Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment Results of Patellar Fracture Treatment after Tension Band Wiring

Article history: Received: 28 May 2011 Accepted: 24 June 2011 Available online: 5 Nov 2012 ZJRMS 2013; 15(4): 60-62 Background: To assess the results of patellar fracture treatment by tension band wiring. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was performed to evaluate clinical and radiological results of patellar fracture during past 6 years Results: Twenty four patients were participated in follow-up. Union was occurred in the mean time of 2.67±0.61 months. Falling down and direct trauma were the most common cause of fracture. Most common complications were thigh muscle atrophy and pin irritation. Excellent and good results in 87.5% and fair results in 12.5% of the patients were seen.
Application of convolutional neural networks to building segmentation in aerial images

Application of Convolutional Neural Networks to Building Segmentation in Aerial Images Kayode Kolawole Olaleye Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa. Thesis: MSc December 2018 Aerial image labelling has found relevance in diverse areas including urban management, agriculture, climate, mining, and cartography. As a result, research efforts have been intensified to find fast and accurate algorithms. The current state-of-the-art results in this context have been achieved by deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). This has been possible because of advances in computing technologies such as fast GPUs and the discovery of optimal architectures. One of the main challenges in using deep CNNs is the need for a large set of ground truth labels during the training phase. Moreover, one has to choose optimal values for the many hyperparameters involved in the model construction to get a good result. In this thesis we focus on building segmentation from aerial images, and study the effect of different hyperparameter values, paying particular attention to the generalisation ability of the resulting models. For all our experiments we use the same architecture and performance metric as the one used in Mnih & Hinton (2012). Our investigation found the following main results: 1) when it comes to the size of CNN filters, small size filters perform as good or even better than large sized filters; 2) the LeakyReLU activation functions lead to a better precision-recall curve than ReLU (Rectified Linear unit) and Tanh ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
Eggshell conductance, embryonic growth, hatchability and embryonic mortality of broiler breeder eggs dipped into ascorbic acid solution

1. Eggs from a broiler breeder flock between 25 and 29 weeks of age were dipped into solutions of various concentrations of ascorbic acid (AA) for up to 2 min, in order to evaluate its effects on eggshell conductance (EC), amniotic fluid pH, albumen height and pH, embryonic weight and hatchability. 2. Three experiments were conducted and the following treatments were used: control, non-dipped (CND); control, water-dipped (CWD); 10 g AA/l (AA1); 20 g AA/l (AA2) and 30 g AA/l (AA3). Measurements of EC before and after dipping were made in experiments 1 and 2 in eggs from hens at 25 and 27 weeks of age, respectively. Albumen height and pH were measured after dipping the eggs in experiment 2. In experiment 3, egg weight loss, embryonic weight and amniotic fluid pH at 14 d of age, hatchability percentage (HP), and embryonic mortality were measured in eggs from hens at 29 weeks of age. 3. AA treatment of eggs and dipping period of time (1, 1.5 and 2 min) increased EC of eggs from hens at 25 and 27 weeks of age. 4. AA3 treatment for 2 min reduced albumen height and increased albumen pH of eggs when compared with the CND treatment in eggs from hens at 27 weeks of age. 5. HP of AA1-treated eggs from hens at 29 weeks of age was higher than that of the CND treatment. AA2 and AA3 treatments of eggs reduced HP and increased the percentage of non-pips when compared with any of the other treatments. 6. AA2 and AA3 treatments of eggs increased egg weight loss when compared with the control treatments (CND and CWD). Dipping treatment did not influence amniotic fluid pH or embryo weight expressed as a percentage of initial egg weight. 7. It is concluded that dipping hatching eggs into AA solution increased EC of eggs. Dipping eggs into 10 g AA/l for a period of 2 min increased HP in eggs from hens at 29 weeks of age, although this was not associated with a significant increase in egg weight loss.
Decrease in sulphated glycosaminoglycans in aortic dissection--possible role in the pathogenesis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE The aim was to investigate alterations in sulphated glycosaminoglycans in aortic dissection. DESIGN Aortic fragments were taken from 10 patients within the first 3 d after onset of symptoms of aortic dissection and from nine age matched patients with no aortic disease. Sulphated glycosaminoglycans were analysed and quantified by agarose gel electrophoresis and densitometry after degradation with specific enzymes. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The amount of chondroitin sulphate was similar (7.14 v 7.60 mg.g-1 of dry tissue, n = 10, p greater than 0.5) in patients with dissection and in the control group. Total sulphated glycosaminoglycan content was decreased (11.51 v 14.26 mg.g-1 of dry tissue, n = 10, p less than 0.001). This difference was due to heparan sulphate (1.79 v 2.48 mg.g-1 of dry tissue, n = 10, p less than 0.05) and mainly to dermatan sulphate (2.58 v 4.18 mg.g-1 of dry tissue, n = 10, p less than 0.001). The ratio of 6-/4-sulphated disaccharides after chondroitinase ABC digestion was increased in the affected group. No correlation between these biochemical results and a histological evaluation of mucoid content was found. On the other hand, a significant increase in chondroitin sulphate could be observed related to aging. CONCLUSIONS The diminution in sulphated glycosaminoglycans and its possible relationship with fat, collagen, and other extracellular matrix molecules could lead to a weakness in the aortic wall related to the dissection.
ArtTrack: Articulated Multi-Person Tracking in the Wild

