Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Artificial Dermis as an Alternative for Coverage of Complex Scalp Defects following Excision of Malignant Tumors

Background: Artificial dermis has been used successfully for coverage of full-thickness wounds with a well-vascularized surgical bed. However, the use of artificial dermis in the reconstruction of partial- and full-thickness scalp defects has not been well documented. Methods: Seven patients (six men and one woman; mean age, 70 ± 14 years) with partial-thickness (three patients) and full-thickness (four patients) soft-tissue defects of the scalp (mean defect area, 97 ± 58 cm2) following resection of recurrent malignant tumors and/or previous failed reconstructions underwent staged scalp reconstruction with a bilaminate skin substitute (Integra). After adequate débridement of scalp wounds, including burring the outer table of the calvaria down to bleeding bone for full-thickness defects, Integra was scored and applied unexpanded. A split-thickness skin graft (0.011 ± 0.0 inch in thickness) was placed on the operative site at postoperative day 36 ± 15 after removal of the silicone layer of the artificial dermis. Two patients required repeated applications of artificial dermis to compensate for contour deficits before skin grafting. Results: Clinically, all reconstructed areas showed well-vascularized neodermis before skin grafting. There was a 100 percent take of the skin grafts, with no infections or other complications noted. All reconstructive procedures were performed in less than 3 hours of combined operative time, with the last stage performed on an outpatient basis. Conclusions: Artificial dermis can be used successfully for reconstruction of complex scalp defects following oncologic resection, offering minimal donor-site morbidity, expedient operative time, and when needed, temporary quality closure until final pathologic results are known. Integra skin may offer another option for definitive management of extensive full-thickness scalp defects.
Long-Term Prognostic Validity of Talent Selections: Comparing National and Regional Coaches, Laypersons and Novices

In most sports, the development of elite athletes is a long-term process of talent identification and support. Typically, talent selection systems administer a multi-faceted strategy including national coach observations and varying physical and psychological tests when deciding who is chosen for talent development. The aim of this exploratory study was to evaluate the prognostic validity of talent selections by varying groups 10 years after they had been conducted. This study used a unique, multi-phased approach. Phase 1 involved players (n = 68) in 2001 completing a battery of general and sport-specific tests of handball ‘talent’ and performance. In Phase 2, national and regional coaches (n = 7) in 2001 who attended training camps identified the most talented players. In Phase 3, current novice and advanced handball players (n = 12 in each group) selected the most talented from short videos of matches played during the talent camp. Analyses compared predictions among all groups with a best model-fit derived from the motor tests. Results revealed little difference between regional and national coaches in the prediction of future performance and little difference in forecasting performance between novices and players. The best model-fit regression by the motor-tests outperformed all predictions. While several limitations are discussed, this study is a useful starting point for future investigations considering athlete selection decisions in talent identification in sport.
Comparison of Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis, Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis, and Phage Typing for Subtype Analysis of Salmonella enterica Serotype Enteritidis

ABSTRACT Strain subtyping is an important tool for detection of outbreaks caused by Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis. Current subtyping methods, however, yield less than optimal subtype discrimination. In this study, we describe the development and evaluation of a multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) method for subtyping Salmonella serotype Enteritidis. The discrimination ability and epidemiological concordance of MLVA were compared with those of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and phage typing. MLVA provided greater discrimination among non-epidemiologically linked isolates than did PFGE or phage typing. Epidemiologic concordance was evaluated by typing 40 isolates from four food-borne disease outbreaks. MLVA, PFGE, and, to a lesser extent, phage typing exhibited consistent subtypes within an outbreak. MLVA was better able to differentiate isolates between the individual outbreaks than either PFGE or phage typing. The reproducibility of MLVA was evaluated by subtyping sequential isolates from an infected individual and by testing isolates following multiple passages and freeze-thaw cycles. PFGE and MLVA patterns were reproducible for isolates that were frozen and passaged multiple times. However, 2 of 12 sequential isolates obtained from an individual over the course of 36 days had an MLVA type that differed at one locus and one isolate had a different phage type. Overall, MLVA typing of Salmonella serotype Enteritidis had enhanced resolution, good reproducibility, and good epidemiological concordance. These results indicate that MLVA may be a useful tool for detection and investigation of outbreaks caused by Salmonella serotype Enteritidis.
Mobile robot navigation with the use of semantic map constructed from 3D laser range scans

