Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fine structure of Tritrichomonas foetus as seen using cryotechniques

Tritrichomonas foetus was studied using different physical and chemical fixation methods such as fast‐freezing (by high pressure, “slam‐freezing,” and jet‐propane), freeze‐substitution, conventional freeze‐fracture and deep‐etching, cryoultramicrotomy, and routine preparation for transmission electron microscopy. The use of fast‐freezing fixation (FFF) proved to be superior in terms of structural preservation due to the rapidity of this fixation compared to that obtained using conventional chemical fixation. The low temperature techniques used here were useful to confirm data already obtained by conventional freeze‐fracture using chemical fixation and cryoprotection, such as the presence of flagellar rosettes and costa structure. Cryoultramicrotomy and slam‐freezing also demonstrated the presence of hair‐like structures projecting out from the protozoan surface. New aspects of organelles of T. foetus were demonstrated. Published 1994 by Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Habitat use in the Female Alpine Long-Eared Bat (Plecotus macrobullaris): Does Breeding Make the Difference?

Recent discoveries of several new cryptic bat species in Europe, as well as the growing concerns on bat conservation, have resulted in increased efforts to study roost site selection, habitat use and spacing/foraging behaviour. For many of these cryptic species, management is problematic due to the lack of information. We present data on space and habitat use of 14 radio-tagged Plecotus macrobullaris females from a nursery in the central part of the species' distribution. They used home ranges larger than 10 km2, and the behavioural pattern was typically a first foraging bout soon after emergence from the nursery, followed by fast non-foraging flight towards selected habitat types. Habitat selection, as evaluated by K-select analysis, is non-random with preference for ecotones at woodland borders and rural areas, whereas woods are avoided. Body condition differentially affects habitat use for breeding and non-breeding females: breeding females in good condition showed a strong preference for ecotones. Among non-breeding females, the preference for ecotones varied with body condition. Being the sibling species of P. auritus, which is considered a woodland bat, the selection pattern observed for P. macrobullaris raises some questions about the possible niche partition in cases of sympatry.
Treatment of Sexual Offenders: Research, Best Practices, and Emerging Models

Treatment of sexual offenders has evolved substantially over the years; various theoretical and practice models of treatment been developed, modified, refined, and proposed over time. The predominant current recommended approach, supported by research, adheres to specific principles of effective correctional intervention, follows a cognitive-behavioral, skills-based orientation, and explicitly targets risk factors empirically associated with sexual offending and with recidivism, such that risk of re-offending may be reduced. Cognitive-behavioral treatment focuses on changing behavior, cognition, and affect, using a skills-based approach, with the aim of reducing risk of recidivism, and includes specific characteristics and methods on the part of treatment providers. Treatment is also guided by specific principles of intervention to maximize effectiveness. New models of treatment have been proposed with the aim of replacing and/or augmenting existing models. This article discusses existing and emerging models, their research basis, and recommendations for best practice in the treatment of sexual offenders.
Demagnetization faults detection in an axial flux permanent magnet synchronous generator

In this paper the demagnetization faults that occur in a axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) synchronous machine using 3D finite element method (FEM) are studied. Two different generator topologies, a single rotor and a double rotor coreless topology, are simulated. The harmonic components of the spectrum of the back-emf and the stator current waveforms are calculated and the fault indicator harmonics are extracted and discussed.
Articular Cartilage Evaluation After TruFit Plug Implantation Analyzed by Delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced MRI of Cartilage (dGEMRIC)

