament, Ahlbäck radiological classification, age, gender and the histologic pattern of the synovial neurovascular bundle around the posterior cruciate ligament. RESULTS: In total, 67.5% of the cases presented neural structures in the posterior cruciate ligament. In 65% of the cases, the neurovascular bundle was degenerated. Nervous structures were more commonly detected in varus knees than in valgus knees (77% versus 50%). Additionally, severe histologic degeneration of the posterior cruciate ligament was related to neurovascular bundle degeneration. CONCLUSIONS: Severe posterior cruciate ligament degeneration was related to neurovascular bundle compromise. Neural structures were more commonly detected in varus knees. Intrinsic neural structures were detected in the majority of the posterior cruciate ligaments of patients submitted to knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis.
Right-Handed Neutrinos at CERN LHC and the Mechanism of Neutrino Mass Generation

We consider the possibility to detect right-handed neutrinos, which are mostly singlets of the standard model gauge group, at future accelerators. Substantial mixing of these neutrinos with the active neutrinos requires a cancellation of different contributions to the light neutrino mass matrix at the level of 10{sup -8}. We discuss possible symmetries behind this cancellation and argue that for three right-handed neutrinos they always lead to conservation of total lepton number. Light neutrino masses can be generated by small perturbations violating these symmetries. In the most general case, LHC physics and the mechanism of neutrino mass generation are essentially decoupled; with additional assumptions, correlations can appear between collider observables and features of the neutrino mass matrix.
Smallholder farming in less-favoured areas: Options for pro-poor and sustainable livelihoods

Smallholder farming in less-favored areas (LFAs) is simultaneously constrained by agro-ecological, economic, and institutional factors that keep households “trapped” in vicious circles of chronic poverty and resource degradation. Common strategies to address rural poverty by increasing returns to agricultural production are likely to fail, since the opportunities for investments in improved resource management regimes are severely limited due to strong input complementarities and high transaction costs. Therefore, poverty reduction in LFAs can be achieved only through an integrated strategy that focuses on the right mixture and sequence of interventions that systematically address the mostlimiting factors that constrain access and returns to physical, human, financial, and social capital (de Janvry and Sadoulet 2005).
Subclinical psychosis syndromes in the general population: results from a large-scale epidemiological survey among residents of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland

Aims. Prevalence and covariates of subclinical psychosis have gained increased interest in the context of early identification and treatment of persons at risk for psychosis. Methods. We analysed 9829 adults representative of the general population within the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Two psychosis syndromes, derived from the SCL-90-R, were applied: ‘schizotypal signs’ and ‘schizophrenia nuclear symptoms’. Results. Only a few subjects (13.2%) reported no schizotypal signs. While 33.2% of subjects indicated mild signs, only a small proportion (3.7%) reported severe signs. A very common outcome was no ‘schizophrenia nuclear symptoms’ (70.6%). Although 13.5% of the participants reported mild symptoms, severe nuclear symptoms were very rare (0.5%). Because these two syndromes were only moderately correlated (r = 0.43), we were able to establish sufficiently distinct symptom clusters. Schizotypal signs were more closely connected to distress than was schizophrenia nuclear symptoms, even though their distribution types were similar. Both syndromes were associated with several covariates, such as alcohol and tobacco use, being unmarried, low education level, psychopathological distress and low subjective well-being. Conclusions. Subclinical psychosis symptoms are quite frequent in the general population but, for the most part, are not very pronounced. In particular, our data support the notion of a continuous Wald distribution of psychotic symptoms in the general population. Our findings have enabled us to confirm the usefulness of these syndromes as previously assessed in other independent community samples. Both can appropriately be associated with well-known risk factors of schizophrenia.
Schools and emotional and behavioral problems: A comparison of school-going and homeschooled children

ABSTRACT Much attention has been focused recently on the deepening crisis in the education system. Researchers have attributed these problems to the school environment. One method for examining this claim is to compare specific emotional and behavior problems among children who attend schools and children who do not. This study examined three aspects of children's emotional world—emotional and behavioral problems, depression, and attachment security—in a group of children attending school and a group of homeschooled children, matched for socioeconomic background and research procedure. The findings indicated a lower level of depression among the homeschooled children; no difference was found between the groups in attachment security. With respect to emotional and behavioral problems, no difference was found in internalizing problems, but more externalizing problems were found among the school-going than the homeschooled children, in 9–10-year-olds and 11–12-year-olds, but not in 6–8-year-olds.
Consumer Choice of Hotel Experiences: The Effects of Cognitive, Affective, and Sensory Attributes

