Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Undulations on Surface Tension in Simulated Bilayers

To understand the effect of the finite size of simulation cells on the equilibrium properties of bilayers, an extensive series of glycerolmonoolein bilayer molecular dynamics simulations in which the surface area and system size were systematically changed have been conducted. Systems ranging from 200 to 1800 lipids were simulated, covering length scales up to 20 nm. The dependence of the surface tension on the area per lipid is shown, although long simulation times were needed (up to 40 ns) to obtain reliable estimates. As the size of simulated patches increases, long wavelength undulatory modes appear with a concomitant increase in the area compressibility due to coupling of undulation modes to area fluctuations. Both the undulatory intensities and the peristaltic intensities of the bilayer fluctuations can be fitted in the long wavelength limit to continuum model predictions. The effect of system size on surface tension appears to depend on the stress conditions.
Comparison of two different veneer preparation designs in vital teeth.

OBJECTIVE To compare the clinical performance of two different veneer preparation designs (overlap and nonoverlap) on anterior veneer restorations in vital teeth in a retrospective clinical study. METHOD AND MATERIALS In this study, 292 anterior all-ceramic veneer restorations in vital teeth were clinically examined in 74 patients. The preparation designs were categorized by the amount of tooth reduction on the final casts, with 245 in the overlap and 47 nonoverlap group. RESULTS After a mean ± SD observation time of 124.25 ± 60.61 months, 20 failures occurred. All failures occurred in the overlap design. Restorations with nonoverlap preparation designs showed significantly fewer failures than restorations with overlap preparation design (P = .018, log-rank). CONCLUSION Based on the findings of this study, whenever feasible, a preparation design without incisal overlap is recommended, especially in vital teeth.
Behavioral insomnia therapy for fibromyalgia patients: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND Insomnia is common and debilitating to fibromyalgia (FM) patients. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for many types of patients with insomnia, but has yet to be tested with FM patients. This study compared CBT with an alternate behavioral therapy and usual care for improving sleep and other FM symptoms. METHODS This randomized clinical trial enrolled 47 FM patients with chronic insomnia complaints. The study compared CBT, sleep hygiene (SH) instructions, and usual FM care alone. Outcome measures were subjective (sleep logs) and objective (actigraphy) total sleep time, sleep efficiency, total wake time, sleep latency, wake time after sleep onset, and questionnaire measures of global insomnia symptoms, pain, mood, and quality of life. RESULTS Forty-two patients completed baseline and continued into treatment. Sleep logs showed CBT-treated patients achieved nearly a 50% reduction in their nocturnal wake time by study completion, whereas SH therapy- and usual care-treated patients achieved only 20% and 3.5% reductions on this measure, respectively. In addition, 8 (57%) of 14 CBT recipients met strict subjective sleep improvement criteria by the end of treatment compared with 2 (17%) of 12 SH therapy recipients and 0% of the usual care group. Comparable findings were noted for similar actigraphic improvement criteria. The SH therapy patients showed favorable outcomes on measures of pain and mental well-being. This finding was most notable in an SH therapy subgroup that self-elected to implement selected CBT strategies. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive-behavioral therapy represents a promising intervention for sleep disturbance in FM patients. Larger clinical trials of this intervention with FM patients seem warranted.
Components of income inequality and its change in EU countries, 2004-2010

This paper aims to assess the contribution of different income sources and population characteristics to income inequality and it’s change during the 2004-2010 period in EU Member States. The analysis uses EU-SILC data to study the components of income inequality and its change both during years of economic growth (2004-2007) and during years of economic slowdown (2007-2010). The study analyses the contribution of different income sources by using the Shorrocks decomposition method and the role of different population characteristics using a regression-based method. The analysis shows that between 2004 and 2007 inequality of market income declined, most importantly in countries with important gains in employment, while between 2007 and 2010 market income inequality was rising in the majority of the countries. During the years of economic growth inequality of disposable income was also on the decline in most of the countries, while during the crisis years it increased more moderately pointing to an important redistributive effect of government taxes and transfers. Market income had an inequality increasing effect during the 2007-2010 period in Denmark, Cyprus, France and the UK, but in most of these countries (except France) government taxes and transfers moderated this effect. During the years of economic growth Poland and Estonia experienced the largest fall in inequality of disposable income. Changes in income differences by levels of work intensity contributed to inequality decline in both countries. The role of education level proved to be different however, having an inequality decreasing effect in Estonia and an inequality increasing effect in Poland. Between 2007 and 2010, the largest increases in inequality of disposable income were found in Ireland, Spain and Slovakia. In the case of Spain and Ireland the variables studied in the analysis did not contribute to explain this increase, while in the case of Slovakia almost the entire increase in inequality is the result of the inequality increasing effect of increasing income differences by levels of household work intensity.
Vesicle Motion and Fusion are Altered in Chromaffin Cells with Increased SNARE Cluster Dynamics

