LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Dermoscopy patterns of halo nevi.

BACKGROUND
Halo nevi (HN) are benign melanocytic nevi surrounded by a depigmented area (halo). This study aims to evaluate the dermoscopic features of HN and their changes during digital dermoscopic follow-up and to investigate the frequency of the halo phenomenon in a series of melanomas.


OBSERVATIONS
In a retrospective study, digital dermoscopic images of HN from patients who attended the Pigmented Skin Lesions Clinic of the Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Graz, between October 1, 1997, and March 31, 2004, were reviewed and classified by dermoscopic morphologic criteria. For HN that were followed up with digital dermoscopy, the percentages of changes in the size of the nevus and halo components were calculated. In addition, digital dermoscopic images of histopathologically confirmed melanomas obtained from the same database were reviewed for the presence of an encircling halolike depigmentation. We classified 138 HN in 87 patients (mean age, 22.4 years). The most common dermoscopic structures were the globular and/or homogeneous patterns in more than 80% of HN. Follow-up of 33 HN revealed considerable size reduction of the nevus component, but this was not associated with significant structural changes. Of a total of 475 melanomas, only 2 revealed an encircling halo, but both displayed clear-cut melanoma-specific patterns according to dermoscopy.


CONCLUSIONS
Halo nevi exhibit the characteristic dermoscopic features of benign melanocytic nevi, represented by globular and/or homogeneous patterns that are typically observed in children and young adults. Halo nevi reveal considerable changes of area over time during digital dermoscopic follow-up, albeit their structural patterns remain unchanged. For this reason and because melanoma with halolike depigmentation, despite being rare, additionally exhibits melanoma-specific dermoscopic criteria, the role of digital dermoscopic follow-up in the diagnosis of HN is insignificant.
Continuous Position Control of 1 DOF Manipulator Using EMG Signals

One of the main problems of robot manipulations by using bio-signal interface is discontinuous position control. This discontinuity causes undesirable effects on users such as lack of accuracy and an overall degraded performance. This paper presents the control strategy for the continuous position control of 1 DOF manipulator using electromyography (EMG) signals. We designed the control system which makes possible that 1 DOF manipulator replicate the wrist movements by estimating the wrist joint angle continuously from EMG signals measured from the four muscles. In order to estimate the joint angle, we transformed raw EMG signals to quasi-tensions, which represent the actual muscle tension, using low-pass filtering. A supervised multi-layer neural network trained by a back-propagation algorithm which estimates a joint angle from quasi-tensions, so that the proposed system controls the manipulator continuously with the obtained time-varying angle. The proposed methodology can be applied to improve the control strategy for tele-operated robotic manipulator.
Grammatical Evolution: Evolving Programs for an Arbitrary Language

We describe a Genetic Algorithm that can evolve complete programs. Using a variable length linear genome to govern how a Backus Naur Form grammar deenition is mapped to a program, expressions and programs of arbitrary complexity may be evolved. Other automatic programming methods are described, before our system, Grammatical Evolution, is applied to a symbolic regression problem.
Use of Songs, Rhymes and Games in Teaching English to Young Learners in Bangladesh

Although children learn a language faster than adults, they do not learn through traditional language teaching methods. Through fun activities children can learn a language better as learning becomes natural for them since these activities do not make them conscious that they are learning a language. In Bangladesh, since a proper learning atmosphere has not been ensured in children’s English classes according to children’s interest and psychological characteristics, benefit is yet to come from the compulsory English education at the primary level. In order to appeal to young learners’ learning styles, songs, rhymes and games can be very effective tools for teaching children a foreign language. These tools can be used in children’s classes to utilize their natural ability to learn a language. This paper introduces the benefits of some interesting tools in teaching children English and also suggests incorporating them at the primary level English curriculum in Bangladesh.
Diverse autonomic regulation of pupillary function and the cardiovascular system during alcohol withdrawal.

BACKGROUND
Previous research indicated the complexity of autonomic dysfunction during acute alcohol withdrawal. This study aimed to investigate the pupillary light reflex as an indicator of midbrain and brainstem regulatory systems in relation to cardiovascular autonomic function.


METHODS
Thirty male patients were included in the study. They were investigated during acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome and 24h later during clomethiazole treatment and compared to healthy controls. Parameters of pupillary light reflex of both eyes as well as heart rate variability, blood pressure variability and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were studied.


