Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mandibular vertical asymmetry in adult orthodontic patients with different vertical growth patterns: A cone beam computed tomography study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate condylar and ramal vertical asymmetry in adult orthodontic patients with different vertical growth patterns and a clinically normal sagittal skeletal pattern using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study sample consisted of 101 adult orthodontic patients (48 men and 53 women) divided into three groups according to their vertical growth patterns: high- (33 patients; mean age, 25.06 ± 6.05 years), low- (34 patients; mean age, 24.88 ± 5.22 years), and normal-angle (34 patients; mean age, 24.14 ± 4.26 years) groups. Condylar, ramal, condylar plus ramal height, and index measurements were performed using CBCT images and analyzed using one-way analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey tests. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference in height measurements between right and left sides in each group, except a slight difference of approximately 0.5 mm for condylar height (CH) in the low-angle group (P < .05). No statistically significant gender differences were found for the values (P > .05). In the high-angle group, the ramal height (RH) and condylar plus ramal height (CH + RH) on both sides were found to be less than those of the low- (P < .001) and normal-angle groups (P < .017 and P > .017, respectively), and the asymmetry index values were slightly higher than those of the low- and normal-angle groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS The high-angle group showed statistically significantly smaller values of RH and CH + RH on both sides and statistically insignificantly higher asymmetry index values than the low- and normal-angle groups.
AC Recharging Infrastructure for EVs and future smart grids — A review

AC Recharging Infrastructures for EVs will be a crucial feature in many smart grid scenarios. EV charging will need to be dynamic and correlated to renewable generation with the effect of reducing the overall net demand variability in order to allow for mass roll-out of EVs. This paper highlights how the functionalities of AC recharging systems may need to evolve to ensure that the optimal operation of the power system is achieved. In the light of future smart grid evolution scenarios, critical parameters of AC infrastructures and their possible evolution are discussed while other potentially useful functions are also put forward. It was found through the analysis of existing infrastructures and connection standards that there are some inherent capabilities that can be readily implemented and may enhance the performance of the AC grids and increase their EVs hosting capacities. Additionally, other capabilities will evolve in the near future serving for better integration of EVs along with renewables.
Pharmacologic Management During Therapeutic Hypothermia

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest continues to be associated with high morbidity and mortality as the mortality rate has been documented to be as high as 90% in patients who experience the insult at home. For those who survive, more than 50% will have some form of brain damage. Despite the devastation of this event, therapeutic options for improving outcomes in this population are unfortunately limited. However, therapeutic hypothermia has been evaluated in 2 landmark randomized, controlled trials in patients who experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest with the results showing an improvement in both neurologic outcomes and mortality. Providers must be familiar with the rationale behind the therapy, the physiological effects of the cooling and rewarming processes, and the pharmacologic management that aides in improved outcomes and minimizes complications.
Latitudinal divergence of common frog (Rana temporaria) life history traits by natural selection: evidence from a comparison of molecular and quantitative genetic data

The relative roles of natural selection and direct environmental induction, as well as of natural selection and genetic drift, in creating clinal latitudinal variation in quantitative traits have seldom been assessed in vertebrates. To address these issues, we compared molecular and quantitative genetic differentiation between six common frog (Rana temporaria) populations along an approximately 1600 km long latitudinal gradient across Scandinavia. The degree of population differentiation (QST ≈ 0.81) in three heritable quantitative traits (age and size at metamorphosis, growth rate) exceeded that in eight (neutral) microsatellite loci (FST = 0.24). Isolation by distance was clear for both neutral markers and quantitative traits, but considerably stronger for one of the three quantitative traits than for neutral markers. QST estimates obtained using animals subjected to different rearing conditions (temperature and food treatments) revealed some environmental dependency in patterns of population divergence in quantitative traits, but in general, these effects were weak in comparison to overall patterns. Pairwise comparisons of FST and QST estimates across populations and treatments revealed that the degree of quantitative trait differentiation was not generally predictable from knowledge of that in molecular markers. In fact, both positive and negative correlations were observed depending on conditions where the quantitative genetic variability had been measured. All in all, the results suggest a very high degree of genetic subdivision both in neutral marker genes and genes coding quantitative traits across a relatively recently (< 9000 years) colonized environmental gradient. In particular, they give evidence for natural selection being the primary agent behind the observed latitudinal differentiation in quantitative traits.
Regulatory Mechanisms in the Biosynthesis of Isoleucine and Valine II. Identification of Two Operator Genes

