Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Who is using long-acting reversible contraceptive methods? Findings from nine low-fertility countries.

CONTEXT Long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods-IUDs and implants-are more effective than other reversible methods, yet are little used in the United States. Examining which U.S. women use LARC methods and how they differ from users in other low-fertility countries may help point the way toward increasing use. METHODS Data from married or cohabiting women participating in the National Survey of Family Growth (2008-2010) and in eight countries' Generations and Gender Programme surveys (2004-2010) were used in bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses examining LARC use within each setting. RESULTS The proportion of contraceptive use accounted for by LARC methods was generally greater in Europe (10-32%) than in the United States (10%) and Australia (7%). Compared with LARC use among comparable groups in other countries, use was particularly low among U.S. women who were married, were aged 40-44 or had had three or more children, yet was comparatively high among 18-24-year-olds. Among U.S. women, those aged 35-39 or 40-44 were more likely than 18-29-year-olds to rely on sterilization rather than on LARC methods (odds ratios, 3.0 and 10.7, respectively), those who had had three or more children were more likely to do so than were those who had had none or one (4.9), and women who had completed college were less likely than those who had not finished high school to do so (0.4). CONCLUSIONS Certain subgroups of U.S. women may benefit from the reversibility and effectiveness of LARC methods.
Hyperactive tendon reflexes in spastic multiple sclerosis: measures and mechanisms of action.

OBJECTIVE To develop new measures of tendon reflexes and evaluate hyperactive reflexes in patients with spastic multiple sclerosis (MS). DESIGN With the subject relaxed, a hand-held instrumented hammer was used to tap the patellar tendon and record the tapping force, while knee extension torque and quadriceps EMG were recorded isometrically as measures of the reflex response. SETTING Research laboratory in a rehabilitation hospital. SUBJECTS Ten spastic MS and 14 healthy subjects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Tendon tapping force (designated as system input), reflex torque (as output), their dynamic relationship (characterized as system parameters tendon reflex gain, contraction rate, and reflex loop delay), Ashworth scale, and tendon reflex scale. RESULTS The system parameters provide more repeatable measures than do input or output parameters alone because they quantify the input and output simultaneously and dynamically. Compared with control subjects, MS patients had a significantly lower threshold in tapping force (p = .026), yet their evoked reflex torque was significantly higher (p = .033). Despite significant quadriceps weakness (p < .0001), MS patients had a significantly higher reflex gain (p = .0002) and contraction rate (p = .0002), and shorter reflex loop delay (p = .0046), indicating hyperexcitability of motoneurons and peripheral receptors, and indicating that relatively more of the muscle was activated reflexively, with greater recruitment of larger fast-twitch fibers. Both the reflex gain and rate measures correlated more closely with the Ashworth scale and tendon reflex scale than did the output measures, indicating their potential clinical value. CONCLUSIONS With appropriate simplification, the method may be used in clinical practice to quantify more precisely the tendon jerk than is currently feasible with standard clinical tests.
A High-Quality Reversible Image Authentication Scheme Based on Adaptive PEE for Digital Images

Image authentication is a technique aiming at protecting the integrity of digital images. Reversible image authentication has attracted much attention of researcher because it allows to authenticate tampered regions in the image and to reconstruct the stego image to its original version losslessly. In this paper, we propose a new, reversible image authentication scheme based on adaptive prediction error expansion (PEE) technique. In the proposed scheme, each image block is classified into smooth or complex regions. Then, according to the characteristic of each block, the authentication code is embedded adaptively to achieve high performance of tamper detection. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed scheme achieves good quality of stego images. In addition, the proposed scheme has ability to reconstruct the stego image to its original version, if no modification is performed on it. Also demonstrated in the experimental results, the proposed scheme provides higher accuracy of tamper detection than state-of-the-art schemes.
Influence of Strands Trajectories of JT-60SA TF Conductors on Their Hydraulic and Electromagnetic Properties

