Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Noninfected tenosynovitis of the digital flexor tendon sheath: a retrospective analysis of 76 cases.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY Until recently, the pathogenesis of noninfected tenosynovitis of the digital flexor tendon sheath (DFTS) has been considered obscure. With the advent of tenoscopy some inciting causes have been described, but to date few cases with a precise diagnosis have been reported. HYPOTHESIS Tenoscopic surgery enables accurate diagnosis and facilitates treatment of noninfected tenosynovitis of the DFTS. METHODS The case records of all horses with noninfected tenosynovitis of the DFTS admitted to a referral clinic over a 7-year period were evaluated retrospectively. Follow-up information was obtained by telephone questionnaire. RESULTS A total of 76 horses were referred; all were evaluated tenoscopically and 11 of these subsequently were explored by open surgical techniques. The most common diagnoses were marginal tears of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) (n = 44) and tears of the manica flexoria (MF) (n = 23). Greater than 6 months' follow-up information was available for 61 animals, of which 68% were sound and 54% returned to preoperative levels of performance. Sheath distension was eliminated in 33% and improved in 69% of horses. Marginal tears of the DDFT, marked preoperative distension and open surgical repair of deep digital flexor lesions were associated with reduced levels of post operative performance: Marginal tears were associated with post operative lameness and long tears with a reduced performance level compared with short tears. Marginal tears of the deep digital flexor tendon, marked preoperative distension and increasing duration of clinical signs also were associated with lack of improvement in distension following surgery. CONCLUSION Tenosynovitis of the DFTS may result from tears in the deep or superficial digital flexor tendons, manica flexoria or other structures with synovial communication. To date, these can be identified confidently only by tenoscopy, which also permits appropriate lesion management. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE The diagnostic information obtained from and therapeutic options offered by tenoscopy justify its early use in cases of noninfected tenosynovitis of the DFTS.
A Semi-Analytical Performance Prediction of Turbo Coded SC-FDMA

Single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) is the access technique which is used in the long term evolution (LTE) uplink in order to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR). The LTE uplink uses this technique in joint application with turbo coding and high order modulations to achieve peak data rates up to 86 Mbps within 20 MHz bandwidth. This paper introduces a semi analytical method for predicting the turbo coded SC-FDMA performance in terms of bit error rate (BER). Simulation results have shown that the BER obtained with the proposed method is close to that measured by Monte-Carlo simulation method. Keywords-SC-FDMA; LTE turbo code; Monte Carlo Method; BER Simulation; PDFs
Executive Information Systems Based on Data Mining Techniques Modeled through Quadratic Programming

This paper presents quadratic integer programming as a modeling technique to formulate the analytical models for financial markets. Financial market analysis has been a promising area of research for the last three decades. The proposed models aim to cater for several scenarios for analysis and prediction of future trends in capital, gold and currency markets. These models after translation into hyper graphs would be solved through clustering (data mining). The implementation of this research would be the basis of a decision support system. It may prove to be an analysis tool to evaluate the economic status of a country statistically in a more accurate manner
Activation of Protein Kinase C in Human Uterine Smooth Muscle Induces connexin-43 Gene Transcription through an AP-1 Site in the Promoter Sequence*

Myometrial connexin-43 gap junctions are scarce throughout gestation but appear in large numbers at term to facilitate contractions during labor. The mechanisms that regulate this process are incompletely characterized. This report investigates the effects of protein kinase C activation on the regulation of connexin-43 gene transcription in human uterine smooth muscle cells. In primary myometrial cells treated with phorbol ester, transient increases in c-Fos and c-Jun protein levels were observed at 2-4 h, followed by significant increases in connexin-43 protein levels at 6-8 h. Nuclear run-on transcription analysis showed an increase in connexin-43 transcription 3 h after phorbol ester treatment. AP-1 sites were identified in the sequence of the 5′-flanking promoter region of the human connexin-43 gene at 44 and 1000 base pairs upstream of transcription start. Transcription from a reporter plasmid containing the proximal human connexin-43 promoter was increased in transfected primary cultures treated with phorbol ester. Mutation of the proximal AP-1 site in the promoter abolished the phorbol ester-dependent transactivation. This work provides evidence that transcription of the human connexin-43 gene is induced through protein kinase C activation in uterine smooth muscle cells, and that the induction involves up-regulation and activation of c-Jun and c-Fos.
Income Manipulation to Subsidized Health Insurance Programs: Evidence from Massachusetts∗

