Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Gabapentin on Postoperative Pain Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Background and purpose: Postoperative pain is the most common problem after elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This study assessed the effect of gabapentin on postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Materials and methods: In this study 80 patients aged 20-60 (ASA class I, II) who were candidates for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomized into two groups to receive gabapentin 600 mg (n=40) and placebo (n=40). The pain was evaluated by a visual analogue scale (VAS) at 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 18, and 24 hour post operation. Intravenous morphine was administrated to treat postoperative pain on VAS>3. Morphine consumption and pain scores were recorded. Results: The means of intravenous morphine consumption were 2.5 ± 2.6 mg and 2.7 ± 2.7 mg in the gabapentin group and the placebo group, respectively which showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). We also found no significant difference in the average pain score of the two groups in the first 24 hours after surgery (P>0.05). Conclusion: According to this study, the analgesic effect of gabapentin at a single dose of 600 mg before laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not obvious, so we recommend it at repeated and higher doses.
A genetic analysis of breeding success in the cooperative meerkat (Suricata suricatta)

Measurement of reproductive skew in social groups is fundamental to understanding the evolution and maintenance of sociality, as it determines the immediate fitness benefits to helpers of staying and helping in a group. However, there is a lack of studies in natural populations that provide reliable measures of reproductive skew and the correlates of reproductive success, particularly in vertebrates. We present results of a study that uses a combination of field and genetic (microsatellite) data on a cooperatively breeding mongoose, the meerkat (Suricata suricatta). We sampled 458 individuals from 16 groups at two sites and analyzed parentage of pups in 110 litters with up to 12 microsatellites. We show that there is strong reproductive skew in favor of dominants, but that the extent of skew differs between the sexes and between different sites. Our data suggest that the reproductive skew arises from incest avoidance and reproductive suppression of the subordinates by the dominants. Copyright 2003.
The anchorage mechanics of deep rooted larch, Larix europea × L. japonica

The anchorage of deep rooted 16-year-old larch trees, Larix europea x japonica, has been studied by combining winching tests with analyses of strain around the base of the trunk and root system and mechanical tests on individual roots. These showed that anchorage is provided by the laterals which emerge from around the stem base, sinker roots which emerge along their length, and tap roots positioned directly underneath the bole. During anchorage failure the leeward laterals are bent and eventually break close to their base, whilst the windward laterals are pulled out of the ground, with their sinker roots intact. After initially being confined by the soil and bending, the tap root rotates in the soil. Anchorage failure is similar when the soil is dry as when it is wet, but failure occurs closer to the trunk. Strain measurements along the lateral roots revealed that the stresses were highest close to the trunk and that these regions of the roots contribute most to tree stability. The two major components of anchorage were found to be the resistance of leeward laterals to bending and the resistance of tap roots and windward sinkers to uprooting. Bending tests on leeward laterals revealed that they provide around 25% of tree anchorage. Almost 75% of the anchorage strength must, therefore, be provided by the windward sinkers and tap roots. Anchorage strength of roots was positively correlated to their cross-sectional area. The vertical orientation of the sinkers makes the anchorage system of larch more efficient than the plate system formed by Sitka spruce on waterlogged soils and means that no root-soil plate is formed.
Competitive effects of redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) and lambsquarter (Chenopodium album) on potato

In order to study the effects of redroot pigweed and lambsquarter densities on potato yield, an additive experiment were conducted in 2004 and 2005. This experiment was done in split plot based on randomized complete block design with four replications. Treatments were two weed species in main plots and weed density in sub plots (0, 2, 4 and 8 plant per meter of row). Hyperbolic and exponential models were used to model the effect of redroot pigweed andlambsquarter densities on potato yield. The best model was the hyperbolic model. However, the differences between the two models were not significant. 2, 4 and 8 plant of redroot pigweed per meter of row reduced potato yield 15.72, 28.55 and 36.04% in 2004 and 13.18, 23.05 and 31.85% in 2005. These values for lambsquarter were 9.73, 18.84 and 25.09% for 2004 and 8.28, 15.17 and 21.59% for 2005. Key words: Competition, Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, Solanum tuberosum.
Tour-sites Recommendation Mechanism for Navigation System

