Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of the Human Semicircular Canals and Measurement of Each Membranous Canal Plane Defined by Reid's Stereotactic Coordinates

Objectives: Equations for estimating the planar relationships of the human semicircular canals were devised by Blanks et al from a dissected bony labyrinth in a human skull. However, a similar study on the membranous semicircular canal planes has never been published. Methods: In this study, the angle between each membranous canal plane and Reid's stereotactic horizontal plane was measured on serial histologic sections of 7 temporal bones from Japanese adults. We reconstructed the 3 semicircular canals by computer-aided 3-dimensional analysis. The angles between each pair of both bony and membranous canal planes were measured. Results: In the bony labyrinth, the angles between the 2 canal planes of the lateral-anterior, anterior-posterior, and lateral-posterior pairs were 90.51° ± 2.98° (mean ± SD), 91.70° ± 1.85°, and 94.52° ± 3.32°, respectively. The angles between the 2 membranous canal planes of the lateral-anterior, anterior-posterior, and lateral-posterior pairs were 90.05° ± 4.74°, 91.03° ± 2.93°, and 91.92° ± 5.22°, respectively. Conclusions: The data from our study of the membranous labyrinth showed that the angles between each canal plane and the others were much closer to 90° than was found by Blanks et al for the bony labyrinth.
Impacts of AKST on development and sustainability goals

The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology for Development (IAASTD) looks realistically at how we could effectively use agriculture/AKST to help us meet development and sustainability goals. An unprecedented three-year collaborative effort, the IAASTD involved more than 400 authors in 110 countries and cost more than $11 million. It reports on the advances and setbacks of the past fifty years and offers options for the next fifty years. The results of the project are contained in seven reports: a Global Report, five regional Sub-Global Assessments, and a Synthesis Report. The Global Report gives the key findings of the Assessment, and the five Sub-Global Assessments address regional challenges. The volumes present options for action. All of the reports have been extensively peer-reviewed by governments and experts and all have been approved by a panel of participating governments. The Sub-Global Assessments all utilize a similar and consistent framework: examining and reporting on the impacts of AKST on hunger, poverty, nutrition, human health, and environmental/social sustainability. The IAASTD was initiated by the World Bank and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, with support from the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and other sponsors. Its goal is to analyze the potential of agricultural knowledge, science, and technology (AKST) for reducing hunger and poverty, improving rural livelihoods, and working toward environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable development.
Assessment of the effect of different vitrification solutions on human ovarian tissue after short‐term xenotransplantation onto the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane

Chemotherapy can lead to the loss of fertility and premature ovarian failure in young women who suffer from malignant diseases. Freezing ovarian tissue by vitrification allows for the preservation of a large number of follicles prior to treatment, yet no established protocols have been optimized with respect to the vitrification solution. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the early stage of human ovarian tissue xenotransplantated onto the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane after vitrification, and to determine the effect of different vitrification solutions on ovarian tissue quality—as defined by morphology and viability of follicles, neovascularization, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Each vitrification protocol had a different impact on ovarian tissue at the early transplantation stage; one process using the lowest concentrations of ethylene glycol and dimethylsulfoxide, plus sucrose, demonstrated a moderate advantage compared to the other protocols. We also demonstrated that the chorioallantoic membrane model can be a useful alternative for short‐term xenotransplantation studies of angiogenesis into human ovarian cortical tissue. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 359–369, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Leukocyte Telomere Length and Carotid Artery Intimal Medial Thickness: The Framingham Heart Study

Background and Purpose—Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is relatively short in individuals who have evidence of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the link between LTL and the predisposition to atherosclerosis, as determined by carotid artery intimal medial thickness (IMT) in participants of the Framingham Offspring Study. Methods and Results—LTL was assayed by the mean length of the terminal restriction fragments and carotid artery IMT by B-mode ultrasonography in 1062 individuals (496 men, 566 women) aged 33 to 86 years. In the whole sample, there was a significant association of age-and sex-adjusted LTL with internal carotid artery IMT (ICA-IMT) (r=−0.07, P=0.02). In sex-stratified analysis, this association remained significant for men (r=−0.11, P=0.02) but not for women (r=−0.04, P=0.36). After further adjustment for cigarette smoking and BMI, a borderline significant association persisted in men (P=0.06). In secondary analysis, the age-adjusted LTL was significantly (and negatively) associated with ICA-IMT (r=−0.28, p=0.0006) in obese (BMI >30kg/m2) men but not in nonobese (BMI ≤30 kg/m2) men. In addition, age-adjusted LTL was significantly shorter in men (6.89±0.02 kb) than women (7.01±0.02 kb; P<0.0009) and in current cigarette smokers (6.87±0.05 kb) than never smokers (6.99±0.03 kb; P=0.0006). Although there was no significant association of LTL with common carotid artery-IMT or with carotid artery stenosis, there was a significant inverse association of LTL with common carotid artery IMT in obese men. Conclusion—In obese men, shortened LTL is a powerful marker of increased carotid IMT. Given the public health impact of atherosclerosis and in particular the current epidemic of obesity, the associations noted in obese men warrant further confirmation.
Efectos de la reducción del riego y la fertilización en las características morfológicas de "Quercus suber"

