Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cochlear Implantation in Organ Transplant Recipients.

OBJECTIVE Immunosuppressed individuals who have undergone organ transplants, especially children, pose particular challenges in terms of treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the postoperative complication rate of organ transplant recipients who have also received a cochlear implant (CI). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective case series. SETTING Tertiary referral center. INTERVENTION The case series includes 13 kidney, liver, lung, and heart transplant patients. Age at treatment ranged from 2 to 71 years, with a total of 17 CIs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Postoperative complications were classified into major and minor, early (within 3 mo postoperatively) and late (>3 mo postoperatively). The results were compared with those for 13 1:1 matched pairs obtained and from our database and a healthy patient collective from our department. RESULTS The global postoperative complication rate was 29.4%. The proportion of patients suffering major complications was 17.6%, with 17.6% having minor complications. Complications that occurred early accounted for 13.3%, and late for 26.7%. No adults, and 33.0% of children, showed any complications after cochlear implantation. The global complication rate (29.4%) was significantly increased compared with the matched pairs (0%, p = 0.013) and department data (13.8%, p = 0.006; Cramers v = 0.102). CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that organ transplant recipients, and especially children, are at increased risk of postoperative complications after cochlear implantation in comparison with healthy CI recipients.
Practical Text Phylogeny for Real-World Settings

The ease with which one can edit and redistribute digital documents on the Internet is one of modernity’s great achievements, but it also leads to some vexing problems. With growing academic interest in the study of the evolution of digital writing on the one hand and the rise of disinformation on the other, the problem of identifying the relationship between texts with similar content is becoming more important. Traditional vector space representations of texts have made progress in solving this problem when it is cast as a reconstruction task that organizes related texts into a tree expressing relationships—this is dubbed text phylogeny in the information forensics literature. However, as new text representation methods have been successfully applied to many other text analysis problems, it is worth investigating if they too are used in text phylogeny tree reconstruction. In this paper, we explore the use of word embeddings as a text representation method, with the aim of trying to improve the accuracy of reconstructed phylogeny trees for real-world data and compare it with other widely used text representation methods. We evaluate the performance on established benchmarks for this task: a synthetic data set and data collected from Wikipedia. We also apply our framework to a new data set of fan fiction based on some famous fairy tales. Experimental results show that word embeddings are competitive with other feature sets for the published benchmarks, and are highly effective for creative writing.
MURE: Making Use of MUtations to REfine Spectrum-Based Fault Localization

Locating faults in programs is never an easy task. Spectrum-based fault localization (SBFL) techniques estimate suspicious statements by contrasting the coverage spectra collected from passed and failed program runs. Mutation-based such techniques locate faults by trying different mutates with the aim of finding one that involves less turbulence to program behavior. The latter is empirically known more accurate, but with massive increases in time complexity. In this paper, we propose a new approach, MURE, which uses methodology of the latter to refine results of the former. MURE first drives a stateor-the-art SBFL technique Naish2 to output a list of suspicious statements. It then picks out suspicious statement as candidates, generates mutates for them, and estimates their likelihood of relating to faults. Finally, it refines the resultant list by adjusting part of its ordering. An experiment validates its effectiveness by showing a 30% accuracy improvement over Naish2.
Partial discharge and surface flashover characteristics with O2 content in N2/O2 mixed gas under a non-uniform field

The effect of electronegative gas on the insulation characteristics of mixed gases as alternatives to SF6 has widely been investigated to identify an appropriate insulation medium and to develop SF6-free high-voltage power equipment (HVPE). However, few studies have provided physical information on the surface discharge mechanism and physics of gas discharge to clarify this effect. This paper presents the surface discharge characteristics of SF6 and imitation air (I-Air), i.e. N2/O2 mixed gas, under a nonuniform field, and focuses on their characteristics in relation to the oxygen concentration in N2/O2 mixed gas. According to experimental results, the insulation characteristics of I-Air, especially the surface flashover voltage, decreases with increasing O2 content, when over 20% in the N2/O2 mixed gas. These characteristics are explained by the proposed surface discharge mechanisms including photoionization, electron detachment, and photoemission in accordance with changes in the O2 concentration in the N2/O2 mixed gas. In addition, the surface insulation performance of I-Air corresponding to 0.1 MPa SF6 is examined.
The Selenium Supplementation Influences Olive Tree Production and Oil Stability Against Oxidation and Can Alleviate the Water Deficiency Effects

