Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute Alterations in Left Ventricular Diastolic Chamber Stiffness: Role of the “Erectile” Effect of Coronary Arterial Pressure and Flow in Normal and Damaged Hearts

To separate the effects of coronary flow, perfusion pressure, and oxygen delivery on left ventricular diastolic compliance and diastolic wall thickness, isolated buffer and blood-perfused rabbit hearts with left ventricular volume controlled by a fluid-filled intraventricular balloon were subjected to the following interventions: complete global ischemia, hypoxia at constant coronary flow, hypoxia at constant coronary perfusion pressure, adenosine infusion at constant coronary flow, and at constant coronary perfusion pressure. Coronary flow, coronary perfusion pressure, left ventricular compliance curves, and diastolic epicardial circumference were measured during the 3rd minute of each intervention. Circumference changes were directly related to wall thickness changes when the isovolumic balloon was in place. Global ischemia caused a decrease in isovolumic diastolic epicardial circumference, a decrease in diastolic ventricular wall thickness, and an increase in diastolic compliance. Hypoxia with flow held constant caused an increase in diastolic circumference and a decreased diastolic compliance. Hypoxia with constant coronary perfusion pressure caused an increase in coronary flow, a further increase in diastolic epicardial circumference, and a further decrease in diastolic compliance. Adenosine infusion caused an increase in coronary flow, an increase in diastolic circumference, and a decrease in diastolic compliance. Adenosine infusion with constant coronary flow caused a decrease in perfusion pressure but caused no significant change in diastolic circumference or the diastolic pressure-volume curve. The erectile properties of the myocardium (effect of coronary artery pressure and flow on diastolic stiffness) were greater at larger ventricular diastolic volumes and pressures and in the injured heart (after 90 minutes of ischemia). These studies demonstrate a substantial direct “erectile” or “hydraulic” effect of the coronary vasculature on left ventricular diastolic properties; such an effect can influence diastolic ventricular filling and overall cardiovascular function and should be considered in interpreting changes in ventricular diastolic pressures in both experimental and clinical situations.
Using Simulated Pseudo Data To Speed Up Statistical Predictive Modeling From Massive Data Sets

Predictive modeling techniques are now being used in application domains where the training data sets are potentially enormous. For example, certain marketing databases that we have encountered contain millions of customer records with thousands of attributes per record. The development of statistical modeling algorithms for such massive data sets is important for emerging data mining application areas such as database marketing, targeted advertising, fraud detection, credit/risk modeling, and information retrieval. One widely-used approach to this problem is to reduce the amount of data prior to the statistical modeling procedure. For example, given a data set with N records and J features per record, sub-sampling may be used to select some N ′ << N records. Also, a preliminary feature selection or feature transformation may be used to select some J ′ << J features. The reduced data set with N ′ records and J ′ features can be used to perform the required statistical modeling in a computationally tractable way. However, sub-sampling can be unsatisfactory for heterogenous and high-dimensional data sets, and the resulting model estimates will have a high degree of variability. Similarly, the preliminary feature selection or feature transformation may be unsatisfactory when it inadvertently excludes features that may be critical for the accuracy of the eventual statistical models. In this paper, we describe a heuristic approach for massive data sets that is
Haptic-Based Neurorehabilitation in Poststroke Patients: A Feasibility Prospective Multicentre Trial for Robotics Hand Rehabilitation

Background. Haptic robots allow the exploitation of known motor learning mechanisms, representing a valuable option for motor treatment after stroke. The aim of this feasibility multicentre study was to test the clinical efficacy of a haptic prototype, for the recovery of hand function after stroke. Methods. A prospective pilot clinical trial was planned on 15 consecutive patients enrolled in 3 rehabilitation centre in Italy. All the framework features of the haptic robot (e.g., control loop, external communication, and graphic rendering for virtual reality) were implemented into a real-time MATLAB/Simulink environment, controlling a five-bar linkage able to provide forces up to 20 [N] at the end effector, used for finger and hand rehabilitation therapies. Clinical (i.e., Fugl-Meyer upper extremity scale; nine hold pegboard test) and kinematics (i.e., time; velocity; jerk metric; normalized jerk of standard movements) outcomes were assessed before and after treatment to detect changes in patients' motor performance. Reorganization of cortical activation was detected in one patient by fMRI. Results and Conclusions. All patients showed significant improvements in both clinical and kinematic outcomes. Additionally, fMRI results suggest that the proposed approach may promote a better cortical activation in the brain.
Continuous health monitoring using E-textile integrated biosensors

