Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Venous Supercharging Reduces Complications and Improves Outcomes of Distally Based Sural Flaps

Abstract Background The use of distally based neurocutaneous sural flaps (DBNCSF) is one of the most common methods of reconstructing the distal lower leg. However, they have developed a bad reputation because of their propensity for venous engorgement. Venous congestion that can lead to distal necrosis can be prevented by venous supercharging. Using a prospective comparative study, we thus explored the effect of venous supercharging on the reliability of these useful workhorse flaps. Methods We prospectively included 38 patients who received a conventional DBNCSF and 38 patients who received a supercharged version of this flap (sDBNCSF) between January 2012 and July 2016. Results No significant difference was identified between the groups in terms of age, sex, comorbidity, or defect origin. The main reconstruction etiology was traumatic (open fracture, scar disunion, and chronic osteitis). The flap size was noticeably larger in the sDBNCSF group, albeit without significance. The length-width ratio was significantly greater in the sDBNCSF group (6.08 vs. 5.53, p = 0.022). Venous congestion was significantly more common in the non-supercharged group (28.6 vs. 2.6%, p = 0.01), as was coverage failure (23.7 vs. 2.6%, p = 0.035). Conclusion There are significant benefits to using venous supercharging of DBNCSF, when technically feasible. In our experience, venous supercharging increases reliability, allows the raise of larger skin paddles with much narrower pedicles limiting the morbidity of the procedure, and improves the functional and esthetic results.
Effect of Aging on Microstructure and Mechanical Strength of Reactive Air Brazed BSCF/AISI 314‐Joints

The perovskite Ba0.5Sr0. 5Co0.8Fe0. 2O3−δ (BSCF) is a mixed ionic electronic conductive ceramic and can be used as oxygen transport membrane (OTM) material for oxygen supply in high‐temperature applications. For BSCF, reactive brazing in air atmosphere (RAB) is the only technical applicable solution for a heat resistant and gas tight sealing to metals. As a consequence of brazing BSCF to the heat resistant austenitic steel AISI 314 a change in microstructure in the BSCF appears at the interface due to reactions with the copper oxide (CuO) from the AgCu braze alloy. After aging for 500 h at 850 °C in air atmosphere, a further change in the microstructure appears, which is characterized by an additional increase of porosity in the interface area between ceramic and braze. Also, a needle shaped phase at the grain boundaries in the ceramic can be observed. This kind of structure is known as product phase of a transformation of cubic BSCF into hexagonal perovskite. Mechanical tests with the BSCF/AISI 314‐joints show a decrease of the room temperature strength after aging.
GDNF From Human Periodontal Ligament Cells Treated With Pro‐Inflammatory Cytokines Promotes Neurocytic Differentiation of PC12 Cells

Glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is known to mediate multiple biological activities such as promotion of cell motility and proliferation, and morphogenesis. However, little is known about its effects on periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. Recently, we reported that GDNF expression is increased in wounded rat PDL tissue and human PDL cells (HPDLCs) treated with pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Here, we investigated the associated expression of GDNF and the pro‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β) in wounded PDL tissue, and whether HPDLCs secrete GDNF which affects neurocytic differentiation. Rat PDL cells near the wounded area showed intense immunoreactions against an anti‐GDNF antibody, where immunoreactivity was also increased against an anti‐IL‐1β antibody. Compared with untreated cells, HPDLCs treated with IL‐1β or tumor necrosis factor‐alpha showed an increase in the secretion of GDNF protein. Conditioned medium of IL‐1β‐treated HPDLCs (IL‐1β‐CM) increased neurite outgrowth of PC12 rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cells. The expression levels of two neural regeneration‐associated genes, growth‐associated protein‐43 (Gap‐43), and small proline‐rich repeat protein 1A (Sprr1A), were also upregulated in IL‐1β‐CM‐treated PC12 cells. These stimulatory effects of IL‐1β‐CM were significantly inhibited by a neutralizing antibody against GDNF. In addition, U0126, a MEK inhibitor, inhibited GDNF‐induced neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. These findings suggest that an increase of GDNF in wounded PDL tissue might play an important role in neural regeneration probably via the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 699–708, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Treatment with Magnesium in Pregnancy

