Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circumferential Arthrodesis Using PEEK Cages at the Lumbar Spine

Usual interbody cages at the lumbar spine are made of titanium or carbon fiber-polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Pure PEEK cages have more recently been proposed for its lower elasticity modulus. The goal of our study was to investigate a series of patients with circumferential fixation using anterior PEEK cages for degenerative lumbar spine disorders with a specific interest in the local lordosis. Fifty-seven consecutive patients aged 54.6 years (29 to 75) were reviewed. The level of arthrodesis varied from L2L3 to L5S1. The clinical status and the radiologic variations in local lordosis at the level of arthrodesis were measured. Decrease in lordosis at follow-up was tested in a multivariate analysis regarding age, obesity, spinal level, bone graft amount, type of posterior instrumentation, postoperative lordosis increase, and cage height. The average follow-up was 5.7 years (4 to 8). Clinical outcomes were excellent or good in 49 cases. Fusion was definite in 56 cases. Although 47 patients had no change in lordosis after surgery, 10 cases showed lordosis increase (8.2 degrees; 5 to 12). At follow-up, local lordosis decreased in 13 cases (5.6 degrees; 4 to 8). The linear model was significant (P<0.001; R2=0.590) showing that loss in lordosis was related with postoperative lordosis increase (P=0.01), cage height (P<0.001), posterior instrumentation rigidity (P=0.026), age (P=0.047), and low level (P=0.013). Lumbar circumferential arthrodesis using PEEK cages provided good clinical results and fusion rate. However, lordosis correction was not maintained at follow-up, especially at lower levels, using high cages, in older patients, and when associated with a rigid primary posterior instrumentation. Regarding the last point, this is likely that the order of the instrumentation (posterior first, then anterior) played a role in the loss of lordosis in case of rigid posterior fixation.
Analysing expertise through data mining: an example based on treading water

Abstract A classification system of treading water based on a conceptual typology was first established and then verified empirically. The typology was established on two concepts: the nature of the forces created within the water and the type of inter-limb coordination used. Thirty-eight participants were videotaped while treading water. Multivariate statistics were used to understand how the different behavioural types related to expertise. Three distinct groups of coordination patterns were adopted during treading water. A support vector machine procedure was used as a confirmatory procedure. The data mining process provides a methodological framework to analyse expertise in sports activities, and in this context suggests that a taxonomy can be established among the numerous coordination solutions that allow humans to create stabilising forces in the water.
On n‐dependent groups and fields

First, an example of a 2‐dependent group without a minimal subgroup of bounded index is given. Second, all infinite n‐dependent fields are shown to be Artin‐Schreier closed. Furthermore, the theory of any non separably closed PAC field has the IPn property for all natural numbers n and certain properties of dependent (NIP) valued fields extend to the n‐dependent context.
Performance modeling of IEEE 802.11 DCF based fair channel access for vehicular-to-roadside communication in a non-saturated state

This paper considers the fair access problem in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) and develops an analytical model for analyzing the performance of an IEEE 802.11 DCF based fair channel access protocol in a non-saturated state. We derive the relationship between the transmission probability and the minimum contention window size of a vehicle, and the relationship between the velocity and the minimum contention window size of a vehicle in a non-saturated state. Based on the analytical model the minimum contention window size of a vehicle for a given velocity can be determined in order to achieve fair access among different vehicles. The effectiveness of the analytical model is justified through simulation results.
An improved real-time task preemptive scheduling in cyber-physical systems

To improve the performance of real-time task scheduling and the utilization of the system resources in Cyber-Physical System, at the same time, to reduce the number of task switching, this paper improved traditional preemptive task scheduling, introduced the concept of buffer time and the guard time, made judgments when the task may need to switch to, according to the situation to retain the task which had lower priority but should not be suspended, and let the higher priority task wait for a while. Finally, our research verifies the performance of the algorithm by examples and simulation experiments, demonstrates that the algorithm can optimize the performance of CPS, avoids the jitter caused by frequent task switching and its adverse effects on system performance, reduces the number of task switching, and improves the utilization of resources within the system to some extent.
High Hole-Mobility Strained-$\hbox{Ge/Si}_{0.6} \hbox{Ge}_{0.4}$ P-MOSFETs With High-K/Metal Gate: Role of Strained-Si Cap Thickness

