Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanostructures and hydrophilicity influence osseointegration: a biomechanical study in the rabbit tibia.

OBJECTIVE Implant surface properties have long been identified as an important factor to promote osseointegration. The importance of nanostructures and hydrophilicity has recently been discussed. The aim of this study was to investigate how nanostructures and wettability influence osseointegration and to identify whether the wettability, the nanostructure or both in combination play the key role in improved osseointegration. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-six adult rabbits each received two Ti grade 4 discs in each tibia. Four different types of surface modifications with different wettability and nanostructures were prepared: hydrophobic without nanostructures (SLA), with nanostructures (SLAnano); hydrophilic with two different nanostructure densities (low density: pmodSLA, high density: SLActive). All four groups were intended to have similar chemistry and microroughness. The surfaces were evaluated with contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and interferometry. After 4 and 8 weeks healing time, pull-out tests were performed. RESULTS SLA and SLAnano were hydrophobic, whereas SLActive and pmodSLA were super-hydrophilic. No nanostructures were present on the SLA surface, but the three other surface modifications clearly showed the presence of nanostructures, although more sparsely distributed on pmodSLA. The hydrophobic samples showed higher carbon contamination levels compared with the hydrophilic samples. After 4 weeks healing time, SLActive implants showed the highest pull-out values, with significantly higher pull-out force than SLA and SLAnano. After 8 weeks, the SLActive implants had the highest pull-out force, significantly higher than SLAnano and SLA. CONCLUSIONS The strongest bone response was achieved with a combination of wettability and the presence of nanostructures (SLActive).
Preemptive Regression Testing of Workflow-based Web Services

An external web service may evolve without prior notification. In the course of the regression testing of a workflowbased web service, existing test case prioritization techniques may only verify the latest service composition using the not-yetexecuted test cases, overlooking high-priority test cases that have already been applied to the service composition before the evolution. In this paper, we propose Preemptive Regression Testing (PRT), an adaptive testing approach to addressing this challenge. Whenever a change in the coverage of any service artifact is detected, PRT recursively preempts the current session of regression test and creates a sub-session of the current test session to assure such lately identified changes in coverage by adjusting the execution priority of the test cases in the test suite. Then, the sub-session will resume the execution from the suspended position. PRT terminates only when each test case in the test suite has been executed at least once without any preemption activated in between any test case executions. The experimental result confirms that testing workflow-based web service in the face of such changes is very challenging; and one of the PRT-enriched techniques shows its potential to overcome the challenge.
The X-ray spectral evolution of the ultraluminous X-ray source Holmberg IX X-1

We present a new analysis of X-ray spectra of the archetypal ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) Holmberg IX X-1 obtained by the Swift, XMM–Newton and NuSTAR observatories. This ULX is a persistent source, with a typical luminosity of ∼10^(40) erg s^(−1), that varied by a factor of 4–5 over eight years. We find that its spectra tend to evolve from relatively flat or two-component spectra in the medium energy band (1–6 keV), at lower luminosities, to a spectrum that is distinctly curved and disc-like at the highest luminosities, with the peak energy in the curved spectrum tending to decrease with increased luminosity. We argue that the spectral evolution of the ULX can be explained by super-Eddington accretion models, where in this case we view the ULX down the evacuated funnel along its rotation axis, bounded by its massive radiatively driven wind. The spectral changes then originate in enhanced geometric beaming as the accretion rate increases and wind funnel narrows, causing the scattered flux from the central regions of the supercritical flow to brighten faster than the isotropic thermal emission from the wind, and so the curved hard spectral component to dominate at the highest luminosities. The wind also Compton down-scatters photons at the edge of the funnel, resulting in the peak energy of the spectrum decreasing. We also confirm that Holmberg IX X-1 displays spectral degeneracy with luminosity, and suggest that the observed differences are naturally explained by precession of the black hole rotation axis for the suggested wind geometry.
Effect of hypoprolactinaemia and hyperprolactinaemia on LH secretion, endocrine function of testes and structure of seminiferous tubules in boars.

