Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigating remote sensor placement for practical haptic sensing with EndoWrist surgical tools

It has been frequently argued that the addition of haptic sensing to tele-operated surgical robots would benefit surgeon performance. Conventional haptic sensing technologies are impractical for application to minimally invasive surgery, due to size, sterilization robustness and cost vs. tool disposability. In this work we validate the concept of remote force measurement, where force interactions at the tip of a surgical tool are observed via simple torque sensors near the tool's actuators. This method provides reusable sensors located outside of the human body and so sidesteps many key issues that have limited practical haptic sensing in this scenario. Though such methods have been proposed and criticized by several groups in the past, we have been unable to locate quantitative results in the literature. Here, we provide initial remote force interaction measurements on a da Vinci EndoWrist needle driver tool. The measurements were obtained via simple custom torque sensors which easily attach to any EndoWrist tool. The complex cable-pulley transmission of the tool introduces expected nonlinearities over distal measurements. These effects are more pronounced in flexion than abduction DOFs. Despite these effects, the unprocessed torque data identifies contact with synthetic soft tissue at various actuator velocities and during external shaft loading.
Genotype 2a Hepatitis C Virus Subgenomic Replicon Can Replicate in HepG2 and IMY-N9 Cells*

A hepatitis C virus genotype 2a subgenomic replicon, JFH-1 replicon, was previously established using the consensus sequence of clone JFH-1 from a patient with fulminant hepatitis and, in a previous report, was indicated to replicate efficiently in Huh7. Here the replication of JFH-1 replicon was tested in HepG2, a human hepatocyte-derived cell line, and in IMY-N9, a cell line developed by fusing human hepatocytes and HepG2 cells. Following transfection with in vitro transcribed replicon RNA and selection by cultivation with G418, colonies formed in both cell lines although at efficiencies substantially lower than those of Huh7. The H2476L mutation identified in the Huh7 replicon in our previous study increased the colony formation efficiencies of the JFH-1 replicon in HepG2 and IMY-N9 cells. Higher amounts of replicon RNA were detected in IMY-N9 clones than in HepG2 clones by real time detection reverse transcription-PCR, and replicon RNA replication and viral protein expression were confirmed by Northern and Western blotting in isolated clones. Sequencing of replicon RNAs revealed that mutations found in hepatitis C virus-derived regions were not identical and that two of nine HepG2 clones and three of nine IMY-N9 clones had no or one synonymous mutation. This system with the JFH-1 replicon and three cell lines is useful not only for estimating the cellular factors affecting viral activity but also for clarifying the common gene response of the host.
The Analysis of Development and Explanatory of Fairness Preference Models

Experimental economics discovers that the equilibrium of controllable game experiment violates the prediction of the standard sub-game's refine equilibrium.The experimental economists sum up the violation as the systemic deviation of the actors towards the "self-concern assumption". Thus they propose some social preference models of non self-concern to explain this deviation,such as inequity averse,reciprocity based on the fair intention,quasi-maximin preferences and the altruism.The understanding toward these questions can be beneficial for the fairness preference to have unified analysis frame and enlarge the use in the real life,especially in the application of the incentive contract.
An erbium-doped multimode optical fiber amplifier

The authors describe the first experimental study of an erbium-doped multimode fiber amplifier. The focus has been to characterize an intermediate core erbium-doped optical fiber, a fiber that is capable of propagating many guided modes at both the signal and pump wavelengths, and to determine the feasibility of using such an active fiber as a multimode fiber amplifier, by measuring its gain, noise, and pump power requirements. For a 2-m length of a 13- mu m-core erbium-doped fiber, the authors measured gain as high as 16 dB at a signal wavelength of 1543 nm, with approximately 100 mW pump power (980 nm). For these same test conditions, the smallest excess noise factor beta was 42. <<ETX>>
Comparison of broiler chicken performance when fed diets containing meals of Bollgard II hybrid cotton containing Cry-X gene(Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab gene), parental line or commercial cotton

