Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuation of a deep borehole stress measurement profile near the San Andreas Fault: 2. Hydraulic fracturing stress measurements at Black Butte, Mojave Desert, California

Hydraulic fracturing stress measurements were obtained in the Black Butte drill hole, 18 km northeast of the San Andreas fault in the Mojave Desert, at depths from 251 to 635 m. In all tests the least and greatest horizontal principal stresses (S_h and S_H, respectively) exceeded the vertical stress (S_ν), indicating a thrust faulting stress regime. A single good-quality hydraulic fracture impression from 309 m depth indicates an S_H direction of N41°E ± 10°. This S_H direction should be interpreted with caution because it is based on only one observation. This orientation is fairly compatible with nearby surface stress measurements but is incompatible with most of the hydraulic fracturing stress orientations reported from comparable depths in the Mojave Desert and is not favorable for right-lateral slip on either the San Andreas fault or NW striking faults present farther to the east. The stress regime measured in the Black Butte hole is comparable to that measured at nearby shallow depths but differs from the strike-slip or transitional (strike-slip to thrust faulting) stress regime present at similar depths in two nearby holes: Crystallaire, 4 km northeast of fhe San Andreas fault, and Hi Vista, 32 km northeast of the San Andreas fault. The S_H direction measured in these holes is approximately 60° counterclockwise of that observed in the Black Butte hole. The differences in stress magnitudes and orientation among these holes substantiate previous indications of local variations in stress in the upper kilometer of the crust in this area and cast doubt on the validity of linear elastic models in which the effects of the San Andreas fault dominate the stress field in the western Mojave Desert.
Perinatal Undernutrition: Changes in Brain Opiate Receptor Density

The present work sought to study the binding properties of central μ-opiate receptors in whole brain and in different central areas in adult rats undernourished at perinatal age. Rats were undernourished with a hypoproteic diet containing 8% casein from day 14 of gestation until 50 days of age. The animals were thereafter fed a balanced commercial chow until 140 days of age. At this time point the experiments started. 3H-D-Ala2/ N-Me-Phe4, Gly5-ol-enkephalin (3H-DAMGO) was used to selectively label the μ-receptors. The results obtained demonstrated that perinatal undernutrition induced, in the adult animal, a decreased μ-receptors density (Bmax) both in whole brain as well as in midbrain, without significant changes in affinity. In addition, no changes were found in μ-specific binding in the cortex of these undernourished animals. Taking into account that recent evidences from our laboratory have demonstrated a lower stress-induced analgesia following exposure to different stressful situations in rats undernourished in early life, the present findings seem to suggest that this lower analgesic response could be due, at least in part, to a lower density of μ-opiate receptors in the brain.
Assessment of a Salt Reduction Intervention on Adult Population Salt Intake in Fiji

Reducing population salt intake is a global public health priority due to the potential to save lives and reduce the burden on the healthcare system through decreased blood pressure. This implementation science research project set out to measure salt consumption patterns and to assess the impact of a complex, multi-faceted intervention to reduce population salt intake in Fiji between 2012 and 2016. The intervention combined initiatives to engage food businesses to reduce salt in foods and meals with targeted consumer behavior change programs. There were 169 participants at baseline (response rate 28.2%) and 272 at 20 months (response rate 22.4%). The mean salt intake from 24-h urine samples was estimated to be 11.7 grams per day (g/d) at baseline and 10.3 g/d after 20 months (difference: −1.4 g/day, 95% CI −3.1 to 0.3, p = 0.115). Sub-analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in female salt intake in the Central Division but no differential impact in relation to age or ethnicity. Whilst the low response rate means it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about these changes, the population salt intake in Fiji, at 10.3 g/day, is still twice the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended maximum intake. This project also assessed iodine intake levels in women of child-bearing age and found that they were within recommended guidelines. Existing policies and programs to reduce salt intake and prevent iodine deficiency need to be maintained or strengthened. Monitoring to assess changes in salt intake and to ensure that iodine levels remain adequate should be built into future surveys.
Physicochemical Properties of Oxalic Acid-Modified Chitosan/Neem Leave Composites from Pessu River Crab Shell

