Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of return loss of 15 bonding wires fabricated on a test board by FDTD method

Return losses of 1~15 bonding wires fabricated on a test board for RF and microwave circuit applications are studied by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. In order to fit a cell size of 0.25 mm, an equivalent material obtained by the effective material property technique is applied to model bonding wires, the top metallic patch, and the bottom metallic layer. Simulation results of return losses obtained by the FDTD method are presented and compared with those obtained by the HFSS software at frequencies of 0.04~6 GHz. It is found that simulation results calculated by the FDTD method make a good agreement with those obtained by the HFSS software. It is also found that the return loss of bonding wires can be improved by using multiple wires placed in parallel in bonding wire arrays.
The Long-Term Outcome of Mandibular Nerve Block with Alcohol for the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia

Ninety-eight patients received 160 mandibular nerve (V3) blocks with alcohol for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in this prospective study. According to the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the probabilities of remaining pain free for 1, 2, 3, and 7 years after the procedures were 90.4%, 69%, 53.5%, and 33%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the probability of pain-free duration and complications between patients with repeat versus single V3 block with alcohol. We conclude that single and repeat V3 alcohol block for trigeminal neuralgia can provide long-lasting pain relief.
Ammonium perchlorate effects on thyroid function and growth in bobwhite quail chicks

Bobwhite quail chicks were used to investigate ammonium perchlorate (AP; NH4ClO4) effects on thyroid function and growth. Beginning at 3 to 4 d posthatch, we evaluated organismal thyroid status (circulating hormones), activation of the hypo‐thalamic‐pituitary‐thyroid axis (thyroid wt) and thyroidal hormone content over a wide range of AP concentrations (50 μg/L — 4,000 mg/L) in drinking water, for relatively short (2‐week) and longer (8‐week) exposures. Thyroidal thyroxine (T4) content, the most sensitive index of decreased thyroid function, decreased markedly in response to increasing perchlorate exposure. Thyroid weight and plasma T4 were less sensitive indicators and similar in their ability to detect thyroid changes. Growth measurements (body wt and skeletal growth) were very insensitive indices. Because thyroids contain large hormone stores, with low exposures or short time periods, these stores can be used to maintain circulating hormones, at least temporarily. Most depletion of thyroidal T4 occurred during the first two weeks of AP exposure. Subsequent decreases were at a slower rate presumably because thyrotropin stimulation of the thyroids at least partially compensated for some of the perchlorate effect. Additional studies of the interactions between AP concentration and exposure time are needed for understanding the complex nature of thyroid responses to perchlorate.
Considerations in Determining Preoperative Medication for Children.

Both body measurements and physiological factors must be considered in determining premedication for a child. In the past, dosage determinations were based upon Guedel's classic graph; however, in recent times, body surface has come to be regarded as the most significant basis for such determinations. In comparing the size of children and adults it makes considerable difference whether one uses weight, height, or surface area as the basis of comparison. As pointed out by Harris,' the average seven pound newborn baby is 1/3.3 the size of the adult in length, but 1/9 adult size by body surface, and 1/21 adult size by weight.
Metastatic behavior of breast cancer subtypes.

PURPOSE Prognostic and predictive factors are well established in early-stage breast cancer, but less is known about which metastatic sites will be affected. METHODS Patients with early-stage breast cancer diagnosed between 1986 and 1992 with archival tissue were included. Subtypes were defined as luminal A, luminal B, luminal/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), HER2 enriched, basal-like, and triple negative (TN) nonbasal. Distant sites were classified as brain, liver, lung, bone, distant nodal, pleural/peritoneal, and other. Cumulative incidence curves were estimated for each site according to competing risks methods. Association between the site of relapse and subtype was assessed in multivariate models using logistic regression. RESULTS Median follow-up time among 3,726 eligible patients was 14.8 years. Median durations of survival with distant metastasis were 2.2 (luminal A), 1.6 (luminal B), 1.3 (luminal/HER2), 0.7 (HER2 enriched), and 0.5 years (basal-like; P < .001). Bone was the most common metastatic site in all subtypes except basal-like tumors. In multivariate analysis, compared with luminal A tumors, luminal/HER2 and HER2-enriched tumors were associated with a significantly higher rate of brain, liver, and lung metastases. Basal-like tumors had a higher rate of brain, lung, and distant nodal metastases but a significantly lower rate of liver and bone metastases. TN nonbasal tumors demonstrated a similar pattern but were not associated with fewer liver metastases. CONCLUSION Breast cancer subtypes are associated with distinct patterns of metastatic spread with notable differences in survival after relapse.
Treatment of intracellular Mycobacterium avium complex infection by free and liposome-encapsulated sparfloxacin

