Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Skin Sterility After Application of a Vapocoolant Spray

BACKGROUND Refrigerant sprays have been widely used to reduce pain in the office setting. However, more recently, their use has been limited by both concern regarding flammability and questions of bacterial contamination. OBJECTIVE We investigated the microbiological effect of 1,1,1,3,3 pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane when sprayed after povidone–iodine application in 50 volunteers. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 50 volunteers, 3 cultures were taken (1) at time 0 before antiseptic application, (2) after povidone–iodine topical antiseptic, and (3) after spraying with vapocoolant. Cultures at 3 time intervals were analyzed in a blinded fashion, and Gram stains obtained when cultures were positive. RESULTS Bacterial growth was found in 98% of cultures taken before antiseptic was applied (Group 1), in 28 cultures (56%) after povidone–iodine was applied, and in 24 cultures (48%) after spraying with vapocoolant. There was a statistically significant difference found between Group 1 (no antiseptic) and both Group 2 (after antiseptic but before vapocoolant) and Group 3 (after vapocoolant) (p < .001). CONCLUSION The topical antiseptic povidone–iodine significantly reduces skin colonization when compared with unprepared skin (p < .001). The vapocoolant 1,1,1,3,3 pentafluoropropane and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane is sprayed on skin prepared with povidone–iodine; there is no statistically significant increase in bacterial colonization.
Breaking the Sod: Humankind, History, and Soil

For most of history, few things have mattered more to human communities than their relations with soil, because soil provided most of their food and nutrients. Accordingly, some of the earliest written documents were agricultural manuals intended to organize, preserve, and impart soil knowledge. Indeed, ancient civilizations often worshipped the soil as the foundry of life itself. For the past century or two, nothing has mattered more for soils than their relations with human communities, because human action inadvertently ratcheted up rates of soil erosion and, both intentionally and unintentionally, rerouted nutrient flows.
NIHSS Scores in Ischemic Small Vessel Disease: A Study in CADASIL

Background: The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is widely used to measure neurological deficits, evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and predict outcome in acute ischemic stroke. It has also been used to measure the residual neurological deficit at the chronic stage after ischemic events. However, the value of NIHSS in ischemic cerebral small vessel disease has not been specifically evaluated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between the NIHSS score and clinical severity in a large population of subjects with CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy), a unique model to investigate the pathophysiology and natural history of ischemic small vessel disease. Methods: Demographic and clinical data of 220 patients with one or more lacunar infarcts confirmed by MRI examination and enrolled from a prospective cohort study were analyzed. Detailed neurological examinations, including evaluation of the NIHSS and modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) for evaluating the clinical severity, were performed in all subjects. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of various NIHSS thresholds to capture the absence of significant disability (mRS <3) were calculated. General linear models, controlling for age, educational level and different clinical manifestations frequently observed in CADASIL, were used to evaluate the relationships between NIHSS and clinical severity. Results: In the whole cohort, 45 (20.5%) subjects presented with mRS ≥3, but only 16 (7.3%) had NIHSS >5. All but 1 subject with NIHSS >5 showed mRS ≥3. NIHSS ≤5 had an 85.3% positive predictive value for no or slight disability with only 33.3% specificity. The NIHSS, MMSE score and presence or absence of gait disturbances were found to be strongly and independently correlated with disability (all p < 0.001). Altogether, they accounted for 73% of the variance of mRS in contrast with the NIHSS alone accounting for only 50% of this variance. Among patients with NIHSS ≤5, subjects with mRS ≥3 showed a lower MMSE score than those with mRS <3 (p < 0.001). All patients with NIHSS ≤5 but with mRS ≥3 presented either with gait disturbances or MMSE score <25. Conclusions: The present results suggest that the NIHSS cannot reflect the extent of neurological deficit and clinical severity in subjects with lacunar infarctions in the context of a chronic and diffuse small vessel disease. A specific and global neurological scale, including the assessment of cognitive and gait performances, should be developed for ischemic cerebral microangiopathy.
Multilevel correlations in the biological phosphorus removal process: From bacterial enrichment to conductivity‐based metabolic batch tests and polyphosphatase assays

Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) from wastewater relies on the preferential selection of active polyphosphate‐accumulating organisms (PAO) in the underlying bacterial community continuum. Efficient management of the bacterial resource requires understanding of population dynamics as well as availability of bioanalytical methods for rapid and regular assessment of relative abundances of active PAOs and their glycogen‐accumulating competitors (GAO). A systems approach was adopted here toward the investigation of multilevel correlations from the EBPR bioprocess to the bacterial community, metabolic, and enzymatic levels. Two anaerobic‐aerobic sequencing‐batch reactors were operated to enrich activated sludge in PAOs and GAOs affiliating with “Candidati Accumulibacter and Competibacter phosphates”, respectively. Bacterial selection was optimized by dynamic control of the organic loading rate and the anaerobic contact time. The distinct core bacteriomes mainly comprised populations related to the classes Betaproteobacteria, Cytophagia, and Chloroflexi in the PAO enrichment and of Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Sphingobacteria in the GAO enrichment. An anaerobic metabolic batch test based on electrical conductivity evolution and a polyphosphatase enzymatic assay were developed for rapid and low‐cost assessment of the active PAO fraction and dephosphatation potential of activated sludge. Linear correlations were obtained between the PAO fraction, biomass specific rate of conductivity increase under anaerobic conditions, and polyphosphate‐hydrolyzing activity of PAO/GAO mixtures. The correlations between PAO/GAO ratios, metabolic activities, and conductivity profiles were confirmed by simulations with a mathematical model developed in the aqueous geochemistry software PHREEQC. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 2421–2435. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Numerical optimization techniques for nonlinear quadrotor control

Currently, quadrotors have become very popular and have different applications in entertainment, transportation, rescue and military areas, among others. A key activity in the design of quadrotors is the flight control. A well-known flight controller is the PD, which is sufficient to make the quadcopter to hover in the air. One crucial problem with this type of controllers is the coefficient tuning. Typically, linear models are supposed for the latter, however, in this work we study the use of two optimization techniques for coefficient tuning when the dynamic model is nonlinear. These techniques refer to parametric control tuning based on numerical strategies using Conjugate Gradient (CG) optimization. We also analyze the optimal control law for the same nonlinear model by applying the Pontryagin's Maximum Principle, which yields the conditions to numerically find the optimal flight control to transfer the quadrotor between hovering states. We carried out a comparison of the behavior of the quadcopter dynamics regarding the tuned parametric controls obtained with the two CG strategies and with the achieved optimal control. In addition, we analyzed, from the point of view of the user, which one of these strategies is the easiest to implement.
Tumor necrosis factor enhances the neutrophil‐dependent increase in endothelial permeability

We examined the effect of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) on the increase in pulmonary microvascular endothelial monolayer permeability induced by activated neutrophils (PMN). Layering of PMN onto endothelial monolayers followed by activation of PMN with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) increased 125I‐albumin clearance rate across the monolayers. Pretreatment of endothelial monolayers for 6 hr with TNFα (200 U/ml) potentiated the PMN‐dependent increase in endothelial permeability, whereas 1 hr or 6 hr pretreatment of endothelial monolayers with 200 U/ml and 100 U/ml, respectively, TNFα did not enhance the reponse. Adherence of PMN to the endothelial cells was increased at 1 and 6 hr after TNFα (200 U/ml) treatment, but the adherence reponse was markedly greater following 6 hr of TNFα. The TNFα treatment of endothelial cells did not enhance neutrophil activation responses to PMA. Pretmeatment of PMN with IB4, a MAb to the CD18 integrin, the common β subunit of the adhesion proteins LFA‐1, Mac‐1, and p150,95 of PMN, reduced the increases in PMN adherence and the endothelial monolayer permeability induced by the 6 hr TNFα treatment. In contrast, pretreatment of PMN with OKM‐1, a MAb to the CD11b epitope (‐subunit), had no effect on the adherence and the potentiation of the increase in permeability. The potentiation of the PMN‐dependent permeability increase and enhanced endothelial adhesivity at 6 hr after TNFα priming of endothelial cells was dependent on protein synthesis. The results indicate that protein synthesis‐dependent expression of an endothelial ligand for CD18 and resultant endothelial hyperadhesiveness potentiates the PMN‐mediated increase in endothelial permeability after TNFα activation of endothelial cells. The priming of endothelial cells by TNFα may be a critical step in the mediation of endothelial injury.
Conception and realization of highly selective band-pass filters in Ka-band built on thin polymer films

