Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultrasonography in the detection of cervical incompetency

In 80 pregnancies with clinical and ultrasonic signs of cervical incompetency, the length of the cervix and the thickness of the anterior wall of a lower uterine segment have been evaluated ultrasonically. We have also measured the width of the endocervical canal and studied the prolapse of fetal membranes (with fetal parts) into the endocervical canal. We evaluated these same parameters in 80 healthy pregnancies. The length of the cervix, the thickness of the anterior wall of a lower uterine segment, and the width of the endocervical canal were followed longitudinally in the patients from the 10th to the 36th gestation week. No statistically significant differences between age groups were found. In four age groups at risk for cervical incompetency, cervical lengths and wall thickness were significantly different (p < 0.001) from those in comparable controls. Forty‐five percent of the patients in the atrisk group, with cervical cerclage, delivered at 37.3 (range: 32 to 41) weeks and 6.25% of pregnancies ended in abortion when the amniotic membrane herniated into the cervical canal, with or without some part of the fetus.
Relationship of the plasminogen activator/plasmin cascade to osteoclast invasion and mineral resorption in explanted fetal metatarsal bones

An attempt was made to establish whether the activation of plasminogen into plasmin is necessary either for the preparatory phases to bone resorption, involving the recruitment of osteoclast precursors, their migration toward mineralized surfaces, and their final differentiation, or for the subsequent osteoclastic resorption phase. 45Ca‐labeled fetal (17 day) mouse metatarsals were cultured under conditions in which they pursue their modeling for a few days. In this model, the resorption phase, monitored by the release of 45Ca into the medium, is entirely dependent on the preparatory phases affecting osteoclast precursors. It was, as expected, stimulated by parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D3 and inhibited by calcitonin. PTH also enhanced the activity of tissue‐type plasminogen activator (PA) in extracts of metatarsals but not that of urokinase (which is, however, the main PA present in the mouse fetal metatarsal culture model). The resorption processes were not dependent on the presence of plasminogen in the media, even when the rudiments were precultured with tranexamic acid to remove their endogenous plasminogen. Moreover, they were not influenced by inhibitors of plasmin, either the plasma inhibitors α2‐antiplasmin, α2‐macroglobulin, and α1‐antitrypsin, or aprotinin, which was tested under a variety of conditions. Aprotinin also did not influence the resorption (loss of calcium and hydroxyproline) of 19 day fetal mouse calvariae cultured with PTH in a medium devoid of plasminogen. It is concluded that the various steps implicated in the bone resorption processes that occur in the metatarsals and in the calvariae culture models are not dependent on the activity of plasmin. The function of PAs in bone, however, could be exerted through direct proteolysis of extracellular proteins other than plasminogen or be mediated by a molecular structural domain distinct from their catalytic domain.
Effects of Self-Heating on Performance Degradation in AlGaN/GaN-Based Devices

A self-consistent electrothermal transport model that couples electrical and thermal transport equations is established and applied to AlGaN/GaN device structures grown on the following three different substrate materials: 1) SiC; 2) Si; and 3) sapphire. Both the resultant I-V characteristics and surface temperatures are compared to experimental I -V measurements and Raman spectroscopy temperature measurements. The very consistent agreement between measurements and simulations confirms the validity of the model and its numerical rendition. The results explain why the current saturation in measured I-V characteristics occurs at a much lower electric field than that for the saturation of electron drift velocity. The marked difference in saturated current levels for AlGaN/GaN structures on SiC, Si, and sapphire substrates is directly related to the different self-heating levels that resulted from the different biasing conditions and the distinctive substrate materials.
Feasibility study: Phosphospecific flow cytometry enabling rapid functional analysis of bone marrow samples from patients with multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable cancer accounting for about 2% of cancer deaths. Its diagnosis is based on a combination of criteria, which are not always easily measurable. Flow cytometry now allows multiplex analysis of intracellular signaling at the single cell level. We investigated the feasibility of using intracellular protein phosphorylation analysis by flow cytometry on primary plasma cells from bone marrow and its usefulness in MM diagnosis.
A new hybrid interpolation method for information exchange in computational aeroelasticity

Interpolation methods are very important in computational aeroelasticity in both the closely and loosely coupled analysis method. In this paper, the characteristics of thin plate splines (TPS), multiquadrics surface spline methods(MQ) and kriging method were first analyzed for interface data interpolation in computational aeroelasticity. Through the analysis of different methods, a hybrid interpolation method is proposed which combines the thin palte spline and kriging method. The AGRAD 445.6 wing is used to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of this method . The method can be used to exchange interface data of computational aeroelasticity.
Conceptualizing Self-care in Heart Failure: A Life Course Model of Patient Characteristics

