Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Effective volume of local anesthetics for fascia iliac compartment block: a double-blind, comparative study between 0.5% ropivacaine and 0.5% bupivacaine.].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Fascia iliac compartment block is widely used as one of the anesthetic techniques used for surgical interventions of the hip, thigh, and knee. The majority of the studies have used fixed volumes of ropivacaine or bupivacaine. The objective of this study was to calculate the effective volume of 0.5% ropivacaine and 0.5% bupivacaine in 50% (EV50%), 95% (EV95), and 99% (EV99) of the cases to achieve fascia iliac compartment block. METHODS Fifty-one adults scheduled for elective surgical interventions of the hip, femoral diaphysis, and knee underwent fascia iliac compartment block. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 0.5% ropivacaine (n = 25) or 0.5% bupivacaine (n = 26). The success of the block was defined as a complete sensitive block of the anterior, medial, and lateral regions of the thigh. The volume of the anesthetic was determined by Massey and Dixon's up-and-down method, while the effective volume was calculated by Massey and Dixon's formula (EV50) and by probits regression (EV50, EV95, and EV99). RESULTS The volume of anesthetic capable of producing an effective nervous anesthesia in 50% of the cases, calculated by Massey and Dixon formula, were 28.79 mL (CI 95%: 26.31 - 31.5 mL) for ropivacaine, and 29.56 mL (CI 95%: 25.22 - 34.64 mL) for bupivacaine (p = 0.62). The effective volumes of ropivacaine capable of producing a blocking in 50%, 95%, and 99% of the cases were estimated by probits regression as 28.8 mL (27.2 - 30.4), 34.3 mL (32.5 - 37.3), and 36.6 mL (34.3 - 40.5), respectively. The corresponding volumes of bupivacaine were 29.5 mL (28.1 - 31.1), 36.1 mL (33.5 - 38.1), and 37.3 mL (35.1 - 41.3) (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The volumes of 0.5% ropivacaine and 0.5% bupivacaine with adrenaline 1:200,000 for the fascia iliac block are similar.
Evaluation of Anti-angiogenic Activities of Aqueous Extracts of Regular and Selenium-rich Green Teas Using Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane as an Experimental Model

Angiogenesis, a process of developing new blood vessels, is essential in tumor progression and metastasis. It is well received that consumption of green tea (Camellia sinensi) can reduce risk of cancers to some extent. Here we used the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as a model system to study any anti-angiogenic effects generated by crude water extract of regular green tea (R-GTE) and selenium-rich green tea (Se-GTE). Comparing to the control CAM treated with only distilled water, the CAMs treated with the same volume of crude extracts of both R-GTE and Se-GTE had much less new blood vessels formed, indicating clear anti-angiogenic effects by the green teas. Se-GTE was superior to R-GTE and this superiority was attributed to the presence of higher level of organic selenium in comparison to the R-GTE. The anti-angiogenic properties of water extracts of both R-GTE and Se-GTE could be clues to the reduced risk of coronary heart diseases and cancers following consumption of green tea reported in numerous studies.
[Hemodynamic tolerance and rapid hypertrophy of a hepatic graft corresponding to less than 30% of the ideal mass in pigs].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Evaluation of a new pig liver transplantation technique for survival and hypertrophy of a small-sized graft by providing adapted and controlled venous portal flow. MATERIAL AND METHODS [corrected] Twenty Large-White pigs underwent heterotopic liver transplantation after a mesocaval shunt and ligation of the superior mesenteric vein downstream from the shunt. The donor-to-recipient weight ratio was below 30%. Furthermore, recipient's biliary duct and portal vein into the hilum were tied. In a control group, no mesocaval shunt was performed and the graft received the entire splanchnic venous flow. RESULTS The mesocaval shunt provided diversion of 60% of the splanchnic blood flow. The median survival of study pigs was 39 days (range: 8-98). Median serum bilirubin levels at 1 week were 12 micromol/L (range: 4-59). At autopsy, graft weight was increased to 2.7 times the initial weight and histological findings were normal. In the control group, all pigs died quickly from acute splanchnic congestion. CONCLUSION In a model of heterotopic liver transplantation using small-sized grafts, complete diversion of mesenteric blood flow through a mesocaval shunt resulted in hemodynamic tolerance and hypertrophy of a graft corresponding to less than 30% of the ideal mass.
Cascaded Cavities Boost the Indistinguishability of Imperfect Quantum Emitters.

