Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Layout Specification on the Concrete and Abstract Syntax Level of a Diagram Language

A visual language consists of several visual component types, e.g. states or transitions in DFAs. Nowadays, the language itself is usually specified via a meta model. To make a diagram look nice, a layouter is required. This layouter may either operate on the concrete syntax level, i.e., on the visual components, or on the abstract syntax level, i.e., on the model instance. In this paper we present an approach that is capable of specifying a flexible layout on both, the concrete as well as the abstract syntax level of a diagram. The approach uses pattern-based transformations. Besides structured editing, it also supports free-hand editing, a challenging task for the layouter. We introduce how such a specification can be created and examine the advantages and shortcomings of each of either operating on the concrete syntax level or on the abstract syntax level.
USING NEURAL NETWORK

Vision-based hand gesture recognition enabling computers to understand hand gestures as humans do is an important technology for intelligent human computer interaction. In this paper, a recognition system for dynamic hand gestures is proposed. In dynamic hand gesture recognition, hand is segmented by using background subtraction method. MPEG-7 ART based shape descriptors are used to extract spatial information. Our approach is based on particle filter to extract trajectory features. After collecting suitable features, Radial Basis Function neural network is used for classification. Gesture recognition rate is in the range of 80% to 98%.
Photoablation centration on the corneal optical center in myopic LASIK using AOV excimer laser

Purpose To evaluate the clinical efficacy of laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with ablation centration on the corneal optical center with standard sphero-cylindrical ablation model. Methods A total of 119 eyes (60 patients) underwent primary myopic LASIK with standard sphero-cylindrical ablation model using AOV Excimer laser, and they were divided into 2 groups according to the ablation centration. The experimental group had 60 eyes (30 patients) with ablation centered on the corneal optical center and in the control group of 59 eyes (30 patients) ablation was centered on the pupil center. Patients' basic characteristics were evenly matched. The distance between ablation center and corneal vertex normal (DAV) was measured to describe the match of ablated tissue and virgin cornea. The uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), refraction, and higher-order aberrations (HOAs) for a 6-mm pupil area between the 2 groups were compared. Results Mean DVA was 0.35±0.15 mm in the experimental group versus 0.69±0.23 mm in the controls, and the difference between the two groups was significant (p<0.05). No significant difference was found in postoperative UCVA and BSCVA between the 2 groups (p>0.05). A total of 90% of eyes in the experimental group had residual astigmatism within 0.5 D versus 72.88% eyes in the control group, and the difference was significant (p<0.01). The increase of root mean square of HOAs was smaller in the experimental group (p<0.01), as compared to the control group. Conclusions The corneal optical center serving as the ablation center in LASIK with standard sphero-cylindrical ablation model may be superior to the entrance pupil center.
Acute conduction block in vitro following exposure to antiganglioside sera

We studied the role of antiganglioside antibodies in the pathogenesis of autoimmune neuropathies using an in vitro preparation of a rat sciatic nerve. Human and rabbit sera with high titers of the antibodies were applied to a restricted segment of the sciatic nerve mounted in a recording chamber, and the compound nerve action potentials of the myelinated and unmyelinated fibers were observed. Myelinated fiber conduction became blocked at the segment within a few hours, whereas the unmyelinated fiber conduction remained unchanged. These results suggest that antiganglioside sera directly produce an acute conduction block only in myelinated nerve fibers and that this in vitro model is useful for studying the ionic mechanism by which the acute conduction block occurs. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Maternal transfer of infectious mouse mammary tumor retroviruses does not depend on clonal deletion of superantigen‐reactive Vβ14+ T cells

