Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Osteochondral Lesions of the Tibial Plafond: A Systematic Review

Background: There is a paucity of data regarding osteochondral lesions of the tibial plafond (OLTPs), in part because they are far less common than osteochondral lesions of the talus. Purpose: To evaluate the topographical characteristics of OLTPs and outcomes after surgical intervention, while analyzing the level of evidence (LOE) and quality of evidence (QOE) of the included studies. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases was performed in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies reporting clinical data for OLTPs were included. The LOE and QOE of the included studies were evaluated using a 5-level grading system and the modified Coleman Methodology Score, respectively. Results: Included were 20 studies with 426 OLTPs; 4 studies were LOE 2 and 16 studies were LOE 4. Overall, 86.7% of OLTPs were associated with a traumatic history and/or previous ankle sprain. OLTPs were most commonly located in the centromedial region of the tibial plafond (30.4%), with the fewest number of OLTPs found in the anteromedial region of the tibial plafond (3.9%). In 17 of the studies, a total of 46.9% of OLTPs were associated with coexisting osteochondral lesions of the talus. The most frequently used surgical technique to treat OLTPs was microfracture, which resulted in good clinical outcomes at midterm follow-up. Conclusion: The results of this systematic review indicated that OLTPs are frequently preceded by ankle trauma and are often associated with coexisting osteochondral lesions of the talus. Clinical outcomes after arthroscopic intervention appear to produce good results in the midterm, but the low LOE, poor QOE, marked heterogeneity, and underreporting of the data confound any recommendation based on this systematic review.
Mineralogical and chemical changes in mineral liners in contact with landfill leachate

The mineralogical and chemical integrity of mineral liners for domestic waste landfill sites was investigated using a series of batch reactor experiments. A synthetic acetogenic leachate was developed based on the composition of domestic waste leachates. The interactions between the synthetic leachate and mudrocks used by Shanks and McEwan Ltd. to line land fill sites located in the United Kingdom are described. The results of the laboratory experiments are contrasted against those obtained from samples of a 15-year-old mineral liner from a landfill site located near Stewartby, Bedfordshire. The interactions between a concentrated, ionic solution, such as a leachate, and mineral liners include ion-exchange, particle size reduction, mineral dissolution and clay-mineral disorder ing and collapse. Bentonites and high-swelling clays are more susceptible to mineral transformations than mixed assem blage mudrocks and low-swelling clays. Understanding the interactions between leachate and mudrocks will assist the prediction of the long term performance and integrity of nat ural lining materials.
'Bearly' Changing with the Seasons: Bears of Five Species Show Few Behavioral Changes Across Seasons and at Varying Visitor Densities

In natural environments, bear behavior follows seasonal patterns but the zoo environment differs from the natural environment in several ways, including the presence of zoo visitors. Although typically difficult to disentangle, we were able to tease apart the effects of seasonal changes and visitor density on the visibility and behavior of 10 bears representing five species housed at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. We conducted a longitudinal bear behavior monitoring project from June, 2017-November, 2020. Bears were more visible in the spring and in the presence of visitors, locomoted more and were less inactive when large crowds were present, foraged and locomoted more when it was earlier in the day, and locomoted more at higher temperatures. There were limited differences in bear visibility to observers between 2020 (when the zoo was temporarily closed to visitors) and the previous three years. There were no differences in rates of stereotypy or social behavior across seasons, crowds, or daily attendance categories. Based on these limited differences, neither season nor visitor density seemed to have an apparent effect on bear behavior or welfare.
Optimised Multiport Amplifiers for Wideband Multi-Beam Satellites

This paper provides an analysis of Multiport Amplifiers (MPAs), specifically 8 port MPAs that may have use in Wideband Multi-beam payloads operating at Ku or Ka-band. These typically use Single Feed per Beam (SFB) designs which provide a contiguous set of up to 100 narrow beams, or more over a defined area. MPAs are an attractive solution to SFBs, since they potentially offer a high degree of flexibility in allocating power to beam. MPAs have successfully been applied at L and S-band, but present highly challenging problems at Ku/ Ka-band at which wavelengths are an order of magnitude shorter. This paper examines the impacts of equipment phase/amplitude mismatches on MPA performance, primarily on isolation. Using a simulation model for a Ka-band broadband satellite system the paper then goes on to determine the impacts of MPA isolation on the systems performance, and establishes target phase/amplitude tracking requirements of an MPA for use within such systems. The simulation results indicate that an MPA isolation of ≥24dB should be targeted for maximum spectral efficiency. Beyond 24dB there are no further significant gains and efficiency equals that of an SFB with a conventional HPA scheme.
Tourists as Caged Birds: Elaborating Travel Thoughts and Craving When Feeling Captive

