LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
A grid-interfacing power quality compensator for three-phase three-wire microgrid applications

This paper proposes a grid-interfacing power quality compensator for three-phase three-wire microgrid applications with consideration of both the power quality of the microgrid and the quality of currents flowing between the microgrid and utility system. It is proposed that two inverters (a shunt and a series) are used for each distributed generation (DG) system in the microgrid. For each inverter, both positive-and negative-sequence components are controlled to compensate for the effects caused by the unbalanced utility grid voltages. Specifically, the shunt inverter is controlled to ensure balanced voltages within the microgrid and to regulate power dispatches among parallel-connected DG systems, while the series inverter balances the line currents by injecting appropriate voltage components. A current-limiting algorithm is also proposed and integrated within the inverter control schemes to protect the microgrid from large fault currents during utility voltage sags (balanced or unbalanced). The proposed compensator has been tested in simulations and experimentally using a laboratory hardware prototype.
Color image segmentation using histogram thresholding - Fuzzy C-means hybrid approach

This paper presents a novel histogram thresholding – fuzzy C-means hybrid (HTFCM) approach that could find different application in pattern recognition as well as in computer vision, particularly in color image segmentation. The proposed approach applies the histogram thresholding technique to obtain all possible uniform regions in the color image. Then, the Fuzzy C-means (FCM) algorithm is utilized to improve the compactness of the clusters forming these uniform regions. Experimental results have demonstrated that the low complexity of the proposed HTFCM approach could obtain better cluster quality and segmentation results than other segmentation approaches that employing ant colony algorithm. & 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The efficacy of three-dimensional Schroth exercises in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a randomised controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE
To compare the efficacy of three-dimensional (3D) Schroth exercises in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.


DESIGN
A randomised-controlled study.


SETTING
An outpatient exercise-unit and in a home setting.


SUBJECTS
Fifty-one patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.


INTERVENTIONS
Forty-five patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis meeting the inclusion criteria were divided into three groups. Schroth's 3D exercises were applied to the first group in the clinic and were given as a home program for the second group; the third group was the control.


MAIN MEASURES
Scoliosis angle (Cobb method), angle of rotation (scoliometer), waist asymmetry (waist - elbow distance), maximum hump height of the patients and quality of life (QoL) (SRS-23) were assessed pre-treatment and, at the 6(th), 12(th) and 24(th) weeks.


RESULTS
The Cobb (-2.53°; P=0.003) and rotation angles (-4.23°; P=0.000) significantly decreased, which indicated an improvement in the clinic exercise group compared to the other groups. The gibbosity (-68.66mm; P=0.000) and waist asymmetry improved only in the clinic exercise group, whereas the results of the other groups worsened. QoL did not change significantly in either group.


CONCLUSION
According to the results of this study the Schroth exercise program applied in the clinic under physiotherapist supervision was superior to the home exercise and control groups; additionally, we observed that scoliosis progressed in the control group, which received no treatment.
Management Accounting Software and Accounting Practices : Empirical Study on SME Enterprises

There appears to be a paradox between the methods of product valuation considered theoretically most suitable and those effectively used by enterprises according to empirical studies already made. This research strives to clarify which factors explain enterprises continued use of theoretically inadequate methods. The study aims to identify the methods used by Portuguese small and medium size enterprises to value products and to analyze if the management accounting software influences the methods used. Accounting managers from 58 enterprises in 11 Portuguese districts were interviewed. The interviewees stated that the management accounting software influences the method of indirect cost distribution, and the association of these two variables is statistically significant. However, the individual analysis of the interviews led to the detection of a third variable, namely the way in which the product valuation was conceived, and this influences the previous two variables simultaneously. This evidence suggests that the conditioning that accounting managers believed was exerted by the management accounting software on indirect cost distribution was in fact the result of the direct influence of a third variable on the first two, namely the way in which the method was conceived. Key-words: management, accounting, software, SME, Portugal
The Mechanism of Speech Processing in Congenital Amusia: Evidence from Mandarin Speakers

