Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A review on bicycle dynamics and rider control

This paper is a review study in dynamics and rider control of bicycles. The first part gives a brief overview of the modelling of the dynamics of bicycles and the experimental validation. The second part focuses on a review of modelling and measuring human rider control, together with the concepts of handling and manoeuvrability and their experimental validation. The paper concludes with the open ends and promising directions for future work in the field of handling and control of bicycles.
Does detection of DDX4 mRNA in cell‐free seminal plasma represents a reliable noninvasive germ cell marker in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia?

This study aimed to investigate the potential application of DDX4 gene expression in cell‐free seminal mRNA as a noninvasive biomarker for the identification of the presence of germ cells in men with nonobstructive azoospermia and to correlate this factor with testicular biopsy. Male reproductive organ‐specific genes were chosen: DDX4, which is a germ cell‐specific gene and transglutaminase 4, which is a prostate‐specific gene that was used as a control gene. Thirty‐nine azoospermic males and twenty‐eight normospermic fertile males (serving as a control group) participated in the study. Histopathological examination of testicular biopsies categorised azoospermic males into 20.5% with maturation arrest, 17.9% with incomplete Sertoli cell‐only syndrome and 61.5% with complete Sertoli cell‐only syndrome. Using real‐time polymerase chain reaction, positivity for DDX4 gene was detected in 17 of 39 males with NOA which was due to maturation arrest in 35.3% (n = 6/17) of cases, due to incomplete Sertoli cell only in 23.5% (n = 4/17) and due to complete Sertoli cell only in 41.2% (n = 7/17). The study recommends joint utilisation of molecular transcripts as noninvasive biomarkers and histopathological examination of testicular biopsies in management of cases with azoospermia of the nonobstructive type.
Spatial Variation, Pollution Assessment and Source Identification of Major Nutrients in Surface Sediments of Nansi Lake, China

Nansi Lake has been seriously affected by intensive anthropogenic activities in recent years. In this study, an extensive survey on spatial variation, pollution assessment as well as the possible sources identification of major nutrients (Total phosphorus: TP, Total nitrogen: TN, and Total organic carbon: TOC) in the surface sediments of Nansi Lake was conducted. Results showed that the mean contents of TP, TN and TOC were 1.13-, 5.40- and 2.50- fold higher than their background values respectively. Most of the TN and TOC contents in the surface sediments of Nansi Lake were four times as high or higher and twice as high or higher than the background values except the Zhaoyang sub-lake, and the spatial distribution of TN and TOC contents were remarkably similar over a large area. Nearly all the TP contents in the surface sediments of Nansi Lake were all higher than its background values except most part of the Zhaoyang sub-lake. Based on the enrichment factor (EF) and the organic pollution evaluation index (Org-index), TP, TOC and TN showed minor enrichment (1.13), minor enrichment (2.50) and moderately severe enrichment (5.40), respectively, and most part of the Dushan sub-lake and the vicinity of the Weishan island were in moderate or heavy sediments organic pollution, while the other parts were clean. Moreover, according to the results of multivariate statistical analysis, we deduced that anthropogenic TN and TOC were mainly came from industrial sources including enterprises distributed in Jining, Yanzhou and Zoucheng along with iron and steel industries distributed in the southern of the Weishan sub-lake, whereas TP mainly originated from runoff and soil erosion coming from agricultural lands located in Heze city and Weishan island, the local aquacultural activities as well as the domestic sewage discharge of Jining city.
Improving Quality of Care and Promoting Health Care System Change: The Role of Community-Based Coalitions

As part of their community action plans, the Allies Against Asthma coalitions have developed efforts to improve quality of care and promote health care system change. All the coalitions have used an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to design these strategies and demonstrated a range of intervention approaches appropriate to their local context and circumstances. The coalitions’ collective experience suggests that coalitions provide three key forces for quality improvement and change that may be lacking in the current fragmented U.S. health care system—motivation to change the status quo, integration across systems, and accountability for results. The collaborative and empowering processes that a coalition model encourages and the direct advocacy opportunity provided to the consumer appear to bring these forces into play.
Quantum computers in phase space

We represent both the states and the evolution of a quantum computer in phase space using the discrete Wigner function. We study properties of the phase space representation of quantum algorithms: apart from analyzing important examples, such as the Fourier transform and Grover's search, we examine the conditions for the existence of a direct correspondence between quantum and classical evolutions in phase space. Finally, we describe how to measure directly the Wigner function in a given phase-space point by means of a tomographic method that, itself, can be interpreted as a simple quantum algorithm.
Acute hepatomegaly with severe liver toxicity due to all-trans-retinoic acid.

