Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experiences of the use of FOX, an intelligent agent, for programming cochlear implant sound processors in new users

Abstract Objective. This report describes the application of the software tool “Fitting to Outcomes eXpert” (FOX) in programming the cochlear implant (CI) processor in new users. FOX is an intelligent agent to assist in the programming of CI processors. The concept of FOX is to modify maps on the basis of specific outcome measures, achieved using heuristic logic and based on a set of deterministic “rules”. Design. A prospective study was conducted on eight consecutive CI-users with a follow-up of three months. Study Sample. Eight adult subjects with postlingual deafness were implanted with the Advanced Bionics HiRes90k device. The implants were programmed using FOX, running a set of rules known as Eargroup's EG0910 advice, which features a set of “automaps”. The protocol employed for the initial 3 months is presented, with description of the map modifications generated by FOX and the corresponding psychoacoustic test results. Results. The 3 month median results show 25 dBHL as PTA, 77% (55 dBSPL) and 71% (70 dBSPL) phoneme score at speech audiometry and loudness scaling in or near to the normal zone at different frequencies. Conclusions. It is concluded that this approach is feasible to start up CI fitting and yields good outcome. Sumario Objetivo: Este reporte describe la aplicación del programa-herramienta “Fitting to Outcomes eXpert” (“eXperto en adaptación por resultados”) (FOX) en la programación de procesadores de implante coclear (IC) para usuarios nuevos. El concepto de FOX es modificar los mapas sobre la base de medidas específicas de resultados, logradas usando una lógica heurística y basado en un grupo de “reglas” determinísticas. DiseÑo: Se condujo un estudio prospectivo en ocho usuarios consecutivos de CI con un seguimiento de tres meses. Muestra Del Estudio: Ocho sujetos adultos con sordera post-lingüística fueron implantados con el dispositivo Advanced Bionics HiRes90k. Los implantes fueron programados usando el FOX, usando un grupo de reglas conocidas como consejo EG910 del EarGroup, que presenta un grupo de “automapas”. Se presenta el protocolo empleado para los primeros 3 meses, con descripción de las modificaciones de los mapas generados con FOX y los resultados de las pruebas psicoacústicas correspondientes. Resultados: La mediana de los resultados a 3 meses muestra un PTA de 25 dB HL, puntajes de fonemas en la logoaudiometría de 77% (55 dB SPL) y 71% (70 dB SPL), y una escala de intensidad subjetiva dentro o cercana a la zona normal en diferentes frecuencias. Conclusiones: Se concluye que este enfoque es factible para iniciar la programación de un CI y que brinda buenos resultados.
MEK inhibition is a promising therapeutic strategy for MLL-rearranged infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients carrying RAS mutations

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in infants is an aggressive malignancy with a poor clinical outcome, and is characterized by translocations of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene. Previously, we identified RAS mutations in 14-24% of infant ALL patients, and showed that the presence of a RAS mutation decreased the survival chances even further. We hypothesized that targeting the RAS signaling pathway could be a therapeutic strategy for RAS-mutant infant ALL patients. Here we show that the MEK inhibitors Trametinib, Selumetinib and MEK162 severely impair primary RAS-mutant MLL-rearranged infant ALL cells in vitro. While all RAS-mutant samples were sensitive to MEK inhibitors, we found both sensitive and resistant samples among RAS-wildtype cases. We confirmed enhanced RAS pathway signaling in RAS-mutant samples, but found no apparent downstream over-activation in the wildtype samples. However, we did confirm that MEK inhibitors reduced p-ERK levels, and induced apoptosis in the RAS-mutant MLL-rearranged ALL cells. Finally, we show that MEK inhibition synergistically enhances prednisolone sensitivity, both in RAS-mutant and RAS-wildtype cells. In conclusion, MEK inhibition represents a promising therapeutic strategy for MLL-rearranged ALL patients harboring RAS mutations, while patients without RAS mutations may benefit through prednisolone sensitization.
Cognitive impairment in patients with AIDS – prevalence and severity

The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy has prolonged the life expectancy of HIV patients and decreased the number of adults who progress to AIDS and HIV-associated dementia. However, neurocognitive deficits remain a pronounced consequence of HIV/AIDS. HIV-1 infection targets the central nervous system in subcortical brain areas and leads to high rates of delirium, depression, opportunistic central nervous system infections, and dementia. Long-term HIV replication in the brain occurs in astrocytes and microglia, allowing the virus to hide from antiviral medication and later compromise neuronal function. The associated cognitive disturbance is linked to both viral activity and inflammatory and other mediators from these immune cells that lead to the damage associated with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, a general term given for these disturbances. We review the severity and prevalence of the neuropsychiatric complications of HIV including delirium, neurobehavioral impairments (depression), minor cognitive-motor dysfunction, and HIV-associated dementia.
Human-caused fire occurrence modelling in perspective: a review

