Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Semen DNA fragmentation index, evaluated with both TUNEL and Comet assay, and the ICSI outcome.

BACKGROUND In intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), there is always a risk of using spermatozoa with damaged DNA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the percentage of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation in processed semen samples used in ICSI cycles and to investigate the relationship between the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and the ICSI outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-six couples undergoing ICSI treatment were included. DFI was evaluated, by both terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and single cell gel electrophoresis (Comet) assays, in the processed semen samples used for ICSI. RESULTS Of the processed semen samples 17.85% had > or =10% spermatozoa with fragmented DNA. There was no correlation between DFI and the ICSI outcome. DFI assessed by the TUNEL assay was negatively correlated with sperm concentration, progressive motility and sperm morphology. CONCLUSION A considerable proportion of processed semen samples used for ICSI have a high DFI. However, DFI of the processed semen samples does not seem to be related to the ICSI outcome.
Intrapulpal temperature changes during root surface irradiation with an 809-nm GaAlAs laser.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore, in vitro, whether the irradiation of human root surfaces with a diode laser might induce nonphysiologic intrapulpal temperature elevations and, therefore, jeopardize pulp vitality. STUDY DESIGN The pulps were removed from human maxillary and mandibular incisors extracted for periodontal reasons. The root canals were enlarged to an apical size #60 file. The teeth were radiographed with standard dental films and a millimeter grid to determine root thickness. The thickness of dentin between the root surface and the pulp in the irradiation areas was 1, 2, and 3 mm. To determine intrapulpal temperature changes during laser irradiation, 0.5-mm K-type thermocouples were inserted. An 809 nm GaAlAs laser with a 400-micron optical fiber was used. The power output varied between 0.5 and 2.5 W in the continuous-wave mode (0 Hz). Irradiation was continued for up to 120 seconds. RESULT Temperature elevations between 0.5 and 32.0 degrees C were registered in an energy- and time-dependent manner. Dentin thickness had a significant effect on intrapulpal temperature changes (Mann Whitney U test, P <.05), with a thinner dentin layer resulting in higher temperature elevations. CONCLUSION Diode-laser irradiation may jeopardize pulp vitality. It must be recommended to limit power output to 0.5 W and the time of irradiation to 10 seconds when lasing the root surfaces of lower incisors and first maxillary premolars. With other teeth, a power output of 1.0 W and an exposure time of 10 seconds must not be exceeded to ensure a safe clinical application.
Shared decision-making in dementia: A review of patient and family carer involvement

This paper reviews empirical findings concerning the decision-making process of persons with dementia and their family carers, with a particular focus on the extent and determinants of involvement of persons with dementia in the decision-making process. To be included in this review, studies needed to be published in peer-reviewed journals between 1999 and 2014, report empirical data from participants with dementia and/or their family carers, and pertain to the involvement of persons with dementia and their family carers in decisions about everyday care, medical care and treatment, or long-term care. A total of 36 studies were included. Results indicated that not all persons with dementia are excluded from participating in the decision-making process, but there is a broad spectrum of what constitutes shared decision-making in dementia. Studies concerning the determinants of shared decision-making mostly focused on non-modifiable factors. Future research is needed to better promote shared decision-making among persons with dementia and their family carers.
A case study on simulation and emulation of a new case picking system for a US based wholesaler

This paper presents a comprehensive and long-term joint simulation project in the area of warehouse logistics. The project comprised six stages with the first three stages being part of the development and evaluation of a new storage and picking technology. This technology is a specific case picking approach and it includes process steps like storage of product pallets, automated de-palletizing, storage of product layers, the separation of product cases from layers, sequencing and palletizing of product cases. Within the second part of the project the technology was adapted to the requirements of a US-based wholesaler. The simulation activities within this second part started with classical planning simulation and covered the emulation of the real-world control software, the support of the system ramp-up, and finally the implementation of a permanent test base in order to evaluate necessary software changes. The article describes the storage and picking technology, the stages of the simulation project and the benefits of both, the technology itself and the extensive simulation application.
A Semianalytical Model of Bilayer-Graphene Field-Effect Transistor

Bilayer graphene has the very interesting property of an energy gap tunable with the vertical electric field. We propose an analytical model for a bilayer-graphene field-effect transistor, suitable for exploring the design parameter space in order to design a device structure with promising performance in terms of transistor operation. Our model, based on the effective mass approximation and ballistic transport assumptions, takes into account bilayer-graphene tunable gap and self-polarization and includes all band-to-band tunneling current components, which are shown to represent the major limitation to transistor operation, because the achievable energy gap is not sufficient to obtain a large Ion/Ioff ratio.
Treating High-Caries Risk Occlusal Surfaces in First Permanent Molars through Sealants and Supervised Toothbrushing: A 3-Year Cost-Effective Analysis

