Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Explosives Performance Understanding the effects of a finite-length reaction zone

High explosives—explosives with very high energy density —are used to drive the implosion of the primary in a nuclear weapon. That circumstance demands precision in the action of the high explosive. To predict with high accuracy the course of energy release under various conditions is therefore an important problem that we face in certifying the safety, reliability, and performance of nuclear weapons in the stockpile. Here we survey our progress on the problem of explosives performance: predicting the outcome of intentional detonation of high explosives in complex three-dimensional (3-D) geometries. The problems of safety (accidental initiation) and reliability (reproducible response to a prescribed stimulus) are also under investigation but will be only briefly mentioned here. Explosives belong to the class of combustibles known as energetic materials, which means that they contain both fuel and oxidizer premixed on a molecular level. Such materials can support a whole range of combustion, including ordinary combustion such as that in a match head. Ordinary combustion is a coupled physicochemical process in which the interface separating fresh from burnt energetic material travels as a wave through the sample. Exothermic chemical reactions begin on the surface of the match head and burn the outer layer of material. The heat released is transferred through thermal conduction to an adjacent unreacted layer until that second layer ignites, and this layer-by-layer process continues until the entire sample is consumed. The speed of the combustion wave is relatively low, depending on both the rate of energy transport from one layer to the next and the rate of the local exothermic chemical reactions in each layer. Explosives, in contrast, support very high speed combustion known as detonation. Like an ordinary combustion wave, a detonation wave derives its energy from the chemical reactions in the material, but the energy transport occurs not by thermal conduction but rather by a high-speed compression, or shock, wave. The high-pressure detonation wave streaks through the material at supersonic speeds, turning the material into high-pressure, high-temperature gaseous products that can do mechanical work at an awesome rate. Figure 1 shows the initiation of a detonation wave from shock compression through the formation of a self-sustaining Zeldovich –von Neumann–Doring (ZND) detonation reaction zone behind the shock. The power delivered by an explosive depends on its energy density and its
Spine deformity surgery in the elderly: risk factors and 30-day outcomes are comparable in posterior versus combined approaches

Abstract Objectives Risk factors portending poor outcome following elective spine deformity fusion remain in need of characterization and stratification in the elderly population. Methods Cases aged ≥60 years who underwent elective posterior or anterior-posterior (‘combined’) fusion were extracted from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program years 2007–2013 and analyzed by surgical cohort (posterior vs. combined). The 30-day outcomes included operation time, hospital length of stay (HLOS), perioperative complications, and discharge destination. Multivariable regressions controlling for demographic/clinical variables were performed. Odds ratios (OR) and mean differences (B) were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results A total of 881 cases (18.2% combined; 81.8% posterior) aged 70 ± 6.2 years, 32.8% male, and 87.2% Caucasian were included. Posterior fusions associated with extreme body habitus (obese class II/III and underweight; P = 0.027), functional independence (97.5% vs. 91.8%; P = 0.010), and multi-level fusions (7–12 levels: 24.8% vs. 18.1%; ≥13 levels: 8.9% vs. 3.1%; P = 0.004). Overall operation time was 338.0 ± 150.2-min and HLOS 7.4 ± 6.6-days; 17.1% suffered early complications and 54.5% were discharged home. On multivariable analysis, combined (B = 63.8-min; P < 0.001), and multi-level fusions (7–12: 61.0-min; P < 0.001; ≥13: 133.8-min; p < 0.001) associated with increased operation time. HLOS increased for multi-level fusions (7–12 levels: 1.3-days; P = 0.012; ≥13 levels: 2.2-days; P = 0.008). Overall complications did not differ by cohort or levels; on post hoc analysis combined fusions associated with pneumonia (OR = 3.05; P = 0.008). Multi-level fusions showed decreased odds of discharge home (7–12 levels: OR = 0.57; P = 0.003; ≥13-levels: OR = 0.41; P = 0.003). Conclusions The 30-day outcomes and early perioperative complications are comparable for posterior vs. combined approaches to correct deformity in the elderly. Multi-level fusions are associated with increased operation time, HLOS, and discharge to higher level of care.
Trust and Commitment in Professional Service Marketing Relationships in Business-to-Business Markets