Background: Quantitative MRI of articular cartilage has rapidly developed in recent years and provides the clinician with a noninvasive tool to determine the biological consequence of an intervention. Purpose: To evaluate the quality of intra-articular cartilage, using the dGEMRIC scanning technique, 1 year after TruFit implantation. The hypothesis was that implantation of a TruFit plug does not lead to damage at the opposing articular cartilage. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 13 patients (age, 32 ± 8 years) were evaluated with dGEMRIC at 12 ± 4 months after treatment of an osteochondral lesion by implantation of 1 or multiple TruFit plugs. The dGEMRIC scanning protocol was applied 90 minutes after intravenous Magnevist (0.2 mmol/kg body weight) injection. Different regions of interest (ROIs) were defined: the femur cartilage, cartilage directly surrounding the implanted TruFit plug, the TruFit plug, and the articulating and nonarticulating tibia cartilage. The average dGEMRIC index (T1gd; magnetic resonance imaging relaxation time per ROI) was calculated by a pixel-by-pixel curve fitting using the Levenberg-Marquardt method. Differences between the mean T1gd of the individual ROI for all patients were tested using analysis of variance with post hoc Bonferroni correction. A P value <. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The average T1gd of the TruFit ROI (385 ± 74 ms) was comparable with those in the femur (409 ± 49 ms) and surrounding (392 ± 64 ms) ROIs (P ≥ .339). The average T1gds for the articulating (578 ± 133 ms) and nonarticulating (516 ± 118 ms) ROIs were higher compared with the femur (409 ± 49 ms), surrounding (392 ± 64 ms), and TruFit (385 ± 74 ms) ROIs (P < .002), while no difference was observed between the tibia ROIs (P = .160). Conclusion: Implantation of the TruFit plug in osteochondral lesions does not damage the opposing or surrounding surface, and newly formed tissue inside the plug has cartilage-like dGEMRIC characteristics 12 months after implantation. The implantation of synthetic TruFit plugs is safe for the opposing cartilage, an item that is frequently discussed when using such materials to treat focal cartilage defects.
Variability of fasting plasma glucose increased risks of diabetic polyneuropathy in T2DM

Objective: To examine whether variations in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), as measured by the coefficient of variation (CV), is a predictor of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) risk, considering glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and other traditional risk factors. Methods: Type 2 diabetic patients enrolled in the National Diabetes Care Management Program were ≥30 years of age and free of DPN (n = 36,152). They were enrolled in 2002–2004 and were monitored until 2011. The related factors were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: During an average 7.23 years of follow-up, a total of 7,219 incident cases of DPN were identified, with a crude incidence rate of 27.62/1,000 person-years (25.83 for men and 29.31 for women). After multivariate adjustment, both FPG-CV and HbA1c were significant predictors of DPN, with corresponding hazard ratios of 1.14 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–1.23) and 1.15 (95% CI 1.06–1.24) for FPG-CV in the fourth to fifth quintiles and 1.13 (95% CI 1.07–1.20) for HbA1c ≥7%. This finding maintained consistency after excluding potential confounders in the sensitivity analysis, further validating the results. Conclusions: FPG-CV and HbA1c ≥7% were potent predictors of DPN in type 2 diabetic patients. The associations among HbA1c, glycemic variability, and DPN suggest a linked pathophysiologic mechanism, which may play a crucial role in clinical risk assessments.
[Correlation between plasma level of homocysteine and cerebral large-artery atherosclerosis].

OBJECTIVE To identify whether high level of plasma homocysteine is an independent risk factor for potential cerebral large-artery atherosclerotic stenosis determined by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS 276 adult patients with ischemic stroke experienced DSA were selected, and 224 patients with potential large-artery atherosclerotic stenosis (grade > 50%, not less than one of vascular) and 52 controls without stenosis or mild grade (grade < or = 50%) were included. Plasma homocysteine level was analyzed and conventional risk factors of cerebral stroke such as sex and age, hypertension, diabetes, long-smoking, long-alcohol and plasma levels of triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein was evaluated in 276 subjects. RESULTS The proportion of subjects with high level of plasma homocysteine (> 15 micromol/L) was significantly higher in patients with potential atherosclerotic stenosis than those without (38.8% versus 15.4%; OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.57 - 7.77, P = 0.001). Based on multivariable stepwise logistic regression model, the odds ratio of homocysteine levels was 4.10 (95% CI 1.80 - 9.32, P = 0.001) with additional adjustment for conventional risk factors. The effect of homocysteine was more pronounced in the presence of hypertension (OR = 4.89), old age (OR = 4.79) and low level of plasma high density lipoprotein (OR = 10.46). CONCLUSIONS It is suggested that high level of plasma homocysteine is an independent risk factor for cerebral large-artery atherosclerosis. The effect of homocysteine is more pronounced in the presence of other risk factors of ischemic stroke.
Does duration of symptoms affect clinical outcome after hip arthroscopy for labral tears? Analysis of prospectively collected outcomes with minimum 2-year follow-up

