Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence of non-hibernation in Cantabrian brown bears

Evidence of non-hibernation in brown bears Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758 on the Iberian Peninsula has existed since the Middle Ages. We systematically monitored brown bears in the Cantabrian Mountains (Northern Spain) by recording tracks and sightings from 1998 to 2007 to document hibernation behaviour. Our results indicate that females with yearlings and solitary yearlings were more active in winter than bears over two years old. Intensive snow tracking and direct observations of five family groups indicated that they travelled, fed and defecated in winter, which are activities not compatible with the physiological state of hibernation. Also, based on tracking data, the maximum period between two consecutive locations of active family groups in winter was less than that needed by bears to emerge from a state of hibernation (6 days). We conclude that the family groups which we monitored in winter did not hibernate.
Successful Transplantation of In Vitro Expanded Human Cadaver Corneal Endothelial Precursor Cells On to a Cadaver Bovine’s Eye Using a Nanocomposite Gel Sheet

Abstract Purpose: In vitro expansion of human corneal endothelial precursor (HCEP) cells has been reported via production of cell aggregated spheres. However, to translate this procedure in human patients warrants maintaining the position of the eyeballs facing down for 36 h, which is not feasible. In this study, we report a method using a nanocomposite (NC) gel sheet to accomplish the integration of HCEP cells to the endothelium of cadaver bovine’s eyes. Materials and Methods: HCEP cells were isolated from the corneal endothelium of a cadaver human eye and then expanded using a thermoreversible gelation polymer (TGP) as reported earlier. For the study, three cadaver bovine eyes were used. The NC gel sheets were inserted into the bovine eyes’, aligned and suture-fixed in position under the host endothelium. HCEP cells previously expanded in the TGP were harvested and injected using a 26-gauge syringe between the endothelium and the NC gel sheet. The eyes were left undisturbed for three hours following which the NC gel sheets were gently removed. The corneas were harvested and subjected to histopathological studies. Results: Histopathological studies showed that all the three corneas used for NC gel sheet implantation showed the presence of engrafted HCEP cells, seen as multi-layered cells over the native endothelium of the bovine cornea. Examination of the NC gel sheets used for implantation showed that only very few corneal endothelial cells remained on the sheets amounting to what could be considered negligible. Conclusion: The use of the NC gel sheet makes HCEP cell transplantation feasible for human patients. Further in vitro basic studies followed by translational studies are necessary to bring this method for clinical application in appropriate indications.
Testing of an audit instrument for the nursing discharge note in the patient record.

OBJECTIVES This study validates and tests the reliability of an audit instrument constructed to evaluate the content of nursing discharge notes. DESIGN Instrument validation and reliability testing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Factor analysis identifying structure through data summarization of the instrument, association between scores in test-retest, and interrater reliability between auditors. RESULTS VALIDITY Three factors emerged in the factor analysis: 'General information', 'Planning', and 'Assessment', accounting for 76% of the variance regarding the quantitative aspect and 79% of the variance regarding the qualitative aspect, confirming the distinctiveness. Reliability: The Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient calculated per item in the test-retest ranged from 0.72 to 1.0 (p=0.01). The correlation coefficient for the total score was 0.98 (p=0.01). There were no differences in item scores between the test and retest in 93% of the comparisons (n=486). Between the two auditors, the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient in each item ranged from 0.83 to 1.00 (p=0.01) and weighted kappa values from 0.70 to 1.00 with the exception of one item in both calculations. The correlation coefficient for the auditors' total score was 0.99 (p=0.01). The Student's paired t-test comparing the two auditors' mean values in five different parts of the instrument showed no significant differences in score. CONCLUSION The Cat-ch-Ing EPI instrument shows a high reliability and validity as an audit instrument to evaluate the content of nursing discharge notes.
A MIMO-OFDM based Wireless Access Scheme Supporting Data Transmission beyond 1 Gbps

In this paper, we propose a wireless access scheme supporting data transmission beyond 1 Gbps with the system bandwidth of 160 MHz for the indoor wireless applications. This ultra high-data-rate wireless access scheme is based on the multiple-input multiple-out and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MTMO-OFDM) techniques. The Bell laboratories layered space-time architecture (V-BLAST) is used for transmitting signals of different antennas at the same subcarrier. The receiver is based on the zero-forcing decision-feedback-equalization (ZF-DFE) detection method at individual subcarriers. The frame/slot structures are also introduced. A 512-point IFFT is used to generate OFDM signals at each transmit antenna. Two antenna configurations are investigated: One is with 4 transmit antennas (TX) and 8 receive antennas (RX); the other is with 6 TX and 8 RX. We use a typical indoor multipath channel to evaluate the proposed scheme. The simulation results show that several data rates beyond 1 Gbps can be achieved by using the proposed scheme when the packet error rates (PER) are required to be under 1.0e-2 with Eb/No no larger than 20.0 dB. The achieved highest data rate satisfying these requirements is 1.728 Gbps with the average spectral efficiency being equivalent to 10.8 bit/s/Hz
Serum tri‐ and tetra‐antennary N‐glycan is a potential predictive biomarker for castration‐resistant prostate cancer