espanolEn este trabajo se analiza el efecto de la reduccion en la frecuencia de riego y la fertilizacion sobre el desarrollo y caracteristicas morfologicas de brinzales de alcornoque (Quercus suber). Se aplicaron dos regimenes de riego: un riego moderado (Rmod) y un riego minimo (Rmin), combinados factorialmente con una fertilizacion adicional (N-P-K, 0-52-34) con fosforo y potasio (+PK) y sin fertilizacion adicional (-PK). Estos tratamientos se aplicaron durante 7 meses. El riego minimo redujo significativamente el crecimiento de los brinzales a partir de los 4 meses de tratamiento respecto al riego moderado. Rmod produjo mayores biomasas en todas las fracciones, pero especialmente en biomasa aerea. Como consecuencia, la relacion biomasa subterranea / biomasa aerea fue mas desfavorable en este tratamiento. La fertilizacion produjo menores efectos sobre las diversas variables analizadas que el tratamiento de riego. Al contrario de lo esperado, ninguno de los tratamientos indujo modificaciones en las caracteristicas foliares ni en las caracteristicas morfologicas de las raices finas. Los resultados senalan que periodos de endurecimiento mas largos, que abarquen las fases de crecimiento y endurecimiento, permiten mayor manipulacion de las caracteristicas morfologicas del cultivo, obteniendose brinzales de Q. suber, con una relacion BS/BA mas adecuada para ambientes con fuertes limitaciones hidricas. EnglishCork oak (Quercus suber) tends to develop higher aboveground biomass than belowground biomass during nursery cultivation. In this work, we evaluated the effects of watering regime and fertilization on the morphological and development characteristics in seedlings of Quercus suber during the nursery growing period. Two watering conditions were applied: minimum watering (Rmin) and moderate watering (Rmod) which were combined in a factorial design with two types of fertilization: enriched in phosphorous and potassium (+PK) and no enriched (-PK). All treatments were applied during seven months in the nursery cultivation period. Results showed that minimum watering produced lower seedling development but higher root to shoot ratio in relation to moderate watering. Fertilization did not produce any effect on the morphological characteristics of seedlings, except increased root neck diameter.
Structure, Wettability, and Electrochemical Barrier Properties of Self-Assembled Monolayers Prepared from Partially Fluorinated Hexadecanethiols

We report the preparation and characterization of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) derived from the adsorption of partially fluorinated hexadecanethiols (CF3(CF2)n-1(CH2)mSH; n = 2, 4, 6, and 8; n + m = 16) onto the surface of gold. The quality of the SAMs, as measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, was found to be sensitive to the solvent used as SAMs prepared in dichloromethane exhibited higher resistances and lower capacitances than those prepared in liquid CO2. The extent of fluorination was observed to influence the wettability, structure, and capacitance of the films without significantly affecting their charge-transfer resistance or their stability against exchange by a competing adsorbate. Reflectance-absorption infrared spectra showed that the fluorocarbon chains were oriented more normal to the surface for n = 8 but more parallel to the surface for n = 2. Advancing contact angles of hexadecane increased sharply with fluorination from n = 0 to 4 but slightly with additional fluorinati.
ROC trials update on prehospital hypertonic saline resuscitation in the aftermath of the US-Canadian trials

The objectives of this review are to assess the current state of hypertonic saline as a prehospital resuscitation fluid in hypotensive trauma patients, particularly after the 3 major Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium trauma trials in the US and Canada were halted due to futility. Hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury are the leading causes of death in both military and civilian populations. Prehospital fluid resuscitation remains controversial in civilian trauma, but small-volume resuscitation with hypertonic fluids is of utility in military scenarios with prolonged or delayed evacuation times. A large body of pre-clinical and clinical literature has accumulated over the past 30 years on the hemodynamic and, most recently, the anti-inflammatory properties of hypertonic saline, alone or with dextran-70. This review assesses the current state of hypertonic fluid resuscitation in the aftermath of the failed Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium trials.
Query Optimization for Wireless Sensor Network Databases in the MadWise system

We propose a comprehensive approach to distributed query processing in wireless sensor networks. In our proposal we reinterpret the classical approach to database system design according to the wireless sensor networks context, and we redefine the aspects related to the definition of a query language, data model, query algebra, and query optimization strategies. We show that our approach enables optimizations of the query plan which may reduce the costs, in terms of consumed energy, of orders of magnitude.
Buenos Aires experience with the Neuroform self-expanding stent for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

