Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiological score for hemorrhage in the patients with portal hypertension.

GOAL To analyze the risk factors from radiological indices for hemorrhage in the patients with portal hypertension and weight risk factors. METHOD We retrospectively analyzed all cases of portal hypertension with hepatitis B from June 2008 to June 2014 in Nanjing Drum Tower hospital. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, portal vein thrombosis, or portal hypertension with other causes, such as autoimmune hepatitis, pancreatitis, or hematological diseases were excluded. RESULTS Ninety-eight patients were recruited and divided into hemorrhage and non-hemorrhage groups. There were no statistical differences in clinical indexes such as age, prothrombin time, serum albumin, serum creatinine, serum sodium, hemameba, and blood platelet count. However, the differences were statistically significant in total bilirubin, hemoglobin, and liver function with the p values of 0.023, 0.000, and 0.039 respectively. For radiological indices, hemorrhage was correlated with diameter of inferior mesenteric vein (P=0.0528), posterior gastric vein (P=0.0283), and esophageal varices scores (P=0.0221). Logistic procedure was used to construct the model with stepwise selection and finally inferior mesenteric vein, posterior gastric vein, esophageal varices, and short gastric vein were enrolled into the model. These veins were scored according to the diameters and the rates of hemorrhage were increased with the score. We then validated the model with 26 patents from July 2014 to December 2014. The AUC value was 0.8849 in ROC curves for this radiological model. CONCLUSIONS A risk model was constructed including inferior mesenteric vein, esophageal varices, posterior gastric vein, and short gastric vein. This radiological scoring model may be a valuable indicator for hemorrhage of portal hypertension.
High prevalence of dual or triple infection of hepatitis B, C, and delta viruses among patients with chronic liver disease in Mongolia

Mongolia is known for its high endemicity for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infections among apparently healthy individuals. However, there are little or no data on the prevalence and genotype distribution of HBV, HCV, and HDV among patients with chronic liver disease in Mongolia. Therefore, serum samples obtained in 2004 from 207 patients (age, mean ± standard deviation, 51.0 ± 11.9 years) including those with chronic hepatitis (n = 90), liver cirrhosis (n = 41), and hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 76) were tested for serological and molecular markers of HBV, HCV, and HDV infections. Of the 207 patients, 144 (69.6%), 106 (51.2%), and 117 (56.5%) tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and/or HBV DNA, HCV RNA, and HDV RNA, respectively. Collectively, 172 patients (83.1%) were viremic for one or more of these viruses, including dual viremia of HBV/HDV (26.6%) or HBV/HCV (7.7%) and triple HBV/HCV/HDV viremia (30.0%). Of note, triple ongoing infection was significantly more frequent among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma than among those with chronic hepatitis (63.2% vs. 14.4%, P < 0.0001). One hundred sixty patients (77.3%) had a history of blood transfusion and/or surgery. The distribution of HBV genotypes among the 116 HBV‐viremic patients was: A (0.9%), B (0.9%), C (6.0%), D (88.8%), and C plus D (3.4%). All 117 HDV isolates were classified into genotype I. The 106 HCV RNA‐positive samples were typed as genotype 1b (92.5%), 2a (0.9%), or 1b plus 2a (6.6%); mixed infection of two distinct HCV genotypes was found exclusively in the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. J. Med. Virol. 77:491–499, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, inc.
Broth Microdilution Susceptibility Testing for Leptospira spp