In the framework of the JT-60SA project, Europe provides the toroidal field magnets system through Fusion for Energy (F4E, the EU Domestic Agency) procuring of 27 km of toroidal field (TF) conductor. The complex trajectories of the strands interleaved in the conductor cable volume cannot be easily predicted while having an influence on both hydraulic and electromagnetic performances. In this context, a nondestructive examination method has been developed at INFLPR (RO) using tomographic facility providing strands positions in successive cross sections. An algorithm was developed to reconstruct the strand trajectories with a satisfactory efficiency. The strands trajectories database is then used to refine the cable performances in operation conditions and quote the influence of current-field angle variation on performances. In addition, a statistic of the interstrand contact distribution within the cable volume is identified and interpreted in terms of contribution to the ac losses in case of transient B variation. Finally, the statistic of void local fraction is investigated and tentatively correlated with mass flow variations, together with considerations on determination of operation mass flow along TF conductor production according to the experimental database.
Papel del transportador ABCG2/BCRP y sus polimorfismos en la secreción activa de compuestos a leche y su modulación a través de compuestos naturales en rumiantes

La proteina ABCG2/BCRP es un transportador de todo tipo de sustancias que se expresa en multitud de tejidos y organos como el higado, el intestino, la barrera hematoencefalica y la glandula mamaria). La presente memoria tiene como objetivo principal la caracterizacion del efecto del polimorfismo bovino Y581S in vivo asi como la determinacion de los efectos de dietas especificas sobre la secrecion en leche de farmacos mediada por ABCG2 de rumiantes.Los estudios concluyeron que el polimorfismo bovino Y581S de ABCG2 tiene efectos especificos sobre propiedades fisicoquimicas de la leche como la conductividad y la cantidad de lactosa. Tambien se observaron efectos generales sobre la metabolomica de las vacas portadoras del polimorfismo, aumentando la concentracion de ciertos metabolitos en leche y orina y reduciendose en plasma. Los resultados obtenidos en la presente memoria aportan informacion relevante acerca del papel de ABCG2 en la concentracion de farmacos y compuestos naturales en la leche, asi como la posibilidad de modular su actividad para obtener productos de mayor calidad para la industria y los consumidores.
Novel single- and double-gate race-track-shaped field emitter structures

In this paper, new single- and double-gate race-track-shaped field emitter structures are reported for the first time. The race-track-shaped edge emission is used to provide good uniformity and large field emission current density, and the double-gate control is used to provide small turn-on voltage. Experimental results show that the turn-on voltage of the single-gate structure is approximately 100 V, and the field emission current density is approximately 2.4 A/cm/sup 2/ which is over 12 times larger than that of the volcano-shaped emitter structure reported previously. Furthermore, numerical simulations show that turn-on voltage of the double-gate structure is reduced by 30% compared to the single-gate structure.
Analyse et contrôle de systèmes fluide-structure avec conditions limites sur la pression

Le sujet de la these porte sur l'etude (existence, unicite, regularite) et le controle de problemes fluide-structure possedant des conditions limites sur la pression. Le systeme etudie couple une partie fluide, decrite par les equations de Navier-Stokes incompressibles dans un domaine 2D et une partie structure, decrite par une equation 1D de poutre amortie situee sur une partie du bord du domaine fluide. Dans le Chapitre 2, on etudie l'existence de solutions fortes pour ce modele. Nous demontrons des resultats de regularite optimale pour le systeme de Stokes avec conditions de bord mixtes sur un domaine non regulier. Ces resultats sont ensuite utilises pour prouver l'existence et l'unicite de solutions fortes, locales en temps, pour le systeme fluide-structure sans hypothese de petitesse sur les donnees initiales. Le Chapitre 3 reutilise l'analyse precedente dans le cadre de solutions periodiques en temps. Nous developpons un critere d'existence de solutions periodiques pour un probleme parabolique abstrait. Ce critere est ensuite applique au systeme fluide-structure et nous obtenons l'existence de solutions strictes, periodiques et regulieres en temps, pour des termes sources periodiques suffisamment petits. Le quatrieme volet de la these porte sur la stabilisation du systeme fluide-structure au voisinage d'une solution periodique. Le systeme linearise sous-jacent est decrit a l'aide d'un operateur A(t) dont le domaine depend du temps. Nous demontrons l'existence d'un operateur parabolique d'evolution pour ce systeme lineaire. Cet operateur est ensuite utilise, dans le cadre de la theorie de Floquet, pour etudier le comportement asymptotique du systeme. Nous adaptons la theorie existante pour des operateurs a domaine constant au cas de domaine non constant. Nous obtenons la stabilisation exponentielle du systeme lineaire a l'aide d'un controle sur la frontiere du domaine fluide.
Immunoresponse to Allogeneic Synovial or Xenogenic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in a Co-Culture Model

