Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A review of hydrogel use in fracture healing and bone regeneration

This review explores the application of hydrogels in orthopaedic clinical situations which may benefit from enhanced growth factor delivery and improved osteogenesis of bone graft material. Hydrogels are defined, and in vivo evidence supporting their application in these clinical areas is explored. Our focus is on clinically pertinent properties, such as the chemistry of formation, biocompatibility, efficacy of cell and growth factor delivery, ability to withstand mechanical loading and potential to be delivered via an injection. Naturally derived hydrogels, such as gelatin, hyaluronic acid and fibroin, together with a number of synthetic polyethylene glycol‐based gels combined with protease‐sensitive domains, have shown excellent biocompatibility. There is significant literature evidence supporting the ability of hydrogels to facilitate growth factor and cell delivery. Burst release of the selected growth factor remains a consistent challenge, which has been overcome in some studies with chemical modifications of the hydrogel. Interestingly, a number of studies detail percutaneous delivery with hydrogels combined with calcium‐based minerals to enhance osteogenicity, with mixed results. Few of the studies explored the biomechanical properties of the materials, and none of the studies reviewed demonstrated the ability of a hydrogel/graft material to withstand mechanical loading in a clinically relevant segmental bone defect model. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel Lithium-ion Batteries – Analysis of Non-uniformity of Surface Temperature of Commercial Cells under Realistic Driving Cycles

The heating of li-ion cells is a well-known characteristic which raises safety concerns [1], [2]. In order to maintain the viability of the applicability in Electric Vehicle (EV) and Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), the safety requirement must be met by designing safer battery cell and efficient thermal management. In this regard, the knowledge of the thermal behavior and predicting the behavior during operation is undoubtedly very crucial [3]. Surface temperature study can play an important role in order to build an accurate model and for the prediction of cell surface temperature. In our previous work, it was shown that surface temperature distribution of li-ion battery cells is spatially non-uniform [4], [5]. And the pattern of this nonuniformity varies from one type of cell to another and depends on the type of load profile applied. For instance, high constant current (100 A) continuous discharge of a 20 Ah NMC (Nickel, Manganese, Cobalt oxide) pouch cell showed a different thermal behavior than in the case of dynamic charge/discharge micro pulse cycling. To the authors’ knowledge, there are no reports of dedicated studies on spatial heating behavior of battery cells under realistic driving load profile, which can be very important in order to improve design of battery cells based on thermal behavior during real life operation. Moreover, existing electro-thermal models are, to our knowledge, mostly validated under continuous charge-discharge load[1], [6]. This can be less effective in predicting the thermal behavior in real life applications considering the non-uniformity of surface temperature.
Driving Mechanisms of High-Speed Unsteady Spiked Body Flows , Part 1 : Pulsation Mode

The driving mechanism of the unsteady ow mode pulsation arising over axisymmetric spiked bodies has been analyzed by using computational uid dynamics as a tool. Laminar, axisymmetric ow at Mach 2.21 and Reynolds number (based on the blunt-body diameter) of 0.12£ 106 was simulated by a spatially and temporally second-order-accurate nite volume method. The model geometry was a forward facing cylinder of diameter D equipped with a spike of length L/D = 1.00. After reviewing previous pulsation hypotheses, the numerical results were analyzed in detail. A new driving mechanism was proposed, its main features being the creation of a vortical region in the vicinity of the foreshock-aftershock intersection causing mass in ux into the dead-air region, the existence of supersonic ow within the dead-air region, the liftoff of the shear layer from the spike tip, and the collision of the recirculated and penetrating ows within the expanded separated region.
Effect of Surface Chemistry and Crystallographic Parameters of TiO2 Anatase Nanocrystals on Photocatalytic Degradation of Bisphenol A

