Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overview of Ground-Motion Issues for Cascadia Megathrust Events: Simulation of Ground-Motions and Earthquake Site Response

Ground motions for earthquakes of M7.5 to 9.0 on the Cascadia subduction interface are simulated based on a stochastic finite-fault model, and used to estimate average response spectra for reference firm soil conditions. The simulations are first validated by modeling the wealth of ground-motion data from the the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku earthquake of Japan. Adjustments to the calibrated model are then made to consider average source, attenuation and site parameters for the Cascadia region. This includes an evaluation of the likely variability in stress drop for large interface earthquakes, and an assessment of regional attenuation and site effects. We perform best-estimate simulations for a preferred set of input parameters. Typical results suggest mean values of 5%-damped pseudo-acceleration in the range from about 100 to 200 cm/s2, at frequencies from 1 to 4 Hz, for firm-ground conditions in Vancouver. Uncertainty in most-likely value of the parameter representing stress drop causes variability in simulated response spectra of about ±50%. Uncertainties in the attenuation model produce even larger variability in response spectral amplitudes – a factor of about two at a closest distance to the rupture plane (Rcd) of 100 km, becoming even larger at greater distances. It is thus important to establish the regional attenuation model for ground-motion simulations, and to bound the source properties controlling radiation of ground motion. We calculate theoretical 1D spectral amplification estimates for four selected Fraser River Delta sites to show how the presence of softer sediments in the region may alter the predicted ground motions. The amplification functions are largely consistent with observed spectral amplification at Fraser River delta sites, suggesting amplification by factors of 2.5 to 5 at the peak frequency of the site; we note that deep sites in the delta have a low peak frequency, ~0.3 Hz. This work will aid in seismic hazard assessment and mitigation efforts in the active Cascadia region of southwestern B.C. An important consideration is that the uncertainties are large and present a dominant unknown when assessing seismic risk. We find that variability in the expected motions exceeds a factor of two even on rock-like sites, with uncertainty
Racial differences in risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer: alcohol, tobacco, and other determinants.

BACKGROUND In the United States, Blacks have increasingly higher rates of oral and pharyngeal cancer (oral cancer) than Whites, but determinants of the racial disparity have not been clear. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to explore reasons for the higher incidence of oral cancer among Blacks than Whites. METHODS We used data from a large, population-based case-control study of oral cancer risk factors conducted in four areas of the United States. On the basis of interviews that ascertained characteristics of 1065 oral cancer patients (871 Whites and 194 Blacks) and 1182 controls (979 Whites and 203 Blacks), we examined racial differences in exposure prevalences and relative risks for a number of known etiologic factors, including tobacco and alcohol consumption, diet, and socioeconomic and other variables. To evaluate the extent to which the major risk factors explained the excess risk of oral cancer among Blacks, population-attributable risks were calculated. RESULTS Differences with respect to alcohol consumption, especially among current smokers, emerged as the most important explanatory variables. After adjusting for smoking, heavy drinking (> or = 30 drinks/week) resulted in a 17-fold increased risk among Blacks and a ninefold increase among Whites. Among drinkers, Blacks tended to drink more than Whites. Also, a higher (P = .01) percentage of Blacks (37%) than Whites (28%) were current smokers, although there were little or no racial differences in relative risks or patterns of use for other smoking variables, including number of cigarettes smoked per day, years of smoking, and age started smoking. From population-attributable risk calculations, we estimated that differences in alcohol and tobacco use account for the bulk of the higher incidence of oral cancer among Blacks in the United States and that, in the absence of alcohol and tobacco, the rates of this cancer according to race (Black, White) and gender would be nearly equal. With regard to other potential etiologic factors, protective effects provided by higher dietary intake of fruits and vitamin C were more pronounced for Whites, while Blacks more often tended to be in sociodemographic and medical or dental health categories associated with increased risk. CONCLUSIONS These analyses provide evidence that various environmental or lifestyle determinants of oral cancer may contribute to the higher oral cancer rates in Blacks than in Whites in the United States, but that patterns and risks associated with alcohol consumption, particularly among current smokers, are the most important contributors to the excess risk in Blacks. IMPLICATIONS These findings suggest that the key to prevention of oral and pharyngeal cancers among both Blacks and Whites is reduced intake of alcoholic beverages and, because of strong interactive effects, the cessation of smoking.
IPV for OPV primed children.