Haematologica vol. 85(5):May 2000 ature, although these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.1)(Table 1). According to previously established limits (10% of the mean value in all cases for SD and 8% for CV)6 good results were obtained for both reproducibility and accuracy control tests. Previous studies have demonstrated the reliability of the FACSCount cytometer for unstained samples stored for different periods.5,6 This study, using the same technical procedure, investigates the reliability of tests on samples stored after having been incubated with monoclonal antibodies. We show that samples, stored for 24 hours after preparation, remain stable and, therefore, that FACSCount flow cytometry is reliable, especially when the samples were stored at 4oC. These results refer only to this specific method and may not be necessarily be extended to other techniques.7
The effects of private tutoring on students’ perception of their parents’ academic involvement and the quality of their parent-child relationship

Abstract The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of private tutoring on parental involvement and the parent-child relationship. Seventy-six students voluntarily participated in the longitudinal study (38 students newly signed up for private tutoring and a matched control group). Data were collected with a student questionnaire that was applied twice (right before tutoring started; 4 months later). We replicated former research by showing significant correlations between parental variables and students’ motivation and achievement, indicating family variables to be very relevant for students’ academic outcomes. Repeated measures analyses of variance showed no effect of the intervention on students’ perception of parental involvement. However, tutored students reported an enhanced parent-child relationship whereas it declined in the matched control group. These findings provide evidence for differential effects of tutoring on parental involvement and parent-child relationships that imply a number of theoretical and practical implications.
Cerebral venography: comparison of CT and MR projection venography.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to show equivalence or superiority of CT venography compared with the existing test of choice--MR venography--in the evaluation of dural sinus thrombosis and in the identification of cerebral veins and dural sinuses. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-four patients underwent both CT and MR venography of the intracranial venous circulation. Seventeen patients were examined for suspected dural sinus thrombosis. Four patients underwent projection venography to assess tumor invasion of a major dural sinus. The remaining three patients were examined for cavernous sinus thrombosis, arteriovenous malformation, and an elevated jugular bulb. Without knowledge of the patients' case histories, two radiologists evaluated each CT venogram and MR venogram. The radiologists then arrived at a consensus regarding the absence or presence of dural sinus thrombosis. Later, the radiologists conducted a second interpretation with knowledge of the patients' clinical histories during which time MR and CT venograms were compared with regard to the advantages and disadvantages of each imaging technique. In addition, the venograms were assessed for the presence of 12 different venous structure. Projection venograms were displayed using a maximum-intensity-projection (MIP) algorithm, and the individual source images were also evaluated. The CT venograms were also displayed using shell-MIP and integral display algorithms. RESULTS Using MR venography, the two radiologists diagnosed dural sinus thrombosis in eight of the 17 patients with suspected dural sinus thrombosis. In these eight patients, the diagnosis was also made with CT venography. The diagnosis was confirmed by follow-up CT in four patients and by follow-up MR imaging in two patients. The MIP algorithm did not allow direct visualization of thrombus by either the CT or the MR imaging technique; however, the CT integral display algorithm enabled direct visualization of thrombus on the three-dimensional projection venograms. The systematic comparison of imaging techniques showed that CT venography reliably reveals all cerebral veins and sinuses when they are seen with MR venography. In addition, CT venography more frequently visualizes sinuses or smaller cerebral veins with low flow as compared with MR venography. CONCLUSION Cerebral CT venography is superior to MR venography in the identification of cerebral veins and dural sinuses and is at least equivalent in the diagnosis of dural sinus thrombosis. CT venography is a viable alternative to MR venography in the examination of patients with suspected dural sinus thrombosis.
Impact of various housing conditions on the occurrence of pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs

Introduction. This study assessed the effect of farming system, feeding system, floor type, housing density and gender on the occurrence of pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted on 400 pigs from four farms with different housing conditions. The plucks of 100 slaughtered pigs from each farm were examined for pneumonia, pleurisy, pericarditis and milk spots. Results and Conclusions. Pigs housed in a large-scale indoor farm had the lowest incidence of pneumonia. The highest occurrence of pneumonia was recorded in pigs fattened in a small-scale farm in pens with outdoor access. Pigs reared on farms in pens with outdoor access had the highest incidence of milk spots. Pigs from farms using pellet feeding systems had higher incidences of pneumonia, pleurisy and milk spots than those from a farm using a liquid feeding system. A rearing system comprising concrete floors without bedding resulted in the highest incidence of pneumonia in pigs. Pigs from a farm using a concrete floor with bedding had the highest occurrence of milk spots. The lowest incidence of milk spots was recorded in pigs from farms using fully-slatted floors. Compared to low housing density, high housing density resulted in higher incidences of pneumonia, pericarditis and milk spots in pigs. A higher prevalence of lung lesions was detected in barrows than in gilts. This study showed the most significant risk factors for the occurrence of pathological lesions in slaughtered pigs are pens with outdoor access, pellet feeding system, concrete floor, high housing density and gender.
Clearance of different strains of Mycoplasma pulmonis from the respiratory tract of C3H/HeN mice

Pathogen-free C3H/HeN mice were exposed by aerosol to Mycoplasma pulmonis PG34(ASH), UAB 5782C, M1, UAB T, or UAB CT, and clearance of mycoplasmas from the nasal passages, trachea, and lungs was determined during the first 72 h postinoculation (PI). There were differences among strains of mycoplasmas in physical removal of organisms and in killing by nonspecific factors in the nasal passages and trachea. The avirulent strain, PG34(ASH), was quickly removed from the nasal passages and trachea. Physical removal of the other mycoplasmal strains occurred slowly, with 60 to 89% of the radioactive label remaining in the nasal passages and trachea even after 72 h. There were significant differences in killing among mycoplasmal strains by nonspecific host mechanisms in the nasal passages, trachea, and lungs. Strain UAB T was quickly killed at all levels of the respiratory tract. Strains UAB 5782C and M1 were killed at all three sites by 2 to 4 h PI. The most virulent strain, UAB CT, was killed much more slowly than the other strains. However, there was no statistical difference in the relative numbers of mycoplasmas present in the lungs at 72 h PI among strains UAB CT, UAB 5782C, and M1. These studies showed that the different mycoplasmal strains were cleared from the respiratory tract by different mechanisms and suggest that the differences in virulence among the mycoplasma strains can be explained, in part, by the differences in elimination of the organisms from the respiratory tract by nonspecific host defense mechanisms.
Direct projections from the cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarii to pontine preganglionic parasympathetic neurons: A link to cerebrovascular regulation

Peripheral or central interruption of the baroreflex or the parasympathetic innervation of cerebral vessels leads to similar changes in regulation of cerebral blood flow. Therefore, we sought to test the hypothesis that the cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarii, the site of termination of arterial baroreceptor nerves, projects to pontine preganglionic neurons whose stimulation elicits cerebral vasodilatation. The current study utilized both light and electron microscopic techniques to analyze anterograde tracing from the cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarii to preganglionic parasympathetic neurons in the pons. We further used retrograde tracing from that same pontine region to the cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarii and evaluated the confluence of tracing from the cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarii to pontine preganglionic neurons labeled retrogradely from the pterygopalatine ganglia. The cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarii projected to pontine preganglionic parasympathetic neurons, but more rostral and caudal regions of nucleus tractus solitarii did not. In contrast, all three regions of nucleus tractus solitarii projected to the nucleus ambiguus and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Although not projecting to pontine preganglionic parasympathetic neurons, regions lateral, rostral, and caudal to cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarii sent projections through the pons medial to the preganglionics. The study establishes the presence of a direct monosynaptic pathway from neurons in the cardiovascular nucleus tractus solitarii to pontine preganglionic parasympathetic neurons that project to the pterygopalatine ganglia, the source of nitroxidergic vasodilatory innervation of cerebral blood vessels. It provides evidence that activation of those preganglionic neurons can cause cerebral vasodilatation and increased cerebral blood flow. Finally, it demonstrates differential innervation of medullary and pontine preganglionic parasympathetic neurons by different regions of the nucleus tractus solitarii. J. Comp. Neurol. 452:242–254, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Effect of Scaling and Root Planning on Salivary TNF-α and IL-1α Concentrations in Patients with Chronic Periodontitis