The expression of SNAP‐25 fused to green fluorescent protein (GFP) has been instrumental in demonstrating SNARE role in exocytosis. The wild‐type GFP–SNAP‐25 and a Δ9 form, product of botulinum neurotoxin A activity, the main ingredient in the BOTOX preparation, were employed here to study SNARE implication in vesicle mobility and fusion in cultured bovine chromaffin cells, a neuroendocrine exocytotic model. Using total internal reflection fluorescent microscopy, we have identified membrane microdomains of 500–600 nm diameter that contain both SNAP‐25 and syntaxin‐1 and associate with synaptobrevin‐2. Interestingly, while the SNAP‐25 Δ9 formed similar clusters, they displayed increased mobility both laterally and in the axis perpendicular to the plasmalemma, and this correlates with the enhanced dynamics of associated chromaffin granules. SNARE cluster‐enhanced motion is reversed by elevation of the intracellular calcium level. Furthermore, single vesicle fusion was unlikely in the highly mobile vesicles present in the cells expressing SNAP‐25 Δ9, which, in addition, displayed in average slower fusion kinetics. Consequently, SNARE cluster dynamics is a new aspect to consider when determining the factors contributing to the mobility of the vesicles in close vicinity to the plasma membrane and also the probability of exocytosis of this granule population.
High Estrogen in Men After Injectable Testosterone Therapy

Testosterone replacement improves quality of life and is aromatized in men in adipose tissues to estrogen. Hyperestrogenism is believed to be harmful to male sexuality. This is a description of our experience of screening 34,016 men in the Low T Centers, of which approximately 50% were converted to treatment. Men were treated with injectable testosterone, and we have available data from 2009 to 2014. The data were extracted from our electronic health record (AdvancedMD) of 35 Low T Centers across the United States. In all, 7,215 (20.2%) out of the 34,016 patients had high estradiol levels defined as ≥42.6 pg/ml. Estradiol was measured using electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay. Of the patients who had high estradiol levels, the age distribution was as follows: 132/989 (13.3%) were older than 65 years, 3,753/16,955 (22.1%) were between 45 and 65 years; 2,968/15,857 (18.7%) were between 25 and 44 years, 7/215 (3.3%) were younger than 25 years. The difference between extreme age groups (<25 and ≥65) was statistically significant using a chi-square test (p = .013). The correlation coefficient of serum estradiol to age was . 53, SD = 8.21. It was observed that practitioners used aromatase inhibitor and selective estrogen receptor modulator to treat symptoms of hyperestrogenism, irrespective of blood estradiol levels. Gynecomastia was rarely documented as a reason for the prescription. Our finding was that high estradiol levels were not associated with higher rates of low libido but established higher rates of documented low libido with those with normal or lower estradiol levels. The difference was statistically significant (p < .05).
Natural enemy interactions constrain pest control in complex agricultural landscapes

Biological control of pests by natural enemies is a major ecosystem service delivered to agriculture worldwide. Quantifying and predicting its effectiveness at large spatial scales is critical for increased sustainability of agricultural production. Landscape complexity is known to benefit natural enemies, but its effects on interactions between natural enemies and the consequences for crop damage and yield are unclear. Here, we show that pest control at the landscape scale is driven by differences in natural enemy interactions across landscapes, rather than by the effectiveness of individual natural enemy guilds. In a field exclusion experiment, pest control by flying insect enemies increased with landscape complexity. However, so did antagonistic interactions between flying insects and birds, which were neutral in simple landscapes and increasingly negative in complex landscapes. Negative natural enemy interactions thus constrained pest control in complex landscapes. These results show that, by altering natural enemy interactions, landscape complexity can provide ecosystem services as well as disservices. Careful handling of the tradeoffs among multiple ecosystem services, biodiversity, and societal concerns is thus crucial and depends on our ability to predict the functional consequences of landscape-scale changes in trophic interactions.
The Motivation Effect of Active Labor Market Policy on Wages

This paper analyzes the motivation effect of activation programs on wages and employment. We utilize a reform of the Danish UI system in 1998 that reduced the period of unconditional benefits and thereby created exogenous variation in the probability of people entering a mandatory activation program. Wages are measured by their position in the overall wage distribution, and we estimate how this position reacts to an increased probability of an individual being enrolled in activation. The wage effect is estimated using a competing risk duration model with exit states to employment at a higher wage or a lower wage. Overall, we find an increased hazard of exit to employment and of exit to higher-paying jobs as the probability of activation increases, and no change in the exit rate to lower-paying jobs. These results do not hold for individuals with higher education, for whom we find no employment or wage effects of a higher probability of activation.
An In-Pixel Gain Amplifier Based Event-Driven Physical Unclonable Function for CMOS Dynamic Vision Sensors

