Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survivorship Analysis of Pedicle Spinal Instrumentation

Between 1985 and 1989, the senior author performed 120 consecutive pedicle instrumentation cases—78 Steffee (VSP) procedures and 42 procedures using Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation. Posterolateral or posterior fusions using autogenous iliac bone graft were performed across the instrumented vertebrae in all cases. Survivorship analysis was used to calculate a predicted cumulative rate of success for this series of patients over 10 years postoperative follow-up. The criteria of failure of pedicular instrumentation or “death” of an implant were defined as 1) screw bending, 2) screw breakage, 3) infection, 4) loosening of implants, 5) any rod or plate hardware problems, or 6) removal of hardware due to a neurologic complication. Out of 526 pedicle screws (175 Cotrel-Dubousset screws, 351 VSP screws) there were 22 problem screws (22/526 = 4.18%). Six screws had bent, none were infected, 16 screws had broken, and none were loose. The 22 problem screw events occurred in 12 patients. In seven patients, the instrumentation failure was an incidental radiographic finding, in that patients had a solid posterolateral fusion. The remaining five patients had screw breakage in association with a pseudarthrosis. Life table calculations predicted the survivorship of instrumentation without complications would be 80% at 10 years postoperative follow-up. Actuarial analysis predicted the survivorship of solid posterolateral fusion at 90% at 10 years follow-up. This survivorship rate is similar to those predicted at 10 years follow-up for other more widely used orthopedic surgical implants such as total hip arthroplasty components.
Object classification for LIDAR data using encoded features

Object classification is an important task in vision-based systems. In this work, an intelligent system to perform detection and classification of road objects is presented. The proposed method utilize machine learning algorithm to classify group of points into various categories that represent several road objects. This classification system was trained using 50 features of 2D laser point which were encoded into smaller dimension in order to obtain efficiency. The method was evaluated on public dataset and the experiment results shows that the proposed method achieve quality improvements compared to the baseline. Comparison of several machine learning methods for object classification is also presented to emphasize the superiority of this proposed method.
Audio beam steering with phased array method using Arduino Due Microcontroller

The audio system requires a large amount of power to transmit sound energy to all areas both inside and outside the room. Sound waves can propagate in the air and undergo great absorption in their propagation. Often people or audiences only exist in areas with a certain distance and direction, so much of the sound energy is wasted. The focusing technique can be applied to transmit sound energy to the audience area with a certain direction and distance. Thus, this technique can save energy significantly. Audio steering system with mechanical process, requires high electric driving power and takes a long time. In this research, a sound energy guiding system from four loudspeaker series has been done with phase difference or phased array method. So, there is no mechanical loudspeaker modifiers are needed. The computer is used as a Graphical User Interface to determine the direction and distance of the audience who will receive the sound, by generating the delay configuration pattern of each path using Arduino Due Microcontroller. So this process can work automatically in directing the sound energy. The test results show that the sound intensity generated by the system is greater at the selected or target angle than the others. Beam Steering audio is expected to be used for large meeting rooms or outdoors, where the sound energy is only sent towards the desired power depending on the area and distance of the audience.
Is there a relationship between the food intakes of Scottish 5(1/2)-8(1/2)-year-olds and those of their mothers?

BACKGROUND Recent reports have highlighted certain aspects of the diets of children and adults in Scotland today that are a cause for concern. If there are significant associations between family members in food choice and thus in nutrient intakes, this may be important in the aetiology and prevention of diseases relating to dietary risk factors. AIM To compare the food intake of Scottish children aged 5(1/2)-8(1/2) years with that of their mothers. METHODS As part of a larger study, data on food intakes were obtained from 4-day weighed food records for 36 Scottish children (12 boys and 24 girls), aged 5(1/2)-8(1/2) years, who had participated in the 1992/1993 National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), and their mothers. RESULTS Compared with their mothers, children had higher median densities [weight (g) of foods per 4.2 MJ (1000 kcal)] of snack foods including fruit, bread and confectionery and lower median densities of meat and meat products, fish, potatoes and vegetables. Positive, significant correlations between children and mothers were found for median densities of bread (r = 0.360, P < 0.05), fruit (r = 0.735, P < 0.001) and potatoes (r = 0.572, P < 0.001) and also for chips (r = 0.651, P < 0.001) and chocolate confectionery (r = 0.368, P < 0.05), the latter two being foods that should be reduced in the average Scottish diet. CONCLUSIONS Children's intakes of snack foods were correlated with that of their mothers emphasizing the need for change at a family level if current guidelines on diet are to be implemented.
Successful aging in Shanghai, China: definition, distribution and related factors