This paper analyzes the income manipulation to cutoffs in eligibility for a subsidized program in the Massachusetts health insurance reform, the state-level precursor to federal health care reform. Using data from the American Community Survey, I test for the existence of income manipulation and find clear evidence around the cutoffs of 150 percent and 300 percent of Federal Poverty Level. The lower cutoff falls between plans with zero and non-zero out-of-pocket premiums, and the effect is concentrated among the self-employed. The higher cutoff falls between plans with the largest difference of out-of-pocket premiums, and is concentrated among wage workers. Based on the evidence of manipulation, I estimate the elasticity of labor supply with respect to wage rate, and calculate the welfare loss due to the subsidized program.
Combined Space-time-frequency codes for four time slots with beamforming

Multiple-input multiple-output orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) system has been implemented to achieve a good service and boost the data rate in wireless communication system. Space Time Frequency (STF) is used to enhance the diversity gain. This paper aims at a performance analysis of MIMO-OFDM system using two different STF codes with a random beamforming. The two proposed codes give better bit error rates (BER) performance as compared to the BER performance of STF of Alamouti code for MIMO-OFDM system. We have applied STF with random beamforming to improve the performance of the whole system for different diversity. The performance of the second STFC is better than the performance of the first STFC at high signal to noise ratio (SNR). It is also observed that the BER performance of the two proposed schemes with beamforming is better than the BER performance of space-time block codes (STBC) with beamforming.
What should we hope to achieve when treating rheumatoid arthritis?

Conclusion d'une table ronde sur la polyarthrite rhumatoide et posant 3 questions: quelle est la valeur des mesures actuelles de la reponse au traitement? Que doit-on mesurer? Quelle est la meilleure voie pour les recherches futures? Les methodes de mesures actuelles etant insuffisantes, trois recommandations sont formulees
Toward an understanding of the variation in approaches to analysis and design

This paper contributes to an understanding of the variation in approaches that information system analysts/designers use to do analysis and design. A qualitative, phenomenographic research method was used. Four categories were constituted from the data: an ad hoc strategy with the intention of solving the problem as quickly as possible; a strategy of producing atomistic analysis and design artefacts with the intention of proving analysis/design has taken place; a strategy of adhering to a method with the intention of producing a better solution; and a strategy of adapting and scaling a method with the intent to define the problem accurately while sharing a vision of the project. The contribution to education made by these results is discussed.
Satisficing and the Use of Keyboard Shortcuts: Being Good Enough Is Enough?

Keyboard shortcuts are generally accepted as the most efficient method for issuing commands, but previous research has suggested that many people do not use them. In this study we investigate the use of keyboard shortcuts further and explore reasons why they are underutilized by users. In Experiment 1, we establish two baseline findings: (1) people infrequently use keyboard shortcuts and (2) lack of knowledge of keyboard shortcuts cannot fully account for the low frequency of use. In Experiments 2 and 3, we furthermore establish that (3) even when put under time pressure users often fail to select those methods they themselves believe to be fastest and (4) the frequency of use of keyboard shortcuts can be increased by a tool that assists users learning keyboard shortcuts. We discuss how the theoretical notion of ‘satisficing’, adopted from economic and cognitive theory, can explain our results.
RACIAL VARIATIONS IN TESTS OF FETOPLACENTAL FUNCTION

Fetoplacental function tests discriminated well between poorly grown and well grown fetuses in European mothers. In contrast, apart from human placental lactogen, the individual values of poorly grown Asian fetuses fell within the well grown range. Haemoglobin values rose in the second trimester in European pregnancies associated with poor growth, whereas the values fell in the Asian pregnancies both with well grown and poorly grown fetuses. These observations imply fundamental differences in the aetiology of intrauterine growth retardation in the two races.
Theoretical Investigation of Tensile-Strained GeSn/SiGeSn Multiple Quantum Well Laser Wrapped in Si 3N4 Liner Stressor

A tensile-strained GeSn/SiGeSn multiple quantum well (MQW) laser wrapped in Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> liner stressor is designed and characterized theoretically. A biaxial tensile strain is introduced into the GeSn/SiGeSn MQW laser by the Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> liner stressor. The boosting effects of tensile strain on the threshold current density <italic>J</italic><sub>th</sub> and optical gain in GeSn/SiGeSn lasers are attributed to the modulation of energy band structure and carrier distribution in the GeSn wells. Tensile-strained Ge<sub>0.90</sub>Sn <sub>0.10</sub>/Si<sub>0.161</sub>Ge<sub>0.695</sub>Sn<sub>0.144</sub> MQW laser wrapped in 500 nm Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub> 4</sub> liner stressor achieves a <italic>J</italic><sub>th</sub> reduction from 476 to 168 A/cm<sup>2</sup> and a significant enhancement of optical gain, as compared to the relaxed control device without Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> . The design of GeSn/SiGeSn MQW structure wrapped in Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> liner stressor provides a practical way to realize high performance GeSn based mid-infrared laser.
In vitro characterization of the tobacco rpoB promoter reveals a core sequence motif conserved between phage‐type plastid and plant mitochondrial promoters

