Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in birth weight and neonatal survival rate of lambs born to ewe hoggets or mature ewes.

This experiment investigated differences in birth weights and survival in lambs born to hogget and mature ewes. It included 1082 mature ewes with a scanning rate of 1.87 fetuses per ewe joined and 1026 hoggets with a scanning rate of 0.80 fetuses per hogget joined, that were bred together, and lambed separately, under commercial farming conditions. At lambing, birth weight, lamb vigour score, and ewe maternal behaviour score were recorded. Lambs born to hoggets were lighter and less vigorous than lambs born to mature ewes (P<0.05). Single-born lambs were heavier at birth (P<0.05), and had greater survival at birth (P<0.05) than did twin-born lambs. Twin-born lambs were heavier (P<0.05) at birth, and had greater survival at birth (P<0.05) than triplets. There was an interaction of dam age and birth rank on lamb survival to weaning (P<0.01). At all birth ranks lambs born to hoggets had lower survival to weaning than lambs born to mature ewes, and the difference in survival increased with increasing birth rank. Lambs that had a vigour score of 1 had lower survival (83.5%; P<0.05) than lambs that had a vigour score of either 2 or 3 (88.6and 91.4%, respectively). Maternal behaviour score did not affect lamb survival (P>0.05). Lambs born to hoggets are at greater risk of mortality, so farmers need to prioritise their time and resources towards hoggets at lambing time.
Performance Analysis of Plane Spiral OAM Mode-Group Based MIMO System

A plane spiral orbital angular momentum (PSOAM) mode-group (MG) based multiple-in-multiple-out (MIMO) communication system is proposed, and the performance is numerically analyzed in line-of-sight (LoS) channel. The simulated results show that the proposed scheme can increase the channel capacity, which means that PSOAM MGs superposed by several PSOAM waves can not only improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of system but also decrease the spatial correlation of sub-channels. Besides, combined with partial arc sampling receiving (PASR) method, the data streams can be recovered orthogonally with low complexity. The capacity gain and bit-error rate (BER) performance of the proposed scheme are evaluated. This technique may have potential in higher wireless capacity communications.
Feeding Practices Influencing Protein Energy Malnutrition in Children under Five Years Old at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya

Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) results from deficiency of proteins and energy. Children less than five years old are the most affected because of their immature immunity. Social, demographic, economic, environmental, political and medical factors had been found to interrelate and cause PEM. The study sought to determine the influence of feeding practices on PEM in children under five years old at KNH. One hundred and eighteen (118) children under five years old and their biological mothers participated in this cross-sectional quantitative study. Questionnaires were administered to the biological mothers of the children and anthropometric measurements were taken from the children. Multi-stage sampling was used to select eligible children plus their biological mothers. Analysis of data was done using SPSS and Chi-square was used to test the significance of the relationship between independent and dependent variables that were categorical in nature. Logistic regression was used to predict relationship between variables. The study found moderately high prevalence of underweight (59.3%) and stunting (53.3%) and low prevalence of wasting (33.9%) among children aged 0 to 59 months in KNH. The odds of a stunted child being fed on complementary feeds was approximately a third (OR=0.28 [95% CI 0.12-0.65; P=0.003]) that of a non-stunted child. The odds of a wasted child feeding less than normal during illness was approximately a third (OR=0.31 [95% CI 0.13-0.75; P=0.009]) that of a non-wasted child. There was high level in initiation of breastfeeding. Complementary feeding was commenced too early with children receiving complementary feeds as early as in the first day of life and an average of 4.3 months. The frequency of feeding children during illness was low
FiDo: Ubiquitous Fine-Grained WiFi-based Localization for Unlabelled Users via Domain Adaptation

To fully support the emerging location-aware applications, location information with meter-level resolution (or even higher) is required anytime and anywhere. Unfortunately, most of the current location sources (e.g., GPS and check-in data) either are unavailable indoor or provide only house-level resolutions. To fill the gap, this paper utilizes the ubiquitous WiFi signals to establish a (sub)meter-level localization system, which employs WiFi propagation characteristics as location fingerprints. However, an unsolved issue of these WiFi fingerprints lies in their inconsistency across different users. In other words, WiFi fingerprints collected from one user may not be used to localize another user. To address this issue, we propose a WiFi-based Domain-adaptive system FiDo, which is able to localize many different users with labelled data from only one or two example users. FiDo contains two modules: 1) a data augmenter that introduces data diversity using a Variational Autoencoder (VAE); and 2) a domain-adaptive classifier that adjusts itself to newly collected unlabelled data using a joint classification-reconstruction structure. Compared to the state of the art, FiDo increases average F1 score by 11.8% and improves the worst-case accuracy by 20.2%.
The pitfalls of verifying floating-point computations

