Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can Romney ram lambs whose scrotums had been shortened by the use of a rubber ring be used as an alternative to vasectomised Perendale rams for inducing early breeding activity in Romney ewe lambs?

Abstract AIM: To determine if exposure to ram lambs whose scrotums had been shortened by the use of a rubber ring would induce reproductive activity in ewe lambs, and determine if this technique was an effective alternative to vasectomised mature rams. METHODS: Seven hundred and forty-nine Romney ewe lambs, 7–8 months of age, were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups. Treatments included exposure for 17 days prior to breeding to either mature vasectomised rams (Vasec), or ram lambs whose scrotums has been shortened via a rubber ring (Ram SS), or not being exposed to either vasectomised or short-scrotum ram lambs (Unteased). Using crayon marks, ewe lambs were identified as having been marked during the first 17 days only, during both 17-day periods, during the second 17 days only, or not marked. Hoggets were weighed on the day of introduction of entire rams. All ewe lambs were diagnosed for pregnancy status using ultrasound. RESULTS: Unteased ewe lambs and those exposed to ram lambs whose scrotums had been shortened by the use of a rubber ring were less (p<0.05) likely to be marked and pregnant to the first 17 days of breeding than ewe lambs exposed to mature vasectomised rams. Twin-bearing ewe lambs were heavier (p<0.05) than their single-bearing counterparts at introduction of the rams. CONCLUSION: Exposure of ewe lambs to mature vasectomised rams is an effective means of increasing the numbers of ewe lambs bred and pregnant to the first 17 days of breeding. In contrast, a 17-day exposure to ram lambs whose scrotums had been shortened by the use of a rubber ring, at the ratios utilised in the present study, were not a suitable alternative to mature vasectomised rams for inducing early breeding activity in ewe lambs.
Zero vibration shapers with distributed delays of various types

The paper deals with design and analysis of novel zero-vibration (ZV) signal shapers. The shaper structure is based on replacing the lumped delay of the classical ZV shaper by a series of lumped and either equally or triangularly distributed delays. For the parametrization purposes, the spectral theory of time delay systems is applied with the aid of numerical tool for computation of rightmost part of infinite spectra of shaper zeros. In the analysis performed, the novel shapers show better spectral, step response and robustness features compared to the classical ZV shaper in some aspects. An experimental example is included to demonstrate the novel shaper performance.
Residual Strength of Colluvium and Stability Analysis of Farmland slope

Since 1960, optimum land utilization has become part of the national policy in Japan. In particular, residential development near and around large cities, reclamation of coastal regions, and construction of dams and highways are growing to respond to the improvement of local living conditions. On the other hand, these developments have severely altered the existing topography. As a consequence, landslides are occurring at an alarming rate and vigorous countermeasures have to be taken urgently to prevent these disasters. In view of this fact, land consolidation works were undertaken in the Hyogo Prefecture to permit the setting up of new rice fields. The ongoing stabilization works were started during the fiscal year 1993 and covers about 1700 hectares. These installations after completion will contribute not only to the stabilization of slopes for safety life, but also to the stabilization of agricultural management in the region. In this paper, the risks of landslide occurrence after completion of the project are pointed out by the use of the Bromhead Ring Shear Apparatus for testing samples of soils from the project site. Residual strength parameters (cohesion and friction angle) obtained by these tests were then used, in the limit equilibrium stability analysis through three different methods (the standard slice method, the simplified Bishop method and the simplified Janbu method) for the calculation of the factor of safety under different ground water level conditions, and the results were compared.
A Structural Equations Model for Assessing the Economic Performance of High-Tech Ethnic Entrepreneurs