ABSTRACT Leptospirosis in humans has traditionally been treated with penicillin or doxycycline. The choice of therapy offered at the time of initial patient presentation is often empirical, as definitive diagnosis can take weeks. Determining the activity of numerous antimicrobial agents against a wide range of Leptospira serovars may broaden empirical therapeutic options. Various antimicrobials have been shown to be active against a limited number of serovars in in vitro studies, chiefly by the use of broth macrodilution techniques. We developed a broth microdilution technique using the commercially available growth indicator alamarBlue. MICs produced by this technique were compared to MICs and minimal bactericidal concentrations produced by the traditional broth macrodilution technique. The internal validity of our methods was assessed with 11 runs over numerous days with a single isolate of Leptospira interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae. By either method, the MICs for these internal-validity runs fell within 2 dilutions of each other for more than 90% of antimicrobials. A broader application of these two techniques included 12 serovars (including seven species) of Leptospira and six antimicrobials (penicillin G, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, cefotaxime, and ciprofloxacin). Observed reproducibility fell within 2 dilutions for 99% of the duplicate result sets for the MIC microdilution method, compared to 89% for the MIC macrodilution method. The macrodilution method tended to have a higher MIC at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited (MIC90) than did the microdilution method, but the MIC90s of both methods were within 2 dilutions of each other for all six drugs. The macrodilution and microdilution techniques produced similar results, with microdilution allowing a faster, more streamlined method of producing MIC results.
Mechanical properties gradient in graphite nodules: influence on ferritic DCI damaging micromechanisms

Versatility and higher performances at lower cost if compared to these of steels with analogous performances are the main advantages of Ductile Cast Irons (DCIs). In the last years, the research group of Metallurgy of the Universita di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale deeply investigated the damaging micromechanisms in ferritic pearlitic and austempered DCIs by means of tensile and fatigue tests, mainly performing scanning electron microscope (SEM) or Digital Microscope (DM) observations of specimens lateral surfaces during the tests ("in situ" tests). In this work, graphite nodules mechanical behaviour is investigated by means of nano indentation tests and results are compared with the damaging micromechanisms observed in ferritic DCIs. SOMMARIO. Le ghise sferoidali sono caratterizzate da elevate prestazioni e da una notevole versatilita. Tali caratteristiche sono disponibili ad un costo ridotto, comparando le ghise sferoidali con acciai caratterizzate da un analogo comportamento meccanico. Negli ultimi anni, il gruppo di ricerca di Metallurgia dell'Universita di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale ha investigato in maniera approfondita i micromeccanismi di danneggiamento nelle ghise sferoidali mediante prove di trazione e prove di fatica, principalmente effettuando osservazioni delle superfici laterali durante le prove (prove "in situ") sia utilizzando un microscopio elettronico a scansione (SEM) che un microscopio digitale (DM). In questo lavoro, il comportamento meccanico dei noduli di grafite e stato investigato mediante prove di nanodurezza ed i risultati sono stati comparati con i meccanismi di danneggiamento osservati nelle ghise sferoidali ferritiche.
Meta-analysis of gene–environment interactions in developmental psychopathology

Abstract As studies of measured gene–environment interactions (G × E) in developmental psychopathology gain momentum, methods for systematically and quantitatively summarizing effects across multiple studies are urgently needed. Meta-analyses of G × E findings are critical for evaluating the overall statistical and theoretical significance of any given G × E based on cumulative and systematically combined knowledge. Although meta-analytic methods for the combination of study findings based on single effect measures such as odds ratios and mean differences are well established, equivalent methods for the meta-analysis of studies investigating interactions are not well developed. This article describes one simple approach to the meta-analysis of G × E effects using, as a contemporaneous example, the interaction of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene and the impact of childhood maltreatment on risk for developing antisocial behavior.
Detachment of low‐force bridges contributes to the rapid tension transients of skinned rabbit skeletal muscle fibres