The photocatalytic activity of a series of anatase TiO2 materials with different amounts of exposed (001) facets (i.e., 12% (TiO2-1), 38% (TiO2-3), and 63% (TiO2-3)) was tested in a batch slurry reactor towards liquid-phase bisphenol A (BPA, c0(BPA) = 10 mg/L, ccat. = 125 mg/L) degradation. Photo-electrochemical and photo-luminescence measurements revealed that with the increasing amount of exposed anatase (001) facets, the catalysts generate more electron-hole pairs and OH∙ radicals that participate in the photocatalytic mineralization of pollutants dissolved in water. In the initial stages of BPA degradation, a correlation between % exposure of (001) facets and catalytic activity was developed, which was in good agreement with the findings of the photo-electrochemical and photo-luminescence measurements. TiO2-1 and TiO2-3 solids achieved 100% BPA removal after 80 min in comparison to the TiO2-2 sample. Adsorption of BPA degradation products onto the TiO2-2 catalyst surface was found to have a detrimental effect on the photocatalytic performance in the last stage of the reaction course. Consequently, the global extent of BPA mineralization decreased with the increasing exposure of anatase (001) facets. The major contribution to the enhanced reactivity of TiO2 anatase (001) surface is the Brønsted acidity resulting from dissociative chemisorption of water on a surface as indicated by FTIR, TPD, and MAS NMR analyses.
Single-visit endovenous laser treatment and tributary procedures for symptomatic great saphenous varicose veins.

INTRODUCTION Endovenous ablation of saphenous varicose veins has decreased morbidity and recovery time compared with open surgery. This study assessed the outcome and mid-term patient satisfaction of single-visit endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) alone, EVLT combined with phlebectomies and endovenous chemical ablation. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of all patients (n=91) in 2008-2009 who underwent single-visit day-case EVLT using local anaesthesia under a single surgeon. Postoperative venous ultrasonography at 2 and 14 months was reviewed. A telephone questionnaire was carried out to assess recurrence of symptoms and quality of life at 42 months. RESULTS Overall, 124 limbs underwent day-case EVLT under local anaesthesia using an 810nm diode laser at a continuous setting of 14W. Forty-eight of these underwent EVLT alone while fifty underwent EVLT with phlebectomies and twenty-six underwent EVLT with endovenous chemical ablation. Ninety-one per cent of limbs underwent two-month postoperative imaging. All had satisfactory great saphenous vein (GSV) ablation (anterior thigh vein patency: n=1). The majority (84%) of limbs underwent 14-month imaging with a 98% GSV ablation rate. Three per cent had anterior thigh vein and saphenofemoral junction incompetence. Recurrence of GSV patency and reflux was <1%. The response rate to the questionnaire was 60%: 95% of respondents confirmed improvement following treatment, 62% remained symptom free at 42 months while 65% of patients with a return of symptoms deemed them mild. The questionnaire was scored out of 56 for symptoms and quality of life. Those with symptoms scored significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS At 42 months, the majority of limbs remained asymptomatic. The short-term GSV ablation rates were excellent. Overall mid-term review of patients has shown a well received single-visit service with concomitant phlebectomy or endovenous ablation, and good ablation and patient satisfaction rates.
Expression of telomerase activity, telomerase RNA component and telomerase catalytic subunit gene in lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether telomerase activity, human telomerase RNA (HTR) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (HTERT) expression were associated with tumor development in lung cancer and whether telomerase is regulated at gene level or transcriptional level. METHODS Expression of HTR and HTERT was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 68 human lung cancer and in 68 adjacent-neoplatic lung tissues. And telomerase activity was examined by a quantitative telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP). RESULTS In 68 lung cancer tissues, telomerase activity, HTR and HTERT were expressed in 79%, 98.5% and 91.2% respectively, whereas all adjacent non-neoplastic lung tissues were telomerase negative. Most normal lung tissues expressed HTR (91.2%) and HTERT was detected in only 7 of 68 non-neoplastic tissues. CONCLUSIONS The relatively high frequency of telomerase activity in lung cancer whereas the detection of no telomerase activity in normal lung tissues suggested that telomerase may play an important role in tumorigenesis of lung cancer. Compared to HTR, HTERT expression was better associated with telomerase activity with a concordance of 88.9%. Telomerase activity may be regulated at transcription level or translation level.
Application Of The Empirical Likelihood Method In Proportional Hazards Model 2006