In this paper we propose an approach for articulated tracking of multiple people in unconstrained videos. Our starting point is a model that resembles existing architectures for single-frame pose estimation but is substantially faster. We achieve this in two ways: (1) by simplifying and sparsifying the body-part relationship graph and leveraging recent methods for faster inference, and (2) by offloading a substantial share of computation onto a feed-forward convolutional architecture that is able to detect and associate body joints of the same person even in clutter. We use this model to generate proposals for body joint locations and formulate articulated tracking as spatio-temporal grouping of such proposals. This allows to jointly solve the association problem for all people in the scene by propagating evidence from strong detections through time and enforcing constraints that each proposal can be assigned to one person only. We report results on a public MPII Human Pose benchmark and on a new MPII Video Pose dataset of image sequences with multiple people. We demonstrate that our model achieves state-of-the-art results while using only a fraction of time and is able to leverage temporal information to improve state-of-the-art for crowded scenes.
Exploring the implementation of student-centered learning in EFL classrooms: Perspectives from Islamic secondary-school teachers in Indonesia

One notable goal of the 21st-century pedagogy is the encouragement for the students to be the agent of change in their own learning process realized by the implementation of student-centered learning approach (SCL). However, previous literature noted the discrepancy between what they believe in and what they perform in the classroom. Thus, this descriptive qualitative study aims to extend the study from the perspectives of Indonesian Islamic secondary-school EFL teachers, specifically investigating their perceptions on SCL, preferences of using SCL strategies, and challenges in implementing it. Nine teachers were involved as the participants purposively based on their background. Data were collected by using a questionnaire and a follow-up interview. After filling in the questionnaire, four teachers were selected to participate in the follow-up interview. Three major findings were obtained. They have been aware of the importance of SCL, although most of their students were still passive. As a result, they preferred to combine the lecture and the student-centered activities like role-play, simulation, cooperative learning, and problem-based learning. However, they did not regularize the facilitation of individual or group presentation. With respect to the challenges, the interview data disclosed that the teachers encountered the limited allocated time to maximize SCL implementation, students’ passivity and self-confidence deterioration leading to limited responses and meaningful communication, and lack of training in implementing SCL-based assessment. This study provides an insight into the reality of SCL implementation in EFL classroom settings from Islamic secondary-school teachers. Recommendations for further studies are also discussed.
The New Generation of Operations Research Methods in Supply Chain Optimization: A Review

