Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of a Qualitative Approach Toward Evaluating OCT Imaging for Detecting Glaucomatous Damage

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether a qualitative approach toward evaluating optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging improves the ability to detect glaucomatous damage compared to a conventional metric of global circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (cpRNFL) thickness. Methods A total of 394 healthy eyes and 272 glaucoma eyes were evaluated. Glaucoma eyes were categorized as perimetric (156 eyes) based on a history of three or more consecutive abnormal 24-2 visual field tests or suspected glaucoma if they did not (116 eyes). Customized one-page reports derived using OCT volume scans of the optic disc and macula from these eyes were qualitatively graded for the probability of optic neuropathy affecting the eye. Results The sensitivity of detecting perimetric glaucoma eyes with the global circumpapillary RNFL thickness metric and qualitative evaluation of the OCT imaging results were 86.5% and 95.5% at a specificity of 95%, being significantly higher for the latter (P < 0.001). There were seven eyes with perimetric glaucoma missed by the qualitative evaluation. Based upon examination of all available visual fields, at least four of these seven eyes had visual fields that either improved or had abnormalities that were inconsistent over time or with patterns of glaucomatous damage. Conclusions Qualitative evaluation of OCT imaging results allows glaucoma eyes with repeatable visual field abnormalities to be detected with a high level of accuracy, performing better than a conventional summary metric of global cpRNFL thickness. Translational Relevance Clinical detection of glaucomatous damage with OCT imaging can be optimized through a qualitative evaluation of its results.
The effects of the continuous bridge exercise on the thickness of abdominal muscles in normal adults

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of continuous bridge exercises accompanied by an abdominal drawing-in maneuver on the thickness of abdominal muscles of normal adults. [Participants and Methods] The number of participants were 32, of which 16 people were assigned to the experimental group and 16 to the control group, respectively. Continuous bridge exercises were performed by the experimental group in 15 sets of 25 minutes each, 3 times a week for 6 weeks. The thickness of the abdominal muscles was measured using real-time ultrasonography. [Results] When the thicknesses of the abdominal muscles in the experimental and control groups before and after the experiment were compared, it could be seen that the internal obliques abdominis (IO) and transversus abdominis (TrA) of the experimental group had been increased. [Conclusion] This study confirmed that continuous bridge exercises effected a change in the thickness of deep abdominal muscles.
Older adults with cancer in the city of São Paulo: what factors determine the place of death?

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Investigate factors associated with death at home among older adults who died of cancer in a large city. METHODS This is a descriptive study, including all cancer deaths (ICD C00-C97) occurring between 2006 and 2012, among residents of the city of São Paulo, 60 years of age or older. The data source was the Mortality Information System, and the proportion of deaths was calculated according to place of occurrence, gender, age, race/skin color, education, marital status, cancer type, hospital bed availability, and year of death. The chi-squared test was used to examine the associations between the place of death and sociodemographic and clinical variables. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with home death. Crude and adjusted odds ratios and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated. RESULTS Most of the deaths occurred in hospitals (88.2%). There was a significant association between the place of death and the following variables: gender, race/skin color, education, age, marital status, cancer type, hospital bed availability, and year of death. In the multivariate analysis, all variables, except the availability of hospital beds, remained as independent predictors of death at home. CONCLUSIONS There was a predominance of hospital deaths, with an increase in frequency in the period. Female gender, higher education, married or widowed status, and black race were associated with a decreased risk of death at home, while increasing age, Asian race, and solid neoplasms were associated with higher risk of dying at home.
Feature-Based Testing by Using Model Synthesis, Test Generation and Parameterizable Test Prioritization

An approach for feature-based testing in efficient test processes, especially for use in agile development, is presented. Methods of model synthesis, model-based test generation, as well as coverage-based and requirement-based test prioritization are linked together in order to systematically and efficiently obtain prioritized test cases. The result is a reordered test suite promising quick feedback for the test engineer during test execution. The process is highly parameterizable in regard to the selection of features to be tested and the optimization criteria for the test prioritization. Using an example from industrial automation, the results of the work are demonstrated.
Fully Distributed Adaptive Consensus Control of a Class of High-Order Nonlinear Systems With a Directed Topology and Unknown Control Directions

In this paper, we investigate the adaptive consensus control for a class of high-order nonlinear systems with different unknown control directions where communications among the agents are represented by a directed graph. Based on backstepping technique, a fully distributed adaptive control approach is proposed without using global information of the topology. Meanwhile, a novel Nussbaum-type function is proposed to address the consensus control with unknown control directions. It is proved that boundedness of all closed-loop signals and asymptotically consensus tracking for all the agents’ outputs are ensured. In simulation studies, a numerical example is illustrated to show the effectiveness of the control scheme.
If You Can't Kill a Supermutant, You Have a Problem

