Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bone histomorphometry in celiac disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Bone metabolism in celiac patients is not well understood and there are no previous histomorphometric studies on bone of patients with celiac disease. The aim of the study was to investigate bone metabolism in celiac patients using bone histomorphometry, measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) and biochemical parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS The patient groups included 19 men and 23 women with previously diagnosed celiac disease in remission (group I), 7 women not in remission (group II) and 19 women and 9 men with newly diagnosed celiac disease (group III). Static and dynamic parameters of bone structure, formation and resorption were measured using undecalcified sections. The following parameters were obtained: bone volume (BV/TV; %), osteoid volume (OV/BV; %), osteoid surface (OS/BS; %), resoprtion surface (ES/BS; %), osteoid thickness(Oth; microm), mineral apposition rate (MAR; microm/day), and mineralization lag time (MinLag; day). BMD was measured at the spine (L2-4) and left femoral neck, trochanter and Ward's triangle. Serum calcium (S-Ca; mmol/L), alkaline phosphatase (AP; U/L), intact parathyroid hormone (S-PTH; ng/L), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25(OH)D; nmol/L), cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptide of human type I collagen (S-ICTP; microg/L) and C-terminal extension peptide of type I procollagen (S-PICP; microg/L) were analysed. RESULTS In the histomorphometric analysis there were no significant differences in static or dynamic parameters between the groups. Very low bone mass (< 10%) was found in one patient in every group. OV/BV was increased (> 3.5%) in all groups (31% in group I, 13% in group II and 29% in group III). OS/BS was increased (> 36.5%) in groups I and III (17% and 29% respectively). In group II OS/BS was normal in all patients. Mineralization defect was found in four patients in group I and in two patients in group III with otherwise normal histomorphometric results. ES/BS was increased in three patients in group I and III and in one patient in group II. One female patient in group III had increased osteoid parameters, resorption surface, S-PTH and low concentration of vitamin D reflecting hyperparathyroid changes in bone. S-PTH was increased (66-87 ng/L) in four patients in group III and one of these patients had hyperparathyroid histological changes in bone. CONCLUSIONS Static and dynamic histomorphometry of iliac crest bone biopsy are useful tools to evaluate bone metabolism in celiac disease especially if hyperparathyroidism or mineralization defect are suspected. Hyperparathyroidism may be a problem in the patients before introducing gluten-free diet. Mineralization defect and osteomalacic changes are common later on irrespective of whether the patients are in remission or not.
Analysis of Correlation Phase Algorithm for adaptive filters in digital QAM systems

This paper first describes Correlation Phase Algorithm (CPhiA) for adaptive filters to be used in digital QAM systems. We present stochastic models for two types of impulse noise intruding adaptive filters: one in observation noise and another at filter input. Performance analysis of the CPhiA in the presence of both types of impulse noise is fully developed to derive difference equations for calculating transient and steady-state convergence behavior. Through experiment with simulations and theoretical calculations of filter convergence for some examples, we demonstrate high robustness of the CPhiA in impulsive noise environments. Good agreement between simulated and theoretical convergence validates the analysis.
Solder joint degradation analysis using Time Domain Reflectometry

Solder joints on the Printed-Circuit board (PCB) serve as mechanical and electrical connections. Their function maybe simple, but the reliability of the solder joints may affect the entire device or system. They are usually the weak links when the electronic products are exposed to a variety of load conditions from their operation and storage, such as temperature cycling, vibration, shock and humidity. One of the most important parameters of solder joints is electrical stability. The resistance or impedance will rise as the fracture spreads through the solder joints. The reliability of solder joints is often determined through continuous DC resistance measurement, but it not very sensitive. In recent years, Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) technique has been found to be a better alternative that are required for monitoring the degradation of interconnects. At high frequencies, signal propagation is concentrated at the surface of interconnects, a phenomenon known as the skin effect. Degradation of interconnects, such as cracking of solder joints due to fatigue or shock loading, also usually initiates at the surface and propagates inward. Therefore, even a small crack at the surface of a solder joint may change RF impedance. A physical crack initiated at the surface of the solder joints results in the increase of RF impedance. Thus, the crack length should be correlative with RF impedance or Reflection Coefficient, and the failure time of the solder joint could be estimated in view of electronic theory and the theory of fracture. A mathematic model was proposed to predict the relationship between the time domain reflection coefficient of solder joint and the crack length in it.
The Drosophila cell cycle gene fizzy is required for normal degradation of cyclins A and B during mitosis and has homology to the CDC20 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The Drosophila cell cycle gene fizzy (fzy) is required for normal execution of the metaphase-anaphase transition. We have cloned fzy, and confirmed this by P-element mediated germline transformation rescue. Sequence analysis predicts that fzy encodes a protein of 526 amino acids, the carboxy half of which has significant homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle gene CDC20. A monoclonal antibody against fzy detects a single protein of the expected size, 59 kD, in embryonic extracts. In early embryos fzy is expressed in all proliferating tissues; in late embryos fzy expression declines in a tissue-specific manner correlated with cessation of cell division. During interphase fzy protein is present in the cytoplasm; while in mitosis fzy becomes ubiquitously distributed throughout the cell except for the area occupied by the chromosomes. The metaphase arrest phenotype caused by fzy mutations is associated with failure to degrade both mitotic cyclins A and B, and an enrichment of spindle microtubules at the expense of astral microtubules. Our data suggest that fzy function is required for normal cell cycle-regulated proteolysis that is necessary for successful progress through mitosis.
Cointegration and direct tests of the rational expectations hypothesis

