Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Failure of Halo Vest to Prevent in Vivo Motion in Patients with Injured Cervical Spines

Forty-two patients with cervical spine injuries immobilized in halo vests were studied prospectively to determine In vivo vertebral segmental motion. Lateral radiographs taken in the supine and upright positions within 5 days of injury demonstrated intervertebral motion. At noninjured levels, the positional change accounted for an average 3.9° of angulation with the greatest motion occurring between the occiput and C1 (8.0°). At the injured levels, sagittal plane angulation averaged 7.0° and translation averaged 1.7 mm between the two positions. Fracture site motion did not correlate with either the fracture type or the injury level. Fracture site motion greater than 3° of angulation or 1 mm of translation was observed at 35 (77%) of 45 injured levels. When treating patients who have unstable cervical injuries with halo vests, supine and upright radiographs should be obtained. If excessive motion is present, alternative methods of treatment should be considered.
Transformer Internal Winding Faults Diagnosis Methods : A Review

A transformer is a vital component in any power system network and its catastrophic failure may cause disturbance in the proper operation of electrical power system network. Therefore, it requires continuous monitoring and diagnostics of its operation. This paper presents the several on-line and off-line techniques related with internal winding fault detection in transformers. This paper also reviews and compares the different diagnostics methods based on their advantages and limitations. This highlights a further scope in decision-making for utility engineers for monitoring and diagnostic of the internal winding faults.
Power Tracking Control of Domestic Induction Heating System using Pulse Density Modulation Scheme with the Fuzzy Logic Controller

Power requirement to the induction heating system varies during the heating process. A closed loop control is required to have a smooth control over the power. In this work, a constant frequency pulse density modulation based power tracking control scheme for domestic induction heating system is developed using the Fuzzy Logic Controller. In the conventional power modulation schemes, the switching losses increase with the change in the load. The proposed pulse density modulation scheme maintains minimum switching losses for the entire load range. This scheme is implemented for the class-D series resonant inverter system. Fuzzy logic controller based power tracking control scheme is developed for domestic induction heating power supply for various power settings. The open loop and closed loop simulation studies are done using the MATLAB/Simulink simulation tool. The control logic is implemented in hardware using the PIC16F877A microcontroller. Fuzzy controller tracks the set power by changing the pulse density of the gate pulses applied to the inverter. The results obtained are used to know the effectiveness of the fuzzy logic controller to achieve the set power.
A 1.5 V 86 mW/ch 8-channel 622-3125 Mb/s/ch CMOS SerDes macrocell with selectable mux/demux ratio

An 8-channel serial link transceiver realizes 20 Gb/s full duplex total I/O throughput with <700 mW dissipation from a 1.5 V supply and occupies 2 mm/sup 2/ in 0.16 /spl mu/m CMOS. An analog DLL allows tracking of frequency offset up to 400 ppm. The receiver, employing an integrate-and-dump front-end, achieves 30 mVpp sensitivity.
Evaluation of the Core Outcome Measure in Whiplash

Study Design. Reanalysis of data derived from longitudinal cohort studies. Objective. To comprehensively evaluate the psychometric properties of a 5-item version of the Core Outcome Measure in people with whiplash. Summary of Background Data. The 7-item Core Outcome Measure was initially proposed as a brief health outcome measure for use in low back pain. To date, this measure has not been comprehensively assessed in a whiplash population. Methods. Data were sourced from 3 separate whiplash cohorts (total 481) encompassing acute, early chronic, and late-chronic whiplash among primary care and insurance populations. Subjects completed a 5-item version of the Core Outcome Measure for whiplash (Core Whiplash Outcome Measure [CWOM]), the Functional Rating Index, Neck Disability Index, SF-36, and perceived recovery questionnaires at baseline and short and long-term follow-up periods. Psychometric evaluation of the CWOM included assessing questionnaire responses, internal consistency, construct validity, and internal and external responsiveness. Results. Internal consistency was excellent at all stages of whiplash (Cronbach &agr; = 0.76 in the acute stage and 0.83 in the late-chronic stage). Convergent validity was observed between the CWOM and Functional Rating Index (Pearson r = 0.81), Neck Disability Index (Pearson r = 0.76), and SF-36 physical health summary measure (Pearson r = −0.65). Divergent validity was observed between the CWOM and SF-36 mental health summary measure (Pearson r = −0.45). The internal and external responsiveness of the CWOM was similar to other neck-specific outcome measures. Conclusions. We recommend the 5-item CWOM as a brief clinical measure for whiplash because it is quick to administer and score, and has excellent measurement properties. The CWOM may need to be supplemented with other questionnaires (e.g., when assessment of psychological or emotional health is required).
Relationships among smartphone addiction, anxiety, and family relations