In this work, continuous health monitoring for disabled or elderly people is proposed using textile integrated electrodes for ECG measurement. Other applications, such as EMG or skin impedance measurement are also envisaged. The paper specifically describes a shirt integrating electrodes for ECG measurement that has been tested in several conditions. The techniques for integration of ECG electrodes can be directly applied for production of EMG or skin-impedance electrodes. Signal processing techniques for heart rate value extraction and to deal with low-quality signal or motion artefacts are being tested and will also be described. Results show that signals acquired with the shirt are comparable to signals acquired with conventional gel electrodes. The complete integration of the electrodes into clothing may have a very interesting psychological benefit, but some issues related to comfort and daily use have to be further investigated.
Towards Universal Paraphrastic Sentence Embeddings

We consider the problem of learning general-purpose, paraphrastic sentence embeddings based on supervision from the Paraphrase Database (Ganitkevitch et al., 2013). We compare six compositional architectures, evaluating them on annotated textual similarity datasets drawn both from the same distribution as the training data and from a wide range of other domains. We find that the most complex architectures, such as long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural networks, perform best on the in-domain data. However, in out-of-domain scenarios, simple architectures such as word averaging vastly outperform LSTMs. Our simplest averaging model is even competitive with systems tuned for the particular tasks while also being extremely efficient and easy to use. In order to better understand how these architectures compare, we conduct further experiments on three supervised NLP tasks: sentence similarity, entailment, and sentiment classification. We again find that the word averaging models perform well for sentence similarity and entailment, outperforming LSTMs. However, on sentiment classification, we find that the LSTM performs very strongly-even recording new state-of-the-art performance on the Stanford Sentiment Treebank. We then demonstrate how to combine our pretrained sentence embeddings with these supervised tasks, using them both as a prior and as a black box feature extractor. This leads to performance rivaling the state of the art on the SICK similarity and entailment tasks. We release all of our resources to the research community with the hope that they can serve as the new baseline for further work on universal sentence embeddings.
Utility of Iodine-131 hybrid SPECT-CT fusion imaging before high-dose radioiodine therapy in papillary thyroid carcinoma

The management protocol for differentiated thyroid cancer includes whole body iodine-131 imaging, to detect residual thyroid tissue and distant metastasis, after thyroidectomy. However, the diagnostic dose of radioiodine may fail to detect the non-functioning or poorly functioning metastasis. We present a case where hybrid single photon-emission computed tomographic and computed tomographic (SPECT-CT) fusion imaging, using a diagnostic dose of iodine-131, was able to detect both functioning as well as non-functioning pulmonary metastases, prior to high-dose radioiodine therapy.
The Frequency and Complication Rates of Hysterectomy Accompanying Cesarean Delivery

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the frequency, indications, and complications of cesarean hysterectomy. METHODS: This was a prospective, 2-year observational study at 13 academic medical centers conducted between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2000, on all women who underwent a hysterectomy at the time of cesarean delivery. Data were abstracted from the medical record by study nurses. The outcomes included procedure frequency, indications, and complications. RESULTS: A total of 186 cesarean hysterectomies (0.5%) were performed from a cohort of 39,244 women who underwent cesarean delivery. The leading indications for hysterectomy were placenta accreta (38%) and uterine atony (34%). Of the hysterectomy cases with a diagnosis recorded as accreta, 18% accompanied a primary cesarean delivery, and 82% had a prior procedure (P<.001). Of the hysterectomy cases with atony recorded as a diagnosis, 59% complicated primary cesarean delivery, whereas 41% had a prior cesarean (P<.001). Major maternal complications of cesarean hysterectomy included transfusion of red blood cells (84%) and other blood products (34%), fever (11%), subsequent laparotomy (4%), ureteral injury (3%), and death (1.6%). Accreta hysterectomy cases were more likely than atony hysterectomy cases to require ureteral stents (14% compared with 3%, P=.03) and to instill sterile milk into the bladder (23% compared with 8%, P=.02). CONCLUSION: The rate of cesarean hysterectomy has declined modestly in the past decade. Despite the use of effective therapies and procedures to control hemorrhage at cesarean delivery, a small proportion of women continue to require hysterectomy to control hemorrhage from both uterine atony and placenta accreta. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Efficient cooperative transmission for high speed WPAN system in 60GHz channels

In this paper, we present an efficient cooperative transmission scheme for high speed 60GHz WPAN system. We consider a transmission system which consists of a source, a destination, and a relay. Data transmission from a source to a destination consists of first and second tine frames. In the first frame a source broadcasts encoded information bits by using a convolutional code (CC). In the second frame the relay decodes the received bits and re-encodes information bits by a systematic Reed-Solomon (RS) code. Then only parity bits of the RS code are transmitted to the destination by using another CC. The destination decodes information data based on the CC encoded information bits from the source and the other CC encoded RS parity bits from the relay. In the proposed cooperative transmission scheme the transmitted data in the second frame is much smaller than that in the first frame. This property results in high throughput with still path diversity. The cost is increased computational complexity in the relay.
Narrative Planning: Balancing Plot and Character

