Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isometric hip strength impairments in patients with hip dysplasia are improved but not normalized 1 year after periacetabular osteotomy: a cohort study of 82 patients

Background and purpose — In patients with hip dysplasia, knowledge of hip muscle strength after periacetabular osteotomy is lacking. We investigated isometric hip muscle strength in patients with hip dysplasia, before and 1 year after periacetabular osteotomy, and compared this with healthy volunteers. Furthermore, we investigated whether pre- to post-surgical changes in self-reported pain and sporting function were associated with changes in isometric hip muscle strength. Patients and methods — Isometric hip muscle strength was assessed twice in 82 patients (11 men) with a mean age of 30 (SD 9) years, before and 1 year after surgery, and once in 50 healthy volunteers. Isometric hip muscle strength was assessed with a hand-held dynamometer. Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score was used to measure self-reported outcome. Results — Despite 1-year improvements in isometric hip flexion (0.1 Nm/kg; 95% CI 0.06–0.2) and abduction (0.1 Nm/kg; CI 0.02–0.2), the patients’ muscle strength was 13–34% lower than the strength of the healthy volunteers both pre- and post-surgery (p < 0.01). Moreover, changes in self-reported pain were associated with changes in hip flexion (13 points per Nm/kg; CI 1–26) and abduction (14 points per Nm/kg; CI 3–25), while changes in self-reported sporting function were associated with changes in hip extension (9 points per Nm/kg; CI 1–18). Interpretation — Isometric hip muscle strength is impaired in symptomatic dysplastic hips measured before periacetabular osteotomy. 1 year after surgery, isometric hip flexion and abduction strength had improved but muscle strength did not reach that of healthy volunteers.
Causes of Positive Pretransplant Crossmatches in the Absence of Donor-Specific Anti-Human Leukocyte Antigen Antibodies: A Single-Center Experience

Pretransplant crossmatch (XM) testing is widely used for detecting preformed donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) against human leukocyte antigen (HLA). However, in some cases, there is a positive XM result in the absence of HLA-DSAs, the cause of which was rarely identified. We reviewed the causes of sequential positive XM results at a single center and analyzed the presence of non-HLA antibodies in patients with an unexplained positive pretransplant XM result. Among 251 patients with T-cell/B-cell complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) or flow cytometric crossmatch (FCXM) positivity, HLA-DSAs were confirmed in 88 (35.1%) by a single antigen bead (SAB) assay, 150 (59.8%) used rituximab (anti-CD20), and 13 (5.2%) had neither HLA-DSAs nor a desensitization history. Anti-angiotensin II type 1 receptor IgG and 33 non-HLA antibodies were tested in the 13 patients with an unexplained positive pretransplant XM result, and more than one non-HLA antibody were revealed in all these patients; 11 patients had non-HLA antibodies reported to be associated with graft rejection, and two patients experienced rejection episode after kidney transplantation. Our study suggests considering non-HLA antibodies testing when a CDC or FCXM test is positive without a definite cause. Assessing non-HLA antibodies might be useful for interpreting XM results and evaluating immunologic risk in transplant recipients.
Exploring the relationship between social power and the ERP components of empathy for pain

ABSTRACT Social power (the ability to control or influence another’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviors) and empathy (the ability to both share and understand the thoughts and feelings of others) are fundamental to social life. Here, we explore the relationship between social power and the ERP components associated with empathy for pain. Participants were induced into states of high and low social power via a double blind version of the episodic recall task (e.g., “recall a time you felt powerful”). Afterward, they completed a pain categorization task, viewing pictures of hands that were in pain or not in pain, from a first-person or third-person visual perspective. Whereas both high and low social power states were associated with enhanced N2 amplitudes when observing another in pain, only the high social power state was associated with an enhancement of the P3. Based on this pattern of data, we tentatively suggest that, whereas social power does not seem to impact the initial emotional response to observing another’s pain (as indexed by the N2), low social power might induce changes in the cognitive evaluation of another’s pain relative to high social power (as indexed by the P3). We discuss our findings in relation to the broader literature on power and empathy.
Preference for Alternative Communication Modality Based on Reinforcer Quality and Availability

Preference for augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) systems has received growing interest in work with individuals with developmental disabilities. An individual may choose a modality based on technological (e.g., auditory-output) or aesthetic features of a system; however, it is ideal that functional features (i.e., effectiveness in producing a reinforcer) affect preference to a much greater extent. Prior research has treated preference as a static variable and may commonly report a lack of preference for a modality or control by irrelevant features of the assessment (e.g., position of the modality in an array). The current study assessed the preference for AAC modalities of a teenager with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability using a concurrent-chains procedure. This study extended prior research by including additional methods to ensure accurate assessment of preference (i.e., a control condition) and a reinforcer manipulation to determine whether preference was controlled by non-functional (e.g., aesthetic) or functional (i.e., reinforcer quality and availability) variables. Preference was found to be functionally related to reinforcer availability, including when rapidly alternated between modalities. Moreover, the participant consistently allocated responding away from the control condition. Implications for self-determination and suggestions for future research on preference for AAC systems are considered.
The Clinical Efficacy of Nitrofurantoin for Treating Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection in Adults: A Systematic Review of Randomized Control Trials