The possibilities of applying Operations Research (O.R.) techniques in the design of real-world systems are vast. The optimization and design of the supply chain network (SCN) is one of the relevant topics that has directed the attention of many scholars. Sound decisions in this regard, including the proper selection of the facility’s location, transportation modes and routes and inventory management policies, can noticeably improve the systems performance. Over 380 articles published between 2005 and 2016 in the ISI/Web of Science database have applied advanced O.R. techniques in SCN optimization studies. This paper offers a systematic review of these published contributions by focusing on two categories of O.R. approaches most recently applied for the design of SC systems: integrated mathematical modeling and simulation-optimization (S-O) frameworks. A taxonomy analysis of the mentioned approaches is presented based on the supply chain elements. A bibliometric analysis is also conducted to provide technical insights into the possible gaps in the field. Moreover, the relevant studies on SC sustainability are highlighted. The research results are supportive of the S-O frameworks as either an alternative approach or an effective solution method for the integrated problems. The research outcomes can provide researchers in the field with useful details of the integrated problems and S-O frameworks as the most recent O.R. methodologies in the field of SC optimization.
Test research versus diagnostic research.

The diagnostic workup starts with a patient presenting with symptoms or signs suggestive of a particular disease. The workup is commonly a consecutive process starting with medical history and physical examination and simple tests followed by more burdensome and costly diagnostic procedures. Generally, after each test all available results are converted (often implicitly) to a probability of disease, which in turn directs decisions for additional testing or initiation of appropriate treatment. Setting a diagnosis is a multitest or multivariable process of estimating and updating the diagnostic probability of disease presence given combinations of test results. Each test may be more or less burdensome to the patient, time-consuming, and/or costly. Different tests often provide to various degrees the same information because they are all associated with the same underlying disorder. Relevant for physicians is to know which tests are redundant and which have true, independent predictive value for the presence or absence of the target disease. Accordingly, studies of diagnostic accuracy should demonstrate which (subsequent) test results truly increase or decrease the probability of disease presence as estimated from the previous results, and to what extent. Various reviews have demonstrated that the majority of published studies of diagnostic accuracy still have methodologic flaws in design or analysis or provide results with limited practical applicability (1)(2)(3). This has been attributed to the absence of a proper methodologic framework for diagnostic test evaluations as, for example, exists for studies of therapies and etiologic factors and has motivated various researchers to establish frameworks for studies of diagnostic accuracy, such as the recent STARD Initiative (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12). In our view, an issue that has received too little attention in most of these methodologic essays is the …
Robust Analysis of Discrete‐Time Lur'e Systems with Slope Restrictions Using Convex Optimization

This paper considers robust stability and robust performance analysis for discrete‐time linear systems subject to nonlinear uncertainty. The uncertainty set is described by memoryless, time‐invariant, sector bounded, and slope restricted nonlinearities. We first give an overview of the absolute stability criterion based on the Lur'e‐Postkinov Lyapunov function, along with a frequency domain condition. Subsequently, we derive sufficient conditions to compute the upper bounds of the worst case H2 and worst case H∞ performance. For both robust stability testing and robust performance computation, we show that these sufficient conditions can be readily and efficiently determined by performing convex optimization over linear matrix inequalities.
Role of proteins in controlling selenium nanoparticle size

This work investigates the potential for harnessing the association of bacterial proteins to biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) to control the size distribution and the morphology of the resultant SeNPs. We conducted a proteomic study and compared proteins associated with biogenic SeNPs produced by E. coli to chemically synthesized SeNPs as well as magnetite nanoparticles. We identified four proteins (AdhP, Idh, OmpC, AceA) that bound specifically to SeNPs and observed a narrower size distribution as well as more spherical morphology when the particles were synthesized chemically in the presence of proteins. A more detailed study of AdhP (alcohol dehydrogenase propanol-preferring) confirmed the strong affinity of this protein for the SeNP surface and revealed that this protein controlled the size distribution of the SeNPs and yielded a narrow size distribution with a three-fold decrease in the median size. These results support the assertion that protein may become an important tool in the industrial-scale synthesis of SeNPs of uniform size and properties.
Identification of Proteins Cleaved Downstream of Caspase Activation in Monocytes Undergoing Macrophage Differentiation*

