Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Application of wavelet analysis to acoustic emission pulses generated by partial discharges

The subject matter of this paper refers to the improvement of the acoustic emission (AE) method when used for detection, measurement and location of partial discharges (PDs) in oil insulation systems of power appliances. The detailed subject matter refers to the issues connected with the application of modern methods of digital processing of signals obtained during technical high-power measurements. The paper presents the results of measurements and analyses of the AE pulses generated in setups making the modeling of basic PD forms that can occur in oil insulations possible. The research concentrated mainly on the following types of PDs: point-plane, multipoint-plane, multipoint-plane with a layer of pressboard, surface, generated in gas bubbles and on the indeterminate-potential particles moving in oil. In each case, the acoustic pulses generated by PDs in both positive and negative half times of the voltage supplying the spark gaps under study were analyzed. The AE pulses measured were subject to the wavelet analysis. For each of the PD forms the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) was determined and the corresponding time-frequency distributions were drawn. Moreover, for the AE pulses generated by PDs of the surface and multipoint-plane types, the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) was calculated, the runs of the particular details for six frequency levels and the approximation run were presented. In reference to the DWT analysis for the particular details, the probability density functions (PDF) and the autocorrelation functions (ACF) were determined at the particular levels of decomposition. Also columnar diagrams showing the energy value that is transferred at the particular levels of decomposition were presented. Moreover, the energy density spectrum runs determined through a FFT were presented for comparison. The Morlet wavelet was used to determine the CWT, and the symlet wavelet was used to calculate the DWT. Next, the distributions obtained for the particular PD forms underwent a comparative analysis taking into account the voltage polarization. It was observed that different frequency structures occur for the particular PD forms. Also, a different time of coherent structure duration for the particular PD forms was observed.
Mortality of Septic Mice Strongly Correlates With Adrenal Gland Inflammation

Objectives:Sepsis and septic shock are commonly present in the ICU and accompanied by significant morbidity, mortality, and cost. The frequency of secondary adrenal insufficiency in sepsis remains open to debate and a challenge to identify and treat appropriately. Animal models of sepsis using genetic or surgical initiation of adrenal insufficiency resulted in increased mortality, but the mechanisms are still unclear. The present study investigates the impact of adrenal inflammation in septic mice challenged with cecal ligation and puncture. Design:Prospective experimental study. Setting:University laboratory. Subjects:C57BL/6N wild-type mice. Interventions:Sepsis, induced by cecal ligation and puncture for 24 and 48 hours. Measurements and Main Results:Both septic and control mice were carefully monitored (every 30 min) for up to 48 hours and divided into survivors and nonsurvivors. We observed a significant and massive increase of interleukin-6, interleukin-1&bgr;, and tumor necrosis factor-&agr; in adrenal protein extracts of nonsurvivors compared with sham animals and survivors. This pattern was partly reflected in liver and lung but not in plasma samples. Notably, a significant increase in nonsurvivors compared with survivors was only found for lung interleukin-6. In line with these findings, we detected a higher degree of leukocyte infiltration and hemorrhage in the adrenal glands of deceased mice. Evaluation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response in these animals revealed an increase of adrenocorticotropic hormone, which was only partly reflected in the corticosterone level. Notably, using the adrenocorticotropic hormone stimulation test, we found an impaired adrenocorticotropic hormone response, particularly in nonsurvivors, which significantly correlated with the number of infiltrated leukocytes. Conclusions:Cecal ligation and puncture–induced murine sepsis induces a strong inflammatory response in the adrenal glands, which is accompanied by cell death and hemorrhage. Our data suggest that mortality and adrenal incapacitation are associated with the degree of adrenal inflammation, thereby underscoring the importance of adrenal function on survival.
Elements upstream of the AAUAAA within the human immunodeficiency virus polyadenylation signal are required for efficient polyadenylation in vitro

Recent in vivo studies have identified specific sequences between 56 and 93 nucleotides upstream of a polyadenylation [poly(A)] consensus sequence, AAUAAA, in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) that affect the efficiency of 3'-end processing at this site (A. Valsamakis, S. Zeichner, S. Carswell, and J. C. Alwine, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:2108-2112, 1991). We have used HeLa cell nuclear extracts and precursor RNAs bearing the HIV-1 poly(A) signal to study the role of upstream sequences in vitro. Precursor RNAs containing the HIV-1 AAUAAA and necessary upstream (U3 region) and downstream (U5 region) sequences directed accurate cleavage and polyadenylation in vitro. The in vitro requirement for upstream sequences was demonstrated by using deletion and linker substitution mutations. The data showed that sequences between 56 and 93 nucleotides upstream of AAUAAA, which were required for efficient polyadenylation in vivo, were also required for efficient cleavage and polyadenylation in vitro. This is the first demonstration of the function of upstream sequences in vitro. Previous in vivo studies suggested that efficient polyadenylation at the HIV-1 poly(A) signal requires a spacing of at least 250 nucleotides between the 5' cap site and the AAUAAA. Our in vitro analyses indicated that a precursor containing the defined upstream and downstream sequences was efficiently cleaved at the polyadenylation site when the distance between the 5' cap and the AAUAAA was reduced to at least 140 nucleotides, which is less than the distance predicted from in vivo studies. This cleavage was dependent on the presence of the upstream element.
Dynamic Models of Religious Conformity and Conversion: Theory and Calibration

