Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequency of the Palmaris Longus Tendon in North American Caucasians

The palmaris longus tendon was reported absent in North American Caucasians 24.4% of the time in one or both arms, by Thompson in 1921. Some studies have described its absence as being more frequent in females, and its bilateral absence more frequent than its unilateral absence. This study randomly evaluated 200 Caucasian patients (100 of each sex), seen in an office or hospital setting, for the presence of the palmaris longus tendon. It was absent in one extremity in 3% of the patients. Two and one-half percent of the patients had bilateral absence for a 5.5% total overall absence. This study demonstrated that absence of the palmaris longus tendon in North American Caucasians was considerably lower than reported by Thompson in his report in 1921.
Unimodal Probability Distributions for Deep Ordinal Classification

Probability distributions produced by the cross-entropy loss for ordinal classification problems can possess undesired properties. We propose a straightforward technique to constrain discrete ordinal probability distributions to be unimodal via a combination of the Poisson probability mass function and the softmax nonlinearity. We evaluate this approach on two large ordinal image datasets and obtain promising results.
Understanding the molecular sensitization for Cypress pollen and peach in the Languedoc‐Roussillon area

Cypress allergy is a typical winter pollinosis and the most frequent one in the South of France. Main symptoms are rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma. Peach allergy is common too in Southern Europe. Allergic cross‐reactions between cypress and peach have been reported, including an oral allergy syndrome. We wanted to investigate whether a cross‐reactive allergen between cypress and peach might be responsible for the observed clinical association.
Zdravotní rizika ftalátů v souvislosti se zdravotní péčí a možnosti jejich redukce

Ftalaty jsou estery kyseliny ftalove, skupina masově syntetizovaných chemických latek se schopnosti kumulovat se v biologických tkanich. Toxicita ftalatů pro clověka i zviřata vzbuzuje znepokojeni, ackoli jeji přesne mechanizmy a jeji uroveň se u jednotlivých ftalatů mohou lisit. Lekařska pece patři k významným zdrojům expozice clověka ftalatům, zejmena di (2-etylhexyl) ftalatu (DEHP). Zdrojem ftalatů jsou zdravotnicke pomůcky vyrobene z polyvinylchloridu (PVC), např. infuzni a transfuzni sety, soupravy pro hemodialýzu a parenteralni výživu, kyslikove masky atd. Komercně dostupne jsou vsak bezpecnějsi alternativy z materialů neobsahujicich ftalaty např. z polypropylenu (PP), polyetylenu (PE), etylen vinyl acetatu (EVA) nebo silikonu. Řada zdravotnických zařizeni proto přijima politiku ochrany pacientů před zbytecnou expozici ftalatům, zejmena DEHP.
Current Topics Review: Charcot Neuroarthropathy of the Foot and Ankle

Charcot arthropathy is a destructive process, most commonly affecting joints of the foot and ankle in diabetics with peripheral neuropathy. Affected individuals present with swelling, warmth, and erythema, often without history of trauma. Bony fragmentation, fracture, and dislocation progress to foot deformity, bony prominence, and instability. This often causes ulceration and deep infection that may necessitate amputation. Instability or deformity may limit the ability to use standard footwear. Treatment is focused on providing a stable and plantigrade foot for functional ambulation with accommodative footwear and orthoses. Historically, treatment had included nonweightbearing immobilization for the acute phase, and surgery had been reserved only for infection, unresolved skin ulceration, or deformity that precluded the use of therapeutic footwear. Current controversies include weightbearing in the acute or reparative phases and early surgical stabilization. Foot-specific patient education and continued periodic monitoring may reduce the morbidity and associated expense of treating the complications of this disorder and may improve the quality of life in this complex patient population.
Semi-local invariants

A method is presented for finding semi-local projective and affine invariants. The method consists of defining a canonical coordinate system using intrinsic properties of the shape, independently of the given coordinate system. Since this canonical system is independent of the original one, it is invariant and all quantities defined in it are invariant. The method is applied to find local invariants of a general curve with known correspondences of one or two feature points or lines. <<ETX>>
The use of parallel EEL spectral imaging and elemental mapping in the rapid assessment of anti‐cancer drug localization

