Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alkaline elution analysis, a new approach to the study of DNA single-strand interruptions in cells.

Summary A procedure is described whereby shortened DNA single strands can be selectively eluted from filters upon which cells have been lysed. This provides a sensitive measure of DNA single-strand breakage that may be applicable to the detection of cell damage resulting from certain types of chemotherapeutic agents. The procedure was applied to the following processes in L1210 cells: ( a ) production of single-strand breaks in DNA by X-irradiation of cells; ( b ) repair of these breaks by subsequent incubation of the cells; ( c ) transient occurrence of newly replicated DNA as relatively short chains. X-irradiation converts cell DNA from a slowly eluting to a rapidly eluting form. The conversion is first order with respect to X-ray dose and has a D 37 dose of not more than 400 rads. The DNA single-strand units affected by this first-order process have a minimum size of 1.5 × 10 9 daltons (1500 µm). Repair after an X-ray dose of 1000 rads was essentially complete within 30 min. Newly replicated DNA is in a rapidly eluting form which is slowly converted to the slowly eluting form.
Evaluasi Kebijakan Revitalisasi dalam Pengelolaan Pasar Tradisional oleh Perusahaan Daerah Pasar Kota Medan

Revitalisasi pasar tradisional berarti mensinergikan potensi sumber daya yang dimiliki oleh pasar tradisional dengan mempertimbangkan semua aspek yang komprehensif, terintegrasi, dan holistik sehingga akan mampu meningkatkan daya saing pasar tradisional dengan selalu mempertahankan spesifikasi dan keunggulannya. Revitalisasi pasar tradisional harus dapat dilakukan dengan mengatur dan meningkatkan kualitasnya serta mengatasi kelemahannya yang menyebabkan menurunnya daya saingnya. Penelitian ini menggunakan teori kebijakan publik karena revitalisasi itu sendiri adalah kebijakan publik. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif kualitatif. Itu dilakukan Perusahaan Daerah Pasar, Medan, satu-satunya perusahaan yang diberi kewenangan menjadi Pemerintah Kota Medan untuk mengelola semua pasar di Medan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa model revitalisasi pasar tradisional sosial didasarkan pada modal sosial. Hasil studi lapangan di dua pasar menunjukkan bahwa revitalisasi ditekankan pada dimensi fisik pasar tanpa mempertimbangkan dimensi lain. Modal sosial bahkan telah membuat mereka menurun dan gagal di pasar Sukaramai. Di sisi lain, revitalisasi akan berhasil ketika merangkul atau menggunakan dimensi lain seperti jaringan sosial, kepercayaan, dan kepatuhan pada peraturan atau norma. Juga ditemukan bahwa kebijakan revitalisasi pasar Sukaramai dianggap tidak berhasil sehingga perlu perbaikan, sementara pasar Titi Kuning memiliki kebijakan yang baik.
Hemodynamic models of cerebral aneurysms for assessment of effect of vessel geometry on risk of rupture

Surgical decisions on treatment of cerebral aneurysms are based predominantly on aneurysm size. This study has assessed the influence of parent vessel geometry on intra-aneurysmal flow patterns and mass flow rate using computational fluid dynamics and finite element modeling of straight and curved vessels feeding saccular aneurysms of varying size and aspect ratio. Simulation results have shown that aneurysms of similar shape and size but with curved parent vessels can have more than 2 fold increase in flow rate, with markedly different flow velocity patterns and development of secondary flows. These are significant hemodynamic factors that can contribute to increased risk of aneurysm rupture, in addition to aneurysm size. The dependency of parent vessel geometry is a function of aneurysm aspect ratio and shows minimal dependency at an aspect ratio of 1.68. These findings could be used for improved quantification of risk of rupture of cerebral aneurysms detected from clinical imaging modalities and to aid surgical decision making.
Tongue-Movement Communication and Control Concept for Hands-Free Human–Machine Interfaces

A new communication and control concept using tongue movements is introduced to generate, detect, and classify signals that can be used in novel hands-free human-machine interface applications such as communicating with a computer and controlling devices. The signals that are caused by tongue movements are the changes in the airflow pressure that occur in the ear canal. The goal is to demonstrate that the ear pressure signals that are acquired using a microphone that is inserted into the ear canal, due to specific tongue movements, are distinct and that the signals can be detected and classified very accurately. The strategy that is developed for demonstrating the concept includes energy-based signal detection and segmentation to extract ear pressure signals due to tongue movements, signal normalization to decrease the trial-to-trial variations in the signals, and pairwise cross-correlation signal averaging to obtain accurate estimates from ensembles of pressure signals. A new decision fusion classification algorithm is formulated to assign the pressure signals to their respective tongue-movement classes. The complete strategy of signal detection and segmentation, estimation, and classification is tested on four tongue movements of eight subjects. Through extensive experiments, it is demonstrated that the ear pressure signals due to the tongue movements are distinct and that the four pressure signals can be classified with an accuracy of more than 97% averaged across the eight subjects using the decision fusion classification algorithm. Thus, it is concluded that, through the unique concept that is introduced in this paper, human-computer interfaces that use tongue movements can be designed for hands-free communication and control applications.
Method for deriving visual field boundaries from OCT scans of patients with retinitis pigmentosa