Understanding the choice behavior of customers is crucial for effective service management and marketing in the hospitality industry. The first purpose of this dissertation is to examine the differential effects that cognitive, affective, and sensory attributes have on consumer hotel choice. The second purpose is to examine the moderating effects of consumer choice context on the relationship between the cognitive, affective, and sensory attributes and hotel choice. To achieve these two purposes, this dissertation includes the design of a choice experiment to examine how cognitive, affective, and sensory attributes predict consumer hotel choice using multinomial logit (MNL) and random parameter (or mixed) logit (RPL) models. For choice experiments, the main objectives are to determine the choice attributes and attribute levels to be used for the choice modeling and to create an optimal choice design. I used a Bayesian Doptimal design for the choice experiment, which I assess from the DOE (design of experiment) procedure outlined in JMP 8.0. The primary analysis associated with discrete choice analysis is the log-likelihood ratio (LR) test and the estimation of iii the parameters (known as part-worth utilities), using LIMDEP 9.0. The results showed that the addition of affective and sensory attributes to the choice model better explained hotel choice compared to the model with only cognitive attributes. The second purpose is to examine the moderating effects of choice context on the relationship between cognitive, affective, and sensory attributes and hotel choice. Using a stated choice model, respondents were randomly divided into two different groups and asked to evaluate their preference for two differently manipulated choice sets. For this purpose, it is necessary to include interaction effects in the choice model. This study identified the differences among choice criteria based on two different contexts. Among eight interaction effects, four interaction effects with the contexts -price, comfortable, room quality, and atmosphere -were statistically significant on hotel choice. The findings provide hotel managers with important insights and implications in terms of target segmentation, product development, and marketing communication strategy.
Ironless Permanent-Magnet Generators for Offshore Wind Turbines

Because nonmagnetic material is used in the stator, ironless permanent-magnet generators (iPMGs) have negligible normal force between the rotor and the stator, and there is low requirement for the strength of the supporting structures. Therefore, the generator can be light. This feature is attractive in offshore direct-drive energy conversion systems where lightweight design is preferred. The objective of this paper is to investigate systematically different concepts of iPMGs. A design strategy is developed, and codes for finite-element analysis are embedded in this design strategy to ensure the calculation accuracy. A genetic algorithm (GA) is used to find the optimal designs. The influences of machine types and diameter to the machine performances are presented and discussed. Furthermore, the laboratory test of an existing ironless axial-flux permanent-magnet generator confirms the high accuracy of the field and inductance calculations of this design strategy, and the comparison with the parametric study is conducted to demonstrate the excellent performance of the GA used.
A CRITICAL RACE THEORY ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC PARK FEATURES IN LATINO IMMIGRANT NEIGHBORHOODS

Abstract The present-day location of public parks should be understood in the proper social and historical context of residential segregation and urban development. In Los Angeles, discriminatory practices such as restrictive covenants were used not only for housing, but also to maintain segregated recreational spaces. In addition, the economic changes that came as a result of White flight, suburbanization, and inner city job loss brought with it a reduction in local government resources, including funds for public parks. These changes to the urban landscape disproportionately impacted low-income immigrant communities, including Latino neighborhoods. Health disparities researchers are concerned with the inequitable distribution of parks and recreation facilities because it may contribute to disparities in physical inactivity and obesity, health risks that disproportionately impact Latinos. However, much of the literature investigating disparities in the built environment fails to include a racial analysis. The current study uses a Critical Race Theory framework to examine disparities in park availability in Los Angeles. We used a unique park dataset created in ArcGIS to carry out a county-wide assessment of the availability of park features at the neighborhood level. Data come from two sources, the Los Angeles County Location Management System, which includes information on specific park features (e.g., swimming pools, parks and gardens, recreation centers) and the American Community Survey, which includes neighborhood-level sociodemographic information. A zero-inflated negative binomial regression model was used to test whether Latino immigrant neighborhood characteristics are associated with the availability of park features in Los Angeles. Results indicate that Latino immigrant neighborhoods have limited park availability. The discussion situates these findings of inequitable distribution of park resources in the appropriate social and historical context of Latinos living in Los Angeles.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.net the Diagnosis of Periprosthetic Infection