Objective: There are few studies of successful aging in China. This study was designed to investigate the distribution, and related factors, of successful aging in an elderly Chinese population. Methods: A cross-sectional, community-dwelling elderly population was surveyed in Shanghai, China. We defined successful aging based on a multi-dimensional model. Correlates of successful aging were explored through the Shanghai Successful Aging Project Questionnaire, which includes sociodemographic questions, and a battery of standardized instruments, including the Chinese version of the Mini-mental State Examination, activities of daily living, and the Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA). Results: The rate of successful aging was 46.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 43.6–48.7] among people aged 65 or above, and the rate for males was higher than that for females. The rate was much lower for those aged 85 years or over (9.4%). Logistic regression analysis suggested that female gender and older age were unfavorable factors for successful aging. A higher score on the LSIA, more leisure activities and being currently married related to successful aging. Conclusion: The rate of successful aging in Shanghai, China is similar to that found in studies from western countries. There are some potentially modifiable factors that may relate to successful aging.
EBV‐positive diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma of the elderly: A case series from Peru

EBV‐positive diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the elderly is an entity recently included in the WHO classification of lymphoid tumors. We have reviewed our experience and clinical outcomes of this distinct subtype of DLBCL. Between 2002 and 2009, cases of DLBCL were identified from medical records of the Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins in Lima, Peru, and underwent pathological evaluation including immunohistochemistry for CD20, CD10, bcl‐6, MUM1/IRF4, and EBV‐encoded RNA in situ hybridization. Clinical data were gathered, tabulated, and reported descriptively. Survival analyses were performed using Kaplan‐Meier estimates. Out of 199 cases of DLBCL, 28 cases of EBV‐positive DLBCL of the elderly were identified. The median age was 75 years with male predominance (1.5:1). B‐symptoms were present in 43%, advanced stage in 50% and International Prognostic Index (IPI) score > 2 in 57% of patients; 68% of patients had a nongerminal center (NGC) phenotype. The complete response rates to R‐CHOP and CHOP were 63% and 33%, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) for the group was 5 months. In the univariate analysis, age ≥70 years, lymphocyte count <1.0 × 109/L, and advanced clinical stage were associated with worse OS in patients treated with chemotherapy with and without rituximab. EBV‐positive DLBCL of the elderly is a clinically aggressive entity with a short OS and typically presents with advanced stage, high IPI score, and a NGC phenotype. Further studies are needed to investigate if rituximab‐containing regimens are associated with better response and OS rates in EBV‐positive DLBCL of the elderly. Am. J. Hematol. 86:663–667, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Term Structure of Interest Rates: A Test of the Cox, Ingersoll and Ross Model on Italian Treasury Bonds

This paper tests the Cox, Ingersoll and Ross model using the prices of Italian Treasury bonds in the secondary market. The model is estimated daily for the period 30 December 1983 to 13 March 1989. The resulting term structures of interest rates are compared with those obtained using interpolation techniques (the cubic splines method). The daily estimation of the yield curves also makes it possible to analyze the changes in Treasury bond prices, determine the turning points and obtain useful indications regarding the efficiency of the secondary market and the consistency between the primary and the secondary markets.
Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: characteristics at presentation, and evaluation of clinical and histological features associated with a worse prognosis in a Latin American cohort

