Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of breed, heterosis, age of dam, litter size, and birth weight on lamb mortality.

Sources of individual plus maternal effects on lamb mortality were studied in data collected at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center from 1980 to 1985 for paternal and maternal breeds lambing yearly and for maternal breeds lambing at 8-mo intervals. Records included 16,881 lambs born. Breeds included were Finnsheep (F), Dorset (D), Rambouillet (R), Suffolk (S), Targhee (T), Composite 1 (C1 = F/2, D/4, R/4), Composite 2 (C2 = F/2, S/4, T/4), and Composite 3 (C3 = Columbia/2, S/4, Hampshire/4), Traits analyzed were perinatal, postnatal, and total mortality to 60 d of age and postnatal respiratory, digestive, starvation, injury, and other or unknown causes of mortality. The least squares analyses included breed, year, sire within breed-year, sex, linear and quadratic season and age of dam covariates (Model 1), plus litter size (Model 2), plus birth weight (Model 3), and significant two-way interactions. Age of dam, litter size, and birth weight all had important, often quadratic, effects that differed among breeds. Models 1, 2, and 3, respectively, reduced variation by 8, 10, and 16% for perinatal, 7, 8, and 12% for postnatal, and 9, 11, and 20% for total mortality. In Model 1, breed means ranged from 3.5 to 16.2% for perinatal, 7.2 to 21.1% for postnatal, and 16.7 to 32.8% for total mortality. Respiratory and starvation problems were major causes of postnatal mortality. Heterosis for lamb survival retained in composites was 9% for C1 and 18% for C2. Mortality was 1 to 5% higher for males than for females. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Penile enlargement

Purpose of review As male genital corrective surgery is becoming increasingly requested by patients, the need to reach a general consensus on indications and techniques is now imperative. This review of published data provides an overview concerning patient selection modalities, benefits/risks and expected outcomes of surgery. Finally, the article focuses on ethical issues caused by the growing aesthetic nature of this surgery. Recent findings Interest has been sparked by animal studies, the description of innovative techniques for lengthening and girth enhancement techniques, reconstructive phalloplasty and penile implant surgery. Data suggest that better objective surgical outcomes are possible, though in many cases long-term data and patient-rated satisfaction details are lacking. Most importantly, studies show the importance of having a multidisciplinary team in charge of patient selection. Summary Although more long-term data are required before a general consensus can be reached, recent findings point to the absolute need for a thorough psychological assessment of men requesting penile enhancement surgery. Urologists should work in very close collaboration with psychologists or psychosexologists both during the preoperative phase (to verify eligibility for surgery) and afterwards (to provide counselling).
Spectral properties of plasmonic nanoantennas: Comparison of quasistatic and full-wave analyses

This presentation focuses on the way how geometrical shape of nanoparticles affects the spectral properties of their surface plasmon resonances. Furthermore, intuitive understanding of the shifting of the plasmonic peaks can be gathered from quasistatic results. The domain of validity of the quasistatic analysis is charted for different types of nanoparticles.
Effect of multidrug‐resistant P‐glycoprotein gene expression on chloroaluminum tetrasulfonate phthalocyanine concentration

The effect of multidrug‐resistant P‐glycoprotein gene expression (MDR1) in 3T3 cells on cellular concentrations and cytotoxicity induced by the photodynamic agent chloroaluminum tetrasulfonate phthalocyanine (AISPc) was evaluated. 3T3 cells transfected with a retroviral vector expressing human MDR1 cDNA were resistant to colchicine. Resistant cells incubated with daunomycin accumulated only 40–50% of the quantity of daunomycin accumulated in control cells. Resistant cells incubated with daunomycin in the presence of verapamil had intracellular daunomycin concentrations approximately equal to control cells without verapamil. When these MDR1 3T3 cells were incubated with AISPc, cellular concentrations of AISPc did not differ between cells resistant to colchicine and those that were not. Similarly, there was little difference in cytotoxicity demonstrated by 51Cromium release in the two cell lines exposed to AISPc and light (675 nm; 6 J/cm2). This study suggests photodynamic therapy using AISPc may be a useful treatment modality for tumors in which the MDR1 P‐glycoprotein confers resistance to cancer chemotherapeutics. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Finding Optimal Exact Reducts