This work proposed a hierarchical tour-sites recommendation mechanism based on tourist group which is context, location, and time awareness. This mechanism includes two parts, Inter-site and Intra-site. We adopted the Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (AFSA) to build this two parts tour-sites recommendation mechanism. In the Inter-site recommendation, we combined Co-occurrence concept to predict the interest of tourists. We formulate the problem of choosing the paths among the vehicles in the same region by using non-cooperative game theory, and find out the solution of this game which is known as Nash equilibrium. This mechanism determined on reducing the average waiting time of tourist and balancing the congestion degree of sites in a city and presents a recommendation mechanism for vehicle-sharing. Moreover, it took the demand of tourists into consideration. The experimental results showed that the mechanism we proposed improve the tourism experience for tourist groups.
Robot Navigation in Forest Management Based on Graph

This paper reports on an application of robotics to the management of a trees intended for eventual harvest. Such management requires periodic cutting extraneous growth around the trees. We proposes the trajectory computation for guidance of the robot in the forest is carried out based on a weighted undirected graph G with trees as vertices. The graph to be used in the navigation system is ( ) , the line graph of G. The vertices of ( ) represent the midpoints of the edges of and the midpoints of each tree pair. The ( ) would be safety paths for the robot pass through. Our robot was able to follow a part of the trajectory computed in experimental forest, thus demonstrating the feasibility of forest maintenance by an autonomous.
Evidence for egg brooding and parental care in icefish and other notothenioids in the Southern Ocean

One of the least known Antarctic fish species is the icefish Chionobathyscus dewitti described first in 1978. Some of its reproductive characteristics appear to be similar to other channichthyids of similar size and shape. Females close to spawning have gonado–somatic indices (GSIs) of more than 20, and absolute fecundity was 2967 to 15612 oocytes in females 33–62 cm long. Relative fecundity was 7.6 in one female. Spawning has been observed in the Ross Sea at 1300 to 1500 m depth from January to March. Chionobathyscus dewitti may exhibit a remarkable egg carrying behaviour: eggs stick together in batches around the pelvic fins of females. The comparatively large number of mature males observed with no indication of an egg batch attached to their ventral fins makes it unlikely that males are involved in egg carrying. The few larvae of C. dewitti caught so far occurred from October onwards. Their size indicates that they have hatched as early as September. This suggests an incubation period of at least six months. We compare this with parental care reported in other notothenioids.
Phase I study of tramatinib combined with sorafenib in patients (pts) with advanced hepatocellular cancer (HCC).

