Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visual performance 3 years after successful macular hole surgery

Background/aims: To evaluate the visual performance of patients with successful macular hole surgery with a minimum follow-up of 3 years. Results were compared with the performance of the healthy fellow eyes. Methods: 15 patients were studied. The healthy fellow eyes of the patients (13 eyes) served as a control group. Age, gender and best-corrected logMAR visual acuity were recorded. Reading acuity (in log reading acuity determination (RAD), reading equivalent of logMAR) and speed were tested monocularly. Scotoma size was measured with SLO perimetry, and hole closure was confirmed with an OCT scan. Results: The mean distance visual acuity of the operated eyes (logMAR 0.32 (SD 0.21)) was significantly lower than that of the healthy fellow eyes (logMAR 0.05 (0.17)), but significantly higher than preoperatively (logMAR 0.71 (0.32)). The mean reading acuity was logRAD 0.47 (0.25) for the operated eyes ( = 77.9% of logMAR), and statistically significantly higher (logRAD 0.16 (0.16)) for the fellow eyes ( = 89.4% of logMAR). The mean maximum reading speeds were comparable for the operated eyes (168.3 (23.1) words per minute (wpm)) and the fellow eyes (178.7 (26.1) wpm) (p = 0.3). Within logRAD 1.3 and 0.5, the mean reading speeds of the two groups were comparable, but critical print size (CPS) for the operated group (logRAD 0.7 (0.2)) was significantly worse than those for the fellow eyes (logRAD 0.4 (0.2)). The SLO analysis showed absence of absolute scotoma in 12 eyes. Conclusion: Distance and reading acuity showed remaining deficits compared with the healthy fellow eyes; however, mean maximum reading speeds of the operated eyes achieved results comparable with healthy eyes. The results show a long-term benefit in the visual function of eyes with closed macular holes.
Development of CUiris: A Dark-Skinned African Iris Dataset for Enhancement of Image Analysis and Robust Personal Recognition

 Abstract— Iris recognition algorithms, especially with the emergence of large-scale iris-based identification systems, must be tested for speed and accuracy and evaluated with a wide range of templates - large size, long-range, visible and different origins. This paper presents the acquisition of eye-iris images of dark-skinned subjects in Africa, a predominant case of very- dark-brown iris images, under near-infrared illumination. The peculiarity of these iris images is highlighted from the histogram and normal probability distribution of their grayscale image entropy (GiE) values, in comparison to Asian and Caucasian iris images. The acquisition of eye-images for the African iris dataset is ongoing and will be made publicly- available as soon as it is sufficiently populated.
Studying the 'cocktail party problem' using subjective and neurophysiologic measures

Objective We aimed to study the effect of background noise on speech auditory evoked responses in both normal-hearing (NH) individuals and those with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and correlate these neurophysiological results with subjective measures. Background Understanding speech in noisy situations is one of the most complex activities encountered in everyday life. It is dependent on cognitive factors and sound processing at peripheral, subcortical, and cortical levels. These make perception of speech in noise one of the most complex aspects of human communication. Patients and methods Fifty NH individuals and 40 individuals with mild-to-moderate SNHL were subjected to the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale questionnaire, the speech perception in noise test, speech auditory brainstem response, and cortical auditory evoked responses using speech syllable/da/in quiet condition and at three different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) (+10, 0, and − 10). Results Speech auditory brainstem response results in NH participants showed delayed latencies of both transients (waves V, A, C, and O) and frequency-following response with reduction in amplitudes of onset (V and A) and F wave only in noisy relative to quiet condition, whereas in SNHL delayed latencies and decreased amplitudes of both transients and fractional flow reserve (FFR) were observed. The effect of noise can be seen in all waves of cortical auditory evoked responses – that is, with decreasing SNR response, latency increased and response amplitude decreased in both SNHL and NH. Conclusion Background noise affects both transients and sustained components of speech in NH and SNHL. P1, N1, P2, and N2 components are all affected by SNR, despite their distinct neural generators; this raises the possibility that the effects demonstrated here are reflective of subcortical processing that is propagated to higher levels of the auditory system. cocktail party, speech auditory brainstem response, speech-in-noise perception
Comparison of outcomes between minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and traditional posterior lumbar intervertebral fusion in obese patients with lumbar disk prolapse