In survival analysis, proportional hazards model is the most commonly used and the Cox model is the most popular. These models are developed to facilitate statistical analysis frequently encountered in medical research or reliability studies. In analyzing real data sets, checking the validity of the model assumptions is a key component. However, the presence of complicated types of censoring such as double censoring and partly intervalcensoring in survival data makes model assessment difficult, and the existing tests for goodness-of-fit do not have direct extension to these complicated types of censored data. In this work, we use empirical likelihood (Owen, 1988) approach to construct goodnessof-fit test and provide estimates for the Cox model with various types of censored data. Specifically, the problems under consideration are the two-sample Cox model and stratified Cox model with right censored data, doubly censored data and partly interval-censored data. Related computational issues are discussed, and some simulation results are presented. The procedures developed in the work are applied to several real data sets with some discussion.
GEPPML: General Equilibrium Analysis with PPML

We develop a simple procedure for general equilibrium comparative static analysis of gravity models. Non‐linear solvers are replaced by (constrained) regressions using theoretical properties of the Poisson pseudo‐maximum‐likelihood estimator. Our GEPPML procedure can readily be implemented in any software capable of estimating constrained Poisson models. The procedure accommodates calibrated as well as estimated trade costs while using the estimation power of structural gravity to generate GE comparative statics. Using GEPPML, we quantify the effects of a hypothetical removal of all international borders while preserving the impact of geography on trade. We find that trade liberalisation has reaped at most half the potential world gains from trade in 2002 manufacturing. A complementary counterfactual experiment simulates the removal of the border between Canada and US, thus contributing to the famous “border puzzle” literature in a multicountry setting.
Mechanical properties of bamboo and bamboo composites: a review

This article discuses on the studies that have been done by previous researchers on the mechanical properties of bamboo. Nowadays, natural fibre composites have gained the attentions of many industries as alternative materials due to their various advantages such as sustainable, abundant, low cost and good specific strength. With the current emphasis on environmental friendliness and sustainability, natural fibre composites are more preferred over conventional fibre which is normally non-biodegradable. Bamboo is a type of natural fibre composites that are widely used in many industries such as in construction and furnishing. Hence, it is crucial to study the mechanical properties of bamboo to make sure it is safe for certain applications. However, there are many factors that determine the mechanical properties of bamboo such as species, age and so on. This journal compiles and reviews on some of the researches on the mechanical properties of pure bamboo and bamboo composites such as their tensile properties, compressive properties, impact strength and fracture toughness. The reviews include how the researchers set up their experiments, the bamboo species used and the results obtained. Since bamboo are constantly exposed to harsh environment such as rain and river, the effect of moisture/ water content on the mechanical properties of bamboo are also reviewed and it exposed that moisture content has drastic effect on the mechanical properties of bamboo.
Changes in Pectic Substances During Ripening of Avocados1

Changes in pectinesterase activity and in the 3 pectic fractions of avocados (Persea americana Mill. cv. Lula) during ripening were investigated at 21.1° and 10°C storage. Decrease in pectinesterase activity just prior to softening was very rapid, and when softening occurred, this activity became minimal Tissue softening during storage was accompanied by a general increase in water-soluble pectin and a drop in ammonium oxalate- and sodium hydroxide-soluble pectins.
Spatiotemporal Change of Plum Rains in the Yangtze River Delta and Its Relation with EASM, ENSO, and PDO During the Period of 1960–2012