The increasing global concern about wildfires, mostly caused by people, has triggered the development of human-caused fire occurrence models in many countries. The premise is that better knowledge of the underlying factors is critical for many fire management purposes, such as operational decision-making in suppression and strategic prevention planning, or guidance on forest and land-use policies. However, the explanatory and predictive capacity of fire occurrence models is not yet widely applied to the management of forests, fires or emergencies. In this article, we analyse the developments in the field of human-caused fire occurrence modelling with the aim of identifying the most appropriate variables and methods for applications in forest and fire management and civil protection. We stratify our worldwide analysis by temporal dimension (short-term and long-term) and by model output (numeric or binary), and discuss management applications. An attempt to perform a meta-analysis based on published models proved limited because of non-equivalence of the metrics and units of the estimators and outcomes across studies, the diversity of models and the lack of information in published works.
Coincident occurrences of tropical individual cirrus clouds and deep convective systems derived from TRMM observations

Satellite measurements of cloud properties and atmospheric radiation were used to investigate the effect of spatial and temporal scales on the coincident occurrences of tropical individual cirrus clouds (ICCs) and deep convective systems (DCSs). There is little or even negative correlation between instantaneous occurrences of ICC and DCS in small areas. When spatial and temporal domains are increased, ICCs become more dependent on DCSs due to the origination of many ICCs from DCSs and moisture supply from the DCS in the upper troposphere for the ICCs to grow, resulting in significant positive correlation between the two types of clouds. The estimated radiative feedback due to the change in tropical high cloud area coverage with sea surface temperature appears small and about −0.14 Wm−2K−1, which would not cancel out the estimated anthropogenic forcing of doubled atmospheric CO2.
Curcumin Alleviates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy in Experimental Diabetic Rats

Objectives Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), characterized by myocardial structural and functional changes, is an independent cardiomyopathy that develops in diabetic individuals. The present study was sought to investigate the effect of curcumin on modulating DCM and the mechanisms involved. Methods An experimental diabetic rat model was induced by low dose of streptozoticin(STZ) combined with high energy intake on rats. Curcumin was orally administrated at a dose of 100 or 200 mg·kg−1·d−1, respectively. Cardiac function was evaluated by serial echocardiography. Myocardial ultrastructure, fibrosis area and apoptosis were assessed by histopathologic analyses. Metabolic profiles, myocardial enzymes and oxidative stress were examined by biochemical tests. Inflammatory factors were detected by ELISA, and interrelated proteins were measured by western blot. Results Rats with DCM showed declined systolic myocardial performance associated with myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, which were accompanied with metabolism abnormalities, aberrant myocardial enzymes, increased AGEs (advanced glycation end products) accumulation and RAGE (receptor for AGEs) expression, elevated markers of oxidative stress (MDA, SOD, the ratio of NADP+/NADPH, Rac1 activity, NADPH oxidase subunits expression of gp91phox and p47phox ), raised inflammatory factor (TNF-α and IL-1β), enhanced apoptotic cell death (ratio of bax/bcl-2, caspase-3 activity and TUNEL), diminished Akt and GSK-3β phosphorylation. Remarkably, curcumin attenuated myocardial dysfunction, cardiac fibrosis, AGEs accumulation, oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in the heart of diabetic rats. The inhibited phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β was also restored by curcumin treatment. Conclusions Taken together, these results suggest that curcumin may have great therapeutic potential in the treatment of DCM, and perhaps other cardiovascular disorders, by attenuating fibrosis, oxidative stress, inflammation and cell death. Furthermore, Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway may be involved in mediating these effects.
Cranial Anatomy and Phylogenetic Position of the Titanosaurian Sauropod Bonitasaura salgadoi

Knowledge of titanosaurian cranial anatomy has improved substantially in the last decade because several skulls have come to light or were restudied. The discovery of Bonitasaura salgadoi, a partial titanosaurian skeleton including cranial bones, permitted the definitive recognition of square jaws in a titanosaurian sauropod as well as a peculiar skull morphology that increases the morphological diversity of the group. Here we present a full description and illustration of the skull material of B. salgadoi. Among cranial bones, the lacrimal, quadrate, and dentary exhibit apomorphic differences from those of other titanosaurians. Conversely, the frontal and parietal are more conservative. A phylogenetic analysis recovers B. salgadoi as a member of the Titanosauria, related to mid-sized to large titanosauroids from the Turonian—Campanian of South America, in contrast to a previous hypothesis that suggested a nemegtosaurid affinity. The skull reconstruction presented here shows that the skull of B. salgadoi is anteroposteriorly short and dorsoventrally high, contrasting with the elongate skull of Rapetosaurus krausei.
Interactive comment on “ Estimation of the global inventory of methane hydrates in marine sediments using transfer functions ” by E . Piñero

