Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A biomechanical approach to MRI of acute knee injuries.

OBJECTIVE MRI is routinely performed to evaluate acute complex knee injuries. This article will review the fundamental biomechanical forces underlying the most important and common injuries and correlate MRI findings with specific traumatic mechanisms. CONCLUSION MRI findings can reveal the traumatic mechanisms in many acute knee injuries. By applying a biomechanical approach in MRI interpretation, it is possible to use easily detected lesions, such as osseous contusion and ligament rupture, to predict subtle but important abnormalities that might otherwise be missed. This systematic focused analysis enables a more accurate and rapid interpretation of knee MR studies.
[The effects of calmodulin kinase II inhibitor on ventricular arrhythmias in rabbits with cardiac hypertrophy].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of KN-93, a calmodulin kinase II inhibitor, on ventricular arrhythmias in rabbits with cardiac hypertrophy. METHODS Female New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10 each): Sham; LVH; LVH + KN-92 and LVH + KN-93 group. LVH was induced by partially constricting the abdominal aorta. In Sham group, the abdominal aorta was exposed without constriction. Eight weeks later, the arterially perfused left ventricular wedge preparations were made and transmembrane action potentials (TAP) from epicardium and endocardium and transmural ECG were simultaneously recorded. Incidence of early after depolarization (EAD) and torsade de pointes (Tdp), QT interval, action potential duration (APD) and transmural depolarization dispersion (TDR) at different cycle lengths were observed under slow stimulation (2000 - 4000 ms), hypokalemic (2 mmol/L) and hypomagnesaemic (0.25 mmol/L) Tyrode's solution perfusion. RESULTS Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected in LVH group by echocardiography and not affected by KN-92 and KN-93. Perfused with hypokalemic, hypomagnesaemic Tyrode's solution and under slow stimulation (2000 - 4000 ms), the incidences of EAD and Tdp in Sham group, LVH group, LVH + KN-92 group (0.5 micromol/L) and LVH + KN-93 group (0.5 micromol/L) were 0/10, 10/10, 9/10, 5/10 and 0/10, 5/10, 4/10, 1/10, respectively. With 1 micromol/L KN-92 and KN-93, the incidences of EAD and Tdp in LVH + KN-92 and LVH + KN-93 group were 9/10, 3/10 and 4/10, 1/10 respectively. The QT interval, APD and TDR were not affected by KN-93. CONCLUSION The calmodulin kinase II inhibitor KN-93 can effectively suppress ventricular arrhythmias in rabbits with cardiac hypertrophy by decreasing EAD.
Effects of peer education, social support and self esteem on breast self examination performance and knowledge level.

OBJECTIVE To estimate associations among peer education, social support and self-esteem and their influences on performance of breast self-examination (BSE). METHOD Seven volunteer peer educators were given the BSE training programme and in turn educated 65 women students in the university. BSE knowledge evaluation forms developed by Maurer were applied for evaluation. Other data were collected with questionnaires for the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory and Scale of Perceived Social Support over three months. RESULTS Knowledge level points of students and the BSE practice ratio were increased by peer support. There was a positive relationship between average BSE knowledge points and social support and self-esteem. CONCLUSION The results showed positive relationships among BSE knowledge, social support and self-esteem, these affecting the BSE performance level.
Non-impact, blast-induced mild TBI and PTSD: Concepts and caveats

Primary objective: A volumetric blood surge (rapid physical movement/displacement of blood) is hypothesized to cause the non-impact, mild TBI and battlefield PTSD induced by a blast over-pressure wave. Research design: Systematic review of the literature. Methods and procedures: Articles relating to the fields of blast injury, brain injury and relevant disorders were searched between the years 1968–2010 for keywords such as ‘brain injury’, ‘post-traumatic stress disorder’ and ‘blast pressure wave’. Articles found through journal and internet databases were cross-referenced. Main outcomes and results: The blood surge, which is driven by elevated overall pressure in the ventral body cavity after exposure of the torso to blast wave, may move through blood vessels to the low-pressure cranial cavity from the high-pressure ventral body cavity. It dramatically increases cerebral perfusion pressure and causes damage to both tiny cerebral blood vessels and the BBB. Conclusions: Three factors may be critical to the induction of blast-induced brain injuries: (1) the difference in pressure between the ventral body cavity and cranial cavity; (2) blood that acts as a transmission medium to propagate a pressure wave to the brain; and (3) the vulnerability of cerebral blood vessels and the BBB to a sudden fluctuation in perfusion pressure.
Poly(vinyl chloride) on the way from the 19th century to the 21st century