1. Total and free gossypol contents were 6·2 and 0·8, 5·4 and 0·5, and 6·1 and 0·7 g/kg in meals processed (solvent extracted) from Bollgard (BG) II, non-BG II or commercial cottonseeds, respectively. 2. Broiler chicks were given one of 7 dietary treatments (iso-nitrogenous, 220 and 195 g crude protein/kg diet at 0 to 21 and 21 to 42 d, respectively, at a metabolisable energy concentration of 12·15 MJ/kg). The treatments were: D1 (control, soybean meal [SBM] based), D2 and D3 (commercial CSM at 100 g/kg of diet with and without additional iron), D4 and D5 (BG II CSM with and without additional iron), and D6 and D7 (non-BG II parental CSM with or without additional iron). 3. Body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, nutrient utilisation, certain blood constituents and carcase traits were not significantly affected by dietary treatments. 4. Weights of bursa and thymus were significantly higher in groups given diets containing BG II or non-BG diets containing added iron. 5. The results suggest that low free gossypol content cottonseed meals, for example, BG II, non-BG II and commercial solvent-extracted CSM could be included at 100 g/kg in broiler diets, safely replacing soybean meal without additional iron.
A comparison of the effect of levonorgestrel IUD with oral medroxyprogesterone acetate on abnormal uterine bleeding with simple endometrial hyperplasia and fertility preservation.

OBJECTIVE Endometrial hyperplasia is clinically important, because it can lead to abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) which itself can precede endometrial cancer. Endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract, occurring in about 75%-85% younger, perimenopausal women as endometrial hyperplasia. The treatment is hysterectomy or hormone therapy with progesterone. The aim of this study was, therefore, to compare the effect of levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on simple endometrial hyperplasia for fertility preservation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty women in reproductive age (22-47 years) with AUB with endometrial biopsies confirming simple hyperplasia, were enrolled in this study and then randomly divided into two groups. All patients presented with designed special checklist which was filled with satisfaction. Complete history and physical examination especially blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), breast examination, bimanual vaginal examination, and transvaginal sonography (to measure the thickness of endometrial and exclude the other pathologic lesions) were performed. In the first group, treatment was performed with MPA (20 mg/daily) for ten days and in other group with LNG-IUD was prescribed. After three months, transvaginal sonography and biopsy of endometrium were done. The status of AUB and side-effects of two methods,along with the rate of satisfactory were evaluated. RESULT The findings showed the significant differences in the treatment of simple hyperplasia between two groups (LNG-IUD group vs. MPA group) (p < 0.047). Recovery of AUB in the group LNG was enhanced (p < 0.047). Endometrial thickness was reduced in both groups (p < 0.001), but further reduction in LNG group was seen. Also, LNG was tolerated more than MPA. Side-effects of MPA were more and reached significance (p < 0.003). The rate of satisfaction with LNG was higher than MPA and reached significance (p < 0.048). CONCLUSION The results of this study show that LNG-IUD is more effective than MPA in treatment of simple endometrial hyperplasia and can be helpful in young women who want to preserve their fertilities.
Functional Studies on the Candidate ATPase Domains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae MutLα

ABSTRACT Saccharomyces cerevisiae MutL homologues Mlh1p and Pms1p form a heterodimer, termed MutLα, that is required for DNA mismatch repair after mismatch binding by MutS homologues. Recent sequence and structural studies have placed the NH2 termini of MutL homologues in a new family of ATPases. To address the functional significance of this putative ATPase activity in MutLα, we mutated conserved motifs for ATP hydrolysis and ATP binding in both Mlh1p and Pms1p and found that these changes disrupted DNA mismatch repair in vivo. Limited proteolysis with purified recombinant MutLα demonstrated that the NH2 terminus of MutLα undergoes conformational changes in the presence of ATP and nonhydrolyzable ATP analogs. Furthermore, two-hybrid analysis suggested that these ATP-binding-induced conformational changes promote an interaction between the NH2 termini of Mlh1p and Pms1p. Surprisingly, analysis of specific mutants suggested differential requirements for the ATPase motifs of Mlh1p and Pms1p during DNA mismatch repair. Taken together, these results suggest that MutLα undergoes ATP-dependent conformational changes that may serve to coordinate downstream events during yeast DNA mismatch repair.
The World Bank and Educational Reform in Indonesia

