Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endovascular repair of para-anastomotic aneurysms of the aorta and iliac arteries: preferred treatment for a complex problem.

PURPOSE Standard surgical repair of para-anastamotic aneurysms (PAAs) of the abdominal and thoracic aorta and the iliac arteries has been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. We reviewed our continuing experience with endovascular repair of these lesions to determine whether this approach is favorable and durable. METHODS All patients with PAAs of the aorta or iliac arteries who underwent endovascular treatment of their lesions between August 1993 and July 1999 were prospectively followed up, and data on age, previous aortic pathology and surgery, size of PAA, time to diagnosis, and symptoms at presentation were recorded. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative imaging studies were analyzed. All patients had endovascular stent-grafts placed under digital fluoroscopic guidance in the operating room. Data on intraoperative and postoperative complications, mortality, and endoleaks were reviewed. RESULTS From August 1993 to July 1999, 28 patients (20 men, 8 women) had 35 PAAs of the aorta or iliac arteries. There were 5 thoracic aortic, 12 abdominal aortic, and 18 iliac artery PAAs. Three patients had a contained rupture of their PAA. All patients who had originally undergone reconstruction for occlusive disease had lesions consistent with false aneurysms, whereas 73% of the aortic or iliac PAAs in patients originally treated for aneurysm disease appeared to be true aneurysms. Thirty-four of 35 PAAs were successfully excluded with stent-grafts (97%). There was one death at 30 days (3.6%) in a patient who was successfully treated endovascularly for a contained rupture of a thoracic PAA. There were four major postoperative complications (14.2%) in the 28 patients who were treated. One patient had continued perfusion of a thoracic aortic PAA (type I endoleak). The in-hospital length of stay after endovascular repair of PAA was 4 days (range, 1-18 days). The mean follow-up period was 21 months (range, 1-68 months). CONCLUSION Endovascular repair of aortic and iliac artery PAAs is technically feasible and provides a high rate of lesion exclusion. Morbidity and mortality rates appear lower than those reported for open surgical repair. These patients can typically be discharged by the second postoperative day. Endovascular therapy for stable ruptured PAAs can be successfully performed and should be considered as an option only when appropriate devices and expertise are available. For uncomplicated PAAs of the aorta and iliac arteries, endovascular therapy may be more favorable than surgical repair.
Exchange Rates and UIP Violations at Short and Long Horizons

The much-studied Uncovered Interest Rate Parity (UIP) puzzle, the observation that exchange rates do not adjust sufficiently to offset interest rate differentials, is more complicated than commonly understood. It changes nature with the horizon. I confirm existing short-run evidence that high interest rate currencies depreciate less than predicted by the interest rate differential, but, building on Engel (2012), at longer horizons (4 to 7 years) I find a reverse puzzle: high interest rate currencies depreciate too much. Interestingly, the long-horizon excess depreciation leads exchange rates to converge to the UIP benchmark over the long-run. To address the changing nature of the puzzle, I propose a novel model, based on the mechanism of bond convenience yields, that can explain both the short and the long horizon UIP violations. I also provide direct empirical evidence that supports the mechanism.
Effects of Proton Radiation Dose, Dose Rate and Dose Fractionation on Hematopoietic Cells in Mice

Abstract The present study evaluated the acute effects of radiation dose, dose rate and fractionation as well as the energy of protons in hematopoietic cells of irradiated mice. The mice were irradiated with a single dose of 51.24 MeV protons at a dose of 2 Gy and a dose rate of 0.05–0.07 Gy/min or 1 GeV protons at doses of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 Gy delivered in a single dose at dose rates of 0.05 or 0.5 Gy/min or in five daily dose fractions at a dose rate of 0.05 Gy/min. Sham-irradiated animals were used as controls. The results demonstrate a dose-dependent loss of white blood cells (WBCs) and lymphocytes by up to 61% and 72%, respectively, in mice irradiated with protons at doses up to 2 Gy. The results also demonstrate that the dose rate, fractionation pattern and energy of the proton radiation did not have significant effects on WBC and lymphocyte counts in the irradiated animals. These results suggest that the acute effects of proton radiation on WBC and lymphocyte counts are determined mainly by the radiation dose, with very little contribution from the dose rate (over the range of dose rates evaluated), fractionation and energy of the protons.
A revisit to the nonlinear stationarity of real exchange rates

This article applies the test by Kapetanios et al. (2003) to re-examine the nonlinear stationarity of real exchange rates in which we emphasize both the real bilateral exchange rates and the real effective exchange rates. Our empirical findings provide weak evidence on the nonlinear mean-reverting adjustment of real exchange rates in both fixed and floating regimes, which is in sharp contrast to that in the existing literature.
Generator shedding for maintaining power system stability in Cibatu34-Mandirancan subsystem