We conducted a 3-year cost-effectiveness analysis on the cavitated dentine carious lesion preventive capabilities of composite resin (CR) (reference group) and atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) high-viscosity glass-ionomer cement (HVGIC) sealants compared to supervised toothbrushing (STB) in high-risk first permanent molars. School children aged 6-7 years in 6 schools (2 per group) received CR and ART/HVGIC sealants or STB daily for 180 days each school year. Data were collected prospectively and cost estimates were made for sample data and a projection of 1,000 sealants/STB high-risk permanent molars. Although STB had the best outcome, its high implementation cost (95% of cost for supervisors visiting schools 180 days/school year) affected the results. ART/HVGIC was cost-effective compared to CR for the sample data (savings of USD 37 per cavitated dentine carious lesion prevented), while CR was cost-effective compared to ART/HVGIC for the projection (savings of USD 17 per cavitated dentine carious lesion prevented), and both were cost-saving compared to STB. Two STB scenarios were tested in sensitivity analyses with variations in caries incidence and number of supervision days; results showed STB had lower costs and higher savings per cavitated dentine carious lesion prevented than CR and ART/HVGIC. A major assumption is that both scenarios have the same high effectiveness rate experienced by STB under study conditions; however, they point to the value of further research on the benefits of adopting STB as a long-term venture in a general population of school children.
Stretching the Boundaries: Tanzanian Pharmacy Workers’ Views and Experiences of Providing STI Services for Men Who Have Sex with Men

Objective To explore the views and experiences of providing assistance and treatment of sexually transmitted infections to same-sex practicing male clients among service providers at pharmacies and drugstores in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Previous research suggests that sexually transmitted infections are an increasing concern for this population. Due to stigma and discrimination, men who have sex with men face limited access to treatment, which might contribute to increased self-medication. However, limited research has been conducted on the role of the pharmaceutical service provider with regards to this population in sub-Saharan Africa. Method In January 2016, 16 service providers at private pharmacies and drugstores with previous experience of providing services to this population were purposively selected for open-ended face-to-face interviews. The analysis was guided by the grounded theory approach. Results The process that emerged was labelled “Stretching Boundaries for Pharmaceutical Responsibilities”. This reflected informants’ perceptions of themselves as being involved in a transition from having limited engagement in the care of same-sex practicing male clients to becoming regular service-providers to this group. Findings further revealed that the emotional commitment they developed for clients through this process led to a transgression of provider-client boundaries, which undermined objective decision-making when clients lacked prescription. Financial interests also emerged as an underlying motivation for providing incomplete or inaccurate drug dosages. Conclusions Further studies are required to better address incentives related to unregulated sale of drugs. Inter-professional networks between pharmacy and healthcare workers could support the development of targeted treatment for men who have sex with men and other key populations.
Using The Voice Spectrum For Improved Tracking Of People In A Joint Audio-Video Scheme

In this paper we present a new solution to the problem of speaker tracking among people where occlusions occur (disappearance and non-speaking). In a normal conversation between two or more people, we learn speaker mel-cepstral coefficients (MFCC) and incorporate this information into a sequential Bayesian audio-video position tracker. The joint video-to-audio data association step is thus improved and we achieve robust person recognition which in turn aids tracking performance. We provide comprehensive evaluation via simulations and real data quoting tracking accuracy, precision and diarisation error rate (DER) compared to ground truth. For simulate and real experiments in an open space the trajectory tracking performance increases by 20% measured against ground truth using our approach. As a further enhancement versus the state-of-the-art, speaker identity recognition at a distance is improved by 20% by exploiting audio-video localisation cues.
Framing abuse: explaining the incidence, perpetuation, and intervention in elder abuse

ABSTRACT Background: The role of individual characteristics in incidences of elder abuse has long been highest on research and policy agendas. Now, it is timely to discuss factors that go beyond victim and perpetrator. Environmental factors also play an important role in elder abuse. In this paper, we address the framing of elder abuse as a social and health problem. Attention is paid to the factors that influence societal context and the healthcare system, its organization, structure, and principles. Methods: Focus groups and in-depth semi-structured interviews were held with different professionals and older people themselves. Qualitative analysis of focus groups and interviews transcripts was performed to analyze how different professional groups and older persons themselves view elder abuse, to determine opinions and attitudes toward elder abuse and the necessary actions that should be taken to prevent or intervene in the problem. Results: Two main explanatory frameworks emerged in the discourse of older persons and care professionals: social arrangements and healthcare system. The themes within the social arrangements included social taboo, social control and responsibility, and institutional cultures. The fragmentation of care and changes in the financing of healthcare were two aspects distinguished within the framework of the healthcare system. Conclusion: Two explanatory frameworks showed elder abuse as both a social and health problem. The environmental factors through social arrangements and healthcare system have an influence on framing of abuse. The different ways of framing abuse impact the understanding of abuse, ways of intervention, and prevention measures.
Temporal expression of seven clock genes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the pars tuberalis of the sheep: Evidence for an internal coincidence timer