1 To probe the cross‐bridge cycle and to learn more about the cardioplegic agent BDM (2,3‐butanedione monoxime), its effects on the force–velocity properties and tension transients of skinned rabbit muscle fibres were studied at 1–2 °C and pH 7.0. 2 Three millimolar BDM decreased isometric force by 50%, velocity by 29%, maximum power by 73%, and stiffness by 25%, so that the relative stiffness (stiffness/force ratio) increased by 50% compared with reference conditions in the absence of BDM. 3 Tension transients obtained under the reference condition (0 BDM) could be represented by three components whose instantaneous stiffness accounted for the initial (Phase 1) force deviation and whose exponential recoveries caused the rapid, partial (Phase 2) force recovery following the step. The fastest component had non‐linear extension–force properties that accounted for about half the isometric stiffness and it recovered fully. The two slower components had linear extension‐force properties that together accounted for the other half of the sarcomere stiffness. These components recovered only partially following the step, producing the intermediate (T2) level which the force approached during Phase 2. 4 Matching the force transients obtained under test conditions (3 mm BDM) required three alterations: (1) reducing the amplitude of the two slower components by 50%, in proportion to isometric force, (2) adding a non‐relaxing component and (3) decreasing the amplitude of the rapidly recovering component by 12.5% so that its relative amplitude (amplitude/isometric force) was increased by 75%. The non‐recovering component and the increase in relative amplitude of the rapid component were responsible for the increase in relative stiffness of the fibres produced by BDM. The rapidly recovering component had the same time constant and step‐size‐dependent recovery rates as the fastest of the three mono‐exponential components isolated from the tension transient response under the reference condition. BDM therefore appeared to augment the fastest component of the tension transient under the reference condition. 5 The results suggest that BDM detains cross‐bridges in low‐force, attached states. Since these bridges are attached, they contribute to sarcomere stiffness. Since they are detained, relaxation or reversal of their immediate responses is probably due to bridge detachment rather than to their undergoing the power stroke. The observation that a portion of the test response matched the fastest component of the reference response when the amplitude of the fastest component was increased suggests that a part of the normal rapid, transient tension recovery following a release step is due to detachment of low‐force bridges moved to negative‐force positions by the step.
The effects of an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise on cognitive performance

"The purpose of this study was to provide a real-world test of the relationship between the performance of an acute bout of moderate physical activity (walking) during the lunch hour and subsequent cognitive performance in the workplace. Participants were generally healthy, middle aged (mean age = 45.23), white-collar workers. Participants were randomly assigned to walk or not walk on their lunch break and then complete a battery of computer-based cognitive tests later in the afternoon. On a second day, the same procedures were repeated with the walkers now being the non-walkers and vice versa. Within subjects analysis revealed significant differences, p<. 05, for five of the seven response times between the two testing conditions. These results suggest that an acute bout of moderate physical activity during the workday can have facillatory effects on certain cognitive functions. "--Abstract from author supplied metadata.
OF SPATIAL EXTREMES : MEASURING SPATIAL DEPENDENCE AND MODELING SPATIAL EFFECTS

Abstract: • We survey the current practice of analyzing spatial extreme data, which lies at the intersection of extreme value theory and geostatistics. Characterizations of multivariate max-stable distributions typically assume specific univariate marginal distributions, and their statistical applications generally require capturing the tail behavior of the margins and describing the tail dependence among the components. We review current methodology for spatial extremes analysis, discuss the extension of the finite-dimensional extremes framework to spatial processes, review spatial dependence metrics for extremes, survey current modeling practice for the task of modeling marginal distributions, and then examine max-stable process models and copula approaches for modeling residual spatial dependence after accounting for marginal effects.
Muscle pain modulates mastication: an experimental study in humans.

In this study, pain was induced in the masseter muscle by tonic infusion of hypertonic saline (5%) for up to 800 seconds in 12 healthy men. Subjects continuously scored the pain intensity on a 10-cm visual analogue scale. Mastication ipsilateral and contralateral to the infusion side was quantitatively assessed with the use of jaw-tracking and electromyograph recordings of jaw-closing muscles before, during, and after periods of constant muscle pain intensity. The maximum voluntary occlusal force (MVOF) during short static contractions also was monitored. Jaw movements and electromyographic data were divided into single masticatory cycles and analyzed on a cycle-by-cycle basis to account for intercycle variability. In all subjects, tonic infusion caused a deep localized pain at a clinically relevant intensity (mean VAS +/- SE, 4.6 +/- .3 cm). MVOF was significantly affected by muscle pain (P < .0005), with significantly lower MVOF during pain compared to prepain and postpain (P < .05). In a significant number of masticatory cycles, the averaged electromyograph activity of all jaw-closing muscles during their agonist function was decreased for both ipsilateral and contralateral painful mastication (P < .05). These electromyographic changes are probably a reflection of the natural bilateral recruitment pattern of jaw-closing muscles during mastication. Significant changes in jaw movements during painful mastication could not be detected with the present jaw-tracking device, but further studies with more accurate and sensitive devices are needed.
Fast identification of untestable delay faults using implications