The location of the loss of the inner segment (IS)/outer segment (OS) border, as seen with frequency domain optical coherence tomography (fdOCT), was determined on fdOCT scans from patients with retinitis pigmentosa. A comparison to visual field loss supported the hypothesis, based upon previous work, that the point at which the IS/OS border disappears provides a structural marker for the edge of the visual field. Repeat fdOCT measures showed good within day reproducibility, while data obtained on average 22.5 months later showed signs of progression. The IS/OS contour shows promise as a measure for following changes in patients undergoing treatment.
The inhibitory effect of gut microbiota and its metabolites on colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is regarded as one of the most common and deadly forms of cancer. Gut microbiota is vital to retain and promote several functions of intestinal. Although previous researches have shown that some gut microbiota has the abilities to inhibit tumorigenesis and prevent cancer from progressing, associative mechanisms. This review not only concentrates on the antitumor effects of metabolites produced by gut microbiota, for example, SCFA, ferrichrome, urolithins, equol and conjugated linoleic acids, but also the molecules which constituted the bacterial cell wall have the antitumor effect in the host, including lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid, β-glucans and peptidoglycan. The aim of our review is to develop a possible therapeutic method, which use the products of gut microbiota metabolism or gut microbiota constituents to help treat or prevent colorectal cancer.
Pyogenic arthritis associated with adjacent osteomyelitis: identification of the sequela‐prone child

We treated 96 cases of pyogenic arthritis from January 1, 1980, to December 31, 1990, 16 of whom had adjacent osteomyelitis. Presenting symptoms in the latter were indistinguishable from those in 80 cases of primary pyogenic arthritis with regard to involved joints, aspirate findings and pathogens; however, adjacent osteomyelitis patients tended to be younger and were more likely to be symptomatic more than 7 days and to have received prior antibiotics. Prompt joint drainage was done in 15 of 16 cases but adjacent osteomyelitis was recognized in only 5. Bone scan was misleading in 3 of the 4 cases where it was performed as part of the initial evaluation. Persistent pain, swelling and/ or fever occurred in 9 patients, 6 of whom underwent further joint drainage. Radiographs were diagnostic in 1 patient at admission, 10 during hospitalization and in 5 at follow-up. Sequelae were found in 8 of 13 patients with bone and joint infections vs. 8 of 41 patients
Multiple risk factors related to familial predisposition to anterior cruciate ligament injury: fraternal twin sisters with anterior cruciate ligament ruptures

Objective A multifactorial combination of predictors may increase anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk in athletes. The objective of this twin study was to examine these risk factors to identify commonalities in risk factors that predisposed female fraternal twins to ACL injury. Methods Female twins in high-risk sports were prospectively measured prior to an injury for neuromuscular control using three-dimensional motion analysis during landing, hamstrings and quadriceps muscular strength on a dynamometer and joint laxity using a modified Beighton–Horan index and a Compu-KT arthrometer. Intraoperative measures of femoral intercondylar notch width were recorded during ACL reconstruction. Results Abduction angles were increased at one knee in both of the twin sister athletes relative to uninjured controls at initial contact and at maximum displacement during landing. The twin female athletes that went on to ACL injury also demonstrated decreased peak knee flexion motion at both knees than uninjured females during landing. The twin athletes also had increased joint laxity and decreased hamstrings to quadriceps (H/Q) torque ratios compared to controls. Femoral intercondylar notch widths were also below the control mean in the twin siblings. Conclusions Prescreened mature female twins that subsequently experienced ACL injury demonstrated multiple potential risk factors including: increased knee abduction angles, decreased knee flexion angles, increased general joint laxity, decreased H/Q ratios and femoral intercondylar notch width.
Placental telomere shortening in stillbirth: a sign of premature senescence?

