Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A study of cytocompatibility and degradation of iron-based biodegradable materials

Biodegradable metallic implants are of significant importance in the replacement of bones or the repair of bone defects. Iron-phosphate-coated carbonyl iron powder (Fe/P) was prepared by the phosphating method. Moreover, Fe/P–Mn alloy was produced by sintering the Fe/P powder mixed with manganese powder. Bare carbonyl iron samples and the Fe/P and Fe/P–Mn sintered samples were evaluated for their microstructure, cytotoxicity, and hemocompatibility. The microstructure of the sintered samples was examined using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscopic analysis. Corrosion behavior was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization in Hank’s solution. The in vitro biocompatibilities were investigated by cytotoxicity and hemolysis tests. The results obtained demonstrate that the addition of Mn resulted in higher surface inhomogeneity, porosity and roughness as well as in increased cytotoxicity. The phosphate coating has a moderately negative effect on the cytotoxicity. The corrosion rates determined from Tafel diagrams were ordered in the following sequence: Fe/P–Mn, Fe, Fe/P from high to low. The hemocompatibility of experimental samples was ordered in the following sequence: Fe/P, Fe/P–Mn, Fe from high to low. All samples were found to be hemocompatible.
Improving integrated reporting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a new learning and growth perspective for the balanced scorecard (BSC) that includes more specific measures of integrated thinking and value creation to help improve integrated reporting (). Practical, relevant definitions of these historically vague concepts may improve intangible asset disclosures (IAD) and increase uptake of the framework. Design/methodology/approach The paper is conceptual. The authors use organisational learning to theorise about the learning and growth perspective of the BSC, within the context of the practice of IAD. Findings Several criticisms of IAD, theframework and the BSC have acted as barriers to implementing theframework. The improved version of the BSC’s learning and growth perspective, presented in this paper, addresses those criticisms by redefining the concept of integrated thinking (learning) and more fully connecting that learning to future value creation (growth). The model is designed to be used in tandem with theframework to operationalise integrated thinking. A new BSC strategy map illustrates how this revised learning and growth perspective interacts with the other three BSC perspectives to create long-term shareholder value through the management and growth of knowledge within an organisation. Research limitations/implications Organisational learning is an important source of competitive advantage in the modern knowledge economy. Here, the authors encourage further debate on how to report and disclose information on intangible assets, driven by a new conceptual strategy for organisational learning that fully supports the BSC’s capacity to help integrated thinking and future value creation for theframework. Practical implications From its roots as a performance measurement system, the BSC has become a widely used strategy execution tool. Theframework has struggled to gain traction, but still has value in exploring intangible assets and its disclosure from a systems thinking perspective. The model is designed to bring an explicit understanding of how to improve integrated thinking for theframework facilitating better measurement, management and reporting of human and structural capital. By doing so, the new model enables a firm to use the BSC to engage withmore effectively, which should also be useful for practitioners given the widespread use of the BSC. Originality/value The analysis of the BSC’s learning and growth perspective reveals two dichotomies – one between resources and growth, and another between systems and capability. The revised perspective resolves these dichotomies with clear, forward-focused measures of learning and intangible asset growth, and multiple vertical and horizontal connections between the perspective’s four constructs. The authors demonstrate practical paths to value creation through a range of strategic impacts.
Root contraction in Cycas and Zamia (Cycadales) determined by gelatinous fibers.

UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY Reaction wood (RW) in seed plants can induce late and usually secondary changes in organ orientation. Conifers produce compression wood (CW), generated by compression tracheids, which generate a push force. Angiosperms produce tension wood (TW), generated by tension wood fibers (TWF) often described as "gelatinous fibers," which exert a pull force. Usually RW is produced eccentrically, but it can occur concentrically, as in aerial roots of Ficus. However, gymnosperms can produce gelatinous fibers (tension fibers, TF), as in cortical and secondary phloem tissues (Gnetum). TFs are therefore limited neither to wood, xylem, nor angiosperms. Here we demonstrate that TFs in secondary phloem are involved in contraction of roots of cycads and compare them with TFs of Ficus. • METHODS We sectioned root material of cycads at various stages of seedling development using simple staining and histochemical procedures to follow the course of secondary phloem development. Aerial roots of Ficus were compared with the cycad root material. • KEY RESULTS Tension fibers (gelatinous fibers) occur extensively and continuously in the secondary phloem in roots that undergo contraction. Older tissues, but notably the xylem, become distorted by contraction. TFs in cycads correspond in cell wall features to TFs that occur in Ficus, but do not occur in secondary xylem. The individual fibers visibly contract. • CONCLUSIONS Tissue contraction in Cycas and Zamia corresponds to that found in angiosperms and Gnetum and further broadens the scope of the activity of tension tissues. This finding possibly indicates that gelatinous fibers originated at a very early period of seed plant evolution.
Automated stability evaluation of interconnected systems for spacecraft power systems