With the growing understanding of the importance of a proper magnesium homeostasis during pregnancy, an increasing number of studies have used magnesium for treatment or prevention of different pathological conditions in pregnancy. The aims of the review is to describe the major studies performed on treatment with magnesium in pregnancy related complications. The studies reviewed were collected from a previous Cochrane review with differences in the criteria for the evaluation of the relevance of the studies [1].
Cellular neural network with trapezoidal activation function

This paper presents a cellular neural network (CNN) scheme employing a new non‐linear activation function, called trapezoidal activation function (TAF). The new CNN structure can classify linearly non‐separable data points and realize Boolean operations (including eXclusive OR) by using only a single‐layer CNN. In order to simplify the stability analysis, a feedback matrix W is defined as a function of the feedback template A and 2D equations are converted to 1D equations. The stability conditions of CNN with TAF are investigated and a sufficient condition for the existence of a unique equilibrium and global asymptotic stability is derived. By processing several examples of synthetic images, the analytically derived stability condition is also confirmed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Radiosonde Humidity Soundings and Microwave Radiometers during Nauru99

During June‐July 1999, the NOAA R/V Ron H. Brown(RHB) sailed from Australia to the Republic of Nauru where the Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program operates a long-term climate observing station. During July, when the RHB was in close proximity to the island of Nauru, detailed comparisons of ship- and island-based instruments were possible. Essentially identical instruments were operated from the ship and the island’s Atmospheric Radiation and Cloud Station (ARCS)-2. These instruments included simultaneously launched Vaisala RS80-H radiosondes, the Environmental Technology Laboratory’s (ETL) Fourier transform infrared radiometer (FTIR), and ARM’s atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer (AERI), as well as cloud radars/ceilometers to identify clear conditions. The ARM microwave radiometer (MWR) operating on Nauru provided another excellent dataset for the entire Nauru99 experiment. The calibration accuracy was verified by a liquid nitrogen blackbody target experiment and by consistent high quality tipping calibrations throughout the experiment. Comparisons were made for calculated clear-sky brightness temperature (Tb) and for precipitable water vapor (PWV). These results indicate that substantial errors, sometimes of the order of 20% in PWV, occurred with the original radiosondes. When a Vaisala correction algorithm was applied, calculated Tbs were in better agreement with the MWR than were the calculations based on the original data. However, the improvement in Tb comparisons was noticeably different for different radiosonde lots and was not a monotonic function of radiosonde age. Three different absorption algorithms were compared: Liebe and Layton, Liebe et al., and Rosenkranz. Using AERI spectral radiance observations as a comparison standard, scaling of radiosondes by MWR data was compared with both original and corrected soundings.
Validation of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment in a sample of incarcerated males

In response to limitations of extant psychopathy assessments, Lynam and Widiger (2007) recently advocated using a broad model of personality functioning to identify the core elements of psychopathy in order to develop a more accurate and comprehensive conceptualization of this PD. These authors identified a consensus set of psychopathic traits which eventually led to the development of the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA; Lynam, Gaughan, Miller, & Widiger, under review), a new self-report measure of psychopathy based on the Five-Factor Model of personality (McCrae & Costa, 1990). The current study examined the construct validity of the EPA in a sample of incarcerated males. The EPA demonstrated good convergence with an alternative psychopathy assessment, the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRP-III; Williams, Paulhus, & Hare, 2007). The EPA bore meaningful associations with individual SRP-III factors which were consistent with the content of these scales. Additionally, the EPA exhibited convergent relations with externalizing behavior and disciplinary infractions. Because of the inclusion of simple traits, the EPA provided a clear view of the psychopathic features underlying specific externalizing behaviors and forms of misconduct. The EPA also manifested greater predictive and incremental validity than the SRP-III for disciplinary infractions. Assessing the elemental units of psychopathy with the EPA has multiple advantages compared to alternative assessment methods, including the ability to examine the basic traits underlying behavioral outcomes of interest like externalizing behavior and institutional misconduct. The present study provides additional support for the construct validity of the EPA and highlights strengths of this assessment approach. INDEX WORDS: Elemental Psychopathy Assessment, Psychopathy, Five-Factor Model, Self-report, Externalizing behavior, Institutional misconduct, Incarceration VALIDATION OF THE ELEMENTAL PSYCHOPATHY ASSESSMENT IN A SAMPLE OF INCARCERATED MALES
Review on epidemiological features of Mycobaterium bovis at the human, cattle and wildlife interface in Ethiopia