The U.S. FDA has approved several novel systemic agents including abiraterone acetate and taxoid cabazitaxel for metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) result in a complicated decision‐making while selecting an appropriate treatment. Therefore, a predictive biomarker for CRPC would provide useful information to physicians. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic potential of serum N‐glycan profiling in CRPC.
Remarks on Servo Controller Using Quantum Neural Network with Qubit Neurons

This paper presents the servo controller design of using a quantum neural network and investigates its characteristics for control systems. A multi-layer quantum neural network that uses qubit neurons as an information processing unit is used to design three types of neural network-based servo controller: the direct controller, the parallel controller and the self-tuning controller. Computational experiments to control the nonlinear discrete-time plant are conducted in order to evaluate the learning performance and the capability of the quantum neural controller. The results of the computational experiments confirm both the feasibility and effectiveness of the quantum neural controllers.
Spatial abilities of medical graduates and choice of residency programs

Spatial abilities have been related in previous studies to three‐dimensional (3D) anatomy knowledge and the performance in technical skills. The objective of this study was to relate spatial abilities to residency programs with different levels of content of 3D anatomy knowledge and technical skills. The hypothesis was that the choice of residency program is related to spatial abilities. A cohort of 210 medical graduates was enrolled in a prospective study in a 5‐year experiment. Spatial abilities were measured with a redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Test (MRT) in two (MRTA) and three (MRTC) dimensions. Medical graduates were enrolled in Family Medicine (n = 76, 36.2%), Internal Medicine (64, 30.5%), Surgery (52, 24.8%), and Anesthesia (18, 8.6%). The assumption was that the level of 3D anatomy knowledge and technical skills content was higher in Surgery and Anesthesia compared to Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. Mean MRTA score of 12.4 (±SD 4.6), 12.0 (±4.3), 14.1 (±4.3), and 14.6 (±4.0) was obtained in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Anesthesia, respectively (P = 0.0176). Similarly, mean MRTC score of 8.0 (±4.4), 7.5 (±3.6), 8.5 (±3.9), and 7.9 (±4.1) was obtained (P = 0.5647). Although there was a tendency for lower MRTA score in Family Medicine and Internal Medicine compared to Surgery and Anesthesia, no statistically significant main effect of residency, year, sex, or the interactions were observed for the MRTA and MRTC. Studied sample of medical graduates was not found to choose their residency programs based on their innate spatial abilities. Anat Sci Educ 8: 111–119. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.
A Lyapunov based controller for boost converter to integrate solar photovoltaic source

This paper proposes a Lyapunov based controller to regulate the duty cycle of the boost converter, generally used to integrate a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System to the AC network. The proposed method is a direct method which does not require measurement of the inductor current in boost converter. The controller is designed based on the large signal model of the boost converter. This design also considers the nonlinearity of the converter. The gain values of the controller are evaluated by the Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) technique. The proposed controller has been tested on a system, simulated in Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) environment to examine the steady state and transient response of the converter. Further, the performance of the proposed controller during the transient period has been compared with a conventional Proportional-Integral (PI) controller.
SDP resolution techniques for the optimal power flow with unit commitment

The application of semidefinite programming (SDP) to the resolution of the Optimal Power Flow problem (OPF) has recently been the focus of significant research effort. In conjunction with sparsity-exploiting techniques, it can yield globally optimal solutions for well-conditioned large-scale networks. In this paper, we show that these techniques can theoretically be extended to a larger class of problems, incorporating binary variables to enable unit (de-)commitment, and we solve small-scale problems using package GloptiPoly as a proof of concept. We then study the influence of Unit Commitment variables on problem sparsity and show that the sparse structure is largely preserved, suggesting that sparsity-exploiting techniques may efficiently address Optimal Power Flow with Unit Commitment (OPF-UC) problems on mid-to-large-scale networks. Finally, we use the SparsePOP package to solve OPF-UC problems on networks with up to 39 buses to global optimality.
Multilaboratory Testing in Thrombophilia through the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Scheme (Blood Coagulation) Quality Assurance Program