Self-care is fundamental to achieving optimal outcomes in patients with heart failure. Unfortunately, self-care among patients with heart failure is commonly poor, and patients have considerable difficulties performing self-care skills. Elderly patients, in particular, face a number of challenges trying to engage in adequate self-care. Heart failure self-care is an intricate process that is the result of decisions made on many levels by patients. Little is known about self-care decision making in patients with heart failure, and the existing literature does not take into account the complexity of interrelated factors that affect self-care decision making. In this article, a model of factors affecting self-care decision making that include aging status, psychosocial status, health literacy, current symptom status, and prior experiences is proposed.
Case studies of the attainment of insight in dream sessions: replication and extension

Abstract To replicate and extend the Hill, Knox, et al. (2007) case study of a client who attained insight in one session of dream work, the authors examined two additional single-session cases: one in which a client gained insight and another in which a client did not. The observations across all three cases suggest that the two clients who acquired insight had positive attitudes toward dreams; were motivated and involved in session; and were nonresistant, trusting, and affectively present but not overwhelmed. The client who did not gain insight questioned the value of dreams and was resistant, untrusting, and emotionally overwhelmed. Therapist adherence and competence using the dream model, ability to manage countertransference, and effective use of probes for insight distinguished the therapists whose clients gained insight from the therapist whose client did not.
The Influences of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation on the Mean Strength of the North Pacific Subtropical High during Boreal Winter

AbstractThe Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) has been shown to be capable of exerting significant influences on the Pacific climate. In this study, the authors analyze reanalysis datasets and conduct forced and coupled experiments with an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) to explain why the winter North Pacific subtropical high strengthens and expands northwestward during the positive phase of the AMO. The results show that the tropical Atlantic warming associated with the positive AMO phase leads to a westward displacement of the Pacific Walker circulation and a cooling of the tropical Pacific Ocean, thereby inducing anomalous descending motion over the central tropical Pacific. The descending motion then excites a stationary Rossby wave pattern that extends northward to produce a nearly barotropic anticyclone over the North Pacific. A diagnosis based on the quasigeostrophic vertical velocity equation reveals that the stationary wave pattern also results in enhanced subsidence over the .
Yoga as a treatment for chronic low back pain: A systematic review of the literature

Objectives Chronic low back pain (CLBP) affects millions of people worldwide, and appears to be increasing in prevalence. It is associated not only with pain, but also with increased disability, psychological symptoms, and reduced quality of life. There are various treatment options for CLBP, but no single therapy stands out as being the most effective. In the past 10 years, yoga interventions have been studied as a CLBP treatment approach. The objective of this paper is to review the current literature supporting the efficacy of yoga for CLBP. Methods A literature search through the beginning of 2015 was conducted in Pub Med for randomized control trials addressing treatment of CLBP with yoga. Results In this review we evaluate the use of yoga as a treatment for CLBP. Specifically we evaluate how yoga impacts physical functioning and disability, pain, and associated psychological symptoms. We also evaluate possible mediators of the effect of yoga and the safety of yoga. Discussion With few exceptions, previous studies and the recent randomized control trials (RCTs) indicate that yoga can reduce pain and disability, can be practiced safely, and is well received by participants. Some studies also indicate that yoga may improve psychological symptoms, but these effects are currently not as well established.
Flower Specialization in a Passively Pollinated Monoecious Fig: A Question of Style and Stigma?

The stability of the mutualism between figs and their pollinator wasps depends on the patterns of seed and wasp production. In Ficus maxima, a passively pollinated monoecious fig, we estimated the correlations among different flower characteristics and determined their relationships with pollination success and pollinator oviposition. Across flowers, stigma length shows an allometric relationship with style length, and style length correlates negatively with style width. Longer‐styled flowers are more likely to be pollinated and receive higher pollen loads. This is probably explained by their larger stigmatic surface that increases their chance of receiving the passively dispersed pollen. Consistent with findings in other species, flowers with longer styles are less likely to receive a pollinator's egg. This oviposition pattern is probably explained by a combination of factors: (1) wasps ovipositor are too short to reach flowers with extremely long styles, and 17% of flowers are inaccessible; (2) sometimes, there are too few pollinators to use all accessible flowers; (3) oviposition is more difficult through the long stigmas and thin styles associated with long‐styled flowers. Given the patterns of pollinator egg distribution, the style/stigma size relationship in F. maxima appears advantageous for the fig since it leads to preferential pollination of flowers that are not used by wasps. It might reflect flower functional specialization and contribute to the mutualism stability.
Where next with endoscopic ulcer hemostasis?

