Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variability in the definition and perceived causes of delayed unions and nonunions: a cross-sectional, multinational survey of orthopaedic surgeons.

BACKGROUND Despite the large number of fracture outcome studies, there remains variability in the definitions of fracture-healing. It is unclear how orthopaedic surgeons are diagnosing and managing delayed unions and nonunions in clinical practice. We aimed to explore the current opinions of orthopaedic surgeons with regard to defining, diagnosing, and treating delayed unions and nonunions in extremity fractures. METHODS We developed a survey using previous literature, key informants in the field of orthopaedic surgery, and a sample-to-redundancy strategy. Our final survey contained four sections and twenty-nine questions focusing on demographics and surgical experience, definitions of fracture union, prognostic factors for union, and the need for clinical trials. The Internet-based survey and follow-up e-mails were continued until our a priori sample size of a minimum of 320 completed and eligible responses were collected. RESULTS Three hundred and thirty-five surgeons completed the survey. The typical respondent was a North American, male orthopaedic surgeon or consultant over the age of thirty years who had completed trauma fellowship training, worked in an academic practice, supervised residents, and had more than six years of experience in treating orthopaedic injuries. Most surgeons endorsed a lack of standardization in definitions for delayed unions (73%) and nonunions (55%); almost all agreed that defining a delayed union and nonunion should be done on the basis of both radiographic and clinical criteria (88%). Most respondents believed that the degree of soft-tissue injury (approximately 93%), smoking history (approximately 82%), and vascular disease (approximately 76%) increased the risk of healing complications. CONCLUSIONS Surgeons use similar prognostic factors to define and assess delayed unions and nonunions, but there is a lack of consensus in the definitions of delayed union and nonunion. The need for standardization and future randomized trials was strongly endorsed.
Prevalence of maternal group B streptococcal colonisation in European countries

Background. Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis in many industrialised countries. However, the burden of perinatal GBS disease varies between these countries. We undertook a systematic review to determine the prevalence of maternal group B streptococcal colonisation, one of the most important risk factor for early onset neonatal infection, and to examine the serotype distribution of the GBS strains isolated and their susceptibility to antibiotics in European countries. Methods. We followed the standard methodology for systematic reviews. We prepared a protocol and a form for data extraction that identifies key characteristics on study and reporting quality. The search was conducted for the years 1996–2006 including electronic, hand searching and screening of reference lists. Results. Twenty‐one studies presented data on 24,093 women from 13 countries. Among all studies, GBS vaginal colonisation rates ranged from 6.5 to 36%, with one‐third of studies reporting rates of 20% or greater. The regional carriage rates were as follows: Eastern Europe 19.7–29.3%, Western Europe 11–21%, Scandinavia 24.3–36%, and Southern Europe 6.5–32%. GBS serotypes III, II and Ia were the most frequently identified serotypes. None of the GBS isolates were resistant to penicillin or ampicillin, whereas 3.8–21.2% showed resistance to erythromycin and 2.7–20% showed resistance to clindamycin. Conclusion. Although there is variation in the proportion of women colonised with GBS, the range of colonisation, the serotype distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility reported from European countries appears to be similar to that identified in overseas countries.
Design of aperture-coupled annular-ring microstrip antennas for circular polarization

The design of an aperture-coupled annular-ring microstrip antenna for circular polarization (CP) is presented. The CP radiation of the annular-ring microstrip antenna is achieved by a series microstrip-line-feed configuration through the coupling of a ring slot in the ground plane. The key parameters of the proposed design are investigated using a commercial simulation software based on the Method of Moments to show how to obtain the 50 /spl Omega/ input impedance and optimum axial ratio. The proposed design can be applied to the annular-ring microstrip antennas with different inner radii and substrate thickness, and several antenna prototypes are constructed and measured. Details of the experimental results of the CP performance are presented and discussed.
Immunohistochemical Study of HER2 and TUBB3 Proteins in Extramammary Paget Disease

