Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anaesthetic management of endobronchial ultrasound guided trans bronchial needle aspiration: Our experience with laryngeal mask airway

Introduction: Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Trans bronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive diagnostic modality for evaluating intra thoracic lymph nodes, becoming one of the important tool in the armamentarium of pulmonologists. The size of the fiberscope and sharing of the airway with the bronchoscopist poses unique challenges to the anesthesiologist. In light of these developments it is important to develop an office based anesthesia technique for this relatively new procedure. Hence we did this descriptive cohort study. Aim: To describe the accuracy and anaesthetic management of EBUS-TBNA as a day care procedure, done with general anesthesia (GA). Materials and Methods: Data was collected from January 2017 to December 2017 at our institute from patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA under GA using second generation laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Specifically, hemodynamic status, Oxygen saturation, duration of the procedure, diagnostic yield and complications of the procedure were recorded. Results: 23 patients underwent EBUS-TBNA under GA. All patients were found to be hemodynamically stable with fluctuations in blood pressure and heart rate being less than 20% from the baseline with no episodes of desaturation . The average number of biopsies taken is 3.3, with average duration of the procedure being 67.0±17.6 (mean±SD) minutes. The incidence of post procedural complications like cough and sore throat were minimal. Successful diagnostic yield was found in all cases with no incidence of recall of the procedure. Conclusion: The performance of EBUS-TBNA under general anesthesia with LMA provides great hemodynamic stability and adequate ventilation in a shared airway. It demonstrates excellent diagnostic accuracy. It provides comfort to the patient and the good examination conditions to the bronchoscopist. Clinical Significance: Use of P-LMA solves the dilemma of managing ventilation during EBUS TBNA without affecting the diagnostic yield of the procedure.
Frequency of CYP3A5 Genetic Polymorphisms and Tacrolimus Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Liver Transplantation

The evidence available in the pediatric population is limited for making clinical decisions regarding the optimization of tacrolimus (TAC) in pharmacotherapy. The objective of this study was to estimate the frequency of CYP3A5 genetic polymorphisms and their relationship with tacrolimus requirements in the pediatric population. This was a longitudinal cohort study with a two-year follow-up of 77 patients under 18 years old who underwent a liver transplant during the period 2009–2012 at the J.P. Garrahan Pediatric Hospital. Tacrolimus levels from day five up to two years after the transplant were obtained from hospital records of routine therapeutic drug monitoring. The genotyping of CYP3A5 (CYP3A5*1/*3 or *3/*3) was performed in liver biopsies from both the donor and the recipient. The frequency of CYP3A5*1 expression for recipients was 37.1% and 32.2% for donors. Patients who received an expresser organ showed lower Co/dose, especially following 90 days after the surgery. The role of each polymorphism is different according to the number of days after the transplant, and it must be taken into account to optimize the benefits of TAC therapy during the post-transplant induction and maintenance phases.
Design of Flotation Circuits Using Tabu-Search Algorithms: Multispecies, Equipment Design, and Profitability Parameters

The design of a flotation circuit based on optimization techniques requires a superstructure for representing a set of alternatives, a mathematical model for modeling the alternatives, and an optimization technique for solving the problem. The optimization techniques are classified into exact and approximate methods. The first has been widely used. However, the probability of finding an optimal solution decreases when the problem size increases. Genetic algorithms have been the approximate method used for designing flotation circuits when the studied problems were small. The Tabu-search algorithm (TSA) is an approximate method used for solving combinatorial optimization problems. This algorithm is an adaptive procedure that has the ability to employ many other methods. The TSA uses short-term memory to prevent the algorithm from being trapped in cycles. The TSA has many practical advantages but has not been used for designing flotation circuits. We propose using the TSA for solving the flotation circuit design problem. The TSA implemented in this work applies diversification and intensification strategies: diversification is used for exploring new regions, and intensification for exploring regions close to a good solution. Four cases were analyzed to demonstrate the applicability of the algorithm: different objective function, different mathematical models, and a benchmarking between TSA and Baron solver. The results indicate that the developed algorithm presents the ability to converge to a solution optimal or near optimal for a complex combination of requirements and constraints, whereas other methods do not. TSA and the Baron solver provide similar designs, but TSA is faster. We conclude that the developed TSA could be useful in the design of full-scale concentration circuits.
Biogeography and host-specificity of cyanobacterial symbionts in colonial ascidians of the genus Lissoclinum