431 Background: RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK (MAPK) signaling pathway is associated with proliferation, progression, and survival of HCC. Preclinical data suggests that activation of MAPK pathway may be one of resistant mechanisms of sorafenib, and the combination of MEK inhibitor and sorafenib can induce synergistic anticancer activity in HCC. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of trametinib (MEK inhibitor) combined with sorafenib in HCC. Methods: This was a phase I single center study with standard 3+3 design for pts with treatment naïve advanced HCC. The primary endpoints are determining dose limiting toxicities (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD). Secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and disease control rate (DCR). Initial plan was to enroll pts in 4 escalating dose levels (dl)—trametinib 1mg daily (qd)/sorafenib 200mg twice daily (bid)(dl 1), trametinib 1.5mg qd/sorafenib 200mg bid (dl 2), trametinib 1.5mg qd/sorafenib 400mg bid (dl 3), trametinib 2mg qd/sorafenib 400mg bid (dl 4). Eligible pts had advanced unresectable HCC, ECOG PS 1, Child-Pugh Score 6, and adequate organ function. Results: 17 pts were treated in 3 different dl of trametinib and sorafenib (3 in dl 1, 8 in dl 2, and 6 in dl 3). Median age was 65 years (range 40-80) with 64.7% male. All pts were evaluated for toxicity, but only 15 were evaluable for DLT. 2 pts were replaced as they came off of study within 1 month (1 pt in dl 3 due to varices unrelated to the study drug, 1 pt in dl 2 for voluntary withdrawal due to side effects). DLT was noted in dl 3 with 2 pts (grade 4 hypertension (HTN) and grade 3 elevated (elev) of bilirubin/AST/ALT > 7 days). Most common grade 3/4 treatment related adverse events were elev AST (47.1%), HTN (23.5%), elev Alk Phos (17.6%), elev ALT (5.9%), elev bilirubin (5.9%), and diarrhea (5.9%). The median PFS was 4.0 months (mo), and median OS was 5.8 mo. 11 pts were evaluable for response after cycle 2 (8 stable disease (SD), 2 disease progression (PD), 1 partial response). 3 pts were evaluable for response after cycle 4 (1 SD, 2 PD). DCR was 63.6%. Conclusions: Trametinib and sorafenib can be safely administered up to trametinib 1.5mg qd and sorafenib 200mg bid for pts with advanced HCC. Clinical trial information: NCT02292173.
Membrane protein assembly: Rules of the game

Integral membrane proteins are found in all cellular membranes and fulfil many of the functions that are central to life. A critical step in the biosynthesis of membrane proteins is their insertion into the lipid bilayer. The mechanisms of membrane protein insertion and folding are becoming increasingly better understood, and efficient methods for the ab initio prediction of three‐dimensional protein structure from the primary amino acid sequence may be within reach. Already, the basic tools needed for engineering and de novo design of integral membrane proteins seem to be at hand.
AN extension of the PML technique to the fdtd analysis of multilayer planar circuits and antennas

The perfectly matched layer (PML) technique is extended to structures including different dielectric layers and transmission lines. It is applied to the rigorous finite difference-time-domain (FDTD) analysis of a microstrip line and of a microstrip antenna. Comparisons with Mur absorbing boundary conditions (ABCs) and with experiments are included. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
ROLE OF WORKLOAD, SLEEP, MENTAL HEALTH AND INDIVIDUAL FACTORS IN OCCURRENCE OF NURSING ERRORS

Background and Objective: Occurrence of nursing error is important issue in patients safety. This study was done to determine the role of workload, sleep, mental health and individual factors in occurrence of nursing errors. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was done on 268 nurses who employed in hospitals of Tehran University during 2011. Data were collected by demographical information questionnaire along with work environment conditions, Global Sleep Assessment Questionnaire (GSAQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Symptom Questionnaire (PSSQ) and Mental Health Inventory (MHI-28). Results: Sleep distruptions (OR=3.260, P<0.002), sleep behaviors (OR=2.946, P<0.003), psychological distress (OR=2.530, P<0.006), psychological well-being (OR=0.775, P<0.002), and work overload (OR=5.240, P<0.009) significantly able to predict occurrence of nursing errors (P<0.05). Conclusion: Work overload, sleep distruptions, sleep behaviors, psychological distress and psychological well-being cooperatively were resulting in occurrence of nursing errors. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Optical wireless data center networks: potentials, limitations, and prospects