ABSTRACT Objective We aimed to describe the presentation of papillary microcarcinoma (PTMC) and identify the clinical and histological features associated with persistence/recurrence in a Latin American cohort. Subjects and methods Retrospective study of PTMC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy, with or without radioactive iodine (RAI), and who were followed for at least 2 years. Risk of recurrence was estimated with ATA 2009 and 2015 classifications, and risk of mortality with 7th and 8th AJCC/TNM systems. Clinical data obtained during follow-up were used to detect structural and biochemical persistence/recurrence. Results We included 209 patients, predominantly female (90%), 44.5 ± 12.6 years old, 183 (88%) received RAI (90.4 ± 44.2 mCi), followed-up for a median of 4.4 years (range 2.0–7.8). The 7th and 8th AJCC/TNM system classified 89% and 95.2% of the patients as stage I, respectively. ATA 2009 and ATA 2015 classified 70.8% and 78.5% of the patients as low risk, respectively. Fifteen (7%) patients had persistence/recurrence during follow-up. In multivariate analysis, only lymph node metastasis was associated with persistence/recurrence (coefficient beta 4.0, p = 0.016; 95% CI 1.3-12.9). There were no PTMC related deaths. Conclusions Our series found no mortality and low rate of persistence/recurrence associated with PTMC. Lymph node metastasis was the only feature associated with recurrence in multivariate analysis. The updated ATA 2015 and 8th AJCC/TNM systems classified more PTMCs than previous classifications as low risk of recurrence and mortality, respectively.
Targeting the carbohydrates on HIV-1: Interaction of oligomannose dendrons with human monoclonal antibody 2G12 and DC-SIGN

It is widely accepted that the heavily glycosylated glycoprotein gp120 on the surface of HIV-1 shields peptide epitopes from recognition by the immune system and may promote infection in vivo by interaction with dendritic cells and transport to tissue rich in CD4+ T cells such as lymph nodes. A conserved cluster of oligomannose glycans on gp120 has been identified as the epitope recognized by the broadly HIV-1-neutralizing monoclonal antibody 2G12. Oligomannose glycans are also the ligands for DC-SIGN, a C-type lectin found on the surface of dendritic cells. Multivalency is fundamental for carbohydrate–protein interactions, and mimicking of the high glycan density on the virus surface has become essential for designing carbohydrate-based HIV vaccines and antiviral agents. We report an efficient synthesis of oligomannose dendrons, which display multivalent oligomannoses in high density, and characterize their interaction with 2G12 and DC-SIGN by a glycan microarray binding assay. The solution and the surface binding analysis of 2G12 to a prototype oligomannose dendron clearly demonstrated the efficacy of dendrimeric display. We further showed that these glycodendrons inhibit the binding of gp120 to 2G12 and recombinant dimeric DC-SIGN with IC50 in the nanomolar range. A second-generation Man9 dendron was identified as a potential immunogen for HIV vaccine development and as a potential antiviral agent.
The Applicability of Black's Variation of the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) in the South African Context

The ability to accurately price equity is an ineluctable requirement within businesses where decisions need to be taken daily that impact upon the future viability of that business. The Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is the preeminent tool, that has become entrenched within academia and business, for estimating the cost of equity capital. This study aimed to prove whether the application of the CAPM, in various forms, including the Black’s CAPM, was merely a myopic inculcation of the academic and business spheres, or whether it truly reflected the empirical reality of South African markets. The research discredits eight variations of the CAPM through a quantitative causal design, which employed t-tests and ANOVAs, tested upon a sample of the largest 160 shares on the JSE.
Multi-energy CT based on a prior rank, intensity and sparsity model (PRISM)