Dynamic Models of Religious Conformity and Conversion: Theory and Calibrations by Oz Shy* This paper develops behavioral and deterministic overlapping generations models to explain and simulate changes in the proportion of secular and religious people. Under the behavioral approach, the role of the church is to generate an externality associated with the investment in enhancing the conformity rate among young believers. Under the deterministic approach, changes in the number of nonbelievers are explained by different birth rates among secular and religious parents as well as the relative proportion of nonconformists among the young in each group. This model is then used to calibrate for (non)conformity rates among secular and religious people.
The ERalpha/ERbeta ratio determines oxidative stress in breast cancer cell lines in response to 17Beta‐estradiol

The effects of 17beta‐estradiol (E2) are mediated through activation of estrogen receptors (ER): ERalpha and ERbeta. It is known that ERalpha/ERbeta ratio is higher in breast tumors than in normal tissue. Since antioxidant enzymes and uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitochondrial biogenesis regulators, our aim was to study the E2‐effect on oxidative stress, antioxidant enzyme expression, and UCPs in breast cancer cell lines with different ERalpha/ERbeta ratios. The lower ERalpha/ERbeta ratio T47D cell line showed low ROS production and high UCP5 levels. However, the higher ERalpha/ERbeta ratio MCF‐7 cell line showed an up‐regulation of antioxidant enzymes and UCPs, yet exhibited high oxidative stress. As a result, a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities and UCP2 protein levels, coupled with an increase in oxidative damage was found. On the whole, these results show different E2‐effects on oxidative stress regulation, modulating UCPs, and antioxidant enzymes, which were ERalpha/ERbeta ratio dependent in breast cancer cell lines. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3178–3185, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cancer and Immunomodulators in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Abstract:The widespread use of thiopurines and anti-tumor necrosis factors (TNFs) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a rising concern regarding their potential cancer risk. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library database were searched for articles regarding immunomodulators anti-TNF agents in IBD, hematologic malignancies, and solid tumors. Current evidences support that thiopurines and anti-TNFs used alone or in combination do not increase the overall cancer risk in IBD. Thiopurines use, with or without anti-TNFs, is associated with an increased risk of lymphoma, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma, in Crohn's disease. Combined treatment significantly increases the risk of a rare hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma, particularly in young male patients with Crohn's disease. An increased risk of nonmelanotic skin cancer is also observed when using thiopurines in IBD, whereas a slightly increased risk of melanoma is observed when using anti-TNFs. The role played by immunomodulators in the development of other cancer types (i.e., urinary) as also by the severity of IBD is under investigation. Although the incidence of specific malignancies (lymphoma, skin cancers) seems to be increased by immunomodulators, their absolute number is low. As thiopurines and anti-TNFs are highly effective in IBD, current evidences support that in appropriate hands, their benefits overwhelm the cancer risk. However, a careful selection of both patients and timing of treatment is mandatory, particularly in young male patients with Crohn's disease. Immunomodulators should therefore be handled by experienced and dedicated gastroenterologists who aware of the potential, although low, cancer risk associated with their use in patients with IBD.
Influence of the blood‐CSF‐barrier function on S100B in neurodegenerative diseases

S100B was proposed to be a CSF and blood biomarker in a number of neurological diseases. The route of S100B to the CSF and the blood in neurodegenerative diseases is unclear. To assess the impact of the physiological or impaired blood‐CSF‐barrier (BCSFB) function on S100B concentrations in CSF and serum, we analysed S100B in correlation of the albumin quotient.
How Do Foreign Direct Investment and Growth Interact in Turkey

This paper empirically investigates the relation between growth and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey. There are mixed conclusions about the impact of FDI on growth and the literature includes many studies where FDI has negative, positive and no significant effects on growth. Turkey serves like an open lab for such empirical studies since the country has experienced high and persistent levels of inflation for about thirty years as well as several economic crises in the last decade after which the inflation is taken under control and high growth rates are attained. Furthermore, Turkey has managed to start receiving considerable FDI recently. We establish a VAR Model with 5 variables to examine the FDI-Growth relation and consequently the impulse-response analysis are carried out to see the impact of shocks on the variables entering the VAR equations. We also included the variance decomposition to work out the sources of variance in both growth and FDI. Our model provides empirical support to bi-directional causality between FDI and growth.
Erythropoietin Impairs Endothelial Vasodilatory Function in Patients with Renal Anemia and in Healthy Subjects