This chapter examines World Bank publications, including publicized reports and widely disseminated policy statements like the World Development Reports, as well as the plans and appraisals of two specific operations in Indonesia. Based on this examination, the author suggests that characterizations which emphasize the Bank's intransigence or celebrate its responsiveness fail to provide a satisfactory description of country-level education policy evolution. The chapter begins with two of the major theoretical frameworks that have been used to study the Bank's work in education. This is followed by a summary of the evolution of the Bank's involvement in education at the international level. The third part of this chapter analyzes two educational reforms that the World Bank has promoted in Indonesia in the last 10 years – programs advancing vocational education and decentralization – and examines how these priorities have been affected by local context and demands and shifts in the global discourse on education. The author concludes that the World Bank's role in the diffusion of education reform is best understood from a world culture perspective but that its interests – and the interests of its primary shareholders – are advanced in particularly opportune moments like democratic transitions.
Impact of Shoulder Abduction Loading on Brain-Machine Interface in Predicting Hand Opening and Closing in Individuals With Chronic Stroke

Background. Many individuals with moderate and severe stroke are unable to use their paretic hand. Currently, the effect of conventional therapy on regaining meaningful hand function in this population is limited. Efforts have been made to use brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) to control hand function. To date, almost all BMI classification algorithms are designed for detecting hand movements with a resting arm. However, many functional movements require simultaneous movements of the arm and hand. Arm movement will possibly affect the detection of intended hand movements, specifically for individuals with chronic stroke who have muscle synergies. The most prevalent upper-extremity synergy—flexor synergy—is expressed as an abnormal coupling between shoulder abductors and elbow/wrist/finger flexors. Objective. We hypothesized that because of flexor synergy, shoulder abductor activity would affect the detection of the hand-opening (a movement inhibited by flexion synergy) but not the hand-closing task (a movement facilitated by the flexion synergy). Methods. We evaluated the accuracy of a BMI classification algorithm in detecting hand-opening versus closing after reaching a target with 2 different shoulder-abduction loads in 6 individuals with stroke. Results. We found a decreased accuracy in detecting hand opening when an individual with stroke intends to open the hand while activating shoulder abductors. However, such decreased accuracy with increased shoulder loading was not shown while detecting a hand-closing task. Conclusions. This study supports the idea that one should consider the effect of shoulder abduction activity when designing BMI classification algorithms for the purpose of restoring hand function in individuals with moderate to severe stroke.
Range walk correction and velocity estimation for high-speed target detection

This paper considers the range walk (RW) problem for the high-speed moving target within the long coherent integration interval and proposes a new method, i.e., location rotation transform (LRT), to address the RW problem. In general, this method employs the rotation operation for the coordinate locations of echo data to eliminate the RW effect and then the Fourier transform (FT) is performed to coherently accumulate the target's energy. In comparison with the keystone transform (KT), the presented method does not require the interpolation and has better coherent integration performance. Compared with the Radon-Fourier transform (RFT), the LRT method can avoid the blind speed side lobe (BSSL). At last, numerical experiments are provided to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Analysis of Real-time Head Accelerations in Collegiate Football Players