We propose a compressive sensing approach for multi-energy computed tomography (CT), namely the prior rank, intensity and sparsity model (PRISM). To further compress the multi-energy image for allowing the reconstruction with fewer CT data and less radiation dose, the PRISM models a multi-energy image as the superposition of a low-rank matrix and a sparse matrix (with row dimension in space and column dimension in energy), where the low-rank matrix corresponds to the stationary background over energy that has a low matrix rank, and the sparse matrix represents the rest of distinct spectral features that are often sparse. Distinct from previous methods, the PRISM utilizes the generalized rank, e.g., the matrix rank of tight-frame transform of a multi-energy image, which offers a way to characterize the multi-level and multi-filtered image coherence across the energy spectrum. Besides, the energy-dependent intensity information can be incorporated into the PRISM in terms of the spectral curves for base materials, with which the restoration of the multi-energy image becomes the reconstruction of the energy-independent material composition matrix. In other words, the PRISM utilizes prior knowledge on the generalized rank and sparsity of a multi-energy image, and intensity/spectral characteristics of base materials. Furthermore, we develop an accurate and fast split Bregman method for the PRISM and demonstrate the superior performance of the PRISM relative to several competing methods in simulations.
Going global and local control: Reflections on research directions on media policy in East Asia

This article provides a brief look at the impact of digital technology on countries in Asia in relation to the media industry. It then examines the implications of digital technology and the policing of media within the countries of Singapore and China, which have sought to connect to the global economy via its investment in digital technology yet still attempt to maintain some form of control of access to certain digital content on its citizenry. The article concludes with potential directions in which researchers can contribute to the ongoing debate about the impact of the ‘global’ on media and its impact on nation states.
Role of short telomeres in inducing preferential chromosomal aberrations in human ovarian surface epithelial cells: A combined telomere quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization and whole‐chromosome painting study

It is well established that specific cancers and immortalized cells have nonrandom chromosome aberrations. However, little is understood about the underlying mechanism that initiates these aberrations in human cells. To examine whether human chromosomes with the shortest telomeres initiate the preferential chromosomal aberrations before cellular immortalization, we simultaneously applied telomere quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization and specific whole‐chromosome painting on chromosomes 1, 5, 8, 17, 19, and 20 in human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE 6‐3) cells expressing human papilloma viral oncogenes (HPV16 E6E7). The HPV16 E6E7–expressing cells, with extended in vitro life span and telomerase‐negative status, were previously identified as having nonrandom chromosomal imbalances and high frequencies of dicentrics. Our analyses showed that among six pairs of targeted chromosomes, chromosomes 8 and 20 showed critically short telomeres with an undetectable telomere signal in more than 50% of cells analyzed. These chromosomes with the critically short telomeres were preferentially involved in various types of chromosomal aberrations including dicentrics, translocations, breaks, insertions, and losses or gains of chromosomal elements. Our findings suggest that nonrandom chromosome aberrations in HOSE cells occurring before cellular immortalization could be caused by the telomere length heterogeneity. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Expression of the mRNAs for the Kv3.1 potassium channel gene in the adult and developing rat brain.

