Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surgical Robotics: A Review and Neurosurgical Prototype Development

PURPOSEThe purpose of this article is to update the neurosurgical community on the expanding field of surgical robotics and to present the design of a novel neurosurgical prototype. It is intended to mimic standard technique and deploy conventional microsurgical tools. The intention is to ease its integration into the “nervous system” of both the traditional operating room and surgeon. CONCEPTTo permit benefit from updated intraoperative imaging, magnetic resonance imaging-compatible materials were incorporated into the design. Advanced haptics, optics, and auditory communication with the surgical site recreate the sight, sound, and feel of neurosurgery. RATIONALEMagnification and advanced imaging have pushed surgeons to the limit of their dexterity and stamina. Robots, in contrast, are indefatigable and have superior spatial resolution and geometric accuracy. The use of tremor filters and motion scalers permits procedures requiring superior dexterity. DISCUSSIONBreadboard testing of the prototype components has shown spatial resolution of 30 &mgr;m, greatly exceeding our expectations. Neurosurgeons will not only be able to perform current procedures with a higher margin of safety but also must speculate on techniques that have hitherto not even been contemplated. This includes coupling the robot to intelligent tools that interrogate tissue before its manipulation and the potential of molecular imaging to transform neurosurgical research into surgical exploration of the cell, not the organ.
Memory arrangements in turbo decoders using sliding-window BCJR algorithm

Turbo coding is a powerful encoding and decoding technique that can provide highly reliable data transmission at extremely low signal-to-noise ratios. According to the computational complexity of the employed decoding algorithm, the realization of turbo decoders usually takes a large amount of memory spaces and potentially long decoding delay. Therefore, an efficient memory management strategy becomes one of the key factors toward successfully designing turbo decoders. This paper focuses on the development of general formulas for efficient memory management of turbo decoders employing the sliding-window BCJR algorithm. Three simple but general results are presented to evaluate the required memory size, throughput rate, and latency based on the speed and the number of adopted processors. The results thus provide useful and general information on practical implementations of turbo decoders.
Follow-up study of morphology and cardiac function in rats undergoing induction of supravalvular aortic stenosis.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the follow-up of an experimental model of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) induced by supravalvular ascending aortic stenosis in young rats. METHODS Wistar rats were submitted to thoracotomy and aortic stenosis was created by placing a clip on the ascending aorta (AoS group, n=12). Age-matched control animals underwent a sham operation (C group, n=12). Cardiac function was analysed by echocardiograms performed 6, 12, and 21 weeks after aortic banding. Myocardial morphological features and myocardial hydroxyproline concentration (HOP) were evaluated 2, 6, 12, and 21 weeks after surgery in additional animals. RESULTS Aortic banding promoted early concentric LVH and a progressive increase in HOP. Under light microscopy, we observed myocyte hypertrophy and wall thickening of the intramural branches of the coronary arteries due to medial hypertrophy. Cardiac function was supranormal after 6 weeks (percentage of fractional shortening - EAo6: 70.3 +/- 10.8; C6: 61.3 +/- 5.4; p<0.05), and depressed in the last period. Diastolic dysfunction was detected after 12 weeks (ratio of early-to-late filling velocity - EAo12: 4.20 +/- 3.25; C12: 1.61 +/- 0.16; p<0.05). CONCLUSION Ascending aortic stenosis promotes concentric LVH with myocardial fibrosis and minimal histological changes. According to the period of evaluation, cardiac function may be improved, normal, or depressed. The model is suitable and useful for studies on pathophysiology and treatment of the different phases of cardiac hypertrophy.
Autism: Explaining the Enigma

Preface to the Second Edition. 1. What is Autism? 2. The Enchantment of Autism. 3. Lessons from History. 4. Is there an Autism Epidemic? 5. Mind-reading and Mind-Blindness. 6. Autism Aloneness. 7. The Difficulty of Talking to Others. 8. Intelligence and Special Talent. 9. A Fragmented World. 10. Sensations and Repetitions. 11. Seeing the Brain through a Scanner. 12. A Different Brain - A Different Mind. Index.
The Spatial Distribution of Plaque Vulnerabilities in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Objective Although the plaque characteristics have been recognized in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the plaque spatial distribution is not well clarified. Using color-mapping intravascular ultrasound (iMAP-IVUS), we examined culprit lesions to clarify plaque morphology, composition and spatial distribution of the sites of potential vulnerability. Methods Sixty-eight culprit lesions in 64 consecutive AMI patients who underwent angiography and IVUS examinations before intervention were analyzed. Plaque morphology and composition were quantified with iMAP-IVUS. The spatial distribution of the sites of potential vulnerability was assessed with longitudinal reconstruction of the consecutive IVUS images. The plaque characteristics were also compared between ruptured and non-ruptured lesions, and between totally occlusive (TO) and non-TO lesions. Results The sites with maximum necrotic area (maxNA), maximum plaque burden (maxPB) and most severely narrowed (minimal luminal area, MLA) were recognized vulnerability. In the majority of cases, maxNA sites were proximal to the maxPB sites, and MLA sites were distal to the maxNA and maxPB sites. Ruptures usually occurred close to maxNA sites and proximal to maxPB and MLA sites. The average distance from the site of rupture to the maxNA site was 0.33 ± 4.04 mm. Ruptured lesions showed significant vessel remodeling, greater plaque volume, and greater lipidic volume compared to those of non-ruptured lesions. Both the length and plaque burden (PB) of TO lesions were greater than those of non-TO lesions. Conclusions Instead of overlapping on maxPB sites, most maxNA sites are proximal to the maxPB sites and are the sites most likely to rupture. Plaque morphology and composition play critical roles in plaque rupture and coronary occlusion.
Effects of tumour necrosis factor on protein metabolism