Congenital amusia is a neuro-developmental disorder of pitch perception that causes severe problems with music processing but only subtle difficulties in speech processing. This study investigated speech processing in a group of Mandarin speakers with congenital amusia. Thirteen Mandarin amusics and thirteen matched controls participated in a set of tone and intonation perception tasks and two pitch threshold tasks. Compared with controls, amusics showed impaired performance on word discrimination in natural speech and their gliding tone analogs. They also performed worse than controls on discriminating gliding tone sequences derived from statements and questions, and showed elevated thresholds for pitch change detection and pitch direction discrimination. However, they performed as well as controls on word identification, and on statement-question identification and discrimination in natural speech. Overall, tasks that involved multiple acoustic cues to communicative meaning were not impacted by amusia. Only when the tasks relied mainly on pitch sensitivity did amusics show impaired performance compared to controls. These findings help explain why amusia only affects speech processing in subtle ways. Further studies on a larger sample of Mandarin amusics and on amusics of other language backgrounds are needed to consolidate these results.
Fuzzy Petri nets with neural networks to model products quality from a CNC-milling machining centre

AbstructThis paper presents a Petri net approach for the modeling of a CNC-milling machining centre. Next, by utilizing fuzzy logic with Petri nets (fuzzy Petri nets), a technique based on 9 fuzzy rules is developed. This paper demonstrates how fuzzy input variables, fuzzy marking, fuzzy firing sequences, and a global output variable should be defined for use with fuzzy Petri nets. The technique employs two fuzzy input variables (spindle speed and feed rate), throughout the milling operation in order to determine surface roughness. Additionally, a fuzzy Petri net is used with an artificial neural network for the modeling and control of surface roughness. Experimental results illustrate that the technique developed can be of benefit when the cutting tool has suffered damage throughout the milling operation. It also shows how the technique can react when the quality is high, medium, or low. The surface roughness represents the quality specification of products from the CNC-milling machining centre.
Cache cookies for browser authentication

Like conventional cookies, cache cookies are data objects that servers store in Web browsers. Cache cookies, however, are unintentional byproducts of protocol design for browser caches. They do not enjoy any explicit interface support or security policies. In this paper, we show that despite limitations, cache cookies can play a useful role in the identification and authentication of users. Many users today block conventional cookies in their browsers as a privacy measure. The cache-cookie tools we propose can help restore lost usability and convenience to such users while maintaining good privacy. As we show, our techniques can also help combat online security threats such as phishing and pharming that ordinary cookies cannot. The ideas we introduce for cache-cookie management can strengthen ordinary cookies as well. The full version of this paper may be referenced at www.ravenwhite.com
A single sediment-microbial fuel cell powering a wireless telecommunication system

We report the ability of a single sediment-Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) to power wireless sensor network (WSN) nodes. Such a system is able to collect information from sensors and to transmit it to sinks. In particular, the PowWow platform presented here is combining an open and modular hardware design with an open-source software with a very light memory footprint and relying on event-driven programming. It includes energy harvesting capabilities and is able to adapt its radio data transmission behavior to the available energy supplied by the sediment-MFC. The MFC developed in this study successfully powered the WSN and results showed very stable performances over a long time frame with a high rate of signals sent from a source to a receptor connected to a computer. This sediment-MFC is moreover simple to produce and handle, with no membrane or artificial catalysts.
Functional muscle ischemia in Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) comprise a spectrum of devastating X-linked muscle wasting disease for which there is no treatment. DMD/BMD is caused by mutations in the gene encoding dystrophin, a cytoskeletal protein that stabilizes the muscle membrane and also targets other proteins to the sarcolemma. Among these is the muscle-specific isoform of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOSμ) which binds spectrin-like repeats within dystrophin's rod domain and the adaptor protein α-syntrophin. Dystrophin deficiency causes loss of sarcolemmal nNOSμ and reduces paracrine signaling of muscle-derived nitric oxide (NO) to the microvasculature, which renders the diseased muscle fibers susceptible to functional muscle ischemia during exercise. Repeated bouts of functional ischemia superimposed on muscle fibers already weakened by dystrophin deficiency result in use-dependent focal muscle injury. Genetic and pharmacologic strategies to boost nNOSμ-NO signaling in dystrophic muscle alleviate functional muscle ischemia and show promise as novel therapeutic interventions for the treatment of DMD/BMD.
Orthodontic extraction of mandibular third molar to avoid nerve injury and promote periodontal healing.

AIM
Impacted mandibular third molar extraction is a common procedure in oral surgery, not without risk of nerve injury and periodontal defects on the distal aspect of the adjacent second molar. The "orthodontic extraction" is proposed as a method to avoid mandibular nerve injury during the extraction of a deeply embedded third molar and to prevent or limit such periodontal problems.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
A 28-year-old man presented a deeply impacted left mandibular third molar that required extraction. Radiographs revealed a very slight quantity of bone at the distal surface of the adjacent second molar. The third molar was extruded according to the "orthodontic extraction" technique. A 3-month retention phase elapsed to ensure adequate bone maturation and the tooth was finally extracted.