Low-field effective hole mobility of highly strained (~2.4%, biaxial) germanium-channel (7.8 nm-thick) p-MOSFETs with high-K/metal gate stack has been experimentally investigated. Devices with various ultrathin strained-Si cap layer thicknesses, as thin as ~8 Å, show excellent capacitance-voltage characteristics with no hysteresis or frequency dispersion and hole mobility enhancement of more than 6.5X over Si universal and 2.3X over similar devices with no strained-Si cap, at Eeff = 0.6 MV/cm. The influence of the strained-Si cap thickness on the hole mobility is also studied. The mobility increases with increasing Si cap thickness up to ~1.8 nm (with a peak mobility of 940 cm2/Vs at this cap thickness) consistent with a reduction in remote Coulombic scattering.
Benign mass lesions deep inside the temporal bone: imaging diagnosis for proper management

Conclusion. Among mass lesions inside the temporal bone, benign tumors and cholesteatomas can be differentiated by contrast enhancement in T1-weighted images (T1WI) and by diffusion-weighted images (DWI). Moreover, DWI will also facilitate discrimination between cholesteatomas accompanied by granulation and other non-neoplastic lesions such as mucoceles and cholesterol granulomas. Objectives. To review the imaging characteristics of mass lesions inside the temporal bone and to investigate pertinent imaging modalities for differential diagnosis, which is crucial for appropriate treatment planning. Patients and methods. This was a retrospective case series study of six patients seen between 2002 and 2005 with mass lesions deep inside the temporal bone. Results. One patient had facial schwannoma, two had glomus jugulare tumor, and three had cholesteatoma. Plain high resolution CT gave few clues to the nature of the mass lesions. MRI study provided us with better clues: contrast enhancement on T1WI was observed only in benign tumors and only cholesteatomas showed high intensity on DWI. With the assistance of neurosurgeons, surgery was successfully performed in all cases.
Acute motor axonal neuropathy: An antibody‐mediated attack on axolemma

The acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) form of the Guillain‐Barré syndrome is a paralytic disorder of abrupt onset characterized pathologically by motor nerve fiber degeneration of variable severity and by sparing of sensory fibers. There is little demyelination or lymphocytic inflammation. Most cases have antecedent infection with Campylobacter jejuni and many have antibodies directed toward GM1 ganglioside‐like epitopes, but the mechanism of nerve‐fiber injury has not been defined. In 7 fatal cases of AMAN, immunocytochemistry demonstrated the presence of IgG and the complement activation product C3d bound to the axolemma of motor fibers. The most frequently involved site was the nodal axolemma, but in more severe cases IgG and C3d were found within the periaxonal space of the myelinated internodes, bound to the outer surface of the motor axon. These results suggest that AMAN is a novel disorder caused by an antibody‐ and complement‐mediated attack on the axolemma of motor fibers.
Lyme disease testing by large commercial laboratories in the United States.

BACKGROUND Laboratory testing is helpful when evaluating patients with suspected Lyme disease (LD). A 2-tiered antibody testing approach is recommended, but single-tier and nonvalidated tests are also used. We conducted a survey of large commercial laboratories in the United States to assess laboratory practices. We used these data to estimate the cost of testing and number of infections among patients from whom specimens were submitted. METHODS Large commercial laboratories were asked to report the type and volume of testing conducted nationwide in 2008, as well as the percentage of positive tests for 4 LD-endemic states. The total direct cost of testing was calculated for each test type. These data and test-specific performance parameters available in published literature were used to estimate the number of infections among source patients. RESULTS Seven participating laboratories performed approximately 3.4 million LD tests on approximately 2.4 million specimens nationwide at an estimated cost of $492 million. Two-tiered testing accounted for at least 62% of assays performed; alternative testing accounted for <3% of assays. The estimated frequency of infection among patients from whom specimens were submitted ranged from 10% to 18.5%. Applied to the total numbers of specimens, this yielded an estimated 240 000 to 444 000 infected source patients in 2008. DISCUSSION LD testing is common and costly, with most testing in accordance with diagnostic recommendations. These results highlight the importance of considering clinical and exposure history when interpreting laboratory results for diagnostic and surveillance purposes.
Arteriovenous shunting in the lymph node before and after antigenic stimulus.

