Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Muscle and Tendon Contributions to Force, Work, and Elastic Energy Savings: A Comparative Perspective

&NA; Muscle‐tendon architecture underlies muscle function. Whereas muscles generally contribute most to mechanical work, tendons provide the majority of elastic energy savings. Isometric or eccentric contractions enhance force and further reduce energy cost. However, elastic savings is probably constrained by the need to reduce compliance for accurate control of position.
The Th17 Cell Population and the Immune Homeostasis of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Th17 cells are a recently discovered subset of CD4+ T lymphocytes filling a hole in the repertoire of effector T cells. Th17 cells produce multiple cytokines, with pivotal impact on immune homeostasis, inflammation, and influencing a wide range of intestinal cell targets. The current issue of the International Reviews of Immunology is entirely dedicated to the various roles of Th17 T cells in the immune homeostasis and inflammation occurring in the gut. In addition to describing diverse Th17-mediated molecular pathways, a specific focus is being given to Th17 cell plasticity. This enables the Th17 cells to shift towards a Th1 profile, or to express IL-22, a protective cytokine in experimental colitis. Participation of microbiota-specific Th17 cells to normal immune homeostasis, and their role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or of gluten specific-Th17 cells in celiac disease, are also being discussed. Neutralizing antibodies against IL-17A and IL-17F have commenced clinical testing in IBD. In conclusion, Th17 cells emerge as a key immune cell population and further elucidation of their roles and functional plasticity are warranted to support the discovery of novel therapies against IBD and other intestinal disorders.
Tropical Pacific spatial trend patterns in observed sea level: internal variability and/or anthropogenic signature?

In this study we focus on the sea level trend pattern observed by satellite altimetry in the tropical Pacific over the 1993–2009 time span (i.e. 17 yr). Our objective is to investigate whether this 17-yr-long trend pattern was different before the altimetry era, what was its spatio-temporal variability and what have been its main drivers. We try to discriminate the respective roles of the internal variability of the climate system and of external forcing factors, in particular anthropogenic emissions (greenhouse gases and aerosols). On the basis of a 2-D past sea level reconstruction over 1950–2009 (based on a combination of observations and ocean modelling) and multi-century control runs (i.e. with constant, preindustrial external forcing) from eight coupled climate models, we have investigated how the observed 17-yr sea level trend pattern evolved during the last decades and centuries, and try to estimate the characteristic time scales of its variability. For that purpose, we have computed sea level trend patterns over successive 17-yr windows (i.e. the length of the altimetry record), both for the 60-yr long reconstructed sea level and the model runs. We find that the 2-D sea level reconstruction shows spatial trend patterns similar to the one observed during the altimetry era. The pattern appears to have fluctuated with time with a characteristic time scale of the order of 25–30 yr. The same behaviour is found in multi-centennial control runs of the coupled climate models. A similar analysis is performed with 20th century coupled climate model runs with complete external forcing (i.e. solar plus volcanic variability and changes in anthropogenic forcing). Results suggest that in the tropical Pacific, sea level trend fluctuations are dominated by the internal variability of the ocean–atmosphere coupled system. While our analysis cannot rule out any influence of anthropogenic forcing, it concludes that the latter effect in that particular region is stillhardly detectable.
MODIFIED TRIPLE TEST SCORE (MTTS) FOR EVALUATION OF PALPABLE BREAST MASSES IN WOMEN UNDER AGE 40