RESULTS
No neurological complications occurred. A minimal residual bone defect at the distal surface of the adjacent second molar was detected radiographically both post-operatively and at the 3-year follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Orthodontic extraction makes third molar removal easier and has no neurological risk. This procedure, followed by a 3-month retention phase, appears to be effective in preventing or limiting the development of periodontal problems on the distal aspect of the adjacent second molar.
[Ear, nose and throat manifestations of Wegener's granulomatosis (granulomatosis with polyangiitis)].

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), previously called Wegener's granulomatosis, is a small vessel vasculitis often associated with clinical head and neck manifestations, which are sometimes the presenting symptoms of the disease. The aim of our study was to identify ear, nose and throat (ENT) manifestations associated with GPA and propose a work-up for the management and diagnosis for patients with suspicion or confirmed diagnosis of this ENT pathology.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
Retrospective review of the medical records of all patients diagnosed with GPA who were seen at the Department of Otolaryngology from a tertiary public hospital in Cantabria (Spain) over a 20-year period. Clinical and laboratory data, in particular those concerning ENT manifestations, were retrieved from the patients' medical records.


RESULTS
Twenty-five patients (age range: 30-81 years) were included in the study. Of these, 88% had ENT manifestations at some point in the course of the disease. In 28% of the cases, ENT features were the presenting manifestations. The most frequent ENT manifestations were sinonasal symptoms (52%), followed by otological manifestations (32%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with GPA often present with clinical ENT manifestations. Consequently, routine ENT physical examination must be performed in patients with suspected vasculitis to establish a diagnosis of GPA or to better determine the degree of organ system involvement in patients with GPA.
Pressure ulcer prevention and healing using alternating pressure mattress at home: the PARESTRY project.

OBJECTIVE
Specialised pressure-relieving supports reduce or relieve the interface pressure between the skin and the support surface. The comparative effectiveness of dynamic support surfaces is debated. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of using an alternating pressure air mattress (APAM) on pressure ulcer (PU) incidence in patients receiving home-based care. A second aim was to determine the level of patient/family satisfaction with comfort and gain the views of the care team that used the APAM.


METHOD
The PARESTRY study was a prospective observational study conducted in patients with a high risk of PUs (Braden score <15), discharged to hospital-care at home. The primary prevention groups consisted of patients with no PU at baseline who were in bed for at least 20 hours a day. Patients at baseline with a category 3 or 4 PU or a category 1 or 2 PU in association with poor general health or end-of-life status were included in the secondary prevention group. All patients were laid on an APAM. The primary end point was the % of patients with a worsening skin condition in the pressure area (heel, sacrum, ischium) at day 90 or at the end of the study. The primary analysis was done on the full analysis set (patients included with at least a second assessment), using the last observation carried forward technique to handle missing data, at day 90. A 95% confidence interval was calculated.


RESULTS
Analysis was performed on 92 patients (30 in primary prevention and 62 in secondary prevention). The average time spent in bed was 22.7 (SD 2.7) hours a day and 22.6 (SD 2.2) hours in the primary and secondary prevention groups, respectively. At baseline, in the secondary group, 77% of patients had a sacral PU, 63% a heel PU, 8% an ischial tuberosity PU and 45% a PU in another area, a number of patients having multiple PUs. In the primary prevention group, 63% (19/30) of patients dropped out of the study (5 were hospitalised, 9 died, 5 other causes). In the secondary prevention group, 61% (38/62) dropped out (7 were hospitalised, 23 died, 8 others causes). In the primary prevention group, only one patient had worsening skin condition. In the secondary prevention group, 17.7% (11/62: 95% CI: 8.3-27.2) of patients had worsening skin condition. The number of PUs decreased regardless of location. At the end of follow-up, 49% (45/92) of patients had a PU versus 67% (62/92) at baseline


CONCLUSION
This work provides data on the incidence of PUs in patients at high risk, who are using APAMs, and, following inpatient hospitalisation, are taken into home health-care centres. The results of the study highlight the importance of continuity of care across transitions between care settings.
Treatment of primarily ligamentous Lisfranc joint injuries: primary arthrodesis compared with open reduction and internal fixation. Surgical technique.

BACKGROUND
Open reduction and internal fixation is currently the accepted treatment for displaced Lisfranc joint injuries. However, even with anatomic reduction and stable internal fixation, treatment of these injuries does not have uniformly excellent outcomes. The objective of this study was to compare primary arthrodesis with open reduction and internal fixation for the treatment of primarily ligamentous Lisfranc joint injuries.