Metastatic extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a potentially fatal malignancy for which effective chemotherapy and good biomarkers are desirable for management. We investigated the status of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) and neuronal β-tubulin isotype (class III β-tubulin; TUBB3), whose overexpression is a factor involved in resistance of tumor cells to taxane derivatives) in 32 patients with EMPD. HER2 status was evaluated by immunohistochemistry followed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and TUBB3 status was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. On the basis of the US Food and Drug Administration-approved criteria, 20 (63%) of the 32 EMPD tumors were found to overexpress HER2. Positive immunoreactivity for TUBB3 was observed in 7 (22%) of the 32 patients. Although some clinicopathologic variables (nodule formation, depth of tumor cells, presence of lymph node metastasis, and serum carcinoembryonic antigen level) were significantly associated with disease outcome (P < 0.05), HER2 gain or aberrant TUBB3 expression showed no significant correlation. However, the higher incidence of HER2 gain and the relatively lower incidence of aberrant TUBB3 expression suggested that HER2-targeted immunotherapy combined with taxane derivatives is warranted for metastatic EMPD, and that HER2 and TUBB3 status might be a good biomarker for determining the most appropriate therapeutic modality.
Estrogen receptor agonists alleviate cardiac and renal oxidative injury in rats with renovascular hypertension

ABSTRACT Although endogenous estrogen is known to offer cardiac and vascular protection, the involvement of estrogen receptors in mediating the protective effect of estrogen on hypertension-induced cardiovascular and renal injury is not fully explained. We aimed to investigate the effects of estrogen receptor (ER) agonists on oxidative injury, cardiovascular and renal functions of rats with renovascular hypertension (RVH). Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided as control and RVH groups, and RVH groups had either ovariectomy (OVX) or sham-OVX. Sham-OVX-RVH and OVX-RVH groups received either ERβ agonist diarylpropiolnitrile (1 mg/kg/day) or ERα agonist propyl pyrazole triol (1 mg/kg/day) for 6 weeks starting at the third week following the surgery. At the end of the 9th week, systolic blood pressures were recorded, cardiac functions were determined, and the contraction/relaxation responses of aortic rings were obtained. Serum creatinine levels, tissue malondialdehyde, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase levels, and myeloperoxidase activity in heart and kidney samples were analyzed, and Na+, K+-ATPase activity was measured in kidney samples. In both sham-OVX and OVX rats, both agonists reduced blood pressure and reversed the impaired contractile performance of the heart, while ERβ agonist improved renal functions in both the OVX and non-OVX rats. Both agonists reduced neutrophil infiltration, lipid peroxidation, and elevated antioxidant levels in the heart, but a more ERβ-mediated protective effect was observed in the kidney. Our data suggest that activation of ERβ might play a role in preserving the function of the stenotic kidney and delaying the progression of renal injury, while both receptors mediate similar cardioprotective effects.
A new approach for classification of calorific coal properties in boiler systems

In this paper a new approach for obtaining the coal quality classification is proposed. The main goal is to classify the coal into three classes: “good”, “medium” and “bad” coal based on its calorific value. Instead of having chemical analysis the classification is obtained by using only two electrical signals available from SCADA system, which are the speed of the belt feeder and the current of the mill motor. Two parameters of the cross-correlation function between these signals with mean values of these two signals from SCADA are used to form training set patterns for designing a classifier. The procedure of classifying the coal characterizing pattern has been introduced.
The effect of buccal corticotomy on accelerating orthodontic tooth movement of maxillary canine

