Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Use of Computed Tomography Angiography to Define the Prevertebral Vascular Anatomy Prior to Anterior Lumbar Procedures

Study Design. Prospective cohort. Objective. To determine the efficacy of a single-slice computed tomography (CT) angiogram to define the prevertebral anatomy in patients undergoing an anterior lumbar spine procedure. Summary of Background Data. Preoperative planning with precise prevertebral anatomic details can help in mini-open anterior lumbar approaches. Methods. A total of 76 consecutive patients undergoing a minimal incision approach for anterior lumbar surgery were evaluated before surgery with CT angiography. The prevertebral anatomy was documented, and the patients were observed during treatment. Results. There were no complications related to CT angiography. This study directly influenced surgical decision making and the treatment options in 21% of patients. The vena caval confluence limited access to the L5–S1 disc in 3% of patients and at the L4–L5 disc in 92% of the patients. Prevertebral anatomic anomalies were found in 11.8% of patients. Atherosclerotic disease was discovered in 17% of the patients. The major complication rate was 7.5%. CT angiography correlated with intraoperative vascular anatomy in all cases. Conclusion. Preoperative CT angiography before anterior approaches was determined to be effective in evaluating the prevertebral vascular anatomy.
Reliability and Cost Analysis of Multistage Boost Converters Connected to PV Panels

In photovoltaic (PV) generation systems, dc-dc boost converters are responsible for maximum power point tracking and voltage regulation. The intent of this paper is to determine the number of the stages in an interleaved boost converter interfacing PV panels for achieving a reliable and costly optimized structure. A comparative study has been done on different modes of operation. including redundant operation or parallel operation in a two-stage interleaved converter. The comparison indicates that working in simultaneous mode would be more reliable. Contemplating this fact, reliability equation of a three-stage interleaved converter is calculated for simultaneous mode of operation. Considering dark hours of the day, a k-means clustering technique has been utilized in the reliability calculations based on the output data of a PV generation system installed at the campus. Besides, mean time to failure criterion is considered in the reliability analysis. Simulation and experimental results are analyzed, considering the costs. The results determine the optimum structure for interfacing the PV panels to the grid.
ANALISIS NILAI INTRINSIK SAHAM DENGAN RELATIVE VALUATION TECHNIQUES (Studi Pada Perusahaan Sub Sektor Rokok yang Terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia Periode 2013 – 2016)

The purpose of this research is to know the value of the stock and the stock value position (overvalued, undervalued, or fairvalued) of the tobacco manufacturers that listing in Indonesia Stock Exchange period 2013 – 2016 using the method of assessment of the Price earning ratio (PER), Price book valued (PBV) ad Price sales ratio (PSR). The result of this research shows that 3 company’s fairness stock price and investors decision. PT. Gudang Garam Tbk based on PER approach is in the undervalued, based on PBV and PSR is in the overvalued, investors decision is buy the undervalued share’s. PT. HM Sampoerna Tbk is in the overvalued, Decision can be taken by prospective investors is to sell the share or hold the share, in the hope the stock price will continue to rise along with the development company that continues increased. PT Wismilak Inti Makmur Tbk based on PER approach is in the overvalued, based on PBV is in the overvalued, while based on PSR is undervalued. This condition show this company is in good performance, decsion can be taken by investors is sell or hold the shares in the hope the stock price will increased. Keywords : Stock, PER, PBV, PSR ABSTRAK Perkembangan dalam dunia investasi di Indonesia menunjukan kemajuan yang pesat, hal ini ditandai dengan semakin meningkatnya investasi diberagam sektor ekonomi yang ada di Indonesia. Salah satu sektor yang berperan penting dalam perkembangan negara adalah sektor industri rokok dimana sektor ini memiliki kapitalisasi pasar yang dominan di Indonesia sehingga sektor ini menjadi diminati oleh investor. Dalam melakukan investasi investor perlu menganalisis harga sahamnya terlebih dahulu sebelum mengambil keputusan, dalam penelitian ini digunakan teknik relative valuation yang terdiri dari tiga pendekatan yaitu Price book value (PBV), Price earning ratio (PER), dan Price sales ratio (PSR). Setelah melakukan analisis selanjutnya adalah menuntukan posisi saham ( overvalued , undervalued atau fairvalued). Berdasarkan ketiga metode tersebut kondisi saham pada PT Gudang Garam Tbk berdasarkan PER nilai sahamnya undervalued , berdasarkan PBV dan PSR nya overvalued sehingga investor direkomendasikan untuk membeli sahamnya. Pada PT. HM Sampoerna Tbk memiliki nilai saham yang cenderung overvalued sehingga investor disarankan untuk menjual saham yang dimiliki atau menahannya agar mendapatkan keuntungan yang lebih besar. Pada PT. Wismilak Inti Makmur Tbk. Berdasarkan PER nilai sahamnya overvalued , berdasarkan PBV nilainya overvalued sedangkan PSR nya undervalued sehingga investor disarankan menjual sahamnya. Kata kunci : Saham, PER, PBV,PSR
Analysis of Methylmercury Disposition in Humans Utilizing A PBPK Model and Animal Pharmacokinetic Data