Periprosthetic infection (PJI) is the most serious joint replacement complication, occurring in 0.8-1.9% of knee arthroplasties and 0.3-1.7% of hip arthroplasties. A definition of PJI was proposed in the November 2011 issue of the journal Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research. The presence of a fistula or of local inflammatory signs is indicative of PJI, but in many cases local pain is the only symptom. In the absence of underlying inflammatory conditions, C-reactive protein measurement is the most useful preoperative blood test for detecting infection associated with a prosthetic joint. The most useful preoperative diagnostic test is the aspiration of synovial joint fluid to obtain a total and differential cell count and culture. Intraoperative frozen sections of periprosthetic tissues produce excellent accuracy in predicting a diagnosis of PJI but only moderate accuracy in ruling out the diagnosis. In this process, obtaining a quality sample is the first step, and determines the quality of microbiological results. Specimens for culture should be obtained prior to the initiation of antibiotic treatment. Sonication of a removed implant may increase the culture yield. Plain radiography has low sensitivity and low specificity for detecting infection associated with a prosthetic joint. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging may be useful in the evaluation of complex cases, but metal inserts interfere with these tests, and abnormalities may be non-specific. Labelled-leucocyte imaging (e.g., leucocytes labelled with indium-111) combined with bone marrow imaging with the use of technetium-99m–labelled sulphur colloid is considered the imaging test of choice when imaging is necessary.
Connective tissue growth factor is increased in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma.

PURPOSE Pseudoexfoliation (PXF) syndrome is a generalized disorder of the extracellular matrix (ECM) involving the trabecular meshwork (TM), associated with raised intraocular pressure, glaucoma, and cataract. The purposes of this study were to quantify aqueous humor connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in PXF glaucoma, to determine the effect of CTGF on ECM production in TM cells, and to identify intracellular CTGF signaling pathways. METHODS Aqueous humor samples were obtained from patients undergoing routine cataract surgery or trabeculectomy. CTGF levels were quantified by ELISA. The effect of CTGF on fibrillin-1 expression in TM cells was investigated by real-time PCR. Western immunoblot analysis was used to investigate CTGF signaling. c-Jun/AP-1 activation was measured in CHO cells by ELISA after stimulation with CTGF. RESULTS PXF with glaucoma had the highest aqueous humor level of CTGF (n = 18; 5.15 ± 0.79 ng/mL [SEM]; P < 0.01) compared with PXF without glaucoma (n = 15; 2.76 ± 0.64 ng/mL), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG; n = 20; 3.05 ± 0.40 ng/mL), and the control (n = 21; 2.60 ± 0.29 ng/mL). In vitro exposure of TM cells to CTGF resulted in a 50% upregulation of fibrillin-1, which was partially blocked with the MEK (mitogen-activated protein extracellular kinase) inhibitor PD098059. Western blot analysis demonstrated increased phosphorylation of p42/44 MAPK, p38 MAPK, and the JNK pathways in response to CTGF. c-Jun/AP-1 activity was significantly increased in response to CTGF treatment. CONCLUSIONS Increased levels of CTGF in the aqueous humor of PXF patients likely has pathologic significance through increased production of fibrillin-1 by TM cells through activation of p42/44 MAPK, p38 MAPK, and JNK pathways.
A Case of 9.7 Mb Terminal Xp Deletion Including OA1 Locus Associated with Contiguous Gene Syndrome

Terminal or interstitial deletions of Xp (Xp22.2→Xpter) in males have been recognized as a cause of contiguous gene syndromes showing variable association of apparently unrelated clinical manifestations such as Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (SHOX), chondrodysplasia punctata (CDPX1), mental retardation (NLGN4), ichthyosis (STS), Kallmann syndrome (KAL1), and ocular albinism (GPR143). Here we present a case of a 13.5 yr old boy and sister with a same terminal deletion of Xp22.2 resulting in the absence of genes from the telomere of Xp to GPR143 of Xp22. The boy manifested the findings of all of the disorders mentioned above. We began a testosterone enanthate monthly replacement therapy. His sister, 11 yr old, manifested only Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis, and had engaged in growth hormone therapy for 3 yr. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a male with a 9.7 Mb terminal Xp deletion including the OA1 locus in Korea.
Weakly-supervised Learning of Mid-level Features for Pedestrian Attribute Recognition and Localization

State-of-the-art methods treat pedestrian attribute recognition as a multi-label image classification problem. The location information of person attributes is usually eliminated or simply encoded in the rigid splitting of whole body in previous work. In this paper, we formulate the task in a weakly-supervised attribute localization framework. Based on GoogLeNet, firstly, a set of mid-level attribute features are discovered by novelly designed detection layers, where a max-pooling based weakly-supervised object detection technique is used to train these layers with only image-level labels without the need of bounding box annotations of pedestrian attributes. Secondly, attribute labels are predicted by regression of the detection response magnitudes. Finally, the locations and rough shapes of pedestrian attributes can be inferred by performing clustering on a fusion of activation maps of the detection layers, where the fusion weights are estimated as the correlation strengths between each attribute and its relevant mid-level features. Extensive experiments are performed on the two currently largest pedestrian attribute datasets, i.e. the PETA dataset and the RAP dataset. Results show that the proposed method has achieved competitive performance on attribute recognition, compared to other state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, the results of attribute localization are visualized to understand the characteristics of the proposed method.
ESTIMATING THE LONG-RUN IMPLICATIONS OF DYNAMIC ASSET PRICING MODELS