Both electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) and electron energy‐loss spectroscopy (EELS) have great potential for use in several areas of cancer research. In biologically targeted radiotherapy, cytotoxic drug therapy and boron neutron capture therapy the effectiveness of many drugs is often critically dependent upon the intracellular localization of the agent employed. We describe the use of parallel EEL spectral imaging to assess the penetration and location of the iodine‐containing drug meta‐iodobenzyl guanidine, of potential value in targeted radiotherapy, and for the rapid detection of boron within borate‐adsorbed polystyrene beads, of potential value in boron neutron capture therapy. We also describe elemental mapping of boron following low‐temperature embedding. These results show how the techniques could be applied to many forms of cancer research by discussing the validity and limitations of the techniques experimentally. We also provide an outline of other areas in this field which could benefit from the future application of ESI and EELS.
Distribution and abundance of schistosomiasis and fascioliasis host snails along the Mara River in Kenya and Tanzania

We purposively selected 39 sampling sites along the Mara River and its two perennial tributaries of Amala and Nyangores and sampled snails. In addition, water physicochemical parameters (temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, alkalinity, salinity and pH) were taken to establish their influence on the snail abundance and habitat preference. Out of the 39 sites sampled, 10 (25.6%) had snails. The snail species encountered included Biomphalaria pfeifferi Krauss – the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, Bulinus africanus – the intermediate host of Schistosoma haematobium, and Lymnaea natalensis Krauss – the intermediate host of both Fasciola gigantica and F. hepatica Cobbold. Ceratophallus spp. , a non-vector snail was also encountered. Most (61.0%) of the snails were encountered in streamside pools. Schistosomiasis-transmitting host snails, B. pfeifferi and B. africanus, were fewer than fascioliasis-transmitting Lymnaea species. All the four different snail species were found to be attached to different aquatic weeds, with B. pfeifferi accounting for over half (61.1%) of the snails attached to the sedge, followed by B. africanus and Lymnaea spp. , accounting for 22.2 and 16.7%, respectively. Ceratophallus spp. were non-existent in sedge. The results from this preliminary study show that snails intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis and fascioliasis exists in different habitats, in few areas along the Mara River, though their densities are still low to have any noticeable impacts on disease transmission in case they are infected. The mere presence of the vector snails in these focal regions calls for their immediate control and institution of proper regulations, management, and education among the locals that can help curtail the spread of the snails and also schistosomiasis and fascioliasis within the Mara River basin.
Bivariate polynomial approximation of cross-saturated flux curves in synchronous machine models

Efficient control is always related to the quality and accuracy of the model describing the plant. The torque generated in synchronous machines is a function of flux linkage and stator currents. For efficiency improvements in torque, speed or position control, a precise knowledge of the relation between flux and current is thus essential. Magnetic saturation affects this relation and - if neglected - causes noticeable efficiency reductions, especially at high loads. This work presents an analytical methodology for describing the complete, saturated flux characteristics of synchronous machines by means of bivariate polynomials. An effective strategy for determining the polynomial coefficients is proposed and demonstrated exemplarily for a synchronous reluctance machine and an interior permanent magnet synchronous machine.
Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate in anticoagulated patients with previous hemorrhagic corpus luteum