Despite all the technical and economic problems and the public discussions on the environmental dangers and hazards of chlorine chemistry, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) is the second most produced plastic (with a worldwide capacity of about 31 million tons), placing after polyolefins and before styrene polymers. Presently, PVC production worldwide is growing at a rate of more than 4% per year. The application of PVC was first described in a patent in 1913, but only after 1930 did a sustained interest in PVC arise in several industrial laboratories. The most remarkable milestones in PVC history and their importance to the development of macromolecular chemistry are briefly described, and some present PVC research and industrial applications, with respect to polymerization, stabilization, bulk property modification, and chemical and material recycling of PVC waste, are discussed. Some actual selected topics include the emulsion polymerization of vinyl chloride with polymeric surfactants and controlled free-radical polymerization with nitroxyls, whereas ionic and metal organic initiators have not found any technical applications. Chemical reactions offer many possibilities for the modification of PVC, but they have been not used on a technical scale yet. Much work has been done on stabilization with nontoxic or metal-free systems. The bulk properties of PVC can be influenced by impact modification through the addition of graft copolymers or by blending with other polymers. Also presented are some problems and recent developments in PVC recycling. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 578 -586, 2004
Operation Everest II: adaptations in human skeletal muscle.

Adaptations in skeletal muscle in response to progressive hypobaria were investigated in eight male subjects [maximal O2 uptake = 51.2 +/- 3.0 (SE) ml.kg-1.min-1] over 40 days of progressive decompression to the stimulated altitude of the summit of Mt. Everest. Samples of the vastus lateralis muscle extracted before decompression (SL-1), at 380 and 282 Torr, and on return to sea level (SL-2) indicated that maximal activities of enzymes representative of the citric acid cycle, beta-oxidation, glycogenolysis, glycolysis, glucose phosphorylation, and high-energy phosphate transfer were unchanged (P greater than 0.05) at 380 and 282 Torr over initial SL-1 values. After exposure to 282 Torr, however, representing an additional period of approximately 7 days, reductions (P less than 0.05) were noted in succinic dehydrogenase (21%), citrate synthetase (37%), and hexokinase (53%) between SL-2 and 380 Torr. No changes were found in the other enzymes. Capillarization as measured by the number of capillaries per cross-sectional area (CC/FA) was increased (P less than 0.05) in both type I (0.94 +/- 0.8 vs. 1.16 +/- 0.05) and type II (0.84 +/- 0.07 vs. 1.05 +/- 0.08) fibers between SL-1 and SL-2. This increase was mediated by a reduction in fiber area. No changes were found in fiber-type distribution (type I vs. type II). These findings do not support the hypothesis, at least in humans, that, at the level of the muscle cell, extreme hypobaric hypoxia elicits adaptations directed toward maximizing oxidative function.
Relationship Between Advanced Oxidation Protein Products, Advanced Glycation End Products, and S-Nitrosylated Proteins With Biological Risk and MDR-1 Polymorphisms in Patients Affected by B-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The aim of our study was to analyze the serum levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and protein nitrosylation in patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). AOPPs, AGEs, and S-nitrosylated were increased in B-CLL patients. The mutation of IgVH gene, CD 38, and Zap 70 expression were not associated with increased oxidative stress. The mutant 2677GT genotype was found to be associated with higher AGEs levels with respect to wild-type genotype, while as far the C3435T MDR1 polymorphism is concerned, subjects presenting wild-type genotype showed higher values of AOPPs with respect to heterozygous genotype. Our results suggest that B-CLL is associated with oxidative stress.
Psychosocial factors and patients' preferences for adjuvant chemotherapy in early breast cancer