Quality of software test suites can be effectively and accurately measured using mutation analysis. Traditional mutation involves seeding first and sometimes higher order faults into the program, and evaluating each for detection. However, traditional mutants are often heavily redundant, and it is desirable to produce the complete matrix of test cases vs mutants detected by each. Unfortunately, even the traditional mutation analysis has a heavy computational footprint due to the requirement of independent evaluation of each mutant by the complete test suite, and consequently the cost of evaluation of complete kill matrix is exorbitant. We present a novel approach of combinatorial evaluation of multiple mutants at the same time that can generate the complete mutant kill matrix with lower computational requirements. Our approach also has the potential to reduce the cost of execution of traditional mutation analysis especially for test suites with weak oracles such as machine-generated test suites, while at the same time liable to only a linear increase in the time taken for mutation analysis in the worst case.
Aid Policy and Australian Public Opinion

Abstract Since 2013, Australian aid has been reduced and increasingly focused on delivering benefits to Australia. Motivated by these changes, this paper fills three gaps in the existing literature on public opinion about aid. It provides the only recent detailed study of Australians' opinions about aid. It studies specific policy questions in addition to the broader questions typical of international research. And it studies views on the purpose of aid, an area not previously researched. Although Australians are generally supportive of aid, most backed major aid cuts in 2015. However, most Australians think the purpose of Australian aid should be helping people in poor countries, not bringing benefits to Australia. There is a clear left–right divide in responses to all questions; however, some variables correlated with support for aid fail to explain variation in views about aid's purpose. The paper concludes by discussing ramifications for those who seek to change aid policy.
Overall survival of driver mutation-negative non-small cell lung cancer patients with COPD under chemotherapy compared to non-COPD non-small cell lung cancer patients

Objectives Focusing on the advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without driver mutations can elucidate the clinical impact of COPD on treatment outcomes. The present study evaluated the effects of COPD on the overall survival of driver mutation-negative NSCLC patients undergoing conventional chemotherapy as the first-line treatment. Patients and methods Medical records of stage IIIB and IV NSCLC patients from January 2008 to December 2015 from six university hospitals were reviewed. Results The total study population consisted of 197 patients; 92 (46.7%) were COPD patients and 105 (53.3%) were non-COPD patients. The median survival in the non-COPD group was 11.5 months, compared to 9.2 months in the COPD group. Univariate analysis showed that old age (>70 years), high Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status score (2–3), squamous cell histology, and COPD were risk factors for mortality. The presence of COPD was a significant prognostic factor in univariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.402; p=0.037), but not in multivariate analysis (HR, 1.275; p=0.144). Subgroup analysis of 143 smokers showed that COPD was a significant prognostic factor on multivariate analysis (HR, 1.726; p=0.006). In 154 stage IV patients, COPD was also a prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (HR, 1.479; p=0.039). Conclusion COPD had a negative impact on overall survival in the stage IV NSCLC and smoker NSCLC patients who underwent conventional chemotherapy.
Inherited Retinal Degenerations: Current Landscape and Knowledge Gaps

1 Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA 2 Ocular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA 3 Foundation Fighting Blindness, Columbia, MD, USA 4 Human Genetics Center, School of Public Health, and Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA 5 Rose-Silverthorne Retinal Degenerations Laboratory, Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, TX, USA 6 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA 7 Center for Retinal Degenerations and Ophthalmic Genetic Diseases, Department of Ophthalmology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA 8 Vision Science, the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA 9 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 10 Institut de la Vision-Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS-Paris, France 11 Departments of Ophthalmology, Neuroscience, Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 12 Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
Comparison of amitriptyline with stabilization splint and placebo in chronic TMD patients: a pilot study.

Objective of work The authors conducted a clinical study to evaluate the effectiveness of amitriptyline in treatment of chronic TMD patients and to compare treatment results with stabilization splint. Materials and Methods Twenty-one patients with chronic TMD were included and randomly distributed into 3 groups: patients in Group A received amitriptyline, patients in Group B received placebo, and those in Group C were treated with stabilization splint. Treatment outcomes (pain assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS), maximal comfortable mouth opening (MCO) and oral health related quality of life (OHIP-14)) were taken at baseline (before treatment), and at 1st, 6th and 12th week of treatment. Results No statistically signiﬁcant differences between the groups at baseline were found (p>0.05). VAS scores improved significantly in Group A (F=11.326, p=0.002, effect size =0.791) and in group C (F=7.343, p=0.005, effect size=0.647). Mean OHIP-14 scores decreased significantly only in Group A (F=4.417, p=0.036, effect size =0.596). In Group B, VAS and OHIP-14 scores did not change significantly over time. Subjects in Group C had a significant change in MCO relative to Group A and Group B. Conclusion From this pilot study it can be concluded that the use of low doses of amitriptyline for a period of 12 weeks is eﬀective for pain management and quality of life improvement in chronic TMD patients. Stabilization splint demonstrated superiority in the management of limited mouth opening during the same period.
Video Frame Interpolation Based on Multi-scale Convolutional Network and Adversarial Training

