Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing for the evaluation of perioperative risk in non-cardiopulmonary surgery

The use of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) as a preoperative risk stratification tool for a range of non-cardiopulmonary surgery is increasing. The utility of CPET in this role is dependent on the technology being able to identify accurately and reliably those patients at increased risk of perioperative events when compared with existing risk stratification tools. This article identifies and reviews systematically the current literature regarding the use of CPET as a preoperative tool for stratifying risk in major non-cardiopulmonary surgery. Specifically, it focuses on evaluating the capacity of CPET variables to predict the risk of postoperative complications and mortality in comparison to other methods of risk assessment. Furthermore, the potential for combining results from CPET and non-CPET methods of risk prediction to enhance the capacity to identify high risk patients is considered. The review indicates that CPET can identify patients at increased risk of adverse perioperative outcomes. However, the selection of variables and threshold values to indicate high risk differ for different surgical procedures and underlying conditions. Furthermore, the available data suggest that CPET variables outperform alternative methods of preoperative risk stratification. Several studies also identify that CPET variables may be used in combination with non-CPET variables to increase perioperative risk prediction accuracy. These findings illustrate that CPET has the capacity to identify patients at increased risk of adverse outcome before a range of non-cardiopulmonary surgical procedures. Further research is required to optimise its use, potentially by combining CPET results with alternative methods of risk stratification.
Enhancement of anaerobic digestion of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) using natural micronutrient sources

The effect of adding four minerals as micronutrient sources to stimulate the anaerobic process of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was investigated. Three mineral doses (5, 10 and 15 mg/L) were evaluated and the response to trace metal addition was monitored by the methane yield (YCH4) and specific methanogenic activity (SMA). A clear stimulation of the YCH4 and SMA on MCC due to the presence of minerals with a high content of trace elements was observed, respectively: the YCH4 and SMA of the sludge with 5 mg/L of high-Fe-Mg mineral increased to 397 NmLCH4/gVSsubstrate and 0.267 gCODNmLCH4/gVSinoculum/d compared to 303 NmLCH4/gVSsubstrate and 0.205 gCODNmLCH4/gVSinoculum/d in a medium without adding mineral. An increase in the doses of high-Ca mineral highly decreased methane production and process stability, due to a possible inhibition of the anaerobic digestion by calcium ions.
Ethical Hot Spots of Combined Individual and Group Therapy: Applying Four Ethical Systems

Abstract Combined therapy presents ethical quandaries that occur in individual psychotherapy and group psychotherapy, and dilemmas specifically associated with their integration. This paper examines two types of ethical frameworks (a classical principle-based framework and a set of context-based frameworks) for addressing the ethical hot spots of combined therapy: self-referral, transfer of information, and termination. The principle-based approach enables the practitioner to see what core values may be served or violated by different courses of action in combined therapy dilemmas. Yet, the therapist is more likely to do justice to the complexity and richness of the combined therapy situation by supplementing a principle analysis with three additional ethical frameworks. These approaches are: virtue ethics, feminist ethics, and casuistry. An analysis of three vignettes illustrates how these contrasting ethical models not only expand the range of features to which the therapist attends but also the array of solutions the therapist generates.
Recombination in the eggs and sperm in a simultaneously hermaphroditic vertebrate

When there is no recombination (achiasmy) in one sex, it is in the heterogametic one. This observation is so consistent that it constitutes one of the few patterns in biology that may be regarded as a ‘rule’ and Haldane (Haldane 1922 J. Genet. 12, 101–109. (doi:10.1007/BF02983075)) proposed that it might be driven by selection against recombination in the sex chromosomes. Yet differences in recombination rates between the sexes (heterochiasmy) have also been reported in hermaphroditic species that lack sex chromosomes. In plants—the vast majority of which are hermaphroditic—selection at the haploid stage has been proposed to drive heterochiasmy. Yet few data are available for hermaphroditic animals, and barely any for hermaphroditic vertebrates. Here, we leverage reciprocal crosses between two black hamlets (Hypoplectrus nigricans, Serranidae), simultaneously hermaphroditic reef fishes from the wider Caribbean, to generate high-density egg- and sperm-specific linkage maps for each parent. We find globally higher recombination rates in the eggs, with dramatically pronounced heterochiasmy at the chromosome peripheries. We suggest that this pattern may be due to female meiotic drive, and that this process may be an important source of heterochiasmy in animals. We also identify a large non-recombining region that may play a role in speciation and local adaptation in Hypoplectrus.
Application of photonics in next generation telecommunication satellites payloads

Next generation broadband telecommunication satellites are required to provide very high data throughput using complex multibeam architectures. These high throughput ‘Terabit/s’ Satellites will incorporate payloads with very large quantity of conventional RF equipment, co-axial cables, waveguides, harnesses and ancillary equipment, making the Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) very complex. Use of ‘RF over Fiber’ and associated photonics equipment can make the process of AIT much simpler with the added benefit of significant reduction in number of payload equipment and inherent payload mass.
On the diffusive propagation of warps in thin accretion discs