The 24-h expression of seven clock genes (Bmal1, Clock, Per1, Per2, Cry1, Cry2, and CK1ɛ) was assayed by in situ hybridization in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and the pars tuberalis (PT) of the pituitary gland, collected every 4 h throughout 24 h, from female Soay sheep kept under long (16-h light/8-h dark) or short (8-h light/16-h dark) photoperiods. Locomotor activity was diurnal, inversely related to melatonin secretion, and prolactin levels were increased under long days. All clock genes were expressed in the ovine SCN and PT. In the SCN, there was a 24-h rhythm in Clock expression, in parallel with Bmal1, in antiphase with cycles in Per1 and Per2; there was low-amplitude oscillation of Cry1 and Cry2. The waveform of only Per1 and Per2 expression was affected by photoperiod, with extended elevated expression under long days. In the PT, the high-amplitude 24-h cycles in the expression of Bmal1, Clock, Per1, Per2, Cry1, and Cry2, but not CK1ɛ, were influenced by photoperiod. Per1 and Per2 peaked during the day, whereas Cry1 and Cry2 peaked early in the night. Hence, photoperiod via melatonin had a marked effect on the phase relationship between Per/Cry genes in the PT. This supports the conclusion that an ”external coincidence model“ best explains the way photoperiod affects the waveform of clock gene expression in the SCN, the central pacemaker, whereas an ”internal coincidence model“ best explains the way melatonin affects the phasing of clock gene expression in the PT to mediate the photoperiodic control of a summer or winter physiology.
Collagen-stimulated unidirectional translocation of cholesterol in human platelet membranes.

When human platelets are stimulated with collagen or thrombin, the asymmetric distribution of membrane lipids is disrupted as phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine translocate from the inner monolayer to the outer monolayer. Coincident with the stimulus-dependent rearrangement of membrane phospholipids is a rapid redistribution of cholesterol from the outer to the inner membrane monolayer. This redistribution of cholesterol was observed when the stimulus was collagen or ADP. The data presented here show that epinephrine stimulation does not promote cholesterol translocation but does potentiate collagen-promoted movement of cholesterol. To investigate the process of cholesterol translocation, experiments were performed to determine whether collagen stimulated reverse cholesterol movement; i.e. from the inner to the outer monolayer. For this study, the fluorescent sterol cholestatrienol (C-3) was incorporated into platelet membranes by exchange from cholesterol-containing phosphatidylcholine small unilamellar vesicles. C-3 was then removed selectively from the outer monolayer by treatment of the platelets with bovine serum albumin (BSA). During the subsequent incubation of BSA-treated platelets, C-3 moved spontaneously into the outer from the inner monolayer. This translocation had an apparent half-time of approximately 25 min and was unaltered by the presence of collagen. These results suggest that collagen treatment of platelets selectively facilitates the inward movement of the sterol. We have hypothesized that cholesterol translocation may be thermodynamically driven as a result of an unfavorable entropy, resulting in cholesterol translocation out of an environment becoming enriched in phosphatidylethanolamine. The unidirectional nature of collagen-promoted cholesterol movement from the phosphatidylethanolamine-rich outer monolayer is consistent with this interpretation.
Plasma osteoprotegerin is an independent risk factor for mortality and an early biomarker of coronary vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and early biomarkers are required which can predict disease and death in such patients. The aim of our study was to investigate if osteoprotegerin (OPG) could be a predictor of coronary artery calcification (CAC) and mortality in CKD. Methods: A total of 77 outpatients (32 with pre-dialysis CKD and 45 undergoing hemodialysis) were followed-up during 2 years. Measurements of CAC were performed using Siemens Multidetector CT software and calcium scores were measured according to the Agatston method. Results: OPG was an independent predictor of the Agatston score for CAC and correlated with the degree of CAC in pre-dialysis patients. A two-sample t-test characterized survivors as having a better glomerular filtration rate, lower Agatston scores, and lower serum levels of OPG. Kaplan-Meier survival curves separated survivors from non-survivors at plasma OPG cut-off levels of <3.1 ng/mL. A multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that OPG was an independent predictor of mortality from all causes in CKD patients. Conclusions: OPG predicted mortality in CKD patients and could be a valuable biomarker in early detection of CAC in these patients. Clin Chem Lab Med 2009;47:339–46.
C++ expression template performance issues in scientific computing