Narrative, and in particular storytelling, is an important part of the human experience. Consequently, computational systems that can reason about narrative can be more effective communicators, entertainers, educators, and trainers. One of the central challenges in computational narrative reasoning is narrative generation, the automated creation of meaningful event sequences. There are many factors - logical and aesthetic - that contribute to the success of a narrative artifact. Central to this success is its understandability. We argue that the following two attributes of narratives are universal: (a) the logical causal progression of plot, and (b) character believability. Character believability is the perception by the audience that the actions performed by characters do not negatively impact the audience's suspension of disbelief. Specifically, characters must be perceived by the audience to be intentional agents. In this article, we explore the use of refinement search as a technique for solving the narrative generation problem - to find a sound and believable sequence of character actions that transforms an initial world state into a world state in which goal propositions hold. We describe a novel refinement search planning algorithm - the Intent-based Partial Order Causal Link (IPOCL) planner - that, in addition to creating causally sound plot progression, reasons about character intentionality by identifying possible character goals that explain their actions and creating plan structures that explain why those characters commit to their goals. We present the results of an empirical evaluation that demonstrates that narrative plans generated by the IPOCL algorithm support audience comprehension of character intentions better than plans generated by conventional partial-order planners.
Pros and cons of sperm DNA fragmentation testing: weighing the evidence

Conventional semen parameters are poor predictors of reproductive outcomes, and do not reliably discriminate between fertile and infertile men (1,2). A growing body of evidence suggests that markers of sperm DNA integrity may help differentiate fertile from infertile men, but the clinical value of sperm DNA fragmentation testing remains a matter of debate (3). Although guidelines and best practice statements published by the American Urological Association (AUA), European Association of Urology (EAU) and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) all acknowledge the potential contribution of sperm DNA fragmentation to male factor infertility, they do not recommend the routine use of sperm DNA integrity tests in the evaluation and treatment of infertile couples (4-6).
Outcomes of Saudi Arabian Patients With Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treated With Primarily Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Purpose Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is the most common head and neck cancer in Saudi Arabia. This study reports the locoregional disease control and survival outcomes in patients with NPC treated in King Abdulaziz University Hospital. Methods Patients treated for NPC between June 2007 and October 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic information, clinicopathologic variables, and chemotherapy data were collected and analyzed. Cumulative survival and disease control rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier product-limit actuarial method. Results Thirty-nine patients with NPC were reviewed. Thirty-five (90%) patients received definitive radiotherapy (RT) and four (10%) had palliative RT. Mean prescribed dose for definitive RT was 68 Gy (range, 60 to 70.2 Gy), delivered with mean doses per fraction of 1.9 Gy (range, 1.8 to 2.1 Gy). After a median follow-up of 15 months (range, 1 to 84 months), 22 (63%) patients who underwent definitive RT were disease free and 13 (37%) were still with disease. During this period, seven (18%) patients died of the disease; five (13%) of them received definitive RT. After 2 years’ follow-up, the actuarial estimate rates were: 85.7% for local control, 91.4% for nodal control, and 85.7% for distant control. Conclusion Our study showed a disease with clinical behavior similar to what has been observed in East and Southeast Asia. Further it explored the neoadjuvant chemotherapy approach in treating NPC with results that are comparable to literature. However, little is known about the molecular pathogenesis of this disease in this region, and further research integrating clinical and molecular biomarkers is required.
Abstract TMP110: Arterial Stiffness And Progressive Neurological Deficit In Patients With Acute Deep Subcortical Infarction

Introduction: Deep subcortical infarction sometimes presents with progressive neurological deficit (PND). The etiology of PND is the occlusion of perforating arteries due to cerebral small vessel disease. Cerebral small vessel disease is associated with arterial stiffness, a marker of both arteriosclerosis and vascular endothelial impairment, and can cause neurological damage. Hypothesis: Arterial stiffness is independently associated with PND in patients with acute deep subcortical infarcts. Methods: Between October 2003 and March 2010, we evaluated 156 consecutive first-ever ischemic stroke patients with acute deep subcortical infarction. PND was defined as an increment of ≥2 points in the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score or an increase of ≥1 point in the limb weakness score within seven days of stroke onset. Patients were assessed for risk factors, and infarct size was measured on initial diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI). We measured brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as a marker of arterial stiffness using an oscillometric device (Form PWV/ABI®; Omron Colin Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan). We divided patients into two groups according to the presence or absence of PND to compare their clinical characteristics. Results: Fifty-two patients (33%) had PND, and baPWV was significantly higher in patients with than without PND. The baPWV cutoff value for PND was 18.24 m/s, with 90% sensitivity and 47% specificity. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, high baPWV [≥18.24 m/s, odds ratio (OR) 8.22, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.55-31.9], large infarct size (≥15 mm, OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.01-7.92) and ≥3 infarct slices on serial axial DWI (OR 3.38, 95% CI 1.22-10.0) were independently associated with PND. Conclusions: Arterial stiffness indicated by baPWV is independently associated with PND in patients with acute deep subcortical infarction. [Graphic][1] [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
The impact of inverter-like transitions on device TDDB and ring oscillators