Ascidians are known to harbour bacterial symbionts in their tunics. In particular, the ascidian genus Lissoclinum can host abundant and diverse cyanobacterial associates. Here, we determined the diversity and host-specificity of cyanobacteria inhabiting 28 ascidian samples corresponding to eight Lissoclinum species: L. bistratum, L. midui, L. patella, L. punctatum, and L. timorense from Japan, L. aff. fragile and L. verrilli from the Bahamas, and L. perforatum from Spain and Chile. Cyanobacterial symbionts were characterized using both partial 16S rRNA gene sequences and sequences obtained for the entire 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS). We found that both host species and geographic location played a role in structuring ascidian-cyanobacterial symbioses. Broad biogeographic trends included the dominance of Prochloron symbionts in Japanese ascidians and the presence of a novel cyanobacterial lineage in L. aff. fragile hosts from the Bahamas. Within each geographic region, a high degree of host-specificity was observed, where similar symbionts were recovered from ascidian hosts across multiple collection locations. Further, our analysis revealed the existence of nine distinct Prochloron clades in Japan, some of which corresponded to particular host species and sampling sites. For L. aff. fragile, further differences were observed between cyanobacterial symbionts in ascidians from reef and mangrove habitats. Our results showed high host-specificity in ascidian-cyanobacterial symbioses characterized by cryptic diversity and structured by host identity, location and habitat.
Review of Lorryia Oudemans, 1925 (Acari: Tydeidae: Tydeinae) associated with Hevea spp. in Brazil

ABSTRACT Tydeidae are free living mites, found in a wide range of environments in all continents. Surveys of mite fauna associated with Hevea spp. have registered Lorryia mites as unidentified species, with L. formosa Cooreman, 1958 the only fully identified species. We examined 557 Lorryia specimens sampled from Hevea spp. from 26 plots distributed over 11 provinces in Brazil during the last 20 years. The analysis revealed eight species of Lorryia found on these hosts, four of them recently discovered associated with this host and three recorded for the first time in the country, besides L. formosa, which was already known on this host plant.
Is Open Hardware Worthwhile? Learning from Thales’ Experience with RISC-V

Overview In this article we frame the concept of a hardware-rich open source ecosystem (H-ROSE) that generates software and hardware components. In an H-ROSE, the designs of some components are accessible under open source licenses, while other component designs remain proprietary. We describe seven adoption factors used by the multinational French firm Thales to assess the efficacy of RISC-V to design processors. Other companies can use these adoption factors to explore whether an open hardware initiative supported by an H-ROSE is worthwhile.
Response of decomposing litter and its microbial community to multiple forms of nitrogen enrichment

Despite the importance of litter decomposition for ecosystem fertility and carbon balance, key uncertainties remain about how this fundamental process is affected by nitrogen (N) availability. Resolving such uncertainties is critical for predicting the ecosystem consequences of increased anthropogenic N deposition. Toward that end, we decomposed green leaves and senesced litter of northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) in three forested stands dominated by northern pin oak or white pine (Pinus strobus) to compare effects of substrate N (as it differed between leaves and litter) and externally supplied N (inorganic or organic forms) on decomposition and decomposer community structure and function over four years. Asymptotic decomposition models fit the data equally well as single exponential models and allowed us to compare effects of N on both the initial decomposition rate (ka) and the level of asymptotic mass remaining (A, proportion of mass remaining at which decomposition approaches zero, i.e., the .
Exterior orientation estimation of oblique aerial images using SfM-based robust bundle adjustment

ABSTRACT In this article, a structure from motion (SfM) framework for oblique aerial images of man-made environments is proposed, covering the issues of determining overlapping images, feature extraction, image matching, rejection of erroneous correspondences, feature tracking, automatic transfer of ground control points (GCPs), and bundle block adjustment. One of the challenges that it is intended to solve is the reduction of the required manual work concerning the measurement of GCPs, in order to increase the degree of automation of the exterior orientation estimation process, through the usage of geometric constraints automatically imposed. Yet another challenge is the difficulty in matching correctly feature points among multiple oblique views that depict scenes with repetitive patterns and homogeneous textures. The proposed algorithm solves this by eliminating all erroneous tie points through the combination of multiple checks and geometric constraints imposed during the image matching procedure and a robust iterative bundle adjustment framework. The proposed SfM methodology is applied in different configurations of oblique images under non-ideal aerial triangulation scenarios characterized by lack of well-distributed GCPs as well as minimum manual image measurements. The results are analysed, focusing on the improvement of the accuracy of the exterior orientation parameters thanks to the proposed robust outlier removal technique as well as on the impact of the proposed scale-based weighting strategy for bundle adjustment of oblique images on the exterior orientation results. The proposed SfM framework proves to be a good alternative solution to existing commercial SfM methods.
Study of the brain serotonergic system with labeled α‐methyl‐l‐tryptophan

