Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum IL-6, TNFα and CRP levels in Greek colorectal cancer patients： Prognostic implications

AIM: The significance of preoperative serum IL-6, TNFαand CRP levels in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been fully elucidated. Our intention was to investigate their role and identify their prognostic significance.METHODS: The IL-6, TNFα and CRP levels were measured in 74 CRC patients and the relationships between their elevation s and both the clinicopathological factors and prognosis of patients were investigated. Serum concentrations of human IL-6 and TNFα were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). CRP was measured by an immunoturbinometric method.RESULTS: Median IL-6, TNFα and CRP levels weresignificantly higher in CRC patients than in normal controls.High levels of serum IL-6, TNFα and CRP were correlated with larger tumor size. Furthermore, high IL-6 and high CRP levels were associated with reduced overall survival.CONCLUSION: Serum IL-6, TNFα and CRP levels definitely increase in CRC patients. Pre-operative serum elevation of IL-6 and CRP was thus found to be predictor of the prognosis of CRC patients. The clinical value of TNFα in CRC needs to be further investigated.
Effect of the Surface Roughness of Icy Grains on Molecular Oxygen Chemistry in Molecular Clouds

Molecular cloud and protosolar nebula chemistry involves a strong interaction between the gas phase and the surface of icy grains. The exchanges between the gas phase and the solid phase depend not only on the adsorption and desorption rates but also on the geometry of the surface of the grains. Indeed, for sufficient levels of surface roughness, atoms and molecules have a significant probability to collide with the grain icy mantle several times before being potentially captured. In consequence, their net sticking probability may differ from their sticking probability for a single collision with the grain surface. We estimate the effectiveness of the recapture on uneven surfaces for the various desorption processes at play in astrophysical environments. We show that surface roughness has a significant effect on the desorption rates. We focus in particular on the production of O2 since unexpectedly large amounts of it, probably incorporated in the comet when it formed, have been detected in the coma of comet 67P by the Rosetta probe. Our results suggest that the higher escape probability of hydrogen compared to heavier species on rough surfaces can contribute to enhancing the production of O2 in the icy mantles of grains while keeping its abundance low in the gas phase and may significantly decrease the desorption probability of molecules involved in the O2 chemical network.
Distributed Control Strategy Based on a Consensus Algorithm and on the Conservative Power Theory for Imbalance and Harmonic Sharing in 4-Wire Microgrids

A distributed control system is proposed which uses the Conservative Power Theory (CPT) and a consensus algorithm to share imbalance and harmonics between different converters in three-phase four-wire droop-controlled Microgrids (MGs). The CPT is used to identify the balanced, unbalanced and distorted components of the currents and powers in the system. Control loops based on virtual impedance and implemented in the stationary a-b-c frame are then used to distribute these components between the various converters in the MG. The magnitudes of the virtual impedances are adaptively calculated using a novel consensus-based distributed control scheme with the aim of sharing imbalances and harmonics according to the residual VA capacity of each converter whilst regulating the imbalance and distortion at their output to meet the appropriate IEEE power quality standards. Extensive simulations show that the proposed distributed control has excellent performance, and experimental validation is provided using a laboratory-scale 4-wire MG.
Modeling and Control of Heterogeneous Agricultural Field Robots Based on Ramadge–Wonham Theory

Cooperation among heterogeneous agricultural field robots in an agricultural environment guarantees the advantages of effectiveness and scalability. However, traditional control theories for coordination among multiple heterogeneous robots lack a systematic modeling method and a control strategy under unstructured and uncertain environments. To handle these limitations, a novel approach based on the Ramadge–Wonham theory and discrete event system is proposed in this letter. Specifications and a supervisory controller based on discrete event models were defined from an agricultural perspective considering cooperation among heterogeneous agricultural field robots. Discrete event systems were modeled through the automata theory and the behavior of heterogeneous field robots satisfied the designed specifications. The resulting supervisor ensures that the control objectives of formation control, obstacle avoidance, movements, and path following are satisfied. The approach and architecture proposed in this study were validated using a physics-based simulator and field experiments.
Investigation on some classes of warped product manifolds