We report here the in vitro characterization of PrpoB‐345, the tobacco rpoB promoter recognized by NEP, the phage‐type plastid RNA polymerase. Transcription extracts were prepared from mutant tobacco plants lacking PEP, the Escherichia coli‐like plastid‐encoded RNA polymerase. Systematic dissection of a ∼1 kb fragment determined that the rpoB promoter is contained in a 15‐nucleotide segment (−14 to +1) upstream of the transcription initiation site (+1). Point mutations at every nucleotide reduced transcription, except at the −5 position which was neutral. Critical for rpoB promoter function was a CRT‐motif (CAT or CGT) at −8 to −6 (transcription <30%), defining it as the promoter core. The core CAT sequence is also present in the maize rpoB promoter, which is faithfully recognized by tobacco extracts. Alignment of NEP promoters identified a CATA or TATA (=YATA) sequence at the rpoB core position, also present in plant mitochondrial promoters. Furthermore, NEP and the phage T7 RNA polymerase exhibit similar sensitivity to inhibitors of transcription. These data indicate that the nuclear RpoZ gene, identified by sequence conservation with mitochondrial RNA polymerases, encodes the NEP catalytic subunit.
Meeting suffering with kindness: effects of a brief self-compassion intervention for female college students.

OBJECTIVE The present study investigated the effectiveness of a newly developed 3-week self-compassion group intervention for enhancing resilience and well-being among female college students. METHOD Fifty-two students were randomly assigned to either an intervention designed to teach skills of self-compassion (n = 27) or an active control group intervention in which general time management skills were taught (n = 25). Both interventions comprised 3 group meetings held over 3 weeks. To measure resilience and well-being gains, participants filled out a number of questionnaires before and after the intervention. RESULTS Results showed that the self-compassion intervention led to significantly greater increases in self-compassion, mindfulness, optimism, and self-efficacy, as well as significantly greater decreases in rumination in comparison to the active control intervention. Whereas both interventions increased life satisfaction and connectedness, no differences were found for worry and mood. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that a brief self-compassion intervention has potential for improving student resilience and well-being.
Spheres of role in context-awareness

This paper outlines a conceptual view in characterising context awareness by its roles in user interaction within a context-aware application. We propose three high-level spheres of role based on the extent of how the context is used to influence the interaction, namely interpretation, representation, and effectuation. The challenges in performing each of these roles are briefly discussed. Our perspective of looking at context-awareness provides alternative approach for choosing level of "awareness" and identifying their risk in designing context-aware applications.
Drag force and surface roughness measurements on freshwater biofouled surfaces

The detrimental effect of biofilms on skin friction for near wall flows is well known. The diatom genera Gomphonema and Tabellaria dominated the biofilm mat in the freshwater open channels of the Tarraleah Hydropower Scheme in Tasmania, Australia. A multi-faceted approach was adopted to investigate the drag penalty for biofouled 1.0 m × 0.6 m test plates which incorporated species identification, drag measurement in a recirculating water tunnel and surface characterisation using close-range photogrammetry. Increases in total drag coefficient of up to 99% were measured over clean surface values for biofouled test plates incubated under flow conditions in a hydropower canal. The effective roughness of the biofouled surfaces was found to be larger than the physical roughness; the additional energy dissipation was caused in part by the vibration of the biofilms in three-dimensions under flow conditions. The data indicate that there was a roughly linear relationship between the maximum peak-to-valley height of a biofilm and the total drag coefficient.
Legislation, Well-Being, and Public Choice

Economics is full of terms that convey one technical meaning to economists but a quite different meaning to laypeople.1 "Welfare" is one of these. Laypeople think of welfare mainly in subjective terms: Whether A has more welfare than B depends on whether A has certain feelings that B lacks, or feelings of a certain magnitude, that we wish to characterize as welfare. But subjective feelings are neither observable nor quantifiable. As a result, the layperson's characterization of welfare is one that careful welfare economists are loath to make. Instead, economists-and those engaged in the economic analysis of law-have adopted more quantitative surrogates to assess social welfare. Particularly, economists have settled on revealed market preferences as the most robust measure of the social utility that public laws and programs produce. These means have in time overtaken the economists' original ends, so that for many of those engaged in economic analysis of law, social welfare comprises no more than can be assessed by economic criteria, particularly the Kaldor-Hicks measure of allocative efficiency.2 This essay hopes to help win welfare back from the economists. Not the term itself, which they now hold so tightly that we are unlikely to pry it loose, but the more comprehensive notion of what I will call social well-being that laypeople and legal policy makers3 attach to the word welfare, and for which the economist's market-based approach is only an inexact surrogate. In the process I hope to dispel some misperceptions regarding the relationship
Behavior Characterization and Performance Evaluation of a Hybrid P2P File Sharing System