ABSTRACT Smartphones have become ubiquitous in people’s lives to an extent that necessitates the investigation of their negative impact. The scarcity of such investigations triggered our interest in examining the relationships among smartphone addiction, anxiety, and family relations. A total of 381 university students participated in an online survey composed of demographic information, the Smartphone Addiction Scale – Short Version, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Binary logistic regression analysis and structural equation modelling showed that undergraduate students who had smartphone addiction demonstrated greater odds of having high anxiety compared to those who were not addicted, and students who had high anxiety exhibited greater odds of having clinically significant problems in their family relations. Nevertheless, path analysis showed that anxiety mediated a positive relationship between smartphone addiction and problematic family relations.
Molecular Mechanisms of Vascular Renin‐Angiotensin System in Myointimal Hyperplasia

Angiotensin II has been shown by many investigators to be a potent growth factor for vascular smooth cells in culture as well as in vivo. Depending on the conditions, the response of these cells is either hypertrophy or hyperplasia. These observations have important clinical implications, because it has been shown that angiotensin II participates in the hypertrophic response of the vessel wall during hypertension and the hyperplastic response after balloon angioplasty. Thus, an understanding of the molecular mechanism of these responses is important in the development of potential treatment strategies. This review examines the evidence for the growth-promoting properties of angiotensin II, concentrating on these molecular mechanisms. Hypotheses are presented that may explain the blfunctional effects (hypertrophy versus hyperplasia) of angiotensin II. These hypotheses revolve around the interaction of angiotensin with endothelium- and smooth muscle cell-derived products. These autocrine and paracrine interactions play important roles in the modulation of vascular structure.
Syntrophomonas wolfei gen. nov. sp. nov., an Anaerobic, Syntrophic, Fatty Acid-Oxidizing Bacterium

An anaerobic, nonphototrophic bacterium that β-oxidizes saturated fatty acids (butyrate through octanoate) to acetate or acetate and propionate using protons as the electron acceptor (H2 as electron sink product) was isolated in coculture with either a non-fatty acid-degrading, H2-utilizing Desulfovibrio sp. or methanogens. Three strains of the bacterium were characterized and are described as a new genus and species, Syntrophomonas wolfei. S. wolfei is a gram-negative, slightly helical rod with round ends that possesses between two to eight flagella laterally inserted along the concave side of the cell. It has a multilayered cell wall of the gram-negative type. The presence of muramic acid, inhibition of growth by penicillin, and increased sensitivity of the cells to lysis after treatment with lysozyme indicate that peptidoglycan is present in the cell wall. Cells of S. wolfei contain poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. Isoheptanoate was degraded to acetate, isovalerate, and H2. Carbohydrates, proteinaceous materials, alcohols, or other tested organic compounds do not support growth. Common electron acceptors are not utilized with butyrate as the electron donor. Growth and degradation of fatty acids occur only in syntrophic association with H2-using bacteria. The most rapid generation time obtained by cocultures of S. wolfei with Desulfovibrio and Methanospirillum hungatei is 54 and 84 h, respectively. The addition of Casamino Acids but neither Trypticase nor yeast extract stimulated growth and resulted in a slight decrease in the generation time of S. wolfei cocultured with M. hungatei. The addition of H2 to the medium stopped growth and butyrate degradation by S. wolfei.
Controller switching for a class of stochastic fuzzy systems