Objective The aim of this study was to compare the curative effect between minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) and the posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in obese patients with lumbar disk prolapse. Patients and methods In this study, 72 patients who underwent lumbar disk prolapse therapy in the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University between March 2011 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed and were divided into two groups, MIS-TLIF group (n=35) and PLIF group (n=37), according to different surgical procedures. Several clinical parameters were compared between these two groups. Results Compared with PLIF, MIS-TLIF was associated with longer operative time, less blood loss, less postoperative drainage and shorter postoperative time in bed; moreover, patients in the MIS-TLIF group had lower levels of serum creatine kinase on 1, 3 and 5 postoperative days. At the 3- and 6-month follow-up, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores of low back pain of patients in the MIS-TLIF group were significantly reduced and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores were increased, whereas the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) showed no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion Obese patients can achieve good efficacy with MIS-TLIF or PLIF treatment, but MIS-TLIF surgery showed longer operative time, fewer traumas and bleeding volume, less incidence of short-term pain, low complication rate and faster postoperative recovery.
Applying structural equation modelling in educational research / La aplicación del modelo de ecuación estructural en las investigaciones educativas

Abstract Structural equation modelling (SEM) is a comprehensive and flexible statistical technique for testing complex relationships between variables, including both observed variables and latent variables (constructs or factors), with multiple pathways. In the past two decades, SEM has quickly pervaded in various research fields, such as psychology, sociology, education, economics, etc. This study provides a brief non-mathematical introduction to SEM for educational researchers who are interested in SEM but do not have advanced statistical backgrounds. This study presents the basic concepts of SEM, describes the steps of SEM implementation and discusses some issues that are often encountered in SEM applications. Examples of measurement model (confirmatory factor analysis, CFA) and general structural equation model are demonstrated, using real educational research data. Computer program Mplus was applied for modelling; the programming syntax and selected output for the example models are included.
Predicting intended to use of web portal using extended technology acceptance model (TAM): Some perspective on information management students

Extensive use of technology acceptance model (TAM) in measuring information system related stimulate other researchers to take part in contributing to the knowledge. Using information management student as a respondent to measure perceived attractiveness, physic cost perceptions, perceived usefulness and perceived playfulness toward intended to use of web portal. University student in Malaysia especially UiTM should make use of web portal effectively especially for their learning tools. Result shows ranging student from undergraduate to postgraduate in Faculty of Information Management in Puncak Perdana will use the student portal if the portal is useful to them and enjoyable to use.
Hybrid Formal Power Series and Their Application to Realization Theory of Hybrid Systems

The paper presents the abstract framework of hybrid formal power series. Hybrid formal power series are analogous to non-commutative formal power series. Formal power series are widely used in control systems theory. In particular, theory of formal power series is the main tool for solving the realization problem for linear and bilinear control systems. The theory of hybrid formal power series developed in this paper plays a similar role in realization theory of hybrid systems. The paper develops theory of rational hybrid formal power series and their representations. The relevance of the abstract theory is demonstrated by presenting an application of the theory to solving the realization problem for linear and bilinear hybrid systems.
Secure information capacity of photons entangled in many dimensions

We quantify precisely the maximum secure information capacity of photons entangled in high dimensions for entanglement in the orbital angular momentum and angular degrees of freedom. Our analysis takes careful account of the influence of experimental imperfections, such as nonunity detection efficiency, on the degree of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement and hence on the secure information capacity of the photon pairs. We find that there is is an optimal dimension that maximizes the secure information capacity whose value can be predicted analytically from the knowledge of only a few experimental parameters.
Do in vitro susceptibility data predict the microbiologic response to amphotericin B? Results of a prospective study of patients with Candida fungemia.

Outcome for 105 patients with candidemia treated with amphotericin B was correlated with amphotericin B in vitro susceptibility results. Thirty-three patients had microbiologic failure, which was defined as persistence of Candida in the bloodstream despite > or = 3 days of amphotericin B. Amphotericin B minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards methodology. After determination of MICs, the minimal lethal concentrations (MLCs) were determined. The isolates tested yielded a narrow range of amphotericin B MICs (0.06-2 microg/mL); only 5% (5/105) exhibited MICs > or = 1 microg/mL. The MLC range, on the other hand, was significantly broader (0.125 to > 16 microg/mL); 24% (25/105) exhibited MLCs > or = 1 microg/mL. The strongest predictor for microbiologic failure was 48-h MLC (P < .001), followed by 24-h MLC (P = .03) and 48-h MIC (P = .11). A resistant break point for amphotericin B of > 1 microg/mL for MLC and > or = 1 microg/mL for MIC could be inferred from this study.
Evaluating Improvised Hip Hop Lyrics - Challenges and Observations