In the literature we see that after introducing a geometric structure by imposing some restrictions on Riemann–Christoffel curvature tensor, the same type structures given by imposing same restriction on other curvature tensors being studied. The main object of the present paper is to study the equivalency of various geometric structures obtained by same restriction imposing on different curvature tensors. In this purpose we present a tensor by combining Riemann–Christoffel curvature tensor, Ricci tensor, the metric tensor and scalar curvature which describe various curvature tensors as its particular cases. Then with the help of this generalized tensor and using algebraic classification we prove the equivalency of different geometric structures (see Theorems 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6 and 6.7; Tables 1 and 2). Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). 53C15, 53C21, 53C25, 53C35.
Trajectory-Constrained Collective Circular Motion With Different Phase Arrangements

A methodology to stabilize synchronized, balanced, or symmetric phase patterns of unicycle-type agents on a desired common circle, while restricting their trajectories to a certain region of interest, is proposed in this note. These phase patterns are characterized by the motion of the collective centroid of the group of agents and derived by optimizing the average linear momentum of the group. Under a mild assumption on initial states of the agents, we design control laws by exploiting the concept of barrier Lyapunov function in conjunction with bounded phase potential functions. We show that the agents asymptotically stabilize to a desired phase arrangement and their trajectories remain bounded during stabilization. We obtain bounds on the different quantities of interest in the postdesign analysis and show that these bounds depend on the initial conditions and can be altered by adjusting the controller gains. We also prove convergence when the control input is saturated to a prespecified value. Finally, we provide a discussion on the application and limitation of the proposed approach and characterize the feasible initial conditions.
The role and corrosivity of lead in recycled wood combustion

Forbranning av avfall och atervinningsbranslen, sasom returtra, vid produktion av el och varme har okat under de senaste decennierna, tack vare bland annat deras CO2-neutralitet jamfort med fossila branslen. I detta arbete undersoktes blyets roll och dess korrosivitet vid forbranning av returtra. Forskningsresultaten kan anvandas i design av nya kraftverk, till exempel vid placering av overhettare och materialval. Returtra ar heterogent till sin natur och pa grund av mekaniska och kemiska fororeningar, kan forhojda koncentrationer av bly (Pb), zink (Zn), klor (Cl), natrium (Na) och kalium (K) existera. Alla dessa element har stor inverkan pa korrosion och belaggningsbildning, som bada minskar pannans tillganglighet och effektivitet. Resultaten fran matningar i befintliga kraftverk, laboratorieforsok och termodynamiska jamviktsberakningar som gjorts i detta arbete, visade att merparten av blyet forekommer tillsammans med klor i eldstaden och i olika belaggningar pa varmeytor vars materialtemperatur ar under 440 °C. Blyklorid konstaterades reagera med belaggningar innehallande kaliumklorid och/eller alkalisulfater vilket resulterade i korrosion redan under belaggningens smaltpunkt. Existensen av en karakolit-liknande forening, K3Pb2(SO4)3Cl, pavisades for forsta gangen. Belaggningar som innehaller K-Pb-Cl foreningar och som kommer i kontakt med stalet initierar korrosionen. I foljande steg kan jarnklorid, som ar en korrosionsprodukt, bilda en smalta tillsammans med blyhaltiga partiklar i belaggningen och fororsaka en accelererad korrosionsprocess. I test med olegerat stal noterades korrosion redan vid 300 °C nar belaggningen inneholl jarnklorid. Korrosionsbestandigheten forbattrades med hogre legerade stal. Nar belaggningen bestod av en blandning av blyklorid och kaliumsulfat sa korroderade nickel-baserade stal annu inte vid 375 °C, som var den hogsta testtemperaturen.
Analgesic and Cognitive Effects of Intravenous Ketamine-Alfentanil Combinations Versus Either Drug Alone After Intradermal Capsaicin in Normal Subjects