Female C3H/HeJ mice maternally transmit through their milk an infectious mouse mammary tumor retrovirus (MMTV) which causes clonal deletion of T cell receptor (TcR)Vβ14+ T cells reactive to the retroviral superantigen (SAG). To test whether CD4+ or CD8+ T cells are crucial for intestinal infection and maternal transfer of exogenous retroviruses, newborn mice lacking CD4 or CD8 molecules after gene targetting were raised by surrogate C3H/HeJ mothers. In CD8−/− mice, clonal deletion of TcRVβ14+ cells reactive to the SAG from this exogenous MMTV occured with delayed kinetics. Deletion of TcRVβ14+ cells was not observed in CD4−/− mice up to 12 months after exposure to the retrovirus. In both CD4−/− and CD8−/− mice TcRVβ5+ and TcRVβ11+ T cells were deleted in the presence of genomically integrated endogenous MMTV (Mtv), indicating that the lack of SAG‐induced clonal deletion was not due to a general defect in these mutant mouse strains. Although TcRVβ14+ T cells were not deleted in CD4−/− mice, female CD4−/− mice nursed on C3H/HeJ milk maternally transmitted the retrovirus to their offspring, albeit with delayed kinetics. These data demonstrate that CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes influence clonal deletion events and that the mechanisms responsible for clonal deletion of SAG‐reactive TcRVβ14+ T cells may be different from mechanisms which allow the mammary tumor virus to enter the mammary gland and complete its infectious cycle.
Parallel exponentiation using common-multiplicand-multiplication and signed-digit-folding techniques

An efficient computation of the modular exponentiations C = ME mod N is very useful for public-key cryptosystems. In this paper, an efficient parallel modular exponentiation algorithm is proposed based on both the common-multiplicand-multiplication (CMM) and signed-digit-folding (SDF) techniques. The ‘minimal-signed-digit (SD) recoding algorithm’ has less occurrence probability of the nonzero digit than the binary number representation. Taking this advantage, we can effectively decrease the amount of modular multiplications. By dividing the bit string of the minimal-SD recoding exponent E into three equal-length parts and by using the technique of recording the common parts in the folded substrings, the ‘folding-exponent algorithm’ can improve the efficiency of the binary algorithm, thus it can further decrease the computational complexity of modular exponentiation. As the modular squaring operation in GF(2 n ) over the normal basis can be done by a simple shift operation, the modular multiplications and the modular squaring operations in our proposed CMM–SDF algorithm can be executed in parallel. By using our proposed parallel CMM–SDF algorithm, we can obtain the optimal overall computational complexity as 0.689k + 11 multiplications by folding the minimal-SD recoding exponent E exactly one-time in SD radix-2 recoding system, where k denotes the digit-length of the exponent and n denotes the folding time of the exponent.
Mechanism of asthmatic exacerbation by ambient air pollution particles

In the previous two to three decades, the prevalence of asthma has risen in numerous countries of the world. Correlating with this elevated prevalence of asthma, societies have observed increased air pollution from specific sources. Studies have implicated certain pollutants in asthmatic exacerbation. Particulate matter (PM) is the pollutant most frequently identified with worsening of this airway disease. PM is a temporally and spatially shifting suspension of solids and liquids originating from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Exposures to elevated levels of PM have been associated with asthmatic exacerbations by employing a diverse array of end points, including respiratory symptoms, use of medication, medical visits, emergency room visits, hospital admissions and pulmonary function decrements. Pertinent to worsening of asthma by ambient air PM, there are other particle-associated exposures that similarly precipitate asthmatic exacerbations. These include traffic-associated pollutants, diesel exhaust, emissions from gas and wood stoves, burning of biomass and environmental tobacco smoke. It is widely accepted that the biological effects exerted by all particle exposures result from oxidative stress. This stimulates cell signaling, transcription factor activation and mediator release in the respiratory tract, culminating in inflammation. Other postulated mechanisms for asthmatic exacerbation following PM exposure include an impact on the incidence of infections and adjuvant effects.
Status epilepticus increases CSF levels of neuron-specific enolase and alters the blood-brain barrier