We investigate novel challenges involved in comparing model performance on the task of improvising responses to hip hop lyrics and discuss observations regarding inter-evaluator agreement on judging improvisation quality. We believe the analysis serves as a first step toward designing robust evaluation strategies for improvisation tasks, a relatively neglected area to date. Unlike most natural language processing tasks, improvisation tasks suffer from a high degree of subjectivity, making it difficult to design discriminative evaluation strategies to drive model development. We propose a simple strategy with fluency and rhyming as the criteria for evaluating the quality of generated responses, which we apply to both our inversion transduction grammar based FREESTYLE hip hop challenge-response improvisation system, as well as various contrastive systems. We report inter-evaluator agreement for both English and French hip hop lyrics, and analyze correlation with challenge length. We also compare the extent of agreement in evaluating fluency with that of rhyming, and quantify the difference in agreement with and without precise definitions of evaluation criteria.
Recurring DNA copy number gain at chromosome 9p13 plays a role in the activation of multiple candidate oncogenes in progressing oral premalignant lesions

Genomic alteration at chromosome 9p has been previously reported as a frequent and critical event in oral premalignancy. While this alteration is typically reported as a loss driven by selection for CDKN2A deactivation (at 9p21.3), we detect a recurrent DNA copy number gain of ~2.49 Mbp at chromosome 9p13 in oral premalignant lesions (OPLs) that later progressed to invasive lesions. This recurrent alteration event has been validated using fluorescence in situ hybridization in an independent set of OPLs. Analysis of publicly available gene expression datasets aided in identifying three oncogene candidates that may have driven selection for DNA copy number increases in this region (VCP, DCTN3, and STOML2). We performed in vitro silencing and activation experiments for each of these genes in oral cancer cell lines and found that each gene is independently capable of upregulating proliferation and anchorage‐independent growth. We next analyzed the activity of each of these genes in biopsies of varying histological grades that were obtained from a diseased oral tissue field in a single patient, finding further molecular evidence of parallel activation of VCP, DCTN3, and STOML2 during progression from normal healthy tissue to invasive oral carcinoma. Our results support the conclusion that DNA gain at 9p13 is important to the earliest stages of oral tumorigenesis and that this alteration event likely contributes to the activation of multiple oncogene candidates capable of governing oral cancer phenotypes.
Comparing Self-Harm (SH) Thoughts and Behaviours Among a Community Sample of Younger and Older Adolescents in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT Background: Clinical data indicate that the rates of non-suicidal self-harm (SH) are rising and developing younger, causing increasing concern. However, to date, no United Kingdom (UK), Irish or European community based surveys have been able to determine the prevalence rates of not only SH ideation but also actual incidences of SH behaviours in younger adolescent groups (11–14 years). Hence the aim of the current study was to establish an estimate of how SH may be developing in children as young as 11 up to 14 years, and compare these rates with more established older adolescent age groups of 15 up to 18 years. Method: A cross-sectional online survey design was used, where a total of 864 adolescents (56% female, n = 480), aged from 11 up to 18 years, were recruited from four post-primary schools in the north-west region of NI. Results: The rates of SH ideation in the younger adolescents (11–14 years) was reported to be 7.9%, and SH behaviours was 5.7%. When compared to the older adolescents (15–18 years), the rate of SH ideation was reported to be 18.5%, and the rate of SH behaviours was 12.5% (which are comparable to others parts of UK, Republic of Ireland and Europe). Females are more at risk of SH ideation and behaviours than males in both age groups. Conclusion: SH ideation and SH behaviours are developing at a much younger age than was previously considered in school-based community settings. Recommendations for future research studies include lowering the age threshold of participant samples and focusing on female adolescents in order to explore the prevalence of SH ideation and behaviours in this vulnerable group. Tentative theories have been suggested regarding the use of social media, social comparison, perfectionism and contagion as potential predictors which require further exploration in relation to adolescent SH ideation and SH behaviours.
Can artificial neural networks learn language models?