We have assessed the effects of antigenic stimulation on the regional blood flow of the lymph node. In seventeen New Zealand white rabbits, the regional blood flow to the popliteal lymph nodes was determined using 9 and 15 micron microspheres at 16, 40, and 144 h following antigen administration. The regional blood flow in the resting lymph node measured with 15 micron spheres was 0 . 46 +/- 0 . 07 ml g-1 min-1, with 9 micron spheres 0 . 26 +/- 0 . 03 ml g-1 min-1. There was a significant 'differential flow' (the difference in blood flow between the experimental and control nodes) measured with 15 micron spheres (P less than 0 . 05). This increase in blood flow was larger early (16 h) than late (144 h) following antigen administration (P less than 0 . 01). There was significant (P less than 0 . 05) 'shunt flow' (the difference in blood flow measured with 15 micron and 9 micron spheres) in the lymph node, with more shunting early (16 h) than late (144 h) following antigen administration. No significant shunting was seen in the kidney or thigh muscle. Thus, we have established: (1) a significant increase in blood flow following antigenic stimulus; (2) shunting of 9 micron microspheres in the resting popliteal lymph node; (3) increased shunting following antigenic stimulus; and (4) that the increase in nodal blood flow was, to a large extent, secondary to increased shunt flow. Both the increased blood flow and the shunting shortly after antigenic stimulus may be important in the evolution of the immune response.
A slip frequency correction method applied to induction machine indirect vector control system

In this paper, a rotor flux observer in the stator current vector orientation synchronous reference frame (DQ reference frame) is introduced and analyzed first. Then indirect vector control is combined with the DQ rotor flux observer, and a slip frequency correction method is proposed to achieve flux and torque decoupling control. Basic principles and system schematic diagram are described. Simulations and experiments results verify the proposed correction method.
Examining Movement Variability in the Basketball Free-Throw Action at Different Skill Levels

Abstract The analysis of variability both within and between performers can reveal important information about how athletes satisfy situational constraints. Transitory changes in the basketball free-throw shot were examined across different stages in skill development. Six female basketball players were selected, representing a range of playing expertise (pretest: 0–90% baskets scored). Each participant was video recorded performing 30 shots. Contrary to predictions, there was not a clear pattern of a reduction in trajectory variability with increasing skill level. However, improvements in skill level were associated with an increasing amount of intertrial movement consistency from the elbow and wrist joints. It is suggested that the angular motions of the elbow and wrist joints were compensated for each other toward the end of each throw to adapt to subtle changes in release parameters of the ball.
Inflammatory response is associated with critical colonization in combat wounds.