Objective To investigate the safety of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) in women of reproductive age with prosthetic heart valves, as well as the impact of DMPA on the prevention of hemorrhagic corpus luteum in these patients with previous bleeding events. Methods In this prospective study we enrolled 13 patients who were receiving chronic anticoagulation for prosthetic heart valves, and who suffered from ovarian bleeding. After the initial bleeding episode(s), DMPA was initiated with the intent of preventing recurrent bleeding events by means of ovulation suppression. Follow-up included close monitoring of anticoagulation intensity, lipid profile, measurement of systolic and diastolic blood pressures and weight, and a general physical and gynecological examination. Results Of the participating 13 patients, one stopped DMPA after the third injection because she wanted to have a child. Among the remaining 12 women, over a mean follow-up of 39.9 months all patients were well and no hemorrhagic corpus luteum was observed. During the follow-up, anticoagulation intensity, assessed by the international normalized ratio (INR), was in the optimum therapeutic ranges at all times (range 2.5–3.5), except for values of 4.6, 5.8 and 5.9 in three patients at 9, 12 and 24 months, respectively. With regard to lipid profile, we observed a significant decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at 12 months, and significant increases in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels after 30 months compared to baseline serum levels. No significant changes were observed in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Mean body weight was higher at months 12 and 30, compared with baseline values (p > 0.05). Conclusion DMPA, which is an effective contraceptive agent, can be used to prevent bleeding from the corpus luteum by means of ovulation suppression in anticoagulated patients with prosthetic heart valves. However, meticulous surveillance should be provided during the follow-up, including close monitoring of anticoagulation intensity and lipid profile.
Word learning in a supported-learning context by preschool children with specific language impairment.

Word learning in a supported-learning context is described for 30 preschoolers with SLI and 30 age- and sex-matched children without SLI. Daily production probes assessed number of words learned to criterion, and daily posttests assessed comprehension of the words. Number of words produced to criterion differed between groups; however, the majority of children with SLI performed within the range of the children without SLI. Children typically comprehended words they did not produce to criterion. The relation between vocabulary-test and word-learning findings was not significant (p < .05). Findings for children with SLI indicate that (a) comprehension does not ensure same-word production, (b) word-learning potential cannot be inferred from test scores, and (c) a clinically significant variability in word-learning skills characterizes the disorder.
Real-time physiological and vision monitoring of vehicle driver for non-intrusive drowsiness detection

This study presents a novel approach to detect driver's drowsiness by applying two distinct methods in computer vision and image processing. The objective of this study is to combine both methods under one single profile instead of relied solely on a detection method to enhance the driver's drowsiness detection resolution. Therefore a non-intrusive drowsy-monitoring system is developed to alert the driver if driver falls into low arousal state. In physiological part, photoplethysmography (PPG) is analysed for its changes in signals waveform from awake to drowsy state. Meanwhile, eyes pattern or motion in image processing is addressed to detect driver fatigue. Genetic algorithm with template-matching approach is designed to detect eye region and estimate the drowsiness in different metric standard based on eyes behaviour. Moreover, PPG drowsy signals are integrated with eyes motion to derive the final probability model for delivering valid and reliable drowsiness detection system. Indeed, the proposed system provides high competitive edge over existing arbitrary drowsiness detection system where the driver's health and mental states can be monitored in real-time without constraints.
Geometrical Effects on Characteristic Temperature and Modal Gain of InAs/GaAs Quantum-Dot Lasers

The characteristic temperature (<i>T</i><sub>0</sub>) and modal gain of 1.3-μm p-doped InAs/GaAs quantum-dot (QD) lasers with different ridge heights (<i>h</i>) have been investigated as a function of injection current under different operation temperatures ranging from 20°C to 120°C. The results show that the geometrical shape of the laser ridge has significant effect on the threshold current density, <i>T</i><sub>0</sub>, and modal gain. The optimum ridge height in the QD laser should be controlled with etch depth where most of the doped layers above the active region are removed.
Research on the Business Model of Mobile Commerce Content Provider Based on BMO

With the evolution of mobile commerce's value chain, the status of the content provider is becoming more and more important and increasingly prominent. Based on the realities in the mobile commerce market, the content providers are classified into content producing provider and content aggregating provider. Based on the business model ontology (BMO) the business model of mobile commerce in analyzed from 9 dimensions,: value proposition, target customer segments, distribution channels, customer relationships, value configurations, core capabilities, partner network, cost structure and profit model. From the point of BMO the mobile content service business of SINA is studied, which is one of the three biggest portal website in China.
Noncomplementarity in base sequences between the cohesive ends of coliphages 186 and λ and the formation of interlocked rings between the two DNA's