RESULTS
We observed significantly reduced sympathetic (small diameter, e.g., left eye: 5.00 in patients vs. 5.91 mm in controls) and vagal modulation (e.g., prolonged latencies, left eye: 0.28 vs. 0.26 ms) regarding both pupils during acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Cardiovascular parameters showed reduced vagal modulation (e.g., b-slope of BRS: 7. 57 vs. 13.59 ms/mm Hg) and mixed results for sympathetic influence. After 24h, autonomic dysfunction improved significantly, both for the pupils (e.g., left diameter: 5.38 mm) and the heart (e.g., b-slope of BRS: 9.34 ms/mm Hg). While parameters obtained from the pupil correlated with cardiac autonomic function (e.g, BRS and left diameter: r=0.564) in healthy controls, no such pattern was observed in patients.


CONCLUSION
Results obtained from the pupil during acute alcohol withdrawal do not simply mirror autonomic dysfunction regarding the heart. Pupillary and cardiovascular changes after 24h indicate state dependencies of the results. The findings are discussed with respect to autonomic mechanisms and potentially involved brain regions.
Gut microbiota and GLP-1

A large body of evidence suggests that the regulation of energy balance and glucose homeostasis by fermentable carbohydrates induces specific changes in the gut microbiota. Among the mechanisms, our research group and others have demonstrated that the gut microbiota fermentation (i.e., bacterial digestion of specific compounds) of specific prebiotics or other non-digestible carbohydrates is associated with the secretion of enteroendocrine peptides, such as the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY), produced by L-cells. In this review, we highlight past and recent results describing how dietary manipulation of the gut microbiota, using nutrients or specific microbes, can stimulate GLP-1 secretion in rodents and humans. Furthermore, the purpose of this review is to discuss the putative mechanisms by which specific bacterial metabolites, such as short chain fatty acids, trigger GLP-1 secretion through GPR41/43-dependent mechanisms. Moreover, we conclude by discussing the molecular advance showing that the endocannabinoid system or related bioactive lipids modulated by the gut microbiota may contribute to the regulation of glucose, lipid and energy homeostasis.
Bodily ownership and self-location: Components of bodily self-consciousness

Recent research on bodily self-consciousness has assumed that it consists of three distinct components: the experience of owning a body (body ownership); the experience of being a body with a given location within the environment (self-location); and the experience of taking a first-person, body-centered, perspective on that environment (perspective). Here we review recent neuroimaging studies suggesting that at least two of these components-body ownership and self-location-are implemented in rather distinct neural substrates, located, respectively, in the premotor cortex and in the temporo-parietal junction. We examine these results and consider them in relation to clinical evidence from patients with altered body perception and work on a variety of multisensory, body-related illusions, such as the rubber hand illusion, the full body illusion, the body swap illusion and the enfacement illusion. We conclude by providing a preliminary synthesis of the data on bodily self-consciousness and its neural correlates.
Chitosan-Based Biomaterials for Tissue Repair and Regeneration

Tissue repair and regeneration is an interdisciplinary field focusing on development of biological and bioactive substitutes. Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide exhibiting excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, affinity to biomolecules, and wound-healing activity. It can also be easily modified via chemical and physical reactions to obtain derivatives of various structures, properties, functions, and applications. This paper focuses on chitosan and its derivatives as biomaterials for tissue repair and regeneration. Tuning the structure and properties such as biodegradability, mechanical strength, gelation property, and cell affinity can be achieved through chemical reaction, immobilization of specific ligands such as peptide and sugar molecules, combination with other biomaterials, and chemical or physical crosslinking. To obtain applicable three-dimensional scaffolding materials such as porous sponges, hydrogels, and rods, the formulation and stimuliresponsiveness of this material can also be modified. Moreover, chitosan and its derivatives can function as vectors for delivery of cell growth factors and particularly of functional genes encoding cell growth factors, which are easier to integrate with the formulated materials to obtain scaffolds of higher activity. Recent studies have shown that such scaffolds are of particular importance in mediating the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of stem cells. Finally, integration of chitosan with cell growth factors and associated genes and/or with cells (stem cells) produces chitosan-based biomaterials with applications in repair or regeneration of skin, cartilage, bone, and other tissue.
Virtual electrodes by current steering in retinal prostheses.

PURPOSE
Retinal prostheses are an approved treatment for vision restoration in retinal degenerative diseases; however, present implants have limited resolution and simply increasing the number of electrodes is limited by design issues. In cochlear implants, virtual electrodes can be created by simultaneous stimulation of adjacent physical electrodes (current steering). The present study assessed whether this type of current steering can be adapted for retinal implants.


METHODS
Suprachoroidal electrode arrays were implanted in four normally sighted cat eyes. Electrode pairs were driven simultaneously at different current levels and current ratios. Multiunit spiking activity in the visual cortex was recorded. Spike distribution across channels enabled generation of cortical activation maps and calculation of centroid positions. For each current configuration, centroid shifts between two virtual electrodes were compared to shifts obtained from physical electrode stimulation.


