Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased circulating GrMyeloid-derived suppressor cells correlated with tumor burden and survival in locally advanced cervical cancer patient

Background: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) may lead to immune evasion and disease progression in some cancers, but their roles remain to be investigated in cervical cancer. This study aimed to characterize the specific subsets of MDSCs that might be potential indicators for disease progression in cervical cancer patients. Methods: Different subsets of MDSCs were characterized using flow cytometry in blood samples from healthy subjects and cervical cancer patients. T-cell proliferation assay was performed in vitro. Tumor infiltrating CD8+ and FOXP3+ cells were also evaluated by immunostaining on the tumor tissues from patients with early and locally advanced cervical cancer. We further analyzed the relevance of circulating MDSCs to clinicopathological characteristics, patient survival as well as tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. Results: The frequency of circulating GrMDSCs increased correlated with FIGO stage while the percentage of MoMDSCs only elevated in patients with advanced cervical cancers. For patients with early and locally advanced cervical cancer, the frequency of circulating GrMDSCs but not MoMDSCs correlated with clinicopathologic parameters including metastatic lymph nodes, deep stromal invasion and tumor recurrence. The levels of circulating GrMDSCs also negatively correlated with the densities of CD8+ cells in tumor tissues. In vitro assay showed that Gr-MDSCs suppressed the proliferation of autologous T cells. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that the increased frequency of circulating GrMDSCs is associated with tumor burden and recurrence in early and locally advanced cervical cancer patients, that the GrMDSCs may be potential biomarkers for disease progression cervical cancers.
Prevalence and Pattern of Hypodontia among Croatian Orthodontic Patients

Objective The objective of this retrospective study was to assess the prevalence of hypodontia in the permanent dentition among Croatian orthodontic patients. The occurrence was evaluated concerning gender, specific missing teeth, the location, pattern of distribution in the maxillary and mandibular arches and sagittal and vertical skeletal pattern. Material and Methods The sample consisted of 194 patients (75 males and 119 females) from the Department of Orthodontics, Dental Clinic, Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb. Based on the severity of hypodontia the sample was divided into mild (1-2 missing teeth), moderate (3-5 missing teeth) and severe groups (6 or more missing teeth). The location of missing teeth was used to further divide the sample into anterior (intercanine region), posterior (premolars and molars) and anteroposterior groups. In addition, jaw localization of hypodontia was also considered. Results Permanent dentition hypodontia among Croatian orthodontic patients was found to be generally mild (80%), and a distribution was similar in the maxilla (39%) and the mandible (41%), as well as in the anterior and posterior segments of dental arch (44%). The number of missing teeth per person ranged from 1 to 12, with no significant difference between genders. The severity and location of hypodontia did not differ significantly between the genders, as well as in between the categories of sagittal and vertical skeletal patterns. Conclusion Present results suggest that the treatment plan for patients with hypodontia in permanent dentition should be individualized and adjusted for each case.
A search for valuable resources in the construction industry; a Dutch empirical study on the performance of contactors How to stay away from low bid customers and non-valuable dyadic relations

The construction industry, as a whole, is under a lot of pressure: unsatisfied clients, building frauds, costs of failure, etc. This is also the case in The Netherlands. Improving the value adding performance is the challenge (Van Rees, 2006). Van Rees argues that an important weakness of the construction industry is the limited collaboration between the demand side and the supply side to get the demand sorted out correctly. Next to that, co-operation between project partners is weak. The dominant form of business in the construction industry is still the transactional exchange (Dubois & Gadde, 2000; Thompson et al, 1998), with a reliance on tendering procedures. Relationships based solely on market forces are often distrustful, if not antagonistic, and rooted in the fear that the other party might engage in opportunistic behaviour (Johnston & Lawrence, 1998). There is a growing demand for more collaboration between partners in the value chain to lower the failure costs in the industry. In table 1 results for a Dutch (non-scientific) questionnaire of Bouwkennis (a Dutch organization specialized in information gathering and spreading) are shown for the statement: “further collaboration in the construction industry will lower the cost of failure”. Slightly surprisingly only 47% of all respondents agree on the statement.
On building 3D maps using a Range Camera: Applications to Rescue Robotics