Objective: To measure and analyze head accelerations during American collegiate football practices and games. Methods: A newly developed in-helmet 6-accelerometer system that transmits data via radio frequency to a sideline receiver and laptop computer system was implemented. From the data transfer of these accelerometer traces, the sideline staff has real-time data including the head acceleration, the head injury criteria value, the severity index value, and the impact location. Data are presented for instrumented players for the entire 2003 football season, including practices and games. Setting: American collegiate football. Subjects: Thirty-eight players from Virginia Tech's varsity football team. Main Outcome Measurements: Accelerations and pathomechanics of head impacts. Results: A total of 3312 impacts were recorded over 35 practices and 10 games for 38 players. The average peak head acceleration, Gadd Severity Index, and Head Injury Criteria were 32 g ± 25 g, 36 g ± 91 g, and 26 g ± 64 g, respectively. One concussive event was observed with a peak acceleration of 81 g, a 267 Gadd Severity Index, and 200 Head Injury Criteria. Because the concussion was not reported until the day after of the event, a retrospective diagnosis based on his history and clinical evaluation suggested a mild concussion. Conclusions: The primary finding of this study is that the helmet-mounted accelerometer system proved effective at collecting thousands of head impact events and providing contemporaneous head impact parameters that can be integrated with existing clinical evaluation techniques.
Corporate financing and anticipated credit rating changes

Firm circumstances change but rating agencies may not make timely revisions to their ratings, thereby increasing information asymmetry between firms and the market. We examine whether firms time the securities market before a credit rating agency publicly reveals its decision to change a firm’s credit rating. Using quarterly data, we show that firms adjust their financing structures before credit rating downgrades are publicly revealed. Specifically, firms on average increase their debt financing by 1.29 % before the disclosure of a rating downgrade, and this increase is due to the issuance of debt rather than the repurchase of equity. In contrast, firms do not take significant financing actions before credit rating upgrades.
Cardiac Deaths in Epilepsy

Summary: A study of heart disease mortality and morbidity in patients with epilepsy in Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.A. , is presented. In a cohort of 725 incident cases of epilepsy followed for approximately 10,000 person‐years, 237 deaths and 48 incident cases of ischemic heart disease were noted. Overall, the cohort mortality rate was 2.1 times that of the general population. For those with idiopathic epilepsy, the mortality rate was 1.6 times that of the general population. For ischemic heart disease, the epilepsy cohort experienced a standardized mortality rate (SMR) of 1.6, slightly higher for remote symptomatic than idiopathic epilepsy. For sudden death as the initial manifestation of heart disease, the SMR was 2.3. The ratio was not significantly higher for those with idiopathic epilepsy but was 3.9 for remote symptomatic epilepsy. The findings show much lower incidence rates and relative incidence of sudden death than all of the more recent sudden unexpected death in epilepsy studies. Reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.
Increased incidence of cerebral metastases in sarcoma patients with prolonged survival from chemotherapy. Report of cases of leiomysarcoma and chondrosarcoma

Soft tissue and bony sarcomas rarely metastasize to the central nervous system, particularly to the cerebral hemispheres. In 456 patients with metastatic sarcoma, only 6 (1.3%) had cerebral metastases documented by brain scan at the time of referral for chemotherapy. Adriamycin‐containing combination chemotherapeutic regimens have led to a significant increase in the median survival of patients from the start of chemotherapy (18+ months for responders compared, to 7 months in nonresponders). Of 14 patients relapsing after a response or stabilization of disease of 6 months or greater, the cause of relapse was the development of cerebral metastases in 5 (36%). Two of these cases, one a patient with leiomyosarcoma and one with chondrosarcoma, were documented by autopsy and are reported in detail because of their rarity in the medical literature. Although the numbers are small, the increased incidence of cerebral metastases in the group relapsing after a lengthy response suggests that improved chemotherapy for sarcomas resulting in improved survival may be changing the pattern of metastatic disease, and may require new therapeutic approaches.
Sucrose Synthase

