Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Initial Graft Tension After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background: The initial graft tension applied at the time of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction alters joint contact and may influence cartilage health. The objective was to compare outcomes between 2 commonly used “laxity-based” initial graft tension protocols. Hypotheses: (1) The high-tension group would have less knee laxity, improved clinical and patient-oriented outcomes, and less cartilage damage than would the low-tension group after 36 months of healing. (2) The outcomes of the high-tension group would be equivalent to those of a matched control group. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: Ninety patients with isolated unilateral ACL injuries were randomized to undergo ACL reconstruction using 1 of 2 initial graft tension protocols: (1) autografts tensioned to restore normal anterior-posterior (AP) laxity at the time of surgery (ie, low tension; n = 46) and (2) autografts tensioned to overconstrain AP laxity by 2 mm (ie, high tension; n = 44). Sixty matched healthy patients formed the control group. Outcomes were assessed preoperatively, intraoperatively, and at 6, 12, and 36 months after surgery. Results: No significant differences were found between the 2 initial graft tension protocols for any of the outcome measures at 36 months. However, there were differences when comparing the 2 treatment groups to the control group. On average, AP laxity was 2 mm greater in the ACL-reconstructed groups than in the control group (P < .007). International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) knee evaluation scores, peak isokinetic knee extension torques, and 4 of 5 Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) were significantly worse than the control group (P < .001, P < .027, and P < .05, respectively). Short Form–36 Health Survey (SF-36) scores and reinjury rates were similar between groups at 36 months. Although there were significant changes in radiography and magnetic resonance imaging present in the ACL-reconstructed knees of both treatment groups, the magnitude was relatively small and likely clinically insignificant at 36 months. Conclusion: Both laxity-based initial graft tension protocols produced similar outcomes without fully restoring joint function or patient-oriented outcomes (KOOS) when compared with the control group. There was minimal evidence of cartilage damage 36 months after surgery.
Rural Economic Development: What Makes Rural Communities Grow?.

Factors related to local and regional economic growth are attractiveness to retirees, right-to-work laws, excellent high school completion rates, good public education expenditures, and access to transportation networks. These were associated with improved county earnings in 1979-89, according to a multiple regression analysis of rural counties. Factors associated with poor earnings growth included higher wage levels, concentrations of transfer-payment recipiency, and concentrations of small independent businesses in the goods-producing sector.
Designing Biofeedback Artworks for Relaxation

For the past twelve years I have been exploring the aesthetic and cultural potential of biofeedback interactions as a means for facilitating experience of, and reflection on, the physiological dimensions of our embodiment. Information extracted in real-time from heart rate sensors, relating to specific modes or qualities of engagement and nervous system orientation, modulate the various layers that comprise work's visual and sonic appearance i.e. brightness, size, hue, timbre, pitch and harmonies etc. The biofeedback information displays used in these works need to support modes of interaction in which parasympathetic nervous system activity can be voluntarily increased and sympathetic nervous system activity i.e. stress/excitation responses, are decreased. This paper describes some approaches used in these works to address these competing requirements.
Systematics of the Pacific monkey-faced bats ( Chiroptera : Pteropodidae ) , with a new species of Pteralopex and a new Fijian genus

The fruit-bat genus Pteralopex comprises the monkey-faced bats, a group of six endangered species found only in old-growth forests on certain islands in the south-west Pacific (the Solomon Islands and Fiji). The taxonomy of the genus is reviewed in detail and updated accordingly. Two ‘cryptic’ biological species are shown to occur in sympatry on both Bougainville and Choiseul in the northern Solomon Islands (corresponding to Pteralopex anceps Andersen, 1909 and a previously undescribed species) and each is accordingly described and reviewed. A new genus (Mirimiri) is erected for the Fijian monkey-faced bat (formerly Pteralopex acrodonta), which differs greatly both morphologically and genetically from species of Pteralopex in the Solomon Islands. Ecomorphological differences between sympatric Pteralopex species are briefly reviewed, including potential differences in functional morphology and feeding ecology. Geographic patterns of occurrence and future survey priorities for monkey-faced bats are also discussed.
The peroxidase–cyclooxygenase superfamily: Reconstructed evolution of critical enzymes of the innate immune system