The influence of exogenous prolactin-induced hyperprolactinaemia and bromocriptine-induced hypoprolactinaemia on LH secretion, endocrine function of testes and the structure of seminiferous tubules was investigated in boars. Treatment with exogenous pig prolactin for 21 days (0.07 mg kg-1 day-1; n = 5) caused a significant increase in mean prolactin concentrations during the experiment (P < 0.05) and during 4 h sampling (P < 0.01). Treatment with bromocriptine (0.2 mg kg-1 per os and 0.05 mg kg-1 i.m.; n = 4) decreased mean prolactin concentrations throughout the experiment as well as during two 4 h sampling periods (P < 0.01). Treatment with exogenous prolactin decreased mean LH concentrations during the treatment (P < 0.01) and during the first 4 h sampling period (P < 0.05), but did not affect the number of pulses, pulse frequency or amplitude. Bromocriptine did not affect LH concentrations. Prolactin increased testosterone concentrations during the treatment (P < 0.01), while boars treated with bromocriptine had lower testosterone concentrations (P < 0.05) than did controls. Both exogenous prolactin and bromocriptine treatments significantly decreased oestradiol concentrations during the course of the experiment. The injections of prolactin and administration of bromocriptine caused a decrease in LH/hCG receptor concentration (P < 0.05) in the cell membrane of testes, without causing a change in binding affinity. The bromocriptine treatment caused premature release of some spermatocytes and the presence of polynucleate cells in the seminiferous tubules. In the seminiferous epithelium of hyperprolactinaemic boars, more mature cells (mainly spermatids) were released into the lumen. In tubules in which many polynucleate cells were found, considerable regression of seminiferous epithelium occurred. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
On the Estimation of Rigid Body Rotation from Noisy Data

We derive an exact solution to the problem of estimating the rotation of a rigid body from noisy 3D image data. Our approach is based on total least squares (TLS), but unlike previous work involving TLS, we include the constraint that the transformation matrix should be orthonormal. It turns out that the solution to the estimation problem has the same form as if the data are not noisy, and thus the solution to the standard Procrustes problem can be applied.
The Role of monographs in scholarly Communication: an Empirical Study of Philosophy, Sociology and Economics

The principal aim of this study is to examine the transmission of ideas across time in disciplines selected from the humanities and social sciences. Citation analysis is used to trace the diffusion of ideas as they are embodied in monographic publications. The study is part of a developing research programme and is intended to establish a framework to inform future developments. Four specific hypotheses are developed and tested. They are concerned with: the relative impact of monographs and journal articles produced within a discipline; the distinction between core and non‐core group monographs; the correlation between the reception and intellectual survival of a monograph; and the comparative level of impact of monographic and journal article publication by a single author. It is concluded that the presence of core or elite groups can be perceived in all aspects of the study. The validity of the methodologies employed is strengthened by the sharp distinctions between groups of monographs and of authors revealed by the analysis of data. Further analysis is needed to explore intra‐ and inter‐disciplinary diffusion of ideas over time in greater depth.
Low-Latency approximation of bidirectional recurrent networks for speech denoising

The ability to separate speech from non-stationary background disturbances using only a single channel of information has increased significantly with the adoption of deep learning techniques. In these approaches, a time-frequency mask that recovers clean speech from noisy mixtures is learned from data. Recurrent neural networks are particularly well-suited to this sequential prediction task, with the bidirectional variant (e.g., BLSTM) achieving strong results. The downside of bidirectional models is that they require offline operation to perform both a forward and backward pass over the data. In this paper we compare two different low-latency bidirectional approximations. The first uses block processing with a regular bidirectional network, while the second uses the recently proposed looka-head convolution layer. Our results show that using just 1000 ms of backward context can recover approximately 75% of the performance improvement gained from using bidirectional as opposed to forward-only recurrent networks.
Current regeneration patterns at the tree line in the Pyrenees indicate similar recruitment processes irrespective of the past disturbance regime

Aim Impacts of global change, such as land‐use and climate changes, could produce significant alterations in the elevational patterns of alpine tree line ecotones and their adjacent vegetation zones. Because the responses of the tree line to environmental variations are directly related to successful tree regeneration, understanding recruitment dynamics is an indispensable step in tree line research. We aimed to compare potential ecological limitations on recent tree line regeneration in undisturbed and disturbed sites by analysing the demographic structure and spatiotemporal patterns of recruits and large trees.
High-energy pulsed light source hair removal device used to evaluate the onset of action of a new topical anesthetic.

BACKGROUND Topical anesthetic agents are widely used to mitigate the pain associated with laser and high-energy pulsed light source hair removal. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relative efficacy and onset of action of a new topical anesthetic agent, ELA-Max cream (lidocaine 4%), relative to a widely used agent, EMLA cream (lidocaine 2.5%/prilocaine 2.5%). METHODS ELA-Max and EMLA were applied to the forearms of 10 unblinded test subjects. The EMLA-treated sites were occluded for 1.5 hours prior to testing. The ELA-Max-treated sites were unoccluded and the cream was applied immediately prior to testing. Pulses from an Epilight high-energy pulsed light source were then administered 1.5 hours after occlusion with EMLA and in 5-minute intervals after application of ELA-Max. Pain scores were recorded on a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS Six of 10 patients reported some anesthetic effect from ELA-Max after 5 minutes of unoccluded skin contact. Seven of 10 subjects reported maximal pain control 20 minutes after application of unoccluded ELA-Max, roughly equivalent to EMLA after 1.5 hours of occlusion. CONCLUSION ELA-Max is an effective topical anesthetic agent comparable to EMLA under occlusion. It appears to be faster acting than EMLA, and along with its effectiveness without occlusion, may be an easier agent to use.
A Survey of Criminal Homicide in Nigeria