In this paper we develop and test a conceptual model of the key relationships concerning the business performance and success of ethnic entrepreneurs. To that end, an explanatory model'GALAXY' is presented which serves as a framework for mapping out the impact that various background factors are assumed to have on the economic performance of ethnic entrepreneurs active in the high-tech sector in four big cities in the Netherlands. The model describes the behavioural and other factors which are grouped into four components: Motivational Factors; Socio-economic Contextual Factors; Policy Factors; and Business Environment. After a first examination of the relationships using ordered logit modelling, the resulting structural equation model is tested by using the AMOS software. The information base of our research comes from a set of extensive survey questionnaires administered to migrant and native entrepreneurs in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. With the help of these data, a series of hypotheses on the relationships between the above-mentioned four components and individual firm performance is tested, with particular reference to the success conditions of ethnic entrepreneurs in the high-tech sector. Our structural equation model shows that three of the eight hypothesized paths were statistically significant. Of the three significant paths, only the paths between social networks and pull factors had the direction predicted, while current business location and Business Performance showed a reverse relationship.
MATRIX Ap WEIGHTS VIA S-FUNCTIONS

The statement of the problem. In this paper we study weighted norm inequalities with matrix valued weights. Namely, let W be a d × d matrix weight, i.e. a L-function whose values are selfadjoint nonnegative d × d matrices. We suppose that the weight W is defined on the unit circle T = {z ∈ C : |z| = 1} or the real line R. Let L = L(C) be the space of all measurable vector functions on T whose Cnorm is summable to the power of p. Let H = H(C) be the corresponding Hardy space of analytic functions, and let P+ be projection in L p onto H annihilating antianalytic functions in L which vanish at the origin. Let H denote the Hilbert
Denitrification in a Sand and Gravel Aquifer

Denitrification was assayed by the acetylene blockage technique in slurried core material obtained from a freshwater sand and gravel aquifer. The aquifer, which has been contaminated with treated sewage for more than 50 years, had a contaminant plume greater than 3.5-km long. Near the contaminant source, groundwater nitrate concentrations were greater than 1 mM, whereas 0.25 km downgradient the central portion of the contaminant plume was anoxic and contained no detectable nitrate. Samples were obtained along the longitudinal axis of the plume (0 to 0.25 km) at several depths from four sites. Denitrification was evident at in situ nitrate concentrations at all sites tested; rates ranged from 2.3 to 260 pmol of N2O produced (g of wet sediment)−1 h−1. Rates were highest nearest the contaminant source and decreased with increasing distance downgradient. Denitrification was the predominant nitrate-reducing activity; no evidence was found for nitrate reduction to ammonium at any site. Denitrifying activity was carbon limited and not nitrate limited, except when the ambient nitrate level was less than the detection limit, in which case, even when amended with high concentrations of glucose and nitrate, the capacity to denitrify on a short-term basis was lacking. These results demonstrate that denitrification can occur in groundwater systems and, thereby, serve as a mechanism for nitrate removal from groundwater.
Is a morphologically intact anal sphincter necessary for success with sacral nerve modulation in patients with faecal incontinence?

Objective Sacral nerve modulation (SNM) for the treatment of faecal incontinence was originally performed in patients with an intact anal sphincter or after repair of a sphincter defect. There is evidence that SNM can be performed in patients with faecal incontinence and an anal sphincter defect.
Accurate Current Estimation for Interconnect Reliability Analysis

An improved and efficient method for static estimation of average and root-mean-squared currents used for electromigration (EM) reliability analysis is presented in this work. Significantly different from state-of-the-art, the proposed method gives closed-form expressions for average and RMS currents in one complete cycle. The proposed method can be readily configured to work with different combinations of ramp and exponential waveforms. Subsequently, the inadequacies of using conventional EM-severity metrics: either the net's lumped capacitance or the net's effective capacitance, along with the regular timing slew, for EM analysis are outlined. As a correction, and, application of proposed method, we provide formulations for deriving the effective “EM” slew, which can be used with conventional approaches to accurately compute the currents. Further, unlike traditional wisdom, we note that not just the RMS current, but even the total charge transfer can depend on the waveform type, and propose formulations to that regard. Additionally, for the first time, we present a method for incorporating the driver's dynamic IR drop while computing RMS currents. Alongside, we lay recommendations for ensuring the standard-cell EM safety at chip level. Finally, we share model-validation results from a production 40 nm design, enabling a 40% higher performance closure.
Immature rat convulsions and long‐term effects on hippocampal cholinergic neurotransmission

