Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Pelvic Osteolysis Following Total Hip Replacement Surgery: An Algorithm for Surveillance

Osteolysis of the pelvis secondary to polyethylene wear of an uncemented acetabular implant has emerged as the most serious and challenging aseptic consequence of total hip replacement surgery 1-4. A very large number of patients have and will continue to be at risk for the development of osteolysis 2-13. The early detection of osteolysis allows the initiation of treatment programs that preserve bone stock 6,14-20. Because osteolysis occurs and progresses in the absence of clinical symptoms, appropriate follow-up surveillance must be instituted 7-9,13,21. Our initial study 22 of the usefulness of CT (computerized tomography) scans in the detection of clinically silent and radiographically unobservable osteolysis indicated that radiographs greatly understate the prevalence and location of osteolysis22-24 ( Figs. 1-A and 1-B ). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of CT scan-identifiable osteolysis in young, active patients with a …
Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging Can Predict Length of Survival in Patients with Supratentorial Gliomas

OBJECTIVEWe compared the ability of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H-MRSI) measures with that of standard clinicopathological measures to predict length of survival in patients with supratentorial gliomas. METHODSWe developed two sets of leave-one-out logistic regression models based on either 1) intratumoral 1H-MRSI features, including maximum values of a) choline and b) lactate-lipid, c) number of 1H-MRSI voxels with low N-acetyl group values, and d) number of 1H-MRSI voxels with high lactate-lipid values, all (a–d) of which were normalized to creatine in normal-appearing brain, or 2) standard clinicopathological features, including a) tumor histopathological grade, b) patient age, c) performance of surgical debulking, and d) tumor diagnosis (i.e., oligodendroglioma, astrocytoma). We assessed the accuracy of these two models in predicting patient survival for 6, 12, 24, and 48 months by performing receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed to assess the extent to which patient survival could be explained by the above predictors. We then performed a series of leave-one-out linear multiple regression analyses to determine how well patient survival could be predicted in a continuous fashion. RESULTSThe results of using the models based on 1H-MRSI and clinicopathological features were equally good, accounting for 81 and 64% of the variability (r2) in patients’ actual survival durations. All features except number of 1H-MRSI voxels with lactate-lipid/creatine values of at least 1 were significant predictors of survival in the 1H-MRSI model. Two features (tumor grade and debulking) were found to be significant predictors in the clinicopathological model. Survival as a continuous variable was predicted accurately on the basis of the 1H-MRSI data (r = 0.77, P < 0.001; median prediction error, 1.7 mo). CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that appropriate analysis of 1H-MRSI data can predict survival in patients with supratentorial gliomas at least as accurately as data derived from more invasive clinicopathological features.
The effect of cobalt ions on energy metabolism in the rat.

Cobalt treatment for 8 days significantly depressed respiration of isolated rat heart mitochondria when citrate or α-ketoglutarate but not succinate was utilized as added substrate. The depressed respiration of the cardiac mitochondria in citrate media was accompanied by an increased accumulation of α-ketoglutarate in the incubation media. Cobalt treatment also reduced the ferricyanide-linked ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activity of isolated rat heart mitochondria. For the first 3 days, isolated diaphragm segments from cobalt-treated rats utilized glucose and pyruvate at rates higher than the controls but respired at reduced rates if ketoglutarate or octanoate was used as the substrate. After 4 days of cobalt-treatment, oxygen uptake was consistently lower in diaphragm segments for all four substrates and remained so for the next 3 days of treatment. By contrast, heart slices from cobalt-treated rats had a consistently lower oxygen uptake for glucose, pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, and octanoate, commencing wi.
Lymph Node Metastases from Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Objective/Hypothesis: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) has been reported to metastasize to parotid and cervical lymph nodes. Few prospective investigations of associated clinical and histopathologic findings and their effect on patient outcomes exist. We seek to identify risk factors for nodal metastases in CSCC and determine the impact of lymphatic spread on survival and recurrence.
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR STABILITY OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA

Democracy as a system of government has been restored in Nigeria for over a decade now, and for it to be stabilized and entrenched, all the stakeholders must be involved. Youths represent a very important stakeholder in any society. They are not only the future of Nigeria, but also a major stakeholder and useful resource in the nation building. For the youths to become useful resource in the Nigerian project, they must be gainful employed. However, available data show that youth unemployment is very prevalent in Nigeria with far reaching implications for stability of democracy. This paper identifies the main causes of youth unemployment in Nigeria. Anchoring the explanation of youth unemployment in Nigeria on neo-liberalism that created economic and social dislocations, the paper argues that many anti-social activities such political thuggry, militancy, restiveness and other social vices evident among the unemployed and joblessness youths are real dangers to the stability of democracy in Nigeria. The paper concludes that addressing the problem of youth unemployment must involve all the stakeholders. This is a major step towards stabilizing and entrenching democracy in Nigeria.
Postoperative Weight-Bearing after a Fracture of the Femoral Neck or an Intertrochanteric Fracture*

Sixty patients who had had operative treatment of a fracture of the femoral neck or an intertrochanteric fracture were allowed to bear weight as tolerated on the injured limb. The average age was seventy-seven years. Computerized gait-testing was performed at one, two, three, six, and twelve weeks postoperatively to quantify weight-bearing. For the purpose of analysis, the patients were divided into three groups according to whether they had internal fixation of a stable fracture, internal fixation of an unstable fracture, or a primary hemiarthroplasty. Thirty-two patients completed the entire twelve-week study. The average amount of weight that these patients placed on the injured limb increased progressively with time. The average load supported by the injured limb was 51 per cent that of the uninjured limb at one week, and it gradually increased to 87 per cent at twelve weeks. During the first three weeks, the patients who had had internal fixation bore substantially less weight than those who had had a hemiarthroplasty. By six weeks, we could detect no significant differences, with the numbers available, among the groups with regard to weight-bearing or other measured gait parameters. We concluded that elderly patients who are allowed to bear weight as tolerated after operative treatment of a fracture of the femoral neck or an intertrochanteric fracture appear to voluntarily limit loading of the injured limb.
Fractal analysis of semantically distributed data

The purpose of this paper is to present a simple, but efficient methodology for analysing semantically distributed data. The analysis reveals important information about the statistical distribution of the geographically distributed data sets. This information can be helpful in deriving accurate data mining models that correctly reflect the semantics of the distributed data sites and help in avoiding inappropriate summarisation of the data. Although, our methodology operates on distributed homogeneous data sets, it can also work with certain heterogeneous data sets that can be transformed into homogeneous data sets without a reduction in their intrinsic dimensionality. Experiments showed that this type of transformation is in fact feasible for some data sets. We propose a measure for comparison of data sets based on the correlation fractal dimension and the cross-value. We tested our methodology on real world data sets and showed that the proposed approach discovers differences in the semantics of both distributed homogeneous and heterogeneous data sites.
When children shoot children. 88 unintended deaths in California.

Between 1977 and 1983, eighty-eight California children 0 to 14 years of age were unintentionally shot and killed either by other children or by themselves. The majority of cases occurred while children were playing with guns they had found. Easy accessibility to guns, the resemblance of guns to toys, and gun malfunctions were all contributing factors. Handguns, particularly those of . 22 caliber, were frequently involved.
Red sprite discharges in the atmosphere at high altitude: the molecular physics and the similarity with laboratory discharges

An overview of the general phenomenology and physical mechanism of large-scale electrical discharges termed ‘sprites’ observed at high altitude in the Earth's atmosphere above thunderstorms is presented. The primary emphasis is placed on summarizing available experimental data on various emissions documented to date from sprites and interpretation of these emissions in the context of similar data obtained from laboratory discharges, in particular the pulsed corona discharges, which are believed to be the closest pressure-scaled laboratory analogue of sprite discharges at high altitude. We also review some of the recent results on modelling of laboratory and sprite streamers emphasizing the importance of the photoionization effects for the understanding of the observed morphological features of streamers at different pressures in air and provide a comparison of emissions obtained from streamer models with results of recent satellite-based observations of sprites.
Modifications induced by diabetes on the physicochemical and functional properties of erythrocyte plasma membrane