Abstract Limited research exists on the possible association between duration of symptoms and clinical outcomes following hip arthroscopy for labral tears. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether duration of symptoms affected clinical and patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores following hip arthroscopy for labral tears. From 2008 to 2011, data were collected prospectively on all patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy for labral tears. Workers’ compensation cases, dysplasia cases and patients with previous ipsilateral hip surgeries were excluded. A total of 738 patients were identified with a minimum of 2-year follow-up, and clinical and PRO data were available for 680 patients. Uni- and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the relationship between duration of symptoms along with other variables and PROs. Overall, patients experienced significant improvements in all clinical and PRO scores. Results of univariate analysis revealed that all PROs were negatively associated with increasing Log10 months of symptoms as were pain and satisfaction scores. During multivariate analyses, increasing Log10 months of symptoms, age, body mass index and trauma were all negatively associated with PROs (P < 0.05). Our study demonstrates that clinical and PRO scores were negatively associated with increasing duration of symptoms prior to hip arthroscopy for treatment of labral tears. Although this implies that delay in treatment may adversely affect outcome, conservative treatment remains the gold standard first line of treatment. Surgeons should incorporate this information into their treatment algorithm to maximize patient outcomes following treatment for labral tears. Level of evidence: Level IV, prospective case series.
Treatment With Raloxifene and 17β-estradiol Differentially Modulates Nitric Oxide and Prostanoids in Venous Endothelium and Platelets of Ovariectomized Pigs

Oral treatment with raloxifene, a synthetic estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), or 17β-estradiol (E2) increases risk for venous thrombosis in women. Acute application of either substance releases endothelium-derived factors from isolated femoral veins but it is not known how their chronic use affects venous functions or the interaction of platelets with veins. This study tested the hypothesis that treatment of ovariectomized animals with oral raloxifene or E2 would increase release of proaggregatory factors from venous endothelium and platelets. Ovariectomized (OVX) pigs were either untreated or treated with oral raloxifene (60 mg/day) or E2 (2 mg/day) for 4 weeks. Plasma concentrations of nitric oxide were comparable in both treatment groups and greater than in OVX pigs. Ratio of plasma thromboxane to prostacyclin was twofold greater in raloxifene compared to E2-treated pigs. In isolated femoral veins, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA; 10−4 M) augmented endothelium-dependent relaxations to adenosine diphosphate in veins from E2-treated pigs but inhibited relaxations in veins from raloxifene-treated pigs. Addition of indomethacin (10−5 M) reversed these effects. Endothelium-dependent relaxations to thrombin were inhibited by L-NMMA only in OVX and raloxifene-treated pigs. Autologous platelets contracted veins in all groups; the magnitude of contractions depended upon the number of platelets and existing tone. Basal release of thromboxane from platelets was greatest in raloxifene compared to OVX or E2-treated pigs. Raloxifene treatment compared to E2 increased production of contractile and proaggregatory prostanoids from venous endothelium and platelets. These differences, if found in humans, may contribute to varying degrees of thrombotic risk with the SERM compared to the natural hormone.
Symbolic Insight and Inhibitory Control: Two Problems Facing Young Children on Symbolic Retrieval Tasks

Many recent studies have explored young children's ability to use information from physical representations of space to guide search within the real world. In one commonly used procedure, children are asked to find a hidden toy in a room after observing a smaller toy being hidden in the analogous location in a scale model of the room. Three-year-old children readily find the hidden toy, although children at 2.5 years often have difficulty with the task. This experiment examined the causes of 2.5-year-olds' difficultly with this symbol system by incorporating testing procedures previously used with chimpanzees. Results indicate that young children's poor performance primarily stems from a difficulty achieving symbolic insight (i.e., recognizing the model-room representational relationship) but is also strongly affected by deficits in inhibitory control.
DEPARTEMENT TOEGEPASTE ECONOMISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN

We propose a U-shaped relation between the relative weight of bank loans in total corporate debt and the firm's market-to-book ratio-a proxy for expected growth-which reconciles most existing theories. Using data on Japanese firms for 1983-97, we do find that, in the lower range of growth spectrum, firms with better prospects take more bonds in their debt mix: when the firm's prospects improve, the benefits from private debt initially fall relative to its costs. In contrast, in the higher range of growth, firms with more growth potentials take more monitored debt, reflecting, amongst other factors, the higher information and contracting costs of public debt faced by extreme growers. We can explain the seemingly conflicting evidence that Anderson and Makhija (1999) and Hoshi, Kashyap and Scharfstein (1993) provide in this respect. We also find that keiretsu firms do not behave significantly different from non-keiretsu ones, suggesting that keiretsu firms are fairly independent in their financing decisions and that extra costs and benefits from bank loans are either small or in reasonable balance. Firms that faced restrictions in issuing bonds, pre-1990, continue to behave differently from other firms long after the restrictions were lifted.
Modular peptide growth factors for substrate-mediated stem cell differentiation.

Natural proteins are often multifunctional, and therefore capable of activating cell surface receptors, and also binding with high affinity and specificity to natural extracellular matrices (ECMs). To achieve these diverse functions, a strategy commonly employed by nature involves creating modular proteins, in which distinct domains within a single protein are designed to enable either cell signaling or ECM binding. For example, modular proteins such as osteocalcin (OCN) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) contain a domain that binds to hydroxyapatite (HA) - the major biomineral component in the ECM of bony tissues - and a distinct domain that interacts with integrin receptors to mediate cell adhesion. [1] Therefore, these proteins are capable of influencing cell behavior in particular locations within an organism by virtue of their non-covalent linkage to a specific ECM material.
Synchronization circuit performance

Synchronizer circuits are usually characterized by their rate of failure in transmitting data between two independently timed regions. The mean time between failures (MTBF) is given. These effects can be explained by extending the existing theory to take account of initial offsets, and we propose a new, more accurate, formula. Synchronizer performance depends on achieving a high reliability of synchronization together with a short time. We show that commonly used circuits, such as the jamb latch, do not produce the best compromise for very high reliability applications, and that a better circuit can be designed. In order to confirm that thermal noise does not influence the MTBF against synchronization-time relationship, we have devised an experiment to measure noise in an integrated CMOS bistable circuit. We show that the noise exhibits a Gaussian distribution, and is close to the value expected from thermal agitation.
Evolution in nervous systems.

Evolution is the unifying theme of biological thought. It is therefore surprising that until recently it has little shaped the ideas of those who have sought principles among the cells and circuits of nervous systems. After relegation to an historic approach for many decades, an evolutionary perspective in neuroscience has revived, armed now with evidence available from the identified-neuron approach (Bullock & Horridge 1965; Bullock 1974; Wiersma 1974; Hoyle 1983) and fortified by modern molecular developments. In this review we have concentrated mostly on the molec­ ular, cellular, and circuit level of analysis wherever there is an evolutionary dimension, compelled for want of space to neglect the extensive fields of comparative neurology and of behavior, except for a few cases for which correlated cell or molecular information was available. Of the several good reasons for renewed interest in the evolutionary background to neural operation, two may be singled out. First, understanding how nervous systems evolve may give critical insight into otherwise inexplicable details of their construction. Animals were not designed de novo by engineers, but sculpted through natural selection acting upon variations arising within their ontogenetic programs,
Cervical Arthroplasty in the Management of Spondylotic Myelopathy