Conventional time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) test for discrete device usually ties source and drain together, i.e. Vds = 0V. However, this condition is seldom seen in a switching logic circuit. To mimic the true behavior of a switching device in a circuit, an inverter-like AC TDDB 64-bit test array is constructed. Although this result in not only TDDB and BTI but also the combined effect of HCI, it is more realistic as well. In this paper, we investigated the impacts of HCI during transient and Vgd assisted recovery during off-state half cycle on TDDB and voltage acceleration factor (VAF). Another simple array to catch the collective behavior of a group of devices is ring oscillator (RO). RO itself is easy to be implemented and characterized for high frequency stress. TDDB data sets from discrete device array and ROs are compared to validate each other. Experiment results show a) frequency dependence exists regardless DC [1-2] or AC signal applied to drain, b) with the presence of HCI up to few hundred MHz, drain side de-trapping still lengthen TDDB lifetime. HCI domination might only occur at even higher frequency in GHz realm.
BELIEF IN THE LAW OF SMALL NUMBERS

People have erroneous intuitions about the laws of chance. In particular, they regard a sample randomly drawn from a population as highly representative, that is, similar to the population in all essential characteristics. The prevalence of the belief and its unfortunate consequence for psychological research are illustrated by the responses of professional psychologists to a questionnaire concerning research decisions.
Neurofilament cross-bridging competes with kinesin-dependent association of neurofilaments with microtubules

The phosphorylation of neurofilaments (NFs) has long been considered to regulate their axonal transport rate and in doing so to provide stability to mature axons. Axons contain a centrally situated `bundle' of closely opposed phospho-NFs that display a high degree of NF-NF associations and phospho-epitopes, surrounded by less phosphorylated `individual' NFs that are often associated with kinesin and microtubules (MTs). Bundled NFs transport substantially slower than the surrounding individual NFs and might represent a resident population that stabilizes axons and undergoes replacement by individual NFs. To examine this possibility, fractions enriched in bundled NFs and individual NFs were generated from mice and NB2a/d1 cells by sedimentation of cytoskeletons over a sucrose cushion. More kinesin was recovered within individual versus bundled NF fractions. Individual but not bundled NFs aligned with purified MTs under cell-free conditions. The percentage of NFs that aligned with MTs was increased by the addition of kinesin, and inhibited by anti-kinesin antibodies. Bundles dissociated following incubation with EGTA or alkaline phosphatase, generating individual NFs that retained or were depleted of phospho-epitopes, respectively. These dissociated NFs aligned with MTs at a level identical to those originally isolated as individual NFs regardless of phosphorylation state. EGTA-mediated dissociation of bundles was prevented and reversed by excess Ca2+, whereas individual NFs did not associate in the presence of excess Ca2+. These findings confirm that bundling competes with NF-MT association, and provide a mechanism by which C-terminal NF phosphorylation might indirectly contribute to the observed slowing in axonal transport of phospho-NFs
The Decapod Tree of Life: Compiling the Data and Moving toward a Consensus of Decapod Evolution

The order Decapoda represents a species-rich group of crustaceans. Numerous economically important and morphologically diverse members of this group have been studied extensively for many decades, in part to understand their phylogeny. There are several competing hypotheses concerning relationships among the major lineages of Decapoda. Our laboratories are estimating a robust decapod phylogeny based on molecular and morphological data in an attempt to resolve relationships among major lineages. The order includes roughly 175 families and more than 15,000 described species (extant and extinct). Interpretations are complicated by the estimated 437 million years since origin of the Decapoda, with all the major lineages likely established by 325 million years ago. Constructing a molecular phylogeny across such a timescale requires markers with enough variation to infer relationships at the fine scale (at and within the family level) but which are conservative enough to refl ect deeper divergences across infraorders. Here we present a molecular phylogeny for the order Decapoda, combining nuclear and mitochondrial sequences, to investigate relationships among nine pleocyemate infraorders, one dendrobranchiate superfamily, 56 families, 113 genera, and 128 species. New and available sequence data are assembled to build the most extensive decapod phylogeny to date both in terms of taxon representation and genetic coverage. We discuss current and new hypotheses of decapod relationships and suggest a plan for the movement towards a consensus of decapod evolution.