Background: Evaluation of breast masses in women under 40 years old starts with a Triple Test Score (TTS) which is composed of clinical breast examination, mammography and fine needle aspiration. Increased breast density in this age group decreases the sensitivity of mammography. So deciding whether to biopsy such nondiagnostic lesions or not is subject to challenge. Breast masses up to 2mm could be observed by ultrasonography using probes with high frequencies (10-13 MHz) with a specificity and sensitivity of more than 80%. Methods: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of ultra- sonography instead of mammography in triple test scores (TTS) of nondiag- nostic breast masses in women under 40 years of age and compare the re- sults with open biopsy. To address this issue, breast masses in 100 ran- domly selected women under 40 were evaluated utilizing physical examina- tion, breast ultrasonography and FNA as a modified triple test score (MTTS) which assigned score 1 for benign, score 2 for suspicious and score 3 for malignant results in each component of TTS. Summation of these three scores was assigned as MTTS. Thereafter all masses were evalu- ated by open biopsy. Results: Among 100 masses in 100 women, 69 scored 3 points, 15 scored 4 points; all of them were benign. Four scored 5 points; 1 of them was malignant. Five scored 6 points; three of them were malignant. Seven scored 7, 8, and 9; all of them were malignant. Conclusion: The MTTS is with 100% diagnostic accuracy for malignancy when it is greater than 7 points. Masses scoring 4 points or lower are benign. Seven up to nine points may proceed to definitive therapy. Five and six points need clinical evaluation and open biopsy. The results of MTTS are similar to TTS in evaluation of breast masses in women under 40 years old and could avoid unnecessary open breast biopsy. MJIRI, Vol. 20, No.3, 115-118, 2006.
Restricted sedation and absence of cognitive impairments after administration of intranasal scopolamine

Introduction: Space motion sickness in astronauts during spaceflight causes significant discomfort, which might impede their functionality. Pharmacological treatment has been mainly restricted to promethazine. Transdermal and oral scopolamine have also been used in space; however, their use was reduced due to unpredictable effectiveness and side effects. Recently, intranasal scopolamine administration has gained much interest, since this route ensures fast and reliable absorption with a decreased incidence of undesirable side effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of intranasal scopolamine on cognitive performance and to determine its side effects. Methods: This double-blind, placebo controlled, repeated measures study evaluated vigilant attention, short-term memory, implicit memory and working memory. Side effects were reported on a 22-item questionnaire and sleepiness was assessed by the Karolinska, Stanford and Epworth Sleepiness Scales. Results: Scopolamine had no effect on cognitive function. Only the Karolinska score was significantly increased for scopolamine compared to placebo. Participants reported a dry mouth and dizziness after receiving scopolamine. Discussion: Results show that intranasal scopolamine did not impair cognitive performance. Intranasal scopolamine might be a good alternative to promethazine for the alleviation of space motion sickness, since the agent has minimal sedative effects and does not hamper cognitive performance.
Florbetapir-PET to diagnose cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Objective: We hypothesized that florbetapir, a Food and Drug Administration–approved PET tracer, could distinguish cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA)–related intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) from hypertensive ICH (HTN-ICH). Methods: We prospectively enrolled survivors of primary ICH related to probable CAA (per Boston Criteria, n = 10) and HTN-ICH (n = 9) without dementia. All patients underwent florbetapir-PET and multimodal MRI, and patients with CAA had additional Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) PET. Amyloid burden was assessed quantitatively (standard uptake value ratio [SUVR]) and visually classified as positive or negative. Results: The CAA and HTN-ICH groups had similar age (66.9 vs 67.1), sex, and leukoaraiosis volumes (31 vs 30 mL, all p > 0.8). Florbetapir uptake and PiB retention strongly correlated in patients with CAA both globally within cerebral cortex (r = 0.96, p < 0.001) and regionally in lobar cortices (all r > 0.8, all p ≤ 0.01). Mean global cortical florbetapir uptake was substantially higher in CAA than HTN-ICH (SUVR: 1.41 ± 0.17 vs 1.15 ± 0.08, p = 0.001), as was mean occipital SUVR (1.44 ± 0.12 vs 1.17 ± 0.08, p < 0.001), even after correcting for global SUVR (p = 0.03). Visual rating for positive/negative florbetapir demonstrated perfect interrater agreement (k = 1) and was positive for all 10 patients with CAA vs 1 of 9 HTN-ICH patients (sensitivity 100%, specificity 89%). Conclusions: Florbetapir appears to label vascular amyloid in patients with CAA-related ICH. The approved florbetapir binary visual reading method can have diagnostic value in appropriate clinical settings. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class II evidence that florbetapir-PET provides a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval [CI] 66%–100%) and specificity of 89% (95% CI 51%–99%) for determination of probable CAA among cognitively normal patients.
Regulatory region polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor gene in pulmonary tuberculosis patients and normal healthy subjects of south india