This paper examines two very important concepts in marketing relationships – trust and commitment – whereby commitment is regarded as consisting of three components: affective, calculative and normative. The context of this study is professional services in a business-to-business market, more specifically the marketing research industry in Slovenia. The results show that trust in the marketing research provider and its work is very high among interviewed clients. The clients also appear to be affectively committed to the relationship with the provider, whereas calculative and normative commitment are low. The study’s results confirm the positive influence of trust on affective commitment and the weak negative influence of trust on calculative commitment.
FPGA-based high resolution synchronous digital pulse width modulator

Advantages of digital control in power electronics have led to an increasing use of digital pulse width modulators (DPWM). However, the clock frequency requirements may exceed reasonable limits when the power converter switching frequency is increased while using classical DPWM architectures. This paper presents a novel synchronous design to increase the resolution of DPWM implemented on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA). The proposed circuit utilizes the Phase Shift (PS) functional unit of the on-chip Digital Clock Manager (DCM) blocks available on modern FPGAs, operating in fixed mode. This solution has been implemented, tested and compared to other implementations.
Multiwavelength Lasers for WDM-PON Optical Line Terminal Source by Silica Planar Lightwave Circuit Hybrid Integration

We have demonstrated a very compact eight-channel 200-GHz-spacing multiwavelength laser (MWL) module for the optical line terminal source of wavelength-division-multiplexing passive optical network. The wavelength shift of MWLs and external cavity lasers from the ITU grid was within +0.14 nm for eight channels, which was well matched to the target wavelength shift of less than plusmn0.2 nm. The oscillation characteristics of our MWL module are better than those of conventional MWLs with hybrid integration.
Fentanyl Inhibits the Canine Carotid Chemoreceptor Reflex

To investigate the impact of fentanyl on the carotid chemoreceptor reflex, nine mongrel dogs were permanently monitored with electromagnetic flow transducers around the right common iliac artery and with heparin-filled catheters in the descending aorta and in one of the main carotid arteries with the tip just proximal to the carotid sinus. Carotid chemoreceptor activation (CCRA) produced by consecutive injections of nicotine (0.2--0.4 μg/kg) through the carotid catheter elicited bradycardia, expressed as an increase in cardiac cycle length by 140% ± 18%, and a 252% ± 16% increase in mean iliac arterial vascular resistance. These responses were markedly attenuated by fentanyl in a dose-dependent fashion: cardiac cycle length increased only by 50% ± 7% (P < 0.01) with 4 μg/kg and by 19% ± 6% (P < 0.01) with 8 μg/kg of intravenous fentanyl. These changes were paralleled by significantly (P < 0.01) lesser increases in mean iliac arterial resistance (122% ± 9% and 50% ± 5%). It is concluded that fentanyl impairs the integrity of the carotid chemoreceptor reflex.
GABA in ischemic stroke. Proton magnetic resonance study.

BACKGROUND Experimental studies have suggested that ischemic stroke causes increment in extracellular level of gamma-aminobutyric acid in response to excessive glutamate concentration and function. The increased GABA concentration is followed by subsequent inhibition of GABA synthesis, thus leading to GABA-ergic dysfunction Enhancing GABA function seems to be a way of neuroprotec- tion after cerebral insult. Animal models have shown there is overactivity of excitatory neurotransmitters and decreased tone of GABA-ergic system also in the remote neocortical regions. Data concerning changes in brain areas outside the stroke lesion in humans are sparse. These region could be possible targets for therapeutic intervention. Progress in imaging techniques enables separation of a great number of chemical compounds . Our aim was to assess GABA levels outside the ischemic lesion by means of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1) H MRS). MATERIAL AND METHODS The study compared 31 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke and 20 healthy subjects. Single voxel H(1) MRS was performed to measure GABA/Cr ratios in structurally normal prefrontal regions, distant from the stroke lesion. The amount of the remaining metabolites (NAA, Cho, mI, Glx) was also estimated. Patients underwent the examination in the acute phase of the disease and 3 months later. RESULTS Both early after stroke and more than 3 months later, the patients had lower GABA levels. However, during the second examination, this difference was evident only in the frontal cortex ipsilateral to the lesion. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that GABA function is decreased outside the infarct. Further studies are needed for confirmation of the results and elucidation of the possible role of GABA alterations in stroke recovery and therapy.
Serum biochemistry assessment of acceleration of CKD progression by fructose feeding after RK surgery