BACKGROUND Modern combat- or blast-related injuries are characterized by devastatingly massive zones of injury that violate soft tissue, bone, and neurovascular structures. In our translational research program, we have determined that healing of traumatic combat wounds is dependent on the immune response. Although the majority of combat wounds are not critically colonized with bacteria, there exists a correlation between critical colonization and the concentration of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines measured in wound effluent or patient serum. METHODS Patients with penetrating extremity wounds sustained during combat operations were studied prospectively, being followed for 30 days after definitive wound closure. Surgical debridement was repeated every 48-72 h until wound closure at the discretion of the attending surgeon. Serum, wound effluent, and wound bed tissue biopsy were collected at each debridement. Serum and wound effluent were analyzed with a multiplex assay for cytokines, chemokines, and inflammatory proteases, whereas wound tissue was assessed for microbial colonization via quantitative cultures. Correlations between serum and effluent cytokines and chemokines and the degree of tissue colonization were evaluated. RESULTS Samples from 154 debridements in 38 wounds from 25 male patients were investigated. Many of the patients sustained multi-system trauma (mean Injury Severity Score 21±12 points) and were critically ill (mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score 7±5 points). Healing failure occurred in 23.7% of wounds. A marked inflammatory profile, including increased serum and wound effluent cytokines and chemokines, was associated with the extent of critical colonization. CONCLUSIONS The correlation between systemic and local inflammatory cytokines and quantitative culture suggests that the interplay between the systemic response to injury and the local wound environment is a determinant of outcome. This relationship remains ill defined and requires further investigation in both clinical and pre-clinical studies. A biomarker panel reflective of colonization may provide clinically useful, objective criteria indicating when wound closure is appropriate for successful healing.
Organisation of the chondrocyte cytoskeleton and its response to changing mechanical conditions in organ culture

Articular cartilage undergoes cycles of compressive loading during joint movement, leading to its cyclical deformation and recovery. This loading is essential for chondrocytes to perform their normal function of maintenance of the extracellular matrix. Various lines of evidence suggest the involvement of the cytoskeleton in load sensing and response. The purpose of the present study is to describe the 3‐dimensional (3D) architecture of the cytoskeleton of chondrocytes within their extracellular matrix, and to examine cytoskeletal responses to experimentally varied mechanical conditions. Uniformly sized explants of articular cartilage were dissected from adult rat femoral heads. Some were immediately frozen, cryosectioned and labelled for filamentous actin using phalloidin, and for the focal contact component vinculin or for vimentin by indirect immunofluorescence. Sections were examined by confocal microscopy and 3D modelling. Actin occurred in all chondrocytes, appearing as bright foci at the cell surface linked to an irregular network beneath the surface. Cell surface foci colocalised with vinculin, suggesting the presence of focal contacts between the chondrocyte and its pericellular matrix. Vimentin label occurred mainly in cells of the deep zone. It had a complex intracellular distribution, with linked networks of fibres surrounding the nucleus and beneath the plasma membrane. When cartilage explants were placed into organ culture, where in the absence of further treatments cartilage imbibes fluid from the culture medium and swells, cytoskeletal changes were observed. After 1 h in culture the vimentin cytoskeleton was disassembled, leading to diffuse labelling of cells. After a further hour in culture filamentous vimentin label reappeared in deep zone chondrocytes, and then over the next 48 h became more widespread in cells of the explants. Actin distribution was unaffected by culture. Further experiments were performed to test the effects of load on the cytoskeleton. Explants were placed in culture and immediately subjected to static uniaxial radially unconfined compressive loads of 0.5, 1, 2 or 4 MPa for 1 h using a pneumatic loading device. Loads greater than 0.5 MPa maintained the vimentin organisation over the culture period. At 0.5 MPa, the chondrocytes within the explant behaved as in free‐swelling culture. The rapid change in vimentin organisation probably relates to rapid swelling of the explants—under free‐swelling conditions, these reached their maximum swollen size in just 15 min of culture. The chondrocytes' response to change in tissue dimensions, and thus to their relationship to their immediate environment, was to disassemble their vimentin networks. Loading probably counteracts the swelling pressure of the tissue. Overall, this work suggests that chondrocytes maintain their actin cytoskeleton and modify their vimentin cytoskeleton in response to changing mechanical conditions.
Lymphoma and peripheral neuropathy: A clinical review