Mycobacterium avium-M. intracellulare complex (MAC) is the most frequent cause of opportunistic bacterial infection in patients with AIDS. Previous studies have indicated that liposome-encapsulated aminoglycosides are highly effective in treating MAC infections in mice. We investigated whether the fluoroquinolone sparfloxacin is effective in treating MAC infection in the murine macrophage-like cell line J774. Sparfloxacin was encapsulated in the membrane phase of multilamellar liposomes composed of phosphatidylglycerol-phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol (1:1:1 molar ratio). MAC-infected macrophages were treated for either 24 h or 4 days with free or liposome-encapsulated sparfloxacin. Treatment with free or liposome-encapsulated sparfloxacin (6 micrograms/ml) for 24 h resulted in the reduction of the growth index to 25 and 30% of that of untreated controls, respectively. When cultures were treated for 4 days, free sparfloxacin reduced the growth index to 6% of that of the untreated control, while liposome-encapsulated sparfloxacin reduced it to 8% of that of the control.
Colour-flow ultrasound in the detection of penetrating vascular injuries of the neck.

PURPOSE To determine the sensitivity of colour-flow ultrasound in the detection of penetrating vascular injuries of the neck when compared with conventional angiography. METHOD We prospectively imaged the neck arteries of all patients with suspected vascular injuries who were referred for angiography by the vascular surgeon over a 6-month period. All sonograms were performed by the same radiologist before angiography using a 7.5 or 10 MHz transducer on the same scanner. Data recorded were the presence or absence of vascular injury, the site of injury, and the type (intimal, dissection, false aneurysm or fistula). Angiography was performed immediately afterwards by a different radiologist. Results were correlated with the angiogram and operative findings. RESULTS 25 patients were studied. 15 patients had normal ultrasound studies and angiograms. Ultrasound studies were positive in 10 patients (40%), with false aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulas detected in 8 patients; these were confirmed on angiography and at operation. There were intimal injuries in 2 patients (4%) that were undetected on angiography but confirmed at surgery. There were no false-positive or false-negative ultrasound studies. CONCLUSION Colour-flow ultrasound is sensitive in detecting vascular injuries and is suitable as a screening investigation in patients with penetrating neck injuries.
Comparative gene expression profiling of olfactory ensheathing glia and Schwann cells indicates distinct tissue repair characteristics of olfactory ensheathing glia

Olfactory ensheathing glia (OEG) are a specialized type of glia that support the growth of primary olfactory axons from the neuroepithelium in the nasal cavity to the brain. Transplantation of OEG in the injured spinal cord promotes sprouting of injured axons and results in reduced cavity formation, enhanced axonal and tissue sparing, remyelination, and angiogenesis. Gene expression analysis may help to identify the molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of OEG to recreate an environment that supports regeneration in the central nervous system. Here, we compared the transcriptome of cultured OEG (cOEG) with the transcriptomes of cultured Schwann cells (cSCs) and of OEG directly obtained from their natural environment (nOEG), the olfactory nerve layer of adult rats. Functional data mining by Gene Ontology (GO)‐analysis revealed a number of overrepresented GO‐classes associated with tissue repair. These classes include “response to wounding,” “blood vessel development,” “cell adhesion,” and GO‐classes related to the extracellular matrix and were overrepresented in the set of differentially expressed genes between both comparisons. The current screening approach combined with GO‐analysis has identified distinct molecular properties of OEG that may underlie their efficacy and interaction with host tissue after implantation in the injured spinal cord. These observations can form the basis for studies on the function of novel target molecules for therapeutic intervention after neurotrauma. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ceftriaxone diffusion into cardiac fibrin vegetation. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation by autoradiography