We propose a deep multi-scale convolutional neural network solution for video frame interpolation, which can synthesize the interpolated frames with favorable quality and visual experience. To get sharp results, we use a combination of loss function, including a Wasserstein generative adversarial network loss with gradient penalty. We try a slim generator network structure in order to meet the real-time interpolation requirement as much as possible. In this way our framework contains less parameters, which could be beneficial to video processing tasks in future works. Our work is also shown to be effective in improving subjective visual experience for video frames in most cases.
Impact of the Egyptian summer season on oxidative stress biomarkers and some physiological parameters in crossbred cows and Egyptian buffaloes

Aim: The current study aimed to compare the impact of heat stress (HS) on some physiological functions and blood oxidative stress biomarkers between dry dairy crossbred (Balady X Friesian) cows and buffaloes during Egyptian summer season (July-September). Materials and Methods: A total of 26 healthy animals were equally used in the in the current study. The criterion for cows and buffaloes selection and the management conditions were similar. A total mixed ration to meet the animal’s requirements was used, and dry matter intake (DMI) was calculated. Ambient temperature, relative humidity, temperature humidity index (THI), respiratory rate, and rectal temperature (RT) were daily recorded. Meanwhile, live body weight and body condition score were weekly recorded. Blood samples were collected bi-weekly, and plasma samples were harvested for malondialdehyde (MDA) content and enzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities determinations throughout the experimental period (8 weeks - prepartum). Results: The results confirmed, the HS condition, as the THI values ranged from 79.74 to 90.4 throughout the experimental period. In both species, HS increased RT and decreased DMI (<10.5 kg/day and 9.5 kg/day in cows and buffaloes, respectively). Buffaloes seemed to be more affected by the hostile environmental condition of this study compared with their respective cows. Buffaloes had recorded up to 1 °C increase in their RTs in most of the point’s period compared to cows. There was a continuous increase in MDA values (194.7 and 208.4 nmol/gHb in buffaloes and cows, respectively, 2 weeks prepartum) as the animals come close to parturition with moderate decrements for the enzymatic antioxidant activities in both cows and buffaloes. Conclusion: It can be concluded that during Egyptian’s summer season, HS had adversely affected feed intake and consequently animal’s production performances.
Reliability evaluation of four different assays for therapeutic drug monitoring of infliximab levels

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate reliability of four different assays for measuring infliximab trough levels and antibodies to infliximab (ATI). Methods: In this non-interventional, cross-sectional study including IBD patients, infliximab levels and ATI were measured using four different assays: Lisa-Tracker, Promonitor, Q-Inflixi and Sanquin. Reliability and agreement for infliximab levels was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman plots. Qualitative agreement for infliximab (based on a pre-established target window of trough levels between 3 µg/ml and 7 µg/ml) and for ATI were estimated by Cohen’s kappa. Results: Serum samples of 84 IBD patients were evaluated for infliximab using the four assays. Reliability was ‘substantial’ between Lisa-Tracker versus Promonitor and ‘almost perfect’ between the remaining assay pairs, with ICCs [95% confidence interval (CI)] ranging from 0.93 (0.70–0.97) for Lisa-Tracker versus Promonitor to 0.97 (0.95–0.98) for Q-Inflixi versus Sanquin. Bland–Altman plots showed significant bias between assays except Promonitor versus Q-Inflixi, which had excellent agreement. The greatest differences in mean infliximab were found between Promonitor versus Lisa-Tracker (–0.91 µg/ml) and Lisa-Tracker versus Q-Inflixi (0.69 µg/ml). Qualitative agreement for infliximab was ‘almost perfect’ for Promonitor versus Q-Inflixi (kappa 0.84) and Q-Inflixi versus Sanquin (kappa 0.81), and ‘substantial’ for the remaining pairs. More than 10% of patients who had infliximab levels within the target interval by Lisa-Tracker had suboptimal concentrations (<3 µg/ml) with Promonitor and Q-Inflixi. Furthermore, 11% of patients within the target interval by Q-Inflixi had supra-optimal levels (>7 µg/ml) by Lisa-Tracker. In the remaining paired comparisons, fewer than 5% of patients were placed in different subgroups. Qualitative agreement for ATI fluctuated between ‘moderate’ and ‘almost perfect’. Conclusions: All four assays seem suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of infliximab. Promonitor and Q-Inflixi had the best agreement, making those assays fully interchangeable. Systematic biases between Lisa-Tracker with Promonitor and Q-Inflixi suggest that these assays should not be interchanged during the follow up of an individual patient.
Stability Improvement for Three-Phase Grid-Connected Converters Through Impedance Reshaping in Quadrature-Axis