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE) is a sensitive marker of brain damage in stroke, global ischemia, and coma. Serum NSE is also correlated with the duration and outcome of status epilepticus (SE). CSF-NSE levels have not been previously reported in SE. We report the CSF concentrations of NSE in 11 patients with cryptogenic/remote symptomatic SE. CSF obtained within 24 hours of SE showed increased concentrations of NSE in 9 of 11 patients. The mean CSF-NSE for the group was elevated compared with the levels for normal control subjects (30.8 ± 18.33 versus 10.76 ± 3.08 ng/mL;p = 0.002). Further, CSF-NSE levels were elevated compared with simultaneous serum levels in the same group of patients (p = 0.01). In addition, the CSF/serum albumin ratio (QAlb), a measure of the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, was increased in SE patients compared with control individuals (33.4 versus 4.79 × 10-3;p = 0.0001). An increase of QAlb correlated with CSF-NSE(rs = 0.66, p = 0.04) and serum NSE levels(rs = 0.83, p = 0.004). CSF-NSE is a promising in vivo marker for brain injury after SE.
Synaptic and photoreceptor components in retinal pigment epithelial cell transplanted retinas of Royal College of Surgeons dystrophic rats

Plexiform layer synaptic and photoreceptor cell components were investigated in retinas of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) dystrophic rats transplanted with normal retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells by immunocytochemistry using previously characterized monoclonal antibodies. In retinas of normal adult rats and RPE‐cell transplanted retinas of 4 month‐old RCS rats, HNK‐1, a marker for a carbohydrate of the neural cell adhesion molecule (N‐CAM), was detected immunocytochemically in the inner and outer plexiform layers and ganglion cell bodies and their axons. HNK‐1 was also detected in the inner plexiform layer of nontreated retinas of 4 month‐old RCS rats, but was reduced to scattered patches in the outer plexiform layer. In addition, immunoreactivity for the SVP‐38 antibody recognizing synaptophysin was found in both plexiform layers of normal adult rat retinas and RPE‐transplanted retinas of 4 month‐old RCS rats. Furthermore, photoreceptor cell bodies and their inner and outer segments were immunostained for the opsin monoclonal antibody RET‐P1 in retinas of normal adult rats and RPE‐cell transplanted retinas of 4 month‐old RCS rats. However, in nontreated retinas of 4 month‐old RCS rats, only immunostained debris material was detected. These results strongly suggest that normal RPE transplants not only rescue photoreceptor cells in RCS rats, but also maintain an essential functional capacity, in this case, synaptic components in the plexiform layers. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Six-year predictors of problems in a national sample: IV. Young adult signs of disturbance.

OBJECTIVE To identify adolescent predictors of young adult signs of disturbance. METHOD Family variables and parent- and self-reported syndromes, competencies, and stressful experiences were tested as predictors of school dropout, unwed pregnancy, substance use, mental health services, suicidal behavior, police contacts, and being fired from jobs. RESULTS Most signs were predictable with considerable accuracy, especially suicidal behavior and being fired from jobs among females. The Delinquent Behavior syndrome and poor school functioning predicted the most poor outcomes. Concurrent scores on young adult syndromes were significantly associated with most signs. CONCLUSIONS Across the diversity of a national sample, young adult signs of disturbance were predictable from risk and protective factors assessed in adolescence. The predictors can help to identify youth at risk for particular signs. Parents are important contributors to assessment of young adults' problems.
Reduced sodium pump alpha1, alpha3, and beta1-isoform protein levels and Na+,K+-ATPase activity but unchanged Na+-Ca2+ exchanger protein levels in human heart failure.