This paper introduces new econometric tools for studying the long-run implications of dynamic asset pricing models. The long-run implications of a model are jointly determined by the functional form of the SDF and the dynamic behavior of the variables in the model. The estimators introduced in this paper treat the dynamics as an unknown nuisance parameter. Nonparametric sieve estimators of the positive eigenfunction and eigenvalue used to decompose the stochastic discount factor (SDF) into its permanent and transitory components are proposed, as are estimators of the long-term yield and entropy of the permanent component of the SDF. The estimators are particularly simple to implement, and may be used to numerically compute the long-run implications of fully specified models for which analytical solutions are unavailable. Nonparametric identification conditions are presented. Consistency and convergence rates of the estimators are established. An approach for conducting asymptotic inference on the eigenvalue, long-term yield, and entropy of the permanent component of the SDF is provided. The semiparametric efficiency bounds for these parameters are derived and their estimators are shown to be efficient. The long-run implications of the consumption CAPM are investigated using these methods. The estimators, identification conditions, and large sample theory presented in this paper have broader application in economics including, for example, the nonparametric estimation of marginal utilities of consumption in representative agent models.
Concise Review: Bone Marrow for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury: Mechanisms and Clinical Applications

Transplantation of bone marrow stem cells into spinal cord lesions enhances axonal regeneration and promotes functional recovery in animal studies. There are two types of adult bone marrow stem cell; hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The mechanisms by which HSCs and MSCs might promote spinal cord repair following transplantation have been extensively investigated. The objective of this review is to discuss these mechanisms; we briefly consider the controversial topic of HSC and MSC transdifferentiation into central nervous system cells but focus on the neurotrophic, tissue sparing, and reparative action of MSC grafts in the context of the spinal cord injury (SCI) milieu. We then discuss some of the specific issues related to the translation of HSC and MSC therapies for patients with SCI and present a comprehensive critique of the current bone marrow cell clinical trials for the treatment of SCI to date. STEM CELLS 2011;29:169–178
A Deep Siamese Neural Network Learns the Human-Perceived Similarity Structure of Facial Expressions Without Explicit Categories

In previous work, we showed that a simple neurocomputa- tional model The Model, or TM) trained on the Ekman & Friesen Pictures of Facial Affect (POFA) dataset to catego- rize the images into the six basic expressions can account for wide array of data (albeit from a single study) on facial ex- pression processing. The model demonstrated categorical perception of facial expressions, as well as the so-called facial expression circumplex, a circular conﬁguration based on MDS results that places the categories in the order happy, surprise, fear, sadness, anger and disgust. Somewhat ironically, the circumplex in TM was generated from the similarity between the categorical outputs of the network, i.e., the six numbers rep-resenting the probability of the category given the face. Here, we extend this work by 1) using a new dataset, NimsStims, that is much larger than POFA, and is not as tightly controlled for the correct Facial Action Units; 2) using a completely different neural network architecture, a Siamese Neural Network (SNN) that maps two faces through twin networks into a 2D similarity space; and 3) training the network only implicitly, based on a teaching signal that pairs of faces are in either in the same or different categories. Our results show that in this setting, the network learns a representation that is very similar to the original circumplex. Fear and surprise overlap, which is consistent with the inherent confusability between these two facial expressions. Our results suggest that humans evolved in such a way that nearby emotions are represented by similar appearances.
Risk and Consumption

This paper offers an overview of the links between risk and consumption that are discussed in the theoretical literature and the empirical support these theories have received. In the theoretical literature we find two mechanisms whereby risk affects consumption. The first is precautionary saving. Greater risk regarding future income may lead to increased saving to create a buffer against potential bad events in the future. The second mechanism builds on the existence of transaction costs for durables. If it is costly to reverse a purchase of a durable, this creates a value of waiting for more information about future earnings and prices before making the purchase decision. This value may increase as risk increases so that a shift to higher risk may cause consumers to postpone purchases. In an empirical application, the relation between variations in financial volatility and consumption in Sweden is also investigated. Increased financial volatility is found to have a strong negative effect of on new car registrations.