Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bending of the Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation after direct trauma: a case report.

STUDY DESIGN Case report. OBJECTIVES To describe a fracture through the fusion mass of a spine that had been corrected previously with Cotrel-Dubousset rods. These rods had failed in bending after direct trauma. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Nine years after successful treatment of scoliosis with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation, the patient was in a motor vehicle accident and sustained a hyperextension spine injury with complete L1-L2 paraplegia and disruption of the fusion mass. The Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation rods, which failed in bending, could not be corrected in situ, and the angulated segments had to be resected. The spine then became extremely unstable, and the patient consulted the authors for definitive stabilization. RESULTS The spine was stabilized by attaching the proximal and distal retained Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation to supplemental rods in a "domino" fashion. Crosslinks were added to improve the torsional stability. Intraoperatively, the fracture was well reduced, and the fixation was stable. A posterolateral fusion was performed with allogenic bone graft. CONCLUSION Bent Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation rods are still very strong and may not correct in situ. - If resection is required, the retained portions of Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation can serve as attachments to restore stable fixation a "domino"technique.
[THE USE OF THE MODEL MOUSE ICR--VARIOLA VIRUS FOR EVALUATION OF ANTIVIRAL DRUG EFFICACY].

Mice of the ICR outbred population were infected intranasally (i/n) with the variola virus (VARV, strain Ind-3a). Clinical signs of the disease did not appear even at the maximum possible dose of the virus 5.2 lg PFU/head (plaque-forming units per head). In this case, 50% infective dose (ID50) of VARV estimated by the presence or absence of the virus in the lungs three days after infection (p.i.) was equal to 2.7 ± 0.4 lg PFU/head. Taking into account the 10% application of the virus in the lungs during the intranasal infection of the mice, it was adequate to 1.7 lg PFU/lungs. This indicates a high infectivity of the VARV for mice comparable to its infectivity for humans. After the i/n infection of mice with the VARV at a dose 30 ID50/ head the highest concentration of the virus detected in the lungs (4.9 ± 0.0 lg PFU/ml of homogenate) and in nasal cavity tissues (4.8 ± 0.0 lg PFU/ml) were observed. The pathomorphological changes in the respiratory organs of the mice infected with the VARV appeared at 3-5 days p.i. , and the VARV reproduction noted in the epithelial cells and macrophages were noticed. When the preparations ST-246 and NIOCH-14 were administered orally at a dose of 60 μg/g of mouse weight up to one day before infection, after 2 hours, 1 and 2 days p.i. , the VARV reproduction in the lungs after 3 days p.i. decreased by an order of magnitude. Thus, outbred ICR mice infected with the VARV can be used as a laboratory model of the smallpox when evaluating the therapeutic and prophylactic efficacy of the antismallpox drugs.
Role of Cdc42p in Pheromone-Stimulated Signal Transduction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT CDC42 encodes a highly conserved GTPase of the Rho family that is best known for its role in regulating cell polarity and actin organization. In addition, various studies of both yeast and mammalian cells have suggested that Cdc42p, through its interaction with p21-activated kinases (PAKs), plays a role in signaling pathways that regulate target gene transcription. However, recent studies of the yeast pheromone response pathway suggested that prior results with temperature-sensitive cdc42 mutants were misleading and that Cdc42p and the Cdc42p-PAK interaction are not involved in signaling. To clarify this issue, we have identified and characterized novel viable pheromone-resistant cdc42 alleles that retain the ability to perform polarity-related functions. Mutation of the Cdc42p residue Val36 or Tyr40 caused defects in pheromone signaling and in the localization of the Ste20p PAK in vivo and affected binding to the Ste20p Cdc42p-Rac interactive binding (CRIB) domain in vitro. Epistasis analysis suggested that they affect the signaling step at which Ste20p acts, and overproduction of Ste20p rescued the defect. These results suggest that Cdc42p is in fact required for pheromone response and that interaction with the PAK Ste20p is critical for that role. Furthermore, the ste20ΔCRIB allele, previously used to disrupt the Cdc42p-Ste20p interaction, behaved as an activated allele, largely bypassing the signaling defect of thecdc42 mutants. Additional observations lead us to suggest that Cdc42p collaborates with the SH3-domain protein Bem1p to facilitate signal transduction, possibly by providing a cell surface scaffold that aids in the local concentration of signaling kinases, thus promoting activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade by Ste20p.
Impact of cocaine on adult hippocampal neurogenesis in an animal model of differential propensity to drug abuse