Sucrose synthase (SUS: EC 2.4.1.13), a key enzyme in plant sucrose catabolism, is uniquely able to mobilize sucrose into multiple pathways involved in metabolic, structural, and storage functions. Our research indicates that the biological function of SUS may extend beyond its catalytic activity. This inference is based on the following observations: a) tissue-specific, isoform-dependent and metabolically-regulated association of SUS with mitochondria and b) isoform-specific and anoxia-responsive interaction of SUS with the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), the major outer mitochondrial membrane protein. More recent work shows that both VDAC and SUS are also localized to the nucleus in maize seedling tissues. Their intricate regulation under anoxia indicates that these two proteins may have a role in inter-compartmental signaling.
Health care utilization by people with multiple sclerosis in The Netherlands: results of two separate studies

Purpose : For chronically ill persons it is assumed that they make heavy demands on health care services. In the literature one hardly finds any publications to substantiate or refute this assumption. The main purpose of our study is to describe the health care utilization of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Netherlands and its relationships with severity and duration of the disease. Methods : Two different samples of persons with MS were used. In the first sample (University Hospital Groningen) severity of MS was based on medical judgement, while in the second sample (Dutch Multiple Sclerosis Society) severity was self-reported. In both samples, use of health care facilities was assessed with a mail questionnaire. Results : The methods for determining severity resulted in different distributions for severity of MS. However, the results were quite similar with respect to health care utilization. It appeared that the severity of MS was related to the number of professional caretakers MS-patients had contact with during one year. Duration of MS seemed not to be related to the number of caretakers. Only for specific caretakers, most notably GP, physiotherapist, home help and ergotherapist, the contact frequency increased with severity of MS. No such relationship was found between the frequency of contact with the neurologist and severity of MS. Conclusions : People with MS do not make a heavy demand on health care facilities in general but only on certain health care provisions. This is in contrast with the general notion that all chronically ill make a heavy demand on health care facilities in general.
Uptake, distribution and elimination of alpha-pinene in man after exposure by inhalation.

The toxicokinetics of alpha-pinene were studied in human volunteers exposed by inhalation (2 h, 50 W) in an exposure chamber on four occasions. The exposures were about 10, 225, and 450 mg/m3 (+)-alpha-pinene and 450 mg/m3 (-)-alpha-pinene. The relative pulmonary uptake was about 60% for the higher exposures, and total uptake increased linearly with increasing exposure. The total blood clearance was high, about 1.11. h-1.kg-1. After the exposure was terminated, less than 0.001% of the total uptake was eliminated unchanged in the urine and about 8% in exhaled air. A long half-time in poorly perfused tissues indicates a high affinity to adipose tissues. There was a statistically significant exposure-response relationship among five subjects who experienced irritation. Short-time exposure to alpha-pinene did not give rise to acute changes in lung function 20 min after the exposure.
Mutation of the zebrafish glass onion locus causes early cell-nonautonomous loss of neuroepithelial integrity followed by severe neuronal patterning defects in the retina.

Mutation of the glass onion locus causes drastic neuronal patterning defects in the zebrafish retina and brain. The precise stratified appearance of the wild-type retina is absent in the mutants. The glass onion phenotype is first visible shortly after the formation of optic primordia and is characterized by the rounding of cells and disruption of the ventricular surface in the eye and brain neuroepithelia. With exception of the dorsal- and ventral-most regions of the brain, neuroepithelial cells lose their integrity and begin to distribute ectopically. At later stages, the laminar patterning of retinal neurons is severely disrupted. Despite the lack of lamination, individual retinal cell classes differentiate in the glass onion retina. Mosaic analysis reveals that the glass onion mutation acts cell nonautonomously within the retina and brain, as neuroepithelial cell morphology and polarity in these tissues are normal when mutant cells develop in wild-type hosts. We conclude that the glass onion mutation affects cell-cell signaling event(s) involved in the maintenance of the neuroepithelial cell layer shortly after its formation. The disruption of neuroepithelial integrity may be the cause of the neuronal patterning defects following neurogenesis. In addition, the expression of the glass onion phenotype in a subset of neuroepithelial cells as well as its onset following the initial formation of the neuroepithelial sheets indicate the presence of genetically distinct temporal and spatial subdivisions in the development of this histologically uniform tissue.