The Plum Rains process is a complex process, and its spatiotemporal variations and influencing factors on different time scales still need further study. Based on a dataset on the Plum Rains in the Yangtze River Delta, from 33 meteorological stations during the period of 1960 to 2012, we investigated the spatiotemporal variations of Plum Rains and their relation with the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM), the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) using an integrated approach that combines ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), empirical orthogonal function (EOF), and correlation analysis. The main conclusions were as follows: (1) the plum rainfall (i.e., the rainfall during the period of Plum Rains) showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing, and it had a three-year and six-year cycle on the inter-annual scale and a 13-year and 33-year cycle on the inter-decadal scale. The effect of the onset and termination of Plum Rains and the daily intensity of plum rainfall on plum rainfall on the inter-annual scale was greater than the inter-decadal scale, (2) the EOF analysis of plum rainfall revealed a dominant basin-wide in-phase pattern (EOF1) and a north-south out-of-phase pattern (EOF2), and (3) ENSO and EASM were the main influencing factors in the three-year and six-year periods, respectively.
Inversion of the Intracellular Na+/K+Ratio Blocks Apoptosis in Vascular Smooth Muscle at a Site Upstream of Caspase-3*

Long term elevation of the intracellular Na+/K+ ratio inhibits macromolecule synthesis and proliferation in the majority of cell types studied so far, including vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). We report here that inhibition of the Na+,K+ pump in VSMC by ouabain or a 1-h preincubation in K+-depleted medium attenuated apoptosis triggered by serum withdrawal, staurosporine, or okadaic acid. In the absence of ouabain, both DNA degradation and Caspase-3 activation in VSMC undergoing apoptosis were insensitive to modification of the extracellular Na+/K+ ratio as well as to hyperosmotic cell shrinkage. In contrast, protection of VSMC from apoptosis by ouabain was abolished under equimolar substitution of Na+ o with K+ o , showing that the antiapoptotic action of Na+,K+ pump inhibition was caused by inversion of the intracellular Na+/K+ ratio. Unlike VSMC, the same level of increment of the [Na+] i /[K+] i ratio caused by a 2-h preincubation of Jurkat cells with ouabain did not affect chromatin cleavage and Caspase-3 activity triggered by treatment with Fas ligand, staurosporine, or hyperosmotic shrinkage. Thus, our results show for the first time that similar to cell proliferation, maintenance of a physiologically low intracellular Na+/K+ratio is required for progression of VSMC apoptosis.
Blood pressure measurements in Israeli Arab children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND Hypertension is one of the most prevalent vascular diseases in the adult population. It is an important determinant of atherosclerosis in adolescents and young adults. There is to date no information on blood pressure in children of the Israeli Arab population. OBJECTIVES To study blood pressure in Israeli Arab children and adolescents. METHODS Blood pressure measurements were taken in the supine position in 4,488 Israeli Arab children and adolescents of both sexes aged 6-17 years. Height and weight were also determined. Correlation was investigated between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, gender, and age. RESULTS The systolic and diastolic blood pressures were similar in both sexes for all age groups up to 14 years of age. Systolic blood pressure was significantly (P < 0.001) higher in males aged 15-17 years (120 +/- 13 vs. 111 +/- 12 mmHg, 123 +/- 13 vs. 113 +/- 14.0 mmHg, and 123 +/- 18 vs. 111 +/- 14 mmHg, respectively). Diastolic blood pressure was higher in males aged 15-17, with a statistically significant difference for age 17 only (75 +/- 12 vs. 69 +/- 13 mmHg). Blood pressure was elevated in 322 students in the initial screening (7.17%), with a decrease to 2.18% when this group was rescreened 2 weeks later. The systolic blood pressure in our group is higher than that in Jewish Israeli children of Asian and North African origin, and in American children. It is similar to the systolic blood pressure of European children and Jewish children born in Israel. The diastolic blood pressure in our group is higher than that in all groups of Israeli Jewish children and American children of different ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS Israeli Arab children and adolescents have higher blood pressure levels than their Israeli Jewish counterparts. Further studies are required to confirm this observation.
Regulation of transcription of the Xp10 genome in bacteriophage-infected Xanthomonas campestris pv. oryzae