The problem of attribute reduction is an important problem related to feature selection and knowledge discovery. The problem of finding reducts with minimum cardinality is NP-hard. This paper suggests a new algorithm for finding exact reducts with minimum cardinality. This algorithm transforms the initial table to a decision table of a special kind, apply a set of simplification steps to this table, and use a dynamic programming algorithm to finish the construction of an optimal reduct. I present results of computer experiments for a collection of decision tables from UCI ML Repository. For many of the experimented tables, the simplification steps solved the problem.
Web Image Gathering with a Spatial Pyramid Kernel

In this paper, we propose a Web image gathering system em- ploying state-of-the-art object recognition techniques, which are bag-of-visual-words representation and a spatial pyramid kernel. In these several years, research on object recognition is progressing greatly. Most of work on object recognition assumes complete training data is available, while complete training data is not available in general in case of gathering Web images with no human intervention. The objective of this paper is to examine if a state-of-the-art object recogni- tion technique is also effective for the Web image gathering task where training images always include some noise. By the experiments, we show the state-of-the-art object recognition method is also very effective for Web image gathering and the results outperform ones by existing methods greatly.
Broadband directional Moreno coupler for high-performance air-filled SIW-based Substrate Integrated Systems

A broadband directional Moreno coupler consisting of a high performance Air-Filled Substrate Integrated Waveguide (AFSIW) coupled to a top Dielectric-Filled Substrate Integrated Waveguide (DFSIW) is introduced. It is intended for high performance and low-cost millimeter-wave substrate integrated systems based on multilayer Printed Circuit Board (PCB) process. The bottom layer may make use of an extremely low-cost standard substrate such as FR-4 on which base-band or digital circuits can be implemented so to obtain a self-packaged and compact millimeter-wave integrated system. Design of the proposed Moreno coupler is detailed. To the authors' knowledge, it is the first time that a Moreno coupler based on different dielectric-loaded waveguides is reported. It is also the first proposed AFSIW device taking advantage of a multilayer structure and the first AFSIW directional coupler reported in the literature. For demonstration purposes, a broadband 20 dB coupler operating over Ka-band has been designed and fabricated. It achieves a measured insertion loss, coupling and isolation of 0.6 ±0.2 dB, 18.7 ±1.3 dB and 44.7 ±13.7 dB, respectively. This coupler is of particular interest for monitoring applications, for example, in radar transmitters.
Lens-based fluorescence nanoscopy

Abstract The majority of studies of the living cell rely on capturing images using fluorescence microscopy. Unfortunately, for centuries, diffraction of light was limiting the spatial resolution in the optical microscope: structural and molecular details much finer than about half the wavelength of visible light (~200 nm) could not be visualized, imposing significant limitations on this otherwise so promising method. The surpassing of this resolution limit in far-field microscopy is currently one of the most momentous developments for studying the living cell, as the move from microscopy to super-resolution microscopy or ‘nanoscopy’ offers opportunities to study problems in biophysical and biomedical research at a new level of detail. This review describes the principles and modalities of present fluorescence nanoscopes, as well as their potential for biophysical and cellular experiments. All the existing nanoscopy variants separate neighboring features by transiently preparing their fluorescent molecules in states of different emission characteristics in order to make the features discernible. Usually these are fluorescent ‘on’ and ‘off’ states causing the adjacent molecules to emit sequentially in time. Each of the variants can in principle reach molecular spatial resolution and has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some require specific transitions and states that can be found only in certain fluorophore subfamilies, such as photoswitchable fluorophores, while other variants can be realized with standard fluorescent labels. Similar to conventional far-field microscopy, nanoscopy can be utilized for dynamical, multi-color and three-dimensional imaging of fixed and live cells, tissues or organisms. Lens-based fluorescence nanoscopy is poised for a high impact on future developments in the life sciences, with the potential to help solve long-standing quests in different areas of scientific research.
Oral retinoid use reduces cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma risk in patients with psoriasis treated with psoralen-UVA: a nested cohort study.