Being unable to travel feels like being a caged bird for many and trapped in unwanted situations strengthens travel desire. This study contextualizes travel deprivation and subsequent desire thinking in relation to the concept of craving. It introduces lockdown captivity and travel craving as relevant factors to understand tourism demand when travel is impossible. This research demonstrates the usefulness of the elaborated intrusion theory in the tourism context and newly defines wanderlust in association with craving. Empirical support for the hypotheses that lockdown captivity and wanderlust are key determinants of travel craving is provided. Travel craving should be used as an alternative concept to travel intention in situations in which travel is curtailed or impossible. Tourism marketers and practitioners are advised to build on the caged bird metaphor to effectively communicate their offerings during crises that result in travel restrictions and to show their empathy toward would-be tourists.
Analysis of heat flows and their impact on the reliability of high-power diode lasers

Facet overheating is considered a potential source for device degradation of diode lasers. We test two different concepts for the reduction of facet temperatures of high-power diode lasers by measuring the facet temperatures by means of Raman spectroscopy. For conventional high-power broad area lasers we demonstrate the reduction of the facet overheating by the introduction of current blocking layers by a factor of 3-4. For another set of devices among them quantum well and quantum-dot lasers with almost the same device design we find a reduction of the overheating by 40 to 60 percent for the dot devices. Thus we qualify two very different but promising technological approaches for increasing device reliability.
Effect of KMnO 4 on shelf life and quality of banana ( Musa paradisiaca L.)

Banana being a climacteric fruit shows an increase in ethylene production during the ripening which reduces the shelf life. Potassium permanganate (KMnO 4 ) as an ethylene absorber extends the shelf life and maintains postharvest quality. The experiment was conducted at the laboratory of Nepal Polytechnic Institute, Bharatpur-11, Chitwan, Nepal from 2nd August to 13th August 2018 to investigate the effect of different concentrations of KMnO 4 on post-harvest qualities of banana at ambient conditions (30.35 ± 2.15 °C and 82 ± 5.5% RH). The experiment consisted of ﬁve different concentrations of KMnO 4 viz . 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 grams (g) per seven ﬁngers of banana. The research was laid out in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications. Among different concentrations of KMnO 4 , 4 g KMnO 4 showed the minimum weight loss on 4, 8 and 12 days which was 0.66%, 2.55% and 5.93% respectively. The maximum shelf life (13.50 days), titratable acidity (1.89%) and ﬁrmness (4.47 lb) was recorded in 6 g KMnO 4 . The highest total soluble solids (18.30%) was obtained in 0 g KMnO 4 . Thus at ambient room conditions (30.35 ± 2.15 °C and 82 ± 5.5% RH), it is suggested to use 6 g KMnO 4 per seven ﬁngers of banana fruits to reduce post-harvest loss.
Changes in Students’ School Trust as a Reflection of Teachers’ Collective Learning Processes: Findings from a Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT This 2-year longitudinal study compares students’ trajectories for perceived teacher–student relationship quality and students’ self-efficacy (together discussed as students’ school trust) to previously documented teacher-perceived experiences in teacher teams’ collective learning processes. The article’s main contribution is the reflection in students’ perceptions, of their teachers’ perceived quality and attainment in collective learning processes. Comparisons between schools show that trajectories for students belonging to the only teacher team that experienced a more mature and successful learning process in an earlier study, differed significantly from the trajectories for students in compared teams. Differences demonstrated large positive effect sizes (d=0.81–1.14). Individual analysis provides deeper insights about how these students’ perceptions changed. Additionally, the full sample data confirms earlier findings of substantial cross-associations between student-perceived teacher–student relationship quality and student self-efficacy. For example, sustainable associations between supportive teacher–student relationships and students’ global academic self-efficacy and self-efficacy for self-regulative learning were found (r = 0.43–0.51).
Significance of Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 in Inflammatory Arthritis

Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 belong to the T helper 2 (Th2) cytokine family, along with IL-3, IL-5, and IL-9. These cytokines are key mediators of allergic inflammation. They have important immunomodulatory activities and exert influence on a wide variety of immune cells, such as B cells, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, airway epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells, and keratinocytes. Recent studies have implicated IL-4 and IL-13 in the development of various autoimmune diseases. Additionally, these cytokines have emerged as potential players in pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis. Recent findings suggest that the IL-4 and IL-13 might play a significant role in the downregulation of inflammatory processes underlying RA pathology, and beneficially modulate the course of the disease. This review summarizes the biological features of the IL-4 and IL-13 and provides current knowledge regarding the role of these cytokines in inflammatory arthritis.
Damage analysis under thermal shock loading using eddy current sensors