Foliar fertilization with selenium (Se) may well be beneficial in increasing the nutritional and qualitative values of food in Se-deficient regions such as the Mediterranean Basin, and may contribute to an increase in drought resistance in plants. The present study has considered detachment force, flesh firmness, pigmentation, fresh and dry weight, and oil content of olive drupes from Se fertilized olive orchards (Olea europaea L.) under drought stress and well-watered conditions. This study has also evaluated the total Se, Se amino acid, phenol, carotenoid and chlorophyll contents of EVOO, plus its oxidative stability against oxidation. While there was no change in the ripening indexes and the production of olives generally, Se application did increase the total Se, Se methionine, phenol, and carotenoid and chlorophyll contents. The higher concentration of these (bio) chemical compounds in EVOO obtained from Se fertilized plants might well suggest enhanced antioxidant activity. Consequently, EVOO obtained from Se fertilized trees possesses a higher nutritional value and, as indicated by the greater oxidative stability against oxidation, longer shelf life. In addition, under water deficient conditions, a higher fresh olive weight corresponds to a higher level of phenol, carotenoid and chlorophyll, and the chlorophyll-to-carotenoid ratio in Se fertilized trees would appear to confirm the positive role of selenium in alleviating damage caused by drought stress conditions.
An Approach to Automatic Test Case Generation for Unit Testing

In the paper, we propose a method to automatically generate test cases for the program with nested loops. Our approach first constructs the layer model of the program by scanning procedure source code. Then, through the method of model refinement, the layer model is converted to the extended regular expression model. Next, we can get a set of test paths from the extended regular expression model according to algebraic operations and constraint conditions in the program. Finally, test cases of the program are constructed by using logical operations for these test paths. Compared with those traditional graph-based test case generation methods, our method can produce a set of executable test cases to satisfy a given test coverage criterion without having to build the control flow diagram of the program in unit testing. In addition, our method can also effectively avoid the state space explosion problem.
Relationship between TRAIL and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Treated with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Background Apoptosis plays an important role in the myocardial injury after acute myocardial infarction and in the subsequent development of heart failure. Aim To clarify serum kinetics of apoptotic markers TRAIL and sFas and their relation to left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Methods In 101 patients with STEMI treated with pPCI, levels of TRAIL and sFas were measured in series of serum samples obtained during hospitalization and one month after STEMI. LVEF was assessed at admission and at one month. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE, i.e., death, re-MI, and hospitalization for heart failure and stroke) were analysed during a two-year followup. Results Serum level of TRAIL significantly decreased one day after pPCI (50.5pg/mL) compared to admission (56.7pg/mL), subsequently increased on day 2 after pPCI (58.8pg/mL), and reached its highest level at one month (70.3pg/mL). TRAIL levels on days 1 and 2 showed a significant inverse correlation with troponin and a significant positive correlation with LVEF at baseline. Moreover, TRAIL correlated significantly with LVEF one month after STEMI (day 1: r=0.402, p<0.001; day 2: r=0.542, p<0.001). On the contrary, sFas level was significantly lowest at admission (5073pg/mL), increased one day after pPCI (6370pg/mL), and decreased on day 2 (5548pg/mL). Significantly highest sFas level was marked at one month (7024pg/mL). sFas failed to correlate with LVEF at baseline or at one month. Both TRAIL and sFas showed no ability to predict improvement of LVEF one month after STEMI or a 2-year MACE (represented by 3.29%). Conclusion In STEMI treated with pPCI, TRAIL reaches its lowest serum concentration after reperfusion. Low TRAIL level is associated with worse LVEF in the acute phase of STEMI as well as one month after STEMI. Higher TRAIL level appears to be beneficial and thus TRAIL seems to represent a protective mediator of post-AMI injury.
Plasma Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Activity Is Associated With the Size of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Reservoir in Patients Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy

Identification of factors associated with the size of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus reservoir remains a priority for HIV cure research. We report that the activity of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase, an immunoregulatory enzyme that metabolizes tryptophan to kynurenines, is associated with the size of the HIV reservoir.
Crowdsourced Information Technology Content for Education and Employment

Textbook Companion is a useful documentation approach that can be produced effectively through crowdsourcing of students and faculty members. Although extrinsic motivation is the driving factor, we cannot rule out the existence of intrinsic motivation. Scilab and Python textbook companions are found to be useful to their creators and to the community. To achieve success in more challenging projects, such as DWSIM flowsheeting, eSim circuit simulation and OpenFOAM case study, increasing the levels of motivation is proposed. Enhancing the access to laptops will increase the size and quality of the crowd, which is indispensable for the crowdsourcing to succeed.
The fall and rise of Group A Streptococcus diseases