Background: Selective alveolar corticotomy is defined as an intentional injury to cortical bone. This technique is an effective means of accelerating orthodontic tooth movement. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of buccal corticotomy in accelerating maxillary canine retraction. Materials and Methods: The sample in this clinical trial study consisted of 15 adult female patients with therapeutic need for extraction of maxillary first premolars and maximum canine retraction. By use of split-mouth design, at the time of premolars extraction, buccal corticotomy was performed around the maxillary first premolar, randomly on one side of maxilla, and the other side was reserved as the control side. Canine retraction was performed by use of friction – less mechanic with simple vertical loop. Every 2 weeks, distance between canines and second premolars was measured until complete space closure. The velocity of space closure was calculated to evaluate the effect of this technique in accelerating orthodontic tooth movement. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using independent t-test, and the significance was set at 0.05. Results: The rate of canine retraction was significantly higher on the corticotomy side than the control side by an average of 1.8 mm/month versus 1.1 mm/month in the corticotomy side and control side, respectively (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Based on result of this study, corticotomy can accelerates the rate of orthodontic tooth movement about two times faster than conventional orthodontics and it is significant in early stages after surgical porsedure. Therefore Buccal corticotomy is a useful adjunct technique for accelerating orthodontic tooth movement.
Activation of Peripheral NMDA–Nitric Oxide Cascade in Formalin Test

Background It has been suggested that peripheral glutamate and nitric oxide (NO) released by tissue-damaging stimuli play an important role in peripheral nociceptive transmission. This study was conducted to determine whether NO was released in the periphery after subcutaneous injection of formalin and whether the peripheral N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)–NO cascade was activated. Methods During pentobarbital anesthesia, a microdialysis probe was implanted subcutaneously into the glabrous skin of both hind paws of Sprague-Dawley rats. After sample collection to obtain the basal level of NO metabolites (total amount of nitrite [NO2−] and nitrate [NO3−] [NO2−–NO3−]), 5% formalin was injected into the plantar surface of the right hind paw during perfusion of the dialysis catheters with artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF), the NO synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine acetate, or the NMDA antagonist D,l-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid through a microdialysis probe. Formalin also was injected in the animals that underwent sciatic nerve sectioning. In another series of experiments, NMDA was perfused through one probe. Samples for measurement of NO2−–NO3− were collected and immediately analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography. Results Subcutaneous formalin significantly increased the dialysate concentrations of NO2−–NO3− (maximum increase 144 ± 12% of baseline value 30 min after formalin administration;P < 0.05) on the side ipsilateral to the injection. Both NG-monomethyl-l-arginine acetate and D,l-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed the formalin-induced increases in NO2−–NO3− concentration. In the rats with denervation of the sensory nerves, formalin did not change the NO2−–NO3− concentration. In addition, NMDA perfusion significantly (P < 0.05) increased the concentrations of NO2−–NO3−. Conclusion The results of the current study show that subcutaneous formalin injection induces peripheral release of NO, the production of which is mediated by activation of NMDA receptors in the peripheral nervous system.
Cloning and expression of the gene encoding the major surface protein 5 (MSP5) of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and potential application for serodiagnosis.

BACKGROUND Anaplasma phagocytophilum (formerly known as the human granulocytic ehrlichia, Ehrlichia equi and Ehrlichia phagocytophila) is an obligate intracellular organism causing clinical disease in humans and various species of domestic animals. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this investigation were to sequence and clone the major surface protein 5 (MSP5) of A phagocytophilum and to evaluate the suitability of this antigen in the serologic diagnosis of anaplasmosis in humans and dogs. METHODS The msp5 gene of A phagocytophilum was sequenced, cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The predicted amino acid sequence homology of the various MSP5/major antigenic protein 2 orthologs was compared among various Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species. Recombinant MSP5 of A phagocytophilum was used in an ELISA to detect antibodies in serum samples from humans and dogs infected with the organism. RESULTS Serum samples from 104 individuals previously diagnosed with A phagocytophilum infection, as well as samples from clinically healthy humans, were tested. In addition, multiple samples from 4 dogs experimentally infected with 2 different geographic isolates of A phagocytophilum and 5 dogs naturally infected with a Swiss isolate were tested using ELISA. Using this group of immunofluorescent antibody test-positive and immunofluorescent antibody test-negative samples, we found the overall agreement between assays to be >90%. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that recombinant MSP5 has potential for use as a diagnostic test antigen to detect infection with A phagocytophilum in both dogs and humans. However, sequence similarities among orthologs of MSP5 in related species of anaplasma and ehrlichia suggest that cross-reactivity among these pathogens is likely if the entire peptide is used as a test antigen.
An expanded prefix tree-based mining algorithm for sequential pattern maintenance with deletions