Hippocampal plasticity (e.g. neurogenesis) likely plays an important role in maintaining addictive behavior and/or relapse. This study assessed whether rats with differential propensity to drug‐seeking behavior, bred Low‐Responders (bLR) and bred High‐Responders (bHR) to novelty, show differential neurogenesis regulation after cocaine exposure. Using specific immunological markers, we labeled distinct populations of adult stem cells in the dentate gyrus at different time‐points of the cocaine sensitization process; Ki‐67 for newly born cells, NeuroD for cells born partway, and 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine for older cells born prior to sensitization. Results show that: (i) bHRs exhibited greater psychomotor response to cocaine than bLRs; (ii) acute cocaine did not alter cell proliferation in bLR/bHR rats; (iii) chronic cocaine decreased cell proliferation in bLRs only, which became amplified through the course of abstinence; (iv) neither chronic cocaine nor cocaine abstinence affected the survival of immature neurons in either phenotype; (v) cocaine abstinence decreased survival of mature neurons in bHRs only, an effect that paralleled the greater psychomotor response to cocaine; and (vi) cocaine treatment did not affect the ratio of neurons to glia in bLR/bHR rats as most cells differentiated into neurons in both lines. Thus, cocaine exerts distinct effects on neurogenesis in bLR vs. bHR rats, with a decrease in the birth of new progenitor cells in bLRs and a suppression of the survival of new neurons in bHRs, which likely leads to an earlier decrease in formation of new connections. This latter effect in bHRs could contribute to their enhanced degree of cocaine‐induced psychomotor behavioral sensitization.
Mechanical and thermomechanical assessment of encapsulated solar cells by finite-element-simulation

Within the following work mechanical and thermo-mechanical studies on embedded solar cells were carried out. Temperature dependant material properties such as shear modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion of an EVA encapsulant were determined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermo mechanical analysis (TMA). Those parameters were integrated into various simulation models such as the lamination process starting from the curing temperature at 150 °C and thermo cycling. Parameter studies were carried out concerning the cell thickness to assess the thermo-mechanical behavior of the cell string and the stress distribution in the silicon. Within a second study the mechanical behavior of the laminate was investigated. As a result it is shown that the solar cells have a significant impact on the deflection of the laminate, whose behavior over a temperature range is dominated by the stiffness properties of the encapsulant. By means of a combination of global models and submodels it was possible to assess the stress distribution in the solar cells with particular interest in the interconnection region between the cells. The magnitude of the stress depends strongly on the stiffness of the encapsulant. Especially for thin cells the stress can increase critically.
The impact of collocational features in Turkish Word Sense Disambiguation

Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD) is the task of choosing the most appropriate sense of a word having multiple senses in a given context. Collocational features acquired from the words in neighborship with the ambiguous word are one of the important knowledge sources in this area. This paper explores the effective sets of collocational features in Turkish in order to obtain better Turkish WSD systems. A lexical sample dataset of highly polysemous nouns and verbs has been prepared as the initial step of the work. Several supervised learning algorithms have been tested on this data by supplying different feature sets to select the best performing features for both nouns and verbs in Turkish. Also, we investigated the impact of several collocational features of polysemous words and evaluated the performance of several supervised machine learning algorithms.
Mob a P Arallel Heuristic for Graph-embedding Y Z Mob a P Arallel Heuristic for Graph-embedding