Objective: To provide an updated systematic review of randomized control trials (RCTs) to investigate the clinical and microbiological efficacy of nitrofurantoin compared to other antibiotics or placebo for treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTI). A secondary aim is to assess whether nitrofurantoin use is associated with increased side effects compared to other treatment regimens. Summary: The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched 4 databases for articles published from database inception to May 6, 2020: (1) PubMed electronic database of the National Library of Medicine, (2) Web of Science, (3) Embase, and (4) Cochrane Library. Nine RCTs were selected for the review. RCTs were a mixture of double-blind, single-blind, and open-label trials. The most common comparators were trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and fosfomycin tromethamine. Overall study quality was poor with a high risk of bias. The clinical cure rates in nitrofurantoin ranged from 51 to 94% depending on the length of follow-up, and bacteriological cure rates ranged from 61 to 92%. Overall the evidence suggests that nitrofurantoin is at least comparable with other uUTI treatments in terms of efficacy. Patients taking nitrofurantoin reported fewer side effects than other drugs and the most commonly reported were gastrointestinal and central nervous system symptoms. Key Messages: Evidence on the clinical and bacteriological efficacy of nitrofurantoin is sparse, with a lack of new data, and hampered by high risk of bias. Although no firm conclusions can be made on the current base of evidence, the studies generally suggest that nitrofurantoin is at least comparable to other common uUTI treatments in terms of clinical and bacteriological cure. More robust research with well-designed double-blinded RCTs is needed.
Alpha-band activity tracks a 2-dimensional spotlight of attention during spatial working memory maintenance.

Covert spatial attention is thought to facilitate the maintenance of locations in working memory, and EEG alpha-band activity (8 - 12 Hz) is proposed to track the focus of covert attention. Recent work has shown that multivariate patterns of alpha-band activity track the polar angle of remembered locations relative to fixation. However, a defining feature of covert spatial attention is that it facilitates processing in a specific region of the visual field, and prior work has not determined whether patterns of alpha-band activity track the two-dimensional coordinates of remembered stimuli within a visual hemifield or are instead maximally sensitive to the polar angle of remembered locations around fixation. Here we used a lateralized spatial estimation task, in which observers remembered the location of one or two target dots presented to one side of fixation, to test this question. By applying a linear discriminant classifier to the topography of alpha-band activity, we found that we were able to decode the location of remembered stimuli. Critically, model comparison revealed that the pattern of classifier choices observed across remembered positions was best explained by a model assuming that alpha-band activity tracks the 2d-coordinates of remembered locations rather than a model assuming that alpha-band activity tracks the polar angle of remembered locations relative to fixation. These results support the hypothesis that this alpha-band activity is involved in the spotlight of attention, and arises from mid- to lower-level visual areas involved in maintaining spatial locations in working memory.
Attack behaviour in naive gyrfalcons is modelled by the same guidance law as in peregrine falcons, but at a lower guidance gain

ABSTRACT The aerial hunting behaviours of birds are strongly influenced by flight morphology and ecology, but little is known of how this relates to the behavioural algorithms guiding flight. Here, we used GPS loggers to record the attack trajectories of captive-bred gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus) during their maiden flights against robotic aerial targets, which we compared with existing flight data from peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus). The attack trajectories of both species were well modelled by a proportional navigation (PN) guidance law, which commands turning in proportion to the angular rate of the line-of-sight to target, at a guidance gain N. However, naive gyrfalcons operate at significantly lower values of N than peregrine falcons, producing slower turning and a longer path to intercept. Gyrfalcons are less manoeuvrable than peregrine falcons, but physical constraint is insufficient to explain the lower values of N we found, which may reflect either the inexperience of the individual birds or ecological adaptation at the species level. For example, low values of N promote the tail-chasing behaviour that is typical of wild gyrfalcons and which apparently serves to tire their prey in a prolonged high-speed pursuit. Likewise, during close pursuit of typical fast evasive prey, PN will be less prone to being thrown off by erratic target manoeuvres at low guidance gain. The fact that low-gain PN successfully models the maiden attack flights of gyrfalcons suggests that this behavioural algorithm is embedded in a guidance pathway ancestral to the clade containing gyrfalcons and peregrine falcons, though perhaps with much deeper evolutionary origins. Highlighted Article: Naive gyrfalcons attacking aerial targets are modelled by the same proportional navigation guidance law as peregrine falcons, but with a lower navigation constant that promotes tail-chasing rather than efficient interception.
Microscale Cohesive-Friction-Based Finite Element Model for the Crack Opening Mechanism of Hooked-End Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

