Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rotational Malalignment of the Femoral Component in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Ligamentous balancing is a crucial part of total knee arthroplasty. To ensure proper kinematics, balance must be achieved in flexion and extension. Failure to do so may result in limited range of motion, premature polyethylene wear, or patellofemoral tracking problems. Balancing in extension is dependent on the type and extent of correctional ligamentous release. Flexion balance is dependent on proper femoral rotation. There are two methods to determine femoral rotation. In the classic method, the knee is tensed in flexion after ligamentous release in extension. The anteroposterior cut then is made parallel to the cut tibial surface. Alternatively, the anteroposterior cut can be based off fixed femoral landmarks. The purpose of the current study was to determine the variance between balancing the flexion gap with the classic method versus the technique of using fixed femoral landmarks to determine rotation. One hundred consecutive posterior stabilized knee arthroplasties were performed using the classic method. The resected posterior condyles in each case were measured. The actual difference between the resected condyles using the classic method was compared with the calculated difference of resected bone using bony landmarks to determine rotation. A variance analysis then was performed. Compared with classically balanced knees, rotational errors of at least 3° occurred in 45% of patients when rotation was determined from fixed bony landmarks. These patients had trapezoidal rather than rectangular flexion gaps. Such errors may have implications regarding polyethylene wear, range of motion, and long-term clinical results.
Increasing pre-pregnancy body mass index is predictive of a progressive escalation in adverse pregnancy outcomes

Objective: To evaluate the association between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and adverse pregnancy outcomes using a large administrative database. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of California women delivering singletons in 2007. The association between pre-pregnancy BMI category and adverse outcomes were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Among 436,414 women, increasing BMI was associated with increasing odds of adverse outcomes. Obese women (BMI = 30–39.9) were nearly 3x more likely to have gestational diabetes (OR = 2.83, 95% CI = 2.74–2.92) and gestational hypertension/preeclampsia (2.68, 2.59–2.77) and nearly twice as likely to undergo cesarean (1.82, 1.78–1.87), when compared to normal BMI women (BMI = 18.5–24.9). Morbidly obese women (BMI ≥ 40) were 4x more likely to have gestational diabetes (4.72, 4.46–4.99) and gestational hypertension/preeclampsia (4.22, 3.97–4.49) and nearly 3x as likely to undergo cesarean (2.60, 2.46–2.74). Conclusion: There is a strong association between increasing maternal BMI and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This information is important for counseling women regarding the risks of obesity in pregnancy.
The varicella-zoster virus immediate-early protein IE62 is a major component of virus particles

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) open reading frame (ORF) 62 potentially encodes a protein with considerable amino acid homology to the herpes simplex virus (HSV) immediate-early regulatory polypeptide ICP4 (or IE3). To identify and characterize its protein product(s) (IE62), we used a rabbit antiserum prepared against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the C-terminal 13 amino acids of the predicted protein. This antiserum reacted with phosphorylated polypeptides of 175 to 180 kDa that were made in VZV-infected cells and in cells infected with a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing IE62, but not in control-infected cells, confirming its specificity and reactivity to the IE62 protein. The antiserum recognized a 175-kDa polypeptide in purified virions that comigrated with a major structural protein. Comparison of this reactivity with that of an antipeptide antiserum directed against the VZV ORF 10 product (homologous to the HSV major structural protein VP16) indicates similar levels of ORF 62 and ORF 10 polypeptides in VZV virions. In contrast, antipeptide antiserum directed against the VZV ORF 29 product, the homolog of the HSV major DNA-binding protein, failed to recognize any protein in our virion preparations. Treatment of virions with detergents that disrupt the virion envelope did not dissociate IE62 from the nucleocapsid-tegument structure of the virion. Differential sensitivity of VZV virion IE62 to trypsin digestion in the presence or absence of Triton X-100 indicates that IE62 is protected from trypsin degradation by the virus envelope; since it is not a nucleocapsid protein, we conclude that it is part of the tegument. Finally, we show that the virion 175-kDa protein either can autophosphorylate or is a major substrate in vitro for virion-associated protein kinase activity.
Pescadillo Interacts with the Cadmium Response Element of the Human Heme Oxygenase-1 Promoter in Renal Epithelial Cells*