Cervical spinal cord compression managed via an anterior approach with an arthrodesis is associated with a decreased range of motion and accelerated adjacent segment degeneration. Artificial cervical disc replacement may address these problems. A series of seven cases (three women, two men; age 31–55 years) of anterior cervical decompression and placement of an artificial disc prosthesis is presented. A total of nine Bryan cervical disc prostheses (Spinal Dynamics Corp., Mercer Island, WA) were placed. Clinical and radiologic follow-up was performed at 24 hours, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and then yearly (mean follow-up period 6.29 months, range 1–17 months). There were no complications. There was an improvement in Nurick grade by 0.72 grade (P < 0.05) and Oswestry Neck Disability Index score by 51.4 points (P < 0.0001). Motion was preserved. Improvement in lordosis occurred in 29% of cases. The spinal cord was decompressed on postoperative imaging. Cervical arthroplasty after anterior cervical decompression at one or more levels represents an exciting tool in the management of spinal cord compression secondary to spondylotic disease or acute disc prolapse. This is the first study that looks specifically at cervical arthroplasty for cervical myelopathy. Longer follow-up will reveal any delayed problems with artificial disc implantation, but in the short term, this technique offers an excellent outcome.
The human breast carcinoma cell line SW 613-S: an experimental system to study tumor heterogeneity in relation to c-myc amplification, growth factor production and other markers (review).

Amplification of the c-myc gene has been frequently reported in breast carcinomas. However the precise function of the c-myc protein is still unknown and the nature of the selective advantage offered to a cell by an overexpression of such a protein is unclear. We are addressing this question using the SW 613-S human breast carcinoma cell line as a model system. This cell line harbours an amplified c-myc gene and a mutated c-Ki-ras gene. By various criteria the amplified c-myc gene of SW613-S cells appears undistinguishable from a normal human c-myc gene. The SW613-S cell line is heterogeneous: it contains cells with a high level of amplification and carrying the extra copies of the c-myc gene in double minute chromosomes (DMs) and cells with few c-myc genes integrated into chromosomes. DM-containing cells are progressively lost upon in vitro cultivation but are selected for during in vivo growth, as tumors in nude mice, or by cultivating the cells in a chemically defined, serum-free medium or under conditions preventing anchorage. Clones with different levels of amplification and different chromosomal localization of the c-myc copies were isolated from the SW 613-S cell population. Those with a high level of amplification and expression of the c-myc gene are tumorigenic in nude mice, whereas those with a low level are not. Introduction of c-myc gene copies by transfection confers tumorigenicity to the nontumorigenic clones, indicating that a high level of amplification of the c-myc gene contributes to the tumorigenic phenotype of SW 613-S cells. Tumorigenic clones grow unattached, are able to proliferate in a chemically defined medium, and produce high levels of several growth factors (e.g. TGF-alpha, IGF2). Nontumorigenic clones are more dependent upon anchorage for growth, show a restricted growth in defined medium, and produce low or undetectable level of the growth factors tested. We have identified several genes, besides c-myc, the expression level of which is markedly different in the two types of clones. TGF-alpha, IGF2, PDGF-A, int-2, cytokeratins K8 and K18 and ferritin H chain are overexpressed in tumorigenic clones. In contrast, c-erbB1 (EGF receptor), c-jun, vimentin and p53 are expressed at a higher level in the nontumorigenic clones. Finally the major histocompatibility class I antigens, ferritin L chain, TGF-beta and c-Ki-ras, are examples of genes expressed at the same level in both types of clones. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Multi-objective optimization design for snubber in switching power amplifier

This paper focuses on discussing the type selection, analysis and optimization design of the snubber in switching power amplifier (SPA). Based on the principle analysis of the selected snubber, its design is summarized as a multi-objective optimization problem (MOP). Then the proposed MOP is solved by the modified nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (MNSGA-II), which is constructed by introducing to the NSGA-II four new schemes: the pointers grouping fast nondominated sort (PGFNS), the preaccelerating crowding distance assignment (PACDA), the chaotic factor based middle recombination (CFBMR), and the reproduction without duplicates (RWD). The results obtained from simulation and practical experiment show that the optimal snubber parameters sought out by the MNS GA-II make the snubber design attain the expectant goals.