Background/Aim: The mechanisms underlying the aggravation or development of hypertension frequently seen during treatment of renal anemia with epoetins are not fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of epoetin alfa on endothelial vasodilatory function in patients with renal anemia and in healthy subjects. Methods: Eighteen preuremic patients with anemia (GFR 23.4 ± 11 SD ml/min, Hb 101 ± 8 g/l) and 10 healthy subjects underwent evaluation of endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV) and endothelium-independent vasodilation (EIDV) by means of forearm blood flow (FBF) measurements with venous occlusion plethysmography during local intra-arterial infusions of methacholine (MCh, evaluating EDV) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP, evaluating EIDV). These investigations were performed before and 30 min after an intravenous injection of epoetin alfa (10,000 IU). Ten healthy subjects underwent the same procedure with the exception that saline were given instead of epoetin. The patients were treated with epoetin alfa subcutaneously for 12–19 weeks and revaluated when Hb exceeded 120 g/l. Results: EDV was attenuated after the epoetin injection in both renal patients and healthy subjects. This impairment persisted after anemia had been treated. EDIV and blood pressure remained constant. Saline had no effect on the variables measured. Conclusion: Our results indicate that epoetin alfa impairs endothelial function in renal patients and healthy subjects which may have an impact on vascular complications.
Classification of breast cancer histology images using Convolutional Neural Networks

Breast cancer is one of the main causes of cancer death worldwide. The diagnosis of biopsy tissue with hematoxylin and eosin stained images is non-trivial and specialists often disagree on the final diagnosis. Computer-aided Diagnosis systems contribute to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of this process. Conventional classification approaches rely on feature extraction methods designed for a specific problem based on field-knowledge. To overcome the many difficulties of the feature-based approaches, deep learning methods are becoming important alternatives. A method for the classification of hematoxylin and eosin stained breast biopsy images using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) is proposed. Images are classified in four classes, normal tissue, benign lesion, in situ carcinoma and invasive carcinoma, and in two classes, carcinoma and non-carcinoma. The architecture of the network is designed to retrieve information at different scales, including both nuclei and overall tissue organization. This design allows the extension of the proposed system to whole-slide histology images. The features extracted by the CNN are also used for training a Support Vector Machine classifier. Accuracies of 77.8% for four class and 83.3% for carcinoma/non-carcinoma are achieved. The sensitivity of our method for cancer cases is 95.6%.
Psychological Dimension and Psychopathological Potential of Acquiring a Kidney *

This paper reports on a study of the psy­ chological consequences of irreversible renal failure, particularly with regard to the ex­ perience of kidney transplantation. The study is part of an ongoing research and treatment project in the Hemodialysis and Kidney Transplant Unit at Notre-Dame Hospital in Montreal. The case material for the present study consists of approximately 20 patients who have already received transplantation as well as several others who are scheduled for renal transplantation in • the future.
Dynamic factor model with non-linearities : application to the business cycle analysis

This thesis is dedicated to the study of a particular class of non-linear Dynamic Factor Models, the Dynamic Factor Models with Markov Switching (MS-DFM). Combining the features of the Dynamic Factor model and the Markov Switching model, i.e. the ability to aggregate massive amounts of information and to track recurring processes, this framework has proved to be a very useful and convenient instrument in many applications, the most important of them being the analysis of business cycles.In order to monitor the health of an economy and to evaluate policy results, the knowledge of the currentstate of the business cycle is essential. However, it is not easy to determine since there is no commonly accepted dataset and method to identify turning points, and the official institutions announce a newturning point, in countries where such practice exists, with a structural delay of several months. The MS-DFM is able to resolve these issues by providing estimates of the current state of the economy in a timely, transparent and replicable manner on the basis of the common component of macroeconomic indicators characterizing the real sector. The thesis contributes to the vast literature in this area in three directions. In Chapter 3, I compare the two popular estimation techniques of the MS-DFM, the one-step and the two-step methods, and apply them to the French data to obtain the business cycle turning point chronology. In Chapter 4, on the basis of Monte Carlo simulations, I study the consistency of the estimators of the preferred technique -the two-step estimation method, and analyze their behavior in small samples. In Chapter 5, I extend the MS-DFM and suggest the Dynamical Influence MS-DFM, which allows to evaluate the contribution of the financial sector to the dynamics of the business cycle and vice versa, taking into consideration that the interaction between them can be dynamic.
Impact of changing trends of treatment on outcome of cerebral gliosarcoma: A tertiary care centre experience