Renal tubular cells elicit adaptive responses following exposure to nephrotoxins, such as cadmium. One response is the up-regulation of the 32-kDa redox-sensitive protein, heme oxygenase-1. Exposure of renal proximal tubular epithelial cells to 10 μm cadmium demonstrated induction (∼20-fold) of heme oxygenase-1 mRNA and protein. Using a 4.5-kb human heme oxygenase-1 promoter construct, the importance of a previously identified cadmium response element (TGCTAGAT) in HeLa cells was verified in renal epithelial cells. Specific protein-DNA interaction with this sequence was demonstrated using nuclear extracts from cadmium-treated cells. Yeast one-hybrid screen of a human kidney cDNA library resulted in the identification of pescadillo, a unique nucleolar, developmental protein, as an interacting protein with the cadmium response element and was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation in vivo and gel shift assays with purified glutathione S-transferase-pescadillo protein in vitro. The specificity of the DNA-protein interaction was verified by the absence of a binding complex when the core sequence of the cadmium response element was mutated or deleted. In addition, B23/nucleophosmin, another nucleolar protein, did not interact with the cadmium response sequence. Overexpression of pescadillo resulted in increased activity of the 4.5-kb human heme oxygenase-1 promoter construct but failed to activate this construct when the cadmium response sequence was mutated. The findings demonstrate the important and previously unrecognized role of pescadillo as a DNA-binding protein interacting specifically with the cadmium response element of the human heme oxygenase-1 gene.
Long-term follow-up of deep brain stimulation for Meige syndrome.

OBJECT Meige syndrome is characterized by blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, and facial oromandibular dystonia. The medical treatment of this condition is largely unsuccessful over time and is a major source of decreased quality of life in those patients suffering from this disease. Recent advances in the application of deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery techniques for many disorders have prompted several recent reports of DBS for medically refractory cases of Meige syndrome. While the etiology for this disorder is unknown, it is considered by many investigators to be a form of idiopathic torsion dystonia. Pallidal stimulation is widely considered to be effective for dystonia. METHODS The authors report the long-term results of bilateral globus pallidus internus (GPi) or subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation in 3 patients with Meige syndrome and 1 patient with Parkinson disease and associated craniofacial dystonia treated at their center. RESULTS Initial 12-month and long-term follow-up Burke-Fahn-Marsden scores were substantially improved in all 4 patients compared with preoperative scores. CONCLUSIONS Bilateral GPi DBS may be an effective and safe treatment for medically refractory Meige syndrome. The results are comparable with those reported in the literature. Sustained and long-term improvement in symptoms does appear to be reproducible across reports. The authors' patient with Parkinson disease and associated craniofacial dystonia syndrome undergoing bilateral STN DBS noted immediate and sustained improvement in his symptoms. Further study is required, but these results, along with the other reports, suggest that bilateral GPi DBS is an effective treatment for medically refractory Meige syndrome.
Assessing the role of solar home systems in poverty alleviation: Case study of Rukungiri district in Western Uganda (November, 2015)

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of people who live below the poverty line, and furthermore the region has the lowest rate of modern energy access at 32%. Providing modern energy access in rural un-electrified areas has the potential to contribute to alleviating poverty. The main objective of this study has therefore been to assess the role of solar home systems (SHSs) in poverty alleviation in Uganda. The paper focuses on the impact on four socio-economic categories, namely: financial, education, health and gender equity. The study was carried out in Kebisoni, Western Uganda. The main finding is that access to solar power does indeed alleviate poverty. The data indicates an increase in households' disposable income due to the use of solar energy for lighting. Savings were generated from a reduced expenditure on alternative lighting fuels, such as kerosene. Some households used these savings to meet medical-related expenses. Furthermore, the results revealed that there was an improvement in indoor air quality. Children in solar-connected households benefited, as they were now able to increase their hours of study at night. Lastly, the study also revealed that access to lighting from SHSs enabled women to supplement household income by engaging in businesses.
Dark Current Spectroscopy on Alpha Irradiated Pinned Photodiode CMOS Image Sensors

Dark Current Spectroscopy is tested for the first time on irradiated CMOS Image sensors (CIS) to detect and identify radiation-induced silicon bulk defects. Two different pinned photodiode CIS are tested: a 5MP Commercial-OffThe-Shelf (COTS) CIS from OmniVision (OV5647) and a 256 × 256 pixel custom CIS. These CISs are irradiated with alpha particles at various fluences and at two different particle energies in the custom CIS (4 MeV or <; 500 keV). Several defect types are detected in both CIS (up to five in the custom CIS). The identity of the defects is investigated by measuring the activation energy of the dark current and the stability of the defects during an isochronal annealing. Two defects are identified in the custom CIS: the divacancy and the vacancy-phosphorus. This work proves that dark current spectroscopy can be used on irradiated CIS to detect and identify radiation-induced silicon bulk defects.
Revised King's College score for liver transplantation in adult patients with Wilson's disease