The authors propose a novel algorithm to rapidly identify untestable delay faults using pre-computed static logic implications. The fault-independent analysis identifies large sets of untestable faults, if any, without enumerating them. The cardinalities of these sets are obtained by using a counting algorithm that has quadratic complexity in the number of lines. Since the method is based on an incomplete set of logic implications, it gives only a lower bound on the number of untestable faults. A post-processing step can list the untestable faults, if desired. Targeting untestable delay faults for test generation by an automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) tool can be avoided. The method works for the segment delay fault model and its special case, the path delay fault model, and identifies robustly untestable, non-robustly untestable, and functionally unsensitizable delay faults. Results on benchmark circuits show that many delay faults are identified as untestable in a very short time. For the benchmark circuit c6288, the algorithm identified 1.978/spl times/10/sup 20/ functionally unsensitizable path faults in 3 CPU seconds.
Factors Predictive of Significant Hepatic Fibrosis in Adults With Chronic Hepatitis B and Normal Serum ALT

Goal This study examines the prevalence and correlates of significant liver fibrosis among patients with immunotolerant hepatitis B. Background Adults with chronic hepatitis B infection acquired early in life often have normal serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and high serum hepatitis B virus deoxyribonucleic acid loads (HBV DNA), known as “immunotolerant” hepatitis B. Study We conducted a cross-sectional study of 28 hepatitis B patients with serum HBV DNA titer >106 copies/mL, positive hepatitis B envelope antigen, and persistently normal serum ALT in a tertiary care setting. Liver biopsies were reviewed by a single pathologist who was blinded to other data. The prevalence of significant hepatic fibrosis was determined using the hospital-defined upper limit of normal for ALT and 2 more stringent criteria proposed by recent studies. Statistical analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with hepatic fibrosis. Results The prevalence of stage 2 fibrosis using the hospital laboratory, more stringent, and most stringent definitions of normal serum ALT, was 32%, 32%, and 13%, respectively, corresponding to negative predictive values of 68%, 68%, and 88%, respectively. Age greater than 30 years (P=0.035), grade 2 liver inflammation (P=0.005), and lower serum HBV DNA level (mean 7.45 vs. 8.42 log10 copies/mL, P<0.001) were independently associated with stage 2 fibrosis on liver biopsy. Conclusions These results highlight the need to use stringent definitions of normal serum ALT when making clinical decisions for patients with chronic hepatitis B. Older age and lower serum HBV DNA level predict significant hepatic fibrosis on biopsy. Our findings may guide decisions regarding liver biopsy among patients with immunotolerant hepatitis B.
Bounding the Clique‐Width of H‐Free Chordal Graphs