Generalized tonic-clonic convulsions were induced on 2 consecutive days bypentylenetetrazol (PTZ) in immature rats (postnatal days 10 and 20), and hippocampal slices were prepared at different intervals post-injection. The anticholinesterase eserine provoked interictal-like discharges in the CA3 area of PTZ-injected rats (19/33), but not in controls (0/15), an effect mimicked by carbachol and reversed by atropine. This enhanced response to eserine was recorded in slices from 25–100% of the PTZ-injected rats, the percentage varying with the age at injection and post-injection interval. These results suggest that seizures in immature brain may have long-term consequences in cholinergic neurotransmission, converting a rise in endogenous ACh into an epileptogenic stimulus, which in turn would presumably facilitate the recurrence of seizures.
MEM relay for reconfigurable RF circuits

We describe a microelectromechanical (MEM) relay technology for high-performance reconfigurable RF circuits. This microrelay, fabricated using surface micromachining, is a metal contact relay with electrical isolation between signal and drive lines. This relay provides excellent switching performance over a broad frequency band (insertion loss of 0.1 dB and isolation of 30 dB at 40 GHz), versatility in switch circuit configurations (microstrip and coplanar, shunt and series), and the capability for monolithic integration with high-frequency electronics. In addition, this MEM relay technology has demonstrated yields and lifetimes that are promising for RF circuit implementation.
AmaLgam+: Composing Rich Information Sources for Accurate Bug Localization

During the evolution of a software system, a large number of bug reports are submitted. Locating the source code files that need to be fixed to resolve the bugs is a challenging problem. Thus, there is a need for a technique that can automatically figure out these buggy files. A number of bug localization solutions that take in a bug report and output a ranked list of files sorted based on their likelihood to be buggy have been proposed in the literature. However, the accuracy of these tools still needs to be improved. In this paper, to address this need, we propose AmaLgam+, which is a method for locating relevant buggy files that puts together fives sources of information, namely, version history, similar reports, structure, stack traces, and reporter information. We perform a large‐scale experiment on four open source projects, namely, AspectJ, Eclipse, SWT, and ZXing to localize more than 3000 bugs. We compare AmaLgam + with several state‐of‐the‐art approaches including AmaLgam, BLUiR+, BRtracer+, BugLocator, and TFIDF‐DHbPd. These approaches leverage one or several of the sources of information analyzed by AmaLgam+, but not all of them. On average, AmaLgam + achieves a 6.0% improvement over AmaLgam, which merges three sources of information, in terms of Mean Average Precision (MAP). For AspectJ and Eclipse datasets, in which there are many bug reports with stack traces and many reporters submit multiple bug reports, AmaLgam + achieves a 12.0% improvement over AmaLgam in terms of MAP. Compared with the other state‐of‐the‐art approaches, AmaLgam + achieves an improvement of 20.3%, 22.5%, 33.1%, and 73.9% over BLUiR+, BRtracer+, BugLocator, and TFIDF‐DHbPd in terms of MAP, respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of cevimeline in Sjögren's syndrome patients with xerostomia and keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of 2 dosages of cevimeline for the treatment of xerostomia and keratoconjunctivitis sicca in patients with Sjögren's syndrome. METHODS A 12-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was performed. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo, 15 mg of cevimeline 3 times daily, or 30 mg of cevimeline 3 times daily. Patients were evaluated at baseline and throughout the study for their global assessment of dryness (mouth, eyes, overall) as well as their subjective assessment of the specific symptoms of dry mouth and dry eyes. Total saliva and tear flow also were measured. RESULTS Patients taking 30 mg of cevimeline 3 times daily had statistically significant improvements in their subjective global assessment of dry eyes (P = 0.0453), dry mouth (P = 0.0004), and increased salivary flow (P = 0.007). Patients receiving the 30-mg dosage also showed greater objective improvement (increased salivary and lacrimal flow rates, as measured by Schirmer's test) than did patients receiving placebo. Frequently reported adverse events included headache, increased sweating, abdominal pain, and nausea. CONCLUSION Treatment with cevimeline at a dosage of 30 mg 3 times daily resulted in substantive improvement by increasing the rate of saliva and tear flow in patients with Sjögren's syndrome, as well as improving subjective symptoms of dry mouth, dry eyes, and overall dryness. The 15-mg dosage relieved some symptoms, and both dosages were well tolerated.
Preclinical Assessment of Inflammatory Pain