Number of confirmed polio cases was 741 in year 2009, which declined to 42 and 1 in years 2010 and 2011 respectively. It is indeed a great achievement and needs meticulous planning of strategy for the final eradication of polio. Current recommendation by IAP is to administer two doses of IPV to OPV primed children. I seek following clarifications from the experts so that we may be able to implement the recommendation properly.
Lidocaine attenuates hyperoxic lung injury in rabbits

Background: High concentrations of oxygen acute lung injury. Neutrophils are thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of this lung injury through the release of oxygen radicals, neutral proteases, and lysosomal enzymes. Lidocaine has been shown to inhibit neutrophil function. We examined whether intravenous pretreatment with lidocaine attenuated acute lung injury induced by hyperoxia.
Distribution of Complement in the Sclero

In the present study, we compared hemolytic activities of Cl, C4, C2, C3, C5, C6 and C7 in the anterior and posterior sclera. Additionally, we used radial immunodiffusion to measure levels of Factor B, IgG, IgA and albumin in the anterior and posterior sclera. Except for Cl, complement levels were significantly higher in the posterior than anterior sclera. Additionally, levels of immunoglobulins as well as albumin were significantly higher in the posterior than anterior sclera. These results suggest that the posterior sclera has a better adjacent vascular supply than the anterior sclera. On the other hand, the results of this study show that the anterior sclera has more Cl, the recognition unit of the classical pathway, than the posterior sclera. Because there is nearly twice as much Cl in the anterior sclera, it may be easier for antigen-antibody complexes, whether formed in the sclera itself or derived from the neighboring vessels, to set off the complement cascade in the anterior sclera. This finding may help explain why scleritis associated with immune complex disease is more common in the anterior than posterior sclera. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 30:2240-2244,1989
High Prevalence of Teicoplanin Resistance among Staphylococcus epidermidis Strains in a 5-Year Retrospective Study

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), and especially Staphylococcus epidermidis , are now considered to be important nosocomial pathogens ([7][1], [10][2]). They usually belong to the human commensal flora and are resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, including methicillin and other drugs
High Throughput Field Phenotyping of Wheat Plant Height and Growth Rate in Field Plot Trials Using UAV Based Remote Sensing

There is a growing need to increase global crop yields, whilst minimising use of resources such as land, fertilisers and water. Agricultural researchers use ground-based observations to identify, select and develop crops with favourable genotypes and phenotypes; however, the ability to collect rapid, high quality and high volume phenotypic data in open fields is restricting this. This study develops and assesses a method for deriving crop height and growth rate rapidly from multi-temporal, very high spatial resolution (1 cm/pixel), 3D digital surface models of crop field trials produced via Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry using aerial imagery collected through repeated campaigns flying an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with a mounted Red Green Blue (RGB) camera. We compare UAV SfM modelled crop heights to those derived from terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and to the standard field measurement of crop height conducted using a 2 m rule. The most accurate UAV-derived surface model and the TLS both achieve a Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 0.03 m compared to the existing manual 2 m rule method. The optimised UAV method was then applied to the growing season of a winter wheat field phenotyping experiment containing 25 different varieties grown in 27 m2 plots and subject to four different nitrogen fertiliser treatments. Accuracy assessments at different stages of crop growth produced consistently low RMSE values (0.07, 0.02 and 0.03 m for May, June and July, respectively), enabling crop growth rate to be derived from differencing of the multi-temporal surface models. We find growth rates range from −13 mm/day to 17 mm/day. Our results clearly display the impact of variable nitrogen fertiliser rates on crop growth. Digital surface models produced provide a novel spatial mapping of crop height variation both at the field scale and also within individual plots. This study proves UAV based SfM has the potential to become a new standard for high-throughput phenotyping of in-field crop heights.
Impact of intraoperative heparin on laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