A graph is H‐free if it has no induced subgraph isomorphic to H. Brandstädt, Engelfriet, Le, and Lozin proved that the class of chordal graphs with independence number at most 3 has unbounded clique‐width. Brandstädt, Le, and Mosca erroneously claimed that the gem and co‐gem are the only two 1‐vertex P4‐extensions H for which the class of H‐free chordal graphs has bounded clique‐width. In fact we prove that bull‐free chordal and co‐chair‐free chordal graphs have clique‐width at most 3 and 4, respectively. In particular, we find four new classes of H‐free chordal graphs of bounded clique‐width. Our main result, obtained by combining new and known results, provides a classification of all but two stubborn cases, that is, with two potential exceptions we determine all graphs H for which the class of H‐free chordal graphs has bounded clique‐width. We illustrate the usefulness of this classification for classifying other types of graph classes by proving that the class of (2P1+P3,K4) ‐free graphs has bounded clique‐width via a reduction to K4‐free chordal graphs. Finally, we give a complete classification of the (un)boundedness of clique‐width of H‐free weakly chordal graphs.
LupusQoL-US Benchmarks for US Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective. The LupusQoL-US instrument was recently validated in the US. We studied the benchmarks for a US patient cohort with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and relevant demographic and disease correlates. Methods. LupusQoL-US was administered to 185 patients with SLE. Demographic data (age, sex, ethnicity, marital status) and disease features (duration, disease activity and damage) were assessed simultaneously. Descriptive statistics were obtained. LupusQoL-US domain scores were calculated, and compared by sex, ethnicity, and marital status using nonparametric tests. Correlation between LupusQoL-US domains and age, disease duration, disease activity, and disease damage were obtained. Results. Mean age of patients was 42.2 ± 14.5 years; 94% of subjects were women. African American patients comprised 60% of the study cohort. The most affected domains were Fatigue and Physical Health. The least affected was Intimate Relationships. Age correlated with Physical Health, Pain, and Body Image (r = 0.15–0.18). Differences were observed based on sex and marital status, but not by ethnicity; there the LupusQoL-US correlated inversely with disease activity (r = −0.001 to −0.36) and damage (r = −0.003 to −0.40). Conclusion. All domains of the LupusQoL-US based health related quality of life (HRQOL) were affected adversely. HRQOL varied by age, sex, and marital status in our SLE cohort.
Evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of Borassus flabellife root ethanolic extract

Various medicinal plants are used in traditional system of medicine to treat various diseases and many of these plants have been evaluated for their different pharmacological activities. Borassus Flabellife is one among them. The present study was planned to investigate Antiinflammatory effect of Borassus Flabellife ethanolic extract of root. Acute inflammation was produced by injecting 0.1 ml 0f 1% suspension of carrageenan into left hind paw of rats. The change in paw volume and percentage inhibition of edema were calculated on each hour till 5 hour. Sub-Acute Inflammation was produced by cotton wool granuloma method. The weight of wet and dry cotton was recorded on 8th day after implantation of cotton pallet. The results of this study indicate the significant antiinflammatory activity of Borassus Flabellife against carrageenan induced acute inflammation and cotton wool induced sub-acute inflammation.
Manipulator and object tracking for in-hand 3D object modeling

Recognizing and manipulating objects is an important task for mobile robots performing useful services in everyday environments. While existing techniques for object recognition related to manipulation provide very good results even for noisy and incomplete data, they are typically trained using data generated in an offline process. As a result, they do not enable a robot to acquire new object models as it operates in an environment. In this paper we develop an approach to building 3D models of unknown objects based on a depth camera observing the robot’s hand while moving an object. The approach integrates both shape and appearance information into an articulated Iterative Closest Point approach to track the robot’s manipulator and the object. Objects are modeled by sets of surfels, which are small patches providing occlusion and appearance information. Experiments show that our approach provides very good 3D models even when the object is highly symmetric and lacks visual features and the manipulator motion is noisy. Autonomous object modeling represents a step toward improved semantic understanding, which will eventually enable robots to reason about their environments in terms of objects and their relations rather than through raw sensor data.
Study of Electrical Equivalent Model of the PMMA Coated Probe Dipped in Milk and Milk Adulterated with Urea

The aim of this work is to study the impedance characteristics at the electrode-electrolyte interface of the PMMA coated probe dipped in milk and milk adulterated with different amount of urea and to propose an electrical equivalent circuit model for each adulteration using curve fitting program. The modelings of the probe with lumped parameters as well as distributed elements are obtained using LEVMW software and the best-fit model is estimated. The analytical expression of impedance is derived for the estimated electrical equivalent circuit and simulated using MATLAB. Finally the impedance value obtained by simulation is compared with experimental value obtained from LCR meter.