Cibatu34-Mandirancan is one of the most important subsystem in Jawa Bali system. Peak Load of this subsystem is about 1.700 MW, several industrial costumers are also located here. On 13th March 2014 disturbance occured on Indramayu-Kosambibaru. This disturbance was followed by tripping of two transmission lines and all generators in Indramayu Power Plant. Disturbance Fault Recorder (DFR) data showed that trip of the generators were caused by unstable power swing after loss of Indramayu-Kosambibaru lines 1 and 2. Transient stablilty study is conducted to find some scenarios that may severe system stability after transmission line contingencies. Two methods are proposed to maintain system stability which are reduction of generator output into certain load and rejection of one or two generators. Both methods successfully maintain system stability after transmission contingencies. However the first method is eventually less economical, because it will increase the system producton cost. Second scenario is the best solution for solving transient instability in Cibatu34-Mandirancan subsystem. The shedding time also give impact to stability therefore this study also conducted to find maximum shedding time of generator.
The Impact of Repealing Sunday Closing Laws on Educational Attainment

Adolescents face daily tradeoffs between human capital investment, labor, and leisure. This paper exploits state variation in the repeal of Sunday closing laws to examine the impact of a distinct and plausibly exogenous rise in the quantity of competing diversions available to youth on their educational attainment. The results suggest that the repeals led to a significant decline in both years of education and the probability of high school completion. I explore increased employment and risky behaviors as potential mechanisms. Further, I find a corresponding decline of the repeals on adult wages.
Exploiting excessive resources at data-centres of media content providers using cloud computing

It is widely accepted that cloud computing technologies will soon have substantial impact on a broad range of industrial sectors. For example, media content providers can use the advances in cloud computing technologies to exploit the excessive bandwidth and computing resources available at their data-centres. In cloud computing, resources can be seen as a utility or commodity. Thus, cloud computing creates the possibility for a media content provider to increase its monetary profit by offering (renting out) the idle resources at its data-center to users of other communities. Our contributions in this paper are twofold. Firstly, we introduce our innovative system design that enables the media content provider to exploit the excessive resources available at its data-centre using cloud computing. Secondly, we design admission control algorithm that selects the set of tasks to admit at the data-center such that the monetary profit is maximized; while ensuring that the demand for media streaming capacity by clients of the media content provider can be sustained at any instant of time with some level of confidence in probabilistic sense.
The Effect of Export Assistance Program Usage on Export Performance: A Contingency Explanation

On the basis of a synthesis of prior research, the authors develop a model, which integrates export marketing involvement and the use of government export promotion assistance programs as critical variables affecting export performance, and subject it to empirical evaluation. In this context, the authors also investigate organizational and managerial differences among the firms involved in export marketing to ascertain the robustness of and replicate the observed differences in firms’ export marketing involvement behavior. The results indicate that export marketing involvement of firms and firms’ usage of government export assistance programs are important export success factors. However, the relevance of export assistance programs and the role they play vary depending on the dimension of export performance being considered.
Policy of economic transition in Kyrgyzstan

In 1989±90, Gorbachev’s political and economic reforms started to impact on the political and economic environment of not only Moscow, but also on the remote republics of the USSR such as Kyrgyzstan. In 1991, the consequences of the political development and reforms brought the USSR to its end. As a result of this the Kyrgyz Republic obtained its independence and emerged as a sovereign state for the ® rst time in its history. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan, like all other Central Asian republics (CARs), faced a complex problem of a transition from a centralized socialist system towards a more open society based on a market driven economy. The issue of sustainable transition was complicated by the fact that the republic was not prepared for independence, and did not have enough time to adjust to the new political environment. Kyrgyzstan, therefore, faced a number of urgent transitional problems that needed to be solved in a pressing environment. The post-Soviet development strategy chosen by Kyrgyzstan’s government was based on deep and comprehensive economic transformation, which would eventually create a ® rm foundation for its independent existence. These changes meant not only reform in economic policy or improvements in the system of economic management and regulation, but also fundamental reorganization in the overall economic system of the country. These changes included the deregulation of the public sector and labour market, price liberalization, largescale privatization, the creation of a modern banking and ® nancial infrastructure, the development of legislative norms for the effective functioning of the private sector and a number of other measures. For Kyrgyzstan, the issue of reforming its national economy has been an especially dif® cult task. The country inherited from the Soviet economic system some serious problems that were further complicated by the deteriorating post-Soviet economic environment. The Kyrgyz national economy was a clear example of Soviet economic modernization. It was deeply integrated into the all-Union division of labour and production. The unwieldy and ineffective public sector practically dominated the national economy, and the proportion of state ownership reached almost 100 per cent in industry, transportation, and parts of the agricultural and service sectors. In 1990 Kyrgyzstan’s industrial sector had produced around 30 per cent of Kyrgyzstan’ s GDP and employed around
Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic Clamps in Conscious, Unrestrained Mice