We describe a system allowing a mobile robot equipped with a 3D laser range finder to navigate in the indoor and outdoor environment. A global map of the environment is constructed, and the particle filter algorithm is used in order to accurately determine the position of the robot. Based on data from the laser only, the robot is able to recognize certain classes of objects like a floor, a door, a washbasin, or a wastebasket, and places like corridors or rooms. For complex objects, the recognition process is based on the Haar feature identification. When an object is detected and identified, its position is associated with the appropriate place in the global map, making it possible to give orders to the robot with the use of semantic labels, e.g., “go to the nearest wastebasket ”. The obstaclefree path is generated using a Cellular Neural Network, accounting for travel costs with distance or ground quality. This path planning method is fast and in comparison with the potential field method it does not suffer from the local minima problem. We present some results of experiments performed in a real indoor environment.
A Contrast Enhancement Method for HDR Image Using a Modified Image Formation Model

Poor illumination and viewing conditions have negativeinfluences on the quality of an image, especially the contrast of the dark and bright region. Thus, captured and displayed images usually need contrast enhancement. Histogram-based or gamma correction-based methods are generally utilized for this. However, these methods are global contrast enhancement method, and since the sensitivity of the human eye changes locally according to the position of the object and the illumination in the scene, the global contrast enhancement methods have a limit. The spatial adaptive method is needed to overcome these limitations and it has led to the development of an integrated surround retinex (ISR), and estimation of dominant chromaticity (EDC) methods. However, these methods are based on Gray-World Assumption, and they use a general image formation model, so the color constancy is known to get poor results, shown through graying-out, halo-artifacts (ringing effects), and the dominated color. This paper presents a contrast enhancement method using a modified image formation model in which the image is divided into three components: global illumination, local illumination and reflectance. After applying the power constant value to control the contrast in the resulting image, the output image is obtained from their product to avoid or minimize a color distortion, based on the sRGB color representation. The experimental results show that the proposed method yields better performances than conventional methods.
A Paean For The Social Policy Association: A Response To Glennerster

Perhaps Howard Glennerster did not expect his note, ' A requiem for the Social Administration Association' (1988), to be taken too seriously. A response risks the danger of appearing pompous. Nevertheless, the comment makes some important points and because it has appeared in the major British journal of the discipline of Social Policy and Administration (SPA), and comes from someone who occupies a Chair in a prestigious institution of the social sciences, it does call for a reply. Without response some of the points which the note makes might well be misunderstood by those who are outside the discipline. They already have to hand ammunition enough for any destructive task, without the assistance of scholars of social policy shooting themselves in the foot. Glennerster has reacted to the change in name of the Social Administration Association to the Social Policy Association. As the occupant of a Chair which is also entitled ' Social Administration' I have some sympathy with the feeling. (When I was appointed I deliberately did not ask my university to retitle it a Chair in Social Policy as was fashionable at the time.) Nevertheless I believe his reaction is a mistaken one. It is also depressing. The reason why several important points that are made in the note are mistaken I shall explain below. The reason why they are depressing is that their author fails to pay due credit to those exciting developments which are now taking place within SPA and which the professional association of the discipline in Britain has attempted to encapsulate in its change of title. In summary, Glennerster makes three important points. First, he argues that Social Administration as an area of study has failed because it has not adequately examined the administrative processes of institutions as they affect service delivery. Scholars, he insists, have not researched how welfare bureaucracies actually work. In consequence they have failed consumers through their failure to make proposals about how bureaucracies could be made to work better. Second, he suggests that these failures are due to an excessive concern with theory (especially critical theory) and a neglect of the practicalities of service delivery.
Model-based Bayesian Reinforcement Learning with Generalized Priors

OF THE DISSERTATION Model-based Bayesian Reinforcement Learning with Generalized Priors by John Thomas Asmuth Dissertation Director: Michael L. Littman Effectively leveraging model structure in reinforcement learning is a difficult task, but failure to do so can result in computer agents that repeatedly take suboptimal actions, despite having enough information to perform better. The Bayesian approach is a principled and well-studied method for leveraging model structure, and it is useful to use in the reinforcement learning setting. This dissertation studies different methods for bringing the Bayesian approach to bear for model-based reinforcement learning agents, as well as different models that can be used. The contributions include several examples of models that can be used for learning MDPs, and two novel algorithms, and their analyses, for using those models for efficient exploration: BOSS and BFS3. The Bayesian approach to model-based reinforcement learning provides a principled method for incorporating prior knowledge into the design of an agent, and allows the designer to separate the problems of planning, learning
Biological Processes Underlying Co-Use of Alcohol and Nicotine: Neuronal Mechanisms, Crosstolerance, and Genetic Factors

Alcohol and nicotine are two of the oldest and most commonly used recreational drugs, and many people use both of them together. Although their ready availability likely contributes to the strong correlation between alcohol and nicotine use, several lines of evidence suggest that biological factors play a role as well. For example, both alcohol and nicotine act on a brain system called the mesolimbic dopamine system, which mediates the rewarding and reinforcing properties of both drugs. Modification of the activities of the mesolimbic dopamine system can interfere with the effects of both alcohol and nicotine. Another mechanism that may contribute to alcohol–nicotine interactions is cross-tolerance to the effects of both drugs. Finally, genetic studies in humans and of selectively bred mouse and rat strains suggest that shared genetic factors help determine a person’s liability to use or abuse both alcohol and nicotine.
Hardware implementation of arithmetic for elliptic curve cryptosystems over GF(2m)