It is critical in many mobile robotics applications to characterise the presence and position of objects around the robot. This is the case whether the mobile robot is under autonomous or teleoperative control. In this paper, we examine the use of a CSEM SwissRanger SR-2 3D range camera which allows the generation of dense, accurate 3D point clouds around a mobile robot. Combined with other data sources, such as video cameras, this allows the creation of 3D maps that can be used for “ﬂy throughs”. Furthermore, this same technique allows a teleoperator to very accurately place landmarks within the 3D maps. As this device is still somewhat prototypical, we also discuss some of the issues associated with the use of this device. The test application was the 2005 RoboCup Rescue Robot League, a competition that simulates robot-assisted Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) tasks and places great importance on eﬀectively generating maps. Novel techniques for processing the raw measurements from the sensor, and its use to create maps of mock disaster sites are discussed. The maps generated, part of Team CASualty’s entry, were received very well by the judges of the competition and were unique in their combination of 3D, colour and thermal information, and the automated way in which the placement of landmarks and other annotations were performed. The maps were instrumental in the team’s achievement of 3rd place.
Cytogenetics of a new trispecies hybrid in cotton: [(Gossypium hirsutum L. × G. thurberi Tod.)2 × G. longicalyx Hutch. & Lee]

A three-species hybrid named HTL including Gossypium hirsutum L. [2n = 4 x = 52, (AD), genome] was created using the pseudophyletic introgression method with G. longicalyx Hutch. & Lee (2n = 2x = 26, F, genome) as donor parent and G. thurberi Tod. (2n = 2x = 26, D1 genome) as bridge species. The new hybrid was totally self-sterile and its interspecific status was confirmed using simple sequence repeat markers and cytogenetic analysis. Cytogenetic studies showed that its chromosome configuration was 2n = 52 = 14.13 I + 15.10 II + 1.03 III + 0.9 IV + 0.03 V + 0.13 VI (where I, II, III, IV, V and VI are univalents, bivalents, trivalents, tetravalents, pentavalents and hexavalents, respectively). Prospects for successfully exploiting the HTL hybrid in breeding programmes are discussed. (Resume d'auteur)
Program for Dental Health Advancement in Children „Dental Passport“

Objective The need for improving oral health in the Republic of Croatia was based on health indicators and poor oral health status and resulted in the implementation of measures to improve the use of dental health care for schoolchildren through the national program called “Dental Passport”, which began in the 2017/2018 school year. Purpose The aim of this study was to present the content and results of its implementation and to analyse them with emphasis on the sustainability and inclusion of the program and its implementation in preventive activities and procedures. Material and Methods The data were collected from the completed “Dental Passport” forms from September 2017 to August 2018. The dental examinations and diagnostic-therapeutic procedures were recorded in The Central Health Information System of Croatia. Results In the school year 2017/2018, 24,729 6th grade elementary school students visited a dentist. The response rate in the Republic of Croatia was 68%. According to the CEZIH data, in the period from September 1 to December 31 2017, an increase in the number of first examinations and diagnostic-therapeutic procedures was observed in children aged 12 years, compared to the same period in 2015. The least reported preventive procedures in preschool children and 6th grade students were fissure sealing and sealing restorations, while motivating and instructing children on oral hygiene were the most common reported procedures. Conclusion Good organization of work in school medicine provides the basis for the implementation of dental programs involving schoolchildren. However, greater motivation of the dental health care provider in the implementation of preventive procedures and motivation of parents and patients for a more active involvement in the “Dental Passport” program are important determinants in further implementation and improvement of oral health in children.
Growth Suppression of Inoculated Listeria monocytogenes and Physicochemical and Textural Properties of Low‐fat Sausages as Affected by Sodium Lactate and a Fat Replacer

The antilisterial effect of low-fat sausages (<2%) manufactured with a fat replacer and increased level of sodium lactate (SL, 60%) solution was determined during refrigerated storage ofter inoculation with 10 3 colony-forming units/g of Listeria monocytogenes (LM) at the initial storage. The fat replacer prevented moisture loss during cooking or storage. Increased SL in combination with the fat replacer resulted in lower water activity, total plate, and LM counts. In addition, whiteness values decreased (P < 0.05), but yellowness values increased (P < 0.05) with increased SI, level. Durin g storage, low-fat sausages containing at least 3.3% SL and the fat replacer had greater antilisterial effed than the low-fat control.
The influence of flow reduction on macroinvertebrate drift density and distance in three New Zealand streams