Combinations of opioids and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists enhance acute antinociception and reduce opioid tolerance in some animal experiments but have received little rigorous study in humans. To quantitatively assess the nature of the interaction of these two classes of drugs in producing analgesia and cognitive impairment, we compared IV infusions of ketamine, alfentanil, and ketaminealfentanil combinations in 12 normal volunteers after an intradermal injection of capsaicin. Drug doses for a 70-kg subject in this six-session, randomized, double-blind, cross-over study were: ketamine 20 mg, ketamine 5 mg, alfentanil 2 mg, alfentanil 0.5 mg, ketamine 10 mg + alfentanil 1 mg, and ketamine 2.5 mg + alfentanil 0.25 mg, given over 35 min. Outcome measures were background pain, area and magnitude of hyperalgesia to pinprick, and cognitive performance on the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and the Perception Speed Test. The results demonstrated simple additivity for the effects of ketamine and alfentanil on pain, pinprick hyperalgesia, and cognitive impairment. We conclude that, at least in this experimental pain model, there is no clear advantage or disadvantage of a ketamine-alfentanil combination over equianalgesic doses of either component. Implications: In a double-blind, controlled trial, we administered doses of an opioid analgesic (alfentanil), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist (ketamine), or their combination to normal volunteers and found no advantage of the combination over a larger dose of either drug alone in relieving pain caused by painful chemical stimulation. (Anesth Analg 1998;86:1250-6)
Fast DNN Acoustic Model Speaker Adaptation by Learning Hidden Unit Contribution Features

Speaker adaptation techniques play a key role in reducing the mismatch between automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems and target users. Deep neural network (DNN) acoustic model adaptation by learning speaker-dependent hidden unit contributions (LHUC) scaling vectors has been widely used. The standard LHUC method not only requires multiple decoding passes in test time but also a substantial amount of adaptation data for robust parameter estimation. In order to address the issues, an efficient method of predicting and compressing the LHUC scaling vectors directly from acoustic features using a time-delay DNN (TDNN) and an online averaging layer is proposed in this paper. The resulting LHUC vectors are then used as auxiliary features to adapt DNN acoustic models. Experiments conducted on a 300-hour Switchboard corpus showed that the DNN and TDNN systems using the proposed predicted LHUC features consistently outperformed the corresponding baseline systems by up to about 9% relative reductions of word error rate. Being combined with i-Vector based adaptation, the LHUC feature adapted TDNN systems demonstrated consistent improvement over comparable i-Vector adapted TDNN system.
The nitrogen nutrition of yam (Dioscorea spp)

Abstract Information on the nitrogen (N) nutrition of yam (Dioscorea spp) is limited. Our objective was to elucidate the factors controlling N uptake by D. rotundata and D. alata. We analyzed results obtained with improved cultivars of these species grown in three field experiments among which 15N-fertilizer was used in one. Plant biomass production, leaf area index (LAI), root length density, N and 15N uptake by the plant were measured in these experiments. Nitrogen uptake was controlled in both species by plant demand and N inputs. A positive relation was observed between N uptake and LAI. Despite the small root system, the ability of the plant to take N up was high. The amount of N derived from the fertilizer recovered in the plant was explained by total N uptake. Finally, avenues to improve the low nitrogen fertilizer recovery (<20%) in yam are discussed.
EXPLORING THE USABILITY OF GAME-BASED VIRTUAL REALITY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF PROCEDURAL SKILLS IN UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS

vi LIST OF TABLES xiii LIST OF FIGURES xiv LIST OF PICTURES xv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xvi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1 Background 1 Stages of Motor Learning 3 Cognitive Load and Schema Theories 4 Simulation-Based Education and Game-Based Learning 5 Deliberate Practice 7 Virtual Reality and Haptics 8 Project Background 11 Purpose Statement 14 Problem Statement 14 Research Questions 15 Theoretical Foundation 15
SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE LOADED NIOSOMES DELIVERY TO HAIR FOLLICLES: PERMEATION THROUGH SYNTHETIC MEMBRANE AND GUINEA PIG SKIN