The entire mechanical properties of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) are significantly dependent on the fiber–matrix interactions. In the current study, a finite element (FE) model was developed to simulate the pullout response of hooked-end SFRC employing cohesive–frictional interactions. Plain stress elements were adapted in the model to exemplify the fiber process constituents, taking into consideration the material nonlinearity of the hooked-end fiber. Additionally, a surface-to-surface contact model was used to simulate the fiber’s behavior in the pullout mechanism. The model was calibrated against experimental observations, and a modification factor model was proposed to account for the 3D phenomenalistic behavior of the pullout behavior. Realistic predictions were obtained by using this factor to predict the entire pullout-slip curves and independent results for the peak pullout load. The numerical results indicated that the increased fiber diameter would alter the mode of crack opening from fiber–matrix damage to that combined with matrix spalling, which can neutralize the sensitivity of the entire pullout response of hooked-end steel fiber to embedment depth. Additionally, the fiber–matrix bond was enhanced by increasing the fiber’s surface area, sensibly leading to a higher pullout peak load and toughness. The developed FE model was also proficient in predicting microstructural stress distribution and deformations during the crack opening of SFRC. This model could be extended to fully model a loaded SFRC composite material by the inclusion of various randomly oriented dosages of fibers in the concrete block.
Molecular dynamics and crystallization behaviour of isopentyl cyanobiphenyl as studied by dielectric relaxation spectroscopy

Isopentyl cyanobiphenyl may be cooled into the supercooled liquid state, forming a glass below 210 K. On heating the glass, the supercooled liquid crystallizes above 245 K. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) has been used in the frequency range 10−1 to 105 Hz to study (i) the reorientational motions of the molecules in the glassy and supercooled liquid states and (ii) the kinetics of crystallization. A primary (α) relaxation process is observed whose line-shape is discussed in terms of the Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts function and component relaxation processes. The temperature dependence of the dielectric relaxation time is found to conform with the Vogel–Fulcher–Tamman equation. The crystallization kinetics, as determined from DRS measurements on heating the supercooled liquid, are shown to follow the Avrami equation but the experimental values of the Avrami exponent are far smaller than the theoretical value for the sporadic growth of spherulites.
Bimetallic PdAu Catalysts within Hierarchically Porous Architectures for Aerobic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol

Hierarchically porous (HP) zeotype materials (possessing both micropores and mesopores) offer improved diffusional access to intra-framework active sites, analogous to mesoporous materials, yet retain the high selectivity of the microporous (MP) bulk. We have recently designed crystalline hierarchically porous silicoaluminophosphates (SAPOs) with enhanced mass-transport characteristics, which can lead to significant improvement in catalytic activity and catalyst lifetime. In this study, we have prepared PdAu bimetallic nanostructures supported on HP-SAPO frameworks by an incipient impregnation of metal precursors followed by H2 reduction at 300 °C, for the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde. PdAu NPs supported on HP framework displayed significantly enhanced catalytic activities, when compared with their MP analogues, clearly highlighting the benefits of introducing hierarchical porosity in the SAPO support matrix.
Effects of Different Amine Activators on the Monomer Conversion, Biaxial Flexural Strength, and Color Stability of Experimental Provisional Dental Restorations

Abstract Objective The aim was to assess the effect of different amine activators including N, N-dimethyl-p-toluidine (DMPT) or Na-N-tolyglycine glycidyl methacrylate (NTGGMA) on chemical-activated monomer conversion, biaxial flexural strength (BFS), and color stability of composites for provisional dental restorations. Materials and Methods Two formulations of composites containing either DMPT (D-temp) or NTGGMA (N-temp) were prepared. The degree of monomer conversion was assessed. The BFS of the materials was tested using the ball-on-ring testing jig. The color difference (∆E00) of the materials after immersion in water was also determined. The commercial comparisons were Unifast (UF), Protemp (PT), Luxacrown, and Luxatemp (LT). Results The monomer conversion of D-temp (57.4 ± 1.3%) was comparable to that of N-temp (59.0 ± 1.3%). The conversion of both D-temp and N-temp were higher than that of PT (48.1 ± 3.4%) and LT (48.0 ± 1.6%). BFS of both D-temp (164.2 ± 18.1 MPa) and N-temp (168.6 ± 8.9 MPa) were comparable but higher than that of UF (119.8 ± 13.6 MPa). ∆E00 of D-temp (2.7 ± 0.7) and N-temp (2.5 ± 0.8) were comparable but higher than that of other commercial materials (0.6–1.2). Conclusion The use of DMPT or NTGGMA showed negligible effect on monomer conversion, BFS, and color stability of the experimental provisional restorations. The conversion and BFS of the experimental materials were in the range of that obtained from commercial bis-acryl-based materials. However, the color stability of the experimental materials was lower than that of commercial materials.
Limiting protease production plays a key role in the pathogenesis of the divergent clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus LAC and UAMS-1