Current critical systems often use a lot of floating-point computations, and thus the testing or static analysis of programs containing floating-point operators has become a priority. However, correctly defining the semantics of common implementations of floating-point is tricky, because semantics may change according to many factors beyond source-code level, such as choices made by compilers. We here give concrete examples of problems that can appear and solutions for implementing in analysis software.
LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF A PHASE 2 CLINICAL TRIAL TO INDUCE TOLERANCE IN LIVING DONOR RENAL TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

Joseph R. Leventhal, James Mathew, John Galvin, Lorenzo Gallon, Dianne Belshe, Kadiyala Ravindra, Mitch Horwitz, Josh Miller, Suzanne Ildstad Surgery, Northwestern University, chicago, IL, United States; Hematology Oncology, UIC, Chicago, IL, United States; Surgery, Duke U, Durham, NC, United States; Hematology Oncology, Duke U, Durham, NC, United States; Institute for Cellular Therapeutics, U Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States.
Life Design Counseling Group Intervention With Portuguese Adolescents

This article examines the process and outcome of a life design counseling group intervention with students in Grades 9 and 12. First, we applied a quasi-experimental methodology to analyze the intervention’s effectiveness in promoting career certainty, career decision-making, self-efficacy, and career adaptability in a sample of 236 students. Second, focus groups comprising 33 participants were conducted, examining participants’ perceptions of the intervention process and outcome. Our findings showed that the intervention had a significant effect on both career certainty and career self-efficacy, but it had no effect on career adaptability. Our results also showed that My Career Story (MCS) had a stronger effect on Grade 12 students. Focus group participants reported on the usefulness of MCS, as well as on its benefits, which include increased information as well as a sense of direction, self-discovery, connection, and increased self-awareness. Grade 9 participants expressed more difficulties in narrating self-experience than Grade 12 participants did. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Early Versus Delayed Reversal of Covering Stoma after Low Anterior Resection for Colorectal Carcinoma

Background: A defunctioning stoma is used primarily to protect the anastomosis and prevent pelvic sepsis after bowel surgery. Aim of the work: This study was aimed to compare early stoma closure with conventional stoma closure following defunctioning diversion stoma surgery with respect to the frequency of complications, health‐related quality of life (QOL), and length of hospitalization (LOH). Patients and Methods: This study was designed as a prospective parallel‐arm randomized controlled trial. 40 patients who underwent temporary stoma following colorectal cancer surgery were enrolled in this study. The rate of complications (medical and surgical) following early (20 patients) and conventional (20 patients) stoma closure was assessed. Health‐related QOL and LOH were also measured. Results: Forty patients were included, with 20 cases in each group. Postoperative complications including wound dehiscence (15% vs. 15%; P = 1.00), wound infection (40% vs. 5%; P = 0.023), intra‐abdominal collection (15% vs. 30%; P = 0.449), anastomotic leak (15%vs. 30%; P = 0.449) were comparable. The length of hospital stays and overall mortality and morbidity were similar across the two groups. There was a significant reduction in the cost towards stoma care in the early stoma closure group. Furthermore, Patients in the early stoma closure group also had a significantly better QOL. Conclusion: Early stoma closure does not carry an increased risk of postoperative complications, reduces cost towards stoma care, and leads to better a QOL.
Which is better for unresectable malignant hilar biliary obstruction: Side-by-side versus stent-in-stent?

Biliary drainage is required for the management of unresectable malignant hilar biliary obstruction (UMHBO), and endoscopic transpapillary drain- age is the first-line therapy because it is less invasive. Self-expandable metallic stents (SEMSs) are superior to plastic stents because they have longer stent patency and are more cost-effective. Endoscopic bilateral SEMS placement is technically challenging compared to unilateral placement. However, recent developments in devices and techniques have facilitated bilateral SEMS placement. There are two methods for bilateral hilar SEMS placement for UMHBO: side-by-side (SBS) and stent-in-stent (SIS). Sequential SBS was commonly conducted for bilateral hilar SEMS placement. In a new and thinner delivery system that was developed for SEM placement, two SEMSs could be simultaneously inserted and deployed through the working channel. This new bilateral stenting method enabled us to accomplish simultaneous SBS placement, which increased the success rate of SBS. Insertion of the guidewire and delivery of the second SEMS through the mesh of the first SEMS is challenging in SIS. Newly designed or modified SEMSs that are suitable for SIS have been developed to overcome this challenge, and these SEMSs have facilitated SIS. Uncovered SEMS has been commonly used for hilar SEMS placement, but covered SEMS (CSEMS) is another option for hilar SEMS placement, because CSEMS prevents tumor ingrowth and allows for removal of the stent for re-intervention. Therefore, CSEMS can be used for bilateral SEMS placement in SBS. There are many methods and kinds of SEMS available for bilateral SEMS placement. However, due to lack of evidence, there is no consensus on whether SBS or SIS is optimal for bilateral hilar SEMS placement. In this review, we compared various outcomes between SBS and SIS from previous studies, to clarify which method is better for bilateral SEMS placement for UMHBO.
Outcomes of Perioperative Immunonutrition in patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing surgery