We have extended the Mob heuristic for graph partitioning [21] to grid and hypercube embedding and have e ciently implemented our new heuristic on the CM-2 Connection Machine. We have conducted an extensive series of experiments to show that it exploits parallelism, is fast, and gives very low embedding costs. For example, on the 32K-processor CM-2 it runs in less than 30 minutes on random graphs of 1 million edges and shows impressive reductions in edge costs. Due to excessive run times, other heuristics reported in the literature can construct equally-good graph embeddings only for graphs that are 100 to 1000 times smaller than those used in our experiments.
Testing quantum chromodynamics

The difficulties in isolating specific QCD mechanisms which control hadronic phenomena, and the complications in obtaining quantitative tests of QCD are discussed. A number of novel QCD effects are reviewed, including heavy quark and higher twist phenomena, initial and final state interactions, direct processes, multiparticle collisions, color filtering, and nuclear target effects. The importance of understanding hadron production at the amplitude level is stressed.
Diversity Analysis of Coded Beamforming in MIMO-OFDM Amplify-and-Forward Relaying Systems

In this letter, we investigate the diversity performance of coded beamforming schemes in AF multiple antenna relay systems for frequency selective channels. To extract available multipath diversity, we utilize orthogonal frequency division multiplexing combined with bit-interleaved coded modulation. The pairwise error probability is analyzed based on the correlated fading assumption, and the theoretical evaluation of the maximum achievable diversity order is presented. From the analysis, a proper code construction criterion is provided which achieves the full diversity with the minimum code memory. Our analysis also demonstrates that the subcarrier mapping (or pairing) operations at the relay have no impact on the diversity order. Simulations confirm that our analysis is accurate and matches well with the simulation results.
A (2, n) and (3, n) Visual Cryptography Scheme for Black and White Images

: A visual cryptography scheme (VCS) is a method to encode a secret image into shadow images called shares such that, certain qualified subsets of shares enable the “visual" recovery of the secret image. The “visual" recovery consists of xeroxing the shares onto transparencies, and then stacking them. The shares of a qualified set will reveal the secret image without any cryptographic computation. Here, we analyze the construction of k out of n visual cryptography schemes for black and white images(In such a scheme any k shares out of n will reveal the secret image, but any k -1 shares give no information about the image). The important parameters of a scheme are its contrast, i.e., the clarity of the decoded image, and the number of pixels needed to encode one pixel of the original image. Some methods of construction of (2, n)-schemes having optimal relative contrast using Hadamard matrices and some combinatorial block designs have been discussed. We study the construction of an efficient (3, n)-scheme. We also study the construction of (3,n)-schemes using a design.
Role of the Contralesional vs. Ipsilesional Hemisphere in Stroke Recovery

Following a stroke, the resulting lesion creates contralateral motor impairment and an interhemispheric imbalance involving hyperexcitability of the contralesional hemisphere. Neuronal reorganization may occur on both the ipsilesional and contralesional hemispheres during recovery to regain motor functionality and therefore bilateral activation for the hemiparetic side is often observed. Although ipsilesional hemispheric reorganization is traditionally thought to be most important for successful recovery, definitive conclusions into the role and importance of the contralesional motor cortex remain under debate. Through examining recent research in functional neuroimaging investigating motor cortex changes post-stroke, as well as brain-computer interface (BCI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapies, this review attempts to clarify the contributions of each hemisphere toward recovery. Several functional magnetic resonance imaging studies suggest that continuation of contralesional hemisphere hyperexcitability correlates with lesser recovery, however a subset of well-recovered patients demonstrate contralesional motor activity and show decreased functional capability when the contralesional hemisphere is inhibited. BCI therapy may beneficially activate either the contralesional or ipsilesional hemisphere, depending on the study design, for chronic stroke patients who are otherwise at a functional plateau. Repetitive TMS used to excite the ipsilesional motor cortex or inhibit the contralesional hemisphere has shown promise in enhancing stroke patients' recovery.
Effect of Electrode Shape on Droplet Actuation in Electrowetting-Based Microfluidics