In this paper, we revisit the issue of the propagation of warps in thin and viscous accretion discs. In this regime, warps are known to propagate diffusively, with a diffusion coefficient approximately inversely proportional to the disc viscosity. Previous numerical investigations of this problem did not find a good agreement between the numerical results and the predictions of the analytic theories of warp propagation, both in the linear and in the non-linear case. Here, we take advantage of a new, low-memory and highly efficient smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code to run a large set of very high-resolution simulations (up to 20 million SPH particles) of warp propagation, implementing an isotropic disc viscosity in different ways, to investigate the origin of the discrepancy between the theory and the numerical results. We identify the cause of the discrepancy in an incorrect calibration of disc viscosity in previous investigations. Our new and improved analysis now shows a remarkable agreement with the analytic theory both in the linear and in the non-linear regime, in terms of warp diffusion coefficient and precession rate. It is worth noting that the resulting diffusion coefficient is inversely proportional to the disc viscosity only for small amplitude warps and small values of the disc α coefficient (α≲ 0.1). For non-linear warps, the diffusion coefficient is a function of both radius and time, and is significantly smaller than the standard value. Warped accretion discs are present in many contexts, from protostellar discs to accretion discs around supermassive black holes. In all such cases, the exact value of the warp diffusion coefficient may strongly affect the evolution of the system and therefore its careful evaluation is critical in order to correctly estimate the system dynamics.
The Burau representation of the braid group $B_n$ is unfaithful for large $n$

Two fundamental theorems of classical knot theory, by J. Alexander, are that every knot is a closed braid, and second, that a certain procedure (see [1,2] for both results) assigns to each knot K a polynomial A(K) in T, which only depends on the topological type of the knot once normalized by a power of T to take a positive value at T = 0. With this normalization, take T to be a transcendental number. Since 1926 [2], it has been known that the function A : Knots —• C is not one-to-one. However, it has not become clear whether the composite
The unique implications of brood selection for genetic programming

In nature it is common for organisms, as quoted from (Kozlowski and Steams, 1989), to "produce many offspring and then neglect, abort, resorb, or eat some of them, or allow them to eat each other. " This phenomenon is known variously as soft selection, brood selection, spontaneous abortion, and a host of other terms depending upon both semantics and the stage of ontogeny and/or development at which the culling of offspring takes place. The bottom line of this behavior in nature is the reduction of parental resource investment in offspring who are potentially less fit than others. The use of brood selection in genetic programming was first suggested in (Altenberg, 1993, 1994) as a method to select for representations of CTP with greater evolvability under recombination. We show that brood selection has benefits to artificial genetic systems analogous to those it confers upon biological genetic systems, specifically in terms of conservation of CPU investment and memory investment. <<ETX>>
The Movement of the Spermatozoa of the Bull

1. The maximum extent to which an element of the tail of a bull9s spermatozoon bends during its contractile cycle is not the same for all elements; the nearer the element lies towards the tip of the tail the greater is the amount of bending. 2. The phase difference between successive elements varies along the length of the tail; and consequently the speed of propagation of the bending wave decreases as the latter moves backwards. 3. The amplitude of transverse movement relative to the head increases progressively along the tail towards the distal end. 4. Distal elements execute figure-of-eight movements relative to the head. 5. The frequency of the bending cycles and the propulsive velocity of the whole cell vary considerably. The average frequency for thirty-one cells was 9.1/sec. , and the average propulsive speed for 235 cells was 94 µsec. 6. Cells moving freely in water ‘flashed’ with a frequency similar to that of the bending waves. The rotation of the head about its longitudinal axis appears to be due to the fact that all elements of the tail are not executing their transverse movements in exactly the same plane during the whole of their contractile cycles. 7. The rate at which an element can propel itself forward cannot be greater than about one-third to one-quarter of its average transverse velocity. 8. The distal elements of the tail exert their propulsive effort against the fulcrum provided by the proximal elements. 9. It is impracticable to relate the speed of propulsion to the form and speed of propagation of the waves passing along the tail.
Design-oriented analysis of ECOT-controlled DCM/CCM boundary boost PFC pre-regulators

This paper analyzes DCM/CCM boundary boost PFC pre-regulators operated with Enhanced Constant On-time (ECOT) control and, as a result, provides simple design guidelines. A simplified modeling approach is used that takes into account their actual operation in DCM with valley switching. The accuracy and limitations of the modeling approach are discussed and its applicability supported by experimental data.
Visual Impairments and Mobile Touchscreen Interaction: State-of-the-Art, Causes of Visual Impairment, and Design Guidelines