Ramakrishnan, T. (Yale University, New Haven, Conn.), and Edward A. Adelberg. Regulatory mechanisms in the biosynthesis of isoleucine and valine. II. Identification of two operator genes. J. Bacteriol. 89:654–660. 1965. —A tightly clustered set of five structural genes governs the synthesis of the five enzymes of isoleucine and valine biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. Three of the genes governing transaminase B, dehydrase, and threonine deaminase, are controlled by a single operator locus, designated oprA. The structural gene governing the condensing enzyme is controlled by a second operator locus, designated oprB. Both oprA and oprB have been shown to regulate structural genes which are cis, but not trans, to their own operator. No mutations have yet been found which affect the level of reductoisomerase, but the existence of a third operator controlling the synthesis of this enzyme can be inferred. Enzyme derepression resulting from mutations in oprA confers resistance to high levels of valine. Derepression of the condensing enzyme resulting from mutations in oprB confers resistance to low levels of valine, and to α-aminobutyric acid. The significance of these findings with respect to the valine sensitivity of E. coli strain K-12 is discussed.
Role of diprotonated phosphate in evoking muscle reflex responses in cats and humans.

Lactic acid and H+ evoke muscle reflexes that raise sympathetic nerve activity. Whether these substances are direct afferent stimulants or markers for the acidification of other substances is unknown. Diprotonated phosphate (H2PO4-), a possible mediator of fatigue, increases as the cell acidifies and phosphate is produced. Its role in evoking muscle reflexes is unknown. We used 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance to measure forearm muscle H+ and H2PO4- and microneurography to measure muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA, peroneal nerve) during a handgrip protocol designed to dissociate H+ from H2PO4-. Ischemic handgrip (50% maximal voluntary contraction x 2 min) was followed by a 1-min rest period during which the muscle was freely perfused. This was followed by a second bout of ischemic handgrip and a 5-min recovery. In seven of eight subjects, MSNA correlated with H2PO4-, whereas it correlated with pH in only one subject. To determine whether muscle reflex responses are evoked by H+, lactic acid, monoprotonated phosphate (HPO4(2-), or H2PO4-, we injected H+, lactate, H2PO4- [all 50 mM in 10 mM N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffered to pH 6], and HPO4(2-) (50 mM, pH 7.5 in 10 mM HEPES) into the arterial supply of the triceps surae of the cat (n = 9) as we measured mean arterial blood pressure (MAP). H2PO4- increased MAP more than HPO4(2-), H+, or lactate (27.1 +/- 3.7 vs. 5.0 +/- 1.3, 4.6 +/- 3.1, and 7.7 +/- 3.2 rise in mmHg). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Exploiting color-depth image correlation to improve depth map compression

The multimedia signal processing community has recently identified the need to design depth map compression algorithms which preserve depth discontinuities in order to improve the rendering quality of virtual views for Free Viewpoint Video (FVV) services. This paper adopts contour detection with surround suppression on the color video to approximate the foreground edges present in the depth image. Displacement estimation and compensation is then used to improve this prediction and reduce the amount of side information required by the decoder. Simulation results indicate that the proposed method manages to accurately predict around 64% of the blocks. Moreover, the proposed scheme achieves a Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) gain of around 4.9-6.6 dB relative to the JPEG standard and manages to outperform other state of the art depth map compression algorithms found in literature.
Metastatic colonic carcinoma to the testes: Case report and review of the literature

A case of metastatic carcinoma to the testes from the colon is reported and 14 previous case reports reviewed. The range in age of reported patients was 18 to 76, with a median age of 51 years. The clinical presentation in most cases was testicular swelling or hydrocoele. in three cases, The testicular lesion antedated the discovery of a primary colorectal cancer. The majority of patients had other widespread metastases at the time testicular involvement was diagnosed. in older patients who present with a testicular mass or hydrocoele, The differential diagnosis must include metastatic carcinoma.
Urinary bladder matrix promotes site appropriate tissue formation following right ventricle outflow tract repair