Increased skeletal muscle breakdown and negative nitrogen balance are features of sepsis that may be mediated by cytokines. The effects of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) on protein metabolism were studied. When administered to anaesthetized dogs (0·57 × 105 units per kg body‐weight over 6h), TNF caused urinary nitrogen excretion to increase (mean(s.e.m.) 165(15) mg kg−1 for dogs that received TNF versus 113(8) mg kg−1 for control animals, P <0·01). Amino acid nitrogen release from the hindlimbs showed no change over the study period, indicating that the additional urinary nitrogen was not derived from peripheral protein stores. In a second study the same dose of TNF or saline was infused after the intestine had been removed. The mean(s.e.m.) urinary nitrogen excrtion in control dogs that had undergone enterectomy (101(7) mg kg1) was similar to that of intact animals, and addition of TNF did not significantly increase nitrogen excretion (86(18) mg kg−1). The results suggest that nitrogen excreted in the urine during administration of TNF is derived, at least initially, from the intestinal tract.
Self‐segregation or self‐preservation? A critical race theory and Latina/o critical theory analysis of a study of Chicana/o college students

This article uses critical race theory (CRT) and Latina/o critical theory (LatCrit) to analyze the main findings of a longitudinal study of Chicana/o college students. Having found that when Chicana/o college students associate with other Chicano/as, their socially conscious values are reinforced, they increase their likelihood of pursuing careers in service of their communities, and they are more inclined to become involved in community service activities after college, this article adopts CRT and LatCrit to analyze the relationship between Chicano/a college students and their Chicana/o peers, within the broader racialized context of higher education. It examines how the arguments supporting the “racial balkanization” myth are framed by institutional racism, and reveals how and why Chicana/o college students benefit from associating with their Chicana/o student peer groups by drawing from their cultural resources to mitigate the racialized barriers erected by universities. The analysis argues for utilizing race‐oriented epistemologies that can help account for the racist and white supremacist ideologies that frame and promote deficit‐based beliefs about students of color in higher education.
Understanding adhesion at as-deposited interfaces from ab initio thermodynamics of deposition growth: thin-film alumina on titanium carbide

We investigate the chemical composition and adhesion of chemical vapour deposited thin-film alumina on TiC using and extending a recently proposed nonequilibrium method of ab initio thermodynamics of deposition growth (AIT-DG) (Rohrer and Hyldgaard 2010 Phys. Rev. B 82 045415). A previous study of this system (Rohrer et al 2010 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 22 015004) found that use of equilibrium thermodynamics leads to predictions of a non-binding TiC/alumina interface, despite its industrial use as a wear-resistant coating. This discrepancy between equilibrium theory and experiment is resolved by the AIT-DG method which predicts interfaces with strong adhesion. The AIT-DG method combines density functional theory calculations, rate-equation modelling of the pressure evolution of the deposition environment and thermochemical data. The AIT-DG method was previously used to predict prevalent terminations of growing or as-deposited surfaces of binary materials. Here we extend the method to predict surface and interface compositions of growing or as-deposited thin films on a substrate and find that inclusion of the nonequilibrium deposition environment has important implications for the nature of buried interfaces.
The Politics of Coalition Formation and Survival in Multiparty Presidential Democracies

The study of coalition formation has primarily focused on the analysis of parliamentary regimes. This article examines the dynamics of coalition formation and breakdown under presidential regimes using evidence from Uruguay (1989-99). Using logistic regression I show that while coalitions are more likely to form immediately after a presidential election, the probability of a political group remaining in an executive coalition decreases as the presidential term elapses. As a result, cycles of cooperation and stalemate among political actors are likely to occur. I also conclude that not only the prospects for political cooperation but also the likelihood of a given fraction leaving a governing coalition are explained by the following variables: ideological affinity between the president's fraction and another political group; presidential approval ratings; affiliation of a fraction with the president's party; proximity of the coming election; and the fairness of the coalition agreement.
Arctic‐Alpine Distributions—Metapopulations on a Continental Scale?