Recently, Grange et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 193601 (2015)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.114. 193601] showed the possibility of single-photon generation with a high indistinguishability from a quantum emitter despite strong pure dephasing, by "funneling" emission into a photonic cavity. Here, we show that a cascaded two-cavity system can further improve the photon characteristics and greatly reduce the Q factor requirement to levels achievable with present-day technology. Our approach leverages recent advances in nanocavities with an ultrasmall mode volume and does not require ultrafast excitation of the emitter. These results were obtained by numerical and closed-form analytical models with strong emitter dephasing, representing room-temperature quantum emitters.
Extending OpenACC for Efficient Stencil Code Generation and Execution by Skeleton Frameworks

The OpenACC programming model simplifies the programming for accelerator devices such as GPUs. Its abstract accelerator model defines a least common denominator for accelerator devices, thus it cannot represent architectural specifics of these devices without losing portability. Therefore, this general- purpose approach delivers good performance on average, but it misses optimization opportunities for code generation and execution of specific classes of applications. In this paper, we propose OpenACC extensions to enable efficient code generation and execution of stencil applications by parallel skeleton frameworks such as PSkel. Our results show that our stencil extensions may improve the performance of OpenACC in up to 28% and 45% on GPU and CPU, respectively. Moreover, we show that the work-partitioning mechanism offered by the skeleton framework, which splits the computation across CPU and GPU, may improve even further the performance of the applications in up to 18%.
Uterine Stromatosis: Clinicopathologic Features and Hormone Dependency

The clinicopathologic aspects of 12 cases of stromatosis are discussed. The classic picture of a locally invasive and late metastasizing neoplasm is demonstrated in 7 of the 12 cases. The only fulminating lesion was also the only one in which malignancy was evident histologically. The hormone dependency of the classic endometrial stromal cell of the tumor is suggested by findings in 3 of the 12 cases.
A statistical model for annotating videos with human actions

This contribution addresses the approach to recognize single and multiple human actions in video streams. This work introduces a novel action recognition algorithm with normalization enhancements. Initially feature vectors are extracted using 2D SIFT features. Bag of Words model is extended with a new normalization technique on the visual vocabulary to make the dimensions same so that the actions would be easier to read and extract. This normalization technique vastly improves the results from the state of the art methods. HMM based model is developed for training and testing of six basic actions present in the KTH human action dataset. By comparing our work with previously applied models, results display that our approach vastly improves the accuracy of the existing methods of action recognition.
Miniaturization of wearable electro-textile antennas using Minkowski fractal geometry

This paper deals with miniaturization of wearable electro-textile antennas by the use of Minkowski fractal geometries. Two electro-textile materials namely Flectron and Zelt are considered for the design of flexible microstrip antennas. In both cases, polyester fabric material has been employed as dielectric medium. In the basic design both the antennas are designed for WLAN applications. The Flectron antenna provides a gain of 6.54 dB with an impedance bandwidth of 132 MHz whereas, the Zelt antenna offers a gain of 7.4 dB and an impedance bandwidth of 104 MHz. By applying Minkowski fractal geometry to the antennas, miniaturization is achieved. In its first iteration, antenna designs are optimized and tuned to WiBro band and in the second iteration, antennas are further miniaturized in order to make them suitable for GSM 1900 applications. In these two bands, the gain and efficiency of both Flectron and Zelt antennas conform to their respective wireless standards. The simulation studies reveal that Zelt antenna yields better results compared to Flectron antenna.
Skin Development in 14 to 60-Day-Old Guinea Pig Fetus