Abstract Demand for water is increasing in many parts of the world, but removal of significant volumes of water from streams for irrigation, industry, and municipal supply has the potential to affect aquatic biota. Protecting the ecological value of streams is of increasing interest to water managers and the public. However, few experimental studies address the impacts of flow reduction on stream habitat condition and biota. We reduced discharge by 80 to 95% in 3 small, stony-bottomed streams (<4 m width), using weirs and diversion channels/pipes and quantified diel patterns of density of naturally drifting macroinvertebrates before and during a 2-mo period of continuous reduced flow. We also measured artificially induced passive invertebrate drift distance in control and impact reaches to determine the impact of flow reduction on drift distance. We measured the head capsule width of common drifting taxa to determine if larval size interacted with discharge to influence drift distance. Drift density of several taxa increased dramatically in the days following flow reduction, but drift returned to prereduction levels for the remainder of the reduced-flow period. Drift density of some taxa was elevated throughout the reduced-flow period. Few individuals drifted >1 or 2 m under reduced-flow conditions. Larval size influenced drift distance only for the mayfly Coloburiscus humeralis. We concluded that some taxa respond to the stress of reduced flow by drifting. Whether animals actively entered the drift or increased drift density was caused by increased benthic activity (i.e., invertebrates moving more) that, in turn, initiated increased passive drift entry, is unclear. Reduced discharge limits the distance an individual can travel in the water column. In small, shallow streams, drifting is unlikely to be a viable strategy for rapid escape of unfavorable conditions as a result of reduced discharge through flow abstractions.
Root cause analysis as a foundational tool of sustainability science

Despite immense attention from scholars and others, solution strategies have failed to address the sustainability challenge, particularly the environmental pillar. We propose the central reason is that due to the extreme dynamic complexity of the problem it cannot be solved without root cause analysis (RCA), which was not used to develop past solutions. While RCA has long been a core tool for solving difficult business/engineering problems, application to social problems remains hindered because no suitable version of the tool exists for difficult social system problems, which differ radically from non-social problems. How then can RCA be adapted to solve difficult social problems, particularly environmental sustainability? To address that question our research iteratively developed an RCA-based process for difficult social problems while simultaneously applying the process to the environmental sustainability problem. We conclude that adaptation of RCA to fit difficult social problems is possible and has the potential to transform the sustainability problem from insolvable to solvable.
Investigation Ahead of the Tunnel Face by Use of a Measurement-While-Drilling System at Olkiluoto, Finland

This study focuses on the Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) -system and its uses within the scope of the ONKALO-project in Olkiluoto. The MWD-system is based on monitoring while drilling wherein nine parameters are logged at predetermined measurement intervals. This thesis investigated two inferred parameters produced by a program developed by Atlas Copco AB; hardness and fracturing. Due to the numerical nature of the data correlation to geological conditions was attempted through the use of rock mechanical measurements. The following four rock mechanical tests were used: the Schmidt-hammer, Uniaxial Compressive Strength, Point Load Strength and Indirect Tensile Strength (Brazilian test). MWD-data did not exhibit satisfactory correlations, neither with the Schmidt-hammer test results, the uniaxial compressive strength test results nor with the point load results. A moderate correlation was apparent with indirect tensile strength test results. Visual observations confirmed the results: MWD can detect pegmatites from gneisses in Olkiluoto. The limits of the MWD-system were determined to be significant in Olkiluoto as the bedrock of Olkiluoto is heterogeneous both in mineralogy as well as with regards to its rock mechanical properties. The MWD-system has been proven to function under geologically simple/homogeneous conditions where the rock properties of different lithologies are clearly different. Drilling Rate Index tests are possibly the most reliable method of establishing a correlation between MWD data and rock properties. Further research should focus on the use of the MWD-system in a geologically simple environment with a logging interval that is as frequent as possible. In addition, Drilling Rate Index tests should be performed for each rock type and, when possible, samples should be obtained from as close as possible to MWD-holes.
Predictive Power Control for DFIG: A FARE-Based Weighting Matrices Approach

Model predictive control (MPC) is a very popular technique for doubly fed induction generator (DFIG), and several MPC topologies have been proposed. However, most of the time, the controller parameters are done in a heuristic way. This paper proposes an analytical method for the design weighting matrices based on the fake algebraic Riccati equation (FARE). The proposed methodology guarantees the control system stability. Furthermore, simulations results were used to choose the desired control horizon and the desired prediction horizon, considering the steady-state error and the computational cost. Moreover, the DFIG vector control model, the MPC theory, and the FARE formulation were presented. Experimental results were shown to endorse the proposed method.
Note on epizootic infection for the chronic upper respiratory diseases caused by béta - hemolytic Streptoccocus equi observed on indigenous horses on Dakar's region in Sénégal

The authors mentioned an epizootic infection for the chronic upper respiratory diseases caused by beta ‐ haemolytic Streptoccocus equi which have affected horses in two localities in Dakar and Rufisque areas (Dakar’s region) in Senegal, during rainy season in 2009. These studies has been done according to clinical aspects and bacteriological and hematological analysis of the samples. The disease has been observed at the end of the rainy season and looks like an aigue form which can evolute near guerison or death. That is the first case observed and mentioned in Senegal.
Ask the Expert: How Might Adherence to the Treatment Recommendations of the 2013 Fifth World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension Improve Long-Term Outcomes?