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models are excellent tools to aid in the extrapolation of animal data to humans. When the fate of the chemical is the same among species being compared, animal data can appropriately be considered as a model for human exposure. For methylmercury exposure, sufficient data exist to allow comparison of numerous mammalian species to humans. PBPK model validation entails obtaining blood and tissue concentrations of the parent chemical and metabolite(s) at various times following a known exposure. From ethical and practical considerations, human tissue concentrations following a known exposure to an environmental toxicant are scarce. While animal-to-human extrapolation demands that sufficient human data exist to validate the model, the validation requirements are less stringent if multiple animal models are utilized within a single model template. A versatile PBPK model was used to analyze the distribution and elimination of methylmercury and its metabolite, inorganic mercury. Uniquely, the model is formed in a generic way from a single basic template during the initial program compilation. Basic parameters are defined for different PBPK models for mammalian species that span a relatively large range of sizes. In this article, the analyses include 12 species (mouse, hamster, rat, guinea pig, cat, rabbit, monkey, sheep, pig, goat, cow, and human). Allometric (weight-based) correlations of tissue binding coefficients, metabolism rate constants, and elimination parameters for both methylmercury and inorganic mercury are presented for species for which sufficient data are available. The resulting human model, in accord with the animal models, predicts relatively high inorganic mercury levels in the kidneys long after the disappearance of methylmercury from the blood.
Reliability Modeling and Life Estimation Using an Expectation Maximization Based Wiener Degradation Model for Momentum Wheels

The momentum wheel (MW) plays a significant role in ensuring the success of satellite missions, the reliability information of MW can be provided by collecting degradation data when there exists certain performance characteristics that degrade over time. In this paper, we develop a reliability modeling and life estimation approach for MW used in satellites based on the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm from a Wiener degradation model. The degradation model corresponding to a Wiener process with the random effect is first established using failure modes, mechanisms, and effects analysis. Afterwards, the first hitting time is employed to describe the failure time, and the explicit result of the reliability function is derived in terms of the Wiener degradation model. As the likelihood function for such a model contains unobserved latent variables, an EM algorithm is adopted to obtain the maximum likelihood estimators of model parameters efficiently. Finally, the effectiveness of the developed approach is validated using the degradation data from a specific type of MW.
Small is still beautiful.

From the combination of knowledge and actions, someone can improve their skill and ability. It will lead them to live and work much better. This is why, the students, workers, or even employers should have reading habit for books. Any book will give certain knowledge to take all benefits. This is what this small is still beautiful tells you. It will add more knowledge of you to life and work better. Try it and prove it.
The regulation and activation of lupus‐associated B cells