The state feedback control switching problems for stochastic fuzzy system by means of switching technology are discussed in paper. The sufficient conditions for mean square stability via linear matrix inequality (LMI) are introduced by using the multiple Lyapunov function methods. The state feedback switching controllers are designed, and these controllers are switched at the point of state feedback control. The given switching strategy achieved global mean square stability of the fuzzy system. The results show that though none of individual continuous state feedback controllers make systems stabilizable, the stability can be realized via switching between finite candidate controllers. Comparing simulation results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
An endovascular treatment of Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency in multiple sclerosis patients - 6 month follow-up results.

OBJECTIVE In this study, the mid-term results (6 month follow-up) of the endovascular treatment in patients with Chronic Cerebro-Spinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) and multiple sclerosis (MS) were prospectively evaluated. METHODS Thirty-six patients with confirmed MS and CCSVI underwent endovascular treatment by the means of the uni- or bilateral jugular vein angioplasty with optional stent placement. All the patients completed 6 month follow-up. Their MS-related disability status and quality of life were evaluated 1, 3 and 6 months postoperatively by means of the following scales: Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Heat Intolerance scale (HIS) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). For patency and restenosis rate assessment, the control US duplex Doppler examination was used. RESULTS Six months after the procedure, restenosis in post-PTA jugular veins was found in 33% of cases. Among 17 patients who underwent stent implantation into the jugular vein, restenosis or partial in-stent thrombosis was identified in 55% of the cases. At the 6 month follow-up appointment, there was no significant improvement in the EDSS or the ESS. The endovascular treatment of the CCSVI improved the quality of life according to the MSIS-29 scale but only up to 3 months after the procedure (with no differences in the 6 month follow-up assessment). Six months after the jugular vein angioplasty (with or without stent placement), a statistically significant improvement was observed only in the FSS and the HIS. CONCLUSIONS The endovascular treatment in patients with MS and concomitant CCSVI did not have an influence on the patient's neurological condition; however, in the mid-term follow-up, an improvement in some quality-of-life parameters was observed.
PATTERNS OF VARIATION AND LINKAGE DISEQUILIBRIUM IN A FIELD CRICKET HYBRID ZONE

The distribution of multilocus genotypes found within a natural hybrid zone is determined by the sample of genotypes present when the hybrid zone first formed, by subsequent patterns of genetic exchange between the hybridizing taxa, and by drift and selection within each of the hybrid zone populations. We have used anonymous nuclear DNA restriction fragment polymorphisms (RFLPs) to characterize the array of multilocus genotypes present within a well‐studied hybrid zone between two eastern North American field crickets, Gryllus pennsylvanicus and Gryllus firmus. These crickets hybridize along a zone of contact that extends from New England to Virginia. Previous studies have shown that both premating and postmating barriers exist between the two cricket species, but the absence of diagnostic morphological and allozyme markers has made it difficult to assess the consequences of these barriers for genetic exchange. Analyses based on four diagnostic anonymous nuclear markers indicate that hybrid zone populations in Connecticut contain few F1 hybrids, and that nonrandom associations persist among nuclear gene markers, between nuclear and cytoplasmic markers, and between molecular markers and morphology. Field cricket populations within the hybrid zone are not “hybrid swarms” but consist primarily of crickets that are very much like one or the other of the parental species. Despite ample opportunity for genetic exchange and evidence for introgression at some loci, the two species remain quite distinct. Such a pattern appears to be characteristic of many natural hybrid zones.
The superiority of polymerase chain reaction over an amplified enzyme immunoassay for the detection of genital chlamydial infections