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks show a set of distinctive features which increase the need to previously simulate the new proposals. In order to perform an adequate evaluation of a P2P application, it is necessary a real characterization of the queries behavior and the node dynamism. After validating the new P2P algorithm by means of simulation, developers have the possibility to prove a real P2P application instance in an emulated environment. In each step, the detected errors or misbehaviors are appropriately corrected. The main contribution of this paper is twofold: first, to adequately characterize the real behavior of P2P overlay networks (including dynamic and static aspects) and second, evaluate a real P2P overlay network under the above constraints using one of the most popular (high level and user friendly) simulation frameworks.
Capsule View of Future Developments on Large Scale Network and Network-Related Problems

Abstract : The primary purpose of this paper is to identify recent major accomplishments and prophesy (suggest) future trends in the solution, modeling, and human engineering aspects of network and network-related problems. In particular, the suggested future trends consist of an integrated sequence of modeling, theoretical and computational developments which may allow mathematical programming to attain its envisioned goal of being a major vehicle for solving pressing industrial and world problems.
Cytomics and regenerative medicine

THE key focus of regenerative medicine lies in the reconstitution of damaged or dysfunctional cells, tissues, or organs. Stimulation of the body’s own regenerative potential, the connection to artificial materials and surface structures and extracorporeal tissue engineering of cells and tissues are particular challenges (1,2). Success in the derivation of stem cell lines has opened up a new area of research in biomedicine. Human stem cells not only raise hope for cell replacement therapies but also provide a potential novel system to better understand early human normal development, model human abnormal development and disease, and perform drug screening and toxicity studies. The realization of these potentials, however, depends on expanding our knowledge about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate self renewal and lineage specification. Cytomics has received great attention during the last several years as it allows us to quantitatively analyze a great number of individual cells, their constituents, and their intracellular and functional interactions in cellular systems (cytomes) (3–12). Exhaustive knowledge extraction from multiparametric assays and multiple tests are the prerequisite for cytomics. This novel approach for unsupervised data analysis opens the chance to find the most important parameters which describe best the cell systems. Individual cells of an organ may be specifically equipped to perform specific tasks. Deciphering cell systems on the individual cell level may yield key information to understand function or dysfunction. A combination of state-of-the-art approaches, including cytomics, proteomics, and genomics, will be instrumental in moving the field forward, ultimately lending invaluable knowledge to research areas in regenerative medicine. Analyzing the data about cellular structures, cytomics—the systems biological discipline for cell population analysis—provides a plethora of information and is the ideal partner of regenerative medicine. Realizing the idea ‘‘from the molecule to the patient’’ gives an opportunity to speed up the introduction of this knowledge and offers chemical compounds, proteins, and other biomolecules, cells and tissues as instruments and products for a wide variety of biotechnological and biomedical applications. Cytomics combines different disciplines and will promote the development of innovative therapies and diagnostic methods. Regenerative medicine can be improved by the precision of the measurements with focus on single cell analysis. Analyzing from cell constituents to whole body imaging techniques, cytometry covers the field from molecules through subcellular components, cells, tissues, and organs to live analysis of small animals (13,14). It harbors the promise to substantially impact on various fields of biomedicine, like regenerative and predictive medicine (3,5). As the number of scientific data is rising exponentially, new data analysis tools and strategies for cytomics take the lead and get closer to application. Cytomics may strongly support the quantitative data selection, thus strengthening the rationale for biomedicine.
Mild Fetal Cerebral Ventriculomegaly: Diagnosis, Clinical Associations, and Outcomes

The normal fetal lateral ventricular diameter remains stable at 10 mm over gestation. Mild ventriculomegaly, defined as a lateral ventricular diameter of ≥10 mm but ≤15 mm or a choroid-lateral ventricular separation ≥3 mm but ≤8 mm occurs bilaterally in 0.15–0.7% of fetuses and unilaterally in 0.07% of pregnancies. This finding is associated with an increased risk of fetal chromosomal abnormalities, congenital anomalies and infections, syndromes, perinatal death, and childhood developmental delays. Prenatal evaluation includes targeted sonographic examination for central nervous system and extra-central nervous system abnormalities, and diagnostic amniocentesis for chromosomal analysis and infectious disease studies. Individualized patient counseling is based on these test results. Optimal postnatal care involves appropriate pediatric neurologic and developmental specialists. Target Audience: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians Learning Objectives: After completion of this article, the reader will be able to define the normal appearance and size of the fetal cerebral ventricles, to list the conditions associated with mild ventriculomegaly, and to explain the natural course of mild bilateral isolated ventriculomegaly.