PURPOSE At many centers systemic heparinization is performed during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy because of concerns regarding graft thrombosis. However, no consensus exists in this regard. We evaluated the impact of intraoperative heparin on donor and recipient outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between September 2000 and February 2003, 79 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic live donor left nephrectomy at our institution. They were sequentially divided into 2 groups, that is group 1-the initial 40 patients who intraoperatively received 5,000 IU heparin intravenously and group 2-subsequent patients who did not receive heparin. The 2 groups were well matched demographically. Data were compared using the paired 2-tailed t test. RESULTS The 2 donor groups were comparable in regard to mean blood loss (139 vs 179 cc, p = 0.59), intraoperative urine output (1.6 vs 1.6 l, p = 0.74), warm ischemia time (4 vs 4.2 minutes, p = 0.52), operative time (3.5 vs 3.5 hours, p = 0.97), and cold ischemia time (75 vs 82 minutes, p = 0.38). Complications occurred in 1 patient in group 1 (rhabdomyolysis induced acute renal failure) and in 2 in group 2 (chylous ascites and lumbar vein injury, respectively). No graft was lost due to vascular thrombosis in either group. Recipient immediate, early and delayed (6-month) graft function was comparable between the 2 groups. Acute rejection occurred in 5 recipients in group 1 and 1 in group 2. There was 1 recipient death per group at delayed followup. CONCLUSIONS Routine use of heparin during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is not necessary. Because of its potential for causing intraoperative or early postoperative hemorrhage, we no longer routinely administer intraoperative heparin during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy at our institution.
Pancreatic resection combined with intraoperative radiation therapy for pancreatic cancer.

OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to analyze a single center's experience in the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma with a combination of pancreatic resection and intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal form of gastrointestinal malignancy. Historically, it carries a 20% 1-year survival and a 5-year survival of 3% to 5%. Since 1987, patients at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital have been offered IORT in an attempt to improve their survival. METHODS The authors reviewed all patients treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital with pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 1987 to 1994. From this population, 14 patients were identified who received IORT in conjunction with curative surgery. Duration of hospital stay, perioperative complications, duration of postoperative ileus, and survival were assessed by retrospective review. RESULTS Of the 14 patients, 6 were male and 8 were female. Patient median age was 61. Six patients had stage I disease, 2 had stage II, 6 had stage III. Two patients had total pancreatectomy, 2 had distal pancreatectomy, and the remaining had pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple resection). Median survival was 16 months with a 15.5% 5-year survival. Postoperative complications, duration of hospital stay, and duration of postoperative ileus were not adversely affected by the addition of IORT when compared to in-house control subjects. CONCLUSIONS Intraoperative radiation therapy is a useful adjunct to surgical resection as treatment of pancreatic cancer. The authors' data suggested it can prolong median survival and long-term survival without adding significant morbidity.
Reduced-complexity ML method for monostatic MIMO radar

A low complexity Maximum Likelihood (ML) method for monostatic MIMO radar has been proposed in this paper. In order to reduce the computational burden and maintain the accuracy of solution, the Beam Space Reduced Complexity ML algorithm (BS-RC ML) is developed for monostatic MIMO radar. The reduced-complexity ML method takes full advantage of the Reduced-dimension transformation and Beam-Space processing to reduce the dimension of the manifold vector from MN X K to B X K (B « MN). As the results, the lower computational cost and same angle estimation accuracy have been obtained. Some simulation results have been given to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The strategy of reducing complexity in ML method can also be applied to some other angle estimation algorithms for MIMO radar.
Patch‐clamp study of neurones in rat olfactory cortex slices: properties of a slow post‐stimulus afterdepolarizing current (IADP)