In this paper, a novel in-pixel event-driven physical unclonable function (PUF) is presented for the rapidly developed CMOS dynamic vision sensor (DVS). Different from traditional widely reported PUF implementations with additional dedicated silicon area, power consumption and peripheral circuitries, the proposed implementation extracts PUF based on the original gain amplifier existing in the mainstream DVS pixel, which is necessary to amplify the front-end logarithmic photoreceptor's relatively weak output signal, according to the ratio of the in-pixel capacitor pair. With any ON/OFF event generated and the corresponding DVS pixel fired asynchronously, the DVS pixel's own gain amplifier will be reset in order to capture the next possible event. Due to the inevitable variation of the semiconductor fabrication process, the reset voltages of different DVS pixels' gain amplifiers are slightly different. A bidirectional counter based analog-to-digital converter is customized to digitize the successively fired pixel pair with the sign bit representing the PUF bit (i.e. the reset voltages' difference). Moreover, the proposed implementation is validated using a standard 0. 18μm CMOS process in Cadence. According to the extensive post-layout simulation results, the uniqueness is calculated to be 49.97%. With the operating temperature varying from −40°C to 120°C and supply voltage varying from 1.7V to 2.1V, the worst-case reliability is reported to be 96.48% and 97.27%, respectively. Meanwhile, its superior randomness is also verified using the NIST test suite.
Efficiency of the Banking Sector in the Russian Federation with International Comparison

Banks, in most countries, play a crucial role in providing financial intermediation between savers and those who demand credit. Providing low cost funds is essential for investment and growth while providing savers with a good return on their investments. In order for bank intermediation to be effective in economic growth, such intermediation should be done in an efficient manner. So, an efficient functioning banking system is essential for sustained growth. The efficiency of bank intermediation in the Russian Federation has not been addressed before. In this paper, we assess the level of efficiency of the Russian banking industry using bank specific data. We estimate the level of bank efficiency using a standard stochastic frontier model. We find the efficiency level of the Russian banks low compared to international evidence on other countries. Then, we estimate the contributions of different factors that influence the level of efficiency in the Russian banking system. The factors included in the estimations are bank specific factors summarized as CAMEL variables and macroeconomic risk factors such as interest rate and exchange rate risk. We find that equity to asset ratio, ratio of non-performing loans to total loans, interest rate volatility, inflation rate volatility and real effective exchange rate volatility significantly affect intermediation efficiency of banks in the Russian Federation.
Unnoticed Spread of Class 1 Integrons in Gram‐Positive Clinical Strains Isolated in Guangzhou, China

A total of 46 gram‐positive bacteria isolated from clinical specimens collected in China were subjected to PCR analysis with the intI1‐specific primers, and the intI1‐positive strains were further analyzed for their resistance gene cassette. All isolates possessed the class 1 integron in their genomes and the array of gene cassettes was dhfrXII‐orfF‐aadA2, which is very similar to other organisms except in one isolate carrying an additional copy of the class 1 integron containing the aadA2 gene cassette. Altogether, the results indicate that the class 1 integron is widespread in gram‐positive clinical strains isolated in Guangzhou, China.
Single-port laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy in dogs and cats: 25 cases (2009-2014).

OBJECTIVE To describe the operative technique for single-port laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy (SPLC) in dogs and cats and evaluate clinical outcome for patients that underwent the procedure. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 25 client-owned dogs (n = 22) and cats (3). PROCEDURES Dogs and cats that underwent SPLC with 3 commercially available single-port devices between 2009 and 2014 were retrospectively identified through a multi-institutional medical records review. Surgery was performed via a single-port device placed through a 1.5- to 3.0-cm abdominal incision either at the region of the umbilicus or caudal to the right 13th rib. The cryptorchidectomy was performed with graspers, a bipolar vessel sealing device, and a 30° telescope. RESULTS SPLC was performed with a single-incision laparoscopic surgery port (n = 15), a multitrocar wound-retractor access system (8), or a metal resterilizable single-port access device (2). Median age was 365 days (range, 166 to 3,285 days). Median body weight was 18.9 kg (41.6 lb; range, 1.3 to 70 kg [2.9 to 154 lb]). Median surgical time was 38 minutes (range, 15 to 70 minutes). Thirty-two testes were removed (12 left, 6 right, and 7 bilateral). Four patients had 1 additional abdominal surgical procedure performed concurrently during SPLC. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were encountered. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that SPLC can be performed in a wide range of dogs and cats with cryptorchidism and can be combined with other elective laparoscopic surgical procedures. The SPLC technique was associated with a low morbidity rate and provided a potentially less invasive alternative to traditional open and multiport laparoscopic techniques.
Work & Stress: An International Journal of Work, Health & Organisations