ABSTRACT This article identifies, catalogues, and discusses factors that are responsible for causing visual impairment of either a pathological or situational nature for touch and gesture input on smart mobile devices. Because the vast majority of interactions with touchscreen devices are highly visual in nature, any factor that prevents a clear, direct view of the mobile device’s screen can have potential negative implications on the effectiveness and efficiency of the interaction. This work presents the first overview of such factors, which are grouped in a catalogue of users, devices, and environments. The elements of the catalogue (e.g., psychological factors that relate to the user, or the social acceptability of mobile device use in public that relates to the social environment) are discussed in the context of current eye pathology classification from medicine and the recent literature in human–computer interaction on mobile touch and gesture input for people with visual impairments, for which a state-of-the-art survey is conducted. The goal of this work is to help systematize research on visual impairments and mobile touchscreen interaction by providing a catalogue-based view of the main causes of visual impairments affecting touch and gesture input on smart mobile devices.
A scan-based pre-bond test of through-silicon vias with open and short defects

Testing pre-bonded through silicon vias (TSVs) is vital to retain a high yield for three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D IC). In this paper, we present a scan-based method for the pre-bond test of TSVs. The proposed circuit is able to detect open and short defects of TSVs, which is well compatible with digital technology. The inherent compact and low-power capabilities are suitable for testing a large number of TSV in an array.
Characterization of the Sequence Specificity Determinants Required for Processing and Control of Sex Pheromone by the Intramembrane Protease Eep and the Plasmid-Encoded Protein PrgY

ABSTRACT Conjugative transfer of the Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pCF10 is induced by the peptide pheromone cCF10 when recipient-produced cCF10 is detected by donors. cCF10 is produced by proteolytic processing of the signal sequence of a chromosomally encoded lipoprotein (CcfA). In donors, endogenously produced cCF10 is carefully controlled to prevent constitutive expression of conjugation functions, an energetically wasteful process, except in vivo, where endogenous cCF10 induces a conjugation-linked virulence factor. Endogenous cCF10 is controlled by two plasmid-encoded products; a membrane protein PrgY reduces pheromone levels in donors, and a secreted inhibitor peptide iCF10 inhibits the residual endogenous pheromone that escapes PrgY control. In this study we genetically determined the amino acid specificity determinants within PrgY, cCF10, and the cCF10 precursor that are necessary for cCF10 processing and for PrgY-mediated control. We showed that amino acid residues 125 to 241 of PrgY are required for specific recognition of cCF10 and that PrgY recognizes determinants within the heptapeptide cCF10 sequence, supporting a direct interaction between PrgY and mature cCF10. In addition, we found that a regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP) family pheromone precursor-processing protein Eep recognizes amino acids N-terminal to cCF10 in the signal sequence of CcfA. These results support a model where Eep directly targets pheromone precursors for RIP and PrgY interacts directly with the mature cCF10 peptide during processing. Despite evidence that both PrgY and Eep associate with cCF10 in or near the membrane, results presented here indicate that these two proteins function independently.
Comparative study of H-infinity and sliding mode control for a manipulator with oscillatory-base

Oscillatory base manipulator can be concerned as an example of many mechanical models mounted on vessels or oceanic structures. The problem with the system is how to control the attitude of two links and position of end effector in the presence of external disturbance. To tackle these problems two robust controllers have been used i.e.; H-infinity and sliding mode controller. In order to evaluate the performance of these controllers, simulations are conducted for both attitude control and position control. In addition, the two controllers are compared to find the best out of it. The obtained results demonstrate that the sliding mode controller is more effective and is superior to the H-infinity controller.
Changes in Crohn's disease phenotype over time in the Chinese population: Validation of the Montreal classification system

Background: Phenotypic evolution of Crohn's disease occurs in whites but has never been described in other populations. The Montreal classification may describe phenotypes more precisely. The aim of this study was to validate the Montreal classification through a longitudinal sensitivity analysis in detecting phenotypic variation compared to the Vienna classification. Methods: This was a retrospective longitudinal study of consecutive Chinese Crohn's disease patients. All cases were classified by the Montreal classification and the Vienna classification for behavior and location. The evolution of these characteristics and the need for surgery were evaluated. Results: A total of 109 patients were recruited (median follow‐up: 4 years, range: 6 months–18 years). Crohn's disease behavior changed 3 years after diagnosis (P = 0.025), with an increase in stricturing and penetrating phenotypes, as determined by the Montreal classification, but was only detected by the Vienna classification after 5 years (P = 0.015). Disease location remained stable on follow‐up in both classifications. Thirty‐four patients (31%) underwent major surgery during the follow‐up period with the stricturing [P = 0.002; hazard ratio (HR): 3.3; 95% CI: 1.5–7.0] and penetrating (P = 0.03; HR: 5.8; 95% CI: 1.2–28.2) phenotypes according to the Montreal classification associated with the need for major surgery. In contrast, colonic disease was protective against a major operation (P = 0.02; HR: 0.3; 95% CI: 0.08–0.8). Conclusions: This is the first study demonstrating phenotypic evolution of Crohn's disease in a nonwhite population. The Montreal classification is more sensitive to behavior phenotypic changes than is the Vienna classification after excluding perianal disease from the penetrating disease category and was useful in predicting course and the need for surgery.
A frame and rule based system to support software development using an integrated software engineering paradigm