Mycobaterium bovis is among a pathogenic species which belongs to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), a group of genetically closely related mycobacteria.1 Mycobaterium bovis (M. bovis) is an intracellular, non-motile, facultative, weakly Gram-positive acid-fast bacillus.2 The MTBC sub-group also comprises M. tuberculosis, M. africanum, M. canettii, M. pinnipedii, M. microti and M. caprae that are generally regarded as host adapted but with the ability to spill over into other species. Mycobaterium bovis is the primary cause of bovine tuberculosis (BTB). M. tuberculosis, M. africanum, M. caprae and M. canettii are human pathogens. M. caprae which causes infection in goats has been initially classified as subspecies of M. bovis but was recently recognized as a species on its own. M. microti affects rodents and M. pinnipedii have been isolated from seals.2 Mycobaterium bovis has an exceptionally wide range of mammalian hosts and affects all age groups of susceptible hosts of domestic, wild animals and human.2 Cattle are the most common maintenance host for M. bovis infection from which transmission can occur to wildlife, or people animals.3
Perioperative and Anesthetic Considerations in Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection

Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is a potentially devastating form of congenital heart disease in which all pulmonary blood flow returns to the systemic venous circulation rather than the left atrium. Anomalous pulmonary venous flow may be obstructed at birth, and affected infants present with severe cyanosis and poor cardiac output unresponsive to standard resuscitation with prostaglandin. Obstructed TAPVC remains one of the few indications for emergent neonatal cardiac surgery. This review will discuss the physiology and perioperative management of isolated TAPVC without associated cardiac lesions.
Recombinant Avian Paramyxovirus Serotypes 2, 6, and 10 as Vaccine Vectors for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Chickens with Antibodies Against Newcastle Disease Virus

SUMMARY Recombinant Newcastle disease virus (rNDV) expressing the hemagglutinin of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV HA) induces protective immunity against HPAIV in chickens. However, the efficacy of rNDV vectors is hampered when chickens are pre-immune to NDV, and most commercial chickens are routinely vaccinated against NDV. We recently showed that avian paramyxovirus serotypes 2, 6, and 10 (APMV-2, APMV-6, and APMV-10), which belong to the same genus as NDV, have low cross-reactivity with anti-NDV antisera. Here, we used reverse genetics to generate recombinant APMV-2, APMV-6, and APMV-10 (rAPMV-2/HA, rAPMV-6/HA, and rAPMV-10/HA) that expressed an HA protein derived of subtype H5N1 HPAIV, A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004. Chickens pre-immunized against NDV (age, 7 wk) were vaccinated with rAPMV/HAs; 14 days after vaccination, chickens were challenged with a lethal dose of HPAIV. Immunization of chickens pre-immunized against NDV with rAPMV-2/HA, rAPMV-6/HA, or rAPMV-10/HA protected 50%, 50%, and 25%, respectively, in groups of chickens given an rAPMV/HA with 106 median embryo infectious dose (EID50) or 50%, 50%, and 90%, respectively, in those with 107 EID50; in contrast, rNDV/HA protected none of the chicken vaccinated with 106 EID50 and induced only partial protection even with 107 EID50. Therefore, the presence of anti-NDV antibodies did not hamper the efficacy of rAPMV-2/HA, rAPMV-6/HA, or rAPMV-10/HA. These results suggest that rAPMV-2, rAPMV-6, and rAPMV-10 are potential vaccine vectors, especially for commercial chickens, which are routinely vaccinated against NDV.
Significance of neutrophilic CD64 as an early marker for detection of neonatal sepsis and prediction of disease outcome