This article describes the effect of electrode shape in electrowetting-based droplet actuation. A Volume of Fluid technique is applied to track the 3-D interface. The Laplace equation is solved to predict the time and space dependent electric field in the domain. The onset of actuation, contact angle distribution at the three phase line, and the droplet morphology are studied for two electrode shapes; i.e. flat and crescent. The acceleration and the velocity of the droplet are also other important parameters to show the superior performance of crescent electrode in droplet actuation.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Ten Microseconds Over LAN, for Free

The status quo for timestamping in PCs is ntpd, which is accurate to 1[ms] at best. For precision applications this is inadequate, but it is a low cost solution which suits many generic applications. IEEE-1588 provides mechanisms for sub-microsecond accuracy, but to achieve this more hardware is needed. We have developed the TSCclock, which gives performance between these two, around 10 microseconds on LAN, sub millisecond beyond, but using commodity hardware. We begin detailed benchmarking of the TSCclock to show its potential as an inexpensive yet accurate software clock, which could be used with IEEE-1588 for LANs, but has wider applicability as a replacement to ntpd.
MicroRNA-373 induces expression of genes with complementary promoter sequences

Recent studies have shown that microRNA (miRNA) regulates gene expression by repressing translation or directing sequence-specific degradation of complementary mRNA. Here, we report new evidence in which miRNA may also function to induce gene expression. By scanning gene promoters in silico for sequences complementary to known miRNAs, we identified a putative miR-373 target site in the promoter of E-cadherin. Transfection of miR-373 and its precursor hairpin RNA (pre-miR-373) into PC-3 cells readily induced E-cadherin expression. Knockdown experiments confirmed that induction of E-cadherin by pre-miR-373 required the miRNA maturation protein Dicer. Further analysis revealed that cold-shock domain-containing protein C2 (CSDC2), which possesses a putative miR-373 target site within its promoter, was also readily induced in response to miR-373 and pre-miR-373. Furthermore, enrichment of RNA polymerase II was detected at both E-cadherin and CSDC2 promoters after miR-373 transfection. Mismatch mutations to miR-373 indicated that gene induction was specific to the miR-373 sequence. Transfection of promoter-specific dsRNAs revealed that the concurrent induction of E-cadherin and CSDC2 by miR-373 required the miRNA target sites in both promoters. In conclusion, we have identified a miRNA that targets promoter sequences and induces gene expression. These findings reveal a new mode by which miRNAs may regulate gene expression.
Factors influencing feeding practices of extreme poor infants and young children in families of working mothers in Dhaka slums: A qualitative study

Background Nutritional status differs between infants and young children living in slum and non-slum conditions—infants and young children living in City Corporation slums are likely to have worse nutritional status compared to those from non-slums. Furthermore, families in slums tend to engage female labor in cash-earning activities as a survival strategy; hence, a higher percentage of mothers stay at work. However, little is known about feeding practices for infants and young children in families with working mothers in slums. This study aims to understand the factors that determine feeding practices for infants and young children living in families with working mothers in Dhaka slums. Methods This study adopted a qualitative approach. Sixteen In-depth Interviews, five Key Informant Interviews, and Focused Group Discussions were conducted with family members, community leaders, and program staff. Method triangulation and thematic analyses were conducted. Results Feeding practices for infants and young children in families with working mothers are broadly determined by mothers’ occupation, basis civic facilities, and limited family buying capacity. Although mothers have good nutritional knowledge, they negotiate between work and feeding their infants and young children. Household composition, access to cooking facilities, and poverty level were also found to be significant determining factors. Conclusion The results suggest a trade-off between mothers’ work and childcare. The absence of alternative care support in homes and/or work places along with societal factors outweighs full benefits of project interventions. Improving alternative childcare support could reduce the burden of feeding practice experienced by working mothers and may improve nutritional outcomes.
Marrying HCI/Usability and computer games: a preliminary look