A software system that uses the concepts of frames and production rules to support software development using an integrated software engineering paradigm is presented. This system includes a frame-and-rule oriented requirements language (FRORL), a predominance/particular methodology, and a knowledge base. FRORL uses frame representation for object-oriented modeling, applies production rules for specifying actions and constraints of real domains, and provides a set of abstract mechanisms for the practical description of abstract relations. The predominance/particular methodology is used to support the software development using FRORL. In modeling an application system by means of this methodology, the main features are represented first using simple and general description, while detailed and specific description is added incrementally. The knowledge base provides rules for specification checking, prototype validation, and transformation of specifications into programs. A real problem is given to illustrate the system. <<ETX>>
Development of an Interactive Augmented Environment and Its Application to Autonomous Learning for Quadruped Robots

This paper describes an interactive experimental environment for autonomous soccer robots, which is a soccer field augmented by utilizing camera input and projector output. This environment, in a sense, plays an intermediate role between simulated environments and real environments. We can simulate some parts of real environments, e.g., real objects such as robots or a ball, and reflect simulated data into the real environments, e.g., to visualize the positions on the field, so as to create a situation that allows easy debugging of robot programs. The significant point compared with analogous work is that virtual objects are touchable in this system owing to projectors. We also show the portable version of our system that does not require ceiling cameras. As an application in the augmented environment, we address the learning of goalie strategies on real quadruped robots in penalty kicks. We make our robots utilize virtual balls in order to perform only quadruped locomotion in real environments, which is quite difficult to simulate accurately. Our robots autonomously learn and acquire more beneficial strategies without human intervention in our augmented environment than those in a fully simulated environment.
DNA polymerase epsilon may be dispensable for SV40‐ but not cellular‐DNA replication.

The contributions of DNA polymerases alpha, delta, and epsilon to SV40 and nuclear DNA syntheses were evaluated. Proteins were UV‐crosslinked to nascent DNA within replicating chromosomes and the photolabelled polymerases were immunopurified. Only DNA polymerases alpha and delta were detectably photolabelled by nascent SV40 DNA, whether synthesized in soluble viral chromatin or within nuclei isolated from SV40‐infected cells. In contrast, all three enzymes were photolabelled by the nascent cellular DNA. Mitogenic stimulation enhanced the photolabelling of the polymerases in the alpha>delta>epsilon order of preference. The data agree with the notion that DNA polymerases alpha and delta catalyse the principal DNA polymerisation reactions at the replication fork of SV40 and, perhaps, also of nuclear chromosomes. DNA polymerase epsilon, implicated by others as a cell‐cycle checkpoint regulator sensing DNA replication lesions, may be dispensable for replication of the small, fast propagating virus that subverts cell cycle controls.
Market Power in Poultry Production Contracting? Evidence from a Farm Survey

The exercise of market power by broiler processing firms (integrators) is plausible because local markets for growers are concentrated and because growers face hold-up risks arising from substantial investments in specific assets set against limited integrator purchase commitments. This article explores the links between local integrator concentration and grower compensation under production contracts using data from the 2006 broiler version of the USDA's Agricultural Resource Management Survey. Results of this study, which account for characteristics of the operation and specific features of the production contract, suggest that greater integrator concentration results in a small but economically meaningful reduction in grower compensation.
Cutting Edge: Interleukin 17 Signals through a Heteromeric Receptor Complex

IL-17 is an inflammatory cytokine produced primarily by a unique lineage of CD4 T cells that plays critical roles in the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune diseases. IL-17RA is a ubiquitously expressed receptor that is essential for IL-17 biologic activity. Despite widespread receptor expression, the activity of IL-17 is most classically defined by its ability to induce the expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and other mediators by stromal cells. The lack of IL-17 responsiveness in mouse stromal cells genetically deficient in IL-17RA is poorly complemented by human IL-17RA, suggesting the presence of an obligate ancillary component whose activity is species specific. This component is IL-17RC, a distinct member of the IL-17R family. Thus, the biologic activity of IL-17 is dependent on a complex composed of IL-17RA and IL-17RC, suggesting a new paradigm for understanding the interactions between the expanded family of IL-17 ligands and their receptors.