omicide is a phenomenon which is ubiquitous but its prevalence and the forms H it takes varies from one culture to another. Much work has been done on various aspects of homicide in many societies. Wolfgang (1958) analysed patterns in criminal homicide from among almost six hundred cases that occurred in the city of Philadephia between January lst, 1948 and December 31st, 1952. He showed that, although criminal homicide is largely an unplanned act, but nonetheless there are in the act discernible, empirical uniformities of specific social phenomena. He found among other things that there was a significant association between criminal homicide and the race and sex of both victims and offenders. Paul Bohannan (1960) has a chapter on homicide among the Tiv of central Nigeria, in his book African Homicide and Suicide. This study which was a retrospective study of case files revealed four important patterns of homicide among the Tiv; communal hunt killing; killing which involve adultery or sexual jealousy; killing as a result of illness; and killing of thieves. Lambo (1962), reported the finding from his interview of twentynine cases which he had interviewed for the court. He found that the majority of the
Seroprevalence of Measles Antibodies among High-Risk Healthcare Workers in Auckland, New Zealand: Additional Justification for Assumption of Age-Determined Immunity Based on Local Data

An outbreak of measles in another region of New Zealand prompted our organization to review the measles immunity of healthcare workers. Some studies suggest that age-specific immunity cannot be assumed. In our local setting, however, we found that 893 (98%) of 912 healthcare workers more than 40 years old tested seropositive for measles immunoglobulin G.
Pulmonary thrombosis in the mouse following intravenous administration of quantum dot-labeled mesenchymal cells

Abstract Quantum dots (QDs) are emerging as novel diagnostic agents. Yet, only a few studies have examined the possible deleterious effects of QD-labeled stem cells. We assessed the potential toxic effects of QD-labeled human embryonic palatal mesenchymal (QD-HEPM) cells in male NOD/SCID mice for six months, following the administration of a single intravenous injection. Control animals were administered with non-labeled HEPM cells. No treatment-related clinical signs, hematological, or biochemical parameters were found in the QD-HEPM animals in comparison to control animals. Histologically, multifocal organizing thrombi were noted in the pulmonary arteries of all QD-HEPM animals from the one-week study group and in one animal from the one-month group. Additionally, increased severity of perivascular inflammation was noted at the injection sites of QD-HEPM animals from the one-week group. This is the first study reporting histopathological evidence for pro-thrombotic adverse effects mediated by QD labeling.
Excessive matrix metalloproteinase activity in diabetes: inhibition by tetracycline analogues with zinc reactivity.

Diabetes mellitus in rats is characterized by excessive activity of several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), notably collagenase(s) and gelatinase(s), in skin, gingiva, and other tissues. A number of tetracyclines (TCs), both antimicrobial compounds as well as chemically modified non-antimicrobial TC analogues (CMTs) are known to possess potent inhibitory activity against these enzymes. Three conventional antimicrobial TCs and six CMTs were used in this study. In vitro, doxycycline was shown to possess higher inhibitory capacity (i.e. lower IC(max)) against diabetic rat skin collagenase than either minocycline or tetracycline HCl. Addition of excess zinc partially reversed the proteinase inhibition by TCs. In vivo, using rats made diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ), oral administration of various TCs led to decreased weight loss and substantial reductions in the activity of both skin collagenase and skin gelatinase (primarily MMP-9, 92 kDa) without affecting blood glucose. Using an in vitro spectrophotometric technique, the Zn(++) reactivity of several CMTs was assessed and found to be positively related to the potency of these compounds as MMP inhibitors. One particular CMT (CMT-5, pyrazole analogue), which is neither antimicrobial nor capable of binding metal cations, did not inhibit the MMPs. TCs have potential utility in management of diabetic complications mediated by excessive activity of MMPs.
Factors predicting arrest for homeless persons receiving integrated residential treatment for co-occurring disorders.