Sequential pattern mining is an important mining task for discovering sequential patterns along with their insight relationships in many real-world applications. In practice, sequence databases are kept changing over the time along with their business. For some reasons, some sequences in the database are asked to be deleted from the database. In order to have a synchronization of discovered sequential patterns with the database from which they have been discovered, the sequential pattern mining task is re-considered with many challenges. As the number of deleted sequences is often smaller than the size of the entire database, re-mining from scratch the updated database might incur a high cost because sequential pattern mining is a computationally expensive task. In this paper, our work aims at an efficient incremental mining solution to the sequential pattern mining task with sequence deletions. Different from the existing works, we propose an expanded prefix tree by extending the existing prefix tree with additional structures for capturing more necessary information for the incremental mining process. Based on this tree, we propose an incremental sequential pattern mining algorithm, SPMD, for finding a complete set of sequential patterns with no re-scanning the original database, when a number of sequences in the database are deleted. Experimental results on the benchmark databases have confirmed that our SPMD algorithm outperforms the re-mining from scratch with the PrefixSpan algorithm with less running time.
Wolfgang Iser: A Companion

This book is the first in-depth monograph on one of the most celebrated German literary theoristsof the 20th century. Via an accessible analysis of Iser's complete English and German writings, this study explains his acclaimed reception theory and connects the famous notions of 'blanks' and the 'implied reader' to his earlier and later work on English literature and literary anthropology. Iser's views are also compared to those of related thinkers like Hans Blumenberg and illustrated with examples from contemporary authors like Hilary Mantel.
Focal Array Fed Dielectric Lenses: An Attractive Solution for Beam Reconfiguration at Millimeter Waves

We investigate the radiation capabilities of focal array fed dielectric lens antennas using the FDTD method. Several relevant configurations sharing the same lens architecture (namely an extended hemispherical lens coated with a quarter wavelength matching layer), but illuminated by different sub-array topologies, are compared. In particular, we study the impact of the feeding amplitude coefficients, sub-array size and location upon the radiation patterns and beam scanning performance of the lens. Our numerical results demonstrate that such lens configurations are very attractive and flexible for beam synthesis at millimeter waves (beam shaping, beam scanning and beam reconfiguration). These conclusions are confirmed successfully by several experimental results in Ka-band obtained with a 8 × λ0 lens in Rexolite illuminated by linear printed antenna arrays of variable size.
FEM Modeling of Quench Phenomena in NbTi Coils

The design process of superconductor coils must include the optimization of the quench protection system. A reliable model for quench analysis of superconductor coils would consequently be highly beneficial. A numerical tool able to cope with the simulation of the quench phenomena, involving electromagnetic, thermal and circuital dynamics coupled each to the others, has been recently proposed. In this paper the mathematical model is briefly revised and extended to take into account the presence of metallic support structures, needed for the coil assembly and cryogenic purposes
Anti‐neovascular therapy by liposomal drug targeted to membrane type‐1 matrix metalloproteinase