Fulminant Wilson's disease (WD) is almost invariably fatal, and liver transplantation is the only life‐saving treatment. Decompensated chronic WD usually responds to chelation therapy. Our aim was to validate 3 published scoring systems for deciding between chelation treatment and liver transplantation in patients with chronic decompensated and fulminant WD. Model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) score, as well as WD prognostic index (WPI) and its recently revised version (RWPI) were evaluated as predictors of the safety for chelation therapy. A group of 14 adult patients with decompensated chronic WD who improved on penicillamine treatment were compared with 21 patients with fulminant WD. The diagnosis of WD was based on increased urinary copper excretion and confirmed by elevated liver copper content and/or mutation analysis of the WD gene. The MELD score, WPI, and RWPI were calculated for all patients with WD. The accuracy of the MELD score, WPI, and RWPI for prediction of response to chelation therapy in patients with decompensated chronic WD was 0.968, 0.980, and 0.993, respectively. None of the decompensated chronic WD patients had a MELD score >30, RWPI >11, or WPI >7. RWPI showed the highest accuracy and the lowest false negativity compared with WPI and MELD. In conclusion, our data indicate that RWPI, originally proposed for pediatric patients, is also useful for adults. Liver Transpl, 2007. © 2006 AASLD.
Long short-term memory model for predicting productivity of drilling space units

In the oil and gas industry, there is a growing demand for application of big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to optimize operations and reduce cost. In this study, we work on the productivity prediction, which is an important and challenging task for operators. Unlike previous studies where full field or single well analysis was conducted, we focus on more active operation units, drilling space units. Moreover, significant information is extracted from geology reports which are saved in scanned PDF files and well logs. By using the extracted information, long short-term memory (LSTM) model which could take the special-temporal changes of DSUs into consideration is employed to predict the DSUs' productivity. After rigorous validation, it is found that the accuracy of LSTM model could reach to more than 60%, which is 10% higher than a multilayer perceptron (MLP) model proposed in a previous research.
Seasonal Microbial Conditions of Locally Made Yoghurt (Shalom) Marketed in Some Regions of Cameroon

The microbial conditions of locally made yoghurt (shalom) marketed in three areas of Cameroon were evaluated during the dry and rainy seasons alongside three commercial brands. A total of ninety-six samples were collected and the microbial conditions were based on total aerobic bacteria (TEB), coliforms, yeasts, and moulds counts as well as the identification of coliforms and yeasts using identification kits. Generally, there was a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in total aerobic and coliform counts (especially samples from Bamenda), but a decrease in yeast and mould counts of the same samples during the rainy season when compared to those obtained during the dry season. These counts were mostly greater than the recommended standards. Twenty-one Enterobacteriaceae species belonging to 15 genera were identified from 72 bacterial isolates previously considered as all coliforms. Pantoea sp. (27.77%) was highly represented, found in 41% (dry season) and 50% (rainy season) of samples. In addition, sixteen yeast species belonging to 8 genera were equally identified from 55 yeast isolates and Candida sp. (76.36%) was the most represented. This result suggests that unhygienic practices during production, ignorance, warmer weather, duration of selling, and inadequate refrigeration are the principal causes of higher levels of contamination and unsafe yoghurts.
Contact surface motion paths associated with leg length inequality following unilateral total hip replacement

In the past, there has been little research into leg length inequality (LLI) and its effect on hip arthroplasty bearing longevity. This investigation aimed to determine the effects of post-operative LLI on hip motions during gait and to postulate the subsequent influence on the wear of the artificial hip joint replacement. Motion data from a clinical gait analysis were processed with an in-house computational model to plot graphs showing the movement of loci of 20 points on the femoral head during one gait cycle for two cohorts: 19 LLI patients and 38 normal healthy patients. Loci paths were quantified by calculating the aspect ratio (AR) of the path shape. It was found that on average, LLI patients had a reduction in flexion/extension and abduction/adduction. Furthermore, the AR of LLI patients was found to be 8% smaller than the normal group. The shorter, more multidirectional, motion paths in LLI patients would suggest the potential for greater wear in a polyethylene bearing compared to an asymptomatic, non-LLI patient. The results have potential implications towards preclinical wear testing of joint replacements.
Nucleus‐encoded mRNAs for Chloroplast Proteins GapA, PetA, and PsbO are Trans‐spliced in the Flagellate Euglena gracilis Irrespective of Light and Plastid Function

Euglena gracilis is a fresh‐water flagellate possessing secondary chloroplasts of green algal origin. In contrast with organisms possessing primary plastids, mRNA levels of nucleus‐encoded genes for chloroplast proteins in E. gracilis depend on neither light nor plastid function. However, it remains unknown, if all these mRNAs are trans‐spliced and possess spliced leader sequence at the 5′‐end and if trans‐splicing depends on light or functional plastids. This study revealed that polyadenylated mRNAs encoding the chloroplast proteins glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GapA), cytochrome f (PetA), and subunit O of photosystem II (PsbO) are trans‐spliced irrespective of light or plastid function.
Food portion size and energy density evoke different patterns of brain activation in children.