The authors have reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of the main evolutionary lines of mammalian heme containing peroxidases. The sequences of intensively investigated human myeloperoxidase, eosinophil peroxidase, and lactoperoxidase, which participate in host defence against infections, were aligned together with newly found open reading frames coding for highly similar putative peroxidase domains in all kingdoms of life. The evolutionary relationships were reconstructed using neighbor‐joining, maximum parsimony, and maximum likelihood methods. It is demonstrated that this enzyme superfamily obeys the rules of birth‐and‐death model of multigene family evolution and contains proteins with a variety of function that could be grouped in seven subfamilies. On the basis of occurrence and the fact that two main enzymatic activities are related with these metalloproteins, they propose the name peroxidase–cyclooxygenase superfamily for this widely spread group of heme‐containing oxidoreductases. Well known structure–function relationships in mammalian peroxidases formed the basis for the critical inspection of all subfamilies. The presented data unequivocally suggest that predecessor genes of mammalian heme peroxidases have segregated very early in evolution. Before organisms developed an acquired immunity, their antimicrobial defence depended on enzymes that were recruited upon pathogen invasion and could produce antimicrobial reaction products. Thus, these peroxidatic heme proteins evolved to important components in the innate immune defence system. This work shows that even in certain prokaryotic organisms, genes encoding putative antimicrobial enzymes are found providing a group of bacteria with an evolutionary advantage over the others. Proteins 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Delayed neurobehavioral development in children born to pregnant women with mild hypothyroxinemia during the first month of gestation: the importance of early iodine supplementation.

BACKGROUND Maternal hypothyroxinemia, due to gestational iodine deficiency, causes neurological dysfunctions in the progeny. Our aim was to determine the effects of delayed iodine supplementation (200 microg KI per day) to mildly hypothyroxinemic pregnant women at the beginning of gestation (i.e., having circulating free thyroxine [FT(4)] within the 0th-10th percentile interval and normal thyrotropin [TSH]) on the neurobehavioral development of their children. METHODS Using the Brunet-Lézine scale, we evaluated the neurocognitive performance at 18 months of age in three groups of children. Group 1 included children of women with FT(4) above the 20th percentile at 4-6 gestational weeks and at full-term. Group 2 included children of mildly hypothyroxinemic women diagnosed during the first 12-14 gestational weeks and with FT(4) above the 20th percentile at full-term. Group 3 included children born to mildly hypothyroxinemic women at full-term, without iodine supplementation during gestation. Women of all groups were iodine supplemented from the day of enrollment until the end of lactation. RESULTS Before iodine supplementation, 33.0% of the women (114 out of 345) were hypothyroxinemic, with FT(4) below normal in 28 of them (8.1%). None were found to be hypothyroxinemic at full-term after supplementation. The mean (+/-SD) developmental quotient of children was 101.8 +/- 9.7 in group 1 (n = 13) vs. 87.5 +/- 8.9 in group 3 (n = 19; p < 0.001) and 92.2 +/- 5.4 in group 2 (n = 12; p < 0.05). The difference between groups 2 and 3 was not statistically significant. Delayed neurobehavioral performance was observed in 36.8% and 25.0% of children in groups 3 and 2, respectively, compared with no children in group 1. Differences (p < 0.001) were found on gross and fine motor coordination and socialization quotients. No statistically significant differences were found on language quotients. CONCLUSIONS A delay of 6-10 weeks in iodine supplementation of hypothyroxinemic mothers at the beginning of gestation increases the risk of neurodevelopmental delay in the progeny. Public health programs should address the growing problem of iodine deficiency among women of gestational age in developing and industrialized nations.
Dominant and Satellite Markets: A Study of Dually-Traded Securities