BACKGROUND Cardiac glycosides initiate an increase in force of contraction by inhibiting the sarcolemmal sodium pump (Na+, K+-ATPase), thereby decreasing Ca2+ extrusion by the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger, which increases the cellular content of Ca2+. In patients with heart failure the sensitivity toward cardiac glycosides is enhanced. METHODS AND RESULTS Because the inotropic effect of cardiac glycosides may be a function of the sodium pump and Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCE) expression levels, the present study aimed to investigate protein expression of both transporters (immunoblot with specific antibodies against the sodium pump catalytic alpha1-, alpha2-, alpha3-, and glycoprotein beta1-isoforms and against NCE) in left ventricle from failing (heart transplantations, New York Heart Association class IV, n=21) compared with nonfailing (donor hearts, NF, n=22) human myocardium. The density of 3H-ouabain-binding sites (Bmax) and the Na+,K+-ATPase activity were also measured. In NYHA class IV, protein levels of Na+,K+-ATPase alpha1- (0.62+/-0.06 of control), alpha3- (0.70+/-0.09), and beta1- (0.61+/-0.04) but not alpha2-isoforms were significantly reduced (P<0.01), whereas levels of NCE (0.92+/-0.13 of control) and calsequestrin (0.98+/-0.06) remained unchanged. Both Na+,K+-ATPase activity (NF: 1.9+/-0.29; NYHA class IV: 1.1+/-0.17 micromol ATP/min per milligram of protein) and the 3H-ouabain binding sites (Bmax NF: 15.9+/-1.9 pmol/mg protein; NYHA class IV: 9.7+/-1.5) were reduced in NYHA class IV and correlated significantly to each other (r2=0. 73; P<0.0001), as did beta1-subunit expression. In left ventricular papillary muscle strips from NYHA class IV compared with nonfailing tissue the Na+-channel modulator BDF 9198 exerted an increase in force of contraction with unchanged effectiveness but enhanced potency. CONCLUSIONS The enhanced sensitivity of failing human myocardium toward cardiac glycosides may be, at least in part, attributed to a reduced protein expression and activity of the sarcolemmal Na+,K+-ATPase without a change in Na+-Ca2+ exchanger protein expression.
Early functional treatment versus early immobilization in tension of the musculotendinous unit after Achilles rupture repair: a prospective, randomized, clinical study.

BACKGROUND The aim of our prospective, randomized, clinical study was to compare two postoperative regimens after Achilles rupture repair and determine whether early functional treatment will give a better result than early immobilization in tension of the musculotendinous unit. METHODS Fifty patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture were randomized postoperatively to receive either early movement of the ankle between neutral and plantar flexion in a brace for 6 weeks or Achilles tendon immobilization in tension using a below-knee cast with the ankle in a neutral position for 6 weeks. Full weight bearing was allowed after 3 weeks in both groups. The patients were assessed clinically at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 weeks, and the last control visit took place at a mean of 60 (SD 6.4) weeks postoperatively. RESULTS The isokinetic calf muscle strength scores were excellent in 56%, good in 32%, fair in 8%, and poor in 4% of the patients in the early motion group at the last control checkup; whereas the scores in the cast group were excellent in 29%, good in 50%, and fair in 21% of the patients. The ankle performance scores were excellent or good in 88%, fair in 4%, and poor in 8% of the patients in the early motion group, whereas the scores in the cast group were excellent or good in 92% and fair in 8% of the patients. At 3 months and at the last control checkup, no significant differences were seen between the two groups with regard to pain, stiffness, subjective calf muscle weakness, footwear restrictions, range of ankle motion, isokinetic calf muscle strength, or overall outcome. The complications included one rerupture in the early motion group and one deep infection and two reruptures in the cast group. Deep infection and the rerupture in the cast group occurred in the same patient. The outcome of the complications was good in two cases and poor in one. CONCLUSION The isokinetic calf muscle strength results were somewhat better in the early motion group, whereas the other outcome results obtained in the two groups of patients were very similar. We recommend early functional postoperative treatment after Achilles rupture repair for athletes and well-motivated patients and for less-motivated patients and nonathletes.
Immune phenomena involved in the in vivo regression of fibrosarcoma cells expressing cell‐associated IL‐1α