Abstract. Increasing evidence suggests that in experimental diabetes an impairment in Na+, K+–ATPase activity plays a central role in the pathophysiology of diabetic complications, while only a few data are available with regard to human subjects. We studied the erythrocyte membrane Na+, K+‐ATPase activity and membrane fluidity in insulin‐dependent and non‐insulin‐dependent diabetic subjects. A significant decrease in the enzyme activity and in fluorescence polarization values was found in both groups compared with normal subjects. Neither Na+, K+‐ATPase activity nor membrane fluidity was found to be related to metabolic control, assessed by means of fasting blood glucose levels and HbA1c. On the contrary, a significant correlation was observed between Na+, K+‐ATPase activity and membrane fluidity in both insulin‐dependent and non‐insulin‐dependent diabetic subjects. The present work provides evidence that a reduction in the Na+, K+‐ATPase activity is present in the plasma membranes of insulin‐dependent and non‐insulin‐dependent diabetics. Furthermore, it suggests that the change in enzyme activity might be related to modifications in membrane fluidity.
Barriers to timely discharge from the general medicine service at an academic teaching hospital

Background Reducing delays for patients who are safe to be discharged is important for minimising complications, managing costs and improving quality. Barriers to discharge include placement, multispecialty coordination of care and ineffective communication. There are a few recent studies that describe barriers from the perspective of all members of the multidisciplinary team. Study objective To identify the barriers to discharge for patients from our medicine service who had a discharge delay of over 24 hours. Methodology We developed and implemented a biweekly survey that was reviewed with attending physicians on each of the five medicine services to identify patients with an unnecessary delay. Separately, we conducted interviews with staff members involved in the discharge process to identify common barriers they observed on the wards. Results Over the study period from 28 October to 22 November 2013, out of 259 total discharges, 87 patients had a delay of over 24 hours (33.6%) and experienced a total of 181 barriers. The top barriers from the survey included patient readiness, prolonged wait times for procedures or results, consult recommendations and facility placement. A total of 20 interviews were conducted, from which the top barriers included communication both between staff members and with the patient, timely notification of discharge and lack of discharge standardisation. Conclusions There are a number of frequent barriers to discharge encountered in our hospital that may be avoidable with planning, effective communication methods, more timely preparation and tools to standardise the discharge process.
Nuclear Localization of CDC25B1 and Serine 146 Integrity Are Required for Induction of Mitosis*

CDC25B phosphatases are essential regulators that control cyclin-dependent kinases activities at the entry into mitosis. In this study, we demonstrate that serine 146 is required for two crucial features of CDC25B1. It is essential for CDC25B1 to function as a mitotic inducer and to prevent CDC25B1 export from the nucleus. We also show that serine 146 is phosphorylated in vitro by CDK1-cyclin B. However, phosphorylation of CDC25B does not stimulate its phosphatase activity, and mutation of serine 146 had no effect on its catalytic activity. Serine 146 phosphorylation is proposed to be a key event in the regulation of the CDC25B function in the initiation of mammalian mitosis.
Student digital information-seeking behaviour in context

Purpose – This study provides evidence on the actual information‐seeking behaviour of students in a digital scholarly environment, not what they thought they did. It also compares student information‐seeking behaviour with that of other academic communities, and, in some cases, for practitioners.Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered as part of CIBER's ongoing Virtual Scholar programme. In particular log data from two digital journals libraries, Blackwell Synergy and OhioLINK, and one e‐book collection (Oxford Scholarship Online) are utilized.Findings – The study showed a distinctive form of information‐seeking behaviour associated with students and differences between them and other members of the academic community. For example, students constituted the biggest users in terms of sessions and pages viewed, and they were more likely to undertake longer online sessions. Undergraduates and postgraduates were the most likely users of library links to access scholarly databases, suggesting an import.
The perinuclear actin cap in health and disease