Because membrane type‐1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1‐MMP) is expressed specifically on the angiogenic endothelium as well as tumor cells, an agent possessing the ability to bind to this molecule might be useful as a tool for active targeting of tumor angiogenic vessels. Based on the sequences of peptide substrates of MT1‐MMP, which had been determined by using a phage‐displayed peptide library, we examined the binding ability of peptide‐modified liposomes for endothelial cells and targeting ability for tumor tissues by positron emission tomography (PET). Liposomes modified with stearoyl‐Gly‐Pro‐Leu‐Pro‐Leu‐Arg (GPLPLR‐Lip) showed high binding ability to human umbilical vein endothelial cells and accumulated in the tumor about 4‐fold more than did the unmodified liposomes. Because we reported previously that liposomalized 5′‐O‐dipalmitoylphosphatidyl 2′‐C‐cyano‐2′‐deoxy‐1‐β‐D‐arabino‐pentofuranosylcytosine (DPP‐CNDAC), a hydrophobized derivative of the novel antitumor nucleoside CNDAC, strongly suppressed tumor growth when delivered in liposomes modified with another angiogenic homing peptide, we examined the antitumor activity of DPP‐CNDAC entrapped in GPLPLR‐Lip. DPP‐CNDAC/GPLPLR‐Lip showed significant tumor growth suppression compared to DPP‐CNDAC/unmodified liposomes. These results suggest that DPP‐CNDAC‐liposomes modified with MT1‐MMP‐targeted peptide are useful for cancer anti‐neovascular therapy (ANET), namely, tumor growth suppression by damage to angiogenic endothelial cells. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intelligent Systems for Information Security

This thesis aims to use intelligent systems to extend and improve performance and security of cryptographic techniques. Genetic algorithms framework for cryptanalysis problem is addressed. A novel extension to the differential cryptanalysis using genetic algorithm is proposed and a fitness measure based on the differential characteristics of the cipher being attacked is also proposed. The complexity of the proposed attack is shown to be less than quarter of normal differential cryptanalysis of the same cipher by applying the proposed attack to both the basic Substitution Permutation Network and the Feistel Network. The basic models of modern block ciphers are attacked instead of actual cipher to prove that the attack is applicable to other ciphers vulnerable to differential cryptanalysis. A new attack for block cipher based on the ability of neural networks to perform an approximation of mapping is proposed. A complete problem formulation is explained and implementation of the attack on some hypothetical Feistel cipher not vulnerable to differential or linear attacks is presented. A new block cipher based on the neural networks is proposed. A complete cipher structure is given and a key scheduling is also shown. The main properties of neural network being able to perform mapping between large dimension domains in a very fast and a very small memory compared to S-Boxes is used as a base for the cipher.
Tight Junctional Localization of Claudin-16 Is Regulated by Syntaxin 8 in Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells*

Background: Disease-associated claudin-16 mutants cause mislocalization and decrease reabsorption of Mg2+ in the kidney. Results: Knockdown of syntaxin 8 in kidney cells decreased the tight junctional localization of claudin-16 in parallel with a decrease in Mg2+ permeability. Conclusion: Syntaxin 8 controls the localization of claudin-16. Significance: Our findings provide a new insight into the trafficking mechanism of tight junctional proteins. Claudin-16 (CLDN16) regulates the paracellular reabsorption of Mg2+ in the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. However, the mechanism regulating the tight junctional localization of CLDN16 remains unknown. In yeast two-hybrid systems, we found that CLDN16 bound to syntaxin 8 (STX8), a target soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor. We have examined the effect of STX8 on the localization and function of CLDN16 using Madin-Darby canine kidney cells expressing FLAG-tagged CLDN16. A pulldown assay showed that the carboxyl cytoplasmic region of human CLDN16 bound to STX8. CLDN16 was localized in the thick ascending limb, whereas STX8 was widely distributed throughout the rat kidney. An association between CLDN16 and STX8 was observed in rat renal homogenates and Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. STX8 siRNA decreased the cell surface localization of CLDN16 and transepithelial electrical resistance and permeability to Mg2+ but increased the co-localization of CLDN16 with early endosome and lysosome markers. Dephosphorylation of CLDN16 by protein kinase A inhibitors and S217A mutant, a dephosphorylated form, decreased the association with STX8 and the cell surface localization of CLDN16. Recycling assays indicated that STX8 siRNA decreased the trafficking of CLDN16 to the plasma membrane without affecting endocytosis. Dominant negative Rab11 and recycling inhibitor primaquine decreased the cell surface localization of CLDN16, which was similar to that in STX8 siRNA-transfected cells. These results suggest that STX8 mediates the recycling of CLDN16 and constitutes an important component of the CLDN16 trafficking machinery in the kidney.