A novel structure of high performance narrow band-pass filters on thin polymer film is reported in this paper. It's composed of two microstrip resonators placed between two via-free microstrip-grounded coplanar waveguide transitions. It combines therefore compactness, low-cost, fabrication easiness of microstrip lines and connection facility of coplanar pads. Narrow band-pass filters have been optimized by using HFSS software, realized and characterized, over the range of Ka-band frequencies. With the band-pass filter realized on thin BCB polymer (benzocyclobutene, relative permittivity er = 2.65 and loss tangent tanô = 0.0025) film of 60 μm thick, the performance obtained for a center frequency optimized at 30.5 GHz is 28.8 for quality factor and −1.4 dB for insertion losses, with very good agreement between simulation and experiment results.
An Improved Adaptive Neural Network Method for Control System

Classical methods for designing a controller depend on the accuracy of system model. However, plant's models and other parts in a physical system can not accurately represent all possible dynamics. Thus the controller designed is usually not the optimal one. In this article, a new, simple adaptive control method, which combines the classical frequency domain method with the neural network theory, is proposed. Firstly, we can obtain a controller using classical method. Secondly we use the coefficients in digitized controller equation as the initial values of an Adaline network. Finally, LMS learning rules is used to adjust the weights adaptively. Experimental results show that this method is very effective in improving the performance of conventional controller
Performance of the Novel Qiagen artus QS-RGQ Viral Load Assays Compared to That of the Abbott RealTime System with Genetically Diversified HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Plasma Specimens

ABSTRACT We compared two novel Qiagen QS-RGQ viral load assays with the established Abbott RealTime assays on a highly diversified panel of 121 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 107 hepatitis C virus (HCV) specimens. The quantifications correlated well for all HIV and HCV types, but Qiagen yielded higher HCV concentrations than Abbott, predominantly in genotypes 4 and 5.
Determination of the Whiteside line on femur surface models by fitting high-order polynomial functions to cross-section profiles of the intercondylar fossa

Innovative methods for morphological and functional analysis of bones have become a primary objective in the development of planning systems for total knee replacement (TKR). These methods involve the interactive identification of clinical landmarks (reference points, distances, angles, and functional axes of movement) and the determination of the optimal implant size and positioning. Among the functional axes used to estimate the correct alignment of the femoral component, the Whiteside line, namely, the anterior-posterior (AP) direction, is one of the most common. In this paper, we present a computational framework that allows automatic identification of the Whiteside line. The approach is based on geometric analysis of the saddle shape of the intercondylar fossa to extract the principal line in the AP direction. A plane parallel to the frontal plane is moved in the AP direction to obtain the 2D profiles of the intercondylar fossa. Each profile is fitted to a fifth-order polynomial curve and its maximum curvature point computed. The point set collected across all the profiles is then processed to compute the principal direction. The 2D profile-fitting and 3D line-fitting residual errors were analyzed to study the relationship between the intercondylar fossa aspect and the nominal saddle surface. The method was validated using femur specimens from elderly subjects reconstructed from CT scans. The repeatability of the method was evaluated across five different femur surface resolutions. For comparison, three expert orthopaedic surgeons identified, by virtual palpation, the Whiteside line on the same 3D femur models. The repeatability (median angular error) of the Whiteside lines computed by the automated method and by manual virtual palpation, was approximately 1.0° and 3.5°, respectively. The angular skew error between the two axes, measured on the axial plane, averaged approximately 4.00° (SD: 2.64°) with no statistical difference. The automated method therefore proved more reproducible and was in agreement with the manual method. We conclude that operator-independent methods, such the one presented in this paper, can be favorably introduced into orthopaedic surgical planning systems.
Defensive transition in soccer – are prompt possession regains a measure of success? A quantitative analysis of German Fußball-Bundesliga 2010/2011