Magee, Stephen P., "Currency Contracts, Pass-through and Devaluation," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (1, 1973), 303-323. , "Prices, Incomes and Foreign Trade," in Peter B. Kenen (ed.), International Trade and Finance: Frontiers for Research (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1975). Malinvaud, Edmond, Statistical Methods of Econometrics (Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishing Company, 1970). Nerlove, Marc, "Spectral Analysis of Seasonal Adjustment Procedures," Econometrica 32 (July 1964), 241-285. Orcutt, Guy H. , "Measurement of Price Elasticities in International Trade," this REVIEW 32 (May 1950), 117-132. Pearce, Ivor F. , International Trade (London: Macmillan, 1970). Robinson, Joan, "The Foreign Exchanges," American Economic Association, Readings in the Theory of International Trade (Homewood, Illinois: Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1949). Stern, Robert M. , The Balance of Payments (Chicago: Aldine Publishing Co., 1973). Stern, Robert M. , Jonathan Francis, and Bruce Schumacher, Price Elasticities in International Trade (Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1976). United States Department of Commerce, The National Income and Product Accounts of the United States, 1929-1965, Statistical Tables, a supplement to the Survey of Current Business (Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1966). Survey of Current Business (July editions) (Washington, D. C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 19681974). Whitman, Marina v. N. , "Global Monetarism and the Monetary Approach to the Balance of Payments," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity (3, 1975).
Staphylococcus epidermidis lipoteichoic acid: exocellular release and ltaS gene expression in clinical and commensal isolates

Purpose. Staphylococcus epidermidis ATCC12228 lipoteichoic acid (LTA) inhibits TNF&agr; production from keratinocytes that are activated with poly I:C. However, this effect has not been proven in clinical or commensal isolates. Methodology. The <10 kDa fractions of S. epidermidis isolates from ocular infections (n=56), healthy skin (n=35) and healthy conjunctiva (n=32) were obtained. TNF&agr; production was determined by ELISA in HaCaT keratinocytes stimulated with poly I:C and with the <10 kDa fractions. LTA in the cytoplasmic membrane and in the <10 kDa fractions of the isolates was determined during bacterial growth by flow cytometry, Western blot and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The expression levels of ugtP, ltaA and ltaS were evaluated. Results. Two populations of isolates were found: a population that inhibited TNF&agr; production (TNF&agr;‐inhibitor isolates) and a population that did not inhibit it (TNF&agr; non‐inhibitor isolates). The cells from the TNF&agr;‐inhibitor isolates had less LTA in the cytoplasmic membrane compared to the cells from the TNF&agr; non‐inhibitor isolates (P<0.05). Similarly, LTA was detected in the supernatants of TNF&agr;‐inhibitor isolates, and it was absent in TNF&agr; non‐inhibitor isolates. High expression levels of the ugtP and ltaA genes in the 1850I (TNF&agr;‐inhibitor isolate) and 37HS (TNF&agr; non‐inhibitor isolate) isolates were found during bacterial growth. However, the ltaS gene had a low expression level (P<0.05) in the 37HS isolate. Conclusion. The TNF&agr;‐inhibitor isolates release LTA due to high expression of the LTA synthesis genes. By contrast, TNF&agr; non‐inhibitor isolates do not release LTA due to low expression level of the ltaS gene.
The consequences of modernity

Part I:. Introduction. The Discontinuities of Modernity. Security and Danger, Trust and Risk. Sociology and Modernity. Modernity, Time and Space. Disembedding. Trust. The Reflexivity of Modernity. Modernity and Post-- Modernity? Summary. Part II:. The Institutional Dimensions of Modernity. The Globalizing of Modernity. Two Theoretical Perspectives. Dimensions of Globalization. Part III:. Trust and Modernity. Trust in Abstract Systems. Trust and Expertise. Trust and Ontological Security. The Pre--Modern and Modern. Part IV:. Abstract Systems and the Transformation of Intimacy. Trust and Personal Relations. Trust and Personal Identity. Risk and Danger in the Modern World. Risk and Ontological Security. Adaptive Reactions. A Phenomonology of Modernity. Deskilling and Reskilling in Everyday Life. Objections to Post--Modernity. Part V:. Riding the Juggernaut. Utopian Realism. Future Orientations. The Role of Social Movements. Post--Modernity. Part VI: . Is Modernity and Western Project? Concluding Observations. Notes.
On cross-site scripting, fallback authentication and privacy im web applications