Summary— Heterogeneous diffusion of some antibiotics into fibrin rich infectious processes is one explanation of the difficulty to cure infections such as endocarditis. Ceftriaxone is a β lactam antibiotic, potentially useful due to a broad spectrum of activity and its long elimination half‐life. We investigated by means of autoradiography the diffusion of labelled ceftriaxone into large infected cardiac vegetations obtained in a rabbit model of endocarditis. Ten d after infection 250 μCi 14C ceftriaxone was injected over 30 min. Thirty min after the end of infusion (T30) vegetation/blood radioactivity ratio was 0.58 ± 0.4 (n = 3). At T200, radioactivity decreased approximatively 3‐fold, in blood and in vegetations simultaneously. Autoradiography showed that at T30, ceftriaxone was 20–30 times more concentrated at the periphery of vegetation than in the core. Autoradiography obtained at T200 showed a progressive diffusion toward the core. The diffusion gradient may explain the fact that high local concentrations are necessary to sterilize vegetations. The pattern of diffusion of antibiotics in fibrin is an important pharmacokinetic parameter for predicting in vivo activity.
Effect of electrospinning parameters on nanofiber diameter made of poly (vinyl alcohol) as determined by Atomic Force Microscopy

A solution of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in water was electrospun into ultrafine nanofibers using a commercially available electrospinning set-up. Some major electrospinning parameters such as the concentration of polymer solution, flow rate, spinning voltage and distance between the needle tip and collection target were chosen to investigate its effect on the topological morphology as well as the average diameter of the electronspun PVA nanofibers using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Diameters of the nanofibers obtained ranged from 150 nm to 900 nm. The diameters of electrospun nanofibers were most significantly affected by the concentration of polymer solution. While lower concentration always gave rise to the formation of discontinuous nanofibers with beads, an increasing concentration yielded smooth and uniform nanofibers with increasing diameters and beaded morphology was found disappearing. Keeping solution concentration constant at a higher value that yielded smooth nanofibers, an increase in the flow rate again changed the morphology from smooth to beaded morphology of nanofibers obtained. Spinning voltage did not show any specific trend of diameter change at a wider range (10 to 25 kV) selected in this study.
Human prostate cancer cells express neuroendocrine cell markers PGP 9.5 and chromogranin A

A proportion of men with prostate cancer will progress to develop metastatic disease involving the lymph‐nodes and bone. To identify novel candidates associated with metastatic progression, we compared the proteomic profiles of LNCaP (lymph‐node metastatic, androgen‐dependant) and PC‐3 (bone metastatic, androgen‐independent), human prostate cancer cells.
Passive Capture Techniques