While acute inflammation is a natural physiological response to tissue injury or infection, chronic inflammation is maladaptive and engenders a considerable amount of adverse pain. The chemical mediators responsible for tissue inflammation act on nociceptive nerve endings to lower neuronal excitation threshold and sensitize afferent firing rate leading to the development of allodynia and hyperalgesia, respectively. Animal models have aided in our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the generation of chronic inflammatory pain and allowed us to identify and validate numerous analgesic drug candidates. Here we review some of the commonly used models of skin, joint, and gut inflammatory pain along with their relative benefits and limitations. In addition, we describe and discuss several behavioral and electrophysiological approaches used to assess the inflammatory pain in these preclinical models. Despite significant advances having been made in this area, a gap still exists between fundamental research and the implementation of these findings into a clinical setting. As such we need to characterize inherent pathophysiological pathways and develop new endpoints in these animal models to improve their predictive value of human inflammatory diseases in order to design safer and more effective analgesics.
Chemical composition and functional properties of gum exudates from the trunk of the almond tree (Prunus dulcis)

The physicochemical components and functional properties of the gum exudates from the trunk of the almond tree (Prunus dulcis) have been investigated, along with the emulsification and foaming properties. The gum exudates are composed on dry weight basis by 2.45% of proteins, 0.85% of fats and 92.36% of carbohydrates. The latter consist of arabinose, xylitol, galactose and uronic acid (46.8 : 10.9 : 35.5 : 6.0 mass ratio) with traces of rhamnose, mannose and glucose. Moreover, gum exudates are rich in minerals, such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and iron. The emulsifying capacity was studied for a 20% w/w olive oil in water emulsion as a function of gum concentration (from 3% to 12% w/w in the aqueous phase) as well as pH levels (from 3.0 to 10.0). The most stable and homogeneous emulsion was prepared with an 8% w/w aqueous almond gum solution at a pH between 5.0 and 8.0. In particular, for the same formulation, the emulsion processed by high pressure homogenization (5 passes at 200 MPa) resulted to be extremely stable under accelerated ageing, exhibiting no significant change in droplet size distribution for 14 days at 55 °C. All the tested systems exhibited an extremely low foaming capacity.
IMAGE‐GUIDED LATERAL SUBOCCIPITAL APPROACH: PART 2—IMPACT ON COMPLICATION RATES AND OPERATION TIMES

OBJECTIVE Image-guidance systems are widely available for surgical planning and intraoperative navigation. Recently, three-dimensional volumetric image rendering technology that increasingly applies in navigation systems to assist neurosurgical planning, e.g., for cranial base approaches. However, there is no systematic clinical study available that focuses on the impact of this image-guidance technology on outcome parameters in suboccipital craniotomies. METHODS A total of 200 patients with pathologies located in the cerebellopontine angle were reviewed, 100 of whom underwent volumetric neuronavigation and 100 of whom underwent treatment without intraoperative image guidance. This retrospective study analyzed the impact of image guidance on complication rates (venous sinus injury, venous air embolism, postoperative morbidity caused by venous air embolism) and operation times for the lateral suboccipital craniotomies performed with the patient in the semi-sitting position. RESULT This study demonstrated a 4% incidence of injury to the transverse-sigmoid sinus complex in the image-guided group compared with a 15% incidence in the non-image-guided group. Venous air embolisms were detected in 8% of the image-guided patients and in 19% of the non-image-guided patients. These differences in terms of complication rates were significant for both venous sinus injury and venous air embolism (P < 0.05). There was no difference in postoperative morbidity secondary to venous air embolism between both groups. The mean time for craniotomy was 21 minutes in the image-guided group and 39 minutes in non-image-guided group (P = 0.036). CONCLUSION Volumetric image guidance provides fast and reliable three-dimensional visualization of sinus anatomy in the posterior fossa, thereby significantly increasing speed and safety in lateral suboccipital approaches.
Apoptosis and Cell Proliferation Potential of Bovine Embryos Stimulated with Insulin-Like Growth Factor I During In Vitro Maturation and Culture1