Stability, the tendency of a system to return to a given operating point following a perturbation, is a very important property in most engineered systems. In the context of supervisory control of spacecraft power systems, it is important that the controller select stable sets of operating points at which the system should operate. In this way, the controller can achieve the system control objectives while maintaining stable operation of the power system. In this study, an automated method to evaluate the small-signal stability of spacecraft power systems about given operating points is presented. Generalized power systems are regarded as interconnections of specific components. Each of these components has specific sets of parameters that correspond to its physical parameters and its operating condition, and the components are represented using component-level systems of differential algebraic equations (DAEs). The automated method described herein combines the DAEs for each of the components based on their interconnections, resulting in a system-level system of DAEs. The method locates the system equilibrium point by solving the system-level system of DAEs and performs linearization about the equilibrium point. This results in a linear small-signal ordinary differential equation model of the system about the equilibrium point. The stability of the linearized model is evaluated to determine the small-system stability of the power system about the equilibrium point. The method is demonstrated for several example systems. The results for these systems are presented along with a comparison to time domain simulation results. It is found that the automated approach is capable of determining the local stability properties of the demonstration systems correctly and efficiently.
Eliciting Risk Attitudes in the Field: Surveys or Experimental Methods? An Empirical Comparison in Rural Niger

Abstract We compare several risk preference elicitation methods – including incentivised, non-incentivised, and framed methods as well as a traditional Likert survey question – in a developing country and empirically test how well consequent measures of risk attitudes predict risk taking behaviour. We find that Likert scale and non-incentivised framed survey questions are not sufficient substitutes for costlier incentivised methods in rural Niger. Instead, the incentivised framed question works best while a simplified incentivised lottery question works almost as well. More risk and ambiguity averse farmers are less likely to adopt fertiliser microdosing indicating the importance of insurance and strategies to promote learning.
Novel EIS postprocessing algorithm for breast cancer diagnosis

A new postprocessing algorithm was developed for the diagnosis of breast cancer using electrical impedance scanning. This algorithm automatically recognizes bright focal spots in the conductivity map of the breast. Moreover, this algorithm discriminates between malignant and benign/normal tissues using two main predictors: phase at 5 kHz and crossover frequency, the frequency at which the imaginary part of the admittance is at its maximum. The thresholds for these predictors were adjusted using a learning group consisting of 83 carcinomas and 378 benign cases. In addition, the algorithm was verified on an independent test group including 87 carcinomas, 153 benign cases and 356 asymptomatic cases. Biopsy was used as gold standard for determining pathology in the symptomatic cases. A sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 52% were obtained for the test group.
General linear contrasts on latent variable means: structural equation hypothesis tests for multivariate clinical trials

Structural equation models articulate the assumed measurement and causal relations among variables, imposing discipline on otherwise unstructured and redundant associations that arise in correlational studies. Biomedical research has eschewed such methods, relying on the generally superior causal inference afforded by randomized controlled trials. Increasingly, however, clinical trials incorporate numerous covariates that are measured but unmanipulated. Most clinical trials now also include multiple correlated endpoints, which can generate ambiguous outcome patterns refractory to simple statistical analysis and interpretation. Modern clinical trials are really multivariate longitudinal studies with at best a component of randomized control; as such, structural equation approaches can add rigour and clarity. The analysis of latent variance (LANOVA) conception combines structural equation and experimental analysis of variance legacies. It allows, for any design that can be decomposed into between‐group and within‐person models, tests on latent means (that is, the means of the unobserved factors) that are directly analogous to their analysis of variance counterparts. LANOVA variables are either outcomes (which may have a time structure), varying covariates (which may have a time structure), or background covariates (which are static). Allowable causal relations are set‐recursive: background covariates can affect all other variables; varying covariates can affect current outcomes and later outcomes and covariates; outcomes can affect only later outcomes. All standard ANOVA and ANCOVA hypotheses can then be tested by proper restrictions among the means and intercepts of these latent variables. Structural equation modelling programs can be used to estimate the models and test the hypotheses. I demonstrate the approach by expressing and testing hypotheses appropriate for two clinical studies that evaluate patient‐reported outcomes in populations with solid and haematological malignancies. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparative Transcriptomics Reveals Differential Gene Expression Related to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Resistance in the Octoploid Strawberry