Thermal shock is an extreme form of thermo-mechanical loading. Detailed investigations of thermal shock and lifetime analysis close to reality are necessary in industrial engineering, in order to get a good prediction of life expectancy for high quality and safety relevant machine components. This paper concentrates on experimental investigations of structural changes of the surface due to thermal shock loading, as structural changes in surface-like cracks are one of the main parameters which influence lifetime. For this purpose, cylindrical specimens of heat resistant steel (X15CrNiSi20-12) are heated up by a gas burner and are cooled down by water quench in a cyclical manner. After a continuous number of thermal shock cycles the girthed area of the specimen is measured by eddy current to find surface embrittlement, crack initiation and crack progress. Signal barriers for the impedance signal of the eddy current sensor are introduced in order to quantify the two dominating categories of surface damage, micro cracks and macro cracks. Furthermore, a so-called accumulated crack length is introduced as a damage parameter. This is related to the signal barriers and quantifies damage with respect to the number of thermal shock cycles. Furthermore, for visualisation of damage an innovative 3D plotting method is introduced, which projects eddy current data onto the digitalised surface.
Bio-Based Polyurethane Resins Derived from Tannin: Source, Synthesis, Characterisation, and Application

Tannins are soluble, astringent secondary phenolic metabolites generally obtained from renewable natural resources, and can be found in many plant parts, such as fruits, stems, leaves, seeds, roots, buds, and tree barks, where they have a protective function against bacterial, fungal, and insect attacks. In general, tannins can be extracted using hot water or organic solvents from the bark, leaves, and stems of plants. Industrially, tannins are applied to produce adhesives, wood coatings, and other applications in the wood and polymer industries. In addition, tannins can also be used as a renewable and environmentally friendly material to manufacture bio-based polyurethanes (bio-PUs) to reduce or eliminate the toxicity of isocyanates used in their manufacture. Tannin-based bio-PUs can improve the mechanical and thermal properties of polymers used in the automotive, wood, and construction industries. The various uses of tannins need to be put into perspective with regards to possible further advances and future potential for value-added applications. Tannins are employed in a wide range of industrial applications, including the production of leather and wood adhesives, accounting for almost 90% of the global commercial tannin output. The shortage of natural resources, as well as the growing environmental concerns related to the reduction of harmful emissions of formaldehyde or isocyanates used in the production of polyurethanes, have driven the industrial and academic interest towards the development of tannin-based bio-PUs as sustainable alternative materials with satisfactory characteristics. The aim of the present review is to comprehensively summarize the current state of research in the field of development, characterization, and application of tannin-derived, bio-based polyurethane resins. The successful synthesis process of the tannin-based bio-PUs was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analyses.
Encouraging Recruiter Achievement: A Recent History of Military Recruiter Incentive Programs

Abstract : In the spring of 1994, the Army Chief of Staff and the Deputy Secretary of Defense asked RAND to examine recent trends in the recruiting market and assess their implications for meeting accession requirements. The request for assistance came about because of indications of increased difficulty in meeting recruiting goals. It consisted of two parts: (1) a quick initial examination of the trends and (2) a longer-term research agenda to study the recruiting outlook in depth. The results of the preliminary examination were briefed in May 1994 and are described in MR-549-A/OSD, Recent Recruiting Trends and Their Implications: Preliminary Analysis and Recommendations (Asch and Orvis, 1994) This report presents results from the longer-term analysis. In it we describe recruiter incentive plans in each service and how they have changed over time. Its findings should interest planners and policymakers concerned with recruiting. Additional results from the longer-term analysis are described in MR-677-A/OSD, Military Recruiting Outlook: Recent Trends in Enlistment Propensity and Conversion of Potential Enlisted Supply (Orvis, Sastry, and McDonald, 1996) and other documents that will be forthcoming as part of this project. This research was conducted within the Manpower and Training Program, part of RAND's Arroyo Center, and within the Forces and Resources Policy Center, part of RAND's National Defense Research Institute. The Arroyo Center and the National Defense Research Institute are both federally funded research and development centers, the first sponsored by the United States Army and the second by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, and the defense agencies.
A decision model for corrective maintenance management

Proper management of maintenance offers many companies significant potential for improving productivity and profitability. Traditional management thinking regards maintenance costs as accidental, rather than planned and controllable. Additionally, research in maintenance management has focused on preventive maintenance and has ignored corrective maintenance even though the latter is also considered to be a critical activity in industry. This study proposes a decision model that could assist in a comparative evaluation of alternative corrective maintenance policies. This decision model consists of a simulation model and economic analysis. The simulation model predicts inventory costs and delivery performance of a corrective maintenance policy in various production systems. Based on simulation results, an economic analysis, consisting of a net present value model and breakeven models, determines the economic value of alternative maintenance policies. A detailed example is offered to evaluate two particular .
Emerging Market Firms’ Response to U.S. Economic Recession and the Subsequent Period’s Performance