Constitutive expression of cell‐associated, but not secreted, interleukin‐1α (IL‐1α) by oncogene‐transformed fibrosarcoma cells induced regressing tumors in mice, a phenomenon that was abrogated by the IL‐1 inhibitor, the IL‐1 receptor antagonist (IL‐1Ra). On the contrary, non‐IL‐1α‐expressing tumor cells induce progressive tumors in mice. In vivo and ex vivo experiments have shown that regression of IL‐1α‐positive fibrosarcoma cells depends on CD8+ T cells, which can also be activated in CD4+ T cell‐depleted mice, with some contribution of natural killer cells. In spleens of mice bearing the non‐IL‐1α‐expressing fibrosarcoma cells, some early and transient manifestations of antitumor‐specific immunity, such as activation of specific proliferating T cells, are evident; however, no development of cytolytic T lymphocytes or other antitumor protective cells could be detected. In spleens of mice bearing the non‐IL‐1α‐expressing fibrosarcoma cells, the development of early tumor‐mediated suppression was observed, and in spleens of mice injected with IL‐1α‐positive fibrosarcoma cells, protective immunity developed in parallel to tumor regression. Treatment of mice bearing violent fibrosarcoma tumors with syngeneic‐inactivated, IL‐1α‐positive fibrosarcoma cells, at a critical interval after injection of the malignant cells (Days 5–12), induced tumor regression, possibly by potentiating and amplifying transient antitumor cell immune responses or by ablation of tumor‐mediated suppression. Membrane‐associated IL‐1α may thus serve as an adhesion molecule, which allows efficient cell‐to‐cell interactions between the malignant and immune effector cells that bear IL‐1Rs and function as a focused cytokine with adjuvant activities at nontoxic, low levels of expression. Our results also point to the potential of using antitumor immunotherapeutic approaches using cell‐associated IL‐1α.
RADIOLYTIC OXIDATION OF THE IMMUNOGENIC CONJUGATE TESTOSTERONE-3-CARBOXYMETHYLOXIM-BOVINE SERUM ALBUMIN AND RABBIT ANTITESTOSTERONE ANTISERUM

The radiolytic oxidation of purified bovine serum albumin, rabbit antitestosterone antiserum and testosterone-3-carboxymethyloxim-bovine serum albumin is examined by employing either (i) a protein carbonyl assay or (ii) the relative tryptophan fluorescence. The experiments clearly evidence a linear dose dependence for the carbonyls and a multi-exponential dependence for the tryptophan fluorescence.
Needle path planning for digital breast tomosynthesis biopsy

This paper presents a new needle path planning method for digital breast tomosynthesis biopsy. Needle insertion planning into deformable tissue for breast biopsy procedure is a challenging task because of the infinite possibilities of insertion points. In addition, the lesion moves from its original position when the radiologist introduces the biopsy needle. The proposed approach couples Rapidly-exploring Random Trees with Finite Element Simulation in order to find an optimal path taking breast deformations into account. Simulation results show that this method reduces the error (i.e. the distance between the needle tip and the lesion) by 80 %.
Age and Self-Poisoning: The Epidemiology in Newcastle upon Tyne in the 1980s

The epidemiology of 737 consecutive self-poisoning admissions to Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, has been investigated with reference to age in young (< 35), mid-aged (35-64) and elderly (≥ 65 year) patients. The most important differences were increased formal psychiatric illness in the elderly, demonstrated by increased likelihood of admission to psychiatric units; less likelihood of overdose with multiple agents in the elderly, and less use of alcohol. There were also differences in the types of drugs used. The youngest patients took more paracetamol and less psychoactive drugs and more of their drugs were prescribed for a relative than the other two groups. The elderly were much less likely to receive gastric lavage or emesis and more likely to receive supportive treatment only than younger patients. This difference may, in part, be explained by the more frequent occurrence of benzodiazepine poisoning in those over 65 years.
Extrusion and Extruded Products: Changes in Quality Attributes as Affected by Extrusion Process Parameters: A Review

Extrusion of foods is an emerging technology for the food industries to process and market a large number of products of varying size, shape, texture, and taste. Extrusion cooking technology has led to production of wide variety of products like pasta, breakfast cereals, bread crumbs, biscuits, crackers, croutons, baby foods, snack foods, confectionery items, chewing gum, texturized vegetable protein (TVP), modified starch, pet foods, dried soups, dry beverage mixes etc. The functional properties of extruded foods plays an important role for their acceptability which include water absorption, water solubility, oil absorption indexes, expansion index, bulk density and viscosity of the dough. The aim of this review is to give the detailed outlines about the potential of extrusion technology in development of different types of products and the role of extrusion-operating conditions and their effect on product development resulting in quality changes i.e physical, chemical, and nutritional, experienced during the extrusion process.