Gersch MS, Mu W, Cirillo P, Reungjui S, Zhang L, Roncal C, Sautin YY, Johnson RJ, Nakagawa T. Fructose, but not dextrose, accelerates the progression of chronic kidney disease. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 293: F1256–F1261, 2007. First published August 1, 2007; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00181. 2007. —The metabolic syndrome has recently been recognized as a risk factor for kidney disease, but the mechanisms mediating this risk remain unclear. High fructose consumption by animals produces a model of the metabolic syndrome with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that consumption of a high-fructose diet could accelerate the progression of chronic kidney disease. Three groups of 14 male Sprague-Dawley rats were pair fed a specialized diet containing 60% fructose (FRU) or 60% dextrose (DEX) or standard rat chow (CON). After the animals were fed their assigned diet for 6 wk, five-sixths nephrectomy was performed, and the assigned diet was continued for 11 wk. Proteinuria was significantly increased and creatinine clearance was decreased in the FRU group compared with the CON and DEX groups, and blood urea nitrogen was higher in the FRU group than in the CON and DEX groups. Kidneys from the FRU group were markedly larger than kidneys from the CON and DEX groups. Glomerular sclerosis, tubular atrophy, tubular dilatation, and cellular infiltration appeared markedly worse in kidneys from the FRU group than in kidneys from the DEX and CON groups. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was measured in renal tissue homogenate and found to be increased in the FRU group. In vitro studies were conducted to determine the mechanism for increased renal MCP-1, and fructose stimulation of proximal tubular cells resulted in production of MCP-1. In conclusion, consumption of a high-fructose diet greatly accelerates progression of chronic kidney disease in the rat remnant kidney model.
EVALUATION OF OPTIGEN II AS A SOURCE OF RUMEN DEGRADABLE PROTEIN FOR MATURE BEEF COWS

Cattle consuming bahiagrass pastures in Florida are often deficient in crude protein. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of two protein supplements (Urea and Optigen) as compared to cows receiving no protein supplementation (Control) while consuming bahiagrass hay. Optigen II® (Alltech, Inc., Nicholasville, KY) is a slow-release nitrogen source. The delayed availability of nitrogen associated with this product was hypothesized to synchronize with the availability of energy from the lowquality forage, thereby increasing dry matter intake and cow performance. Bodyweight and body condition score were recorded on three sampling dates (March ‘06, April ‘06, May ’06), and blood samples were collected to be analyzed for blood urea nitrogen and blood glucose concentrations. Rumen samples were also collected on these sampling dates to determine rumen fluid pH. Dry matter intake was recorded daily. There were no differences between the three treatments in dry matter intake (mean at week 8=18.67 lb, P=0.94), dry matter intake as a percent of bodyweight (mean at week 8 = 1.65, P=0.86), blood glucose concentration (mean=80.3 mg/dL, P=0.88), or cow body condition score (mean=5.24, P=0.81) at the completion of the study. Supplement type had an effect on mean rumen pH (control > Optigen, P control, P 15% of total RDP) can lead to decreased performance compared with lower levels of urea supplementation. This decrease in performance in cattle consuming lowquality forages and urea is likely the result of the asynchrony of ruminal ammonia and digestible energy in the overall diet. The release of nitrogen in the rumen from urea is near instantaneous, while the release of energy from low-quality forages is not as readily available. Matching a slowrelease energy source with slow-release nitrogen should provide a more consistent supply of digestible nutrients in the rumen, avoiding sharp peaks of a single nutrient and improving diet utilization efficiency.
Evaluating adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy with use of pill counts and viral load measurement in the drug resources enhancement against AIDS and malnutrition program in Mozambique.