OBJECT The authors report their experience with the use of the Neuroform Microdelivery System for intravascular reconstruction. They assess the technical feasibility of the system, the efficacy of the combined application of stent and detachable coils, and the follow-up findings. METHODS Fifty patients found to harbor a complex wide-necked intracranial aneurysm were selected for the study. Different strategies were chosen and the performance and technical success of the device were evaluated. Stent placement was recorded as optimal or suboptimal with respect to the stent position. Clinical and angiographic follow-up examinations were obtained. Forty-six patients with 48 intracranial aneurysms were treated, leading to a technical success rate of 92%. Forty-two lesions were located in the anterior circulation. In every case the dome/neck ratio was less than 2 and the mean aneurysm size in these patients was 8.8 mm. The most frequent clinical presentation was subarachnoid hemorrhage in 48% of cases. Stent placement was optimal in 81.2% of cases and suboptimal in 18.8%. In 31% of cases, the investigators encountered difficulties in placing the Neuroform stent. Clinical follow up was recorded in all patients and angiographic follow up was obtained in 63%. There were no cases of repeated hemorrhage. In a single case in which only the stent was implanted progressive thrombosis was identified during the follow-up period. The procedure-related morbidity and mortality rates were 8.6 and 2.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS On the basis of the results, the authors conclude that the Neuroform self-expanding stent is a flexible and useful device that can be readily and safely maneuvered through tortuous intracranial vessels, enabling the endovascular treatment of complex wide-necked aneurysms. Early in the authors' experience, stent delivery presented difficulties; however, a second generation of devices has resolved this limitation. Although the early results are promising, the long-term benefit of this technique has to be proved by angiographic and clinical follow-up examinations.
A distributed slope stability model for steep forested basins

A distributed, physically based slope stability model (dSLAM), based on an infinite slope model, a kinematic wave groundwater model, and a continuous change vegetation root strength model, is presented. It is integrated with a contour line-based topographic analysis and a geographic information system (GIS) for spatial data extraction and display. The model can be run with either individual rainfall events or long-term sequences of storms. These inputs can be either actual storm records or synthesized random events based on Monte Carlo simulation. The model is designed to analyze rapid, shallow landslides and the spatial distribution of safety factor (FS) in steep, forested areas. It can investigate the slope stability problem in both temporal and spatial dimensions, for example, the impact of timber harvesting on slope stability either at a given time or through an extended management period, the probability of landslide occurrence for a given year, and the delivery of landslide sediments to headwater streams. The dSLAM model was applied in a steep, forested drainage of Cedar Creek in the Oregon Coast Ranges using actual spatial patterns of timber harvesting and measured rainfall during a major storm which triggered widespread landslides in that area in 1975. Simulated volume and number of failures were 733 m3 and 4, respectively. These values agreed closely with field measurements following the 1975 storm. However, the effect of parameter uncertainty may complicate this comparison. For example, when soil cohesion values of 2.0 and 3.0 kPa were used, the failure volume changed by factors of 2.04 and 0.41, respectively, compared with the average condition of 2.5 kPa used in the simulation. For soil depths 30% higher and lower than the standard condition, the failure volume changed by factors of 2.0 and 0.27, respectively. When maximum root cohesion changed from 12.5 kPa (average condition) to 10 kPa, the failure volume increased 1.73-fold; for the case of 15 kPa, the failure volume changed by a factor of 0.55. The simulated failures caused by the storm were mostly in hollows. The simulations show that the spatial distribution of FS is controlled mainly by topography and timber-harvesting patterns and is greatly affected by groundwater flow patterns during major rainstorms. Most areas with FS < 3.0 corresponded with the distribution of blocks clear-cut in 1968, and all elements with FS < 2.0 were in areas clear-cut in 1968. Areas with low FS (1.0–1.6) expanded dramatically during the rainstorm and decreased at a slow rate after the storm. Factors of safety in hollows declined sharply during the storm.
Diffusion Approximations for Online Principal Component Estimation and Global Convergence

In this paper, we propose to adopt the diffusion approximation tools to study the dynamics of Oja's iteration which is an online stochastic gradient method for the principal component analysis. Oja's iteration maintains a running estimate of the true principal component from streaming data and enjoys less temporal and spatial complexities. We show that the Oja's iteration for the top eigenvector generates a continuous-state discrete-time Markov chain over the unit sphere. We characterize the Oja's iteration in three phases using diffusion approximation and weak convergence tools. Our three-phase analysis further provides a finite-sample error bound for the running estimate, which matches the minimax information lower bound for PCA under the additional assumption of bounded samples.
Assessment of the African airborne dust mass over the western Mediterranean Sea using Meteosat data