α‐Methyl‐l‐tryptophan (α‐MTrp) is an artificial amino acid and an analog of tryptophan (Trp), the precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5‐HT). In this article we have summarized available data, which suggest that the measurement of the unidirectional uptake of α‐MTrp and its conversion to 5‐HT synthesis rates is a valid approach for the determination of brain 5‐HT synthesis rates. The main feature on which the model is based is the trapping of labeled α‐MTrp in brain tissue. An overview of opposing opinions, which suggest that there is a need for a metabolic conversion of tracer, is also presented and discussed critically. As with all biological modeling there is likely to be room for improvements of the proposed biological model. In addition, there are a limited number of clearly defined circumstances in which the method is confounded by the metabolism of labeled α‐MTrp via the kynurenine pathway. Nonetheless, a significant body of evidence suggests that labeled α‐MTrp is a useful tracer to study brain 5‐HT synthesis in most circumstances. Calculation of 5‐HT synthesis rates depends on the plasma‐free tryptophan concentration, which, according to the balance of arguments in the literature, is a more appropriate parameter than the total‐plasma tryptophan. The method, as proposed by us, can be used in conjunction with autoradiographic measurements in laboratory animals, and with positron emission tomography in large animals and humans. We review studies in animals looking at the normal control of 5‐HT synthesis and the way in which it is altered by drugs, as well as initial studies investigating healthy humans and patients with neuropsychiatric disorders.
Predicting Defaults with Regime Switching Intensity: Model and Empirical Evidence

In this paper, we propose a regime-switching intensity model to predict the occurrences of default events. Individual firm's default intensity function, i.e., the instantaneous default probability function, is determined by both observable risks factors and an unobservable regime indicator. We provide estimation algorithm when the regime indicator follows the discrete-time Markovian process. The empirical study on U.S. listed corporations suggests three key criteria when specifying the intensity function. They are systematically and objectively chosen observable risk factors, a common frailty variable, and the regime-dependent risk exposure to firm's leverage proxy or observable risk factors. Comparing to classical default intensity models, the regime-switching intensity model with these components has better performance in the in-sample fit and in the out-of sample prediction ability.
AUTOMATIC AUDIO CAPTIONING SYSTEM BASED ON CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK Technical

Automated audio captioning has been a new issue in natural language processing (NLP) for recent years. The key point of automatic audio captioning system is that it describes non-audio signals in the form of natural language. The system should take audio as input, and output as descriptive audio sentences. Most of approaches use seq2seq model with RNNs as both the encoder and decoder. It results in considerable time to get the training process finished. This paper proposed a neural network with CNN as the encoder and GRU as the decoder. Encoder is based on VGG16, which has deeper networks and three fully-connected layers. Despite the low accuracy of prediction, our model decreases the training time significantly. It proves that the application of CNN can be a choice for automated audio captioning.
Influence of Carboxy Methyl Cellulose and Xanthan Gum on the quality characteristics of Gluten Free Cake

This study aims to improve the nutrition value and quality characteristics of gluten free cake. Therefore, mixture flour (rice, corn and chickpeas flour) was prepared with the use of carboxy methyl cellulose and xanthan gum as a replacer for gluten with different addition levels in two forms 75 g of gel prepared with the concentrations 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% or powdered at the same concentrations. So that used 100 g of composed flour (mixture 60% rice + 30% corn + 10 % chickpeas) to prepare free gluten cake. By evaluating the resulting cake, the study showed the following: Protein, fat, ash, crud fiber and mineral elements of potassium, magnesium, iron and zinc in gluten free cake were increased compared with control normal cake. The sensory evaluation of the resulting cake showed no significant differences for the majority of sensory properties at all levels of carboxy methyl cellulose in the gel and 0.75% for xanthan gel. A little increase in weight, volume and specific volume were found in cake samples resulting from the addition of 0.75, 1.13% xanthan gel. The baking loss rate of gluten free cake samples were decreased compared with control gluten free cake sample (without gum). Study of characteristics of the textures at different times (zero time 5 days 10 days 15 days) by using TEXTURE ANALYZER (TPA) the results showed a significant decrease in the hardness of samples for all levels of xanthan gum in the gel form at the zero time compared to the gluten free control. As well as the concentration of 0 . 75% xanthan gel after five days at room temperature, the concentration of 0 . 38% xanthan gel recorded the lowest value of hardness in all storage times at 4o C. The lowest aw belongs to the cake sample containing 0.5% CMC powder form. The results of this study recommend the use of carboxy methyl cellulose or xanthan gum in gel form when gluten-free cake is prepared to improve the natural and sensory quality of the cake.
A Comparison of Social Connectedness and Physical Activity Between Good and Poor Sleepers: A Pilot Study in Thai Older Adults