D. Burdige questions the validity of our kinetic model for microbial organic matter degradation and methane formation (WALLMANN et al., 2006) and urges us to look at the new paper on organic matter degradation kinetics recently published by the reviewer (BURDIGE, 2011). We would like to emphasize that our model has been calibrated more comprehensively by field observations at various ODP sites (MARQUARDT et al., 2010; WALLMANN et al., 2006) than any other model currently used to simulate microbial methane formation within the gas hydrate stability zone. However, below we present additional data and model results to further test our model and the new
A systematic review of factors associated with health-related quality of life in adolescents and adults with cystic fibrosis.

RATIONALE As the life expectancy for individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) continues to improve, an emphasis on optimizing health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become increasingly important. The Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised (CFQ-R 14+) is the most widely accepted method to quantify HRQoL in this patient population. OBJECTIVES Our objective was to systematically review the literature to identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with HRQoL among adolescents and adults with CF. METHODS Five major literature databases were searched (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, psychINFO) to identify studies published from January 1989 to April 2014 (n=1,921). We included all full-text studies that: (1) focused on individuals 14 years of age or older, and (2) examined the relationship between sociodemographic (age, sex, body-mass index [BMI], socioeconomic status, and employment) and clinical (FEV1 % predicted, pulmonary exacerbation, comorbidities) factors with the CFQ-R 14+. Effect estimates and levels of statistical significance in the association between sociodemographic and clinical factors with each of the 12 CFQ-R 14+ domains were analyzed, if examined in at least two studies. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Twenty-eight articles met our inclusion/exclusion criteria, but 5 studies were excluded at the data synthesis stage, leaving 23 articles for analysis. In relation to the CFQ-R 14+, 10 candidate factors were examined in at least two studies. The five most commonly studied factors were FEV1 % predicted (57.1% of 28 studies), sex (32.1%), BMI (28.6%), age (17.6%), and pulmonary exacerbations (13%). In studies incorporating multivariable methods, FEV1 % predicted was positively associated with all CFQ-R 14+ domains with the exception of Digestion, Social Functioning, and Emotional Functioning. Male subjects reported higher Physical Functioning and lower Body Image scores than female subjects, BMI was positively correlated with Body Image and Weight, and age was negatively correlated with Treatment Burden. Pulmonary exacerbations were negatively associated with multiple domains, including Respiratory Symptoms, Physical, and Role Functioning. CONCLUSIONS Although several factors have been found to be associated with the CFQ-R in adolescents and adults with CF, FEV1 % predicted and pulmonary exacerbations have the broadest impact on HRQoL. Further research is required to investigate the impact of age-related comorbidities, psychosocial factors, and treatment-related factors on HRQoL in adolescents/adults with cystic fibrosis.
EFL teachers attitudes towards information and communication technologies (ICT)

Depending on the fact that teachers’ attitude is a major predictor in the process of ICT integration, this study investigated the ICT usage and the attitudes of high school EFL teachers in Turkey towards ICT. Additionally, this study focused on the relationship between computer attitudes and extension of ICT usage, computer attributes and personal characteristics. The data gathered through a questionnaire from in-service EFL teachers (n=76) working at state schools were analysed by using descriptive statistics and Pearson Correlations. The findings suggest that the most widely used ICT tools are gradebook, internet, software for repetitive practice, processing texts, interactive exercises and PowerPoint presentations. It was also found that EFL teachers hold positive attitudes towards the use of ICT for educational purposes: they regard computers as advantageous over traditional methods of instruction and suitable for their curriculum goals. However, the responses indicate that insufficient class time and inadequate training opportunities are the major obstacles in the process of ICT integration.
Review and Analysis of Algorithmic Approaches Developed for Prognostics on CMAPSS Dataset