The half molecules of 186 DNA have been isolated by the Hg(II)–Cs2SO4 density gradient centrifugal ion technique. The buoyant densities of the two halves in CsCI at 25°C. are 1.713 and 1.709 g. /cm.3, corresponding to GC contents of 54% and 50%, respectively. Similarly, 5‐bromouracil labeled λ DNA halves were separated. The isolation of the four DNA halves made it possible to test for homology in base sequences between the cohesive ends of λ and those of 186. There was no indication of any significant homology in base sequences between the cohesive ends of the two DNA's, as indicated by the absence of a band with intermediate buoyant density in CsCI when either half of 186 DNA was annealed with either half of 5‐bromouracil labeled λ DNA and then centrifuged. The lack of cohesion between the two DNA's made it possible to demonstrate unequivocally the formation of interlocked rings (catenanes) between the two DNA's. The existence of a dimeric catenane is evidenced by the formation of a species of intermediate buoyant density when 5‐bromouracil labeled λ DNA is cyclized in the presence of cyclic 186 DNA of a relatively high concentration. The molecular weight of one DNA relative to the other can be calculated from the position of the dimeric catenane in a density gradient by using the method of Baldwin. The result was in complete agreement with our previous measurements from the sedimentation coefficients and by electron microscopy. The probability of dimeric catenane formation when one DNA is cyclized in the presence of another DNA is discussed. The experimental results agree with the theoretical expectation.
Recurrent Neural Network for Object Recognition

Multi-object relationship information can help eliminate some incorrect combinations or locations of objects. Moreover, it is favorable to extract scene information for object recognition. In this paper, we introduce a new way to generate image representation and propose a deep learning framework to fuse the contextual dependencies among objects and scene information in an image. It adopts a bidirectional long short-term memory recurrent neural network (BLSTM-RNN) to deal with the problem of variable-length sequence produced by local detectors in different images. Then it is applied to the existing tree context model for further recognition. Experimental results on SUN09 dataset show that our model outperforms the state-of the-art object localization methods.
Calcium and Stunning: When, From Where, and What Next?

Calcium is a maddeningly versatile ion that triggers and activates cardiac contraction, in uences cell membrane potential, binds to a diverse array of intracellular proteins, and regulates gene programs. Calcium interacts with or directly regulates so many cardiomyocyte functions that it is not surprising that disordering Ca homeostasis or altering the responses of Ca-sensitive signal transduction elements are central to many important pathologic phenomena in heart. The report by Zaugg et al.1 in this issue of Journal extends our appreciation for the consequences of L-type Ca current as a trigger for contractile dysfunction after de brillation, a phenomenon  rst described in “classic” ischemia-related stunning,2 but here referred to as postresuscitation stunning. These investigators have taken advantage of a Langendorff-isolated heart preparation to pinpoint Ca entry, through L-type Ca channels, as the primary trigger for initiating a time-sensitive process that leads to reduced left ventricular developed pressure after “successful” de brillation. The present  ndings are important because they illustrate that, in contrast to the ischemic and metabolic changes that complicate in vivo preparations and ventricular  brillation in real patients, this initial Ca trigger was suf cient to initiate events leading to postresuscitation (or perhaps, more properly, postde brillation) stunning. In contrast to the initial Ca trigger (revealed by the protective effect of diltiazem before treatment), bulk intracellular Ca homeostasis was not disordered. This  nding suggests that more complete characterization of a “minimal” Ca-dependent signaling pathway could lead to elucidation of novel and improved therapeutic targets for patients undergoing de brillation as part of a resuscitation procedure.
Receptors for Escherichia coli heat stable enterotoxin in human intestine and in a human intestinal cell line (Caco‐2)