We describe here results from the United Kingdom National External Quality Assessment Scheme (UK NEQAS) Thrombophilia Screening Program, in which an average of 21% of 280 centers reported an incorrect diagnosis for a series of plasma samples. Three case studies are described, showing causes of error in individual laboratories, related to the source of reference plasma or reagents. Methodological bias is also described. For protein C (PC) assays 18% of centers reported PC deficiency in a patient homozygous for factor V Leiden. Studies in the NEQAS laboratory confirmed the effect of activated protein C resistance (APCR) on clot-based PC activity assays. Differences in results obtained for PS-deficient subjects with different protein S (PS) activity kits are reported; several subjects would be misdiagnosed as normal with one kit if the manufacturer's reported reference range was adopted instead of a locally determined reference range. Antithrombin (AT) assays were shown to vary in their sensitivity to different molecular defects in the antithrombin gene; 77% of centers employing human thrombin-based activity assays reported a normal AT level in a patient with antithrombin Cambridge II. Sensitivity of the APC resistance test in the absence of factor V-deficient plasma was shown to be improved through normalization of results, and errors in the genetic diagnosis of factor V Leiden and the P20210A prothrombin gene mutation are described. Errors in the diagnosis of thrombophilic defects can therefore be identified through participation in EQA programs, and following dissemination of information, improvements in diagnosis can be demonstrated.
Carcinoma cuniculatum (verrucous carcinoma of the skin): A clinicopathologic study of 46 cases with ultrastructural observations

Forty‐six examples of carcinoma cuniculatum, a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, were studied by means of light and electron microscopy and immunoperoxidase techniques. The tumors usually presented as ulcerated, fungating, and polypoid masses with openings of sinus tracts onto the skin surface that exuded foul‐smelling greasy material when pressure was applied. On microscopic examination the tumors were seen to be composed mainly of mature squamous keratinocytes with foci of cellular atypia. Electron microscopic studies revealed features of well‐differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor may affect any cutaneous area of the body, and there is a predilection for the feet, particularly the soles. The cause must still be determined, but trauma, chronic irritation, and/or viral infection may play a role. The neoplasm is a low‐grade carcinoma capable of local invasion, extension into bone, and rare metastasis to the regional lymph node. Although immunoperoxidase studies revealed no inclusions, infection by human papilloma virus (HPV) remains a possibility.
A Probabilistic Evaluation of Fitness Based Immune Chaotic Algorithm for Constraint Optimization Problems

Multidisciplinary collaborative decision of product design is modeled as a constraint satisfaction problem and a new hybrid algorithm which combined chaotic search with immune algorithm is developed to solve the model. The meticulous searching capability of chaotic algorithm can keep immune algorithm from stunning into local optimum and find global optimal design solution. For the fitness evaluation of antibody, a probabilistic method was adopted to deal with constraints in place of traditional punishment function approach, thus the problem that the punishment coefficient is difficult to determine can be solved effectively. Optimization design result of a rotor system validated correctness and efficiency of hybrid algorithm.
The impact of tracking system properties on the most likely path estimation in proton CT

Proton CT nowadays aims at improving hadron therapy treatment planning by mapping the stopping power of materials. In order to optimize a spatial resolution of the reconstructed images, the most likely path (MLP) of each proton can be computed. We investigated the errors in the computation of this path due to the configuration of the system, i.e. the spatial resolution of the tracking planes, their material budget, and their positioning. A method for computing the uncertainty in the estimated paths for a given system was derived. The uncertainties upon the entrance and exit of the object were propagated analytically in the path computation. This procedure was then used to evaluate the impact of each parameter, and to compare different systems. We show that the intrinsic characteristics of the system generate an uncertainty in the positions and directions of the particles propagated during the MLP computation. The spatial resolution and material budget of the trackers in particular may affect the path estimation, and thus the spatial resolution of an image.
THE IMPACT OF DIFFERENT PACING STRATEGIES ON FIVE‐KILOMETER RUNNING TIME TRIAL PERFORMANCE

The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal 1.63-km (1-mile) pacing strategy for 5-km running performance in moderately trained women distance runners. Eleven women distance runners (20.7 ± 0.8 years, 163.8 ± 2.0 cm, 57.0 ± 2.2 kg, 51.7 ± 1.0 ml·kg−1·min−1, 18.9 ± 0.8% fat, 78.1 ± 1.4% &OV0312;O2max at lactate threshold) performed 2 preliminary 5-km time trials on a treadmill to establish baseline 5-km times. The average 1.63-km split pace of the fastest preliminary trial was manipulated for the first 1.63 km of the experimental trials and run either equal to (EVEN), 3% faster than (3%), or 6% faster than (6%) the current baseline average 1.63-km pace for each subject. Ventilation (VE), oxygen consumption (&OV0312;O2), respiratory exchange ratio, and heart rate were measured continuously. Overall 5-km times were not different (p < 0.05) for the EVEN, 3% and 6% trials finishing in 21:11 (minutes/seconds) ± 29 seconds, 20:52 ± 36 seconds and 20:39 ± 29 seconds, respectively. The fastest time for 8 subjects resulted from the 6% trial and the other 3 subjects' fastest times resulted from the 3% trial. The overall exercise intensity (%&OV0312;O2max, %&OV0312;O2max above lactate threshold, VE, and respiratory exchange ratio) of the first 1.63-km split was not different between the 3 and 6% trials, despite the 6% trial being 13 seconds faster than the 3% trial. Based on these findings, initial 1.63-km starting paces of a 5-km race can be 3 to 6% greater than current average race pace without negatively impacting performance. In order to optimize 5-km performance, runners should start the initial 1.63 km of a 5-km race at paces 3–6% greater than their current average race pace.
Effect of fatigue on stride pattern continuously measured by an accelerometric gait recorder in middle distance runners.