Summary: Anti‐double‐stranded DNA (anti‐dsDNA) B cells are regulated in non‐autoimmune mice. While some are deleted or undergo receptor editing, a population of anti‐dsDNA (VH3H9/Vλ1) B cells that emigrate into the periphery has also been identified. These cells have an altered phenotype relative to normal B cells in that they have a reduced lifespan, appear developmentally arrested, and localize primarily to the T/B‐cell interface in the spleen. This phenotype may be the consequence of immature B cells encountering antigen in the absence of T‐cell help. When provided with T‐cell help, the anti‐dsDNA B cells differentiate into antibody‐forming cells. In the context of the autoimmune‐prone lpr/lpr or gld/gld mutations, the VH3H9/Vλ1 anti‐dsDNA B cells populate the B‐cell follicle and by 12 weeks of age produce serum autoantibodies. The early event of anti‐dsDNA B‐cell follicular entry, in the absence of autoantibody production, is dependent upon CD4+ T cells. We hypothesize that control of autoantibody production in young autoimmune‐prone mice may be regulated by the counterbalancing effect of T‐regulatory (Treg) cells. Consistent with this model, we have demonstrated that Treg cells are able to prevent autoantibody production induced by T‐cell help. Additional studies are aimed at investigating the mechanisms of this suppression as well as probing the impact of distinct forms of T‐cell‐dependent and ‐independent activation on anti‐dsDNA B cells.
Down Syndrome Critical Region 1 Gene, Rcan1, Helps Maintain a More Fused Mitochondrial Network

Rationale: The regulator of calcineurin 1 (RCAN1) inhibits CN (calcineurin), a Ca2+-activated protein phosphatase important in cardiac remodeling. In humans, RCAN1 is located on chromosome 21 in proximity to the Down syndrome critical region. The hearts and brains of Rcan1 KO mice are more susceptible to damage from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R); however, the underlying cause is not known. Objective: Mitochondria are key mediators of I/R damage. The goal of these studies was to determine the impact of RCAN1 on mitochondrial dynamics and function. Methods and Results: Using both neonatal and isolated adult cardiomyocytes, we show that, when RCAN1 is depleted, the mitochondrial network is more fragmented because of increased CN-dependent activation of the fission protein, DRP1 (dynamin-1-like). Mitochondria in RCAN1-depleted cardiomyocytes have reduced membrane potential, O2 consumption, and generation of reactive oxygen species, as well as a reduced capacity for mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake. RCAN1-depleted cardiomyocytes were more sensitive to I/R; however, pharmacological inhibition of CN, DRP1, or CAPN (calpains; Ca2+-activated proteases) restored protection, suggesting that in the absence of RCAN1, CAPN-mediated damage after I/R is greater because of a decrease in the capacity of mitochondria to buffer cytoplasmic Ca2+. Increasing RCAN1 levels by adenoviral infection was sufficient to enhance fusion and confer protection from I/R. To examine the impact of more modest, and biologically relevant, increases in RCAN1, we compared the mitochondrial network in induced pluripotent stem cells derived from individuals with Down syndrome to that of isogenic, disomic controls. Mitochondria were more fused, and O2 consumption was greater in the trisomic induced pluripotent stem cells; however, coupling efficiency and metabolic flexibility were compromised compared with disomic induced pluripotent stem cells. Depletion of RCAN1 from trisomic induced pluripotent stem cells was sufficient to normalize mitochondrial dynamics and function. Conclusions: RCAN1 helps maintain a more interconnected mitochondrial network, and maintaining appropriate RCAN1 levels is important to human health and disease.
Caspase-9/-3 Activation and Apoptosis Are Induced in Mouse Macrophages upon Ingestion and Digestion of Escherichia coli Bacteria1

A number of highly virulent, intracellular bacteria are known to induce cell death by apoptosis in infected host cells. In this work we demonstrate that phagocytosis of bacteria from the Escherichia coli laboratory strain K12 DH5α is a potent cell death stimulus for mouse macrophages. RAW264.7 mouse macrophages took up bacteria and digested them within 2–4 h as investigated with green fluorescent protein-expressing bacteria. No evidence of apoptosis was seen at 8 h postexposure, but at 24 h ∼70% of macrophages displayed an apoptotic phenotype by a series of parameters. Apoptosis was blocked by inhibition of caspases or by forced expression of the apoptosis-inhibiting protein Bcl-2. Processing of caspase-3 and caspase-9 but not caspase-8 was seen suggesting that the mitochondrial branch of the apoptotic pathway was activated. Active effector caspases could be detected in two different assays. Because the adapter molecule myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) has been implicated in apoptosis, involvement of the Toll-like receptor pathway was investigated. In RAW264.7 cells, heat-treated bacteria were taken up poorly and failed to induce significant apoptosis. However, cell activation was almost identical between live and heat-inactivated bacteria as measured by extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation, generation of free radicals, and TNF secretion. Furthermore, primary bone marrow-derived macrophages from wild-type as well as from MyD88-deficient mice underwent apoptosis upon phagocytosis of bacteria. These results show that uptake and digestion of bacteria leads to MyD88-independent apoptosis in mouse macrophages. This form of cell death might have implications for the generation of the immune response.
Targeting constitutive and interleukin‐6‐inducible signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 pathway in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells by curcumin (diferuloylmethane)