Program Description The mission of Advances in Pulmonary Hy-pertension is to serve as the premiere forum for state of the art information regarding diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of pulmonary hypertension. The 2008 Dana Point revision of the World Health Organization Classification serves as a guide to categories of pulmonary hypertension addressed in Advances in Pulmonary Hyperten-sion. While focusing on WHO Group 1 PAH, the other categories (Group 2, pulmonary venous hypertension; Group 3, associated with chronic lung disease and/or hypoxemia; Group 4, pulmonary embolic hypertension; Group 5, miscellaneous) are also addressed. This mission is achieved by a combination of invited review articles, roundtable discussions with panels consisting of international experts in PH, and original contributions. Objectives ● Provide up-to-date information regarding diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of pulmonary hypertension. ● Serve as a forum for presentation and discussion of important issues in the field, including new paradigms of disease understanding and investigational trial design. The scientific program of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association is guided by the association's Scientific Leadership Council. The Council includes the following health care professionals. The mission of the Scientific Leadership Council is to provide medical and scientific guidance and support to the PHA for: ⅐ Developing and disseminating knowledge for diagnosing and treating pulmonary hypertension. ⅐ Advocating for patients with pulmonary hypertension. ⅐ Increasing involvement of basic and clinical researchers and practitioners.
Nonlinear Dynamic Aeroelasticity Response Analyses of Very Flexible Aircraft at Conceptual Design Stage: A Sensitivity Study

In this paper, the sensitivity of nonlinear dynamic aeroelastic loads of very flexible airframes to variations in multiple aircraft conceptual design parameters is investigated. It is found that the design changes with the largest effect on wings nonlinear loadings are those associated with variations in the wing out of plane stiffness as well as the geometrical variations associated with the Outer Mold Line modifications resulting in changes in the position of aerodynamic center. Changes of up to +5.2% and -4.8% in wings peak bending moments due to gust turbulences are found when geometric nonlinearities are considered in the aeroelastic loads analyses as compared to results of linear aeroelasticity simulations. Additionally, unlike most conceptual design variables investigated, it is found that changes in stiffness distribution renders a nonlinear load variation that cannot be estimated with a linear gradient based method.
Urbanization and its Impact on Agricultural Lands in Growing Cities in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria

Land is a basic, definite and important natural resources which supplies most of man’s food. However, urbanization has remains the major threats challenging the sustainability of agricultural lands in most major growing cities of the developing countries. This research work was carried out to assess the impacts of urbanization on arable land in Makurdi town. The study used Remote Sensing and GIS with satellite images to analysis, mapped and quantified the land use types and extent at which agricultural lands are lost to urbanization within the study period. The findings revealed that the land use types had changed significantly within the study period. The result also shown that, the study area has lost 200km2 of agricultural land representing 19% of the total landmass to urbanization within the study period. Built –up has gained 336km2 representing 32% of the total landmass of the study area within the same period. Thus, the study area has emerged from being predominantly rural area to a city with an appreciable urbanization level. The study recommended that: i. effective and proper management strategies to control urban expansion to agriculture lands by the government are taken such as integrating agricultural land use into urban land use planning. ii. Proactive measure is taken by all stakeholders in the study area towards a better understanding of the changing pattern of land use of the area.
Sensitivity and Specificity of Difficult Airway Parameters at Asella Teaching and Referral Hospital, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Background: Maintenance of a patent airway is a primary responsibility of anesthesiologists. The difficulty of achieving a patent airway varies with anatomical and other individual factors, and identification of the patient with a difficult airway is vital in planning anesthesia management so that endotracheal intubation and positive pressure ventilation can be achieved safely. Institutional based crossectional study design was conducted using systematic random sampling technique. Regular supervision and follow up was made. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value was calculated to confirm presence of difficulty airway. A total of 184 patients who underwent surgery under general anaesthesia were included into the study. The mandibular protrusion test, the use of stylet, neck mobility and mouth opening 3, and ineffective alternative technique were strongly associated with difficulty airway.
Minimax Pareto Fairness: A Multi Objective Perspective

In this work we formulate and formally characterize group fairness as a multi-objective optimization problem, where each sensitive group risk is a separate objective. We propose a fairness criterion where a classifier achieves minimax risk and is Pareto-efficient w.r. t. all groups, avoiding unnecessary harm, and can lead to the best zero-gap model if policy dictates so. We provide a simple optimization algorithm compatible with deep neural networks to satisfy these constraints. Since our method does not require test-time access to sensitive attributes, it can be applied to reduce worst-case classification errors between outcomes in unbalanced classification problems. We test the proposed methodology on real case-studies of predicting income, ICU patient mortality, skin lesions classification, and assessing credit risk, demonstrating how our framework compares favorably to other approaches.