Abstract Streptococcus pyogenes (or Group A Streptococcus, GAS) is a Gram-positive human pathogen responsible for a diverse array of superficial, invasive and immune-related diseases. GAS infections have historically been diseases of poverty and overcrowding, and remain a significant problem in the developing world and in disadvantaged populations within developed countries. With improved living conditions and access to antibiotics, the rates of GAS diseases in developed societies have gradually declined during the 20th century. However, genetic changes in circulating GAS strains and/or changes in host susceptibility to infection can lead to dramatic increases in the rates of specific diseases. No situations exemplify this more than the global upsurge of invasive GAS disease that originated in the 1980s and the regional increases in scarlet fever in north-east Asia and the UK. In each case, increased disease rates have been associated with the emergence of new GAS strains with increased disease-causing capability. Global surveillance for new GAS strains with increased virulence is important and determining why certain populations suddenly become susceptible to circulating strains remains a research priority. Here, we overview the changing epidemiology of GAS infections and the genetic alterations that accompany the emergence of GAS strains with increased capacity to cause disease.
Joint Radio and Computational Resource Allocation in IoT Fog Computing

The current cloud-based Internet-of-Things (IoT) model has revealed great potential in offering storage and computing services to the IoT users. Fog computing, as an emerging paradigm to complement the cloud computing platform, has been proposed to extend the IoT role to the edge of the network. With fog computing, service providers can exchange the control signals with the users for specific task requirements, and offload users’ delay-sensitive tasks directly to the widely distributed fog nodes at the network edge, and thus improving user experience. So far, most existing works have focused on either the radio or computational resource allocation in the fog computing. In this work, we investigate a joint radio and computational resource allocation problem to optimize the system performance and improve user satisfaction. Important factors, such as service delay, link quality, mandatory benefit, and so on, are taken into consideration. Instead of the conventional centralized optimization, we propose to use a matching game framework, in particular, student project allocation (SPA) game, to provide a distributed solution for the formulated joint resource allocation problem. The efficient SPA-(S,P) algorithm is implemented to find a stable result for the SPA problem. In addition, the instability caused by the external effect, i.e., the interindependence between matching players, is removed by the proposed user-oriented cooperation (UOC) strategy. The system performance is also further improved by adopting the UOC strategy.
An L-Sleeve L-Monopole Antenna Fitting a Shark-Fin Module for Vehicular LTE, WLAN, and Car-to-Car Communications

An L-sleeve L-monopole (LSLM) antenna fitting a shark-fin module is proposed for vehicular long-term evolution (LTE) communication. Starting with classical sleeve monopole antennas, a low-profile evolution is introduced to explain the working principle of the LSLM. The influence of the ground plane, placement position, and bent of the LSLM is analyzed to fit different shark-fin modules. Designed prototypes (the LSLM and bended LSLM) cover the frequency range of 698–2700 MHz (VSWR < 3), which would serve major LTE standards. One tab monopole antenna covering the frequency range of 5–6 GHz can be integrated into the shark-fin module and provide services for wireless local area network and car-to-car communications. Low mutual coupling (lower than –23 dB) between the two antennas is achieved in the frequency range of 698–6000 MHz without any additional filters, and the design method is presented for better understanding the underlying physics. The proposed antenna is fabricated on an affordable printed circuit board, which is useful for vehicular applications.
CLAIRE: A distributed-memory solver for constrained large deformation diffeomorphic image registration

With this work we release CLAIRE, a distributed-memory implementation of an effective solver for constrained large deformation diifeomorphic image registration problems in three dimensions. We consider an optimal control formulation. We invert for a stationary velocity field that parameterizes the deformation map. Our solver is based on a globalized, preconditioned, inexact reduced space Gauss‒Newton‒Krylov scheme. We exploit state-of-the-art techniques in scientific computing to develop an eifective solver that scales to thousands of distributed memory nodes on high-end clusters. We present the formulation, discuss algorithmic features, describe the software package, and introduce an improved preconditioner for the reduced space Hessian to speed up the convergence of our solver. We test registration performance on synthetic and real data. We Demonstrate registration accuracy on several neuroimaging datasets. We compare the performance of our scheme against diiferent flavors of the Demons algorithm for diifeomorphic image registration. We study convergence of our preconditioner and our overall algorithm. We report scalability results on state-of-the-art supercomputing platforms. We Demonstrate that we can solve registration problems for clinically relevant data sizes in two to four minutes on a standard compute node with 20 cores, attaining excellent data fidelity. With the present work we achieve a speedup of (on average) 5× with a peak performance of up to 17× compared to our former work.
Minimizing Age of Information for Multiple Flows