Abstract The aim of the study was to evaluate the time required by German Bundesliga soccer teams to recover ball possession – which was operationalised as defensive reaction time – and identify both the differences between top teams and the rest of the league and the influence of match status on the aforementioned indicator. Therefore, teams were classified into 3 distinct groups according to their final league position: top, in-between and bottom. In total, all 306 games of the season 2010/2011 were analysed post-event. Top teams recovered ball possession quickest after losing it in comparison to the other groups and demonstrated lower defensive reaction times (approximately 1 s in each match status) compared to the remaining teams. Moreover, all groups showed the lowest defensive reaction times when trailing. The results of this study imply that recovering ball possession as quickly as possible after losing possession was an important determinant of successful defensive performance in German Bundesliga season 2010/2011. Further, the current score seemed to be highly influential on the defensive reaction time. The implications of the results for future research, especially considering opponent interactions, are critically discussed.
Persistent millennial-scale shifts in moisture regimes in western Canada during the past six millennia

Inferences of past climatic conditions from a sedimentary record from Big Lake, British Columbia, Canada, over the past 5,500 years show strong millennial-scale patterns, which oscillate between periods of wet and drier climatic conditions. Higher frequency decadal- to centennial-scale fluctuations also occur within the dominant millennial-scale patterns. These changes in climatic conditions are based on estimates of changes in lake depth and salinity inferred from diatom assemblages in a well dated sediment core. After periods of relative stability, abrupt shifts in diatom assemblages and inferred climatic conditions occur approximately every 1,220 years. The correspondence of these shifts to millennial-scale variations in records of glacial expansion/recession and ice-rafting events in the Atlantic suggest that abrupt millennial-scale shifts are important to understanding climatic variability in North America during the mid- to late Holocene. Unfortunately, the spatial patterns and mechanisms behind these large and abrupt swings are poorly understood. Similar abrupt and prolonged changes in climatic conditions today could pose major societal challenges for many regions.
The Theory of Free Banking: Money Supply under Competitive Note Issue.

It is part of the Online Library of Liberty web site http://oll.libertyfund. org, which was established in 2004 in order to further the educational goals of Liberty Fund, Inc. To find out more about the author or title, to use the site's powerful search engine, to see other titles in other formats (HTML, facsimile PDF), or to make use of the hundreds of essays, educational aids, and study guides, please visit the OLL web site. This title is also part of the Portable Library of Liberty DVD which contains over 1,000 books and quotes about liberty and power, and is available free of charge upon request.
Tobacco smokers and electronic cigarettes users among Polish universities students.