The purpose of our investigations was to measure, in a co-culture condition, the immunoresponse to allogeneic or xeno-genic cells, selected as potential sources for cell therapy of arthritis. We challenged human spleen-derived cells (hSpl) by three different mechanisms: 1) exposure to donor allogeneic or xenogeneic cellular antigens; 2) exposure to donor cells transduced with adenoviral antigens (Ad) and 3) lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a known inflammatory immunostimulant. The immunoresponse to allogeneic human synovial-derived mesenchymal stromal cells alone or transduced with adenoviral green fluorescent protein (hSD-MSC or hSD-MSC/GFP) or the immunoresponse to xenogeneic equine mesenchymal stromal cells (eqMSC) or equine dermal fibroblasts (eqDFb), characterized by the proportion of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ human splenocytes (hSpl), was measured on Day 0 and Day 6 of co-culture by flow cytometry. In culture with hSD-MSC, hSD-MSC/GFP, eqDFb, or eqMSC, the proportion of CD3+ and CD8+ hSpl increased with time in culture but not with exposure to cell allo- or xeno-antigens. Both hSD-MSC and hSD-MSC/GFP increased in number during culture and were not affected in viability or proliferation by co-culture with allogeneic hSpl. In this in vitro, primary exposure study, hSpl demonstrated a natural selection and adaptation to a short-term cell culture environment, and that neither allogeneic nor xenogeneic cell antigens incited a greater cellular immunoactivation than co-cultured hSpl alone.
Facilitatory Effects of Intermittent Photic Stimulation on Visual Cortical Kindling

Summary: There are few reports on kindling preparation by daily electrical stimulation to the primary visual cortex. In our previous studies on cats, it was demonstrated that repeated stimulation to the primary visual cortex brought a similar progress in seizure development as in amygdaloid kindling, although it took more trials. In this study, we examined the effects of intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) (2.5 Hz) on the visual cortical kindling preparation to clarify more underlying mechanisms of photosensitivity. Under IPS, afterdischarges synchronizing to IPS were seen and a duration of afterdischarge was extremely prolonged, even in the early stage of the kindling process. The threshold of stimulus intensity inducing afterdischarge was significantly reduced and the generalized convulsive seizure was obtained with fewer times of stimulation, as compared to visual cortical kindling without IPS. In visual cortical kindling myoclonic responses were sometimes caused by IPS for a few minutes immediately after cessation of the electrically induced generalized seizure. Such phenomena were never seen in amygdaloid kindling. These results indicate that IPS facilitates a seizure development in all stages of visual cortical kindling.
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the California Verbal Learning Test—Second Edition (CVLT-II) in the Standardization Sample