BACKGROUND Large portions of food promote intake, but the mechanisms that drive this effect are unclear. Previous neuroimaging studies have identified the brain-reward and decision-making systems that are involved in the response to the energy density (ED) (kilocalories per gram) of foods, but few studies have examined the brain response to the food portion size (PS). OBJECTIVE We used functional MRI (fMRI) to determine the brain response to food images that differed in PSs (large and small) and ED (high and low). DESIGN Block-design fMRI was used to assess the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response to images in 36 children (7-10 y old; girls: 50%), which was tested after a 2-h fast. Pre-fMRI fullness and liking were rated on visual analog scales. A whole-brain cluster-corrected analysis was used to compare BOLD activation for main effects of the PS, ED, and their interaction. Secondary analyses were used to associate BOLD contrast values with appetitive traits and laboratory intake from meals for which the portions of all foods were increased. RESULTS Compared with small-PS cues, large-PS cues were associated with decreased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (P < 0.01). Compared with low-ED cues, high-ED cues were associated with increased activation in multiple regions (e.g., in the caudate, cingulate, and precentral gyrus) and decreased activation in the insula and superior temporal gyrus (P < 0.01 for all). A PS × ED interaction was shown in the superior temporal gyrus (P < 0.01). BOLD contrast values for high-ED cues compared with low-ED cues in the insula, declive, and precentral gyrus were negatively related to appetitive traits (P < 0.05). There were no associations between the brain response to the PS and either appetitive traits or intake. CONCLUSIONS Cues regarding food PS may be processed in the lateral prefrontal cortex, which is a region that is implicated in cognitive control, whereas ED activates multiple areas involved in sensory and reward processing. Possible implications include the development of interventions that target decision-making and reward systems differently to moderate overeating.
2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether promotes human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells migration via the GPER/PI3K/Akt signal pathway

Neuroblastoma is the predominant tumor of early childhood. 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) has the highest concentration among all polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners in human body, particularly for children. Considering that accumulating evidences showed developmental neurotoxicity of PBDE, there is an urgent need to investigate the effects of BDE-47 on the development of neuroblastoma. This study revealed that BDE-47 had limited effects on the cytotoxicity while significantly increased the in vitro migration and invasion of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. This was further confirmed by the results that BDE-47 treatment significantly downregulated the expression of E-cadherin and zona occludin-1 and upregulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Silencing of MMP-9 by specific small interfering RNA significantly abolished the BDE-47-induced migration and invasion of SH-SY5Y cells. Further, the signals G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER)/phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) mediated the BDE-47-induced upregulation of MMP-9 and in vitro migration of SH-SY5Y cells since G15 (GPER inhibitor) and LY 294002 (PI3K/Akt inhibitor) significantly abolished the effects of BDE-47. Our results revealed that BDE-47 significantly triggered the metastasis of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells via upregulation of MMP-9 by the GPER/PI3K/Akt signal pathway. This study revealed for the first time that BDE-47 can promote the migration of SH-SY5Y cells. It also provided a better understanding about the metastasis of human neuroblastoma induced by environmental endocrine disruptors.
Both the nature of KIR3DL1 alleles and the KIR3DL1/S1 allele combination affect the KIR3DL1 NK‐cell repertoire in the French population

NK‐cell functions are regulated by many activating and inhibitory receptors including KIR3DL1. Extensive allelic polymorphism and variability in expression can directly alter NK‐cell phenotype and functions. Here we investigated the KIR3DL1+ NK‐cell repertoire, taking into account the allelic KIR3DL1/S1 polymorphism, KIR3DL1 phenotype, and function. All 109 studied individuals possessed at least one KIR3DL1 allele, with weak KIR3DL1*054, or null alleles being frequently present. In KIR3DL1high/null individuals, we observed a bimodal distribution of KIR3DL1+ NK cells identified by a different KIR3DL1 expression level and cell frequency regardless of a similar amount of both KIR3DL1 transcripts, HLA background, or KIR2D expression. However, this bimodal distribution can be explained by a functional selection following a hierarchy of KIR3DL1 receptors. The higher expression of KIR3DL1 observed on cord blood NK cells suggests the expression of the functional KIR3DL1*004 receptors. Thus, the low amplification of KIR3DL1high, KIR3DL1*004 NK‐cell subsets during development may be due to extensive signaling via these two receptors. Albeit in a nonexclusive manner, individual immunological experience may contribute to shaping the KIR3DL1 NK‐cell repertoire. Together, this study provides new insight into the mechanisms regulating the KIR3DL1 NK‐cell repertoire.
Granzyme A Contributes to Inflammatory Arthritis in Mice Through Stimulation of Osteoclastogenesis

Granzyme A (GzmA) levels are elevated in the plasma and synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), suggesting involvement of this protease in the pathogenesis of the disease. GzmA contributes to sepsis by regulating the production of proinflammatory cytokines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the contribution of GzmA to the pathogenesis of RA in vivo and to examine the possibility that GzmA acting via tumor necrosis factor (TNF) stimulates osteoclastogenesis.