Diese Dissertation befasst sich mit drei wichtigen Bereichen bei Webapplikationen: Dem Umgang mit Benutzereingaben, der "Passwort vergessen"-Funktionen sowie der Privatsphare. Wir betrachten bekannte Webapplikationen (u.a. Alexa Top 100), PHP basierte XSS Schutzmechanismen und WYSIWYG Editoren. Daraus leiten wir drei XSS Abwehrmoglichkeiten ab. Diese basieren auf regularen Ausdrucken, applikationskontext bezogener Kodierung sowie einer granularen Richtlinien-Sprache. Zur Abwehr von XSS nutzt "Modsecurity" u.a. unsere regularen Ausdrucke, unsere Richtlinien-Sprache kommt in einem bekannten CMS zum Einsatz. Am Beispiel von Facebook‘s "Passwort vergessen"-Funktion erortern wir die sog. "Trusted Friend Attack" (TFA) sowie die "Chain Trusted Friend Attack" (CTFA). Zudem betrachten wir die "Passwort-vergessen" Funktionen 50 popularer sozialer Netzwerke. Zur Starkung der Privatsphare stellen wir abschliesend TTPCookie, eine Firefox Browsererweiterung, vor.
Designing, developing, and implementing a Web-based, database-driven learning system: the SunTAN experience

SunTAN (Sun Training Access Network) is a Web-based, database-driven training system now being deployed at Sun Microsystems Inc. The system provides a powerful virtual classroom learning environment for the company's technical and sales staff. SunTAN provides an array of functions aimed at enhancing users online learning experience, including user management, a course catalog, curriculum maps, and the competency appraisal program. SunTAN integrates these functions behind a single browser interface, delivering an on-demand, flexible, and easy-to-use learning environment. Furthermore, SunTAN's environment also handles all aspects of content delivery, management, and maintenance. Deployed over Sun's intranet, SunTAN has proven that a Web-based, database-driven training system can provide a timely, cost-effective, and efficient way to train employees in a wide geographical area with diverse needs in a short time period.
High Performance Thin layer Chromatography: Densitometry Method for Determination of Rubraxanthone in the Stem Bark Extract of Garcinia cowa Roxb

Context: Garcinia cowa is a medicinal plant widely grown in Southeast Asia and tropical countries. Various parts of this plant have been used in traditional folk medicine. The bark, latex, and root have been used as an antipyretic agent, while fruit and leaves have been used as an expectorant, for indigestion and improvement of blood circulation. Aims: This study aims to determine the concentration of rubraxanthone found in ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of G. cowa by the high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). Materials and Methods: HPTLC method was performed on precoated silica gel G 60 F254 plates using an HPTLC system with a developed mobile-phase system of chloroform: ethyl acetate: methanol: formic acid (86:6:3:5). A volume of 5 μL of standard and sample solutions was applied to the chromatographic plates. The plates were developed in saturated mode of twin trough chamber at room temperature. The method was validated based on linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), and specificity. The spots were observed at ultraviolet 243 nm. Results: The linearity of rubraxanthone was obtained between 52.5 and 157.5 ppm/spot. The LOD and LOQ were found to be 4.03 and 13.42 ppm/spot, respectively. Conclusion: The proposed method showed good linearity, precision, accuracy, and high sensitivity. Therefore, it may be applied for the quantification of rubraxanthone in ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of G. cowa.
EDEM accelerates ERAD by preventing aberrant dimer formation of misfolded α1‐antitrypsin

Misfolded glycoproteins are degraded by a mechanism known as ERAD (ER‐associated degradation) after retrotranslocation out of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This mechanism plays an important role in ER quality control. We previously reported that an ER membrane protein, EDEM, accelerates ERAD of a misfolded α1‐antitrypsin variant, null (Hong Kong) (NHK), suggesting that EDEM may function as an acceptor of terminally misfolded glycoproteins. In this study, we constructed several genetically manipulated cell lines to test this hypothesis. EDEM expression did not alter the secretion rate of properly folded molecules and the forced retention of wild‐type α1‐antitrypsin in the ER did not cause its association with EDEM, suggesting that EDEM may function as a molecular chaperone. To examine this possibility, we analyzed the effect of EDEM over‐expression on the structure of NHK, and found that the accumulation of covalent NHK dimers was selectively prevented by the over‐expression of EDEM. Co‐expression of NHK with two other ER membrane proteins, calnexin and H+/K+‐ATPase (β subunit), did not inhibit NHK dimer formation or accelerate NHK ERAD. These results indicate that EDEM may maintain the retrotranslocation competence of NHK by inhibiting aggregation so that unstable misfolded proteins can be accommodated by the dislocon for ERAD.
A Switched Control Strategy for Antilock Braking System With On/Off Valves