BACKGROUND Small open studies of patients at high risk for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin suggest that oral retinoid use reduces the risk of these tumors. Among patients at lower risk, randomized trials of low doses of retinoids did not demonstrate significant chemopreventive effects. Patients with psoriasis treated with oral psoralen-UVA have a high risk of SCC development. Oral retinoids are used to treat psoriasis. We performed a nested cohort study to assess whether oral retinoids reduce skin cancer risk among patients with psoriasis exposed to psoralen-UVA. METHODS From 1985 to 2000, 135 patients (11.3% of surviving patients in our cohort) used retinoids for at least 26 weeks in 1 year or more. For these 135 patients, we compared each person's SCC and basal cell carcinoma incidence during years of substantial oral retinoid use and other years. We used Poisson regression models to adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS In a paired analysis, which compared each patient's own tumor experience while using and not using retinoids, retinoid use was associated with a 30% reduction in SCC incidence (196 SCCs/1000 and 302 SCCs/1000 years of use and no use, respectively; P =.002). After adjusting for other factors associated with SCC risk, the incidence of SCC was significantly decreased during years of substantial retinoid use (incidence rate ratio = 0.79; 95% confidence interval = 0.65, 0.95). Oral retinoid use and basal cell carcinoma incidence were not significantly associated. CONCLUSION In patients with psoriasis treated with psoralen-UVA, systemic retinoid use reduced SCC risk but did not significantly alter basal cell carcinoma incidence.
Distribution System Voltage Performance Analysis for High-Penetration PV

Distributed generation can have an impact on distribution feeder voltage regulation, and distributed solar photovoltaics (PV) are no exception. As the penetration level of solar PV rises over the coming decades, reverse power flow on the distribution feeder will happen more frequently and the associated voltage rise might lead to violations of voltage boundaries defined by ANSI C84.1. The severity of possible voltage problems depends on the relative size and location of distributed PV generation and loads, distribution feeder topology, and method of voltage regulation. In this paper, an illustrative distribution system feeder is assumed, and various case studies are conducted. The performance of the commonly used distribution voltage regulation methods under reverse power flow are investigated and presented. Voltage performance of the feeder, and the flow of active and reactive power are studied under different loading assumptions, and different assumptions of PV inverters' participation. The paper also explores the system performance using coordinated controls of inverters and utility equipment.
Reforms to the health sector must retain vertical programmes like those for tuberculosis

EDITOR—Health sector reform has become the policy urged on poor countries in the developing world. Basically it entails transferring responsibility for health services and health budgets to local communities. I am sympathetic to this approach. But its uncritical application by governments has a dangerous obverse. Vertical programmes—for instance, central coordination and monitoring of the World Health Organization's DOTS (directly observed treatment short course) programme for control of tuberculosis—may be discouraged. The programme may be suddenly abolished. The economy of scale …
[A case-control study on the risk factors of hand, foot and mouth disease in children in Tianjin].