The strawberry is an important fruit worldwide; however, the development of the strawberry industry is limited by fungal disease. Anthracnose is caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and leads to large-scale losses in strawberry quality and production. However, the transcriptional response of strawberry to infection with C. gloeosporioides is poorly understood. In the present study, the strawberry leaf transcriptome of the ‘Yanli’ and ‘Benihoppe’ cultivars were deep sequenced via an RNA-seq analysis to study C. gloeosporioides resistance in strawberry. Among the sequences, differentially expressed genes were annotated with Gene Ontology terms and subjected to pathway enrichment analysis. Significant categories included defense, plant–pathogen interactions and flavonoid biosynthesis were identified. The comprehensive transcriptome data set provides molecular insight into C. gloeosporioides resistance genes in resistant and susceptible strawberry cultivars. Our findings can enhance breeding efforts in strawberry.
Role of mesenchymal stem cells in regenerative medicine: application to bone and cartilage repair

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent cells with the ability to differentiate into mesenchyme-derived cells including osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Objective: To provide an overview and expert opinion on the in vivo ability of MSC to home into tissues, their regenerative properties and potential applications for cell-based therapies to treat bone and cartilage disorders. Methods: Data sources including the PubMed database, abstract booklets and conference proceedings were searched for publications pertinent to MSC and their properties with emphasis on the in vivo studies and clinical use in cartilage and bone regeneration and repair. The search included the most current information possible. Conclusion: MSC can migrate to injured tissues and some of their reparative properties are mediated by paracrine mechanisms including their immunomodulatory actions. MSC possess a critical potential in regenerative medicine for the treatment of skeletal diseases, such as osteoarthritis or fracture healing failure, where treatments are partially effective or palliative.
Chromatic focal plane displacement in the parabolic chirped waveguide grating router

It is shown that the application of parabolic chirp to the arm lengths of the waveguide grating router is equivalent to placing a lens with chromatic aberration in the free-space region. By adjusting the focal plane for each port, performance equivalent to a nonchirped grating can be achieved in a desired grating order with significant passband suppression in unwanted grating orders.
GBF1, a Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor for Arf, Is Crucial for Coxsackievirus B3 RNA Replication

ABSTRACT The replication of enteroviruses is sensitive to brefeldin A (BFA), an inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi network transport that blocks activation of guanine exchange factors (GEFs) of the Arf GTPases. Mammalian cells contain three BFA-sensitive Arf GEFs: GBF1, BIG1, and BIG2. Here, we show that coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) RNA replication is insensitive to BFA in MDCK cells, which contain a BFA-resistant GBF1 due to mutation M832L. Further evidence for a critical role of GBF1 stems from the observations that viral RNA replication is inhibited upon knockdown of GBF1 by RNA interference and that replication in the presence of BFA is rescued upon overexpression of active, but not inactive, GBF1. Overexpression of Arf proteins or Rab1B, a GTPase that induces GBF1 recruitment to membranes, failed to rescue RNA replication in the presence of BFA. Additionally, the importance of the interaction between enterovirus protein 3A and GBF1 for viral RNA replication was investigated. For this, the rescue from BFA inhibition of wild-type (wt) replicons and that of mutant replicons of both CVB3 and poliovirus (PV) carrying a 3A protein that is impaired in binding GBF1 were compared. The BFA-resistant GBF1-M832L protein efficiently rescued RNA replication of both wt and mutant CVB3 and PV replicons in the presence of BFA. However, another BFA-resistant GBF1 protein, GBF1-A795E, also efficiently rescued RNA replication of the wt replicons, but not that of mutant replicons, in the presence of BFA. In conclusion, this study identifies a critical role for GBF1 in CVB3 RNA replication, but the importance of the 3A-GBF1 interaction requires further study.
Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor prevents retinal ischemia-associated iris neovascularization in a nonhuman primate.