Age of Information (AoI) is an emerging metric measuring the freshness of a flow at its destination, which is critical for time-sensitive applications. We consider multiple flows served by a single server. To minimize the average AoI over all flows, we formulate preemptive and non-preemptive Maximum Age Difference (MAD) algorithms, and experimentally observe their superior performance with respect to various other scheduling algorithms for multi-flow networks. We also observe that both MAD and MAF (Maximum Age First) respond favorably to flow diversity, with a reduction in AoI.
The control mechanism of micron and nano SiO2/epoxy composite coating on surface charge in epoxy resin

Charge accumulation on the surface of epoxy resin affects the insulation performance under DC voltage. In order to illustrate the effect of surface coating on the characteristics of surface charge accumulation in epoxy resin, micron and nano SiO>sub>2/epoxy composite coatings were deposited on the surface of epoxy resin by spraying, and the charge accumulation on the surface was studied by the electrostatic probe method. The surface trap parameters were analyzed by the method of isothermal surface potential decay combining with the carrier mobility and cross-section morphology of samples, the transport characteristics of surface charge and the respective control mechanism of coating layer were studied. The results suggest that the surface charge mainly accumulates near the electrodes, the main source of charges is injected from the electrodes. The surface charges near the anode are caused by charge trapping, and the surface charges near the cathode are caused by the adsorption due to the normal electric field. Surface charge accumulation can be suppressed by increasing the shallow trap density and carrier mobility on the surface of material, which is available by coating with micron and nano SiO2/epoxy composites. It was found that, surface charge of epoxy resin could be suppressed effectively by coating of micron SiO2 particles with content of 1~3 wt%, or nano SiO2 particles with content of 3 wt%.
Long sleep duration predicts a higher risk of obesity in adults: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Background The connections between long sleep duration and obesity or weight gain warrant further examination. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether long sleep duration was associated with the risk of obesity, weight gain, body mass index (BMI) change or weight change in adults. Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Elsevier Science Direct, Science Online, MEDLINE and CINAHL were searched for English articles published before May 2017. A total of 16 cohort studies (n = 329 888 participants) from 8 countries were included in the analysis. Pooled relative risks (RR) or regression coefficients (β) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Heterogeneity and publication bias were tested, and sensitivity analysis was also performed. Results We found that long sleep duration was associated with higher risk of obesity (RR [95% CI] = 1.04 [1.00-1.09], P = 0.037), but had no significant associations with weight gain, BMI change or weight change. Long sleep duration increased the risk of weight gain in three situations: among men, in studies with <5 years follow-up, and when sleep duration was 9 or more hours. Conclusions Long sleep duration was associated with risk of obesity in adults. More cohort studies with objective measures are needed to confirm this relationship.
The Dynamics of Learning Engagement in Challenge-Based Online Learning

Vast amounts of educational data created by learners interacting with digital learning tools open up the opportunity to gain insights for improving education at a new level of evidence-based research into learning and teaching. This study is part of a research programme investigating the dynamics and impacts of learning engagement in a challenge-based online learning environment. Learning engagement is a multidimensional concept which includes an individual's ability to behaviourally, cognitively, emotionally, and motivationally engage in an on-going learning process. Challenge-based learning gives significant freedom to the learner to decide what and when to engage and interact with digital learning materials. In light of previous empirical findings, we expect that learning engagement is positively related to learning performance in a challenge-based online learning environment. This study was based on data from the Careers Challenge platform, including transaction data from 8,951 students. Findings indicate that learning engagement in challenge-based online learning environments is, as expected, positively related to learning performance. Implications point toward the need for personalised and adaptive learning environments to be developed in order to cater for the individual needs of learners in challenge-based online learning environments.
The Gricean Maxims of Quantity and of Relation in the Turing Test

Previous research in the field of cognitive science has demonstrated the relevance of measuring reaction times to describe the cognitive cost of processing information, yet it has seldom been studied in the context of conversations and, to our knowledge, never in free flowing, interactive conversations. This study presents a way of analyzing entire online conversations in a protocol inspired by the Turing Test to investigate the relation between violations of Grice's Cooperation Principle and the response times of the participants. We hypothesized that response times are directly correlated to the cognitive cost required to generate implicatures from a statement. Our results show that violations of the maxim of Relation significantly increased the response time, especially for female participants. This confirms that measuring response times during a conversation can be a simple and relevant way of inferring the cognitive cost of processing an utterance.