We recently demonstrated the existence of a previously uncharacterized subset of actomyosin fibers that form the perinuclear actin cap, a cytoskeletal structure that tightly wraps around the nucleus of a wide range of somatic cells. Fibers in the actin cap are distinct from well-characterized, conventional actin fibers at the basal and cortical surfaces of adherent cells in their subcellular location, internal organization, dynamics, ability to generate contractile forces, response to cytoskeletal pharmacological treatments, response to biochemical stimuli, regulation by components of the linkers of nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton (LINC) complexes, and response to disease-associated mutations in LMNA, the gene that encodes for the nuclear lamin component lamin A/C. The perinuclear actin cap precisely shapes the nucleus in interphase cells. The perinuclear actin cap may also be a mediator of microenvironment mechanosensing and mechanotransduction, as well as a regulator of cell motility, polarization, and differentiation.
Binge Use and Sex and Drug Use Behaviors among HIV(–), Heterosexual Methamphetamine Users in San Diego

This study identified sociodemographic factors, drug using practices, sexual behaviors, and motivational factors associated with binge (a period of uninterrupted) methamphetamine (MA) use among heterosexual MA users. Sample and Method: The FASTLANE study provided cross-sectional data collected by audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) between June 2001 and August 2004 from 451 HIV-negative MA users in San Diego, California, USA who had engaged in unprotected sex and used MA in the previous two months. Results: The study sample was 67.8%% male, 49.4%% Caucasian, 26.8%% African-American, and 12.8%% Hispanic with a mean age of 36.6 years; 183 (40.5%%) reported binge use in the past 2 months. Compared with non-binge users, binge users of MA were more likely to report risky drug use and sex behaviors and differed in motivations to initiate and currently use MA. The final logistic regression model for binge use included more days of MA use in the last month, ever treated for MA use, injection drug use, higher Beck Depression Inventory score, “experimentation” as a motivation for initiating MA use, and engaging in sex marathons while high on MA. HIV prevention efforts should differentiate and address these differences in motivations for MA use and the associated HIV-risk sex and drug use behaviors as key targets for effective intervention.
Concentrations of free oestradiol and progesterone in human preovulatory follicular fluid.

This study describes the distribution, based on computer calculations, of the total concentration of oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) between a free and a protein-bound fraction in each of 98 preovulatory follicular fluids (FF). The FFs were obtained from 30 women undergoing in-vitro fertilization--embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment. The concentrations of free and total steroid were correlated to oocyte cleavage and establishment of pregnancies. In the FF, 4.3% of E2 was free, 1.5% was bound to sex-hormone-binding-globulin (SHBG), 94.2% to albumin and less than 0.1% was bound to cortisol-binding-protein (CBP). The distribution of P4 in FF was 4.1% free, 5.6% bound to CBP, 90.3% bound to albumin and less than 0.1% was bound to SHBG. These results demonstrate that albumin plays a central role in maintaining the concentration gradient of steroids between the preovulatory FF and the circulation. The concentration of free E2 in fluid from follicles in which the oocyte cleaved was significantly lower in patients who achieved pregnancy (133 +/- 9 nM) (+/- SEM) than in fluid from follicles in which the oocyte cleaved but where the patient did not become pregnant (169 +/- 13 nM: P less than 0.05). Comparing the same two groups, the total concentration of E2 was also significantly lower in FF from patients who became pregnant. By contrast, no such correlation was found for either the free or the total concentrations of P4 in FF. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Heightened levels of circulating 20S proteasome in critically ill patients

Background Recently, circulating proteasome core particles (20S proteasome) have been suggested as a marker of cell damage and immunological activity in autoimmune diseases. Aberrant leucocyte activation and increased lymphocyte apoptosis with consecutive T‐cell unresponsiveness is deemed to play a pivotal role in the sepsis syndrome. Moreover sepsis‐induced muscle proteolysis mainly reflects ubiqutin proteasome‐dependent protein degradation. We therefore sought to investigate serum levels of 20S proteasome in critical ill patients.
Alpha 1‐adrenergic effects on intracellular pH and calcium and on myofilaments in single rat cardiac cells.