BACKGROUND Maintaining treatment adherence among the growing number of patients receiving antiretroviral treatment in Africa is a dramatic challenge. The objective of our study was to explore the results of a computerized pill count method and to test the validity, sensitivity, and specificity of this method with respect to viral load measurement in an African setting. METHODS We performed a prospective, observational study involving patients who received first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy in Mozambique from 1 April 2005 through 31 March 2006. Enrolled patients had received treatment for at least 3 months before the study. For defining treatment adherence levels, pill counts were used, and the results were analyzed with viral load measurements at the end of the observation period. RESULTS The study involved 531 participants. During the 12 months of observation, 137 patients left the program or discontinued first-line therapy. Of the remaining 394 patients, 284 (72.1%) had >95% treatment adherence; of those 284 patients, 274 (96.5%) had a final viral load <1000 copies/mL. A Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that the relationship between >95% treatment adherence and the final viral load was closer than that between >90% treatment adherence and viral load. CONCLUSIONS Treatment adherence >95% maximizes the results of the nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor-based regimen. The pill count method appears to be a reliable and economic tool for monitoring treatment adherence in resource-limited settings.
Are Size Illusions in Simple Line Drawings Affected by Shading?

In a number of simple line drawings, such as the Müller-Lyer or Judd figures, we can experience strong distortions of perceived space—geometric illusions. One way of explaining these effects is based on the perspective information that can be read from the line drawings. For instance, the ‘inappropriate constancy scaling’ theory advocates that the inferred three-dimensional structure of the pictured object is used by the perceptual system to adjust the size of line-drawing components. Such a theory would predict that additional depth cues, for instance shading added to line drawings, should affect these illusions because they influence the three-dimensional appearance. We present here systematic measurements of the magnitude of length misjudgments in horizontal Müller-Lyer and Judd figures for three configurations: (i) pure line drawings, and with shading attached to (ii) the top, and (iii) the bottom of the figures. The latter two configurations are unambiguously interpreted as ‘folded’ structures with a horizontal edge behind the image plane or protruding from it, respectively. While we could not find any effect of shading in our experimental data, we did observe a length misjudgment in Judd figures that corresponds precisely to the asymmetry that can be observed in the Müller-Lyer illusion for inward and outward fins. This pattern of results is not consistent with notions of inappropriate constancy scaling but is fully coherent with the view that neural filtering mechanisms, which are affecting the perceived position of line intersections, are responsible for this type of geometrical illusions.
Pheochromocytoma of the Urinary Bladder Presenting Only with Macroscopic Hematuria

Pheochromocytoma of the bladder is an unusual tumor that typically presents with hypertensive crises related to micturition. We describe a case of bladder pheochromocytoma in a 42-year-old female in which macroscopic hematuria was the only alarming symptom. The diagnostic and operative issues of this type of tumor are discussed, along with the challenging treatment option of transurethral resection. Diagnosis, treatment and follow-up trends of this rare tumor are reviewed.
Lax eyelid syndrome or ‘progeria’ of eyelid tissues

PURPOSE The Lax Eyelid Syndrome was described by Van den Bosch and Lemij 1 as an uncommon disorder seen in non-obese elderly people and characterised by chronic ocular surface irritation symptoms and a “floppy upper eyelid”. The authors present some new features of the lax eyelid syndrome. METHODS The authors report five patients, belonging to a younger age group, who presented with premature laxity of all the eyelid tissues. This caused medial and lateral canthal dystopia and eyelid malposition including ptosis, entropion and ectropion. Initial surgical correction was often followed by recurrence after some time. CONCLUSIONS The authors highlight the differences between lax eyelid syndrome, cutis laxa, floppy eyelid syndrome and the blepharochalasis syndrome and suggest that lax eyelid syndrome can be thought of as “progeria” or premature ageing of the eyelid tissues to distinguish it clearly from these other conditions.
Association of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy With Autism Spectrum Disorder