OBJECTIVES : Primary objective: To observe the effect of enteral immunomodulating nutrition on length of hospital stay in a patient with esophageal carcinoma undergoing surgery. Secondary Objective: To observe the incidence of post-operative complications, namely pneumonia, surgical wound infection and anastomotic leak. METHODS : Prospective interventional study with retrospective controls, approved by the Institutional Review Board with financial grant for the same. Total of 43 patients with esophageal carcinoma who were planned for elective surgery were included in the study (21 cases and 22 controls). The cases were started on an immune enhancing supplement in form of Glutamine powder at a dose of 0.3gms/kg/day four days prior to surgery and were continued on the same post-operatively for a period of two weeks. The total number of days of hospital stay and the incidence of post-operative complications (pneumonia, wound infection and anastomotic leak) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS : 43 patients who had esophageal carcinoma and who were planned for elective esophagectomy were studies (21 cases and 22 controls). The cases were patients who underwent elective esophagectomy between April, 2015 and August, 2016. These patients received immune enhancing supplement in form of glutamine. The controls were patient with esophageal carcinoma who underwent elective esophagectomy between January, 2013 and December, 2014. These patients had not received immune enhancing supplements. Statistical test used to compare the total number of days of hospital stay between the two groups was Mann Whitney U test. The p value obtained when comparing the groups of individuals who got immunonutrition and those who did not receive the same was 0.004 which was statistically significant. This meant that the patients who got immunonutrition should stay in the hospital less than those who did not. When we compare the ICU stay of these two groups, there was no significant difference (p=0.295). The incidence of post-operative pneumonia among the groups were also compared, even if there was difference in proportions(10% v/s 32%), this was not statistically significant (p=0.132). In the case of post-operative wound infection, the groups were not different(p>0.999). Anastomotic leak was less among immunonutrition group, however it was not statistically significant at 5% alpha level. The incidence rates were compared using Fishers exact test in this study. There were no serious side-effects associated with administration of Glutamine powder. CONCLUSION : Peri-operative Immunonutrition may be safe and effective in reducing the total length of hospital stay in patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing elective esophagectomy as compared to standard nutrition. However, further large randomized control trials are required to further prove the efficacy of glutamine in patients with esophageal carcinoma undergoing elective surgery.
Robust tracking control for two classes of variable stiffness actuators based on linear extended state observer with estimation error compensation

In this article, a novel robust tracking control scheme based on linear extended state observer with estimation error compensation is proposed for the tracking control of the antagonistic variable stiffness actuator based on equivalent nonlinear torsion spring and the serial variable stiffness actuator based on lever mechanism. For the dynamic models of these two classes of variable stiffness actuators, considering the parametric uncertainties, the unknown friction torques acting on the driving units, the unknown external disturbances acting on the output links and the input saturation constraints, an integral chain pseudo-linear system with input saturation constraints and matched lumped disturbances is established by coordinate transformation. Subsequently, the matched lumped disturbances in the pseudo-linear system are extended to the new system states, and we obtain an extended integral chain pseudo-linear system. Then, we design the linear extended state observer to estimate the unknown states of the extended pseudo-linear system. Considering the input saturation constraints in the extended pseudo-linear system and the estimation errors of the linear extended state observer with fixed preset observation gains, the adaptive input saturation compensation laws and the novel estimation error compensators are designed. Finally, a robust tracking controller based on linear extended state observer, sliding mode control, adaptive input saturation compensation laws, and estimating error compensators is designed to achieve simultaneous position and stiffness tracking control of these two classes of variable stiffness actuators. Under the action of the designed controller, the semi-global uniformly ultimately bounded stability of the closed-loop system is proved by the stability analysis of the candidate Lyapunov function. The simulation results show the effectiveness, robustness, and adaptability of the designed controller in the tracking control of these two classes of variable stiffness actuators. Furthermore, the simulation comparisons show the effectiveness of the proposed estimation error compensation measures in reducing the tracking errors and improving the disturbance rejection performance of the controller.
Use of a standardized asthma severity score to determine emergency department disposition for paediatric asthma: A cohort study.