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene variants are associated with differential susceptibility or resistance to tuberculosis in different ethnic groups. We investigated the polymorphisms in the 5′ regulatory region of VDR gene in 206 normal healthy subjects and 166 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis from south India. Cdx‐2 polymorphism was studied by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with allele‐specific primers, while genotyping of A1012G was done by PCR‐based restriction fragment length polymorphism. A significantly decreased frequency of Cdx‐2 G allele (P = 0.016) and G/G genotype (P = 0.010) and an increased frequency of A‐A haplotype (A allele of Cdx‐2 and A allele of A1012G) (P = 0.015) were observed in patients compared to controls. The study suggests that Cdx‐2 G/G genotype may be associated with protection and A‐A haplotype with susceptibility to tuberculosis.
Drinking Behavior and Drinking Refusal Self-Efficacy in Korean College Students

The prevalence of drinking behavior and sex differences were examined. A possible relationship between drinking behavior and drinking refusal self-efficacy (DRSE) also was investigated among a convenience sample of 582 Korean college students (309 men, 273 women). A drinking habit scale (from AUDIT–K) and drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire (DRSEQ–R) were administered. Results indicated 74.4% of the students drank alcohol and 80.1% of the students were regular drinkers (> 2 to 4 times per month). There were significant differences in drinking behavior by sex and in the DRSE constructs for current drinking statuses. Drinking behavior was significantly associated with sex and DRSE. The present study offers more information about practical interventions aimed at reasonably controlling the drinking behavior of Korean college students in a university setting. The findings may provide better understanding of Korean students' drinking behavior.
Current status of the Varioscope AR, a head-mounted operating microscope for computer-aided surgery

Computer-aided surgery (CAS), the intraoperative application of biomedical visualization techniques, appears to be one of the most promising fields of application for augmented reality (AR), the display of additional computer generated graphics over a real-world scene. Typically a device such as a head-mounted display (HMD) is used for AR. However considerable technical problems connected with AR have limited the intraoperative application of HMDs up to now. One of the difficulties in using HMDs is the requirement for a common optical focal plane for both the real-world scene and the computer generated image, and acceptance of the HMD by the user in a surgical environment. In order to increase the clinical acceptance of AR, we have adapted the Varioscope (Life Optics, Vienna), a miniature, cost-effective head-mounted operating microscope, for AR. In this work, we present the basic design of the modified HMD, and the method and results of an extensive laboratory study for photogrammetric calibration of the Varioscope's computer displays to a real-world scene. In a series of sixteen calibrations with varying zoom factors and object distances, mean calibration error was found to be 1.24/spl plusmn/0.38 pixels or 0.12/spl plusmn/0.05 mm for a 640/spl times/480 display. Maximum error accounted for 3.33/spl plusmn/1.04 pixels or 0.33/spl plusmn/0.12 mm. The location of a position measurement probe of an optical tracking system was transformed to the display with an error of less than I mm in the real world in 56% of all cases. For the remaining cases, error was below 2 mm. We conclude that the accuracy achieved in our experiments is sufficient for a wide range of CAS applications.
Effects of a mono-component endo-xylanase supplementation on the nutritive value of wheat-based broiler diets

1. Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of a mono-component thermostable endo-1,4-β-xylanase derived from Thermomyces lanuginosus on the nutritive value of wheat-based broiler diets. In a 5-week growth trial, the efficacy of xylanase supplementation at 0, 100, 150, 200, 400 and 4000 FXU/kg diet was evaluated. A short-term balance trial was carried out according to a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments, involving 4 wheat cultivars and endo-xylanase at 0 or 200 FXU/kg. 2. In the growth trial, enzyme supplementation from 0 to 400 FXU/kg reduced feed intake and improved feed conversion linearly. Digesta viscosity was significantly reduced by all enzyme inclusion levels by 49·6–56·9%, in a quadratic manner. 3. In the balance trial, xylanase supplementation resulted in a significant improvement of protein, lipid and dry matter apparent digestibility coefficients of diets, accompanied by improved dietary AME N values. There was a significant wheat × enzyme interaction on AME N and lipid digestibility. There was a significant effect of wheat cultivar on dry matter digestibility.
Macrolide-Resistant Streptococcus pyogenes in Norway: Population Structure and Resistance Determinants