Ever-increasing size and complexity of software applications and libraries in parallel scientific computing is making implementation in the programming languages traditional for this field-FORTRAN 77 and C-impractical. The major impediment to the progression to a higher-level language such as C++ is attaining FORTRAN 77 or C performance, which is considered absolutely necessary by many practitioners. The use of template metaprogramming in C++, in the form of so-called expression templates to generate custom C++ code, holds great promise for getting C performance from C++ in the context of operations on array-like objects. Several sophisticated expression template implementations of parallel array-class libraries exist, and in certain circumstances their promise of performance is realized. Unfortunately this is not uniformly the case; the paper explores the major reasons for this. A more complete version of this paper may be obtained from http://www.c3. Ianl.gov/-kei/ipps98.html.
Multispecific Aspergillus T cells selected by CD137 or CD154 induce protective immune responses against the most relevant mold infections.

BACKGROUND Aspergillus and Mucorales species cause severe infections in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Induction of antifungal CD4(+) T-helper type 1 (Th1) immunity is an appealing strategy to combat these infections. Immunotherapeutic approaches are so far limited because of a lack of antigens inducing protective T cells, their elaborate production, and the need of targeting a broad spectrum of pathogenic fungi. METHODS We examined the response to different Aspergillus fumigatus proteins in healthy individuals and patients after HSCT and compared rapid selection protocols for fungus-specific T cells based on CD137 or CD154 expression. RESULTS The A. fumigatus proteins Crf1, Gel1, and Pmp20 induced strong Th1 responses in healthy individuals. T cells specific for these antigens expanded in patients with active invasive aspergillosis, indicating their contribution to infection control. Th1 cells specific for the 3 proteins can be selected with similar specificity within 24 hours, based on CD137 or CD154 expression. These cells recognize naturally processed A. fumigatus and the multispecific T-cell lines, directed against all 3 proteins, especially those selected by CD154, additionally cross-react to different Aspergillus and Mucorales species. CONCLUSIONS These findings may form the basis for adoptive T-cell transfer for prophylaxis or treatment in patients with these devastating infections.
Optimized Mappings for Iteratively Decoded BICM on Rayleigh Channels with Interleaving

A cost function for the optimization of mappings for bit-interleaved coded modulation systems with iterative decoding (BICM-ID) for a Rayleigh channel with applied IQ interleaving is derived. For this channel model the optimum mapping depends on the channel quality and on the rotation of the signal constellation set. Simulation results reveal that mappings optimized with the new cost function yield a better performance than previously known mappings. Furthermore, a second, easy procedure to obtain the optimum rotation angle for a signal constellation set in conjunction with IQ interleaving is described
Short-term and long-term effects of copper on the performance and microorganisms in sequencing batch reactor

The present work investigated the short-term and long-term impacts of copper ion (Cu2+) on the variation of microbial community structures and pollutant (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) removal performance in sequencing batch reactor (SBR). The results showed that the short-term exposure (within 1 cycle) of 7 mg/L or higher concentration of Cu2+ decreased the removal efficiencies of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and orthophosphate (PO4 3--P), as well as the ATP content and dehydrogenase activity. In the long-term exposure test (30 days), the addition of Cu2+ at 3 mg/L significantly compromised the removal performance of DOC, ammonia-nitrogen (NH4+-N) and PO4 3--P. Higher production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed along with increasing activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The increase of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release was detected at the end of the experiment, indicating the occurrence of membrane damage and cell leakage. The microbial diversity and community structure changed with time, which would also be another important factor that affects the pollutant removal performance in SBR.
Can a feedback report and training session on medication counseling for general practitioners improve patient satisfaction with information on medicines?

Background Regular intake of medicines prevents hospitalization and improves treatment outcomes in patients with chronic diseases; however, requires good patient–physician communication. Yet, this communication is often insufficient and characterized by misunderstandings. This paper aimed to explore whether a training session on medication counseling for general practitioners (GPs) can improve patient satisfaction about information on medicines. Methods Within a seamless care project (HeiCare®), a questionnaire to assess patient satisfaction with information on medicines and other questions related to medication issues was distributed among 370 patients. Results were returned to physicians in a feedback report, discussed in a training session, and a subsequent second questionnaire was sent to patients. Results Patients showed a significant increase in satisfaction with overall information on medicines and with information on potential problems when experiencing medication counseling after their GP received a feedback report and/or training session. Conclusion Individual feedback and training sessions can improve medication counseling and GPs’ awareness of patients’ attitudes toward medicines and thus increase patients’ satisfaction with medicines information received. Regular feedback to the GP on patients’ satisfaction with information and patients’ beliefs in medicines can be obtained by patient surveys or by addressing these issues in regular medication counseling encounters. Physicians need to be trained to listen to patients’ views and concerns on medication.