RESULTS
Using current steering, virtual electrodes with different cortical activation maps could be created. Cortical centroids were found to shift as a function of the current ratio used for virtual electrodes and were similar to the centroid shifts seen when using physical electrodes. In addition, the cortical response to stimulation of a physical electrode could be reproduced by applying current steering to electrodes on either side of the physical electrode.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that current steering can alter activation patterns in the visual cortex and could enhance visual perception in retinal implants by eliciting phosphene percepts intermediate between those elicited by physical electrodes. These results inform development of new electrode arrays that can take advantage of current steering.
Role-playing in the problem-based learning class.

Learning and teaching have been conceptualized and executed in many styles, such as self-learning, peer learning, and interaction between the learner and mentor. Today, openness to alternative ideas and embracing innovative approaches in nursing education are encouraged in order to meet students' learning interests and needs, and to address ever-changing healthcare requests. Problem-based learning has been widely adopted in nursing education, with various positive effects on students' learning, such as motivated learning, team work, problem-solving skills and critical thinking. Role-plays have been demonstrated as an effective learning strategy that includes an active and experiential feature that facilitates students' autonomy in their health-related learning. However, there is a lack of discussion of whether and how role-play can be used in problem-based learning (PBL). This paper shows the development of a classroom-based innovation using role-play in the PBL class for higher diploma year-one nurse students (a total of 20 students, five per group). This paper consists of five sections: a) the literature on PBL and nurse education, and role-plays as the innovation; b) the PBL case scenario with the illustration of the two role-play scripts, c) student evaluation on role-play in the PBL class; d) discussions on both achievements and limitations of this innovation, and e) the conclusion. It is hoped that this paper will be an example to other nurse educators who are keen on exploring interactive and student-driven learning and teaching strategies in the PBL class.
A New Role for an Old Drug: Metformin Targets MicroRNAs in Treating Diabetes and Cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of short, noncoding, 19-23 base pair RNA molecules. Due to their unique role in gene regulation in various tissues, miRNAs play important roles in regulating insulin secretion, metabolic disease, and cancer biology. Emerging evidence demonstrates that miRNAs could also be novel diagnostic markers for a variety of disease states. Additionally, miRNAs have been found to function either as oncogenes, or tumor suppressor genes in cerian cancers. An increasing number of studies have been conducted investigating new drugs targeting miRNAs as a potential anticancer therapy. Metformin is the most widely prescribed medication for treating Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recent clinical data suggests that metformin impacts the miRNA profile in T2D subjects. Most excitingly, studies have found that metformin is protective against cancer. The anticancer activity of metformin is mediated through a direct regulation of miRNAs, which further modulates several downstream genes in metabolic or preoncogenic pathways. These miRNAs are, therefore, prospective therapeutic targets for treating diabetes and cancer which is the topic of this review. Further study on the regulation of miRNAs by metformin could result in novel therapeutic strategies for recurrent or drug-esistant cancer, and as part of combinatorial approaches with conventional anticancer therapies.
A parallel corpus for statistical machine translation

We collected a corpus of parallel text in 11 languages from the proceedings of the European Parliament, which are published on the web1. This corpus has found widespread use in the NLP community. Here, we focus on its acquisition and its application as training data for statistical machine translation (SMT). We trained SMT systems for 110 language pairs, which reveal interesting clues into the challenges ahead.
Energy based control of the Pendubot

This paper presents the control of an underactuated two-link robot called the Pendubot. We propose a controller for swinging the linkage and rise it to its uppermost unstable equilibrium position. The balancing control is based on an energy approach and the passivity properties of the system.
Ultrawideband PIFA With a Capacitive Feed for Penta-Band Folder-Type Mobile Phone Antenna

An ultrawideband planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) with a capacitive feed in the folder-type or clamshell mobile phone for penta-band operation is presented. The antenna is placed at the hinge position between the main and upper ground planes of the folder-type mobile phone. With the use of the capacitive feed, a very wide operating bandwidth (3:1 VSWR or 6-dB return loss) of about 1.5 GHz (from 820 to 2345 MHz) is obtained, although the antenna is with a small radiating plate of size 8 times 40 mm2 and a low profile of 7.8 mm above the top edge of the main ground plane. The very wide bandwidth covers GSM850/900/1800/1900/UMTS penta-band operation for the mobile phone in the open (talk) state. In addition, when in the closed (standby) state, although the groundplane condition greatly differs from that in the open state, the impedance matching over the operating bands can still be better than 6:1 VSWR (3-dB return loss), acceptable for standby operation in the practical applications.
Therapeutic efficacy assessment of weak variable magnetic fields with low value of induction in patients with drug-resistant depression.