Objective: Alopecia aretea is associated with an increase in free radicals causing damage to hair follicles. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) with sufficient penetration through hair follicles, can prevent their death by its strong antioxidant effects. SOD with high molecular weight underwent limitation in follicular delivery. The aim of this study was the improvement of SOD localization into hair follicles. Methods: SOD-loaded niosomes were prepared by thin layer hydration method and were used as a vehicle for delivery to hair follicles through guinea pig skin and the synthetic membrane. Particle size, entrapment efficiency, drug release, and permeability parameters through hairly and non-hairly pig skin compared with a synthetic membrane were evaluated. Results: Niosomes demonstrated 152-325 nm particle size and the SOD burst and sustained release from niosomes were mainly controlled by diffusion and dissolution phenomena. SOD was protected against degradation by niosomes and after six months, enzyme content and activity decreased less than 5%. In comparison with free SOD, niosomes increased SOD affinity to penetration through follicles by interaction with sebum. Likewise, niosome's characters such as type of surfactant, solid lipid/liquid lipid ratio played critical roles on SOD deposition on hair follicles. Conclusion: Synthetic membrane and hairy guinea pig skin demonstrated similar barrier property against free-SOD thereby implying that free SOD does not interact with guinea pig sebum. Niosomes can introduce a suitable carrier for SOD localization into the hair follicles.
Improving Teacher Certification Examination Scores of Minority Candidates: Results of an Intervention Program.

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Black Teachers; College Gracuates; * Competency Based Teacher Education; Computer Assisted Instruction; Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; )(Licensing Examinations (Professions); Minority Group Teachers; Program Evaluation; *Scores; Sex Differences; *Teacher Certification IDENTIFIERS )(Florida Teacher Certification Examination; Teacher Candidates
Multi‐fault synergistic diagnosis of battery systems based on the modified multi‐scale entropy

Faults of lithium batteries in their early stage in electric vehicles (EVs) are usually undetectable, and their characteristics are difficult to be extracted by conventional methods. This paper presents a novel synergistic diagnosis scheme for multiple battery faults using the modified multi‐scale entropy (MMSE). The proposed MMSE can effectively extract the multi‐scale features of complex battery signals in the early stages of battery faults as well as overcome the shortage of the coarse‐grained mode in the standard multi‐scale entropy. The simulation results on experimental data and the real‐world operational vehicles show that the proposed method can effectively detect and locate multiple battery faults/abnormities before they trigger the alarm thresholds. The defined sensitivity factor can implement real‐time evaluation on abnormities with high efficiency and stability, and the developed variable‐calculation‐window diagnosis scheme can synchronously detect and locate different fault types in real time. Furthermore, feasibility, stability, reliability, versatility, robustness, and practicality of the proposed method are separately verified using multiple sets of real‐world operation data. More importantly, the proposed method also provides feasibility to effectively prevent battery thermal runaway caused by multiple battery abnormities/faults. The applications of multi‐scale entropy theory is the first of its kind to battery fault diagnosis on the real‐world operational vehicles.
Triazoles with long chain alkyl groups as a potential biological compounds

New series of four compounds was synthesized from multi hydroxyl group compounds such as methyl glycoside by coupling with long-chain alky propargyl ester ( C10, C12, C14 and unsaturated C18) via click chemistry after activation the hydroxyl at C6 position by chlorination with N-chlorosuccinimide NCS and functionalized with sodium azide NaN3. The chemical structures and the purity of the resulting triazoles derivatives was confirmed by elemental analysis (CHN) and spectroscopic analysis 1H NMR & 13C NMR. The biological activity for the target compounds was investigated, and they show good antibacterial and antifungal properties against some selected gram-posative and fungi, which make them suitable for medical applications.
Três Anos de SIDA. Experiência do Hospital Curry Cabral com as Infecções pelo HIV (1985-1988)