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate placental telomere shortening in unexplained stillbirths (SBs) as an indication of premature senescence. Methods: Placentas were collected from 42 unexplained SB (>22 weeks), 43 term and 15 preterm live births, at the Policlinico Hospital of Modena (Italy). DNA extracted from placentae was studied for telomere length by real time PCR. Standard curves were generated for telomere lengths from single copy gene amplifications using a reference DNA. The telomere length for each sample was derived based on the ratio of telomere length between the sample and single copy gene standard (T/S ratio). The mean ratio of placental telomere in term live births was 5.181 ± 3.841. Results: A twofold decrease in telomere length was seen in SBs (over all 2.455 ± 1.239; p < 0.001). For early SBs (above 34 weeks), the T/S was 2.8884 ± 1.224 and for late SBs, the T/S was 2.207 ± 1.201, both lower than term live births (both p < 0.01). T/S remained lower both in small for gestational age-SB (2.639 ± 1.619) and appropriate for gestational age-SB (2.653 ± 1.335) with no difference between these subgroups (p = ns). T/S was lower in SB compared with spontaneous preterm births (PTBs) (6.382 ± 5.525; p < 0.01), whereas SBs telomere length were similar to those of preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM) (3.296 ± 3.599; p = ns). Conclusions: Substantial reduction in telomere length in SBs is indicative of placental senescence. These data provide mechanistic insights that premature aging may lead to placental dysfunction as an initiator of fetal demise in unexplained SBs.
RAMAN SCATTERING BY MOLECULAR HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN IN EXOPLANETARY ATMOSPHERES

An important source of opacity in exoplanet atmospheres at short visible and near-UV wavelengths is Rayleigh scattering of light on molecules. It is accompanied by a related, albeit weaker process—Raman scattering. We analyze the signatures of Raman scattering imprinted in the reflected light and the geometric albedo of exoplanets, which could provide information about atmospheric properties. Raman scattering affects the geometric albedo spectra of planets in the following ways. First, it causes filling-in of strong absorption lines in the incident radiation, thus producing sharp peaks in the albedo. Second, it shifts the wavelengths of spectral features in the reflected light causing the so-called Raman ghost lines. Raman scattering can also cause a broadband reduction of the albedo due to wavelength shifting of a stellar spectrum with red spectral index. Observing the Raman peaks in the albedo could be used to measure the column density of gas, thus providing constraints on the presence of clouds in the atmosphere. Observing the Raman ghost lines could be used to spectroscopically identify the main scatterer in the atmosphere, even molecules like H2 or N2, which do not have prominent spectral signatures in the optical wavelength range. If detected, ghost lines could also provide information about the temperature of the atmosphere. In this paper, we investigate the effects of Raman scattering in hydrogen- and nitrogen-dominated atmospheres. We analyze the feasibility of detecting the signatures of Raman scattering with the existing and future observational facilities, and of using these signatures as probes of exoplanetary atmospheres.
Evaluation of Removal of Noroviruses during Wastewater Treatment, Using Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR: Different Behaviors of Genogroups I and II

ABSTRACT Noroviruses, an important cause of gastroenteritis, are excreted by infected individuals and are therefore present in wastewater. We quantified norovirus genogroup I (GI) and GII in wastewater at different locations in France and evaluated removal by a range of treatment types, including basic (waste stabilization pond), current industry standard (activated sludge), and state-of-the-art (submerged membrane bioreactor) treatments. Noroviruses were quantified using real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR). Mengovirus was used as a virus extraction control, and internal controls were used to verify the level of GI and GII rRT-PCR inhibition. A total of 161 (81 influent and 79 effluent) samples were examined; GI and GII were detected in 43 and 88% of the influent samples, respectively, and in 24 and 14% of the effluent samples, respectively. Physicians in France report far more cases of GII than GI during outbreaks; thus, the frequent presence of GI was unexpected. The GI influent concentrations were more variable, the peak GI influent concentrations were higher than the peak GII influent concentrations at all four sites (up to 1 × 109 and 6 × 107 genome copies/liter, respectively), and the average positive influent concentrations of GI were higher than the average positive influent concentrations of GII. The maximum effluent breakthrough concentrations were 6 × 106 and 3 × 106 genome copies/liter for GI and GII, respectively, indicating that the four treatment systems studied decreased the norovirus contamination load in receiving waters.
An Observer-Based Three-Phase Current Reconstruction using DC Link Measurement in PMAC Motors

This paper proposes a novel three-phase current reconstruction technique that utilises the measured DC link current and the switching signals of a three-phase inverter used in permanent magnet (PM) AC motors. The method is based on an adaptive current observer, which includes the model of a motor drive to estimate the three-phase currents. The relationship between the three-phase currents and the DC link current is used to estimate the DC link current first as an output of the observer. Then, this output is compared with the measured DC link current and the current error. The error is used to compensate the DC link voltage that can force the estimated phase currents to follow the actual winding currents. The paper provides a detailed analysis of the current conduction modes in a three-phase inverter and summarises the implementation details the method in realtime. A wide range of experimental results provided in this study demonstrates that the method can accurately reconstruct the phase currents both in the sinusoidal and in the rectangular current excitation modes of a PMAC motor. The real time experimental results are also given to demonstrate the closed-loop performance of the motor drive operating using a single current sensor
Morphological Differences between Larvae of the Ciona intestinalis Species Complex: Hints for a Valid Taxonomic Definition of Distinct Species