The current prevalence and severity of heart defects requiring functional replacement of cardiac tissue pose a serious clinical challenge. Biologic scaffolds are an attractive tissue engineering approach to cardiac repair because they avoid sensitization associated with homograft materials and theoretically possess the potential for growth in similar patterns as surrounding native tissue. Both urinary bladder matrix (UBM) and cardiac ECM (C-ECM) have been previously investigated as scaffolds for cardiac repair with modest success, but have not been compared directly. In other tissue locations, bone marrow derived cells have been shown to play a role in the remodeling process, but this has not been investigated for UBM in the cardiac location, and has never been studied for C-ECM. The objectives of the present study were to compare the effectiveness of an organ-specific C-ECM patch with a commonly used ECM scaffold for myocardial tissue repair of the right ventricle outflow tract (RVOT), and to examine the role of bone marrow derived cells in the remodeling response. A chimeric rat model in which all bone marrow cells express green fluorescent protein (GFP) was generated and used to show the ability of ECM scaffolds derived from the heart and bladder to support cardiac function and cellular growth in the RVOT. The results from this study suggest that urinary bladder matrix may provide a more appropriate substrate for myocardial repair than cardiac derived matrices, as shown by differences in the remodeling responses following implantation, as well as the presence of site appropriate cells and the formation of immature, myocardial tissue.
Investigation of morphological change of lateral and midline fluid percussion injury in rats, using magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE Investigating the time course of morphological changes in experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) in vivo helps to clarify the mechanism of TBI and develop new therapeutic modalities. We examined the morphological changes in experimental TBI, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a rat model. METHODS We produced lateral fluid percussion injury (LFP) and midline fluid percussion injury (MFP) in rats, using the Yamaki fluid percussion device. The rats were divided into four groups: LFP, MFP, sham LFP, and sham MFP. MRI was performed with a 4.7-T magnetic resonance apparatus 2 days and 90 days after the induction of injury. T1-, T2-, and T2- weighted images were obtained using a surface coil. RESULTS Hemorrhage, contusion, and brain edema in LFP models were detected on the 2nd day after injury, and the necrotic tissue was absorbed and replaced by cerebrospinal fluid on the 90th day. In MFP animals, we detected a small hemorrhage in the corpus callosum with minimal brain edema around the hemorrhage on the 2nd day after injury, and on the 90th day, enlarged ventricles and cisterns were observed, indicating brain atrophy. CONCLUSION MRI, therefore, is useful for plotting morphological changes in experimental TBI in vivo. We report the novel and clinically important finding of brain atrophy after experimental TBI.
Thyroid-Specific Expression of IFN-γ Limits Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis by Suppressing Lymphocyte Activation in Cervical Lymph Nodes1

The role of IFN-γ in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease is controversial, being described as immunostimulatory in some studies and immunosuppressive in others. To determine the contribution of local expression of IFN-γ, we derived NOD.H-2h4 transgenic mice overexpressing IFN-γ in a thyroid-restricted manner. Transgenic mice, which had serum IFN-γ levels similar to wild-type littermates, showed up-regulation of MHC class II on thyrocytes, but did not develop spontaneous thyroiditis. Upon immunization with murine thyroglobulin, transgenic mice developed milder disease and reduced IgG1 responses compared with wild type. The milder disease was associated with decreased frequency of activated CD44+ lymphocytes in the cervical lymph nodes. This suppressive effect was confirmed by showing that blockade of systemic IFN-γ with mAb enhanced disease and increased IgG1 responses. The study supports a disease-limiting role of IFN-γ in autoimmune thyroiditis. Furthermore, it provides the first evidence that local IFN-γ activity in the thyroid is sufficient for disease suppression.
Do ACE‐inhibitors suppress tumour necrosis factor‐α production in advanced chronic renal failure?

Abstract. Stenvinkel P, Andersson P, Wang T, Lindholm B, Bergström J, Palmblad J, Heimbürger O, Cederholm T (Huddinge University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm; Sweden). Do ACE‐inhibitors suppress tumour necrosis factor‐α production in advanced chronic renal failure? J Intern Med 1999; 246: 503–507.
Will Regulatory Enforcement and Principles Versus Rules-Based Accounting Influence Auditors' Judgments to Constrain Aggressive Reporting?