Severe upper GI (UGI) bleeding is a relatively frequent reason for hospital admission in adult patients (1). In most major medical centers, peptic ulcers are still the most common etiology for UGI hemorrhage (2, 3). However, in North America and some European countries, ulcers are becoming less prevalent as the cause of UGI hemorrhage than varices, tumors, Mallory Weiss tears, and angiomas. This may relate to primary prophylaxis (such as eradication of Helicobacter pylori) or secondary prophylaxis in high-risk patients such as those with a prior history of ulcer hemorrhage or those taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin (4).
Generation and detection of coherent terahertz waves using two photomixers

A general technique has been demonstrated at microwave and submillimeter-wave frequencies for photoconductive sampling in the frequency domain using photomixers and continuous-wave laser diodes. A microwave version in which two photomixers were coupled by a transmission line was developed to quantitatively test the concept from 0.05 to 26.5 GHz. A quasioptical version using antenna-coupled photomixers was demonstrated from 25 GHz to 2 THz. Such a system can outperform systems based on time-domain photoconductive sampling in frequency resolution, spectral brightness, system size, and cost.
6Å EOT Si0.45Ge0.55 pMOSFET with optimized reliability (VDD=1V): Meeting the NBTI lifetime target at ultra-thin EOT

6Å EOT Si0.45Ge0. 55 pFETs with 10 year lifetime at operating conditions (VDD=1V) are demonstrated. Ultra-thin EOT is achieved by interfacial layer (IL) scavenging. Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) is alleviated using a high Ge fraction, a thick SiGe quantum well (QW) and a thin Si cap. Hot Carrier Injection (HCI) and Time Dependent Dielectric Breakdown (TDDB) are shown also to not constitute a showstopper for optimized SiGe devices.
Effect of high-dose phytase supplementation in broilers from 22 to 42 days post-hatch given diets severely limited in available phosphorus

Abstract Two trials were conducted from 22 to 42 d post-hatch to evaluate the effectiveness of high concentrations of supplemental phytase in maize–soya bean meal-based diets severely limited in available phosphorus (P). Growth performance, plasma P and tibia ash (TA) were measured. Each trial used 220 21-d-old male broilers in 20 pens with 11 birds per pen. Dietary treatments included a positive control [PC, 4.3 g/kg nonphytate P (NPP)], negative control [NC, 2.3 g/kg NPP (Trial 1) or 1.4 g/kg NPP (Trial 2)] and NC plus 1000, 2000 or 4000 phytase U/kg of the diet. Birds fed on the PC diet had higher average daily gain (ADG), gain to feed ratio (G:F), plasma P (Trials 1 and 2) and TA (Trial 2) than those fed on the NC. In Trial 1, ADG and G:F values of the NC plus 1000, 2000 or 4000 phytase U/kg reached those of the PC. Plasma P values of the NC plus 2000 or 4000 phytase U/kg reached that of the PC. Although TA values of the NC, NC + 1000 or NC + 2000 reached that of the PC, TA of the NC + 4000 was more than that of the PC. In Trial 2, ADG and G:F values of the NC plus 4000 phytase U/kg reached those of the PC; nevertheless, plasma P values of the NC diets did not come up to that of the PC. While TA values of the NC, NC + 1000 or NC + 2000 did not reach that of the PC, TA of the NC + 4000 was greater than that of the PC. Results of this study showed that, in the diets with 2.3 and 1.4 g/kg NPP, respectively, 1000 and 4000 phytase U/kg can be sufficient to obtain a comparable performance in broilers to those given diets adequate in available P.
Dynamic control of calcium, phosphate, citrate, and glucose levels in blood serum. Effect of ACTH, adrenaline, noradrenaline, hydrocortisone, parathormone, insulin, and glucagon.

The effect of ACTH, adrenaline, noradrenaline, insulin, parathormone, hydrocortisone, and glucagon on the homeostatic mechanism controlling serum glucose, citrate, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium was studied in fasting rabbits and children. Citrate levels are kept in balance by ACTH, adrenaline, and glucagon, which raise the levels, and by insulin, which lowers them. Stress alone raises citrate levels, probably through adrenaline and ACTH effects. Calcium levels in rabbits are markedly lowered by ACTH, given I.M. , to tetany levels. Adrenaline has a similar, but mild, effect. I. M. parathormone raises calcium levels slowly. ACTH and parathormone may be the antagonists in keeping calcium levels constant. Insulin, adrenaline, ACTH, glucagon, and parathormone lower phosphate levels. Major factors in lowering phosphate levels acutely evidently are insulin, which moves phosphate into the cell, and parathormone, which moves it through the kidney. Insulin, adrenaline, ACTH, and glucagon lower potassium levels in the rabbit. Only noradrenaline causes a significant rise. In the normal child only citrate moves in the same direction (elevates) as in the rabbit after ACTH. Children with CNS abnormality behaved like normal children except for 3 with febrile convulsions. Homeostatic control of the constituents studied may be accomplished in the rabbit and the human by a balance of hormonal factors.
A stromal gene signature associated with inflammatory breast cancer