The cosmopolitan ascidian Ciona intestinalis is the most common model species of Tunicata, the sister-group of Vertebrata, and widely used in developmental biology, genomics and evolutionary studies. Recently, molecular studies suggested the presence of cryptic species hidden within the C. intestinalis species, namely C. intestinalis type A and type B. So far, no substantial morphological differences have been identified between individuals belonging to the two types. Here we present morphometric, immunohistochemical, and histological analyses, as well as 3-D reconstructions, of late larvae obtained by cross-fertilization experiments of molecularly determined type A and type B adults, sampled in different seasons and in four different localities. Our data point to quantitative and qualitative differences in the trunk shape of larvae belonging to the two types. In particular, type B larvae exhibit a longer pre-oral lobe, longer and relatively narrower total body length, and a shorter ocellus-tail distance than type A larvae. All these differences were found to be statistically significant in a Discriminant Analysis. Depending on the number of analyzed parameters, the obtained discriminant function was able to correctly classify > 93% of the larvae, with the remaining misclassified larvae attributable to the existence of intra-type seasonal variability. No larval differences were observed at the level of histology and immunohistochemical localization of peripheral sensory neurons. We conclude that type A and type B are two distinct species that can be distinguished on the basis of larval morphology and molecular data. Since the identified larval differences appear to be valid diagnostic characters, we suggest to raise both types to the rank of species and to assign them distinct names.
Response of osteoblast-like SAOS-2 cells to zirconia ceramics with different surface topographies.

OBJECTIVES Zirconia is a suitable biomaterial for use in medicine (stomatology, orthopaedics) due to its good biocompatibility and outstanding mechanical properties. This study compares the effect of (i) zirconia to the widely used titanium and (ii) zirconia with two different surface topographies (sandblasted and sandblasted/etched) on the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of SAOS-2 osteoblasts. METHODS SAOS-2 cells were cultured on either sandblasted or sandblasted/etched zirconia and compared with sandblasted/etched titanium. 2 and 24 h after plating, cell morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and fluorescence imaging. At 24 and 48 h, cell number-relevant parameters were determined. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineral accumulation were measured at days 8, 11, 15 and day 22 of culture, respectively. RESULTS SEM and fluorescence images revealed a faster spreading as well as higher number of adherent cells after 24 h incubation on zirconia compared with titanium. Also, the cellular metabolic activity after 24 h and the proliferation rate after 48 h is higher with zirconia compared with titanium. Zirconia had a more pronounced effect compared with titanium on the differentiation of SAOS-2 cells: ALP activity, an early differentiation marker increased earlier and mineralization, a late differentiation marker was increased. Only minor differences were found between zirconia with two different surface topographies; etched zirconia promoted slightly greater the differentiation of SAOS-2 cells. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that zirconia mediates a pronounced stronger effect on the adhesion, proliferation and differentiation compared with titanium; and that topographical differences of zirconia have minor effects on osteoblast biology.
Predictors of Indoor Air Concentrations in Smoking and Non-Smoking Residences

Indoor concentrations of air pollutants (benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, elemental carbon and ozone) were measured in residences in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Data were collected in 106 homes in winter and 111 homes in summer of 2007, with 71 homes participating in both seasons. In addition, data for relative humidity, temperature, air exchange rates, housing characteristics and occupants’ activities during sampling were collected. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to construct season-specific models for the air pollutants. Where smoking was a major contributor to indoor concentrations, separate models were constructed for all homes and for those homes with no cigarette smoke exposure. The housing characteristics and occupants’ activities investigated in this study explained between 11% and 53% of the variability in indoor air pollutant concentrations, with ventilation, age of home and attached garage being important predictors for many pollutants.
Decentralized Cooperative Control Strategy of Microsources for Stabilizing Autonomous VSC-Based Microgrids

In designing procedure of a power sharing controller for a voltage source converter (VSC)-based microgrid with no communication link, three issues should be considered. Firstly, in VSC-based microgrids, which use droop controller method, the desired frequency of VSCs is altering regarding the output active power. Consequently, the conventional load frequency control techniques are inappropriate since their operation is based on a fixed pre-specified desired frequency. Secondly, to prevent circulating current and thermally overstressing, all DGs should participate in active power supply. In addition, since there is no communication link, the steady state value of each micro-source active power is unknown. Therefore, the conventional fixed active power control method for DGs is not appropriate. Thirdly, when the microgrid loads are increased, the output power of VSCs is increased rapidly; however, the output power of each VSC's primary source could not change in the same rate to respond. It causes the DC voltage of VSCs to decrease, which could affect the appropriate performance of VSCs. In this paper, a novel control strategy for VSCs and an energy storage system in a VSC-based microgrid without communication link accompanied with a novel hybrid model of VSC-based DGs, which considers primary source effect, is proposed.