Escherichia coli heat stable enterotoxin (STa) and the newly identified endogenous ligand guanylin bind to an intestinal receptor and activate membrane bound guanylate cyclase. We compared STa binding and affinity crosslinking of STa receptors in human small intestine to those in the Caco‐2 human colon carcinoma cell line. STa had similar kinetics of binding in human intestinal and Caco‐2 brush border membranes. In both human intestine and Caco‐2 brush border membranes, multiple specifically radiolabeled bands, including a 140–165 kDa band, were identified by affinity crosslinking. However, in human intestine the most prominent autoradiographic species was a 60 kDa band. A 60 kDa protein was also specifically immunoprecipitated from solubilized human brush border membranes using antisera raised against a cloned STa receptor fusion protein. Our observations of multiple crosslinked proteins in human intestine and Caco‐2 cells could be explained by the existence of several members of a family of STa receptors and/or the existence of smaller STa binding proteins generated by the protease cleavage of a larger complete STa receptor. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Balanced paths in telecommunication networks: some computational results

Given a weighted directed network G, we consider the problem of computing k balanced paths from given source nodes to given destination nodes of G, i.e. k paths such that the difference in cost between the longest and the shortest path is minimized. The special case in which G is an acyclic network was theoretically investigated in [3]. It was proved that, in such a special case, the balanced path problem is solvable in pseudo-polynomial time. When arc-disjoint or node-disjoint balanced paths are looked for, then the problem is strongly NP-Hard.
Identificación de Micro-ARN asociados a angiogénesis en pacientes diagnosticados con glaucoma de ángulo abierto

El glaucoma es una enfermedad caracterizada por la perdida progresiva de celulas ganglionares de la retina y ocasiona eventualmente la perdida de la vision. Los miARN tienen un papel importante en el glaucoma, ellos participan en el control de la formacion de la matriz extracelular del ojo. Igualmente, son importantes en la angiogenesis, donde fallas en este proceso biologico se pueden asociar con un ﬂ ujo incorrecto de sangre hacia las capas de la retina del ojo y hacia la cabeza del nervio optico generando isquemia, y por lo tanto, afectando las celulas de la retina. En el presente estudio se identiﬁ caron miARN asociados con angiogenesis presentes en muestras de sangre periferica de pacientes diagnosticados con POAG y sus genes diana. En total fueron analizadas por arreglos de PCR la presencia de 20 moleculas de miARN asociadas con angiogenesis en 12 muestras de sangre periferica. Se identiﬁ co la presencia de 8 miARN en los seis pacientes diagnosticados con Glaucoma. El miR-92a-3p se detecto solo en las muestras de pacientes diagnosticados con POAG pero no en los participantes aparentemente sanos ( control) . Ademas, se identiﬁ caron 23 genes diana para miR92a-3p de un total de 927 genes con baja expresion, en pacientes diagnosticados con POAG. Con la informacion obtenida se construyo una red genica de asociaciones conformada por los genes VEGFA, PLCG1, PRKCA, RAF1, MAP2K1 y MAPK3, en donde PRKCA es un gen diana para el miR-92a-3p.
Intragranular pH rapidly modulates exocytosis in adrenal chromaffin cells

Several drugs produce rapid changes in the kinetics of exocytosis of catecholamines, as measured at the single event level with amperometry. This study is intended to unveil whether the mechanism(s) responsible for these effects involve changes in the intravesicular pH. Cell incubation with bafilomycin A1, a blocker of the vesicular proton pump, caused both a deceleration in the kinetics of exocytosis and a reduction in the catecholamine content of vesicle. These effects were also observed upon reduction of proton gradient by nigericin or NH4Cl. pH measurements using fluorescent probes (acridine orange, quinacrine or enhanced green fluorescent protein–synaptobrevin) showed a strong correlation between vesicular pH and the kinetics of exocytosis. Hence, all maneuvers tested that decelerated exocytosis also alkalinized secretory vesicles and vice versa. On the other hand, calcium entry caused a transient acidification of granules. We therefore propose that the regulation of vesicular pH is, at least partially, a necessary step in the modulation of the kinetics of exocytosis and quantal size operated by some cell signals.