Passive capture techniques involve the capture of fishes or other aquatic animals by entanglement, entrapment, or angling devices that are not actively moved by humans or machines while the organisms are being captured (Lagler 1978). The behavior and movements of the animals themselves result in their capture. The techniques used in passive sampling of fish populations are similar to those used for food gathering over the centuries. Nets and traps have been widely used among various cultures, and many of the currently applied techniques were used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans (Alverson 1963). Based on their mode of capture, passive sampling devices can be divided into three groups: (1) entanglement, (2) entrapment, and (3) angling gears. Entanglement devices capture fish by holding them ensnared or tangled in webbing or mesh made of natural or artificial materials. Gill nets and trammel nets are examples of entanglement gears (Figure 6.1). Entrapment devices capture organisms that enter an enclosed area through one or more funnelor V-shaped openings that hinder escape after entrance. Hoop nets, trap nets, and pot devices are examples of entrapment gears (Figures 6.2 and 6.3). Angling devices capture fish with a baited hook and line. Trotlines and longlines are examples of passive angling gears (Figure 6.4). Gear selectivity and gear efficiency are important considerations with respect to passive sampling devices. Often these terms are used interchangeably, but they have different, specific definitions. Gear selectivity is the bias of a sample obtained with a given gear (Box 6.1). Selectivity for species, sizes, and sexes of fishes occurs in samples taken with specific types of gear. Species selectivity refers to overrepresentation of particular species in samples as compared with the assemblage of species present. Similarly, size or sex selectivity refers to overrepresentation of specific sizes (lengths) or one sex within samples from a fish population. Fisheries scientists may use gear selectivity to their benefit when targeting specific species or sizes of fishes, thereby enhancing their sampling efficiency. The efficiency of a gear refers to the amount of effort expended to capture target organisms (Box 6.2). It is generally desirable to maximize the efficiency of a sampling gear to save time and money in single-species assessments of fisheries. Even with efficient sampling gear, the sampling effort needed to estimate the relative abundance and other descriptive statistics for a given species may be unrealistic (Gerow 2007).
Tumor islands and spread through air spaces: Distinct patterns of invasion in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma is a highly heterogeneous disease and the heterogeneity is associated with various patient outcomes even in early‐stage tumors. In order to improve prognostic and predictive values, the IASLC/ATS/ERS international multidisciplinary lung adenocarcinoma classification was put forth in 2011 and it has been adopted in the recently published World Health Organization (WHO) classification of Tumours of the Lung, Pleura, Thymus and Heart 4th edition 2015, and lung adenocarcinomas are classified based on the predominant pattern. The performance of the classification in stratifying patient outcomes after resection of Stage I tumors and predicting molecular alterations has been confirmed by several studies. It also includes the category of minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) that predicts 100% 5‐year recurrence free survival after curative resection similar to adenocarcinoma in situ. The diagnosis of MIA is based on not only size of the invasive component but also the absence of aggressive morphologic features such as pleural and/or lymphovascular invasion. Importantly, the WHO 2015 classification has introduced the concept of air space invasion and includes it as the exclusion criteria for MIA. The air space invasion consists of tumor islands and spread through air spaces (STAS). In this review, we will discuss the two entities and their clinical implications.
Theta power during encoding predicts subsequent‐memory performance and default mode network deactivation

The subsequent memory paradigm, according to which cerebral activity for later remembered (LR) and later forgotten (LF) items is contrasted, can be used to characterize the processes necessary for successful memory encoding. Previous simultaneous electroencephalography/functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG/fMRI) memory studies suggest an inverse relationship between frontal theta band power and the blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal in the default mode network (DMN). The principal aim of this EEG/fMRI study was to test the hypothesis that this putative theta‐DMN relationship is less evident in LF compared with LR trials. Fourteen healthy participants performed an episodic memory task in which pictorial stimuli were presented during encoding, and categorized (as LR or LF) by subsequent memory performance. For each encoding trial, the mean of the Hilbert envelope of the theta signal from 400 to 800 ms after stimulus presentation was calculated. To integrate the EEG and fMRI data, general linear models (GLMs) were used to assess the extent to which these single‐trial theta values (as modulators of the main effect of stimulus) predicted DMN BOLD signal change, using: (i) whole‐head univariate GLMs and (ii) GLMs in which the outcome variable was the time‐course of a DMN component derived from spatial independent component analysis of the fMRI data. Theta was significantly greater for LR than LF stimuli. Furthermore, the inverse relationship between theta and BOLD in the DMN was consistently stronger for LR than LF pictures. These findings imply that theta oscillations are key to attenuating processes which may otherwise impair memory encoding. Hum Brain Mapp 34:2929–2943, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gut Dysbiosis Has the Potential to Reduce the Sexual Attractiveness of Mouse Female