Purpose: Many women who have had adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer judge small benefits sufficient to make it worthwhile despite significant side effects and inconvenience. The rationality of these preferences has been questioned. We sought to better understand such preferences by assessing associations between preferences and psychosocial factors, and by asking women who judged negligible benefits sufficient to explain why.
Plateforme Expérimentale de Réalité Augmentée pour l'Aide à la Navigation Maritime

Cet article traite de l'integration d'un systeme de vision dote d'une camera classique et d'une camera thermique dans un logiciel de navigation maritime base sur un environne- ment virtuel (EV). Nous presentons ensuite un champ ex- ploratoire autour de la realite augmentee (RA) en situation de mobilite et les differentes applications liees aux metiers de la mer apportees grâce a l'ajout de cette fonctionnalite. Ce travail est realise grâce a une convention CIFRE au sein de la societe MaxSea.
Down syndrome in adults: a 27‐year follow‐up of adaptive skills

In 1988, we assessed the adaptive skills of 45 adults with Down syndrome (DS) (21 women and 24 men, age 20–58) with the Portage scale. Since then, we have followed them and also screened for signs of clinical dementia with the Present Psychiatric State – Learning Disabilities assessment. The mean adaptive age (AA) of the study group decreased with increasing age; the age of 35 being the turning point in the clinical course of DS. The mean AA was 4.4 years between ages 20 and 34, 3.4 years between ages 35 and 49, and 2.4 years between ages 50 and 66. Inter‐individual variation was, however, large. Between ages 20 and 25, the AA of the study subjects ranged from 2.3 to 6 years; and after the age of 50, from 0.3 to 4.8 years. By the end of the study, all subjects showed signs of clinical dementia. These appeared most frequently as reduced self‐care skills, loss of energy, forgetfulness, and impaired understanding. We found no connection between apolipoprotein E genotype and the clinical course of DS. We recommend follow‐up of adaptive skills and screening for dementia signs in adults with DS.
Dämpfung der Motorvibrationen im Kfz mittels Filtered-x-LMS-Algorithmus: Implementierung am Prüfstand und Konvergenzanalyse

Der vorliegende Beitrag liefert einen Erfahrungsbericht von der Implementierung einer adaptiven Storgrosenaufschaltung, des so genannten Filtered-x-LMS-Algorithmus, an einem Prufstand zur Untersuchung der Motoraufhangung im Kfz. Betrachteter Anwendungsfall ist die Isolation der Motorvibrationen gegenuber dem Chassis. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit werden die grundsatzlich erforderlichen Erweiterungen des Algorithmus sowie relevante besondere Eigenschaften vorgestellt und ausfuhrlich diskutiert. Insbesondere wird auf die Anforderungen an Streckentotzeiten und die mindestens notwendige Koeffizientenanzahl des verwendeten adaptiven Filters eingegangen. Die Implementierung einer Oversampling-Technik wird beschrieben, mit deren Hilfe die Anforderungen an die analogen Hardwarefilter zur Signalaufbereitung gering gehalten werden konnen. Den zweiten Teil des Berichts bildet eine theoretische Analyse zum Konvergenzverhalten des Algorithmus, speziell fur die vorliegende Schmalbandanregung. Als Ergebnis der Untersuchung wird, unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen, eine vollstandige Beschreibung des zeitlich gemittelten Verlaufs der Schwingungsunterdruckung erreicht.
Myelin development, plasticity, and pathology in the auditory system

Myelin allows for the rapid and precise timing of action potential propagation along neuronal circuits and is essential for healthy auditory system function. In this article, we discuss what is currently known about myelin in the auditory system with a focus on the timing of myelination during auditory system development, the role of myelin in supporting peripheral and central auditory circuit function, and how various myelin pathologies compromise auditory information processing. Additionally, in keeping with the increasing recognition that myelin is dynamic and is influenced by experience throughout life, we review the growing evidence that auditory sensory deprivation alters myelin along specific segments of the brain's auditory circuit. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 80–92, 2018
Correlates of food addiction in obese individuals seeking bariatric surgery