To contribute knowledge of an important experimental model for studies on skin embryology, a study was carried out to describe the morphological events of the skin during the intrauterine life of Cavia porcellus from the 10th to the 60th day of gestation. Embryos and fetuses were dissected, and the skin of the nasal, cranial, lumbar and anal regions was processed byopti al microscopy. At 30 days the first hairs, called lanugos, were observed in the cranial region. The morphological description show ed that a few days can make a great difference in development.
Sensitive imaging of an elastic nonlinear wave-scattering source in a solid

We have developed an imaging method for locating isolated nonlinear scattering source(s) in solids. It relies on extracting the nonlinear response of a solid by modulation of a high by a low-frequency wave, and employing moving-window, synchronous detection. The resulting image consists of nonlinear wave reflection profiles with remarkable sensitivity to an isolated elastic nonlinear source(s). In creating the image, we can distinguish between a nonlinear scattering source and other wave scatterers in the material. The method should work equally well for imaging the relative nonlinearity of different regions within a volume.
Gender Differences in Social Network Size and Satisfaction in Adults in Their 70s

Strong social support is associated with lower mortality and morbidity and better self-rated health in later life. The aim of this study was to compare social network size and satisfaction in men (N = 2589) and women (n = 3152), aged 72—78 years. Women reported significantly larger networks (Difference 1.36, 95% CI 0.89, 1.83) than men. However, being separated, divorced or single had a significantly greater impact on men’s social networks (Difference 0.92, 95% CI 0.17, 1.68). Poor mental health and sensory impairments were associated with smaller networks and lower satisfaction with support for both men and women.
Mobilité connectée et continuité spatio-temporelle des activités

Le deplacement peut etre apprehende comme un espace-temps accueillant des activites, et notamment de plus en plus d’activites numeriques connectees sous l’influence conjointe de la diffusion du smartphone dans la societe et de l’amelioration de la qualite de la connexion dans les transports en commun. Si l’espace-temps du deplacement demeure un espace-temps specifique en termes de deploiement d’activites, la mise en connexion de la mobilite participe a affaiblir les differences observables entre espace-temps du deplacement et autres espaces-temps du quotidien.
Alternative Series-Based Solution to Approximate Pollaczek's Integral

In this letter, the Wedepohl-Wilcox series is combined with the trapezoidal rule of integration for calculating ground return impedances of buried cables. In this hybrid method, the former are used for low frequencies and the latter are for high frequencies. Based on a numerical analysis, a criterion for switching between series and numerical integration is proposed here and compared with the one proposed by Wedepohl-Wilcox. Validation of the improved criterion is made via an electromagnetic transient.
Evaluation of circuit and its analytical function parameters for lightning and switching impulse

In this paper, a new approach has been presented for evaluation of the impulse circuit parameters from known physical parameters (rise or peak time and tail time) using Nelder-Mead algorithm (NMA). Results of second order impulse circuit parameters such as C1, C2, R1, and R2 are reported for generating lightning impulse (LI) and switching impulse (SI) as given in standards (IEEE 4-2013 and IEC 60060-1). The determined circuit parameters are validated for practical applications through the impulse circuit developed in MATLAB. The presented method enables accurate estimation of unknown impulse circuit parameters from the known physical parameters. Impulse wave (LI & SI) attained using analytical (double exponential) expression and through simulation circuits are presented. The percentage error in peak time, rise time, tail time and peak voltage for both standard LI (1.2/50μs) and standard SI (250/2500μs) are also reported.
A DC-AC Converter with High Frequency Isolation

This work presents the analysis, design, simulation and experimental development of a single-phase inverter with high frequency transformer isolation and for a wide input voltage range. The high frequency input current ripple is mitigated by the use of a small input LC filter, and the low frequency current component injected by the inverter is attenuated by the voltage loop controller. The proposed topology can be used in dc voltage- sourced applications such as renewable energy and battery systems.
Physicians' attitudes toward reclassifying drugs as over-the-counter.