The Elliptic Curve Cryptography covers all relevant asymmetric cryptographic primitives like digital signatures and key agreement algorithms. In the present work, we develop a design of elliptic curve operations over binary Fields GF(2m). The function used for this purpose is the scalar multiplication kP which is the core operation of ECCs. Where k is an integer and P is a point on an elliptic curve. The EC Point multiplication processor defined in affine coordinates is achieved by using a dedicated Galois Field arithmetic implemented on FPGA using VHDL language.
Effects of physiological amounts of high- and low-rate chronic stimulation on fast-twitch muscle of the cat hindlimb. I. Speed- and force-related properties.

1. Long-term electrical stimulation was given during 4 or 8 wk to the peroneal nerve of deafferented hindlimbs in hemispinalized adult cats. Four different stimulation patterns were compared: 100-Hz bursts covering 5% of daily time (F1), 10-Hz bursts covering 5% of daily time (S1), pattern S1 plus added 100-Hz bursts during 0.5% of daily time (S1F2), and, finally, only the latter 100-Hz bursts (F2), again during 0.5% of daily time. 2. During the course of chronic stimulation, frequent noninvasive measurements were made of the twitch of the ankle dorsiflexors. In a terminal acute experiment under general anesthesia, performed after 4 or 8 wk of treatment, measurements were made of isometric contractile properties (speed, force) for one of the stimulated peroneal muscles, m. peroneus longus (PerL). Thereafter, the PerL muscle was removed for further histochemical/histological analysis. 3. Findings from chronically stimulated PerL muscles were compared with three kinds of control PerL muscles: 1) those from the contralateral (control) hindlimb of chronically treated animals, 2) those from the operated side of animals that had been deafferented and hemispinalized but not subjected to chronic stimulation, 3) those from normal animals that had not been subjected to chronic treatment. With respect to the presently studied parameters, the three kinds of control muscles rendered very similar results. 4. All the presently used patterns of chronic stimulation made the PerL muscles slower with respect to twitch contraction time, half-relaxation time, and tension-frequency relation. Patterns covering 5-5.5% of daily time (F1, S1, S1F2) also caused an increase in the percentage of fibers classified as 'slow' (type I) on basis of their staining for myosin adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase). 5. Among patterns covering 5% of daily time, the change in ATPase histochemistry and the degree of physiological slowing was at least as pronounced after chronic stimulation at 100 Hz (F1) as after treatment at 10 Hz (S1). The slowing produced by pattern S1 was not more pronounced than that caused by this pattern (10 Hz) plus an equal number of pulses at 100 Hz (S1F2). 6. The slowing produced by the presently used patterns of chronic stimulation took place within the initial 2-3 wk. 7. Patterns F1 and S1 caused a decrease in maximum tetanic force as well as in mean fiber diameter. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
STUDENT EXPERIENCES OF A DEVELOPMENTAL SHIFT IN REFLECTIVE JUDGMENT IN ONE INTERMEDIATE ACCOUNTING I CLASSROOM: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine how a shift from the instruction paradigm to the learning paradigm (Barr & Tagg, 1995) contributed to the development of students‘ reflective judgment. Barr and Tagg, scholars of teaching and learning, argued that a paradigm shift was needed in undergraduate instruction. Barr and Tagg offered an alternative to the lecture-based instruction paradigm, a paradigm they referred to as the learning paradigm. This study incorporated the learning paradigm into one Intermediate Accounting classroom and analyzed the impact of this approach on students‘ experiences and the development of students‘ reflective judgment. This study was grounded in King and Kitchener's (1994) research on cognitive development with late high school to college students. King and Kitchener‘s studies sought to answer the question How does the ability to construct reasonable solutions develop? Their research findings were based on over 1,700 student interview responses to ill-structured problems and culminated in the creation of the Reflective Judgment Model, a cognitive development model that represented stages of progressive reasoning from late adolescence to adulthood. Analysis was conducted on students‘ journals and submissions of ill-structured problem assignments. Findings revealed students made a cognitive developmental shift in
and strength at low training intensities Eccentric ergometry: increases in locomotor muscle size

[PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , December 1, 2001; 16 (6): 256-261. Physiology S. L. Lindstedt, P. C. LaStayo and T. E. Reich When Active Muscles Lengthen: Properties and Consequences of Eccentric Contractions [PDF] [Full Text] , July 1, 2002; 283 (1): R2-6. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol J. Schnermann Exercise [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , May 1, 2005; 98 (5): 1768-1776. J Appl Physiol T. N. Shepstone, J. E. Tang, S. Dallaire, M. D. Schuenke, R. S. Staron and S. M. Phillips hypertrophy of the elbow flexors in young men Short-term highvs. low-velocity isokinetic lengthening training results in greater [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , June 1, 2005; 288 (6): E1153-E1159. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab D. R. Moore, S. M. Phillips, J. A. Babraj, K. Smith and M. J. Rennie maximal shortening and lengthening contractions Myofibrillar and collagen protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle in young men after
Targeting of Active Sialyltransferase to the Plant Golgi Apparatus

Glycosyltransferases in the Golgi apparatus synthesize cell wall polysaccharides and elaborate the complex glycans of glycoproteins. To investigate the targeting of this type of enzyme to plant Golgi compartments, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing α-2,6-sialyltransferase, a glycosyltransferase of the mammalian trans-Golgi cisternae and the trans-Golgi network. Biochemical analysis as well as immunolight and immunoelectron microscopy of these plants indicate that the protein is targeted specifically to the Golgi apparatus. Moreover, the protein is predominantly localized to the cisternae and membranes of the trans side of the organelle. When supplied with the appropriate substrates, the enzyme has significant α-2,6-sialyltransferase activity. These results indicate a conservation of glycosyltransferase targeting mechanisms between plant and mammalian cells and also demonstrate that glycosyltransferases can be subcompartmentalized to specific cisternae of the plant Golgi apparatus.
Diagnostic strategy for hematology and oncology patients with acute respiratory failure: randomized controlled trial.

RATIONALE Respiratory events are common in hematology and oncology patients and manifest as hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (ARF) in up to half the cases. Identifying the cause of ARF is crucial. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (FO-BAL) is an invasive test that may cause respiratory deterioration. Recent noninvasive diagnostic tests may have modified the risk/benefit ratio of FO-BAL. OBJECTIVES To determine whether FO-BAL in cancer patients with ARF increased the need for intubation and whether noninvasive testing alone was not inferior to noninvasive testing plus FO-BAL. METHODS We performed a multicenter randomized controlled trial with sample size calculations for both end points. Patients with cancer and ARF of unknown cause who were not receiving ventilatory support at intensive care unit admission were randomized to early FO-BAL plus noninvasive tests (n = 113) or noninvasive tests only (n = 106). The primary end point was the number of patients needing intubation and mechanical ventilation. The major secondary end point was the number of patients with no identified cause of ARF. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The need for mechanical ventilation was not significantly greater in the FO-BAL group than in the noninvasive group (35.4 vs. 38.7%; P = 0.62). The proportion of patients with no diagnosis was not smaller in the noninvasive group (21.7 vs. 20.4%; difference, -1.3% [-10.4 to 7.7]). CONCLUSIONS FO-BAL performed in the intensive care unit did not significantly increase intubation requirements in critically ill cancer patients with ARF. Noninvasive testing alone was not inferior to noninvasive testing plus FO-BAL for identifying the cause of ARF. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials. gov (NCT00248443).
Adenovirus vectored vaccines.

Human recombinant adenoviruses (Ad) have been employed to develop experimental vaccines against a number of infectious agents. Ad-vectored vaccines express recombinant proteins, including any post-translational modifications, into functioning replicas of the native proteins capable of eliciting neutralizing antibodies in both abortive and permissive animal models. Human Ad types 4, 5, and 7 were used to construct recombinant viruses that express the respiratory syncytial virus F or G glycoproteins, the hepatitis B surface antigen, and the HIV env or gag genes. The recombinant Ad-HIV viruses are of particular interest and have been examined for their immunogenicity in dogs and chimpanzees. Dogs were immunized intratracheally with Ad-env recombinants (10(9) pfu/dog). Excellent humoral anti-HIV responses, including neutralizing antibodies, were detected in the sera following booster immunization (12-18 weeks after primary immunization) with a second Ad-env recombinant made in a different Ad serotype (heterotypic booster). Chimpanzees were immunized in two ways, orally with lyophilized virus (10(9) to 10(10) pfu/virus) in enteric-coated capsules or intranasally (10(7) pfu/virus). Intranasal immunization was superior to oral immunization with respect to replication of recombinant viruses as well as induction of anti-Ad and anti-HIV antibodies. Administration by both routes resulted in stimulation of cellular immune responses, as measured by antigen proliferation assays. Anti-HIV antibodies were detected in chimpanzee secretions (salivary, nasal, rectal, vaginal) taken from animals following intranasal immunization with a heterotypic recombinant. Intranasal administration effectively primed chimpanzees to produce high-titred (320-640) serum neutralizing antibodies to HIV following boosting with a baculovirus-derived env (gp160) subunit vaccine. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)