Os AA. apresentam um estudo retrospectivo da Consulta e Internamentos no Pavilhão F do Hos pital Curry Cabral, em Lisboa, de 90 indivíduos seropositivos para os vírus da Síndroma de Imunodefi ciência Adquirida (SIDA), HIV-l (81), HIV-2 (6) e HIV-l + HIV-2 (3). Foi feita a distribuição por sexos (M = 97,8%), idades (média —36,5 anos), grupos de risco (homossexuais — 64,4%, heterossexuais —21 ,l%, toxicómanos —7,1%, relacionados com transfusões de sangue ou derivados — 5,6%), e pelas classificações de Walter-Reed e CDC. Salienta-se um aumento da incidência desde 1985 até ao fim do primeiro trimestre de 1988, altura em que este estudo foi efectuado, com uma duplicação anual de casos, e uma inesperada elevada incidência para os heterossexuais. Apontam-se as incidências de 22% para o Sarcoma de Kaposi na classe WR6, de 55,6% para a Pneumonia por Pheumocystis carinii e 13,9% para a Criptococose, também na classe WR6. Salientam-se os envolvimentos neurológi cos, linfadenopático e síndroma de emaciação. Registamos uma taxa de mortalidade global de 31,3% no grupo WR5 e 63,9% no WR6. Procurámos calcular os riscos relativos para as diversas situações patoló gicas e obter correlações entre estes e situação imunológica, avaliada pela deplecção linfocitária de linfócitos T helper’. Nestes casos testámos a independência da amostra com o teste do Qui-quadrado.
Application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in the healthcare industry: A review

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a growing neuroimaging modality, has been utilized over the past few decades to understand the neuronal behavior in the brain. The technique has been used to assess the brain hemodynamics of impaired cohorts as well as able-bodied. Neuroimaging is a critical technique for patients with impaired cognitive or motor behaviors. The portable nature of the fNIRS system is suitable for frequent monitoring of the patients who exhibit impaired brain activity. This study comprehensively reviews brain-impaired patients: The studies involving patient populations and the diseases discussed in more than 10 works are included. Eleven diseases examined in this paper include autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, depressive disorders, anxiety and panic disorder, schizophrenia, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. For each disease, the tasks used for examination, fNIRS variables, and significant findings on the impairment are discussed. The channel configurations and the regions of interest are also outlined. Detecting the occurrence of symptoms at an earlier stage is vital for better rehabilitation and faster recovery. This paper illustrates the usability of fNIRS for early detection of impairment and the usefulness in monitoring the rehabilitation process. Finally, the limitations of the current fNIRS systems (i.e., nonexistence of a standard method and the lack of well-established features for classification) and future research directions are discussed. The authors hope that the findings in this paper would lead to advanced breakthrough discoveries in the fNIRS field in the future.
INVESTIGATION OF POLISHING ABILITIES OF UNDERGRADUATES AND POSTGRADUATES BY USING VARIOUS SYSTEMS ON COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Background: The purpose of dental education is to enable students to gain the knowledge and skills to provide the best service to their patients upon graduation. In order to achieve this, students need to work with a sufficient number of cases and use current materials throughout their education. Aim: The aim of this in vitro study, conducted in 2017, was to examine the surface roughness of two types of composites prepared with different polishing systems, constructed by either undergraduate or doctoral students. Methods: Bulk-fill (Filtek Bulk Fill Posterior) and nano-hybrid (Ceram.x One Universal) composites were polished using single-step (OneGloss Set) and multi-step (Sof-Lex System) systems. The finishing and polishing procedures were performed by ten dental undergraduate students and ten doctoral students. Average surface roughness values (Ra, μm) were measured using a profilometer. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test (α = 0.05). Results: No statistically significant differences in Ra values were noted between operators with different levels of experience. Surface roughness was higher in the samples prepared using the single-step system than in those prepared using the multi-step system for both sample types tested in this study. Conclusion: Practitioner ability does not affect the performance of polishing systems. Regardless of the composite type, the single-step polishing system produces rougher surfaces than the multi-step system.