The factors that determine whether a breast carcinoma will develop into inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) remain poorly understood. Recent evidence indicates that the tumor stroma influences cancer phenotypes. We tested the hypotheses that the gene expression signature of the tumor stroma is a distinctive feature of IBC. We used laser capture microdissection to obtain enriched populations of tumor epithelial cells and adjacent stromal cells from 15 patients with IBC and 35 patients with invasive, noninflammatory breast cancer (non‐IBC). Their mRNA expression profiles were assessed using Affymetrix GeneChips™. In addition, a previously established classifier for IBC was evaluated for the resulting data sets. The gene expression profile of the tumor stroma distinguished IBC from non‐IBC, and a previously established IBC prediction signature performed better in classifying IBC using the gene expression profile of the tumor stroma than it did using the profile of the tumor epithelium. In a pathway analysis, the genes differentially expressed between IBC and non‐IBC tumors clustered in distinct pathways. We identified multiple pathways related to the endoplasmic stress response that could be functionally significant in IBC. Our findings suggest that the gene expression in the tumor stroma may play a role in determining the IBC phenotype. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Worker Characteristics and Wage Differentials: Evidence from a Gift-Exchange Experiment

Abstract There is ample empirical evidence indicating that a substantial fraction of the population exhibits social preferences. Recent work also shows that social preferences influence the effectiveness of incentives in labor relations. Hence, when making contracting decisions, employers should take into account that workers are heterogeneous with respect to both their productivity and their social preferences. This paper presents causal evidence that they do. In a real-effort experiment, we elicit measures of workersâ€™ productivity and trustworthiness and make this information available to potential employers. Our data show that employers pay significant wage premia for both traits. Firms make highest profits with trustworthy workers, in particular with highly productive and trustworthy workers. We also document differences in the strength of gift-exchange across worker types. In particular, output levels of trustworthy workers are higher and much less dispersed than those of not-trustworthy workers.
Inhibitory effect of nikkomycin Z on chitin synthases in Candida albicans

Nikkomycin Z is a competitive inhibitor of chitin synthases in fungi. It has been reported that it inhibits chitin synthases (Chs) 1 and 3, but not 2, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In our study, we found that: (a) nikkomycin Z inhibited all three Chs isozymes of Candida albicans (CaChs). The IC50 value for CaChs1 is 15 µM, for CaChs2 0.8 µM, and for CaChs3 13 µM; (b) nikkomycin Z inhibits vegetative growth of C. albicans differently in different growth media; growth inhibition was observed on Spider and corn meal agar plate, but not on Lee's plate; (c) growth inhibition by nikkomycin Z accompanied by the absence of septum and cell wall chitin, which in turn brought about cell lysis. Nikkomycin Z did not lyse cells in Lee's media and lysis was partially prevented in the presence of sorbitol as an osmostabilizer in Spider medium. Therefore, nikkomycin Z prevented the formation of septum and cell wall chitin by inhibiting chitin synthase activities in a growth medium‐dependent manner. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Benign angiopathy of the central nervous system: cohort of 16 patients with clinical course and long-term followup.

OBJECTIVE Benign angiopathy of the central nervous system (BACNS) is a subset of primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) with favorable outcome, not requiring prolonged immunosuppression. We retrospectively studied the clinical characteristics and prospectively assessed long-term outcome in a cohort of BACNS patients. METHODS Patients meeting the clinical description for BACNS, evaluated and treated by a single investigator, were included. Data on demographics, signs and symptoms, laboratory studies, neuroimaging, brain biopsy, treatment, and complications were recorded. The long-term assessment included a phone interview utilizing the Barthel index and a specifically designed cognitive index. RESULTS Sixteen cases met the inclusion criteria. Mean age was 40 years (range 10-66 years) with female:male ratio of 4.3:1 and a mean followup period of 35 months (0-128 months). Headache was the most common presenting symptom, seen in 88% of the cases, followed by focal symptoms (63%), and diffuse symptoms (44%). All patients had highly abnormal cerebral angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were present in 77% (10 of 13). Severe cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) abnormalities were present in 1 patient (7%). All followup cerebral angiography showed marked improvement. Recovery was demonstrated in 94% of the patients, 6% relapsed, and there were no deaths. Of patients assessed by the Barthel index, 71% showed no disability and 29% had mild disability. CONCLUSION There is a PACNS subset characterized by acute presentation (most commonly headache), normal to mildly abnormal CSF findings, female predominance, and highly abnormal cerebral angiography (reversible after treatment), requiring less intensive treatment than has been traditionally used.