Abstract This study was aimed to evaluate the characteristics of chitosan from Pessu river crab shell and its derivatives as prospective adsorbent. The synthesized chitosan (CH) was modified with 10 % (w/v) oxalic acid (CHOx), while the composites (CHOx-ANL1, CHOx-ANL2 and CHOx-ANL3) were designated according to the amount of activated neem leave (ANL). The materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), thermal gravimetric (TGA) and methylene blue dye adsorption. The FTIR spectra of chitosan samples show the characteristics of primary and secondary amine/amide groups. The SEM images exhibit a tight, porous and fractured surface, which is covered with activated neem leave for the composites. The BET surface area of chitosan materials is in the increasing order of, CH < CHOx-ANL1 < CHOx-ANL2 < CHOx < CHOx-ANL3. CHOx-ANL3 displays a higher surface area of 389 m2/g, and 70.9 % mesoporosity. Despite its lower surface area of 258 m2/g (65.4 % mesoporosity), CHOx-ANL1 exhibits a greater methylene blue adsorption of 90.8 mg/g at dye concentration of 300 mg/L. The possible removal mechanisms include ionic interaction between dye molecules and functional groups, and surface adsorption due to the textural properties of chitosan samples. Chitosan from Pessu river crab shell and its derivatives are promising adsorbent candidate for dyes and heavy metals removal from water.
Strong Baselines for Simple Question Answering over Knowledge Graphs with and without Neural Networks

We examine the problem of question answering over knowledge graphs, focusing on simple questions that can be answered by the lookup of a single fact. Adopting a straightforward decomposition of the problem into entity detection, entity linking, relation prediction, and evidence combination, we explore simple yet strong baselines. On the popular SimpleQuestions dataset, we find that basic LSTMs and GRUs plus a few heuristics yield accuracies that approach the state of the art, and techniques that do not use neural networks also perform reasonably well. These results show that gains from sophisticated deep learning techniques proposed in the literature are quite modest and that some previous models exhibit unnecessary complexity.
Adaptive Space-Time Trellis Codes Based on Convolutional Codes

Space-time trellis codes can significantly improve the error performance or the data rate of wireless communications systems with multiple transmit antennas. These codes are usually generated using a generator matrix with 2 columns and modulo 4 operations for QPSK modulation with two transmit antennas. They can also be implemented as Z4 convolutional codes. Another way of representing them is to use a conventional binary convolutional code of rate 2/4. Such a representation is more flexible and allows an easy implementation of space-time encoders and decoders with different modulation schemes and numbers of transmit antennas. Only the rate of the convolutional code needs to be changed using the puncturing technique to accommodate these different schemes. Simulations results have shown that the new codes can achieve an error performance very close to that of the best usual space-time codes.
The Effect of Modified Broström-Gould Repair for Lateral Ankle Instability on In Vivo Tibiotalar Kinematics