BACKGROUND Homeless individuals are at increased risk for health and criminal justice problems. AIMS The aim of this study was to examine risk factors affecting arrest rates in a cohort of homeless people with co-occurring psychiatric and substance-abuse disorders. METHODS Baseline data were collected from 96 homeless individuals residing in a residential treatment facility for people with co-occurring disorders. Arrest data were obtained for 2 years following treatment intake. Regression analyses were employed to examine interactions between study variables. RESULTS One third of the sample was arrested during the 2-year follow-up period, principally for drug offences. People referred to treatment directly from the criminal justice system were four times more likely to re-offend than those referred from other sources. Participants' perceived need for mental-health services reduced risk of arrest while their perception of medical needs increased this risk. CONCLUSIONS The relationship between referral from a criminal justice source and re-arrest after admission to the treatment facility is unsurprising, and consistent with previous literature, but the suggestion of an independently increased risk in the presence of perceived physical health-care needs is worthy of further study. The lower risk of arrest for people who perceive that they have psychological needs is encouraging.
Subjective expected utility representations for Savage preferences on topological spaces

In many decisions under uncertainty, there are technological constraints on both the acts an agent can perform and the events she can observe. To model this, we assume that the set S of possible states of the world and the set X of possible outcomes each have a topological structure. The only feasible acts are continuous functions from S to X, and the only observable events are regular open subsets of S. In this environment, we axiomatically characterize a Subjective Expected Utility (SEU) representation of preferences over acts, involving a continuous utility function on X (unique up to positive affine transformations), and a unique probability measure on a Boolean algebra B of regular open subsets of S. With additional topological hypotheses, we obtain a unique Borel probability measure on S, along with an auxiliary apparatus called a liminal structure, which describes the agent’s informational constraints. We also obtain SEU representations involving subjective state spaces, such as the Stone-Cech compactification of S and the Stone space of B.
The twisted squaring construction, trellis complexity, and generalized weights of BCH and QR codes

The structure of the twisted squaring construction, a generalization of the squaring construction, is studied with respect to trellis diagrams and complexity. We show that binary affine-invariant codes, which include the extended primitive BCH codes, and the extended binary quadratic-residue codes, are equivalent to twisted squaring construction codes. In particular, a recursive symmetric reversible design of the BCH codes is derived. Using these constructions, the parameters of the minimal trellis diagram of the BCH codes are determined, including the componentwise state-space profile and trellis complexity. New designs and permutations that yield low trellis complexity for the quadratic-residue codes are presented. Generalized Hamming weights are derived from these constructions. As an example, the (48, 24, 12) quadratic-residue code is analyzed, a strictly componentwise optimal permutation is derived, and the corresponding state-space profile and complete generalized Hamming weight hierarchy are obtained.
Recent trends in testing social cognition

Social cognition refers broadly to the way in which we process social information, and is a critical predictor of social competency. This article provides an overview of some of the assessment approaches that have been developed to assess this construct. Recent findings A variety of well validated assessment approaches are now available. The most frequently used methods index explicit emotion recognition and/or mental state attribution. There has also been an increasing emphasis on the need to better understand the role of specific perceptual features and cognitive task demands in social cognitive difficulties. Summary In the past 20 years, research on social cognitive function has grown exponentially, reflecting an increased recognition that social cognitive skills are critical for communicative discourse, and in turn mental health and well-being. Accordingly, a large number of measures are now available to quantify social cognitive function. This review shows that many of these measures have good psychometric properties, and appear to have at least moderate sensitivity. However, the review also highlights the importance of using appropriate control tasks to assess the specificity of any observed social cognitive failures, as well as the need for the continued development of measures with greater ecological validity.
Heterogeneity of Pericyte Populations in Equine Skeletal Muscle and Dermal Microvessels: A Quantitative Study

The objective of this ultrastructural investigation was to determine if populations of pericytes in equine dermal and skeletal muscle capillaries increase in a head‐to‐foot direction, as has been reported in human skeletal muscles. Samples of equine microvessels were obtained from the longis‐simus dorsi skeletal muscle 150 cm. from the ground, from the dermis above this muscle, from the extensor carpi radiali muscle at 55 cm. from the ground, from the dermis adjacent to that muscle, and from dermis 15 cm. from the ground, just above the hoof wall. Tissues were processed for transmission electron miscroscopy. Electron micrographs were analyzed with a digitizing tablet and computer, to determine the ratios of endothelial cell outer circumference and pericyte inner lengths. Pericytes were separated into two classes; those closest to the endothelial cells were defined as covering capillaries. Those separated from endothelial cells by another layer of pericytes were termed enveloping pericytes. There was much greater coverage and envelopment of dermal capillaries (85 % and 135 %) than skeletal muscle capillaries (27 % and 31 %). Regression analysis of the pericyte coverage and envelopment of dermal capillaries revealed a significant increase in pericytes toward the ground. Similarly, the two skeletal muscle tissues differed significantly in their pericyte coverage and envelopment (25/27 % at 150 cm., 31/35 % at 55 cm.). The data indicate that, as in humans, capillary pericytes are not homogeneously distributed within the same tissues, but are more numerous closer to the ground. Differences in pericyte populations could affect studies of microvessel function.