OBJECTIVE To determine if the angiogenic peptide vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is required for retinal ischemia-associated iris neovascularization in a nonhuman primate. METHODS Laser retinal vein occlusion was used to produce retinal ischemia in 16 eyes of eight animals (Macaca fascicularis). Eyes were randomized to treatment every other day with intravitreal injections of either a neutralizing anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody or a control monoclonal antibody of the same isotype. Serial iris fluorescein angiograms were assessed using a standardized grading system and masked readers. Retinal VEGF and placental growth factor expression were assessed by Northern blotting. The specificity of the antibodies was determined in capillary endothelial cell proliferation assays prior to intravitreal injection. RESULTS Zero of eight eyes receiving the neutralizing anti-VEGF antibodies developed iris neovascularization. Five of eight control antibody-treated eyes developed iris neovascularization. The difference was statistically significant (P = .03). Intravitreal antibody injection did not impair the ability of the ischemic retina to increase VEGF messenger RNA expression. The anti-VEGF antibodies specifically inhibited VEGF-driven capillary endothelial cell proliferation in vitro. CONCLUSION These data demonstrate that VEGF is required for iris neovascularization in an adult nonhuman primate eye. The inhibition of VEGF is a new potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ocular neovascularization.
Patients with acute stroke treated with intravenous tPA 3-6 hours after stroke onset: correlations between MR angiography findings and perfusion- and diffusion-weighted imaging in the DEFUSE study.

PURPOSE To study magnetic resonance (MR) angiography findings in patients with acute stroke treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in relationship to perfusion- and diffusion-weighted imaging changes and clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients treated with intravenous tPA 3-6 hours after stroke onset (with informed consent) were evaluated in a HIPAA-compliant multicenter prospective study approved by all institutional review boards. MR imaging and MR angiography studies were performed before and 3-6 hours after treatment. MR angiography studies that were technically adequate at both time points were evaluated for occlusion, decreased flow, any early recanalization, and degree of recanalization. These results were compared with favorable clinical response (an improvement in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of >or=8 points at 30 days or a modified Rankin scale score of 0 or 1 at 30 days) in patients with and those without mismatch between perfusion- and diffusion-weighted imaging at baseline. RESULTS Seventy-four patients were enrolled in the initial investigation; pre- and posttreatment MR angiography studies were both technically adequate in 62 patients. MR angiography demonstrated occlusion or decreased flow in 46 patients. Patients with isolated middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion and early recanalization at MR angiography had higher rates of favorable clinical response than those with tandem internal carotid artery-MCA occlusion and early recanalization (P = .05). Any early recanalization was not associated with favorable clinical response, but degree of recanalization did correlate with favorable clinical response (P = .048). Favorable clinical response was more frequently seen in patients with mismatch between perfusion- and diffusion-weighted imaging findings at baseline who experienced early recanalization than in those who did not have early recanalization (odds ratio = 6.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.3, 30.2; P = .021). No relationship between early recanalization and favorable clinical response was seen in patients without mismatch. CONCLUSION Early recanalization seen at MR angiography before and after treatment coupled with diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging data may predict clinical outcome in patients with stroke treated with tPA 3-6 hours after symptom onset.
Robust peak detection of pulse waveform using height ratio

The automatic recognition of pulse waveform is the key in the research of computerized pulse diagnosis. The peak detection is important in the extraction of the features of pulse waveform in time domain. In this paper, we proposed a robust peak detection algorithm of pulse waveform based on the ratio of peak height. The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is robust against unspecific noise and baseline drift of pulse waveform. The proposed algorithm can be applied into other quais-periodic physiological signals too.
Teaching reconsidered: Exploring the teaching experiences of student affairs professionals in the college classroom

Aim/Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of student affairs professionals who teach in a variety of college classroom settings. Background Increasingly, student affairs professionals are serving in teaching roles inside the college classroom; yet, there are few empirical studies that explore that teaching role or the impacts of that teaching experience. Because there are so few studies, we know little of the impacts of these experiences on the individual, the institution, or students. Methodology This qualitative study explores the experiences of student affairs professionals who also teach in a variety of campus and classroom settings. The 12 participants from 11 different institutions ranged in years of service in the profession from six to 40 years. They taught an array of undergraduate and graduate courses including first-year experience and career courses, general education courses, and courses in higher education graduate programs. Participants share insights on how their training as student affairs professionals impacts them in their roles as college teachers. Findings The findings are categorized into two broad themes: the impacts of practice on teaching and the impacts of teaching on practice. Additionally, participants share how their teaching experiences enhanced their awareness of the academic culture of the academy, enriched their understanding of students, and improved collaborations across their campuses. Experiences of Student Affairs Professionals 24 Future Research Our research addresses the gap in the literature by providing a number of considerations on how formal teaching and student affairs practice have a recursive relationship. Future research might explore how teaching at the undergraduate level may differ from teaching at the graduate level. Future research, should explore in what, if any, ways the number of years teaching influences how professionals approach teaching. Future research on teaching might also explore the experiences of student affairs professionals who teach in discipline specific areas.