OBJECTIVES Releasing prescription drugs over-the-counter (OTC) has been a trend in many Western countries. The purpose of this study was to find out about Finnish physicians' attitudes towards OTC switches and to find out whether transfer of drugs that are used in a doctor's own area of specialty increases negative attitudes toward release. For the latter purpose, gynecologists' perceptions about the availability of vaginal antifungal OTC drugs was studied. METHODS Postal questionnaire to a representative random sample of gynecologists (n = 169) and general practitioners (GPs) (n = 288) in six counties in Finland in 1996. After a reminder, the response rate was 77% (n = 341). Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the relationship of factors to attitudes toward OTC drugs. RESULTS The overall attitude toward the availability of OTC drugs was moderately positive but was more reserved toward those drugs only recently given OTC status. However, physicians were judged in many cases to be the most suitable source of information on OTC drugs. GPs working in health centers, more often than other physicians, found drugs suitable for self medication. Our hypothesis about gynecologists being against the release of vaginal antifungal drugs was not supported. CONCLUSIONS Physicians' views about OTC drugs are influenced by the current OTC status of the drug and by public discussion. The place of work has an important influence on these opinions, most likely reflecting the effect of case mix and patient load.
The E7 proteins of the nononcogenic human papillomavirus type 6b (HPV-6b) and of the oncogenic HPV-16 differ in retinoblastoma protein binding and other properties

The E7 early viral protein of the oncogenic human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) has been strongly implicated in the maintenance of the malignant phenotype in cervical cancers and cancer-derived cell lines. HPV-16 E7 is a nuclear phosphoprotein that can cooperate with ras to transform baby rat kidney cells, transactivates the adenovirus E2 promoter, and binds to the retinoblastoma (RB) protein. The E7 phosphoprotein of the nononcogenic HPV-6b, which is generally associated with benign genital warts, is similar to the HPV-16 E7 in amino acid sequence but differs dramatically in migration in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, sedimentation in nondenaturing glycerol gradients, and the ability to bind the RB protein. Our results indicate that the RB protein preferentially binds the phosphorylated form of HPV-6b E7, which comprises a minor fraction of the total E7 expressed in transiently transfected COS-7 cells. These characteristics may help to explain the difference in the oncogenic potential of the oncogenic and nononcogenic types of genital papillomaviruses.
Laccase and Melanization in Clinically Important Cryptococcus Species Other than Cryptococcusneoformans

ABSTRACT The laccase enzyme and melanin synthesis have been implicated as contributors to virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans. Since isolations of Cryptococcus species other than C.neoformans from clinical specimens have been increasing, we examined the laccase activities of C. albidus, C. laurentii, C. curvatus, and C. humicola. Incubation of cells with epinephrine produced adrenochrome color in C. albidus, C. laurentii, and C. curvatus but not in C. humicola. Activity was always less than in C. neoformans. Laccase was detected in the soluble fractions of disrupted C. albidus, C. laurentii, and C. curvatus cells. Activity staining of partially purified enzyme after nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that laccases from C. albidus, C. laurentii, and C. curvatus migrated more slowly than that from C. neoformans. One strain of C. curvatus exhibited two melanin bands. Thus, several clinically emerging Cryptococcus species express laccase and can synthesize melanin.
Arbres CART et For{\^e}ts al{\'e}atoiresImportance et s{\'e}lection de variables

Two algorithms proposed by Leo Breiman : CART trees (Classification And Regression Trees for) introduced in the first half of the 80s and random forests emerged, meanwhile, in the early 2000s, are the subject of this article. The goal is to provide each of the topics, a presentation, a theoretical guarantee, an example and some variants and extensions. After a preamble, introduction recalls objectives of classification and regression problems before retracing some predecessors of the Random Forests. Then, a section is devoted to CART trees then random forests are presented. Then, a variable selection procedure based on permutation variable importance is proposed. Finally the adaptation of random forests to the Big Data context is sketched.
Effects of dehydration on thermoregulatory responses of horses during low-intensity exercise.