Recent evidence suggests that palatable, high‐calorie foods may have an addictive potential. Accordingly, obesity and overconsumption of such foods have been associated with addiction‐like eating behaviour. The present study investigated whether individuals with obesity can be classified as food‐addicted and which factors would differentiate between food‐addicted and non‐addicted individuals. We administered the German version of the Yale Food Addiction Scale and other questionnaires to obese individuals seeking bariatric surgery (N = 96). Results showed that 40% of the sample could be diagnosed as food‐addicted. Food‐addicted individuals reported more frequent food cravings, higher eating disorder psychopathology and more depressive symptoms than the non‐addicted group. Age, body mass and gender distribution did not differ between groups. The food addiction group had higher attentional but similar motor and non‐planning impulsivity, and had lower scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) compared with the non‐addicted group. Scores on the AUDIT were associated with impulsivity in the non‐addicted group only. We conclude that the prevalence of food addiction is higher in candidates for bariatric surgery compared with the general population and obese individuals not seeking bariatric surgery. A diagnosis of food addiction is associated with higher eating pathology and depression. Moreover, only attentional impulsivity, but not other dimensions of impulsivity, is associated with addictive eating. Finally, food addiction and impulsivity interactively predicted alcohol use, suggesting a crucial role of psychological variables and eating style in determining alcohol consumption in pre‐bariatric patients, independent of body mass.
Investigation of interface between Ge electrodes and ionic liquid electrolyte for development of electric double layer capacitors

This study demonstrated that electrical double layer capacitors (EDLC) can be fabricated using Ge electrodes and ionic liquids. We found that the ionic liquids must be dried for the use of electrolytes of the EDLCs because water causes chemical reaction with Ge. This chemical reaction is, however, useful to make porous structures on the Ge to prepare large surface area electrodes essential to the EDLCs. In addition, ionic liquid used for the chemical reaction can fill the complex Ge pores. Based on these findings, we prepared the EDLCs composed of Ge porous electrodes and the ionic liquid electrolyte. By drying the ionic liquid at 100 °C, the device showed reasonable electrochemical behavior as the EDLCs.
Output regulation of nonlinear uncertain system with nonminimum phase via enhanced RBFN controller

Presents an enhanced direct adaptive scheme for a radial basis function network (RBFN) based controller capable of online stably adjusting both the RBFN's output weights and variance parameters in the hidden nodes. The improved RBFN system is employed to online reconstruct the ideal control law adaptively and force the plant output to asymptotically track the output of a reference model, which is predetermined to stabilize robustly the unstable internal dynamics of a nonlinear uncertain system with nonminimum phase. A case study is utilized for demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed scheme. Simulation results indicate that the transient responses of balancing the inverted pendulum system are markedly improved by using the enhanced algorithm proposed herein.
Clones and subclones in the lung cancer field.

Based on a variety of clinical (1,2), histologic (3,4), cytogenetic (5–7), and molecular (8–10) data, lung cancer, like many other epithelial cancers, is suggested to develop as a multistep tumorigenesis process in a field of cancerization (11,12). Carcinogen exposure (e.g., tobacco) is believed to induce genetic damage in target cells that accumulates over years of exposure. Moreover, chronic tissue injury leads to chronic wound healing, whereby cells carrying genetic alterations that are important for survival and preferential regrowth expand at the expense of their neighbors. These surviving colonies continue to accumulate new tissue-relevant genetic alterations and eventually evolve into an invasive lesion. Since the whole aerodigestive tract is similarly exposed to carcinogen, one might predict that such clonal outgrowths develop throughout the exposed tissue. Until recently, characterization of the fine structure of such a multifocal and multistep tumorigenesis process in lung tissue was technically hampered by the need for tissue dissociation either for cell culture or for bulk molecular genetic or cytogenetic analyses. The advent of molecular techniques that could be used on smaller amounts of tissue, including polymerase chain reaction on microdissected epithelium (13,14) and in situ hybridization techniques (15–17), increased the spatial resolution of the analyses. Moreover, the identification of molecular changes that occurred at relatively high frequencies in lung tumors provided informative markers that could be used on small tissue samples to query the nature of the lung cancerization field (18,19). As a result, several groups have now demonstrated the presence of clonal outgrowths in the epithelial field of lung tumors, with higher frequencies of genetic changes detectable in dysplastic lesions than in normal-appearing and metaplastic le-
Méthode d'optimisation multicritère pour l'aide à la conception des projets de densification urbaine