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by a defect in insulin action. The hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, or insulin clamp, is widely considered the "gold standard" method for assessing insulin action in vivo. During an insulin clamp, hyperinsulinemia is achieved by a constant insulin infusion. Euglycemia is maintained via a concomitant glucose infusion at a variable rate. This variable glucose infusion rate (GIR) is determined by measuring blood glucose at brief intervals throughout the experiment and adjusting the GIR accordingly. The GIR is indicative of whole-body insulin action, as mice with enhanced insulin action require a greater GIR. The insulin clamp can incorporate administration of isotopic 2[14C]deoxyglucose to assess tissue-specific glucose uptake and [3-3H]glucose to assess the ability of insulin to suppress the rate of endogenous glucose appearance (endoRa), a marker of hepatic glucose production, and to stimulate the rate of whole-body glucose disappearance (Rd). The miniaturization of the insulin clamp for use in genetic mouse models of metabolic disease has led to significant advances in diabetes research. Methods for performing insulin clamps vary between laboratories. It is important to note that the manner in which an insulin clamp is performed can significantly affect the results obtained. We have published a comprehensive assessment of different approaches to performing insulin clamps in conscious mice1 as well as an evaluation of the metabolic response of four commonly used inbred mouse strains using various clamp techniques2. Here we present a protocol for performing insulin clamps on conscious, unrestrained mice developed by the Vanderbilt Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC; URL: www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/mmpc). This includes a description of the method for implanting catheters used during the insulin clamp. The protocol employed by the Vanderbilt MMPC utilizes a unique two-catheter system3. One catheter is inserted into the jugular vein for infusions. A second catheter is inserted into the carotid artery, which allows for blood sampling without the need to restrain or handle the mouse. This technique provides a significant advantage to the most common method for obtaining blood samples during insulin clamps which is to sample from the severed tip of the tail. Unlike this latter method, sampling from an arterial catheter is not stressful to the mouse1. We also describe methods for using isotopic tracer infusions to assess tissue-specific insulin action. We also provide guidelines for the appropriate presentation of results obtained from insulin clamps.
Antigenically Distinct Conformations of CXCR4

ABSTRACT The major human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) coreceptors are the chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4. The patterns of expression of the major coreceptors and their use by HIV-1 strains largely explain viral tropism at the level of entry. However, while virus infection is dependent upon the presence of CD4 and an appropriate coreceptor, it can be influenced by a number of factors, including receptor concentration, affinity between envelope gp120 and receptors, and potentially receptor conformation. Indeed, seven-transmembrane domain receptors, such as CCR5, can exhibit conformational heterogeneity, although the significance for virus infection is uncertain. Using a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to CXCR4, we found that CXCR4 on both primary and transformed T cells as well as on primary B cells exhibited considerable conformational heterogeneity. The conformational heterogeneity of CXCR4 explains the cell-type-dependent ability of CXCR4 antibodies to block chemotaxis to stromal cell-derived factor 1α and to inhibit HIV-1 infection. In addition, the MAb most commonly used to study CXCR4 expression, 12G5, recognizes only a subpopulation of CXCR4 molecules on all primary cell types analyzed. As a result, CXCR4 concentrations on these important cell types have been underestimated to date. Finally, while the factors responsible for altering CXCR4 conformation are not known, we found that they do not involve CXCR4 glycosylation, sulfation of the N-terminal domain of CXCR4, or pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein coupling. The fact that this important HIV-1 coreceptor exists in multiple conformations could have implications for viral entry and for the development of receptor antagonists.
Effects of dietary Tenebrio molitor meal inclusion in free-range chickens.