The purpose of this study is to determine the latent structure of the California Verbal Learning Test—Second Edition (CVLT-II; Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, & Ober, 2000) at three different age levels, using the standardization sample. Maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analyses are performed to test four competing hypothetical models for fit and parsimony. A four-factor model consisting of Attention Span, Learning Efficiency, Delayed Memory, and Inaccurate Memory provides the best fit to the data at two age levels (16-30 years and 31-60 years, respectively) but the factor structure is somewhat less robust in the oldest age group (>60 years). The results clarify the latent structure of the CVLT-II and suggest that a multifactorial interpretation of quantitative and qualitative indexes from this instrument is appropriate for clinical practice with most adults, although findings may need to be interpreted more cautiously among older persons.
Hemodynamics of semilunar valves at rest and exercise at an average of more than two years after the Ross procedure.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY Rest, and especially exercise, hemodynamics are valuable determinants to assess outcome of the Ross procedure. In this study, the degree of insufficiency and pressure gradients at rest across the autograft and homograft, as well as the pressure gradients at exercise, were measured. METHODS Among 115 patients operated on between February 1990 and February 1999, 67 were evaluated echocardiographically at rest and moderate exercise. The mean patient age at subcoronary implantation was 52 +/- 13 years. The mean interval between surgery and investigation was 27.3 +/- 17.4 months. The exercise level was 100 W (n = 47), 75 W (n = 14) or 50 W (n = 6). RESULTS Fifty-two patients had no or trace aortic insufficiency, 23 were grade I/IV, and two were grade II/IV. Pulmonary insufficiency was graded as none (n = 45), mild (n = 21), and moderate (n = 1). Heart rate increased from 70 +/- 12 beats/min at rest to 108 +/- 19 beats/min at exercise. The maximal pressure gradient across the autograft increased from 6.1 +/- 2.3 mmHg at rest to 8.7 +/- 4.1 mmHg at exercise. The maximal pressure gradient across the homograft increased from 11.8 +/- 5.3 mmHg at rest to 17.7 +/- 8.2 mmHg at exercise. A pressure gradient across the homograft >25 mmHg was measured in 13 patients. CONCLUSION In most patients, hemodynamics at rest and moderate exercise at an average of more than two years after the Ross procedure were excellent. Some homografts developed pressure gradients at exercise; this finding will form the target of future surgical and scientific investigations.
Protective effects of soluble CR1 in complement- and neutrophil-mediated tissue injury.

Complement activation is an important step for triggering of acute inflammatory reactions. Soluble human recombinant complement receptor type 1 (sCR1) blocks complement activation by both classical and alternative pathways. In addition to glycogen-induced peritonitis, three models of complement-dependent acute inflammatory injury have been used to assess the protective effects of sCR1: lung and dermal injury after intraalveolar or intradermal deposition of IgG immune complexes; acute lung injury resulting from intravascular activation of complement after the i.v. injection of cobra venom factor; and acute skin and lung injury (at 4 h) after thermal trauma involving 25 to 30% total body surface area. Vascular injury was quantified by increases in vascular permeability, hemorrhage, neutrophil infiltration, and, as indicated, tissue water content. Intravenous infusion of sCR1 reduced lung and dermal vascular injury in all models studied. In glycogen-induced peritoneal exudates sCR1-reduced neutrophil accumulation by 79%. In animals undergoing IgG immune complex-induced alveolitis, sCR1 treatment reduced vascular permeability and hemorrhage by 72 and 71%, respectively, and tissue accumulation of neutrophils was reduced by 68%. After cobra venom factor injection, sCR1 reduced increases in lung vascular permeability by 67%, hemorrhage by 73%, and lung myeloperoxidase content by 55%. Four hours after thermal injury of skin, sCR1-treated animals demonstrated significant protection against lung injury; increases in vascular permeability and hemorrhage were reduced by 45 and 46%, respectively, and myeloperoxidase content was lowered by 39%. In thermal injury of the skin, sCR1 injection reduced dermal vascular permeability by 25% at 1 h (p = NS) and 44% at 4 h. Water content in skin biopsies was also decreased. There was a dose-response relationship between the amount of sCR1 infused and the extent of protection in each of the injury models. These data demonstrate that sCR1 offers significant protection against complement-dependent tissue injury in the animal models studied and that the protective effects are related to reduced neutrophil content.
The Human Type 2 Iodothyronine Deiodinase Is a Selenoprotein Highly Expressed in a Mesothelioma Cell Line*