手足口病是由数种肠道病毒为病原感染的一种传染病,常见的病毒型别是柯萨奇病毒(CoxA16)和肠道病毒71型(EV71). 2008年全国大部分省份报告手足口病,且出现EV71引起的死亡病例. 监测表明天津市报告的手足口病例主要病原体为EV71和CoxA16,其中81%为EV71感染. 尽管EV71引起的临床症状、病原学、诊断等比较明确,但是EV71感染的传播模式、危险因素等仍然不十分明确,且少有研究[1]. 为此我们开展了1:2病例对照研究。
Argument Content and Argument Source: An Exploration

Argumentation is pervasive in everyday life. Understanding what makes a strong argument is therefore of both theoretical and practical interest. One factor that seems intuitively important to the strength of an argument is the reliability of the source providing it. Whilst traditional approaches to argument evaluation are silent on this issue, the Bayesian approach to argumentation (Hahn & Oaksford, 2007) is able to capture important aspects of source reliability. In particular, the Bayesian approach predicts that argument content and source reliability should interact to determine argument strength. In this paper, we outline the approach and then demonstrate the importance of source reliability in two empirical studies. These experiments show the multiplicative relationship between the content and the source of the argument predicted by the Bayesian framework.
Good Modelling of Bad Outputs: Pollution and Multiple-Output Production

The materials balance principle points to the crucial role of material inputs in generating residuals in production processes. Pollution modelling must be of a multi-output nature. The most flexible transformation function in outputs and inputs used in textbooks is too general to make sense in pollution modelling. Specifying bads as if they are inputs, although may be defendable on a macro level as a reduced form, hides explicit considerations of various modification activities. Extending the non-parametric efficiency approach to cover bads as outputs, assuming weak disposability of the bads as the only change in the modelling of the technology, has serious weaknesses. A complete taxonomy of inputs as to the impact on both residuals and marketed products as joint outputs is derived, based on factorially determined multi-output production, thus providing information for choice of policy instruments.
Patient safety during anaesthesia: incorporation of the WHO safe surgery guidelines into clinical practice

Purpose of review WHO makes clear recommendations on how to improve patient safety during surgical procedures by using the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist. We will review the scientific basis of these recommendations and the practical problems encountered during introduction. Recent findings Perioperative severe complications and death are a major health issue in both developed and developing countries. Nearly half of these complications can be avoided. The systematic use of checklists and structured preprocedural and postprocedural briefings like a time-out procedure reduces perioperative morbidity and mortality. A broader use of checklists to cover the whole surgical pathway gives additional benefit, further reducing perioperative morbidity and mortality. Introducing patient safety procedures can be met with some resistance from healthcare workers and is helped by an organization-wide safety policy and a systematic approach. Summary There is sufficient scientific evidence to make the use of checklists and structured perioperative briefings and debriefings mandatory for the broad spectrum of operative procedures.
Contribution of CYP1A2 in the hepatic metabolism of melatonin: studies with isolated microsomal preparations and liver slices

The objective of the present studies was to define the enzyme systems catalysing the 6‐hydroxylation of melatonin, by monitoring the levels of 6‐sulphatoxymelatonin in rat hepatic postmitochondrial preparations and in precision‐cut liver slices. Melatonin 6‐hydroxylase activity was localized in microsomes and was supported by NADPH, but not NADH. Treatment of rats with β‐naphthoflavone more than tripled 6‐sulphatoxymelatonin formation from melatonin, but gave rise only to a moderate increase (25%) in the sulphate conjugation of 6‐hydroxymelatonin. Treatment of rats with phenobarbitone, acetone, dexamethasone and clofibrate did not increase 6‐sulphatoxymelatonin generation when either melatonin or 6‐hydroxymelatonin served as substrates. Of a number of cytochrome P450 inhibitors investigated, only furafylline inhibited markedly the conversion of melatonin to 6‐sulphatoxymelatonin without any concomitant effect on the sulphoconjugation of 6‐hydroxymelatonin. When liver slices were incubated with melatonin, treatment of rats with β‐naphthoflavone, and to a lesser extent phenobarbitone, elevated the levels of 6‐sulphatoxymelatonin in the culture medium. No such increase was seen when slices from β‐naphthoflavone‐treated rats were incubated with 6‐hydroxymelatonin, whereas a modest increase was seen with slices from phenobarbitone‐treated rats. Treatment of rats with acetone, dexamethasone or clofibrate failed to modulate the levels of 6‐sulphatoxymelatonin generated from either melatonin or 6‐hydroxymelatonin. Molecular modelling analysis revealed that melatonin had a high area/depth2 ratio, displayed characteristics of CYP1A2 substrates and could be readily accommodated into the human CYP1A2 active site in a position favouring 6‐hydroxylation. Collectively, all the above data provide strong experimental evidence that CYP1A2 is an important catalyst of the 6‐hydroxylation of melatonin.
Low-power dual-modulus frequency divider by 4/5 up to 13-GHz in 0.13μm CMOS