Background/objectives: The polymer conjugate enhanced enzyme immunoassay (IDEIA) and Cobas Amplicor polymerase chain reaction Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) (Amplicor PCR) are two commonly used assays for the diagnosis of CT infection. The performance of these assays was compared for the diagnosis of genital CT infection among 1000 consecutive patients attending a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. Confirmation of positive results and the clinical significance of the absence of cryptic plasmid in chlamydia on the diagnosis of infection by Amplicor PCR were also investigated. Methods: IDEIA, Amplicor PCR, and two nested in-house PCR assays targeting cryptic plasmid and omp1 gene were performed on all samples. DNA from Amplicor PCR negative samples was pooled for in-house PCR assays. Each pool contained DNA from seven Amplicor PCR negative samples. Results: Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and efficiency of IDEIA in the diagnosis of genital CT infection were 80%, 97%, 80%, 97%, and 95%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and efficiency of Amplicor PCR were 99%, 98%, 89%, 100%, and 98%, respectively. 16 (11%) of 144 Amplicor PCR positive results were identified as false positive by in-house PCR assays. No isolate of plasmid free CT was detected among the study population. Conclusions: IDEIA should not be used for the diagnosis of CT infection because of its poor sensitivity. Although the analytic specificity of Amplicor PCR was 98%, because of the adverse medical, social, and psychological impact of false positive results for patients, confirmation of Amplicor PCR positive results by a different assay with comparable sensitivity is essential. Amplification assays targeting cryptic plasmid are appropriate for the diagnosis of genital CT infections.
Fourier‐based Registration for Robust Forward‐looking Sonar Mosaicing in Low‐visibility Underwater Environments

Vehicle operations in underwater environments are often compromised by poor visibility conditions. For instance, the perception range of optical devices is heavily constrained in turbid waters, thus complicating navigation and mapping tasks in environments such as harbors, bays, or rivers. A new generation of high‐definition forward‐looking sonars providing acoustic imagery at high frame rates has recently emerged as a promising alternative for working under these challenging conditions. However, the characteristics of the sonar data introduce difficulties in image registration, a key step in mosaicing and motion estimation applications. In this work, we propose the use of a Fourier‐based registration technique capable of handling the low resolution, noise, and artifacts associated with sonar image formation. When compared to a state‐of‐the art region‐based technique, our approach shows superior performance in the alignment of both consecutive and nonconsecutive views as well as higher robustness in featureless environments. The method is used to compute pose constraints between sonar frames that, integrated inside a global alignment framework, enable the rendering of consistent acoustic mosaics with high detail and increased resolution. An extensive experimental section is reported showing results in relevant field applications, such as ship hull inspection and harbor mapping.
The Kardashian Kernel

We propose a new family of kernels, based on the Kardashian family. We provide theoretical insights. We dance. As an application, we apply the new class of kernels to the problem of doing stuff. Figure 1: A motivation for the Kernel Trick. κ maps the real world of sane people into the subset of (R − Q)∞ spanned by Robert Kardashian, Sr. and Kris Jenner (formerly Kardashian). We would like to avoid having our data appear on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and so we use the Kardashian Kernel KK to compute an inner product in the Kardashian Space without ever having to go there. Kernel machines are popular because they work well and have fancy math, pleasing practitioners and theoreticians alike. The Kardashians are popular because (TODO). Why not combine them? 1 The Kardashian Kernel Let X be an instance space. The Kardashian Kernel is an inner product operator KK : X × X → R. Applying the Kernel trick [14] we express it as KK(x, x′) = κ(x)κ(x), with κ : X → K. Here K represents a possibly infinitely-dimensional feature space. In Fig. 1, we provide the best (to our knowledge) motivation of the Kernel Trick: by using the Kardashian Kernel, we can leverage the Kardashian Feature space without suffering the Kurse of Dimensionality. This kurse is similar in nature to the better-known Curse of Dimensionality (c.f., [3]); however, the motivation for avoiding such a space is different: here, we wish to avoid having our data be associated with the Kardashian shenanigans.
Question answering and query processing for extended knowledge graphs