Data centers (DCs) are intrinsic to emerging technologies which require to store and process massive amounts of versatile data through large-scale networks of computing and storage units. Conventional wired DC networks (DCNs) with static links and finite network interfaces suffer from cabling cost and complexity as scalability increases, lack the flexibility to handle the dynamic and large volume of traffic outbursts (i.e., hotspots), and have limited bisection bandwidths mainly due to the switching speeds. Therefore, optical wireless DCNs have recently attracted attention by their capability to augment the inherent restrictions of wired DCNs. In addition to the reduced cost of wiring, wireless communication can provide a flexible topology to overcome oversubscriptions and hotspots. Moreover, it is possible to adapt the link capacities in accordance with the quality of service demands of different services and flow classes. Furthermore, wireless communication can also make it possible to eliminate switches by establishing direct links among the servers. In this paper, we first present potential state- of-art optical wireless technologies. Second, practical challenges of design and provisioning of optical wireless communications in real-life DCNs are outlined along with a survey of recent advances and implementations. Finally, we motivate researchers with the exciting prospects of optical wireless DCNs including physical and virtual topology design, interference management, multiple access techniques, traffic management and grooming, and flow classification.
Changes in cell number and cell size during pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) fruit development and their relationship with fruit size

In mainland China, more than 80% of pineapples (Ananas comosus L.) grown are the cultivar ‘Comte de Paris’. Fruit size is an important commercial trait in crops such as pineapple and it is generally believed that cell number and cell size play an important role during fruit size regulation; however, few cellular biological studies on pineapple fruit development have been conducted. To better understand the regulation of pineapple fruit size, the changes in cell number and cell size during fruit development were analysed. Pineapple cv. ‘Comte de Paris’ fruit were collected every 15 days from 0 to 75 days after the first flower appeared (DAFF), and the flesh of the second (top) and the sixth (base) fruitlets were selected for histological observation. Cell size exhibited a rapid increase up to 60 DAFF, while the cell rapidly proliferated up to 30 DAFF, then slowed down but continued to proliferate. Although grown under identical conditions, ‘Comte de Paris’ pineapples grew to different sizes. The results showed that the cell number, the cell size and the number of fruitlets were correlated with the final fruit size/weight regulation, but that cell number played the most important role.
Variability of phycobiliproteins in cyanobacteria detected by delayed fluorescence excitation spectroscopy and its relevance for determination of phytoplankton composition of natural water samples

Delayed fluorescence (DF) excitation spectroscopy is a fast in vivo method to determine phytoplankton composition in freshwaters using the signature of photosynthetically active pigments which is characteristic in each algal class. Four classes could be distinguished: green algae (including Chlorophyceae, Euglenophyceae and Conjugatophyceae), chromophyte algae (including Bacillariophyceae, Chrysophyceae and Dinophyta), Cryptophyta and cyanobacteria. The DF excitation spectra of various cyanobacteria species were investigated with the aim of improving the reliability of the results obtained by DF. Exposing cyanobacteria to different ambient light conditions did not significantly influence the shape of DF excitation spectra. However, the DF excitation spectra of different cyanobacteria species showed different signatures: a high species-specific variability of the ratio phycocyanin (PC):phycoerithrin (PE):allophycocyanin (APC) derived from DF excitation spectra was observed. This variability has to be taken into account when using DF to determine phytoplankton composition in freshwaters dominated by cyanobacteria. The quality of the fits could be significantly improved by using calibration spectra of cyanobacteria species which are, according to their spectral features, at least similar to those species present in the investigated water body.
Vegetation relations in the border regions of NE Finland and Russian Karelia: a review of Wainio (1878)

Abstract E. A. Vainio (Wainio) defended his doctoral thesis, “Vegetation relations in the border regions of NE Finland and Russian Karelia” in 1878 at the age of 24. This was the first biological dissertation published in Finnish. In his work Vainio presented relations between plant species in his study area, and identified factors that increased or decreased the dominance of different kinds of vegetation and distributional limits for different species. Vainio expressed the early idea of site-type classification based on vegetation patterns: “Plant species tend to grow in certain clusters which occupy bigger or smaller surfaces, which offer them similar kinds of physical–chemical conditions”. He defined the concept of plant topography, clarified which plant species clusters were present in his study area, what chemical–physical conditions defined them and the reasons for their existence. A. K. Cajander developed these ideas further in his classical forest and mire site-type classifications in the early twentieth century. Although Vainio's work was ahead of his time since he not only described plant communities but also tried to explain their existence with a site-ecological approach, his Finnish colleagues did not cite Vainio's study during his lifetime, mainly for political reasons. His life demonstrates that a person's influence may be hidden because of personal and/or political causes.
Similar performance in central and range‐edge populations of a Eurasian steppe grass under different climate and soil pH regimes