The paper is concerned with direct tests of the rational expectations hypothesis (REH) in the presence of stationary and non-stationary variables. Alternative methods of converting qualitative survey responses into quantitative expectations series are examined. Testing of orthogonality and the issue of generated regressors for models estimated by two step methods are re-evaluated when the variable to be explained is stationary. A methodological approach for testing the REH is provided for models using qualitative response data when there are unit roots and cointegration, and alternative reasons are examined for rejecting the null hypothesis of orthogonality. The usefulness of cointegration analysis for both the probability and regression conversion procedures is also analysed. Cointegration is found to be directly applicable for the probability conversion approach with uniform, normal and logistic distributions of expectations and for the linear regressicn conversion approach. In the light of new techniqu.
Institutions as a factor of (regional) growth and development

Regional differences have become a frequent problem in all countries regardless of their development level. However, there are significant disproportions between level differences of a specific country. Many European Union Member States are concerned with significant regional differences as well as differences at their national levels. Determination of regional differences is usually performed according to economic criteria (e.g., GDP, unemployment rate of working-age population, revenues within local government, investments, extraction for education in GDP, foreign direct investments, etc.). However, taking into consideration just the economic indicators most of the time does not give a unique response when considering causes of the differences created. Therefore, the aim of the paper is to determine the institutional impact as a noneconomic indicator in growth and development differences – within-country and between-country differences. In this paper, institutions are considered to be comprised by North’s definition (2003, 13), according to which “institutions are the rules of behaviour in a society, or more formally speaking, the restrictions on which man has figured out how to shape human interaction”. Focus on economic criteria of monitoring the differences is usually expressed by economic growth. But, development comprises a wide variety of indicators reflecting the welfare of a specific country. Examples of differences within and between a certain country (countries) are going to be the frame for displaying a de facto situation. Besides, as growth and development are cine qua non components of every country, research and contribution of institutions are a necessity. Institutional performance of formal and informal institutions differs significantly. According to the predominance of a specific institutional form, it is possible to outline different guidelines of institutional impact. The purpose of this paper, according to the institutional activity framework in a specific country, is to record the influence on economic development of a specific territory (region) or economy as a whole.
LESSons in minimally invasive urology

Since the introduction of laparoscopic surgery, the promise of lower postoperative morbidity and improved cosmesis has been achieved. LaparoEndoscopic Single Site (LESS) surgery potentially takes this further. Following the first human urological LESS report in 2007, numerous case series have emerged, as well as comparative studies comparing LESS with standard laparoscopy. Technological developments in instrumentation, access and optics devices are overcoming some of the challenges that are raised when operating through a single site. Further advances in the technique have included the incorporation of robotics (R‐LESS), which exploit the ergonomic benefits of ex vivo robotic platforms in an attempt to further improve the implementation of LESS procedures. In the future, urologists may be able to benefit from in vivo micro‐robots that will allow the manipulation of tissue from internal repositionable platforms. The use of magnetic anchoring and guidance systems (MAGS) might allow the external manoeuvring of intra‐corporeal instruments to reduce clashing and facilitate triangulation. However, the final promise in minimally invasive surgery is natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), with its scarless technique. It remains to be seen whether NOTES, LESS, or any of these future developments will prove their clinical utility over standard laparoscopic methods.
Vehicle pose estimation in WAMI imagery via deep convolutional neural networks

Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) are usually taken from unmaned air vehicles at low frame rates, and having very wide ground coverage. These images serve as rich source for many applications like surveillance, urban planing and traffic monitoring. Thus, understanding WAMI imagery exploitation has been gaining more interest recent years. In this paper, we focus on estimating the pose of vehicles in WAMI imagery. The difficulty of this task lies in that a vehicle only occupies a very small low-contrast region with confusing visual appearance in a WAMI image, which raises a serious problem for conventional approaches based on low-level image cues or priors. In this paper, we tackle this problem by adopting deep learning approach, using deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to learn the pose of vehicles in WAMI images. The proposed deep convolutional network based pose estimation exceeds baseline by 31.5%. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of different level of context information on the estimation accuracy.
Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Ten- to 13-year follow-up study.