Currently, N-gram models are the most common and widely used models for statistical language modeling. In this paper, we investigated an alternative way to build language models, i.e., using artificial neural networks to learn the language model. Our experiment result shows that the neural network can learn a language model that has performance even better than standard statistical methods.
Metric for Estimating Congruity between Quantum Images

An enhanced quantum-based image fidelity metric, the QIFM metric, is proposed as a tool to assess the “congruity” between two or more quantum images. The often confounding contrariety that distinguishes between classical and quantum information processing makes the widely accepted peak-signal-to-noise-ratio (PSNR) ill-suited for use in the quantum computing framework, whereas the prohibitive cost of the probability-based similarity score makes it imprudent for use as an effective image quality metric. Unlike the aforementioned image quality measures, the proposed QIFM metric is calibrated as a pixel difference-based image quality measure that is sensitive to the intricacies inherent to quantum image processing (QIP). As proposed, the QIFM is configured with in-built non-destructive measurement units that preserve the coherence necessary for quantum computation. This design moderates the cost of executing the QIFM in order to estimate congruity between two or more quantum images. A statistical analysis also shows that our proposed QIFM metric has a better correlation with digital expectation of likeness between images than other available quantum image quality measures. Therefore, the QIFM offers a competent substitute for the PSNR as an image quality measure in the quantum computing framework thereby providing a tool to effectively assess fidelity between images in quantum watermarking, quantum movie aggregation and other applications in QIP.
Gravitational lensing potential reconstruction in quadruply imaged systems

We develop a semi-analytical method to reconstruct the lensing potential in quadruply imaged gravita- tional lens systems. Assuming that the potential belongs to a broad class of boxy non-elliptical models, we show how it is possible to write down a system of equations which can be numerically solved to recover the potential parameters directly from image positions and using physical constraints. We also describe a code developed to search for solutions of the system previously found and test it on simulated cases. Finally, we apply the method to the quadruple lens PG 1115+080 which allows us to get also an estimate of the Hubble constant H0 from the measured time delay as H0 =5 6 +12 11 km s 1 Mpc 1 .
Cortical lesions in multiple sclerosis: combined postmortem MR imaging and histopathology.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cortical lesions constitute a substantial part of the total lesion load in multiple sclerosis (MS) brain. They have been related to neuropsychological deficits, epilepsy, and depression. However, the proportion of purely cortical lesions visible on MR images is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of intracortical and mixed gray matter (GM)-white matter (WM) lesions that can be visualized with postmortem MR imaging. METHODS We studied 49 brain samples from nine cases of chronic MS. Tissue sections were matched to dual-echo T2-weighted spin-echo (T2SE) MR images. MS lesions were identified by means of myelin basic protein immunostaining, and lesions were classified as intracortical, mixed GM-WM, deep GM, or WM. Investigators blinded to the histopathologic results scored postmortem T2SE and 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry confirmed 70 WM, eight deep GM, 27 mixed GM-WM, and 63 purely cortical lesions. T2SE images depicted only 3% of the intracortical lesions, and 3D FLAIR imaging showed 5%. Mixed GM-WM lesions were most frequently detectable on T2SE and 3D FLAIR images (22% and 41%, respectively). T2SE imaging showed 13% of deep GM lesions versus 38% on 3D FLAIR. T2SE images depicted 63% of the WM lesions, whereas 3D FLAIR images depicted 71%. Even after side-by-side review of the MR imaging and histopathologic results, many of the intracortical lesions could not be identified retrospectively. CONCLUSION In contrast to WM lesions and mixed GM-WM lesions, intracortical lesions remain largely undetected with current MR imaging resolution.
Intravenous lidocaine does not affect the anesthetic depth during rapid sequence induction and intubation as assessed by Bispectral Index monitoring: a randomized double blind study

Introduction We investigated the impact of intravenous lidocaine on anesthetic depth, as assessed by Bispectral Index score (BIS), and hemodynamic responses to rapid sequence induction/intubation. Material and methods Eighty-four surgical patients with risk factors for regurgitation/aspiration were randomized to receive either lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg or normal saline in a double-blind fashion. Propofol 2 mg/kg, lidocaine or normal saline, followed by rocuronium 1 mg/kg were administered intravenously and trachea was intubated under cricoid pressure application. The BIS scores were recorded before induction of anesthesia, immediately after, at 30 s and 1 min after rocuronium injection and every 30 s after intubation, for 10 min. Systolic/diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured before induction, immediately after and at 1 min following rocuronium administration, and every minute for 10 min after intubation. Results Data from 78 patients were analyzed. Demograpic characteristics did not differ between the study groups. A total of 24 BIS scores were recorded for each patient. No difference was found in BIS values between lidocaine and control groups at any time point (F = 2.936, p = 0.91). Also no difference was detected in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure at any time point of the study period between the two groups (F = 0.063, p = 0.80, F = 0.007, p = 0.93, F = 0.435, p = 0.51 respectively). No episodes of significant bradycardia occurred and none of the patients reported awareness/recall of the procedure. Conclusions Lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg given intravenously during rapid sequence induction does not affect BIS values, or blunt the hemodymanic response to laryngoscopy and intubation.