AIM The purpose of this study was to analyze the continuous changes in stride patterns of athletes running at speed elicited VO(2max). METHODS Six male sub-elite middle-distance runners carried out a constant track running test to exhaustion (time to exhaustion: 409+/-71 s) at their maximal aerobic speed (17.4+/-1.1 km.h(-1)). The body accelerations were measured with a triaxial accelerometer fixed at the low back. A set of variables was computed from the accelerometer output: stride frequency, stride symmetry and regularity, signal energies and impulses in each axis and the integral of the total acceleration vector. An ANOVA with repeated measures was performed to test the changes of these variables during the three times: the onset point, midway point and end point of exercise. RESULTS The following changes were observed: the regularity index which describes the similarity of crania-caudal movements over successive strides, decreased significantly between the start and the end of the test (309.9 to 274.5; P<0.05). During the same time, the media-lateral impulse (4.69%BW.s to 5.71%BW.s; P<0.001; BW: body weight) and signal energy (1.40 G(2). s to 2.06 G(2). s; P<0.001; G=9.81 m.s(-2)) increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS The changes in medio-lateral axis (increase of energy expenditure which is not useful for propulsion) and in the regularity index (modifications in the temporal-spatial periodicity of the running cycle) could be considered as early alterations of running pattern when the athletes got fatigued.
Molecularly-targeted therapies for non-small cell lung cancer

Targeting cell-signalling pathways that confer survival advantage to cancer cells has become a major focus of investigation for the treatment of various malignancies. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a disease with wide molecular heterogeneity, has become a main testing ground for the evaluation of various targeted agents. Inhibition of the epidermal growth factor pathway with erlotinib results in improved survival and symptom control for patients with advanced NSCLC who progressed following one or two prior chemotherapy regimens. Gefitinib, the first epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor to be approved by the FDA, failed to demonstrate survival advantage over placebo in a large Phase III trial for patients with advanced NSCLC. The results of this study have raised several important clinical and biological issues that may be relevant for the development of other targeted agents. Recent identification of mutations in the ATP-binding pocket of the EGFR is the first step towards proper patient selection for therapy with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In addition, predictive potential has also been seen with EGFR gene amplification. It is unclear whether monoclonal antibodies against the EGFR may be active independent of the EGFR mutation, as the site of action is different from tyrosine kinase inhibitors. A recent randomised clinical trial that combined the antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab with chemotherapy has demonstrated survival advantage over chemotherapy alone for certain subsets of patients with advanced NSCLC. The exciting results of this study represent an important advance in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC.
Alterations in the Composition of the Supramucosal Defense Barrier in Relation to Disease Severity of Ulcerative Colitis

Mucin glycoproteins and trefoil peptides play an important role in protection and repair of the gastrointestinal epithelium. This study investigates alterations in mucin and trefoil peptide gene expression and product localization in ulcerative colitis (UC). Product localization and message expression of mucin MUC1 to 6 and trefoil peptide TFF1 to 3 genes was analyzed in rectosigmoid tissue from a cohort of patients with active UC and compared with that of normal colorectal mucosa. MUC1 expression was upregulated in severe UC at the site of rupture of crypt abscesses. Reduction in MUC2 expression occurred in UC adjacent to ulceration. No alteration in MUC3 or MUC4 gene expression was detectable in UC compared with normal colorectal mucosa. No ectopic expression of MUC5AC, MUC5B, or MUC6 was identified in UC. Ectopic TFF1 expression was identified in tissues eliciting histological features of severe disease. Decreased TFF3 localization was demonstrated in UC tissues, but no TFF2 expression was detected in any colorectal specimens. Subtle alterations in composition of the supramucosal defense barrier exist in UC and vary in relation to clinical severity of disease. There is upregulation in mucin MUC1 at crypt abscesses and neo-expression of TFF1 trefoil peptide in severe disease.