Tinne Vander Elst, Anja Van den Broeck, Hans De Witte & Nele De Cuyper(2012): The mediating role of frustration of psychological needs in the relationship between jobinsecurity and work-related well-being, Work & Stress: An International Journal of Work, Health &Organisations, 26:3, 252-271
Refractive Error Status in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Refractive errors affect the whole spectrum of the population without regard to age, gender, race and ethnic group. Uncorrected refractive errors have severe consequences for the individual, family and society.Records showthat no study documenting the distribution of refractive errors in Bayelsa State had been carried out. Records of patients who presented between January, 2004 and October, 2005 in the government-subsidized eye clinic of the Niger-Delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri for refractive error servicewere reviewed.Myopiawas defined as = -0.50DS; hyperopia as = +1.00DS while astigmatismwas definedas = -0.25DC. Emmetropiawas defined as spherical power of -0.25Dto +0.75D. Results of the right eyewere usedfor analysis.Datawere analyzedusingthe Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 10. In this retrospective study, a total of 654 patients fitted the inclusion criteria. There were 319 males and 335 females (48.78%and 51.22% respectively) with an age range of 5 - 86 years. Mean age was 42.18±13.1 (95% CI = 41.17 - 43.19) years. Significant refractive error was observed in 355 cases (54.28%) while 299 (45.72%) were emmetropic. Of the 355 with refractive error, 181 (50.99%) were male and 174 (49.01%) were females. Astigmatism was the commonest refractive error (n=162, 45.63%) followed by myopia (n=113, 51.83%) and hyperopia (n=80, 22.54%). The ranges of refractive power were as follows: astigmatism, -0.25DC to -1.75DC; Myopia, -0.50D to -9.00D and hyperopia, +1.00DS to +11.00DS. More males had hyperopia and myopia while more females had astigmatism. Presbyopia as indicated by the use of near addition was present in 490 (74.92%) of the subjects.The results can be used for planning self sustaining refractive error services in the state. Keywords: Emmetropia,Myopia,Hyperopia,Astigmatism, Presbyopia.
Project Northland: comprehensive alcohol use prevention for young adolescents, their parents, schools, peers and communities.

OBJECTIVE Project Northland is an ongoing prevention trial with the objective of reducing underage drinking and related problems. Phase I focused on early adolescence and this study describes the multiple interventions, highlighting its parent components. METHOD A cohort design was used with sixth graders from 24 school districts (N = 2,35 1: 97% of the eligible population: 51.3% boys), randomly assigned to intervention or reference condition. Phase I ended in eighth grade (N = 1,901: 81% retention rate). Both demand and supply reduction guided the interventions. This study examined Project Northland's impact using MMPI-A scales assessing clinical problems related to adolescents' alcohol and other drug use (Alcohol/Drug Problems Proneness scale; Alcohol/Drug Problems Acknowledgement scale), as well as MMPI-A scales related to school functioning (Adolescent-School Problems Content scale: Adolescent-Low Aspirations Content scale) and family functioning (Adolescent-Family Problems Content scale). RESULTS Results showed significant reductions on the MMPI-A Proneness scale for those exposed to the interventions. The greatest program effects were among baseline nonusers of alcohol. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that the impact of Project Northland is not only on specifically targeted alcohol and drug use behaviors and their predictive factors, but also on intra-individual and familial factors generally considered precursors of more extensive problem behaviors and more resistant to change. Furthermore, the engaging home-based sixth-grade intervention, the Slick Tracy Home Team Program, is a promising population-based prevention approach that may generalize to other serious problems within a young person's family.
Maternal Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage During Pregnancy as an Interdisciplinary Task

Abstract Maternal aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) during pregnancy presents a challenge regarding treatment and management. Due to the limited number of cases there are no treatment guidelines available. Thus, treatment is usually done on a case-by-case basis. Here we report on four cases of aSAH during pregnancy, describing the different management strategies and suggesting a possible treatment algorithm. Patients treated between 2003 and 2013 in our center were included in this retrospective study. Clinical data focused on time management concerning gestation week (GW), microsurgical or endovascular treatment, and outcome of the patients and the fetuses. Results were compared to the present literature on this issue. Mean age was 30.8 years, initial Hunt & Hess (H&H) grade ranged from III to V. All patients suffered from aSAH during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. In the four cases, two emergency Caesarean sections (CS) were performed. Two aneurysms were occluded by microsurgical clipping and one was treated endovascularly. One patient died before definitive treatment of the aneurysm could be achieved, whereas fetal mortality was 0%. The mean follow-up was 83 months. aSAH during pregnancy needs individualized interdisciplinary management. Efforts must focus on the mother so that a delay in the best available treatment for the pregnant patient is avoided. Therefore treatment modality should be primarily determined by the aneurysm itself. However, timing in terms of delivery of the fetus and aneurysm treatment is a crucial point.