Results of in vivo studies showed that the transcription of the Xp10 genome in Xp10-infected cells shifted from rifampin sensitivity to rifampin resistance. Results of in vitro studies showed that a rapid reduction of rifampin-sensitive RNA polymerase activity coincided with a rapid increase of rifampin-resistant RNA polymerase activity in cell extracts with time after infection. Host and Xp10-encoded RNA polymerases were purified, and the transcripts from these two enzymes were hybridized to the restriction fragments of Xp10 DNA. The RNA probe generated by host RNA polymerase hybridized strongly to the leftmost 25% of Xp10 DNA and weakly to the rightmost 75% of Xp10 DNA. The RNA probe generated by Xp10 RNA polymerase hybridized strongly to the rightmost 75% of Xp10 DNA and weakly to the leftmost 25% of Xp10 DNA. Studies with 32P-labeled RNA isolated at various intervals after infection did not reveal any evidence for early versus late differences in transcription.
Decreased glucose utilization in the striatum and frontal lobe in probable striatonigral degeneration

Nine positron emission tomography studies of regional cerebral glucose metabolism were performed in 7 patients with probable striatonigral degeneration, a disorder characterized by parkinsonian features and absent or poor response to L‐dopa. When compared with values obtained in normal volunteers, mean cerebral glucose metabolism was slightly reduced in subjects with striatonigral degeneration who, in addition, had a marked (20.5%, ± 3 SD) relative hypometabolism in putaminal and caudate nuclei. Significant hypometabolism was also found in motor/premotor as well as in prefrontal cortex. In 2 subjects who were studied twice a deterioration of relative striatal metabolism paralleled clinical evolution. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed the presence of abnormal iron deposits in the putamen in all cases but showed no cortical anomalies. These results suggest that positron emission tomography with [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose may provide an index of cell and processes degeneration in the striatum in striatonigral degeneration and is able to detect functional deficits in frontal cortex. The presence of striatal hypometabolism might be a predictor of a poor reponse to L‐dopa.
Right Ventricular Functions in Hemodialysis Patients : Tissue Doppler Study

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients undergoing dialysis, accounting for 50% of deaths. In particular, heart failure is the most common finding in these patients and is associated with poor prognosis. Hemodialysis (HD) which is usually carried out via a surgically created native Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF) has been associated with an increased risk of pulmonary hypertension, a condition reported as a predictor of mortality in these patients. Aim of the Work: The aim of this study is to assess right ventricular function in patients with end stage renal disease on hemodialysis using tissue Doppler imaging of the right ventricle. Subjects and Methods: The study population consisted of 40 patients with end-stage renal disease on a regular dialysis program and 20 normal subjects as a control group (mean age 54.9±12.7 years, male/female: 33/27. The study group comprises 40 HD patients with brachial AVF. Patients were receiving HD sessions 3 times per week. Each session lasted for 4 hours and used bicarbonate-buffered dialysate. Standard Kt/V (K=in vitro clearance of dialystae, t=time of dialysis and V=volume distribution of blood urea nitrogen) was calculated. The study was done in the period between January 2013 and July 2014 in Urology and Nephrology Center and Mansoura Specialized Hospital in Mansoura, Egypt. All subjects underwent clinical evaluation with special concentration upon cardiovascular system, laboratory evaluation, ECG and tissue Doppler examination. Results: HD patients were older than control subjects; however the difference was not statistically significant. Heart rates were significantly higher in dialysis patients as compared to controls. There was significant deterioration of systolic and diastolic function of the RV in the dialysis group either using conventional echocardiography or tissue Doppler imaging. Patients on HD presented higher right ventricular diameters and volumes than control group. Right ventricular ejection fraction was significantly reduced in HD patients as compared to control group. TDI indices of diastolic and systolic function were significantly lower in patients undergoing HD. Ea velocity, measured at both lateral and septal tricuspid annulus