ABSTRACT A 2.7% prevalence of macrolide resistance in 1,657 Norwegian clinical Streptococcus pyogenes isolates was primarily due to erm(TR) (59%) and mef(A) (20%). Four clonal complexes comprised 75% of the strains. Macrolide resistance in S. pyogenes in Norway is imported as resistant strains or locally selected in internationally disseminated susceptible clones.
Nervous control of pancreatic endocrine secretion in pigs. I. Insulin and glucagon responses to electrical stimulation of the vagus nerves.

The increases in the concentrations of insulin and pancreatic glucagon in portal venous and arterial plasma in response to electrical stimulation of the vagus nerves were studied in anesthetized splanchnicotomized young pigs. The responses were frequence dependent; threshold frequency was below 1 Hz and maximum response was reached at 8-12 Hz. With maximal stimulation responses of magnitudes comparable to the responses to maximal arginine (glucagon) and glucose stimulation (insulin) were observed. However, both the insulin and the glucagon response were critically dependent on the blood glucose concentration during the stimulation: the glucagon response was inversely correlated to blood glucose, whereas the insulin response was positively correlated to blood glucose at concentrations above 4.5 mmol . 1(-1). Below this glucose concentration there was no detectable insulin response and above 8.0 mmol . 1(-1) no glucagon response to vagal stimulation. A stimulated secretion of glucagon as well as insulin was maintained for up to 30 min stimulation, but insulin secretion tended to decrease, whereas glucagon secretion tended to increase. Above blood glucose concentrations of 4 mmol . 1(-1), blood glucose concentrations increased slightly in response to vagal stimulation, whereas no change was noted during stimulations performed at lower blood glucose concentrations.
A comparison of current profiles collected from bottom- and buoy-mounted instruments

Current profiles collected using a Nortek Aquadopp profiler mounted in an AXYS Technologies TRIAXYS wave buoy are compared to coincident measurements from nearby bottom-mounted instruments. A 2014 experiment conducted in the Chesapeake Bay with 0 - 3 m waves and 0 - 1 m/s currents suggested that observed discrepancies of 200-400 mm/sec could be due to inadequate resolution of rapid buoy movements and subsequent improper transformation of acoustic Doppler beam data to geographic coordinates. A second, similar experiment was run in 2015-2015 with 4 Hz attitude/acceleration data provided in real time, and high frequency data logged for post-processing and analysis. Mean errors were reduced to ~50 mm/sec, but showed a bias towards overestimating southward velocity. This bias was proportional to vertical shear and increased with depth; several possible explanations were detailed and discarded. While the substantial improvement in performance is notable and the implemented acceleration measurement improvementsshould be made operational, there is research remaining to understand the observed behavior.
Effects of bracing on lung function in idiopathic juvenile kyphosis

Although considerable information is available on the effects of bracing on lung function in kyphoscoliosis, there is a paucity of data on idiopathic juvenile kyphosis (IJK). The present study was designed to investigate the immediate effect of bracing on lung function in children and adolescents with mild‐to‐moderate IJK. Spirometry, measurement of lung volumes, and arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2) were performed in 24 patients, 9–17 years of age, who were treated with a corrective brace for mild‐to‐moderate IJK (Cobb angle, 46–75°). Children were studied when braced and unbraced.
Coupling Loss From Free Space to Large Mode Area Photonic Crystal Fibers

Simulated and measured results are presented for the coupling loss from free space into a large mode area (LMA) photonic crystal fiber. The total measured loss (using bulk optics) for a signal (¿ = 1.55 ¿m) going in and out of a 1-m-long fiber was -2.15 dB. It was also observed that the fiber is not that sensitive to lateral misalignment compared that to the conventional single-mode fiber. Due to the low loss, this type of fiber could be used to create long delays in optical true-time-delay engines based on the White cell concept and others. The above loss can be further reduced by using field lenses or lensed LMA.
The iodine content of bulk herd milk in summer in relation to estimated dietary iodine intake of cows.