Types 1 and 3 iodothyronine deiodinases are known to be selenocysteine-containing enzymes. Although a putative human type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) gene (hDio2) encoding a similar selenoprotein has been identified, basal D2 activity is not selenium (Se)-dependent nor has D2 been labeled with75Se. A human mesothelioma cell line (MSTO-211H) has recently been shown to have ∼40-fold higher levels ofhDio2 mRNA than mesothelial cells. Mesothelioma cell lysates activate thyroxine (T4) to 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine with typical characteristics of D2 such as low K m (T4), 1.3 nm, resistance to propylthiouracil, and a short half-life (∼30 min). D2 activity is ∼30-fold higher in Se-supplemented than in Se-depleted medium. An antiserum prepared against a peptide deduced from theDio2 mRNA sequence precipitates a 75Se protein of the predicted 31-kDa size from 75Se-labeled mesothelioma cells. Bromoadenosine 3′5′ cyclic monophosphate increases D2 activity and 75Se-p31 ∼2.5-fold whereas substrate (T4) reduces both D2 activity and 75Se-p31 ∼2–3-fold. MG132 or lactacystin (10 μm), inhibitors of the proteasome pathway by which D2 is degraded, increase both D2 activity and 75Se-p31 3–4-fold and prevent the loss of D2 activity during cycloheximide or substrate (T4) exposure. Immunocytochemical studies with affinity-purified anti-hD2 antibody show a Se-dependent increase in immunofluorescence. Thus, human D2 is encoded by hDio2 and is a member of the selenodeiodinase family accounting for its highly catalytic efficiency in T4 activation.
Autonomic epilepsy--the influence of epileptic discharges on heart rate and rhythm.

PURPOSE To study cardiac alterations (changes in heart rate and cardiac arrhythmias) at the transition from the pre-ictal to the ictal state during focal epileptic seizures. METHODS We assessed ECG changes during 92 seizures recorded with scalp EEG in 30 patients and 35 seizures in 11 patients evaluated with subdural strip and/or grid electrodes. Consecutive RR intervals were analyzed with a newly developed mathematical model for a total of 90 seconds (60 seconds pre-ictal, 30 seconds ictal). RESULTS We found an ictal tachycardia (heart rate increase > 10 bpm) in 82.5% of seizures, and an ictal bradycardia (heart rate decrease > 10 bpm) in 3.3% of seizures. Bradycardia was only observed in seizures of frontal lobe origin. Heart rate changes occurred several seconds prior to EEG seizure onset on scalp-EEG in 76.1% of seizures, but also prior to EEG seizure onset on invasive EEG in 45.7% of seizures. Early tachycardia occurred significantly more often in temporal than in frontal lobe origin seizures. We found no significant effect of the side of seizure onset on both the quality and quantity of ictal heart rate changes. The occurrence of an aura or of awakening prior to the seizure had no influence on peri-ictal heart rate changes. Low risk cardiac arrhythmias were more frequently observed in frontal lobe origin seizures. CONCLUSIONS Epileptic discharges directly influence portions of the central autonomic network, within a brain area too small or too deep to be detected on EEG, most likely deep mesial structures such as the amygdala or portions of the hippocampus. The potential clinical applications of our results include (1) automatic seizure detection, (2) differentiation between seizures of temporal and frontal lobe origin, (3) detection of peri-ictal cardiac arrhythmias, and (4) clarification of SUDS (sudden unexplained death syndrome) in epilepsy.
Synchronization effects on probability of pulse train interception

Expressions for the probability of coincidence between pairs of pulse trains are examined. The application to systems of interest in the field of electronic warfare is emphasized. Theoretical results for the limit of uncorrelated pulse trains are reviewed and new theory is developed to cover the case of coincidence between uniform pulse trains where the coincidence phenomena may be highly correlated. Monte Carlo experiments show that increasing the jitter level on one of the pulse trains causes a transition between the correlated and uncorrelated regimes.
Parasitic Inductance Effects on the Switching Loss Measurement of Power Semiconductor Devices

This paper gives the detailed analysis of the parasitic inductance effects on the switching loss measurement of power semiconductor devices, especially IGBTs. Base on the circuit operation analysis and measurement of IGBT characteristics, it's shown that the larger parasitic loop inductance will result in more turn-off losses but less turn-on losses, while the emitter inductance of the IGBT also has a significant effect on the gate drive circuit because it's included not only in the main power circuit but also in the gate drive circuit. It's proved that the emitter inductance slows down the turn-on and turn-off procedure thus increases the turn-on and turn-off switching power losses.