We hypothesize that Duchenne muscular dystrophy and autism spectrum disorder/pervasive developmental disorder co-occur with a greater than random frequency. In this study, we set out to reject the hypothesis that Duchenne muscular dystrophy and autism spectrum disorder/pervasive developmental disorder co-occur no more often than expected by chance. Two index cases and six additional boys with concomitant Duchenne muscular dystrophy and autism spectrum disorder were identified in a muscular dystrophy clinic that approximates the total number of Duchenne muscular dystrophy boys (158) in the state of Massachusetts. The rate of prevalence (6 of 158) was compared with the prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder in boys in the general population (1.6 in 1000). We rejected the hypothesis that Duchenne muscular dystrophy and autism spectrum disorder co-occurrence was likely to be explained by chance (P = .006). We identify a previously unrecognized association of Duchenne muscular dystrophy with autism spectrum disorder. Further work might elucidate the level of association between these two conditions, either at the genetic or at the protein level, and might clarify, at least partially, the neurobiologic mechanisms associated with autism spectrum disorder. (J Child Neurol 2005;20:790—795).
Increased longevity evolves from grandmothering

Postmenopausal longevity may have evolved in our lineage when ancestral grandmothers subsidized their daughters' fertility by provisioning grandchildren, but the verbal hypothesis has lacked mathematical support until now. Here, we present a formal simulation in which life spans similar to those of modern chimpanzees lengthen into the modern human range as a consequence of grandmother effects. Greater longevity raises the chance of living through the fertile years but is opposed by costs that differ for the sexes. Our grandmother assumptions are restrictive. Only females who are no longer fertile themselves are eligible, and female fertility extends to age 45 years. Initially, there are very few eligible grandmothers and effects are small. Grandmothers can support only one dependent at a time and do not care selectively for their daughters' offspring. They must take the oldest juveniles still relying on mothers; and infants under the age of 2 years are never eligible for subsidy. Our model includes no assumptions about brains, learning or pair bonds. Grandmother effects alone are sufficient to propel the doubling of life spans in less than sixty thousand years.
Gene profiling of left ventricle eccentric hypertrophy in aortic regurgitation in rats: rationale for targeting the beta-adrenergic and renin-angiotensin systems.

Aortic valve regurgitation (AR) imposes a severe volume overload to the left ventricle (LV), which results in dilation, eccentric hypertrophy, and eventually loss of function. Little is known about the impact of AR on LV gene expression. We, therefore, conducted a gene expression profiling study in the LV of rats with acute and severe AR. We identified 64 genes that were specifically upregulated and 29 that were downregulated out of 21,910 genes after 2 wk. Of the upregulated genes, a good proportion was related to the extracellular matrix. We subsequently studied a subset of 19 genes by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) to see if the modulation seen in the LV after 2 wk persisted in the chronic phase (after 6 and 12 mo) and found that it did persist. Knowing that the adrenergic and renin-angiotensin systems are overactivated in our animal model, we were interested to see if blocking those systems using metoprolol (25 mg.kg(-1). day(-1)) and captopril (100 mg.kg(-1). day(-1)) would alter the expression of some upregulated LV genes in AR rats after 6 mo. By qRT-PCR, we observed that upregulations of LV mRNA levels encoding for procollagens type I and III, fibronectin, atrial natriuretic peptide, transforming growth factor-beta(2), and connective tissue growth factor were totally or partially reversed by this treatment. These observations provide a molecular rationale for a medical strategy aiming these systems in the medical treatment of AR and expand the paradigm in the study of this form of LV volume overload.