WHOLE-CELL recordings were made from neurones in slices of rat olfactory cortex (10–19 days old), using potassium methylsulphate-filled pipettes. Positive commands applied from —60 mV in the presence of oxotremorine-M (10–20 μM, 20 of 30 cells) or trans-ACPD (10–50μM, 4 of 9 cells) evoked a slow inward tail current similar to the K+-mediated tail current (IK,ADP) recorded with sharp electrodes. IADP was reduced by hyperpolarization, showed a 27% decrease in input conductance at its peak and was depressed by Cd2+, 4AP or high K+ but unaffected by Cs+, Ba2+ or TEA (5mM). IADP was significantly larger in cells between postnatal days 13 and 15 than in younger neurones (10–12 days). These data show that stable whole-cell recordings of IADP can be made from olfactory neurones in cortical slices, and support our hypothesis that IADP is a slowly reactivating, Ca2+-sensitive K+ conductance.
SAOS implicaciones anestésicas

El síndrome de apnea obstructiva del sueño (SAOS) es un padecimiento más común de lo que podemos apreciar, se caracteriza por episodios de obstrucción de la vía aérea parcial o total, principalmente durante la noche que pueden durar entre 10 y 20 segundos por minuto; su prevalencia es de más del 10% de la población asociándose principalmente a la obesidad, diabetes, enfermedades cardíacas y edad avanzada, se estima que no todos los pacientes están diagnosticados adecuadamente(1,2). Esto implica un reto para el anestesiólogo debido al incremento de la morbimortalidad en el transoperatorio y la alta asociación del SAOS con la vía aérea difícil. De acuerdo al Joint National Committee(3) el SAOS asociado con la hipertensión es responsable aproximadamente del 50% de infartos del miocardio en quirófano. De ahí que un manejo adecuado de los niveles de presión sanguínea en límites bajos sea una de las bases principales del manejo anestésico(3).
Isolation of the periplasm of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

The periplasm of Neisseria gonorrhoeae should be similar to other Gram‐negative bacteria, but no published reports confirm this assumption. We used a periplasmic isolation procedure developed in Escherichia coli to release the periplasmic contents of N. gonorrhoeae. The resultant periplasmic extract lacked lipopolysaccharide, protein markers of inner or outer membranes, surface‐radiolabelled protein components, or ribosomal proteins. The periplasmic extract contained a single haem protein believed to be a c‐type cytochrome known to exist in the periplasm of other Gram‐negative species, and retained significant alkaline phosphatase activity. The dominant protein species released in the periplasmic extract was the gonococcal homologue of elongation factor Tu, a major component released in similar periplasmic extracts of E. coli. These data showed that the extraction procedure selectively released periplasmic components and that the gonococcal periplasm was comparable to that of E. coli. Further analysis of the gonococcal periplasm may provide important insights into the physiology of this pathogen of humans.
Clinical and epidemiological profile of female blood donors with positive serology for viral hepatitis B.

INTRODUCTION Since women are frequently the minority among blood donors worldwide, studies evaluating this population usually reflect male features. We assessed the features of female blood donors with positive serology for HBV and compared them with those of men.METHODS The study comprised consecutive blood donors referred to a specialized liver disease center to be evaluated due to HBsAg- and/or anti-HBc-positive tests. RESULTS The study encompassed 1,273 individuals, 219 (17.2%) of whom were referred due to positive HBsAg test and 1,054 (82.8%) due to reactive anti-HBc test. Subjects' mean age was 36.8±10.9 years, and 28.7% were women. Female blood donors referred for positive HBsAg screening tests demonstrated higher prevalence of healthcare workers (9.3% vs 2.5%) and lower prevalence of sexual risk behaviors (15.1% vs 41.1%) and alcohol abuse (1.9% vs 19.8%) compared to men. Women had lower ALT (0.6 vs 0.8×ULN), AST (0.6 vs 0.8×ULN), direct bilirubin (0.2 vs 0.3mg/dL), and alkaline phosphatase (0.5 vs 0.6×ULN) levels and higher platelet count (223,380±50,293 vs 195,020±53,060/mm3). Women also had a higher prevalence of false-positive results (29.6% vs 17.0%). No differences were observed with respect to liver biopsies. Female blood donors referenced for reactive anti-HBc screening tests presented similar clinical, epidemiological, and biochemical characteristics to those reported for positive HBsAg screening tests and similarly had a higher prevalence of false-reactive results. CONCLUSIONS Compared to men, female blood donors with positive HBsAg and/or anti-HBc screening tests demonstrated higher prevalence of professional risk and false-positive results and reduced alteration of liver chemistry.
A Metaanalysis of Controlled Trials of Neuroleptic Treatment in Dementia