This paper presents a dual-modulus flip-flop-based frequency divider with programmable division ratios by 4/5 designed in a 0.13 μm CMOS technology. The divider is based on a modified CML D-latch topology, for high speed operation and a low power consumption. The AND gates used for realization of dual-modulus operation are integrated directly into the D-latches to achieve low power consumption and minimum gate delay. This modified circuit topology is verified in measurement, exhibiting operation up to 13 GHz. A broadband output buffer is included to drive a 50 Ω measurement equipment. The divider by 4/5 including a 50 Ω buffer draws 21 mA from a single 1.5 V supply. The active circuit including buffer consumes a chip area of only 130 μm × 72 μm.
Real-time physically-based facial expression animation using mass-spring system

We propose a physically-based approach based on anatomical knowledge for real-time facial expression animation. The facial model incorporates a physically-based approximation to facial skin and a set of anatomically-motivated facial muscles. The skin is modeled by a mass-spring system with nonlinear springs which have a biphasic stress-strain relationship to simulate the elastic dynamics of real facial skin. Facial muscles are modeled as forces deforming the spring mesh. Based on the action units (AUs) of the facial action coding system (FACS), various expressions can be generated by a combination of contractions of a set of facial muscles. Lagrangian mechanics governs the dynamics, dictating the deformation of the facial surface in response to muscle forces. Simulation results show real-time facial deformation as well as realistic expression animation.
The behaviour of frog muscle in hypertonic solutions

It is well known that hypertonic solutions diminish, and in sufficient concentration abolish, the twitch of frog muscle, whereas hypotonic solutions within a certain range enhance the twitch (Overton, 1902; Fenn, 1936; Hodgkin & Horowicz, 1957). This paper describes some mechanical measurements made with muscles exposed to solutions up to the equivalent of three times the concentration of normal Ringer's solution, and to hypotanic solutions.
Obesity Has a Negative Impact on Clinical Outcome after Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background and Aims: Obesity has been linked to the development of osteoarthritis of the knee and since the incidence of obesity is increasing, the need for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is likely to increase. Conflicting findings have been reported concerning the relationship between obesity and TKA. It has been shown in several studies, that obese patients have poorer clinical results after operation. On the other hand it has also been reported similar results for obese and non-obese patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze clinically and radiologically the results of total knee artrhoplasty in obese patients. Material and Methods: The study consisted of 48 patients who had a TKA. The patients were divided in two groups according their body mass index. Patients of BMI over 30 were regarded as obese. Results: The obese patients had poorer clinical success at the final follow-up, their WOMAC scores were significantly higher compared to non-obese (pain 20.7 vs. 11.6; p = 0.021, stiffness 26.9 vs. 13.4; p = 0.006, physical function 26.5 vs. 14.4; p = 0.003). Differences were also found in the Knee (KS) and Function (FS) scores and a long-term postoperative ROM and (KS: 83.6 vs. 88.9; p = 0.01, FS: 63.6/76.3; p = 0.051, ROM: 104.6 vs. 109.6; p = 0.016). Non-obese patients reached better percentage improvement in the KSS compared to obese patients (KS change + 194.5% vs. + 59.5%, p = 0.03; FS change + 51.5% vs. + 14.9%, p = 0.19). Conclusions: Obesity has a negative impact on the outcome of TKA, assessed by patients' clinical function and satisfaction level.