Abstract Aim: To assess clinicopathological features and outcomes in patients of primary gliosarcoma with changing trends of treatment. Materials and Methods: Medical records were reviewed and data collected on primary gliosarcoma over a 5-year period (2009–2013) from the departmental case files. Results: A total 27 patients were included in this study. The median age of presentation was 54 years. There was a slight male preponderance, with male to female ratio of 1.25:1. The most common location of the tumor was temporal lobe (44.4%). Gross total resection was possible in 19 cases, near total excision was done in five cases, and only partial excision with decompression in three cases. Of the 27 patients, 80.8% patients received post-operative radical external beam radiotherapy of 60 Gy/30#/6 weeks. Concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide was used in 42.3% cases, depending on affordability and tolerance. Median overall survival was 9 months. On subgroup analysis, median overall survival in the radiotherapy plus temozolomide group was 10 months as compared to 9 months in the radiotherapy alone group; however, this was not statistically significant. (P = 0.244). Conclusion: Treating Gliosarcoma is a major therapeutic challenge for a clinician because of its poor prognosis, aggressive clinical behavior, rarity, and limited clinical experience. With surgery and concurrent chemoradiation, we were able to achieve a median overall survival of 9 months. Addition of temozolomide has shown a better trend in survival though it is not statistically significant.
In vitro modulatory effects of interleukin‐3 on macrophage activation induced by interleukin‐2

Background. The concomitant activation of macrophage‐mediated immunosuppressive events might represent one of the most important biologic factors responsible for the decreased efficacy of cancer immunotherapies, including that of interleukin (IL)‐2. In previous studies, the authors observed that the increase in the soluble IL‐2 receptor (SIL‐2R) and neopterin levels was related to the generation of macrophage‐mediated immuno‐suppression and associated with a reduced clinical efficacy during IL‐2 cancer immunotherapy. Because both cytokines and neurohormones may influence the macrophage system, the current study was done to evaluate the effects of IL‐3 and of the pineal hormone melatonin (MLT) on monocyte response to IL‐2 administration.
Directions for Future Nursing Research on Fecal Incontinence

Background: As knowledge of the prevalence and impact of fecal incontinence increases, additional research is needed to improve patient outcomes and support the practice of nurses in this area. Objectives: To outline needs for future nursing research on fecal incontinence in aging adults. Methods: Existing literature about fecal incontinence was analyzed to generate a plan for future research. Results: Recommendations for investigation were proposed in the following areas: mechanisms underlying fecal incontinence and common to fecal incontinence and urinary incontinence; assessment of fecal incontinence; management strategies; and tracking a patient’s response to fecal incontinence therapies across the healthcare system. Other areas of study identified as priorities included lessening the psychological burden of fecal incontinence, preventing perineal skin problems with appropriate skin care protocols and products, and developing efficacious nursing home routines and environments. Conclusions: Increasing the capacity of nursing research focused on fecal incontinence through funding support and recruitment incentives for new investigators is essential to achieve the proposed agenda.
Competency Assessment and Factors Associated with It among Health Professionals at Debre Birhan Health Science College

Background: Competency assessment has a key role in the assurance of quality professionals in every discipline. Competency assessment is a method by which we can verify that our employees are competent to perform tasks timely. To derive the greatest benefit from the application of competency assessment in the health professionals, we must be sure that we are addressing areas where our efforts are utilized to optimize the patient care. There is no research done on the competency assessment so far except the report send by Technical Vocational and Educational Training. Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitude and practice of health professionals towards competency assessment and factors were associated with competencies at Debre Birhan Health Science College, 2013. Methods: A facility based cross sectional study was conducted using interview technique. Study participants were all students taking competency assessment in all departments at Debre Berhan Health Science College in two rounds. The percentage of participants who were competent was computed. Factors associated with competency were assessed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Among the total participants (n = 287), (57.8 percent) were female. Among the (n = 287) study participants, 226 (78.7%) were competent. Of these, 88.5% of the candidates were learned at governmental institution. Predictors of competency were department of the respondent AOR [95%]; 0.05 [0.01, 0.45], expectation of the results [AOR (95% CI) = 0.13 (0.02, 0.85)], number of competency taken [AOR (95% CI) = 0.11 (0.01, 0.88)] and candidates’ knowledge of their right and obligations AOR [95%]; 3.7 [1.3, 10.3]. Conclusions: Significant numbers of candidates were not yet competent due to various factors at different level. Therefore, comprehensive work should be done on the instructors, students and the center to make the candidates competent.