A highly significant relationship was established between milk iodine content for bulk milk of the herd and the calculated daily iodine intake of cows in the herd. It is suggested that where bulk milk iodine content is less than 25 μg/litre the probability exists that what are at present suggested as the iodine requirements for dairy herds with average yields are not being met.
Mobility Analysis for Inter-Site Carrier Aggregation in LTE Heterogeneous Networks

In this paper we analyze the mobility performance for an LTE Heterogeneous Network with macro and pico cells deployed on different carriers. Cases with/without downlink inter-site carrier aggregation are investigated. Extensive system level simulations are exploited to quantify the performance. It is shown that not only does the use of inter-site carrier aggregation offer higher end-user throughput, but also several benefits in terms of improved mobility performance. Among others, it is shown that the performance becomes less sensitive to the setting of mobility parameters when inter-site carrier aggregation is used, while still keeping the handover signaling burden at an acceptable level. The probabilities of radio link failures, handover failures, and unnecessary handovers (also known as ping-pongs) are kept at a minimum for proposed the solution.
Accessory mental foramina and nerves: Application to periodontal, periapical, and implant surgery

Recent studies investigating accessory mental foramina using developments in diagnostic imaging have primarily defined the morphology of the foramina; however, few studies have described the structures passing through them. Additional clinical knowledge of the foramina is therefore required for preoperative diagnosis prior to surgery, including implant, periodontal and periapical surgery. In this study, we investigated the accessory mental foramina and the associated nerves and arteries in donated cadaveric mandibles using anatomical and radiological observation methods. We examined 63 mandibles with overlying soft tissue by cone‐beam computed tomography and noted the existence of the accessory mental foramina. Mandibles with accessory mental foramina were subsequently analyzed. Additionally, the neurovascular bundles passing through these foramina were dissected using anatomical methods.The incidence of accessory mental foramina was 14.3%. The larger foramina tended to be located anteriorly or superiorly and proximal to the mental foramen, while the smaller foramina tended to be located posterosuperiorly and distal to the mental foramen. The mental foramen ipsilateral to the accessory mental foramen was smaller than the one contralateral to it. The comparatively distant and large accessory mental foramen included an artery.This study elucidated the relationship between accessory mental foramina and the associated nerves and arteries. We believe that the results will contribute to the clinical dentistry field. Clin. Anat. 29:493–501, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparative in vitro activity of quinolones.

The quinolones are new antimicrobial agents that are descendants of nalidixic acid. As a new class of synthetic antimicrobials they exhibit a wide spectrum of activity. Newer quinolones such as ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, enoxacin, and pefloxacin are highly active against gram negative bacilli of the Enterobacteriaceae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus ducreyi. They exhibit less activity against Pseudomonas sp. and Staphylococcus sp. , and little in vitro activity against Streptococcus pneumoniae or Enterococci. Their activity against Mycobacterium sp. is variable, and obligate anaerobes are usually considered resistant. Of the quinolones reviewed, ciprofloxacin displays the highest degree of in vitro activity.
Extending the roofline model: Bottleneck analysis with microarchitectural constraints

Software, even if carefully optimized, rarely reaches the peak performance of a processor. Understanding which hardware resource is the bottleneck is difficult but important as it can help with both further optimizing the code or deciding which hardware component to upgrade for higher performance. If the bottleneck is the memory bandwidth, the roofline model provides a simple but instructive analysis and visualization. In this paper, we take the roofline analysis further by including additional performance-relevant hardware features such as latency, throughput, capacity information for a multilevel cache hierarchy and out-of-order execution buffers. Two key ideas underlie our analysis. First, we estimate performance based on a scheduling of the computation DAG on a high-level model of a microarchitecture and extract data including utilization of resources and overlaps from a cycle-by-cycle analysis of the schedule. Second, we show how to use this data to create only one plot with multiple rooflines that visualize performance bottlenecks. We validate our model against performance data obtained from a real system, and then apply our bottleneck analysis to a number of floating-point kernels to identify and interpret bottlenecks.