Background: Lateral ankle instability leads to an increased risk of tibiotalar joint osteoarthritis. Previous studies have found abnormal tibiotalar joint motions with lateral ankle instability that may contribute to this increased incidence of osteoarthritis, including increased anterior translation and internal rotation of the talus under weightbearing loading. Surgical repairs for lateral ankle instability have shown good clinical results, but the effects of repair on in vivo ankle motion are not well understood. Hypothesis: The modified Broström-Gould lateral ligament reconstruction decreases anterior translation and internal rotation of the talus under in vivo weightbearing loading conditions. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Seven patients underwent modified Broström-Gould repair for unilateral lateral ankle instability. Ankle joint kinematics as a function of increasing body weight was studied with magnetic resonance imaging and biplanar fluoroscopy. Tibiotalar kinematics was measured in unstable ankles preoperatively and postoperatively at a mean follow-up of 12 months as well as in the uninjured contralateral ankles of the same patients. Results: Surgical repair resulted in statistically significant decreases (expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean) in anterior translation of the talus (0.9 ± 0.3 mm; P = .018) at 100% body weight and internal rotation of the talus at 75% (2.6° ± 0.8°; P = .019) and 100% (2.7° ± 0.8°; P = .013) body weight compared with ankle kinematics measured before repair. No statistically significant differences were detected between repaired ankles and contralateral normal ankles. Conclusion: The modified Broström-Gould repair improved the abnormal joint motion observed in patients with lateral ankle instability, decreasing anterior translation and internal rotation of the talus. Clinical Relevance: Altered kinematics may contribute to the tibiotalar joint degeneration that occurs with chronic lateral ankle instability. The findings of the current study support the efficacy of this repair in improving the abnormal ankle motion observed in these patients.
Staphylococcus aureus Mutants Selected by BMS-284756

ABSTRACT BMS-284756, a novel des-fluoro(6)-quinolone, was used to select for in vitro mutants of Staphylococcus aureusISP794. Step mutants were obtained, and the quinolone resistance-determining regions of four target genes, gyrA, gyrB, grlA, and grlB, were sequenced. The data suggest that DNA gyrase is the primary target for BMS-284756 in S. aureus.
Disease course unaltered by a single intracisternal injection of BMP‐7 in ALS mice

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive, degenerative disease of the voluntary motor system. Approximately 2% of cases arise in association with mutations in the gene encoding the protein Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Transgenic mice that overexpress human SOD1 mutations develop a motor neuron disease resembling ALS. These mice provide a model to rapidly screen potential therapies for ALS. It was recently demonstrated, for example, that cerebroventricular administration of a different agent, zVAD-fmk, a caspase inhibitor, delays death in this model. We have used the ALS mice to test intracisternal delivery of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7). BMP-7 stimulates the growth of spinal cord tissue, increases motor neuron size, and promotes the establishment of an extensive dendritic network in an intracellular transplantation model. In a rat model of stroke, 10 μg of BMP-7 administered intracisternally at either 1 and 3 or 3 and 5 days following focal cerebral infarction enhanced recovery of sensorimotor function. The half-life of BMP-7 is approximately 10–20 min in the cerebrospinal fluid but it can be observed throughout the CNS for at least 24 h after administration by intracisternal injection. When BMP-7 is labeled with either 125-I or 99-Tc, the protein distributes through the cranial vault and spinal column within a few minutes (Paul Kaplan, unpublished work). We tested the hypothesis that a single dose of BMP-7 at the time of disease onset might prolong survival in the G93A transgenic ALS mice. Forty-four ALS mice were divided into two equal treatment groups, BMP-7 and placebo. At the age of expected onset (80 days), the animals received a single intracisternal injection of BMP-7 or vehicle. The animals were anesthetized with a 1:1 xylazine/ ketamine mixture (0.01cc/kg). Using a Hamilton syringe (30 gauge), 10 μl of BMP-7 (10 μg) or vehicle was injected into the cisterna magna. The mice were monitored twice weekly after 60 days of age for disease onset and survival. Onset was determined as the first appearance of tremulousness in one limb, typically a hind limb, as detected by holding the mouse up briefly by the tail. After disease onset, study mice were observed daily to determine survival. Disease duration was defined as the age at death or euthanasia. Euthanasia was performed when a mouse was unable to roll over within 30 s after being placed on its back. Intracisternal injection of BMP-7 was safe; it produced no unusual behavior in the mice. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean survival time or the duration of disease between the BMP-7– and placebo-injected groups (Fig. 1). The mean disease onset for the placebotreated animals was 94.3 days (n = 22, sd 7.4) with a mean survival time of 134.4 days (n = 22, sd 7.4). For the BMP7–treated animals, the mean disease onset was 93.8 days (n = 22, sd 6.7) and the mean survival time was 135.9 days (n = 22, sd 12.1). It is conceivable that multiple injections or
Reduced Levels of the Synaptic Functional Regulator FMRP in Dentate Gyrus of the Aging Sprague-Dawley Rat

Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) encoded by Fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene is a RNA-binding regulator of mRNA translation, transport and stability with multiple targets responsible for proper synaptic function. Epigenetic silencing of FMR1 gene expression leads to the development of Fragile X syndrome (FXS) that is characterized by intellectual disability and other behavioral problems including autism. In the rat FXS model, the lack of FMRP caused a deficit in hippocampal-dependent memory. However, the hippocampal changes of FMRP in aging rats are not fully elucidated. The current study addresses the changes in FMRP levels in dentate gyrus (DG) from young (17 weeks) and aging (22 months) Sprague – Dawley rats. The aging animal group showed significant decline in spatial reference memory. Protein samples from five rats per each group were analyzed by quantitative proteomic analysis resulting in 153 significantly changed proteins. FMRP showed significant reduction in aging animals which was confirmed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis of the differential protein dataset revealed several functionally related protein groups with individual interactions with FMRP. These include high representation of the RNA translation and processing machinery connected to FMRP and other RNA-binding regulators including CAPRIN1, the members of Pumilio (PUM) and CUG-BP, Elav-like (CELF) family, and YTH N(6)-methyladenosine RNA-binding proteins (YTHDF). The results of the current study point to the important role of FMRP and regulation of RNA processing in the rat DG and memory decline during the aging process.
Strong subthreshold current array PUF with 265 challenge-response pairs resilient to machine learning attacks in 130nm CMOS

This paper presents a strong silicon physically unclonable function (PUF) immune to machine learning (ML) attacks. The PUF, termed the subthreshold current array (SCA) PUF, is composed of a pair of two-dimensional transistor arrays and a low-offset comparator. The fabricated PUF chip allows 265 challenge-response pairs (CRPs) and achieves high reliability with average bit error rate (BER) of 5.8% for temperatures −20 to 80°C and Vdd + 10%. The calibration-based CRPs filtering method effectively improves BER to 2.6% with a 10% loss of CRPs. When subjected to ML attacks, the PUF shows resilience that is 100X higher than known alternatives, with negligible loss in PUF unpredictability.
Control of some Penicillium and Aspergillus rots of Discorea alata Poir and Discorea rotundata L. using extracts of Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal.) Linn. and Syzygium aromaticum (Linn.) Merr.

The antimicrobial activities of Xylopia aethiopica and Syzygium aromaticum extracts on fungi associated with rotting white and water yam was investigated. Diseased and healthy yam species of Dioscorea spp. were obtained from some markets. Fungal isolation was done from the samples using standard procedures. Leaves and fruits of X. aethiopica and S. aromaticum were obtained from the botanical garden, University of Ibadan, Ibadan. Crude aqueous and ethanol extracts of the plants were obtained using standard procedures. After pathogenicity tests, the isolated fungi were cultured on acidified potato dextrose agar (APDA) that were impregnated separately with the leaves and fruits of X. aethiopica and fruits of S. aromaticum extracts at specific concentrations for 10 days. Experimental design was completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Mycelial extension of the fungi was measured daily using a meter rule. Data were subjected to statistical analysis using SAS software. Means separation was done using LSD (DMRT) at P≤0.05. The isolated fungi were identified as Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Penicillium chrysogenum. Pathogenicity test showed that the three fungi caused rotting in the yams. Growth inhibition of the fungi was significantly (P≤0.05) higher with ethanol extracts than aqueous extract. Highest mycelial growth inhibitory effect was recorded in the S. aromaticum fruit ethanol extracts on all the organisms. Likewise, X. aethiopica leaf aqueous extract showed high mycelial growth inhibition on A. fumigatus at 50 and 75% concentrations while X. aethiopica fruit ethanol and aqueous extracts was noted to have inhibitory effects on the growth of A. niger and P. chrysogenum at 50 and 75% concentrations respectively. The in vitro result underscores the antifungal abilities of these plant extracts and is also suggestive of their promising potential in vivo. Further works are underway to examine their antimicrobial potentials in the field. Key words: Dioscorea alata, Dioscorea rotundata, postharvest rot, Syzygium aromaticum, Xylopia Aethiopica.
Gender Differences in Test Anxiety and Academic Performance of Medical Students