1. The gene for a mammalian Shaw K+ channel has recently been cloned and has been shown, by alternative splicing, to give rise to two different transcripts, Kv3.1 alpha and Kv3.1 beta. To determine whether these channels are associated with specific types of neurons and to determine whether or not the alternately spliced K+ channel variants are differentially expressed, we used ribonuclease (RNase) protection assays and in situ hybridization histochemistry to localize the specific subsets of neurons containing Kv3.1 alpha and Kv3.1 beta mRNAs in the adult and developing rat brain. 2. In situ hybridization histochemistry revealed a heterogeneous expression pattern of Kv3.1 alpha mRNA in the adult rat brain. Highest Kv3.1 alpha mRNA levels were expressed in the cerebellum. High levels of hybridization were also detected in the globus pallidus, subthalamus, and substantia nigra reticulata. Many thalamic nuclei, but in particular the reticular thalamic nucleus, hybridized well to Kv3.1 alpha-specific probes. A subpopulation of cells in the cortex and hippocampus, which by their distribution and number may represent interneurons, were also found to contain high levels of Kv3.1 alpha mRNA. In the brain stem, many nuclei, including the inferior colliculus and the cochlear and vestibular nuclei, also express Kv3.1 alpha mRNA. Low or undetectable levels of Kv3.1 alpha mRNA were found in the caudate-putamen, olfactory tubercle, amygdala, and hypothalamus. 3. Kv3.1 beta mRNA was also detected in the adult rat brain by both RNase protection assays and by in situ hybridization experiments. Although the beta splice variant is expressed at lower levels than the alpha species, the overall expression pattern for both mRNAs is similar, indicating that both splice variants co-expressed in the same neurons. 4. The expression of Kv3.1 alpha and Kv3.1 beta transcripts was examined throughout development. Kv3.1 alpha mRNA is detected as early as embryonic day 17 and then increases gradually until approximately postnatal day 10, when there is a large increase in the amount of Kv3.1 alpha mRNA. Interestingly, the expression of Kv3.1 beta mRNA only increases gradually during the developmental time frame examined. Densitometric measurements indicated that Kv3.1 alpha is the predominant splice variant found in neurons of the adult brain, whereas Kv3.1 beta appears to be the predominant species in embryonic and perinatal neurons. 5. Most of the neurons that express the Kv3.1 transcripts have been characterized electrophysiologically to have narrow action potentials and display high-frequency firing rates with little or no spike adaptation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Increased Prevalence of Fall Risk Factors in Older People following Hip Fracture

Background: Many people who suffer a hip fracture do not achieve full functional recovery. Simple tests of physical function such as quadriceps strength and postural sway may provide insight into why this population is at increased risk of experiencing further falls and fractures and assist in developing rehabilitation strategies for preventing falls. Objective: To determine whether impairments in a range of physiological measures and specific medical conditions are more prevalent in people who have suffered a fall-related hip fracture than in a matched sample of community-dwelling people without a history of falls. Methods: This case-control study involved 88 older people. The hip fracture group comprised 44 persons aged 64–94 years, assessed on average 7 months following a fall-related hip fracture. An age- and sex-matched control group (older persons who had not fallen in a 12-month period before recruitment) was drawn randomly from community samples. Results: Compared with the control group, the hip fracture group had markedly reduced quadriceps strength and increased body sway when tested on firm and compliant (foam rubber) surfaces. Patients in the hip fracture group also had higher prevalence rates of poor vision, arthritis and stroke, were taking more medications, were less physically active and perceived themselves to be at greater risk of falling than the control group. No significant differences were apparent for cardiovascular conditions, subjective health status and psychoactive medication use between the groups. Multivariate analyses identified quadriceps strength and body sway on the compliant surface as the most important variables for distinguishing between the hip fracture and no hip fracture groups. These two variables correctly classified 92% of the cases, with equal sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion: The findings identify an increased prevalence of certain physical fall risk factors among older persons who have suffered a hip fracture. Decreased quadriceps strength and increased postural sway are potentially modifiable. Intervention programs designed to improve performance on these variables among this population require investigation.
A method for evaluating the structural quality of protein models by using higher-order φ–ψ pairs scoring

A method is presented for scoring the model quality of experimental and theoretical protein structures. The structural model to be evaluated is dissected into small fragments via a sliding window, where each fragment is represented by a vector of multiple φ–ψ angles. The sliding window ranges in size from a length of 1–10 φ–ψ pairs (3–12 residues). In this method, the conformation of each fragment is scored based on the fit of multiple φ–ψ angles of the fragment to a database of multiple φ–ψ angles from high-resolution x-ray crystal structures. We show that measuring the fit of predicted structural models to the allowed conformational space of longer fragments is a significant discriminator for model quality. Reasonable models have higher-order φ–ψ score fit values (m) > −1.00.
Waveguide crossings by use of mutlimode tapered structures

A compact waveguide crossing constructed by three cascaded multimode tapers on each branch is numerically analyzed by finite difference time domain method, which possesses the size of 3920 nm×3920 nm, the insertion loss of 0.187 dB and the crosstalk of -47.58 dB at the wavelength of 1550 nm and broad transmission spectrum ranging from 1500 to 1600 nm.