The abundant centre hypothesis predicts that changing environmental conditions are detrimental to a species' abundance and performance towards the periphery of its range. We tested these predictions for the perennial grass Stipa capillata, a species that is commonly found in steppes of Asia but is rare at its north-western range edge, in central Europe. We compared 21 populations in dry grassland fragments in central Europe and 20 populations in steppe habitats of Kazakhstan. We studied 15 plant performance traits both in situ and under laboratory and common greenhouse conditions, including local density, plant size and biomass production, seed size, weight and viability. To assess environmental conditions, we assembled data on topography, soil properties and climatic parameters. Using variance components analysis and multivariate methods we analyzed whether plant performance and environmental attributes differed more, as predicted, between the core and peripheral regions or whether they differed more among their subregions or populations. Additionally, we tested whether performance was affected by the same set of environmental predictors in each region. Contrary to our expectations, plant performance traits were virtually unchanged between the range periphery and centre. As expected, macroclimatic conditions showed a significant difference between the two regions (annual mean temperature, annual precipitation). The only other measured environmental variable that differed significantly between the two regions was soil pH, which was lower in core-range populations. Our findings thus do not support the notion of reduced performance at the range edge. Instead, our data lend support to earlier theories of relative habitat constancy, suggesting that peripheral populations can shift to other habitats through plasticity or adaptation.
Input-current shaped ac to dc converters

Input current shaping techniques for ac-to-dc converters were investigated. Input frequencies much higher than normal, up to 20 kHz were emphasized. Several methods of shaping the input current waveform in ac-to-dc converters were reviewed. The simplest method is the LC filter following the rectifier. The next simplest method is the resistor emulation approach in which the inductor size is determined by the converter switching frequency and not by the line input frequency. Other methods require complicated switch drive algorithms to construct the input current waveshape. For a high-frequency line input, on the order of 20 kHz, the simple LC cannot be discarded so peremptorily, since the inductor size can be compared with that for the resistor emulation method. In fact, since a dc regulator will normally be required after the filter anyway, the total component count is almost the same as for the resistor emulation method, in which the filter is effectively incorporated into the regulator.
15-year clinical experience in ATG induction after renal transplantation

Objective To summarize the experience of ATG induction combined with standard irnmunosuppression in order to prolong the long-term survival of patient/kidney after renal transplantation.Method The data of renal transplantation in 1632 cases who received renal transplantation from Jan.1997 to Jan.2012 were summarized.The data of the recipients were calculated,such as the 1-,3-,5-,10-and 15-year survival rate of patient/graft,and other factors affecting transplantation outcomes.Results The 1-,3-,5-,10-and 15-year survival rate of patient/graft (％) was 97.0/96.7,93.2/87.8,88.2/77.8,78.5/51.7,and 40.2/30.4 respectively.The incidence of acute rejection (AR) was 9.1％ (149 cases). The incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) was 7.7％ (126 cases). The incidence of chronic graft dysfunction was 17.9％ (292 cases). The incidence of infection and cancer after transplantation was 13.4％ (219 cases) and 1.2％ (19cases) respectively.Mortality of recipients after transplantation was 7.6％ (124 cases). Among the 173 dead cases,53.2％ (66 cases) was caused by infections,33.9％ (42 cases) by cardiovascular complication,and 8.9％ (11 cases) by cancer,respectively.Conclusion The regimen of ATG induction therapy combined with standard triple immunosuppressive therapy can prevent acute rejection effectively in the early period after renal transplantation.It is an effective treatment to improve long-term patient/graft survival. Key words: Kidney transplantation; ATG; Induction therapy; Survival rate