Prior qualitative literature reviews about the use of neuroleptics in dementia suggest that they are “modestly effective” in treating agitation and that no single neuroleptic is better than another. To develop a more precise concept of the clinical efficacy of neuroleptics, a meta‐analytic review of the existing literature was performed. From double‐blind clinical trials that compared a neuroleptic with a placebo in agitated dementia patients, P values and effect‐size estimates were obtained, and were assessed by metaanalytic techniques. Results indicated that neuroleptics were significantly more effective than placebo (one‐tailed P = .004) and had a small effect size (r = .18). Clinically, neuroleptic treatment changed the improvement rate in agitated dementia patients from . 41 to . 59 (binomial effect‐size display). This indicates that 18 of 100 dementia patients benefited from neuroleptic treatment (beyond that of placebo) and is consistent with the modest efficacy described in previous qualitative reviews. In six studies comparing thioridazine with another neuroleptic, and in five studies comparing haloperidol with another neuroleptic, metaanalysis results did not show that these two medications differed significantly from the comparison medications, which is not inconsistent with the opinion that no single neuroleptic is better than another.
In‐Vitro Study of the Effect of Adrenaline on the Functional Capacity of Human Neutrophils: Role During Exercise

We studied the effect of adrenaline on the capacity of human neutrophils to attach, ingest and destroy Candida albicans. The neutrophils were incubated in vitro in the presence of an adrenaline concentration taken as basal (10−10 m), and another that is referred to as being reached following physical exercise (10−9 m). Two higher concentrations (10−7 m and 10−5 m), which are seldom attained in blood but which can occur at specific locations in the organism, were tested as having a possible pharmacological application. At the two high concentrations (10−7 m and 10−5 m), the capacity to attach, ingest and destroy C. albicans was greater than at the physiological concentrations (10−10 m and 10−9 m). Indeed, the capacity to attach and ingest C. albicans was significantly less after incubation with these physiological concentrations than the control values (incubation in the absence of adrenaline). Hence, high concentrations of adrenaline seem to enhance neutrophils' phagocytic capacity compared to physiological plasma concentrations, whereas small variations such as those caused by physical exercise have no effect on this functional capacity.
Chemo-enzymatic D-enantiomerization of DL-lactate.

We investigated the total conversion of racemic lactate, L-lactate, and pyruvate into D-lactate, which is very useful as a starting material for the synthesis of chiral compounds and much more valuable than the L-enantiomer by means of coupling of L-specific oxidation of the racemate with L-lactate oxidase and non-enantiospecific reduction of pyruvate to DL-lactate with sodium borohydride. In this one-pot system, L-lactate was enantiospecifically oxidized to an achiral product, pyruvate, which was chemically reduced to DL-lactate leading to a turnover. Consequently, either DL-lactate, L-lactate, or pyruvate was fully converted to the D-enantiomer. We optimized the reaction conditions: DL-lactate was converted to D-lactate in 99% of the theoretical yield and with more than 99% enantiomeric excess. DL-alpha-Hydroxybutyrate and alpha-ketobutyrate were converted also to D-alpha-hydroxybutyrate in the same way, though slowly.