Effects of dehydration on thermoregulatory and metabolic responses were studied in six horses during 40 min of exercise eliciting approximately 40% of maximal O2 consumption and for 30 min after exercise. Horses were exercised while euhydrated (C), 4 h after administration of furosemide (FDH; 1.0 mg/kg i.v.) to induce isotonic dehydration, and after 30 h without water (DDH) to induce hypertonic dehydration. Cardiac output was significantly lower in FDH (144.1 +/- 8.0 l/min) and in DDH (156.6 +/- 6.9 l/min) than in C (173.1 +/- 6.2 l/min) after 30 min of exercise. When DDH, FDH, and C values were compared, dehydration resulted in higher temperatures in the middle gluteal muscle (41.9 +/- 0.3, 41.1 +/- 0.2, and 40.6 +/- 0.2 degrees C, respectively) and pulmonary artery (40.8 +/- 0.3, 40.1 +/- 0.2, and 39.7 +/- 0.2 degrees C, respectively). Temperatures in the superficial thoracic vein and subcutaneous sites on the neck and back and peak sweating rates on the neck and back were not significantly different in DDH and C. In view of higher core temperatures during exercise after dehydration and decrease in cardiac output without concomitant increases in peripheral temperatures or reduced sweating rates, we conclude that the impairment of thermoregulation was primarily due to decreased transfer of heat from core to periphery.
Detection of Terahertz Radiation from Submicron Plasma Waves Transistors

Terahertz (THz) rays are located in the spectral region ∼ 0.1-10 THz (∼ 3 mm 30 μm, 3 cm−1 300 cm−1) between the microwave and the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Detection and emission of terahertz radiation bears great potential in medical diagnostics, product quality control and security screening. The attractive features of THz radiation for applications are: (i) They are transmitted by cloths andmost packagingmaterials such as paper or plastics (ii) Many substances have "fingerprint" spectra in the THz range (iii) Due to its low photon energy (about one million times less than X-rays), THz radiation is non-ionizing and therefore not dangerous for human beings. These properties make THz systems a promising tool for different types of applications wherever detection and identification of hidden threats is the task and when human beings are to be scanned. When T-rays strike an object some of the rays pass through and others bounce back. A detector can measure the time it takes for rays to bounce back from different layers of an object. From that information, computers can produce a three dimensional image of the objects internal structure. The detectors can also identify the color shift of the reflecting rays. Every chemical and material has a unique color signature (fingerprint), so THz systems can determine not just what an object looks like, but what it’s made of. THz rays may have dozens of practical applications, from medical imaging to wireless communications (Tonouchi, 2007). New terahertz system for scanning mails is under trial in Japan (Hoshina et al., 2009). Kawase et al. has demonstrated non-destructive terahertz imaging of illicit drugs (Kawase et al., 2003). An excellent review highlighting the importance of terahertz range in different types of applications from astronomy to spectroscopy can be found in Siegel (Siegel, 2002) and references in.
Severe Erosive Esophagitis Associated With a Short Course of Ibuprofen.

A 2-year-old white boy presented with sudden-onset hematemesis and melena. He was immunocompetent and without any proreflux condition. Two days before admission, he had fever (38.5 8 C), vomiting, and watery diarrhea. Two doses of ibuprofen (10 mg/kg per dose) were given at standard intervals. No other drug had been administered except ibuprofen 13 days before for 3 days for fever. Ingestion of corrosives was excluded. Endoscopy showed severe erosive esophagitis with confluent erosions and whitish exudates (grade D esophagitis according to the Los Angeles classification [Fig. 1] (1)). Histology evidenced acute inflammation with neutrophil and eosinophil infiltration (Fig. 2). No viral inclusion bodies, fungi, or parasites were found. Laboratory data were all normal. Infection with herpes simplex virus, enterovirus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, and rotavirus was excluded. Because of the severity of the lesions, a 2-month course of proton pump inhibitor was started. Endoscopic examination after treatment showed completely normal esophageal mucosa. Although rare, upper gastrointestinal bleeding associated with ibuprofen has been described in adults and children (2). In a recent survey, one-third of pediatric upper gastrointestinal bleeding was attributable to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used as analgesics or antipyretics. In infants ages 2 months to 2 years, esophageal lesions, especially erosive esophagitis, are more frequent (52%) than gastric lesions (37%) (3). Pediatric gastroenterologists should be alerted to the possible occurrence of this rare complication.