Cold‐adapted species in the Northern Hemisphere frequently show arctic‐alpine discontinuous ranges at high latitudes and on mountains farther south, but area connectivity through current and historical gene flow remains unclear. We used the coalescent‐based program IMa (Isolation with Migration—analytic) to test for migration among disjunct European areas of arctic‐alpine wolf spiders of the Pardosa saltuaria group. Mitochondrial (ND1) and nuclear (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, ITS2) markers were analyzed simultaneously. Gene flow was unidirectional from Scandinavia to the Alps and the Carpathians, complex with respect to intermediate relict areas in central Europe, and very limited in outlying areas in the Balkans and Pyrenees. Population connectivity may have been greater during glacial events that might alternatively account for the inferred arctic‐alpine links. A simulation study under various demographic histories (using a new module in the Mesquite package, which models episodic migration) showed that the empirical results are equally consistent with moderate levels of ongoing (continuous) migration or, alternatively, with strong migration bursts at the last glacial maximum but not at earlier times. Habitat connectivity was probably maximal during glacial events, illustrating the potential influence of ecology and life history on organismal responses to past climatic change.
Residues in the αH and αI Helices of the HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Thumb Subdomain Required for the Specificity of RNase H-catalyzed Removal of the Polypurine Tract Primer*

During retrovirus replication, reverse transcriptase (RT) must specifically interact with the polypurine tract (PPT) to generate and subsequently remove the RNA primer for plus-strand DNA synthesis. We have investigated the role that human immunodeficiency virus-1 RT residues in the αH and αI helices in the thumb subdomain play in specific RNase H cleavage at the 3′-end of the PPT; an in vitro assay modeling the primer removal step was used. Analysis of alanine-scanning mutants revealed that a subgroup exhibits an unusual phenotype in which the PPT is cleaved up to seven bases from its 3′-end. Further analysis of αH mutants (G262A, K263A, N265A, and W266A) with changes in residues in or near a structural motif known as the minor groove binding track showed that the RNase H activity of these mutants is more dramatically affected with PPT substrates than with non-PPT substrates. Vertical scan mutants at position 266 were all defective in specific RNase H cleavage, consistent with conservation of tryptophan at this position among lentiviral RTs. Our results indicate that residues in the thumb subdomain and the minor groove binding track in particular, are crucial for unique interactions between RT and the PPT required for correct positioning and precise RNase H cleavage.
Experimental Determination of Precision Requirements for Back-propagation Training of Artiicial Neural Networks

The impact of reduced weight and output precision on the back-propagation training algorithm Wer74, RHW86] is experimentally determined for a feed-forward multi-layer perceptron. In contrast with previous such studies, the network is large with over 20,000 weights, and is trained with a large, real-world data set of over 130,000 patterns to perform a diicult task, that of phoneme classiication for a continuous speech recognition system. The results indicate that 16b weight values are suucient to achieve training and classiication results comparable to 32b oating point, provided that weight and bias values are scaled separately, and that rounding rather than truncation is employed to reduce the precision of intermediary values. Output precision can be reduced to 8 bits without signiicant eeects on performance.
A Maize Glutaredoxin Gene, Abphyl2, Regulates Shoot Meristem Size and Phyllotaxy[OPEN]

A novel pathway, composed of a glutaredoxin and a TGA transcription factor, regulates shoot apical meristem size independently of CLV-WUS signaling. Phyllotaxy describes the geometric arrangement of leaves and is important for plant productivity. Auxin is well known to regulate phyllotactic patterns via PIN1-dependent auxin polar transport, and studies of maize (Zea mays) aberrant phyllotaxy1 (abph1) mutants suggest the importance of auxin and cytokinin signaling for control of phyllotaxy. However, whether additional regulators control these patterns is poorly understood. Here, we report a new dominant maize mutant, Aberrant phyllotaxy2 (Abph2), in which the shoot meristems are enlarged and the phyllotactic pattern switches from alternate to decussate. Map-based cloning revealed that the Abph2 mutation was caused by transposition of a glutaredoxin gene, MALE STERILE CONVERTED ANTHER1 (MSCA1), which gained an altered expression pattern in Abph2 mutant embryos. msca1 loss-of-function mutants have reduced meristem size and revealed a novel function of glutaredoxins in meristem growth. In addition, MSCA1 interacts with a TGA transcription factor, FASCIATED EAR4, suggesting a novel regulatory module for regulating shoot meristem size.
Historical Trauma Among Indigenous Peoples of the Americas: Concepts, Research, and Clinical Considerations