BACKGROUND Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are small battery-powered electronic devices, heating the liquid to produce vapour--in most cases the latter contains nicotine and several flavourings. E-cigarettes are highly advertised across the media, mainly as healthy substitute to conventional cigarettes, aid in quitting smoking addiction or way of circumventing ban on smoking in public places. OBJECTIVE The aim of study was obtaining epidemiological data on cigarette smoking and electronic cigarette usage among Polish universities students. MATERIAL AND METHODS Students of different Polish state universities were asked to fill a self-prepared survey on cigarette-smoking and electronic cigarette usage. 1068 fulfilled questionnaires were gathered. The population was divided into two subgroups--medical universities' students (n=545) and non-medical universities students (n=523). RESULTS 23.78% of respondents declared current smoking while 57.0% admitted ever smoking. The mean duration of smoking among current smokers was 4.17±2.53 years. 56.30% of current smokers tried quitting at least once. 31.46% of students declared ever using e-cigarettes (37.28% (n=195) among non-medical universities' students and 25.87% (n=141) among medical universities' students and 8.33% current usage. Among the latter 52.81% admitted simultaneous smoking. 26.97% of current e-cigarettes' users declared having experienced side effects of e-cigarettes. 42.70% (n=456) of respondents viewed e-cigarettes as safer than conventional cigarettes, this group comprises of 40.54% (n=212) non-medical and 44.77% (n=244) medical universities' students. 85.39% (n=912) of students viewed e-cigarettes as generally unhealthy, there were 83.56% (n=437) non-medical and 87.16% (n=475) medical universities' students among this group. CONCLUSIONS The frequency of e-cigarettes usage resembles current status in many Western countries. Collected data shows high frequency of e-cigarettes usage and conventional cigarettes smoking among students (also medical universities' students). The situation requires intensive preventive measures to limit and reduce the popularity of tobacco products along with modern equivalents like electronic cigarettes.
“Prenatal Stress, Glucocorticoids and the Programming of the Brain” (2001), by Leonie Welberg and Jonathan Seckl

In 2001, researchers Leonie Welberg and Jonathan Seckl published the literature review “Prenatal Stress, Glucocorticoids, and the Programming of the Brain,” in which they report on the effects of prenatal stress on the development of the fetal brain. The fetus [5] experiences prenatal stress while in the womb [6], or in utero. In discussing the effects of prenatal stress, the authors describe prenatal programming, which is when early environmental experiences permanently alter biological structure and function throughout life. Throughout “Prenatal Stress, Glucocorticoids and the Programming of the Brain,” Welberg and Seckl provide a number of potential biological explanations, derived from both animal and human studies, to explain the underlying mechanisms involved in programming, which helped establish how in utero stress can affect fetal brain development.
Hydrocephalus: comparison of clipping and embolization in aneurysm treatment.

OBJECT In this retrospective study conducted at Atkinson Morley's Hospital and Middlesbrough General Hospital, the authors analyzed 100 matched patients who had suffered subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) to determine whether the technical procedure by which aneurysms are treated affects the development of chronic hydrocephalus. METHODS Four hundred seventy-five patients presented with SAH between 1995 and 1998. Exclusion criteria included posterior circulation aneurysms, multiple aneurysms, electively clipped or embolized aneurysms, angiographically undetected SAH, patients who died within 1 month of neurosurgical intervention, and patients with the same aneurysm location but a different Fisher grade. The authors matched 50 patients who underwent embolization of their aneurysms with another 50 who had similar Fisher grades and aneurysm types and underwent clipping of their aneurysms. The maximum incidence of ruptured aneurysms occurred in patients who were between 41 and 60 years of age, with women preponderant in both study groups. In each group, 27 patients had anterior communicating artery aneurysm, 13 had posterior communicating artery aneurysm, seven had middle cerebral artery aneurysm, and three had internal carotid artery aneurysm. The lesions in three patients in each group were Fisher Grade I, in 23 patients they were Fisher Grade II, in 14 they were Fisher Grade III, and 10 patients had Fisher Grade IV SAH. Nine patients among those with clipped aneurysms and eight of the patients who underwent embolization had hydrocephalus for which they needed intervention. These interventions included lumbar puncture, ventricular drainage, and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement; three patients in each group needed VP shunt placement. CONCLUSIONS The technical procedure used to treat aneurysms, whether clipping or embolization, does not significantly affect the development of chronic hydrocephalus. However, a larger sample of patients is needed for accurate comparisons and stronger conclusions.