Abstract Background: Neonatal sepsis (NS) is a global health problem owing to its significant contribution to morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the significance of neutrophilic CD64 (nCD64) expression as an early marker for diagnosis of NS compared to CRP and assessed its relation to disease outcome. Methods: High sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) and nCD64 were measured in 60 neonates with symptoms and signs of sepsis (40% were culture-proved) and 30 age- and sex-matched controls. Results: Baseline hs-CRP and nCD64% were significantly higher among septic neonates compared with the controls (p < 0.05), while, no significant difference was found between the two septic groups (p > 0.05). nCD64 cutoff value > 34.1% was able to discriminate septic neonates from controls with higher sensitivity and specificity than hs-CRP. The mortality rate was 21.7% among septic neonates. Baseline nCD64% was significantly higher among died patients compared with recovered neonates (p = 0.009) while no significant difference was found between baseline hs-CRP and disease outcome (p = 0.117). Conclusion: Flow cytometric assessment of nCD64 was able to discriminate neonates with sepsis from controls with higher accuracy than hs-CRP; however, the combination of both nCD64% and hs-CRP enhances the ability to diagnose NS. Quantitative measurement of nCD64 can predict disease outcome in NS.
Clinical Impact of Respiratory Motion Correction in Simultaneous PET/MR, Using a Joint PET/MR Predictive Motion Model

In PET imaging, patient motion due to respiration can lead to artifacts and blurring, in addition to quantification errors. The integration of PET imaging with MRI in PET/MRI scanners provides spatially aligned complementary clinical information and allows the use of high-contrast, high-spatial-resolution MR images to monitor and correct motion-corrupted PET data. On a patient cohort, we tested the ability of our joint PET/MRI-based predictive motion model to correct respiratory motion in PET and show it can improve lesion detectability and quantitation and reduce image artifacts. Methods: Using multiple tracers and multiple organ locations, we applied our motion correction method to 42 clinical PET/MRI patient datasets containing 162 PET-avid lesions. Quantitative changes were calculated using SUV changes in avid lesions. Lesion detectability changes were explored with a study in which 2 radiologists identified lesions in uncorrected and motion-corrected images and provided confidence scores. Results: Mean increases of 12.4% for SUVpeak and 17.6% for SUVmax after motion correction were found. In the detectability study, confidence scores for detecting avid lesions increased, with a rise in mean score from 2.67 to 3.01 (of 4) after motion correction and a rise in detection rate from 74% to 84%. Of 162 confirmed lesions, 49 showed an increase in all 3 metrics—SUVpeak, SUVmax, and combined reader confidence score—whereas only 2 lesions showed a decrease. We also present clinical case studies demonstrating the effect that respiratory motion correction of PET data can have on patient management, with increased numbers of detected lesions, improved lesion sharpness and localization, and reduced attenuation-based artifacts. Conclusion: We demonstrated significant improvements in quantification and detection of PET-avid lesions, with specific case study examples showing where motion correction has the potential to affect diagnosis or patient care.
Rigid Graph Control Architectures for Autonomous Formations APPLYING CLASSICAL GRAPH THEORY TO THE CONTROL OF MULTIAGENT

48 IEEE CONTROL SYSTEMS MAGAZINE » DECEMBER 2008 1066-033X/08/$25.00©2008IEEE F or millions of years, nature has presented examples of collective behavior in groups of insects, birds, and fish. This behavior has arisen to permit sophisticated functions of the group that cannot be achieved by individual members [1], [2]. Collective behavior serves needs such as foraging for food, defense against predators, aggression against prey, and mating. Fish and birds particularly, as part of their group behavior, often display formation-type behavior. In this type of behavior, the relative positions of the fish or birds are preserved, and the formation moves as a cohesive whole. From time to time, a formation may split, rearrange itself in a minor way, perhaps to remove a burden on one or more members of the formation, or rearrange itself in a major way, perhaps for obstacle avoidance, predator avoidance, or merging with another formation. With this inspiration, formations of robots (see Figure 1), underwater vehicles, and autonomous or piloted airborne vehicles (see Figure 2) are being deployed to tackle problems in both the civilian and military spheres, such as bush-fire control, surveillance, and underwater exploration. For various reasons, a formation of vehicles may constitute a more effective sensor than a single vehicle. First, multiple vehicles can be used to synthesize a large antenna for receiving electromagnetic or acoustic signals, allowing better resolution or higher sensitivity than might be possible with an antenna carried by a single vehicle. Accurate knowledge and control of the agents’ relative positions of the formation is essential for this application. A second reason is that some tasks inherently require multiple sensors with known relative positions. For example, in three dimensions, when distances to an object of interest are measured, to determine the position of that object, at least four distance measurements from noncoplanar sensors with known positions are needed to uniquely localize BRIAN D.O. ANDERSON, CHANGBIN YU, BARIŞ FIDAN, and JULIEN M. HENDRICKX
Estimating the impact of antiretroviral treatment on adult mortality trends in South Africa: A mathematical modelling study