Lymphoma occasionally affects the peripheral nervous system. When it does, the diagnosis can be elusive since many patients present without known lymphoma. Most peripheral nerve complications are due to non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), which infiltrates nerves causing axonal damage. This disorder can affect nerve roots and cranial nerves, often associated with lymphomatous meningitis. NHL may also infiltrate peripheral nerves and cause plexopathy, mononeuropathy, or generalized neuropathy. These neuropathies may resemble an asymmetric mononeuropathy multiplex or a generalized disorder such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. When NHL infiltrates diffusely, the term neurolymphomatosis is used. Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), by contrast, rarely infiltrates nerves. More often, HL causes immunological disorders of the peripheral nervous system such as inflammatory plexopathy or Guillain–Barré syndrome. Other rare lymphomas such as intravascular lymphoma and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia can also affect peripheral nerves in specific ways. In addition, other malignant and nonmalignant lymphoproliferative disorders enter into the differential diagnosis of lymphomatous neuropathy. This review discusses the multiple peripheral nerve presentations of lymphoma from the clinician's point of view and provides a guide to the evaluation and diagnosis of these uncommon, challenging disorders. Muscle Nerve, 2005
Strategic planning problem represented by a three-echelon logistics network-modeling and solving

This article aims to elaborate a strategic plan allowing to decision makers to take right decisions (Selecting suppliers, Selecting plants that can produce a specific product,.) in the right moment in order to minimize the generated costs. Our work consists, then to optimize a multi-scales and multi-periods location-distribution problem. The problem belongs to the FLNP family with a complexity of order of NP-difficult. The objective of our problem MIP is to maximize the incomes of a production company via the minimization of costs: the cost of supplying, the cost of producing and the cost of transportation. Several aspects would be treated in this subject: the horizon of planning-multi-periods and the structure of network (multi-echelons). Based on the limits of exact methods, we have proposed to resolve this problem on the basis of a heuristic method, the choice which seems to be the most adequate for our problem is LNS (Large Neighborhood Search). It is in this perspective that we have reformulated our model [12] in order to be represented under the form of a logistic network based on paths before the application of LNS.
Decisiones de empleo y cuidado en parejas de dos ingresos en España

Hasta que punto se preparan las parejas jovenes en Espana para una parentalidad corresponsable? Los estudios muestran que gran parte de las desigualdades de genero en las sociedades occidentales emergen y se recrudecen durante la primera maternidad/paternidad. En Espana existe un gran vacio en estudios que analicen la toma de decisiones y las justificaciones de los miembros de la pareja en sus decisiones sobre el cuidado de su primogenito. Esta investigacion viene a suplir esta laguna en la literatura mediante un estudio cualitativo basado en entrevistas en profundidad realizadas a 136 hombres y mujeres activos (ocupados y desempleados) que esperaban su primer hijo en el ano 2011. La investigacion indaga sobre las justificaciones repecto a quien y cuanto tiempo disfrutara de licencias parentales o reducciones de jornada laboral, los ideales de cuidado, los planes de implicacion del padre y la madre y el significado de una "buena" maternidad y paternidad.El estudio muestra que gran parte de las parejas aspiran a mantener el empleo de ambos miembros tras el parto y que, por tanto, el modelo de familia basado en dos sustentadores esta ampliamente arraigado en el imaginario cultural de estas parejas. Sin embargo, en el caso de prever dificultades en la conciliacion del empleo y el cuidado - situacion bastante frecuente en el contexto espanol - las mujeres continuan mostrando una mayor predisposicion a adaptar su empleo a las necesidades de la maternidad, mientras que solo una pequena parte de los hombres entrevistados parecen dispuestos a asumir ajustes laborales importantes para atender a sus hijos y acercarse al ideal de la paternidad corresponsable.
CALIBRATING MATERIAL CONSTANTS FROM EXPERIMENTAL DATA FOR LEAD-FREE SOLDER MATERIALS USING A PARAMETRIC OPTIMIZATION APPROACH

The material model used in a Finite Element (FE) analysis is one of its most central aspects and must accurately represent the physical behaviour of the material being used. Often, sophisticated material models consist of multiple parameters requiring calibration from different sets of experimentally measured data. The calibration process is both challenging and time consuming due to the complexity of material models being used in today’s FE analyses.