ABSTRACT Using the USA300, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain LAC, we previously examined the impact of regulatory mutations implicated in biofilm formation on protease production and virulence in a murine sepsis model. Here we examined the impact of these mutations in the USA200, methicillin-sensitive strain UAMS-1. Mutation of agr, mgrA, rot, sarA and sigB attenuated the virulence of UAMS-1. A common characteristic of codY, rot, sigB, and sarA mutants was increased protease production, with mutation of rot having the least impact followed by mutation of codY, sigB and sarA, respectively. Protein A was undetectable in conditioned medium from all four mutants, while extracellular nuclease was only present in the proteolytically cleaved NucA form. The abundance of high molecular weight proteins was reduced in all four mutants. Biofilm formation was reduced in codY, sarA and sigB mutants, but not in the rot mutant. Eliminating protease production partially reversed these phenotypes and enhanced biofilm formation. This was also true in LAC codY, rot, sarA and sigB mutants. Eliminating protease production enhanced the virulence of LAC and UAMS-1 sarA, sigB and rot mutants in a murine sepsis model but did not significantly impact the virulence of the codY mutant in either strain. Nevertheless, these results demonstrate that repressing protease production plays an important role in defining critical phenotypes in diverse clinical isolates of S. aureus and that Rot, SigB and SarA play critical roles in this regard.
Understanding the role of self-determination in shaping university experiences for autistic and typically developing students in the United Kingdom

With more autistic students enrolling in higher education, little is known about how autistic students can actively and effectively shape their own university experience through self-determination. This study explores how both autistic (n = 18) and typically developing students and recent graduates (n = 18) perceive their self-determination during their transition into, through and out of university in the United Kingdom. Students reported many shared and unique aspects of autonomy, competence and relatedness underlying self-determination. Many autistic students also discussed autism-related strengths facilitating academic pursuit at university, though found coping with transitional changes more difficult than typically developing students. Using strength-based approaches to help autistic students to actively adapt to routine changes might facilitate their self-determination during transition to university. Lay abstract Prior research suggests that autistic students in higher education might struggle with developing autonomy, competence and establish relatedness due to their executive functioning and social communication difficulties. We interviewed 18 autistic and 18 typically developing students to explore how students perceived themselves to be in control of their university experience. Both groups provided anecdotal examples that supported similar perceptions of self-determination in shaping the academic, daily living and socialisation aspects of university life. Autistic students reflected on their cognitive strengths such as attention to detail, persistence and ability to tailor their academic studies towards their interest. Varying degrees of sociability were noted, with some autistic students preferring to focus their self-determination efforts on academic success, while others treasured the novel social experiences including peer support and friendship at university. Compared to greater flexibility endorsed by typically developing students, autistic students perceived establishing a routine at university to be a necessity and were self-determined in maintaining stability amid a sea of change. Recognising strengths and self-determination efforts in autistic students can help stakeholders support their personal development towards independent living and self-sufficiency in adulthood and to successfully transition into, through and out of university.
Covid-19 in outpatients—Is fever a useful indicator for SARS-CoV-2 infection?

Objective Understanding mild to moderate symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is important in order to identify active cases early and thus counteract transmission. Methods In March 2020, Leipzig University Hospital established an outpatient clinic for patients potentially infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Confirmed cases with mild to moderate symptoms self-isolated at home and were followed-up by daily telephone calls for at least 14 days. Symptoms and course of illness of these patients are reported here. Results From March 20 to April 17, 2020, 1460 individuals were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by naso- or oropharyngeal swab for real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Covid-19 was confirmed in 91 (6.2%) patients, of which 87 were included in the final analysis. Patients presented for testing after a mean of 5.9 days (IQR = 2.0–8.5). The median age was 37.0 years (IQR = 28.5–53), and 48 (55.2%) were female. Five (5.7%) patients required hospital admission during the course of illness. Most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue (n = 64, 74%), cough (n = 58, 67%), and hyposmia/hypogeusia (n = 44, 51%). In contrast to previous reports, fever occurred in less than a third of patients (n = 25, 29%). By day 14, more than half of the patients had recovered completely (n = 37/70, 52.9%). Conclusions Fever seems to be less common in patients of relatively young age diagnosed with mild to moderate Covid-19. This suggests that body temperature alone may be an insufficient indicator of SARS-CoV-2 infection.