The fields HCI/usability and computer games have existed for a few decades with virtually no mutual interaction. However, in recent years, a number of exchanges have appeared, both in academia and in practice. This paper presents a preliminary account of this development. Exchanges in both directions seem viable: evaluation methods from HCI/usability towards games and interaction techniques and supporting user communication from games towards HCI/usability. The paper concludes with a discussion of the differences and similarities between the two fields.
Microleakage of a resin sealant after acid-etching, Er:YAG laser irradiation and air-abrasion of pits and fissures.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this in vitro study was to assess microleakage underneath a filled pit-and-fissure sealant bonded to occlusal surfaces treated by four enamel etching techniques. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA There has been no report of a study assessing microleakage of a pit-and-fissure sealant, comparing acid-etching, Er:YAG laser and air-abrasion for treating enamel surface. METHODS Forty extracted human third molars were selected and randomly assigned into four groups of ten teeth: group I, the occlusal surfaces were acid-etched; group II, a very short pulsed Er:YAG laser was used to treat the surfaces; group III, aluminum oxide air-abrasion was associated with acid-etching; group IV, Er:YAG laser was associated with acid-conditioning. The surfaces were sealed and the teeth were stored for 7 days in distilled water. Then, specimens were thermocycled, immersed in a 0.2% rhodamine solution, sectioned, and analyzed for leakage using an optical microscope connected to a video camera. The images were digitized and analyzed by software that allowed microleakage assessment in millimeters. RESULTS Statistical analysis showed that occlusal surfaces treated exclusively by the Er:YAG laser (group II) provided the poorest marginal sealing and that acid-etching (group I) was statistically similar to aluminum oxide air-abrasion + acid etching (group III) and to Er:YAG laser + acid-etching (group IV). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that complementing either air-abrasion or Er:YAG laser irradiation with a subsequent acid-conditioning did not lessen microleakage at the enamel-sealant interface when compared with an acid-etched group. It was also observed that treating the enamel surface exclusively by Er:YAG laser resulted in the highest degree of leakage.
Isolation, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility of Pantoea (Enterobacter) agglomerans isolated from consumed powdered infant formula milk (PIF) in NICU ward: First report from Iran

Background and Objectives Pantoea agglomerans is a Gram-negative rod in the Enterobacteriaceae family. It is reported as both commensal and opportunistic pathogen of animals and humans. This organism is potential candidates as powdered infant milk formula-borne opportunistic pathogen. The aim of our study was to perform isolation, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of Pantoea (Enterobacter) agglomerans strains isolated from consumed powdered infant formula milk (PIF) in NICU ward. Materials and Methods A of total 125 powdered infant formula milk (PIF) samples were purchased from hospital drug stores between June 2011 to March 2012. P. agglomerans was isolated according to FDA method. For final confirmation, biochemical tests embedded in the API-20E system were used. The drug susceptibility test was performed using the disc diffusion method according to CLSI guidelines. Results Out of the 125 samples investigated, 8 (6.4%) samples were positive for P. agglomerans and these were uniformly susceptible to tigecycline, chloramphenicol, cefepime, levofloxacin, minocycline and colistin. Fifty percent of isolates were resistant to cefotaxime, moxifloxacin, cotrimoxazole and ticarcillin. Conclusion Controlling the primary populations of P. agglomerans during the PIF production process and preventing post processing contamination, by using suitable microbiological guidelines, is accessible. Sanitary practices for the preparation of infant formula in both the home and hospitals should be carefully controlled.
How Does the Global Order Harm the Poor ?

More than 20 percent of the world population lives in abject poverty, on less than $1 per day, and about 50 percent on less than $2. Twenty-five percent is illiterate. The two-and-a-half billion people in low-income countries have an infant mortality rate of over one hundred for every thousand live births, compared to six in high-income countries. According to widely circulating statistics, the ratio between rich and poor has increased dramatically: in 1820, the ratio in average per capita incomes was three to one, in 1960 sixty to one, and in 1997 seventy-four to one. The contrast between lavishly rich North Americans whose urgent questions of the day are about where to go for dinner and when to meet one’s How Does the Global Order Harm the Poor? MATHIAS RISSE