We have shown previously that caspases were specifically involved in the differentiation of peripheral blood monocytes into macrophages while not required for monocyte differentiation into dendritic cells. To identify caspase targets in monocytes undergoing macrophagic differentiation, we used the human monocytic leukemic cell line U937, whose macrophagic differentiation induced by exposure to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) can be prevented by expression of the baculovirus caspase-inhibitory protein p35. A comparative two-dimensional gel proteomic analysis of empty vector- and p35-transfected cells after 12 h of exposure to 20 nm TPA, followed by mass spectrometry analysis, identified 38 differentially expressed proteins. Those overexpressed in p35-expressing cells (n = 16) were all full-length, whereas half of those overexpressed in control cells (n = 22) were N- or C-terminal cleavage fragments. The cleavage or degradation of seven of these proteins was confirmed in peripheral blood monocytes undergoing macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced macrophagic differentiation. In U937 cells exposed to TPA, these proteolytic events can be inhibited by expression of a caspase-8 dominant negative mutant or the cowpox virus CrmA caspase inhibitor. These cleavages provide new insights to analyze the role of caspases in this specific differentiation program.
Clinical observations on viomycin sulphate in the treatment of tuberculosis.

1) Viomycin in doses of 2 grams twice weekly combined with 12 grams of PAS daily is of slight toxicity. 2) Tinnitus may be expected to occur. Allergic symptoms have not been a major problem. Auditory nerve damage of a serious degree is not frequent. 3) Streptomycin resistant organisms are affected by viomycin and patients having such organisms improve under intermittent viomycin treatment. 4) Bacterial resistance to viomycin did not develop to a significant degree among patients treated for six months. 5) Clinical and x-ray improvement is more striking in streptomycin-PAS treated patients, however, the effectiveness of viomycin-PAS is definite and demonstrable. 6) The clinical use of viomycin is feasible in the presence of streptomycin resistant organisms, and allergic sensitivity to streptomycin. Its use with newer antimicrobials should be explored.
Tumor Necrosis Factor- (cid:97) – and Hyperglycemia-induced Insulin Resistance Evidence for Different Mechanisms and Different Effects on Insulin Signaling

Inhibition of insulin receptor signaling by high glucose levels and by TNF- (cid:97) was recently observed in different cell systems. The aim of the present study was to characterize the mechanism of TNF- (cid:97) –induced insulin receptor inhibition and to compare the consequences of TNF- (cid:97) – and hypergly-cemia-induced insulin receptor inhibition for signal transduction downstream from the IR. TNF- (cid:97) (0.5–10 nM) and high glucose (25 mM) showed similar rapid kinetics of inhibition (5–10 min, (cid:46) 50%) of insulin receptor autophosphorylation in NIH3T3 cells overexpressing the human insulin receptor. TNF- (cid:97) effects were completely prevented by the phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) inhibitors orthovanadate (40 (cid:109) M) and phenylarsenoxide (35 (cid:109) M), but they were unaffected by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor H7 (0.1 mM), the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor wortmannin (5 (cid:109) M), and the thiazolidindione troglitazone (CS045) (2 (cid:109) g/ml). In contrast, glucose effects were prevented by PKC inhibitors and CS045 but unaffected by PTPase inhibitors and wortmannin. To assess effects on downstream signaling, tyrosine phosphorylation of the following substrate proteins of the insulin recepter was determined: insulin receptor substrate-1, the coupling protein Shc, focal adhesion kinase (FAK 125 ), and unidentified proteins of 130 kD, 60 kD, and 44 kD. Hyperglycemia (25 mM glucose) and TNF- (cid:97) showed analogous ( (cid:46) 50% inhibition) effects on tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1, Shc, p60, and p44, whereas opposite effects were observed for tyrosine phosphorylation of FAK 125 , which is dephosphory-lated after insulin stimulation. Whereas TNF- (cid:97) did not prevent insulin-induced dephosphorylation of FAK 125 , 25 mM glucose blocked this insulin effect completely. In summary, the data suggest that TNF- (cid:97) and high glucose modulate insulin receptor-signaling through different mechanisms: ( a ) TNF- (cid:97) modulates insulin receptor signals by PTPase activation, whereas glucose acts through activation of PKC. ( b ) Differences in modulation of the insulin receptor signaling cascade are found with TNF- (cid:97) and high glucose: Hypergly-cemia-induced insulin receptor inhibition blocks both insulin 125 regulation allow the speculation that long-term cell effects related to FAK 125 activity might develop in a different way in hyperglycemia-and TNF- (cid:97) –dependent insulin resistance. ( J. Clin. Invest. 1996. 97:1471–1477.)
The classroom environment and students' reports of avoidance strategies in mathematics: A multimethod study.