Background Substantial reductions in adult mortality have been observed in South Africa since the mid-2000s, but there has been no formal evaluation of how much of this decline is attributable to the scale-up of antiretroviral treatment (ART), as previous models have not been calibrated to vital registration data. We developed a deterministic mathematical model to simulate the mortality trends that would have been expected in the absence of ART, and with earlier introduction of ART. Methods and findings Model estimates of mortality rates in ART patients were obtained from the International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS–Southern Africa (IeDEA-SA) collaboration. The model was calibrated to HIV prevalence data (1997–2013) and mortality data from the South African vital registration system (1997–2014), using a Bayesian approach. In the 1985–2014 period, 2.70 million adult HIV-related deaths occurred in South Africa. Adult HIV deaths peaked at 231,000 per annum in 2006 and declined to 95,000 in 2014, a reduction of 74.7% (95% CI: 73.3%–76.1%) compared to the scenario without ART. However, HIV mortality in 2014 was estimated to be 69% (95% CI: 46%–97%) higher in 2014 (161,000) if the model was calibrated only to HIV prevalence data. In the 2000–2014 period, the South African ART programme is estimated to have reduced the cumulative number of HIV deaths in adults by 1.72 million (95% CI: 1.58 million–1.84 million) and to have saved 6.15 million life years in adults (95% CI: 5.52 million–6.69 million). This compares with a potential saving of 8.80 million (95% CI: 7.90 million–9.59 million) life years that might have been achieved if South Africa had moved swiftly to implement WHO guidelines (2004–2013) and had achieved high levels of ART uptake in HIV-diagnosed individuals from 2004 onwards. The model is limited by its reliance on all-cause mortality data, given the lack of reliable cause-of-death reporting, and also does not allow for changes over time in tuberculosis control programmes and ART effectiveness. Conclusions ART has had a dramatic impact on adult mortality in South Africa, but delays in the rollout of ART, especially in the early stages of the ART programme, have contributed to substantial loss of life. This is the first study to our knowledge to calibrate a model of ART impact to population-level recorded death data in Africa; models that are not calibrated to population-level death data may overestimate HIV-related mortality.
Trait‐specific processes of convergence and conservatism shape ecomorphological evolution in ground‐dwelling squirrels

Our understanding of mechanisms operating over deep timescales to shape phenotypic diversity often hinges on linking variation in one or few trait(s) to specific evolutionary processes. When distinct processes are capable of similar phenotypic signatures, however, identifying these drivers is difficult. We explored ecomorphological evolution across a radiation of ground‐dwelling squirrels whose history includes convergence and constraint, two processes that can yield similar signatures of standing phenotypic diversity. Using four ecologically relevant trait datasets (body size, cranial, mandibular, and molariform tooth shape), we compared and contrasted variation, covariation, and disparity patterns in a new phylogenetic framework. Strong correlations existed between body size and two skull traits (allometry) and among skull traits themselves (integration). Inferred evolutionary modes were also concordant across traits (Ornstein‐Uhlenbeck with two adaptive regimes). However, despite these broad similarities, we found divergent dynamics on the macroevolutionary landscape, with phenotypic disparity being differentially shaped by convergence and conservatism. Such among‐trait heterogeneity in process (but not always pattern) reiterates the mosaic nature of morphological evolution, and suggests ground squirrel evolution is poorly captured by single process descriptors. Our results also highlight how use of single traits can bias macroevolutionary inference, affirming the importance of broader trait‐bases in understanding phenotypic evolutionary dynamics.