Three-phase AC−DC and DC−AC power converters have been extensively employed as grid-interfaces in various applications, e.g., distributed generation and energy storage systems. In these applications, power converters should always synchronize with the mains grid so that active and/or reactive power can properly be regulated while maintaining desired waveforms of grid currents. Grid synchronization necessitates accurate information of grid voltages, which is normally obtained through phase-locked-loops (PLLs). However, the employment of PLLs may bring in stability concerns. Previous research revealed that the inclusion of PLLs shapes the impedance of power converters into a negative resistance in the quadrature-axis (q-axis), and this should be responsible for instability. To resolve the instability issue caused by PLLs, this paper proposes an impedance controller for reshaping the q-axis impedance into a positive resistance in the low-frequency band. Without any extra burden on system hardware, the proposed controller can easily be implemented by directly relating the q -axis voltage to the q-axis current reference. As a result, the presented three-phase power conversion system can operate stably even under a severely weak grid condition, which are verified by simulation and experimental results.
Static and Dynamic Aspects of Different Tunneling NOI Nanotransistors with Oxide and Vacuum

This paper presents some alternative constructive variants accompanied by specific model parameters of an alternative Tunnel-FET. The main device body, responsible for the device conduction is the middle insulator - vacuum or oxide. When the device body is the vacuum or Nothing region On Insulator, the device is shortly called NOI. The device simulations are focused on the transfer characteristics. Also, dynamic and noise performances are investigated. They rather suggest the NOI applications: exponential I-V function generator, weak tunneling regime suitable for digital applications, device capacitances of 1aF and noise immunity make from NOI a promising candidate at Tera-hertz frequency applications.
CRISPR/Cas9 nickase mediated targeting of urokinase receptor gene inhibits neuroblastoma cell proliferation

Neuroblastoma is a tumor arising from pluripotent sympathoadrenal precursor cells of neural cell origin. Neuroblastoma is one of the most aggressive childhood tumors with highly invasive and metastatic potential. The increased expression of urokinase and its receptor is often associated with a negative prognosis in neuroblastoma patients. We have shown that targeting of the Plaur gene in mouse neuroblastoma Neuro 2A cells by CRISPR/Cas9n results in ~60% decrease in cell proliferation (p<0.05), reduction in the number of Ki-67 positive cells, caspase 3 activation and PARP-1 cleavage. Knockout of uPAR leads to downregulation of mRNA encoding full-length TrkC receptor, which is involved in p38MAPK and Akt signalling pathways. This finding provides a rationale to study a role of uPAR in neuroblastoma progression, since uPAR could be considered a potential therapeutic target in neuroblastoma treatment.
Efficacy of combined hypo-fractionated radiotherapy and anti-PD-1 monotherapy in difficult-to-treat advanced melanoma patients

ABSTRACT Information on the role of radiotherapy in anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody-treated melanoma patients is limited. We report on a prospective cohort of advanced melanoma patients treated simultaneously with radiotherapy and anti-PD-1 therapy between 01/01/15 and 30/06/16. Tumor evaluations (RECIST 1.1) were performed every 3 months on radiated and non-radiated lesions. Twenty-five advanced melanoma patients (64% AJCC stage IV M1c, 64% on second-line treatment or more, 60% with elevated LDH serum levels) were included. Radiotherapy was performed early (median: 24 days) after the first anti-PD-1 dose in 15 patients with rapidly progressing symptomatic lesion(s) or later (median: 5.4 months) in 10 patients with progressive disease (PD) despite PD-1 blockade. Radiotherapy was limited to one organ in 24 patients and consisted mainly of hypo-fractioned radiotherapy (median dose 26 Gy in 3–5 fractions, 17 patients) or brain radiosurgery (5 patients). Median follow-up after first anti-PD-1 dose was 16.9 m (range 2.7-27.4), with 44% of patients alive at last follow-up. For radiated lesions, rates of complete (CR), partial (PR) responses, stable disease (SD) or PD were 24%, 12%, 24%, and 32%, respectively. For non-radiated lesions, rates of CR, PR, SD, and PD were 20%, 19%, 12%, and 40%, respectively. Responses achieved after radiotherapy for radiated and non-radiated areas were correlated (Pearson correlation r: 0.89, P<0.0001) suggesting an abscopal effect. Five patients with CR remained disease-free after discontinuation of anti-PD-1 for a median of 9.5 months. No unusual adverse event was recorded. Hypo-fractionated radiotherapy may enhance efficacy of anti-PD1 therapy in difficult-to-treat patients. Controlled studies are needed.