The relation between the learning environment (e.g., students’ perceptions of the classroom goal structure and teachers’ instructional discourse) and students’ reported use of avoidance strategies (selfhandicapping, avoidance of help seeking) and preference to avoid novelty in mathematics was examined. Quantitative analyses indicated that students’ reports of avoidance behaviors varied significantly among classrooms. A perceived emphasis on mastery goals in the classroom was positively related to lower reports of avoidance. Qualitative analyses revealed that teachers in high-mastery/low-avoidance and low-mastery/high-avoidance classrooms used distinctively different patterns of instructional and motivational discourse. High incidence of motivational support was uniquely characteristic of high-mastery/ low-avoidance classrooms, suggesting that mastery goals may include an affective component. Implications of the results for both theory and practice are discussed.
An Evaluation of Ischaemic Preconditioning as a Method of Reducing Ischaemia Reperfusion Injury in Liver Surgery and Transplantation

Liver Ischaemia Reperfusion (IR) injury is a major cause of post-operative liver dysfunction, morbidity and mortality following liver resection surgery and transplantation. There are no proven therapies for IR injury in clinical practice and new approaches are required. Ischaemic Preconditioning (IPC) can be applied in both a direct and remote fashion and has been shown to ameliorate IR injury in small animal models. Its translation into clinical practice has been difficult, primarily by a lack of knowledge regarding the dominant protective mechanisms that it employs. A review of all current studies would suggest that IPC/RIPC relies on creating a small tissue injury resulting in the release of adenosine and l-arginine which act through the Adenosine receptors and the haem-oxygenase and endothelial nitric oxide synthase systems to reduce hepatocyte necrosis and improve the hepatic microcirculation post reperfusion. The next key step is to determine how long the stimulus requires to precondition humans to allow sufficient injury to occur to release the potential mediators. This would open the door to a new therapeutic chapter in this field.
Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand and osteoprotegerin in men with thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND Suppressive thyroid hormone therapy is generally a lifelong treatment for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, long-standing thyrotropin (TSH) suppression is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANKL) are central regulators of bone turnover. The aim was to analyze the effects of a suppressive thyroid hormone therapy in males with DTC on the OPG/RANKL system and on bone metabolism. PATIENTS AND METHODS The OPG and soluble RANKL (sRANKL) were determined in 40 men (mean age, 53.2 years) with DTC on suppressive thyroid hormone therapy (TSH; 0.053 +/- 0.037 mU L(-1), duration 5.7 +/- 4.4 years) and 120 healthy controls matched for age. The markers of bone metabolism were C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen in serum (sCTx) and osteocalcin (OC). RESULTS The control group had OPG values (mean +/- SD) of 1.9 +/- 1.0 pmol L(-1) and sRANKL values of 0.40 +/- 0.62 pmol L(-1). In patients with DTC, results for OPG were 3.03 +/- 1.04 pmol L(-1) (P < 0.05) and for sRANKL were 0.13 +/- 0.16 pmol L(-1) (P < 0.05). The control group presented values for sCTx of 2669 +/- 1132 pmol L(-1) and for OC of 17.89 +/- 6.5 ng mL(-1). Patients with DTC on suppressive thyroid hormone therapy had increased sCTx values of 3810 +/- 2020 pmol L(-1) (P = 0.03) but comparable OC values of 19.21 +/- 7.67 ng mL(-1) (NS). CONCLUSIONS Suppressive thyroid hormone therapy in men with DTC increased bone degradation and induced significant changes in the OPG/RANKL system. These changes include, besides the risk of osteoporosis, possible negative effects on the vascular function and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.