The role of social connectedness and physical activity in sleep in Thai older adults and self-care strategies to promote sleep are not well understood. This study compared social connectedness and physical activity between older adults with good and poor sleep quality, as well as explored self-care techniques older adults use to promote sleep. A multimethod design was used. Fifty cognitively intact older adults from one elders club in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province participated in a questionnaire-based face-to-face interview about sleep quality, measured by the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A focus group with six participants with the highest and lowest PSQI scores was conducted to identify sleep-promoting strategies. Differences in social connectedness and physical activity between good sleepers (32 persons, PSQI ≤ 5) and poor sleepers (18 persons, PSQI >5) were compared with the Mann-Whitney U Test. Content analysis was used for focus group data. The study showed no statistically significant differences in social connectedness and physical activity between good and poor sleepers, although the means for physical activity trended in the expected direction. The focus group data suggested self-care strategies participants used to promote sleep, including non-mind-body/mind-body activities and relaxation/spiritual techniques. Due to the small sample size, the results regarding the associations of sleep quality with social connectedness and physical activity are inconclusive. Thus, future research with larger samples is needed to evaluate the influence of physical activity and social connectedness on sleep quality. Self-care techniques in older adults with sleep problems should be considered with regard to their individual specific needs.
SHAKING TABLE TEST OF SEMI-ACTIVE MASS DAMPING SYSTEM USING MR DAMPER

A semi-active mass damping system (SMD) utilizing magnetorheological (MR) damper is proposed in this paper. The main purpose of this study is to integrate the reliable characteristic of the traditional tuned mass damper (TMD) and the superior performance of the active mass damper (AMD). A full-size three-story steel building is used as the benchmark structure to verify its performance in both the numerical simulation and shaking table test. To accurately predict the behavior of the MR dampers, serious of performance test with various excitation and command voltages are done. According to the performance test data, a modified Bouc-Wen model is identified and been used to represent the nonlinear behaviors of the MR damper. Unlike the clipped-optimal control, the LQR with the continuous-optimal control, which can generate the continuous varying command voltage, is used to online calculate the optimal command voltage to the MR damper. Both numerical simulation and shaking table test results demonstrated the superior mitigation ability of the proposed SMD. In addition, the control effect of the proposed SMD system is compatible to the traditional bracing system with passive dampers. The proposed SMD system provides the alternative solution and has been demonstrated to implement easily in practice.
Firm Disclosure Response to the Threat of Takeover: Testing the Corporate Control Contest Hypothesis

We test the corporate control contest hypothesis which predicts that managers use voluntary disclosure to reduce the likelihood of job loss when faced with control threats. We exploit the exogenous control shock experienced by firms upon the hostile takeover announcements of rival firms. This identification is based on existing research findings that a merger announcement in the industry increases the likelihood of peer firms becoming targets themselves and that corporate control contests increase the probability of management turnover. We employ a difference-in-difference design to test peer disclosure reaction relative to control firms. We find that, after the control shock, peer managers resort to more transparent disclosure as evidenced by managerial conference call language that is easier to understand and more transparent. Peer managers also provide more management guidance, more bad news guidance, and issue more 8K filings after the shock. Our study contributes to the voluntary disclosure literature by providing much needed evidence supporting the corporate control contest hypothesis. Preliminary. Please do not quote or circulate. Comments welcome. * Corresponding author. We thank the McCombs Research Excellence Grant of the University of Texas at Austin for funding to obtain the StreetEvent data. All errors are our own. 1 Firm Disclosure Response to the Threat of Takeover: Testing the Corporate Control Contest Hypothesis