METHODS
Forty-one patients with an isolated acute or subacute primarily ligamentous Lisfranc joint injury were enrolled in a prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing primary arthrodesis with traditional open reduction and internal fixation. The patients were followed for an average of 42.5 months. Evaluation was performed with clinical examination, radiography, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Midfoot Scale, a visual analog pain scale, and a clinical questionnaire.


RESULTS
Twenty patients were treated with open reduction and screw fixation, and twenty-one patients were treated with primary arthrodesis of the medial two or three rays. Anatomic initial reduction was obtained in eighteen of the twenty patients in the open-reduction group and twenty of the twenty-one in the arthrodesis group. At two years postoperatively, the mean AOFAS Midfoot score was 68.6 points in the open-reduction group and 88 points in the arthrodesis group (p < 0.005). Five patients in the open-reduction group had persistent pain with the development of deformity or osteoarthrosis, and they were eventually treated with arthrodesis. The patients who had been treated with a primary arthrodesis estimated that their postoperative level of activities was 92% of their preinjury level, whereas the open-reduction group estimated that their postoperative level was only 65% of their preoperative level (p < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
A primary stable arthrodesis of the medial two or three rays appears to have a better short and medium-term outcome than open reduction and internal fixation of ligamentous Lisfranc joint injuries.
Serial sampling of copeptin levels improves diagnosis and risk stratification in patients presenting with chest pain: results from the CHOPIN trial.

BACKGROUND
Copeptin has demonstrated a role in early rule out for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in combination with a negative troponin. However, management of patients with chest pain with a positive copeptin in the setting of a negative troponin is unclear.


METHODS
The multicentre CHOPIN trial enrolled 2071 patients with acute chest pain. Of these, 476 subjects with an initial negative troponin but an elevated copeptin (>14 pmol/L) were included in this study. Copeptin and troponin levels were rechecked at 2 h and the final diagnosis of AMI was made by two independent, blinded cardiologists. Follow-up at 30 days was obtained for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), including death, AMI and urgent revascularisation.


RESULTS
Of the 476 patients analysed, 365 (76.7%) had a persistently elevated copeptin at 2 h and 111 patients (23.3%) had a copeptin that fell below the cut-off of 14 pmol/L. When the second copeptin was elevated there were 18 AMIs (4.9%) compared with 0 (0%) when the second copeptin was negative (p=0.017), yielding a negative predictive value of 100% (95% CI 96.7% to 100%). On 30-day follow-up there were 36 MACEs (9.9%) in the positive second copeptin group and 2 (1.8%) MACEs in the negative second copeptin group (p=0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with chest pain with an initial negative troponin but positive copeptin are common and carry an intermediate risk of AMI. A second copeptin drawn 2 h after presentation may help risk stratify and potentially rule out AMI in this cohort.
Surgery alone versus chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for stage I and II esophageal cancer: final analysis of randomized controlled phase III trial FFCD 9901.

PURPOSE
Although often investigated in locally advanced esophageal cancer (EC), the impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) in early stages is unknown. The aim of this multicenter randomized phase III trial was to assess whether NCRT improves outcomes for patients with stage I or II EC.


METHODS
The primary end point was overall survival. Secondary end points were disease-free survival, postoperative morbidity, in-hospital mortality, R0 resection rate, and prognostic factor identification. From June 2000 to June 2009, 195 patients in 30 centers were randomly assigned to surgery alone (group S; n = 97) or NCRT followed by surgery (group CRT; n = 98). CRT protocol was 45 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks with two courses of concomitant chemotherapy composed of fluorouracil 800 mg/m(2) and cisplatin 75 mg/m(2). We report the long-term results of the final analysis, after a median follow-up of 93.6 months.


RESULTS
Pretreatment disease was stage I in 19.0%, IIA in 53.3%, and IIB in 27.7% of patients. For group CRT compared with group S, R0 resection rate was 93.8% versus 92.1% (P = .749), with 3-year overall survival rate of 47.5% versus 53.0% (hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.40; P = .94) and postoperative mortality rate of 11.1% versus 3.4% (P = .049), respectively. Because interim analysis of the primary end point revealed an improbability of demonstrating the superiority of either treatment arm (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.75 to 1.59; P = .66), the trial was stopped for anticipated futility.


CONCLUSION
Compared with surgery alone, NCRT with cisplatin plus fluorouracil does not improve R0 resection rate or survival but enhances postoperative mortality in patients with stage I or II EC.