In this paper, a switched control strategy for an antilock braking system (ABS), which has conventional hydraulic actuators equipped with on/off valves, is presented. The investigated system contains the continuous dynamics of the vehicle and the inherent discontinuous characteristics of the on/off valves. Accordingly, a novel approach based on nonlinear state feedback and a switching strategy renders a controller that assures that the wheel slip converges into the target equilibrium set. Then, the convergence condition of the closed-loop system is analyzed using Lyapunov theory in the Filippov framework, and the influence of controller parameters on the system is also discussed. It is shown that the proposed controller has few tuning parameters, and each parameter has an explicit physical meaning. Both the illustrative hardware-in-the-loop simulation and experimental results show that the switched control approach is robust enough to guarantee a good performance, even if the uncertainties of the actuator characteristics, road-adhesion coefficient, and vehicle speed are considered.
Oxidative stress, chronic disease, and muscle wasting

Underlying the pathogenesis of chronic disease is the state of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is an imbalance in oxidant and antioxidant levels. If an overproduction of oxidants overwhelms the antioxidant defenses, oxidative damage of cells, tissues, and organs ensues. In some cases, oxidative stress is assigned a causal role in disease pathogenesis, whereas in others the link is less certain. Along with underlying oxidative stress, chronic disease is often accompanied by muscle wasting. It has been hypothesized that catabolic programs leading to muscle wasting are mediated by oxidative stress. In cases where disease is localized to the muscle, this concept is easy to appreciate. Transmission of oxidative stress from diseased remote organs to skeletal muscle is thought to be mediated by humoral factors such as inflammatory cytokines. This review examines the relationship between oxidative stress, chronic disease, and muscle wasting, and the mechanisms by which oxidative stress acts as a catabolic signal. Muscle Nerve, 2007
Geographic market entry of Taiwan securities firms

Geographic market entry is an important method for securities firms to contact customers. It requires securities firms launch operations in unfamiliar locations. This study investigates how geographic market entry varies with size and environmental munificence. It synthesizes multiple theories and hypothesizes that firms of moderate size have more geographic market entry. In addition, the lead in geographic market entry of firms of moderate size over their larger and smaller counterparts increases in more munificent environments. Empirical examination of the geographic market entry behaviors of Taiwan savings securities firms supports the hypotheses.
Cell therapy for spinal cord injury with olfactory ensheathing glia cells (OECs)

The prospects of achieving regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) have changed, as most recent findings indicate that several species, including humans, can produce neurons in adulthood. Studies targeting this property may be considered as potential therapeutic strategies to respond to injury or the effects of demyelinating diseases in the CNS. While CNS trauma may interrupt the axonal tracts that connect neurons with their targets, some neurons remain alive, as seen in optic nerve and spinal cord (SC) injuries (SCIs). The devastating consequences of SCIs are due to the immediate and significant disruption of the ascending and descending spinal pathways, which result in varying degrees of motor and sensory impairment. Recent therapeutic studies for SCI have focused on cell transplantation in animal models, using cells capable of inducing axon regeneration like Schwann cells (SchCs), astrocytes, genetically modified fibroblasts and olfactory ensheathing glia cells (OECs). Nevertheless, and despite the improvements in such cell‐based therapeutic strategies, there is still little information regarding the mechanisms underlying the success of transplantation and regarding any secondary effects. Therefore, further studies are needed to clarify these issues. In this review, we highlight the properties of OECs that make them suitable to achieve neuroplasticity/neuroregeneration in SCI. OECs can interact with the glial scar, stimulate angiogenesis, axon outgrowth and remyelination, improving functional outcomes following lesion. Furthermore, we present evidence of the utility of cell therapy with OECs to treat SCI, both from animal models and clinical studies performed on SCI patients, providing promising results for future treatments.