With the movement towards consideration of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the U.S., a question arises as to whether the adoption of a principles-based approach such as the IFRS will ultimately result in higher quality financial reporting. This issue is particularly relevant as the SEC and the securities markets ponder the implications of a decision that may lead to the ultimate adoption of, or convergence with, IFRS in the U.S. To examine this issue, we employ an experimental approach with 97 experienced auditors as participants. Using a case setting involving the classification of a lease (operating vs. capital), we manipulate the accounting standard as rules-based or principles-based and the regulatory enforcement regime as strong or weak. The lease setting is one where there are indications of management aggressive reporting with the transaction structured to just comply with accounting rules and with incentives to leave the debt off of the Balance Sheet. We find that in a strong regulatory enforcement regime, auditors are more likely to constrain aggressive reporting under principles-based accounting standards than under rules-based accounting standards. We also provide exploratory findings indicating that auditors’ judgments under principles-based standards, regardless of the strength of regulatory enforcement, will lead to more conservative reporting when compared with a rules-based regime coupled with strong regulatory enforcement, indicative of the current reporting setting in the U.S. The implications of the findings for research and public policy are presented.
Late decompression in patients with acute facial nerve paralysis after temporal bone fracture.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper was to address the management of acute facial nerve paralysis after temporal bone fracture and the outcomes of late decompression. METHODS The study design was a retrospective review of eight patients who underwent late decompression of acute facial nerve paralysis due to temporal bone fracture involving the geniculate region. Pre-operative electrophysiological testing showed total degeneration of the facial nerve in all patients. The mean operation period was 70.1 +/- 54.8 days after the trauma. A pure middle fossa approach and combined approach included middle cranial fossa and transmastoid approaches and were used in six and two patients, respectively. Evaluation of the facial nerve function was graded according to the House-Brackmann grading scale. RESULTS The mean follow up period was 5.7 +/- 3.2 years, ranging from 3 months to 10 years. Six patients showed 3 score of House-Brackmann recovery of facial nerve function in long-term follow-up and the last 2 patients still need time for their final House-Brackmann evaluation. CONCLUSIONS Surgery should be performed if serial electroneurography and electromyography demonstrate more than 90% degeneration and total denervation potentials, respectively, of nerve fibers. Based on the outcomes observed, late facial nerve decompression may have still beneficial effects in patients who could not be operated on early.
Quality Control for Environmental Policy Appraisal Tools: An Empirical Investigation of Relations Between Quality, Quality Control and Effectiveness

Abstract The spectre of regulatory reform carried out in a range of Western countries has generated concern amongst parts of the environmental policy community. Quality and effectiveness are said to be at stake, but empirically there is a dearth of data on the relationship between provisions for quality control and the effects on quality and effectiveness. This research addresses this lacuna by analysing the effects of different quality control provisions in the Netherlands and Denmark for a globally institutionalized environmental appraisal tool—Environmental Assessment (EA). Extensive technical provisions for quality control in the Netherlands have led to it being described as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of EA systems, while in Denmark the polity is expected to take charge of quality control. The effects of quality control are investigated through surveys and in-depth interviews with actors centrally engaged with EA implementation. The results show that quality control provisions are poorly related to the perceived quality and effectiveness of EA. Only the appropriateness of the scope of EA reports is perceived to be strongly related to quality control provisions. The findings are relevant for environmental policy communities concerned with quality control systems and effectiveness of policy appraisal tools and policy-makers contemplating regulatory reforms.
Outcomes in the management of adult soft tissue sarcomas

Adult soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are heterogeneous neoplasms that account for 11,410 new diagnoses and 4,390 deaths per year. This article summarizes recent NCCN guidelines for diagnosis and management of STSs of the extremities and retroperitoneum, as well as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). AJCC staging and recently reported NCDB data regarding outcomes are reviewed. Currently accepted STS prognostic variables are presented, as are future directions regarding the utility of molecular prognosticators and nomograms. J. Surg. Oncol. 2014 110:527–538. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multi-Pass and Frame Parallel Algorithms of Motion Estimation in H.264/AVC for Generic GPU

In this paper, multi-pass and frame parallel algorithms are proposed to accelerate various motion estimation (ME) tools in H.264 with the graphics processing unit (GPU). By the multi-pass method to unroll and rearrange the multiple nested loops, the integer-pel ME can be implemented with two-pass process on GPU. Moreover, fractional ME needs six passes for frame interpolation with six-tap filter and motion vector refinement. Motion estimation with multiple reference frames can be implemented with two-pass process with frame-level parallel scheme by use of SIMD vector operations of GPU. Experimental results show that, compared to implementations with only CPU, about 6 times to 56 times speed-up can be achieved for different ME algorithms.
Are Findings of Salary Discrimination Against Foreign-Born Players in the NBA Robust?*

The influx of international players into the NBA has led researchers to investigate whether pay discrimination exists for these new entrants. Using a two-stage double fixed-effect model, Yang and Lin (2015) found evidence of salary discrimination against international players. Using a similar technique with a much longer unbalanced panel dataset (1989-2013), we are unable to verify their results. Key Words: Wage Discrimination, NBA