Increasing evidence has shown that the gut microbiome has significant effects on mate preferences of insects; however, whether gut microbiota composition affects sexual attractiveness and mate preference in mammals remains largely unknown. Here, we showed that antibiotic treatment significantly restructured the gut microbiota composition of both mouse males and females. Males, regardless of antibiotic treatment, exhibited a higher propensity to interact with the control females than the antibiotic-treated females. The data clearly showed that gut microbiota dysbiosis reduced the sexual attractiveness of females to males, implying that commensal gut microbiota influences female attractiveness to males. The reduced sexual attractiveness of the antibiotic-treated females may be beneficial to discriminating males by avoiding disorders of immunity and sociability in offspring that acquire maternal gut microbiota via vertical transmission. We suggest further work should be oriented to increase our understanding of the interactions between gut microbiota dysbiosis, sexual selection, and mate choice of wild animals at the population level.
Soluble Frizzled-Related Protein 1 Is Estrogen Inducible in Bone Marrow Stromal Cells and Suppresses the Earliest Events in Lymphopoiesis1

It has long been known that lymphopoiesis is transiently suppressed during pregnancy, which can be experimentally simulated by estrogen treatment. We now confirm with Rag1/GFP reporter mice that early lymphoid progenitors in the lineage marker− c-kithigh ScaI+, hematopoietic stem cell-enriched fraction of bone marrow are particularly depressed in these circumstances. Hematopoietic and environmental cells are both potential hormone targets and, because of this complexity, very little is known regarding mechanisms. We have now identified soluble Frizzled-related protein (sFRP)1 as an estrogen-inducible gene in stromal cells, whose expression corresponded to inability to support lymphopoiesis. Bone-lining stromal cells express sFRP1, and the transcripts were elevated by pregnancy or estrogen injection. Estrogen receptor-α was essential for both lymphoid suppression and induction of the sFRP family. SFRP1 has been mainly described as an antagonist for complex Wnt signals. However, we found that sFRP1, like Wnt3a, stabilized β-catenin and blocked early lymphoid progression. Myeloerythroid progenitors were less affected by sFRP1 in culture, which was similar to estrogen with respect to lineage specificity. Hematopoietic stem cells expressed various Frizzled receptors, which markedly declined as they differentiated to lymphoid lineage. Thus, hormonal control of early lymphopoiesis in adults might partly relate to sFRP1 levels.
The Chemistry writing project at UCT: from teaching communication skills to writing as a tool for learning

Abstract This paper describes the application of action research in a project aimed at the development of the communicative skills of increasingly diverse second-year Chemistry students. A pilot study, which included portfolio assessment of the writing of a random sample of these students in three writing tasks, showed that the communicative problems experienced by students whose home language is not English were closely linked to their conceptual difficulties. Furthermore, the existing curriculum did not accommodate their specific learning needs. A programme of writing assignments in the second-year Chemistry curriculum was therefore designed expressly to promote deep learning by structuring the tasks around some of the fundamental concepts presented. Two writing tasks were mediated in workshops designed to illustrate relevant concepts, and issues arising from the first writing assignment informed the design of the second workshop. The writing project was incorporated as an integral part of the second year Chemistry curriculum. Feedback from students was used to inform and improve the design of future writing tasks and workshops. The focus was on writing as a tool for learning chemistry and the project was regarded as a step on the path to acquiring scientific literacy. Research revealed that the most significant factor in producing a good piece of writing was not language skills as such but an understanding of the material. Students who were able to engage with the concepts could write about them in a coherent manner. Poor understanding of the materials led to the production of reports, which were simply a collection of statements linked together. Thus students' writing can serve as an assessment tool to gauge their understanding of the material. The mainly positive perceptions of academics and students, despite the onerous nature of the writing tasks, indicated that they perceived the value of the exercise.