We investigated the changes in behaviors of firms in emerging markets in response to the U.S. economic recession and the impact of those changes in strategic behaviors on subsequent periods’ operating performances. Specifically, we adopted an event-study methodology, using a sample of emerging market firms, to investigate the nature of the effects of the U.S. economic recession on firms in emerging markets. Based on 5,887 firms in nine emerging countries, our results show that firms in emerging markets exhibit changes in strategy variables, and those changes have a significant effect on the subsequent periods’ operating performance. In addition, we found that the impact of changes in strategy variables on the subsequent periods’ operating performance is stronger among more resource-unconstrained firms than among more resource-constrained firms. We ascribe this latter finding to the lack of slack resources that are necessary to make changes in strategy variables during the aftermath of the global economic recession for more resource-constrained firms.
Rates and timing of short-term complications following operative treatment of tibial shaft fractures

Abstract Introduction: Tibial shaft fractures are a relatively common injury in orthopaedic surgery, with management options including intramedullary nail (IMN) fixation or open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) with plate osteosynthesis. Using a large national database, we sought to compare the prevalence and timing of short-term complications following either IMN or ORIF for tibial shaft fractures. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was used to identify patients undergoing IMN or ORIF for the treatment of tibial shaft fracture between 2012 and 2018. Multivariate Poisson hurdle regression models were utilized to determine predictors of postoperative complications as well as the timing of postoperative complications. Results: A total of 4963 tibial shaft fracture were identified, with 3601 patients undergoing IMN (72.6%) and 1362 undergoing ORIF (27.4%). Patients undergoing IMN had a lower mean age of 48.8 compared with 53.9 for plate osteosynthesis (P < .001). IMN patients were also more likely to be male (53.5%) compared with ORIF patients (44.2%, P < .001). In multivariate analysis, ORIF patients were significantly more likely to experience surgical site complications, including dehiscence, superficial, and deep infections (OR 2.04, P = .003). There was no difference in probability of VTE between constructs; however, patients who underwent ORIF were diagnosed with VTE earlier than those who underwent IMN (relative rate 0.50, P < .001). There was no difference between ORIF and IMN with regard to probability or timing of subsequent blood transfusion, major complications, or return to the operating room. Many patient factors, such as higher American Society of Anesthesiologists score, congestive heart failure, and hypertension, were independently associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. Conclusions: Postoperative complications within 30 days are common after the surgical treatment of tibial shaft fractures. The risk of developing specific complications and the timing of these complications vary depending on numerous factors, including potentially modifiable risk factors such as the method of fixation or operative time, as well as nonmodifiable risk factors such as medical comorbidities.
Current Advances in Lipid and Polymeric Antimicrobial Peptide Delivery Systems and Coatings for the Prevention and Treatment of Bacterial Infections

Bacterial infections constitute a threat to public health as antibiotics are becoming less effective due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistant strains and biofilm and persister formation. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered excellent alternatives to antibiotics; however, they suffer from limitations related to their peptidic nature and possible toxicity. The present review critically evaluates the chemical characteristics and antibacterial effects of lipid and polymeric AMP delivery systems and coatings that offer the promise of enhancing the efficacy of AMPs, reducing their limitations and prolonging their half-life. Unfortunately, the antibacterial activities of these systems and coatings have mainly been evaluated in vitro against planktonic bacteria in less biologically relevant conditions, with only some studies focusing on the antibiofilm activities of the formulated AMPs and on the antibacterial effects in animal models. Further improvements of lipid and polymeric AMP delivery systems and coatings may involve the functionalization of these systems to better target the infections and an analysis of the antibacterial activities in biologically relevant environments. Based on the available data we proposed which polymeric AMP delivery system or coatings could be profitable for the treatment of the different hard-to-treat infections, such as bloodstream infections and catheter- or implant-related infections.
Dynamic Response of a Highway Bridge Subjected to Moving Vehicles

Several full-scale load tests were performed on a selected Florida highway bridge. The bridge was dynamically excited by two fully loaded trucks, and the strain, acceleration, and displacement at selected points were recorded for the investigation of the bridge’s dynamic response. Experimental data were compared with simplified vehicle and bridge finite-element models. The vehicle was represented as a three-dimensional mass–spring–damper system with 11 degrees of freedom, and the bridge was modeled as a combination of plate and beam elements that characterize the slab and girders, respectively. The equations of motion were formulated with physical components for the vehicle and modal components for the bridge. The coupled equations were solved using a central difference method. It was found that the numerical analysis matched well with the experimental data and was used to successfully explain critical dynamic phenomena observed during the testing. Impact factors for this tested bridge were thoroughly inv.