BACKGROUND
The aim of this prospective study was to verify whether magnetostimulation with weak variable magnetic fields with low value of induction could enhance the effects of pharmacological therapy in drug-resistant depression.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty patients, 26 women and 4 men, with drug-resistant depression were enrolled in the study. The subjects from Group No. I (14 patients) were given fluvoxamine and treated with weak variable magnetic field using the VIOFOR JPS device; the subjects from Group No. II (16 patients) were also given fluvoxamine but they were treated with the VIOFOR JPS device in placebo mode. Changes in depressive symptoms were estimated with the 21-point Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire.


RESULTS
After 15 days of treatment highly significant differences were revealed between the patients treated with magnetic field and the patients treated with placebo: the final HDRS score was 53% of the initial value for the group receiving combined treatment, and 86% in the placebo group (p<0.001); for MADRS score the values were 51% and 88% (p<0.001), respectively, and for BDI 60% and 87% (p<0.001). Thus, the average effect of placebo applied with fluvoxamine was a ca. 15% reduction of symptoms, while the concurrent application of magnetic field and SSRI treatment resulted in a 40-50% improvement.


CONCLUSION
Our study indicates that adding a two-week low-induction variable magnetic field stimulation to a classical pharmacologic therapy reduces the intensity of symptoms in patients with drug-resistant depressive disorders.
An efficient genetic algorithm for the traveling salesman problem with precedence constraints

The traveling salesman problem with precedence constraints (TSPPC) is one of the most difficult combinatorial optimization problems. In this paper, an efficient genetic algorithm (GA) to solve the TSPPC is presented. The key concept of the proposed GA is a topological sort (TS), which is defined as an ordering of vertices in a directed graph. Also, a new crossover operation is developed for the proposed GA. The results of numerical experiments show that the proposed GA produces an optimal solution and shows superior performance compared to the traditional algorithms. 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Exact cosmological solutions of scale-invariant gravity theories

We have found new anisotropic vacuum solutions for the scale-invariant gravity theories which generalize Einstein's general relativity to a theory derived from the Lagrangian R1+δ. These solutions are expanding universes of Kasner form with an initial spacetime singularity at t = 0 and exist for −1/2 0.
Design of novel Multiple Valued Logic (MVL) circuits

Background: Multiple-Valued Logic (MVL) is the non-binary-valued system, in which more than two levels of information content are available, i.e., L>2. In modern technologies, the dual level binary logic circuits have normally been used. However, these suffer from several significant issues such as the interconnection considerations including the parasitics, area and power dissipation. The MVL circuits have been proved to be consisting of reduced circuitry and increased efficiency in terms of higher utilization of the circuit resources through multiple levels of voltage. Innumerable algorithms have been developed for designing such MVL circuits. Extended form is one of the algebraic techniques used in designing these MVL circuits. Voltage mode design has also been employed for constructing various types of MVL circuits. Novelty: This paper proposes a novel MVLTRANS inverter, designed using conventional CMOS and pass transistor logic based MVLPTL inverter. Binary to MVL Converter/Encoder and MVL to binary Decoder/Converter are also presented in the paper. In addition to the proposed decoder circuit, a 4-bit novel MVL Binary decoder circuit is also proposed. Tools Used: All these circuits are designed, implemented and verified using Cadence® Virtuoso tools using 180 nm technology library.
Path loss models for 5G millimeter wave propagation channels in urban microcells

Measurements for future outdoor cellular systems at 28 GHz and 38 GHz were conducted in urban microcellular environments in New York City and Austin, Texas, respectively. Measurements in both line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight scenarios used multiple combinations of steerable transmit and receive antennas (e.g. 24.5 dBi horn antennas with 10.9° half power beamwidths at 28 GHz, 25 dBi horn antennas with 7.8° half power beamwidths at 38 GHz, and 13.3 dBi horn antennas with 24.7° half power beamwidths at 38 GHz) at different transmit antenna heights. Based on the measured data, we present path loss models suitable for the development of fifth generation (5G) standards that show the distance dependency of received power. In this paper, path loss is expressed in easy-to-use formulas as the sum of a distant dependent path loss factor, a floating intercept, and a shadowing factor that minimizes the mean square error fit to the empirical data. The new models are compared with previous models that were limited to using a close-in free space reference distance. Here, we illustrate the differences of the two modeling approaches, and show that a floating intercept model reduces the shadow factors by several dB and offers smaller path loss exponents while simultaneously providing a better fit to the empirical data. The upshot of these new path loss models is that coverage is actually better than first suggested by work in [1], [7] and [8].