Benchmarking of prognostic algorithms has been challenging due to limited availability of common datasets suitable for prognostics. In an attempt to alleviate this problem, several benchmarking datasets have been collected by NASA’s prognostic center of excellence and made available to the Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) community to allow evaluation and comparison of prognostics algorithms. Among those datasets are five C-MAPSS datasets that have been extremely popular due to their unique characteristics making them suitable for prognostics. The C-MAPSS datasets pose several challenges that have been tackled by different methods in the PHM literature. In particular, management of high variability due to sensor noise, effects of operating conditions, and presence of multiple simultaneous fault modes are some factors that have great impact on the generalization capabilities of prognostics algorithms. More than 70 publications have used the C-MAPSS datasets for developing data-driven prognostic algorithms. The C-MAPSS datasets are also shown to be well-suited for development of new machine learning and pattern recognition tools for several key preprocessing steps such as feature extraction and selection, failure mode assessment, operating conditions assessment, health status estimation, uncertainty management, and prognostics performance evaluation. This paper summarizes a comprehensive literature review of publications using C-MAPSS datasets and provides guidelines and references to further usage of these datasets in a manner that allows clear and consistent comparison between different approaches.
Assessment of a Self-regulated Learning Intervention

Abstract Following a pretest-posttest design with no control group, this paper evaluates the efficacy of an intervention program. Consisting of twelve sessions, the program endeavored to increase knowledge and use of self-regulated learning strategies, as well as study time, in 277 first-year students in the Spanish secondary education system. The intervention’s efficacy was assessed in terms of three variables: knowledge of self-regulated learning strategies, use of self-regulated learning strategies, and study time. The results of post-intervention data analysis indicate that statistically significant changes occurred in students’ knowledge of self-regulated learning strategies and weekly study time, but not in their use of self-regulated learning strategies. When the sample was stratified into three groups (high, moderate, and low) according to baseline scores on the dependent variables, our findings show that students in the lower group profited most from the intervention on all three variables. This suggests that participation in the program is especially useful for at-risk students (i.e. those with little knowledge and use of effective learning strategies).
On parental care and home production

I build a simple model on parental care and home production to consider an application of the Alchian-Allen theorem in time allocation problems. This theorem predicts that an increase in a parent's wage should lower the relative demand of parental care time to housework time. However, empirical studies find the opposite result. My model shows that the complementarity between parental time and education spending can explain this paradox.
Professional Competence of Student Teachers to Implement Species Identification in Schools – A Case Study from Germany

This study investigates how well prepared student teachers are to implement species identification in school. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire and a PowerPoint presentation in which local plant and animal species were presented. Participants (n = 357) correctly identified, on average, 23% of the plants and 44% of the animals. They identified plants mainly by flower characteristics and leaves, and animals mainly by shape and colour. Family and school were key sources of participants’ knowledge of species. The self-estimated competence of participants to identify species was positively correlated with their taxonomic knowledge and the amount of time they had spent on species identification during their own schooldays. The number of correctly identified plant and animal species increased with interest in identifying species and participation in species identification courses. Participants considered learner-centred education and experience-based learning, and the use of living organisms to be most important when identifying species in school.
Interactive comment on “ A high-resolution and observationally constrained OMI NO 2 satellite retrieval

The current paper presents a modified product of tropospheric NO2 columns during the Maryland 2011 DISCOVER-AQ. One of the major uncertainties of retrieving the vertical NO2 columns originate from the calculation of AMFs. The uncertainty of AMF might resulted from several inputs, but here, the main focus is on the shape factors. The authors claimed that a high resolution model output can potentially distinguish highly polluted regions from others, because they are roughly mixed in the original OMI product. The authors further brought up an important issue in CMAQ that is its large underprediction of NO2 in the free troposphere. This issue has nicely been addressed by using P3-B measurements to constrain the CMAQ NO2 profiles. Finally, the authors C1
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) regression normograms for patients with high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia treated with EMA/CO (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide and vincristine) chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND We present normograms for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) regression in patients with high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) successfully treated with multiagent chemotherapy in order to predict treatment resistance. PATIENTS AND METHODS We collected data for 46 patients with high-risk GTN treated with EMA/CO (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide and vincristine) who had hCG values available. Patients were classified as having methotrexate (MTX)-resistant disease (n = 22) or primary high-risk disease (n = 24). The 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles of the hCG before every chemotherapy course were calculated and plotted in normograms. RESULTS Half of the patients treated for MTX-resistant disease and primary high-risk disease had normal hCG levels before the third and sixth course of chemotherapy, respectively. In patients with MTX-resistant disease, the 90th percentile line fell below normal before the start of the fourth course, whereas in patients with primary high-risk disease this was not the case until the eighth course of chemotherapy. CONCLUSION Resistance to EMA/CO treatment for high-risk GTN, as illustrated by examples, could be predicted using normograms for hCG resistance. Normograms differed depending on the indication for multiagent chemotherapy due to much higher initial hCG values in patients with primary high-risk disease compared with those treated for MTX-resistant disease.