The current research investigates gender differences in test anxiety level and academic performance of medical students. A sample of 150 medical students (75 males and 75 females) was drawn from the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) within the age range of 17-24 years. Purposive sampling technique was used. ∗ Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI) by Professor Emeritus Dr. Charles D. Spielberger (1980) was individually administered to the participants. The author granted written permission for the use of TAI in this research. The results suggested that the female medical students reported significantly higher test anxiety level as compared to the male medical students (t = - 5.02, df = 148, **p < .01). Moreover, the results suggested that the male medical students achieved statistically significant higher GPAS as compared to the female medical students (t = 3.66, df = 148, **p < .01). Furthermore, significant negative relationship was found between test anxiety and academic performance of medical students (r = -.21, ** p < .01). The findings of this research have implications for helping professionals and academia in addressing the test anxiety of the students in higher education so that timely and effective counseling and therapeutic interventions could be introduced in medical colleges and universities.
Future-proofing pathology: the case for clinical adoption of digital pathology

This document clarifies the strategic context of digital pathology adoption, defines the different use cases a healthcare provider may wish to consider as part of a digital adoption and summarises existing reasons for digital adoption and its potential benefits. The reader is provided with references to the relevant literature, and illustrative case studies. The authors hope this report will be of interest to healthcare providers, pathology managers, departmental heads, pathologists and biomedical scientists that are considering digital pathology, deployments or preparing business cases for digital pathology adoption in clinical settings. The information contained in this document can be shared and used in any documentation the reader wishes to present for their own institutional case for adoption report or business case.
Expression of Angiogenic Factors in Psoriasis Vulgaris.

INTRODUCTION Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation, abnormal differentiation and inflammatory infiltration in the dermis. The dermal microvascular expansion associated with abnormal orientation and dilatation of capillaries in the biopsies of the psoriatic skin suggest that the disease is dependent on angiogenesis. AIM To analyze and compare the immunohistochemical expression of angiogenic factors - Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), von Willebrand Factor (vWF) and CD 34 in skin biopsies of psoriasis cases with control skin samples; and to correlate the expression of angiogenic factors with Psoriasis Area and Severity Clinical Index (PASI SCORE). MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a prospective case control study conducted over a period of 15 months. Thirty-two psoriasis cases and thirty control skin samples were included in the study. Skin biopsy specimen was taken from clinically diagnosed psoriasis cases who did not receive any treatment. The diagnosis of psoriasis vulgaris was confirmed after microscopic examination. Immunohistochemical expression for VEGF, vWF and CD 34 was studied. RESULTS VEGF expression in epidermis was significantly higher in cases when compared to control skin (p <0.01). CD 34 expression was significantly upregulated in cases when compared to controls (p<0.01). Von Willebrand factor expression was weak in both the cases and the controls. Significant correlation between the expression of VEGF and PASI score (r=0.944; p<0.01), and expression of CD 34 and PASI score was observed (r=0.942; p<0.01). CONCLUSION In the present study, significant overexpression of VEGF and CD 34 was noted in cases when compared to controls. The keratinocytes in the psoriatic skin lesions were recognized as a source of pro-angiogenic cytokines namely the VEGF and other growth factors which promotes angiogenesis in psoriatic plaque. Angiogenesis plays an important role in genesis and development of psoriasis vulgaris. Therefore, development of targeted anti-angiogenic therapy might be beneficial for this chronic disabling dermatological disease.