1. The cellular effects of alpha 1‐adrenoceptor stimulation by phenylephrine were studied in the presence of propranolol in single cells isolated from the ventricles of rat hearts. 2. Phenylephrine (10‐100 microM) induced a biphasic pattern of inotropism in these cells: a transient negative followed by a sustained positive inotropic effect as usually observed in cardiac tissues. 3. In Snarf‐1‐loaded cells, phenylephrine induced an alkalinization. This effect was reversible on wash‐out and inhibited by prazosin, an alpha 1‐adrenoceptor antagonist. 4. The alpha 1‐adrenoceptor‐mediated increase in intracellular pH (pHi) was 0.1 pH unit in HEPES buffer containing 4.4 mM‐NaHCO3 and in Krebs buffer containing 25 mM‐NaHCO3. 5. The alkalinization was blocked by the Na(+)‐H+ antiport blocker, ethylisopropylamiloride (EIPA). 6. The recovery from an acidosis induced by a NH4Cl pre‐pulse was accelerated by phenylephrine. The phenylephrine‐induced alkalinization was attributed to activation of the Na(+)‐H+ antiport. 7. Despite its ability to increase pHi, phenylephrine did not alter Ca2+ current amplitude and kinetics. 8. Ca2+ transients recorded in Indo‐1‐loaded cells were not augmented by phenylephrine. Diastolic calcium level was decreased. 9. In single skinned cells, the Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile proteins was increased by a pre‐treatment with phenylephrine even when the alpha 1‐adrenoceptor‐mediated alkalinizing effect had been prevented by EIPA. 10. These results lead us to propose that the alpha 1‐adrenergic‐induced positive inotropic response of heart muscle could result from an increased sensitivity of the myofilaments to Ca2+ ions. This alpha 1‐adrenoceptor‐mediated Ca2+ sensitization could result both from an intracellular alkalinization and from a direct effect on contractile proteins.
The classification of dopamine receptors: relationship to radioligand binding.

The past 25 years has seen our appreciation of the function of dopamine (DA) in the brain elevated from that of a precursor for norepinephrine to a neurotransmitter in its own right. The association of disturbances of dopaminergic neurotransmission with neurological and psychiatric disor­ ders has further emphasized the crucial role of this neurotransmitter in normal brain function. Dopaminergic agonists have a firmly established role in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and may be of value in the therapy of tardive dyskinesia. Dopaminergic antagonists have a longer history in the treatment of schizophrenia, Huntington's disease, and Gilles de la Touret­ te's syndrome. Since 1975, the elegantly simple radioligand binding technique has al­ lowed direct examination of the interactions of agonists and antagonists with putative dopamine receptors (DARs), and these studies form the major focus of this review. Such studies have complemented investigations ofDA regulation of adenylate cyclase activity and hormone release in various tissues. Although problems remain, the correspondence between such radi­ oligand binding sites and functional DARs is steadily being established. These experiments have clearly divided DARs into distinct subtypes, much as was done earlier for the alpha and beta adrenergic receptors. These findings will have a profound effect on our understanding of dopaminergic
Single-Phase Single-Switch Vienna Rectifier as Electric Vehicle PFC Battery Charger

This paper presents a single-phase single-switch bridgeless power factor corrector (PFC) boost Vienna rectifier as an onboard electric vehicle (EV) battery charger. The presented topology generates 3-level voltage waveform at the input which eliminates harmonic contents significantly while using small filters. The reduced number of parts used in this topology makes it appealing for EV industries to develop this PFC rectifier as a compact battery charger. Modelling of the single- phase Vienna rectifier is performed and a cascaded PI controller is designed to regulate the DC bus voltage at 400V to charge EV batteries as well as drawing low harmonic grid current and ensuring unity power factor operation of the converter. Simulations are done to validate the good dynamic performance of the single-switch rectifier and adopted controller in generating regulated and low ripple DC voltage from AC grid to supply EV batteries.