Abstract Reliable estimation and improvement of the developmental potential of in vitro production (IVP) embryos requires functional criteria of embryo quality. Antiapoptotic and mitogenic effects of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), applied during bovine IVP, were studied. Day 6.5 blastocysts were fixed and processed for TUNEL to detect apoptotic cells, for immunocytochemical detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and for propidium iodide (PI) staining to detect all nuclei. Laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to determine apoptotic (TUNEL/PI) and proliferative (PCNA/PI) indices. Addition of IGF-I to the culture but not to the maturation medium increased the morula/blastocyst yield (P = 0.03), but the cleavage rate was not affected. During culture, IGF-I significantly lowered the apoptotic index by decreasing the number of apoptotic cells per embryo and elevated the total cell number of the blastocysts. The frequency of blastocysts with apoptotic cells was not affected. IGF-I increased the proportion of blastocysts with apoptotic cells in the inner cell mass area only by reducing apoptosis in the trophectoderm area. The PCNA index was not affected by IGF-I. A positive correlation observed between apoptotic and PCNA-positive cells was significant in groups stimulated with IGF-I during in vitro culture. Of TUNEL-positive cells, 30%–40% per embryo were also positive for PCNA. This colocalization may indirectly suggest an activation of DNA repair process in TUNEL-positive cells in response to DNA fragmentation. IGF-I reduces apoptosis in bovine IVP embryos. The requirement of IGF-I is more critical during embryo culture than during oocyte maturation. Our data suggest that an assay for TUNEL in conjunction with cell proliferation analysis can provide useful information about the quality of IVP embryos.
Evaluation of concentration of voriconazole in aqueous humor after topical and oral administration in horses.

OBJECTIVE To determine penetration of topically and orally administered voriconazole into ocular tissues and evaluate concentrations of the drug in blood and signs of toxicosis after topical application in horses. ANIMALS 11 healthy adult horses. PROCEDURE Each eye in 6 horses was treated with a single concentration (0.5%, 1.0%, or 3.0%) of a topically administered voriconazole solution every 4 hours for 7 doses. Anterior chamber paracentesis was performed and plasma samples were collected after application of the final dose. Voriconazole concentrations in aqueous humor (AH) and plasma were measured via high-performance liquid chromatography. Five horses received a single orally administered dose of voriconazole (4 mg/kg); anterior chamber paracentesis was performed, and voriconazole concentrations in AH were measured. RESULTS Mean +/- SD voriconazole concentrations in AH after topical administration of 0.5%, 1.0%, and 3.0% solutions (n = 4 eyes for each concentration) were 1.43 +/- 0.37 microg/mL, 2.35 +/- 0.78 microg/mL, and 2.40 +/- 0.29 microg/mL, respectively. The 1.0% and 3.0% solutions resulted in significantly higher AH concentrations than the 0.5% solution, and only the 3.0% solution induced signs of ocular toxicosis. Voriconazole was detected in the plasma for 1 hour after the final topically administered dose of all solutions. Mean +/- SD voriconazole concentration in AH after a single orally administered dose was 0.86 +/- 0.22 microg/mL. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that voriconazole effectively penetrated the cornea in clinically normal eyes and reached detectable concentrations in the AH after topical administration. The drug also penetrated noninflamed equine eyes after oral administration. Low plasma concentrations of voriconazole were detected after topical administration.