Background We recently introduced a clinical practice pathway for the management of asthma that uses the Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure (PRAM) to guide emergency department (ED) treatment and disposition. The pathway recommends discharge for patients who achieve improvement to PRAM <4 at 1 hour after the last bronchodilator. We evaluated practice variation and patient outcomes associated with PRAM-directed disposition recommendations. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children aged 2 to 17 years treated for moderate asthma (PRAM score 4-7) using our asthma clinical pathway. We measured 1) the proportion of children discharged per pathway criteria who returned to our ED within 24 hours and 2) the proportion of children observed beyond the pathway discharge criteria who deteriorated (PRAM ≥4). Results We analyzed 385 patient records from September 2013 to February 2015. Among 145 (37.7%) patients discharged per pathway criteria, 4 (4/145; 2.8%) returned within 24 hours. The remaining 240 (62.2%) were observed beyond the pathway discharge criteria; 76/240 (31.7%) had a subsequent deterioration (PRAM score ≥ 4) and 25/240 (10.4%) were hospitalized. Of those who deteriorated, 46/76 (60.5%) worsened within the first additional hour of observation. Conclusion We observed significant deviation from our PRAM-directed pathway discharge criteria and that a significant proportion of observed patients experienced clinical deterioration beyond the first hour of observation. We recommend observing children with moderate asthma for 2 or 3 hours from last bronchodilator therapy if PRAM < 4 is maintained, to capture the majority (97.7% or 99.7%) of patients who require further intervention and hospitalization.
Biostimulatory Effects of Diode Laser and Ozone on Wound Healing in Rats

Meandros Med Dent J 2018;19:160-7 ORCID ID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2581-9050 Ad­dress­for­Cor­ res­pon­den­ce/Ya­zış­ma­Ad­ re­si: Çiğdem Güler, PhD, DDS, Ordu University Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Ordu, Turkey Phone : +90 452 212 1286 E-mail : cigdem_zehir@yahoo.com Received/Geliş­Ta­rihi : 13.06. 2017 Accepted/Ka­bul­Ta­ri­hi : 02.11. 2017 Anah­tar­Ke­li­me­ler Ozon, diod lazer, yara iyileşmesi, rat, yumuşak doku tedavisi
An approach to manage semantic heterogeneity in unstructured P2P information retrieval systems

In unstructured information retrieval P2P systems, semantic heterogeneity comes from the use of different ontologies. Semantic interoperability refers to the ability of peers to communicate with each others. We take into account these notions separately, as raising two different problems. Hence we propose two independent and complementary solutions. The GoOD-TA protocol aims at reducing heterogeneity through ontology-driven topology adaptation. DiQuESh is a top-k algorithm for distributed information retrieval that is intended to ensure interoperability. This distinction enables highlighting their respective benefits on the IR performances and leads to a modular architecture. For our experiments we obtained a set of actively used real-world ontologies through the NCBO BioPortal. We implemented GoOD-TA and DiQuESH in Java and used the PeerSim simulator. We first show that GoOD-TA nicely reduces the semantic heterogeneity related to the system topology, handles the evolution of peers' descriptors, and is suitable for dynamic systems. Then, GoOD-TA and DiQuESh are run simultaneously, with a significant increase of precision and recall. This enables to identify the indirect contribution of heterogeneity reduction obtained with GoOD-TA to improving interoperability.
Java for Novice Programmers

For almost six decades, since its inception, teaching programming has been carried out in the same way: "Introducing language manuals to students. " This approach demoralizes the learner. In addition it turns learning programming into an extremely daunting task. The consequence has been a steady drop in the number of people learning programming. Java for Novice Programmers offers a completely new approach to leaning programming. Using Memory Transfer Language (MTL) a leaner is able to interprete his/her code outside the machine. MTL is a tool for the learner to interpret the code machine-wise. This provides the leaner with a tool for precise close-tracking and debugging the code outside machine environment. It turns programming into a simple task that requires the knowledge of one easy technique: "knowing what is the effect of your instruction to the machine. "
Assessment of age-related influences on the quality of life of breast cancer patients before and after surgical treatment

Background/Aim. Breast cancer comprises about 25% of all female cancers, and its incidence is increasing. New diagnostic procedures and therapeutic modalities have increased treatment success rates as well as patient survival. The goal of contemporary treatment is not only patient survival, but also a better quality of life (QoL). The objective of this study was to assess the effect of age at diagnosis on the QoL of patients with breast cancer before and after surgery. Methods. We analyzed QoL in 170 female patients (43 patients < 50 and 127 patients ? 50 years) diagnosed with breast cancer (I and II stage) a month before and after surgical treatment, using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire and specific version for breast cancer patients (EORTC QLQ-BR23). Results. The QLQ-C30 questionnaire showed that surgical treatment significantly decreased all domains of the patients? QoL in both age groups. Agerelated differences were present in sexual functioning and pleasure independently of surgical treatment, with higher scores in the group of younger women. The analysis of data obtained using the QLQ-BR23 questionnaire revealed a lower QoL after surgical treatment in almost all dimensions regardless of patients? age. Conclusion. The results of our study pointed out statistically significant differences in the QoL domains of sexual functioning, and sexual enjoyment between women in both age groups independently of surgical treatment. The QoL was better in the younger age group. Surgical breast cancer treatment negatively affected patients QoL independently of age.