The mass of African dust present over the western Mediterranean during a transport episode from northwestern Africa, which occurred in early July 1985, is estimated using a desert aerosol model, an Earth-atmosphere radiative transfer model and Meteosat visible channel data from 4 days running. Dust pixels are selected from Meteosat images, and their aerosol optical thickness is retrieved. A proportionality factor between aerosol optical thickness and atmospheric columnar aerosol loading is computed and applied to the dust pixels. The total mass of atmospheric particles over the basin is obtained by interpolation and spatial integration. The maximum aerosol optical thickness is 1.8. The maximum aerosol columnar loading is evaluated to be 2.3 g m−2. The integrated mass of particles present at a given time is estimated to raise up to about 0.6 × 1012 g at the maximum and the total mass of dust exported from Africa to be of the order of 1012 g. The method is carefully evaluated and uncertainties are discussed, with particular emphasis on the relationship between atmospheric dust mass and aerosol optical depth. The overall uncertainty on the total mass is roughly a factor ±3. In the absence of clouds it appears that the major uncertainty results from the lack of knowledge of the actual mass-size distribution of suspended dust particles, pointing out the lack of relevant data on particles larger than 10 μm in diameter. A simple calculation based on results from both computations and simultaneous field measurements yields a net transfer velocity of particles from the dust layer of approximately 1 cm s−1.
The in situ stress field of the Perth Basin, Australia

A total of 17 wells in the Perth Basin were interpreted to have 114 breakouts covering a combined length of 3.2 km and a mean σHmax orientation of 108°N. The inferred mean orientation of σHmax in the Perth Basin is broadly consistent with that in the adjacent basement, Yilgarn Block. The new data confirm that σHmax orientation in the region is consistent with other stress indicators, different depths and different geological provinces. The new data also confirm that the orientation of σHmax does not parallel the NNE direction of absolute plate velocity. Anomalous north‐south σHmax orientations identified in a number of wells in the Perth Basin can be attributed to local structural effects.
Association of ATM Gene Polymorphism with PTC Metastasis in Female Patients

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene is critical in the process of recognizing and repairing DNA lesions and is related to invasion and metastasis of malignancy. The incidence rate of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has increased for several decades and is higher in females than males. In this study, we want to investigate whether ATM polymorphisms are associated with gender-specific metastasis of PTC. 358 PTC patients in Northern China, including 109 males and 249 females, were included in our study. Four ATM single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Association between genotypes and the gender-specific risk of metastasis was assessed by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) under the unconditional logistic regression analysis. Significant associations were observed between rs189037 and metastasis of PTC in females under different models of inheritance (codominant model: OR = 0.15, 95% CI 0.04–0.56, P = 0.01 for GA versus GG and OR = 0.08, 95% CI 0.01–0.74, P = 0.03 for AA versus GG, resp.; dominant model: OR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.25–0.98, P = 0.04; overdominant model: OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.25–0.89, P = 0.02). However, no association remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Our findings suggest a possible association between ATM rs189037 polymorphisms and metastasis in female PTCs.
Multichannel ECG and Noise Modeling: Application to Maternal and Fetal ECG Signals

A three-dimensional dynamic model of the electrical activity of the heart is presented. The model is based on the single dipole model of the heart and is later related to the body surface potentials through a linear model which accounts for the temporal movements and rotations of the cardiac dipole, together with a realistic ECG noise model. The proposed model is also generalized to maternal and fetal ECG mixtures recorded from the abdomen of pregnant women in single and multiple pregnancies. The applicability of the model for the evaluation of signal processing algorithms is illustrated using independent component analysis. Considering the difficulties and limitations of recording long-term ECG data, especially from pregnant women, the model described in this paper may serve as an effective means of simulation and analysis of a wide range of ECGs, including adults and fetuses.
Running Agent-based-models Simulations Synchronized with Reality to Control Transport Systems

Adaptable, flexible and evolvable manufacturing systems and warehouses are so complex to manage that control systems have to be divided into several aspects. One of these is internal transportation, which has to do with all tasks involved in fulfilling a set of so-called transportation orders, i.e. commands to collect and deliver material from origin to destination spots. A common approach to design the controllers for these applications begins by modeling them as multi-agent systems and continues to final deployment through a cascade of transformations. To minimize development costs of internal transportation controllers, we have proposed a model of construction that includes components that synchronize the events from reality simulation and the ones from actual reality. By using these synchronizers, further development is required only for those parts of the initial multi-agent controller models with real counterparts. In this paper, we review the model and the architecture of the proposed internal transportation system controllers and we illustrate the whole design process through the development of a controller for an automated laboratory. Indirectly, we prove the validity of the architecture and of its key component, the synchronizers.