In the past decade, two concepts have caused considerable controversy in orthopedic surgery of the knee. Some orthopedic centers contend that osteotomy of the tibia is the procedure of choice for unicompartmental gonarthrosis of the knee and resist the concept of unicompartmental arthroplasty. The other concept is that if unicompartmental arthroplasty is necessary, the entire joint should be replaced, since the uninvolved compartment may develop arthritis in the future. This concept is illogical and contrary to the basic orthopedic principle of preserving normal structures whenever possible. It is obvious that joint replacements may not last the life of the patient and the need for revision must be considered; therefore, the original procedure should preserve as much bone stock as possible. The purposes of this review of unicompartmental replacement are to resolve these questions with data on long-term results of unicompartmental arthroplasty compared with data on high tibial osteotomy, to evaluate the cause of failures, and to improve future results. Eighty-seven consecutive unicompartmental arthroplasties were performed between November 1972 and April 1976. There were 60 knees available for study, with a minimum ten-year (average, 11-year) follow-up period. The results were evaluated using the Hospital for Special Surgery rating system, with 30 excellent, eight good, four fair, and 18 poor results. Seventy percent of the patients had satisfactory results, and pain relief was accomplished in 86.6% of patients. Of the 21 failures, the majority were due to material or technical problems and improper selection of the patients. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Phytochemicals , Phenolic Content , Antioxidant , Free Radical Scavenging and Antimicrobial Potentials

This study examined the phytochemicals and medicinal properties of the floral essential oil of O. basilicum var. purpureum from Nigeria. The GC and GC-MS analyses revealed the presence of twenty-five organic compounds making up 99.7% of the total percentage composition of the essential oil. The most abundant components was phenolic compound called methyleugenol (15.5%), followed by 2phenyl-1-hexanol (14.0%), 1-(4,5-dimethyl-2-nitrophenyl)-1Htetraazole (14.0%), 2-methyl-3,5-dodecadiyne (14.0%), onitrocumene (14.0%) and patchoulane (6.7%). The total phenolic content was quantitatively determined as 459 μgmg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) confirming the presence of high amount of phenolic compounds in the floral essential oil. The DPPH IC50 value was 1.0 μgml , the essential oil was capable of scavenging free radicals in a range of 73-86% and the antioxidant power of the essential oil increased with concentration. The essential oil was found to be 90% more active than the synthetic antioxidant (ascorbic acid). The essential oil was also found to exert excellent antibacterial properties compared to standard antibiotics. The floral essential oil was significantly active against all tested species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with high zones of inhibition between 15-30mm. The bacteria inhibition of the essential oil was found to be positively correlated with their terpenoid and phenolic contents. The results from this study indicated that the floral essential oil showed potential as a good source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial drugs and may impart health benefits by its pharmacological properties.
The human all-round development evaluation model based on revised G1 by standard deviation and empirical research

According to the meaning of scientific development concept,this paper constructed the comprehensive human all-round development evaluation index system through rules such as quality of human, quality of life,economic development,social development,ecological and human capital,and used revised Gl by standard deviation to get the weights.This paper sets up evaluation model to appraise the development status of 2001-2007 of China.The contribution characteristics lie in two aspects.Firstly,through evaluation of the quality of human,quality of life,economic development,social development,ecological and human capital,index system reflects the harmony between human and society,human and nature, human and human.Secondly,the new weighing way of revised Gl could reflect expert opinion and data information,which avoided the problem of subjectively deciding the important indicators that lacking of impersonal basis.
Biological Relevance of Colony Morphology and Phenotypic Switching by Burkholderia pseudomallei

ABSTRACT Melioidosis is a notoriously protracted illness and is difficult to cure. We hypothesize that the causative organism, Burkholderia pseudomallei, undergoes a process of adaptation involving altered expression of surface determinants which facilitates persistence in vivo and that this is reflected by changes in colony morphology. A colony morphotyping scheme and typing algorithm were developed using clinical B. pseudomallei isolates. Morphotypes were divided into seven types (denoted I to VII). Type I gave rise to other morphotypes (most commonly type II or III) by a process of switching in response to environmental stress, including starvation, iron limitation, and growth at 42°C. Switching was associated with complex shifts in phenotype, one of which (type I to type II) was associated with a marked increase in production of factors putatively associated with in vivo concealment. Isogenic types II and III, derived from type I, were examined using several experimental models. Switching between isogenic morphotypes occurred in a mouse model, where type II appeared to become adapted for persistence in a low-virulence state. Isogenic type II demonstrated a significant increase in intracellular replication fitness compared with parental type I after uptake by epithelial cells in vitro. Isogenic type III demonstrated a higher replication fitness following uptake by macrophages in vitro, which was associated with a switch to type II. Mixed B. pseudomallei morphologies were common in individual clinical specimens and were significantly more frequent in samples of blood, pus, and respiratory secretions than in urine and surface swabs. These findings have major implications for therapeutics and vaccine development.
Comparative analysis of multilevel inverter topologies for photovoltaic system