Knowledge graphs have seen wide adoption, in large part owing to their schemaless nature that enables them to grow seamlessly, allowing for new relationships and entities as needed. With this rapid growth, several issues arise: (i) how to allow users to query knowledge graphs in an expressive and user-friendly manner, which shields them from all the underlying complexity, (ii) how, given a structured query, can we return satisfactory answers to the user despite possible mismatches between the query vocabulary and structure and the knowledge graph, and (iii) how to automatically acquire new knowledge, which can be fed into a knowledge graph. In this dissertation, we make the following contributions to address the above issues: – We present DEANNA, a framework for question answering over knowledge graphs, allowing users to easily express complex information needs using natural language and obtain tuples of entities as answers thereby taking advantage of the structure in the knowledge graph. – We introduce TriniT, a framework that compensates for unsatisfactory results of structured queries over knowledge graphs, either due to mismatches with the knowledge graph or the knowledge graph’s inevitable incompleteness. TriniT tackles the two issues by extending the knowledge graph using information extraction over textual corpora, and supporting query relaxation where a user’s query is rewritten in a manner transparent to the user to compensate for any mismatches with the data. – We present ReNoun, an open information extraction framework for extracting binary relations mediated by noun phrases and their instances from text. Our scheme extends the state-of-the-art in open information extraction which has thus far focused on relations mediated by verbs. Our experimental evaluations of each of the above contributions demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods in comparison to state-of-the-art approaches.
A Reciprocal Shift in Transient Receptor Potential Channel 1 (TRPC1) and Stromal Interaction Molecule 2 (STIM2) Contributes to Ca2+ Remodeling and Cancer Hallmarks in Colorectal Carcinoma Cells*

Background: Changes in Ca2+ handling in tumor cells might provide novel targets for cancer. Results: Colon carcinoma cells show enhanced store-operated Ca2+ entry and currents and depleted Ca2+ stores associated with changes in STIM1/STIM2 ratio and TRPC1. Conclusion: Ca2+ remodeling in colon cancer is driven by a reciprocal shift in TRPC1 and STIM2. Significance: STIM1/STIM2 and TRPC1 should be investigated further as novel targets for colon cancer. We have investigated the molecular basis of intracellular Ca2+ handling in human colon carcinoma cells (HT29) versus normal human mucosa cells (NCM460) and its contribution to cancer features. We found that Ca2+ stores in colon carcinoma cells are partially depleted relative to normal cells. However, resting Ca2+ levels, agonist-induced Ca2+ increases, store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), and store-operated currents (ISOC) are largely enhanced in tumor cells. Enhanced SOCE and depleted Ca2+ stores correlate with increased cell proliferation, invasion, and survival characteristic of tumor cells. Normal mucosa cells displayed small, inward Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ currents (ICRAC) mediated by ORAI1. In contrast, colon carcinoma cells showed mixed currents composed of enhanced ICRAC plus a nonselective ISOC mediated by TRPC1. Tumor cells display increased expression of TRPC1, ORAI1, ORAI2, ORAI3, and STIM1. In contrast, STIM2 protein was nearly depleted in tumor cells. Silencing data suggest that enhanced ORAI1 and TRPC1 contribute to enhanced SOCE and differential store-operated currents in tumor cells, whereas ORAI2 and -3 are seemingly less important. In addition, STIM2 knockdown decreases SOCE and Ca2+ store content in normal cells while promoting apoptosis resistance. These data suggest that loss of STIM2 may underlie Ca2+ store depletion and apoptosis resistance in tumor cells. We conclude that a reciprocal shift in TRPC1 and STIM2 contributes to Ca2+ remodeling and tumor features in colon cancer.