Objective: Periodontitis is one of the main diseases in the oral cavity that causes tooth loss. The host immune response and inflammatory factors have important role in periodontal tissue. The current study was done with the objective to determine the effect of scaling and root planning on the salivary concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1-alpha (IL-1α). Methods: In this quasi-experimental clinical trial, 29 patients with chronic periodontitis and 29 healthy subjects without periodontitis were studied. Clinical examination findings and salivary TNF-α and IL-1α (using ELISA method) were compared before and after scaling, root planning. Results: Before starting treatment, salivary TNF-α and IL-1α concentrations were higher in healthy control group than in periodontitis group (P< 0.05). Non-surgical treatment increased the concentration of these two biomarkers in the saliva. However, increase in IL-1α concentration was not statistically significant (P= 0.056). There was a negative relationship between TNF-α and IL-1α levels with pocket depth and attachment loss (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Scaling and root planning improved periodontal disease indices and salivary TNF-α and IL-1α levels.
Transfer of Low-Molecular Weight Single-Stranded DNA through the Membrane of a High-Flux Dialyzer

Purpose Microbial contamination is often present in dialysate used for hemodialysis. Small single-stranded bacterial DNA sequences are capable of activating human inflammatory pathways, through mechanisms that include the Toll-like-receptor 9, and dialysis patients frequently show severe inflammation. Since these molecules have been found in dialysate and in patients’ bloodstreams, we studied the potential of low-molecular weight DNA sequences, of the same structure as found in bacteria, to cross from the dialyzer circuit to the blood circuit of a dialysis filter. Methods The mass transfer of DNA fragments across a high-flux dialyzer was evaluated with an in vitro dialysis model, in both conventional dialysis and pure convection mode. Measurement of DNA was performed by HPLC. Results In dialysis mode, these mass transfer coefficients were calculated for different single-stranded DNA chain lengths: 5-bases = 28.5%, 9-bases = 20.5%, 20-bases = 9.4%, 35-bases = 2.4%, 50-bases and 100-bases, no transfer detected. In convection mode, these sieving coefficients were calculated: 5-bases = 1.0, 9-bases = 1.0, 20-bases = 0.68, 35-bases = 0.40, 50-bases = 0.17, 100-bases, no convective transfer detected. The physical size of DNA molecules could be the major factor that influences their movement through dialyzer pores. Conclusions This study establishes that significant transfer across the dialyzer may occur with singlestranded DNA in the size range of 20-bases or less. These findings need to be confirmed with an in vitro whole blood model and with clinical investigations. Previous studies have described the clinical benefits of achieving high-purity dialysate. Precautions are warranted to minimize the presence of these DNA compounds in fluids utilized for hemodialysis treatment.
Assessment of temperament and character profile with anxiety and depression in patients with acne.

BACKGROUND Acne is the most common skin disease, affecting nearly 85% of the population as well as their lives. Acne can severely affect social and psychological functioning. Patients with acne may have anxiety, depression, decreased self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties, unemployment, social withdrawal, and even suicidal intent. AIMS The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperament and character inventory (TCI) of patients with acne and to compare the results with those of healthy controls. STUDY DESIGN Case-control study. METHODS The study population consisted of 47 patients with acne, and 40 healthy control subjects. All participants were instructed to complete a self-administered 240-item TCI and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS In this study, the scores for the temperament properties Worry and pessimism (HA1) and Dependence (RD4) and the character properties Social acceptance (C1) and Integrated conscience (C5) were found to be higher in acne patients than in healthy controls (p<0.05). Compared to the controls, depression and anxiety scores were found to be markedly higher in the patients with acne. Acne type correlated positively with the Disorderliness (NS4) subscale of Novelty seeking (NS) and anxiety. Additionally, acne type correlated negatively with the Attachment (RD3) subscale of Reward Dependence (RD), with the Transpersonal identification (ST2) and Spiritual acceptance (ST3) subscales of Self-Trancendence (ST), and with the Compassion (C4) sub-scale of Cooperativeness (C). CONCLUSION Studies in this area may lead to the development of specific and focused interventions for TCI in patients with acne vulgaris. We suggest that the evaluation and treatment of acne should also include psychosomatic approaches in clinical practice.
Consistent Partial Least Squares Path Modeling

This paper resumes the discussion in information systems research on the use of partial least squares (PLS) path modeling and shows that the inconsistency of PLS path coefficient estimates in the case of reflective measurement can have adverse consequences for hypothesis testing. To remedy this, the study introduces a vital extension of PLS: consistent PLS (PLSc). PLSc provides a correction for estimates when PLS is applied to reflective constructs: The path coefficients, inter-construct correlations, and indicator loadings become consistent. The outcome of a Monte Carlo simulation reveals that the bias of PLSc parameter estimates is comparable to that of covariance-based structural equation modeling. Moreover, the outcome shows that PLSc has advantages when using non-normally distributed data. We discuss the implications for IS research and provide guidelines for choosing among structural equation modeling techniques.