Numerous reports suggest that interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) promotes survival and proliferation of tumor cells through the phosphorylation of a cell‐signaling protein, signal‐transducer‐and‐activator‐of‐transcription‐3 (STAT3). Constitutive activation of STAT3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and its role in proliferation of this tumor has been demonstrated. Thus, agents that can suppress STAT3 activation have potential for the treatment of HNSCC. In the present report, we demonstrate that most HNSCC cell lines had constitutively active STAT3 and that curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a pharmacologically safe agent in humans, inhibited STAT3 phosphorylation in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Nuclear translocation of STAT3 was also inhibited by curcumin. The inhibition of STAT3 activation by curcumin was reversible, although even 24 hr after curcumin removal, only partial reversal occurred. Besides inhibiting constitutive expression, curcumin also abrogated the IL‐6‐induced activation of STAT3 in HNSCC cells. When compared with AG490, a well‐characterized JAK2 inhibitor, curcumin was more rapid (30 min vs. 4 hr) and more potent (25 μM vs. 100 μM) inhibitor of STAT3 phosphorylation. Curcumin was also a more potent inhibitor of HNSCC cell proliferation than AG490. Overall, our results demonstrated that curcumin is a potent inhibitor of constitutive and IL‐6‐induced STAT3 phosphorylation. This mechanism may be at least partially responsible for curcumin's ability to suppress proliferation of HNSCC cells. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prophylactic Tumor Vaccination: Comparison of Effector Mechanisms Initiated by Protein Versus DNA Vaccination1

Clinical success in tumor vaccination frequently does not reach expectation. Since vaccination protocols are quite variable, we used the murine renal cell carcinoma line RENCA transfected with the lacZ gene (RENCA-β-gal) to compare the efficacy of two different vaccination strategies or their combination and to elaborate on the underlying mechanisms. BALB/c mice were vaccinated either with naked lacZ DNA or with attenuated Salmonella typhimurium transformed with lacZ DNA or with dendritic cells (DC) loaded with the β-galactosidase protein or mice were vaccinated with both DNA and protein. Although all regimens led to a prolongation of survival time, oral vaccination with transfected S. typhimurium followed by i.v. transfer of protein-loaded DC provided the optimal schedule. In this setting, >50% of mice remained tumor free after challenge with 10 times the lethal tumor dose of RENCA-β-gal. As explored in transfer experiments, the superior efficacy of combining DNA and protein vaccination is due to the facts that 1) optimal protection depends on both activated CD4+ and CD8+ cells and 2) CD8+ CTL are most strongly activated by vaccination with transformed Salmonella, whereas vaccination with protein-loaded DC is superior for the activation of Th. The latter induced sustained activation of CTL and recruitment of nonadaptive defense mechanisms. The data demonstrate the strength of DNA vaccination, particularly by the oral route, and provide evidence that a combined treatment with protein-loaded DC can significantly increase the therapeutic efficacy.
Differences between the sexes and age-related changes in orienteering speed