Abstract Indigenous Peoples of the Americas have experienced devastating collective, intergenerational massive group trauma and compounding discrimination, racism, and oppression. There is increasing evidence of emotional responses to collective trauma and losses among Indigenous Peoples, which may help to inform ways of alleviating psychological suffering and unresolved grief. Tribal cultural and regional differences exist which may impact how the wounding across generations and within an individual's lifespan are experienced and addressed. This article will review the conceptual framework of historical trauma, current efforts to measure the impact of historical trauma upon emotional distress, and research as well as clinical innovations aimed at addressing historical trauma among American Indians/Alaska Natives and other Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. We will discuss assessment of historical trauma and implications for research and clinical as well as community interventions, and conclude with recommendations.
A RFID-based Campus Context-Aware Notification System

This paper presents the design and development of a context-aware notification system for university students using RFID technology. This system is leveraging on the student's matrix card as the RFID tag (sensor), RFID reader and server as the processors and screen monitor at the various locations in the campus as the actuator of the output. This system aims to deliver urgent notifications to the intended students immediately at their respective locations. In addition, the system is also able to display personalized information based on the students' preferences and current location when accessing the system. The background of the study, the design approaches for this system and the preliminary evaluation of the prototype are presented in this paper. The evaluation results have indicated that the the proposed system is useful and easy to use.
Culture as a Variable in the Study of Leisure

Leisure researchers increasingly have invoked culture, either implicitly or explicitly, with the claim that it accounts for differences either in leisure behavior or in attitudes, motivations, or other feelings about leisure among putatively different cultural groups. Unfortunately, they have generally been unclear on what they mean by the term “culture. ” Instead, they have relied on either presumably universally understood folk definitions or on proxy measures such as nationality, language, ethnicity or race to distinguish among “cultures” and, thereby, to understand how culture allegedly affects leisure. Unfortunately, serious problems exist with this practice. The concepts of race and ethnicity, for example, are so heavily imbued with political meanings that their worth as scientific constructs is dubious at best (Brubaker, 2004; Chick et al., 2007). Moreover, whether they genuinely reflect cultural differences is an empirical issue, not one to be simply assumed. Finally, comparing leisure behavior between two or more allegedly culturally different groups is by itself not evidence that any observed variations are due to culture and not something else. Hence, I have two purposes in this research reflection. First, I urge leisure researchers to determine and then report if they are intentionally using culture as an explanatory variable in their studies and, if so, to define it. Second, I recommend a type of definition because recent advances theory and methods make the culture concept useful as an independent explanatory variable.
Endo-F3 Glycosynthase Mutants Enable Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Core-fucosylated Triantennary Complex Type Glycopeptides and Glycoproteins*

Chemoenzymatic synthesis is emerging as a promising approach to the synthesis of homogeneous glycopeptides and glycoproteins highly demanded for functional glycomics studies, but its generality relies on the availability of a range of enzymes with high catalytic efficiency and well defined substrate specificity. We describe in this paper the discovery of glycosynthase mutants derived from Elizabethkingia meningoseptica endoglycosidase F3 (Endo-F3) of the GH18 family, which are devoid of the inherent hydrolytic activity but are able to take glycan oxazolines for transglycosylation. Notably, the Endo-F3 D165A and D165Q mutants demonstrated high acceptorsubstrate specificity toward α1,6-fucosyl-GlcNAc-Asn or α1,6-fucosyl-GlcNAc-polypeptide in transglycosylation, enabling a highly convergent synthesis of core-fucosylated, complex CD52 glycopeptide antigen. The Endo-F3 mutants were able to use both bi- and triantennary glycan oxazolines as substrates for transglycosylation, in contrast to previously reported endoglycosidases derived from Endo-S, Endo-M, Endo-D, and Endo-A mutants that could not recognize triantennary N-glycans. Using rituximab as a model system, we have further demonstrated that the Endo-F3 mutants are highly efficient for glycosylation remodeling of monoclonal antibodies to produce homogeneous intact antibody glycoforms. Interestingly, the new triantennary glycan glycoform of antibody showed much higher affinity for galectin-3 than that of the commercial antibody. The Endo-F3 mutants represent the first endoglycosidase-based glycosynthases capable of transferring triantennary complex N-glycans, which would be very useful for glycoprotein synthesis and glycosylation remodeling of antibodies.
A low complexity architecture for binary image erosion and dilation using structuring element decomposition

This paper describes a new hardware architecture for binary image erosion and dilation. The design is to be used in a self contained real-time surveillance system. Thus, low complexity and low power consumption are main constraints. To achieve this goal the aim has been to reduce memory requirements and the number of memory accesses per pixel. By storing only the number of consecutive ones that appears horizontally and vertically in the input image, only two internal memory accesses per calculated output pixel are required. The number of memory accesses is independent of the size of the structuring element (SE) as long as it is rectangular and only contains ones, which is a common case. The internal memory size is proportional to log/sub 2/(SE/sub height/), which means that a large span of SE sizes can be supported with a small amount of hardware.