Insects are currently being considered as a novel protein source for animal feeds, because they contain a large amount of protein. The larvae of Tenebrio molitor (TM) have been shown to be an acceptable protein source for broiler chickens in terms of growth performance, but till now, no data on histological or intestinal morphometric features have been reported. This study has had the aim of evaluating the effects of dietary TM inclusion on the performance, welfare, intestinal morphology and histological features of free-range chickens. A total of 140 medium-growing hybrid female chickens were free-range reared and randomly allotted to two dietary treatments: (i) a control group and (ii) a TM group, in which TM meal was included at 75 g/kg. Each group consisted of five pens as replicates, with 14 chicks per pen. Growth performance, haematological and serum parameters and welfare indicators were evaluated, and the animals were slaughtered at the age of 97 days. Two birds per pen (10 birds/treatment) were submitted to histological (liver, spleen, thymus, bursa of Fabricius, kidney, heart, glandular stomach and gut) and morphometric (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) investigations. The inclusion of TM did not affect the growth performance, haematological or serum parameters. The morphometric and histological features were not significantly affected either, thus suggesting no influence on nutrient metabolization, performance or animal health. Glandular stomach alterations (chronic flogosis with epithelial squamous metaplasia) were considered paraphysiological in relation to free-range farming. The observed chronic intestinal flogosis, with concomitant activation of the lymphoid tissue, was probably due to previous parasitic infections, which are very frequently detected in free-range chickens. In conclusion, the findings of this study show that yellow mealworm inclusion does not affect the welfare, productive performances or morphological features of free-range chickens, thus confirming that TM can be used safely in poultry diets.
Interleukin-6 N-Terminal Peptides Modulate the Expression of junB Protooncogene and the Production of Fibrinogen in HepG2 Cells

Abstract Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a helical cytokine exerting pleiotropic activities including the regulation of hematopoiesis, B cell activation and acute-phase reaction. The structure-function relationship of the molecule is the subject of intensive investigation using point and deletion mutants. Our objective was to analyse the role of the N-terminal 18–46 region in IL-6-mediated expression of junB protooncogene and fibrinogen production, reflecting the acute phase response, with synthetic overlapping peptides. mRNA expression of junB was monitored by competitive RT-PCR, while sandwich ELISA was used for the detection of fibrinogen in the supernatant of HepG2 human hepatoma cells. We found that even short synthetic octapeptides can be stimulatory (in the absence of IL-6) or inhibitory (in the presence of IL-6) in both assays. To establish the molecular mechanism by which synthetic peptides exert their biological effects electromobility shift assay was carried out using HepG2 nuclear extracts. Peptides inducing junB expression initiate gel shifts of STAT3/DNA complexes, which may indicate the involvement of this signal transduction pathway. Circular dicroism spectroscopy data suggest that 8-11-mer peptides representing different parts of the 18–46 region have a marked tendency to adopt ordered conformations in a water/trifluoroethanol (1:1 v/v) mixture. Competition studies with rhIL-6 and selected fluorophorelabelled peptides indicate the presence of more than one binding site on soluble IL-6 receptor. Considering the possible multiple etiologic role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of various diseases, these peptides could be useful for dissection of IL-6 related biological effects.
Lead delamination correlation with Sn layer melting during sawing in power QFN package

Many of the semiconductor components used extensively in today's industrial and multimedia market are beginning to migrate from traditional leaded frame designs to non-leaded QFN designs. This packaging method of map molded could reduce thermal resistance, less size for packaging & weight, suitable for medium or small pads IC with high speed & high frequency applications for products. This map molded packaging method has resulted in a shift from traditional punching techniques to sawing technique and it can reduce the manufacturing cost and increase the flexibility of designing a package. This paper describes the development of multichip power QFN package which comprises three die pads and total of forty lead counts. This paper described the lead delamination correlation with Sn layer melting.
OTR measurements of the 10 keV electron beam at the University of Maryland Electron Ring (UMER)

We present strong evidence of the observation of optical transition radiation (OTR) from aluminized silicon targets intercepting the UMER 10 keV, 100 ns pulsed electron beam, using fast (300 ps and Ins rise time) photomultiplier tubes. An intensified gated (3 ns-lms) intensified CCD camera is used to image the beam using OTR and to study its time evolution throughout the beam pulse. A comparison of wave forms and time resolved OTR images is presented along with time integrated images obtained with phosphor screens for different initial conditions, i.e. beam currents and gun bias voltages.
Differences in Strategy, Quality Management Practices and Performance Reporting Systems between ISO Accredited and Non-Iso Accredited Companies

In recent years, an increasing number of organisations are obtaining accreditation offered by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). Although ISO accreditation may reflect an organisation's pursuit of a quality-focused business strategy and a commitment to quality management practices, ISO accreditation may merely be a response to external (customers') demands for quality certification. This study investigates whether ISO accredited companies differ from non-ISO accredited companies in business strategy and in their implementation of quality management practices. It also investigates differences between ISO accredited and non-ISO accredited companies in their reporting of quality in physical and financial terms and traditional performance measures. Based on a mail questionnaire sent to a sample of ISO and non-ISO accredited New Zealand manufacturing companies, the results showed a significant difference in the business strategy pursued by the two groups, with ISO accredited companies regarding quality as more important than cost efficiencies. However, there were no significant differences in the quality management practices of ISO accredited and non-ISO accredited companies, except in the areas of process improvement and quality measurement. There was also little evidence of differences in performance reporting systems between ISO accredited and non-ISO accredited companies.