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the age and sex of the competitor on orienteering speed during competitive events. The results of the fastest three male and fastest three female competitors in each 5-year age band (21-79 years), from four national orienteering events, were analysed. The data for age and orienteering speed were log-transformed and regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationships between age and sex and orienteering speed. For comparison, data for the fastest Great Britain finisher in the 10,000-m track and 10-km cross-country events for age groups 40-69 years at the World Masters Championships were also analysed. The results showed that, before the age of 40 years, there was no substantial slowing in orienteering speed for males (0.5-4.2% per decade) but a moderate decline (4.7-10.0% per decade) for females. After the age of 45 years, the orienteering speed of males and females slowed by 13 - 2% and 16 - 4% per decade (mean - s ), respectively, until around the age of 69, after which the deterioration was accentuated. The orienteering speed of the females was 81 - 4, 74 - 6 and 69 - 7% that of the males at ages 21, 45 and 65 years, respectively. The magnitudes of the age-related slowing of orienteering speed and of the difference in orienteering speed between males and females aged 45 years and over were greater than those reported for the other endurance running events. This may reflect the physical demands of running in orienteering terrain, tactical and cognitive aspects of the sport, or sociocultural aspects of the participating population.
Efficient Delivery of Integrated Wired and Wireless Services in UDWDM-RoF-PON Coherent Access Network

A high-capacity coherent ultradense wavelength-division multiplexing passive optical network integrated with a 60-GHz radio-over-fiber system has been designed and experimentally demonstrated for the first time. In this proposed architecture, millimeter-wave signal generation is achieved by coherent technology, in place of the optical carrier suppression technique, which requires modulators with large bandwidth and precise optical interleavers. The system fully exploits advantages of coherent access networks to provide both multigigabit wired and wireless access services with high spectral and power efficiencies. Successful wireless transmission of multichannel 3.3-Gb/s quadrature phase-shift keying signals with 10-GHz channel spacing over 50-km single-mode fiber (SMF-28) has been achieved.
Bayesian recurrent neural network language model

This paper presents a Bayesian approach to construct the recurrent neural network language model (RNN-LM) for speech recognition. Our idea is to regularize the RNN-LM by compensating the uncertainty of the estimated model parameters which is represented by a Gaussian prior. The objective function in Bayesian RNN (BRNN) is formed as the regularized cross entropy error function. The regularized model is not only constructed by training the regularized parameters according to the maximum a posteriori criterion but also estimating the Gaussian hyperparameter by maximizing the marginal likelihood. A rapid approximation to Hessian matrix is developed by selecting a small set of salient outer-products and illustrated to be effective for BRNN-LM. BRNN-LM achieves sparser model than RNN-LM. Experiments on different corpora show promising improvement by applying BRNN-LM using different amount of training data.
The Effect of Estradiol and Progesterone on Knee and Ankle Joint Laxity

Background Female athletes suffer a higher incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries compared to their male counterparts, and they appear to be at increased risk for these injuries when they have increased anterior-posterior knee laxity and at specific phases of the menstrual cycle. Although the mechanism by which these factors combine to increase injury risk is unclear, studies suggest that cyclic variations in joint laxity produced by hormone fluctuation during the menstrual cycle pre-dispose an athlete to increased risk of ligamentous injury. Little is known about whether joint laxity varies cyclically during the menstrual cycle and if so, whether it is modulated by cyclic variations of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4). Hypothesis Increased serum estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels are associated with increased ankle and knee joint laxity. Study Design Cohort study. Level of evidence, 2. Methods Ankle laxity, anterior-posterior knee laxity, and serum concentrations of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) were measured during the menstrual cycle in women and at corresponding time intervals in men (controls). Ankle laxity was measured from stress radiographs and included anterior talar translation relative to the tibia and talar tilt relative to the tibia; anterior-posterior knee laxity was measured with the KT-1000 arthrometer. Results Women had greater knee and ankle laxity values compared to men. There was, however, no change in knee and ankle laxity over the normal menstrual cycle in women and no change over time in men. There was no relationship between estradiol and progesterone fluctuation and ankle and knee joint laxity. Conclusions Knee and ankle joint laxities are greater for women compared to men; however, the cyclic estradiol and progesterone fluctuations that occur during the menstrual cycle do not produce cyclic fluctuations of joint laxity. Studies using joint laxity to identify a subject at risk for ligamentous injury need only consider making measurements at a specific point in time, such as during a preseason screening evaluation.