La population mondiale fait face, globalement, a une urbanisation expansive. Cet etalement urbain, souvent mal controle, menace aussi bien l’environnement que la sante, la qualite de vie et la securite alimentaire des humains. Il est possible de le limiter en lui preferant la densification urbaine. Neanmoins, la complexite des phenomenes en jeu dans un tel contexte nous incite a penser que les responsables d’operations de densification urbaine ont besoin d’outils pour les aider a faire les choix les plus pertinents possibles. Dans un premier temps, l’etat de l’art presente dans cette these montre que l’outil ideal n’existe pas, et que l’optimisation multicritere par algorithme genetique est une technique adaptee a l’aide a la conception de bâtiments. Les caracteristiques souhaitables pour une methode d’assistance des concepteurs de projets de densification urbaine sont alors precisees. Nous recommandons de baser cette methode sur le couplage entre un algorithme genetique et un outil capable de realiser des simulations thermiques dynamiques (STD) de quartiers. Les capacites des logiciels de STD Pleiades+COMFIE (P+C) et EnergyPlus (E+) sont situees par rapport a ces exigences, puis un premier test d’optimisation d’un projet de densification urbaine en associant EnergyPlus a un algorithme genetique est presente. Certaines lacunes de cette methode peuvent etre comblees par la plateforme en cours de developpement dans le projet ANR MERUBBI. Dans un second temps, nous analysons donc les resultats d’une etude comparative entre P+C, E+ et l’outil MERUBBI, menee sur un projet de densification d’un ilot a forte densite urbaine. Ils montrent que ce dernier est fiable et particulierement pertinent pour l’evaluation precise des interactions entre bâtiments. Dans un troisieme temps, nous abordons la problematique de la diminution des temps de calcul, enjeu crucial pour que notre methode d’aide a la conception soit reellement accessible aux professionnels du bâtiment. Nous proposons une technique de reduction de la periode de simulation que nous presentons en detail. Enfin, la methode d’optimisation developpee est appliquee a la resolution de differents problemes de conception du projet sus-cite, en utilisant E+. Nous montrons en quoi l’utilisation de l’outil MERUBBI enrichira cette approche, avant de conclure sur des perspectives de developpement de notre methode pour ameliorer son interactivite.
Anti-endotoxin properties of cationic host defence peptides and proteins

The innate immune system of mammals contains a series of peptides with overall positive charge and an amphipathic structure which have a variety of important properties in host defences. Although these are often termed cationic antimicrobial peptides, they have numerous roles in innate defences in all complex species of life and thus we prefer to refer to them as host defence peptides. These roles include: (i) an ability to kill micro-organisms directly, ranging from bacteria to viruses, fungi, parasites and helminths; (ii) an adjuvant activity in the adaptive response; and (iii) a multiplicity of roles in modulating innate immunity, including an apparent ability to stimulate protective innate immunity while suppressing harmful inflammatory/septic responses. This latter property may be one of the more important activities of these peptides in vivo. Innate immunity is thought to be triggered by the interaction of conserved bacterial components with particular receptors including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on host cells. However, the initiation of the innate immune response through this route may trigger a pro-inflammatory cascade that is the principle cause of harmful conditions such as sepsis. Since we are exposed to potentially dangerous pathogens on a daily basis, the host response must contain certain checks and balances. We propose that host defence peptides have a role in feed-back modulation of inflammation under normal (low-pathogen exposure) conditions. This review surveys the available information regarding the antiendotoxic/anti-inflammatory properties of host defence peptides, and will address whether this potential might be exploited for therapeutic benefit in sepsis.