In this paper, a comparative analysis of 7-level inverter topologies suitable for photovoltaic system is presented. The analysis is based on cost, components, control complexity, and efficiency. The topologies chosen for comparative study are: (i) Conventional Cascaded H-bridge (ii) H-bridge with level transformers (iii) H-bridge with bidirectional switch and (iv) H-bridge with multiple sources. All the topologies are based on cascaded H-bridge or its modified version as cascaded topology requires least components and modular structure suitable for medium voltage applications. The comparative analysis investigates the multilevel inverter topology suitable for photovoltaic system. The comparative analysis is demonstrated via simulation study of each topology using MATLAB/Simulink.
Asymptomatic Norovirus Infections in Nicaraguan Children and its Association With Viral Properties and Histo-blood Group Antigens

Background: It has been previously reported that histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs) and particularly secretor status provides protection against symptomatic norovirus infection, but it remains unclear to what extent this includes asymptomatic infections in children. Methods: To explore whether HBGAs or certain viral genotypes are associated with asymptomatic norovirus infections in a pediatric population in Nicaragua, we investigated 163 children ≤5 years of age, without a recent history of diarrhea (≤10 days). Results: Asymptomatic norovirus infections were observed in 11.7% (19/163), with children ≤6 months of age being most frequently infected (16%). Of the 19 norovirus-positive children, 4 (21%) and 10 (53%) were infected with genogroups GI and GII, respectively, and 4 children (21%) were infected with viruses of both genogroups. Most children had ≥106 viral genomes per gram of feces. Nucleotide sequence analysis (15/19) revealed uncommon genotypes, such as, GII.7 (n = 5) and GII.2 (n = 3). An interesting observation was the low frequency of norovirus GII.4 strains among the asymptomatic children. AB blood type, Lewis a (Lea+b−) phenotype and nonsecretor genotype (se428se428) were not found among the asymptomatic children, but they occurred in population controls. Conclusions: Frequency of asymptomatic norovirus infections was similar to that observed in symptomatic children from Nicaragua. Norovirus GII.2 and GII.7 were frequently detected but the globally dominating GII.4 was infrequent. Host genetic factors previously observed to be associated with protection against symptomatic norovirus infection were not found in this study.
The Impact of Fluoride on Ameloblasts and the Mechanisms of Enamel Fluorosis

Intake of excess amounts of fluoride during tooth development cause enamel fluorosis, a developmental disturbance that makes enamel more porous. In mild fluorosis, there are white opaque striations across the enamel surface, whereas in more severe cases, the porous regions increase in size, with enamel pitting, and secondary discoloration of the enamel surface. The effects of fluoride on enamel formation suggest that fluoride affects the enamel-forming cells, the ameloblasts. Studies investigating the effects of fluoride on ameloblasts and the mechanisms of fluorosis are based on in vitro cultures as well as animal models. The use of these model systems requires a biologically relevant fluoride dose, and must be carefully interpreted in relation to human tooth formation. Based on these studies, we propose that fluoride can directly affect the ameloblasts, particularly at high fluoride levels, while at lower fluoride levels, the ameloblasts may respond to local effects of fluoride on the mineralizing matrix. A new working model is presented, focused on the assumption that fluoride increases the rate of mineral formation, resulting in a greater release of protons into the forming enamel matrix.
The Yin and Yang of the H-Channel and Its Role in Epilepsy

Voltage-gated ion channels clearly are involved in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, with evidence implicating derangement of Na+, K+, and Ca2+ voltage-gated channels, in both inherited and acquired forms of epilepsy (1). A newcomer to this list of ion channels involved in epilepsy is the hyperpolarization-activated cation channel or h-channel (otherwise known as Ih or the pacemaker channel). This voltage-gated channel now is known to play a significant role in regulating neuronal excitability and recently has been shown to be modulated by seizures. Unlike other channels implicated in epilepsy whose function in normal neurons can clearly be labeled “excitatory” (Na+ and Ca2+) or “inhibitory” (K+), the unique physiologic behavior of the h-channel allows it to both augment and decrease the excitability of neurons. Thus the role of Ih in epilepsy, at present, is controversial and is a growing area of intense investigation (2,3).