Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Patients with Paraquat Intoxication

Introduction Paraquat poisoning is characterized by acute lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, respiratory failure, and multi-organ failure, resulting in a high rate of mortality and morbidity. The objectives of this study were to identify predictors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in cases of paraquat poisoning and determine the association between these parameters. Materials and Methods In total, 187 patients were referred for management of intentional paraquat ingestion between 2000 and 2010. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded. Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) scores were collected, and predictors of ARDS were analyzed. Results The overall mortality rate for the entire population was 54% (101/187). Furthermore, the mortality rate was higher in the ARDS patients than in the non-ARDS patients (80% vs. 43.80%, P<0.001). Additionally, the ARDS patients not only had higher AKIN48-h scores (P<0.009), SOFA48-h scores (P<0.001), and time to ARDS/nadir PaO2 (P=0.008) but also suffered from lower nadir PaO2 (P<0.001), nadir AaDO2 (P<0.001), and nadir eGFR (P=0.001) compared to those in the non-ARDS patients. Moreover, pneumomediastinum episodes were more frequent in the ARDS patients than in the non-ARDS patients (P<0.001). A multivariate Cox regression model revealed that blood paraquat concentrations (P<0.001), SOFA48-h scores (P=0.001), and steroid and cyclophosphamide pulse therapies (P=0.024) were significant predictors of ARDS. The cumulative survival rates differed significantly (P<0.001) between patients with SOFA48-h scores <3 and SOFA48-h scores ≥3, with a sensitivity of 95.8%, specificity of 58.4%, and overall correctness of 67.6%. Finally, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) analysis showed that SOFA48-h scores (P<0.001) had a better discriminatory power than blood paraquat concentrations (P=0.01) for predicting ARDS. Conclusions The analytical results indicate that SOFA48-h scores, blood paraquat concentrations, and steroid and cyclophosphamide pulse therapies are significantly associated with ARDS complications after paraquat intoxication.
The Craft of Programming Interaction

The creation of useful artefacts with rich experiential qualities required quality driven interaction designers and programmers with the ability to simultaneous problem setting and problem solving. Interaction design is a design practice that defines the appearance and function of digital artefacts. Bridging interaction design and engineering is problematic because design and engineering have different epistemology. Designers are trained to see a plethora of future designs for a situation and explains the phenomena of a context. Engineering focus on problem solving and depends on agreement about ends. In this paper I suggest that the poor state of designers and programmers who are not standing together can be avoided if we give up the claim that software development should be engineering or science, and instead see it as a quality-driven craftsmanship.
Increased lecithin synthesis during phagocytosis by normal leukocytes and by leukocytes of a patient with chronic granulomatous disease.

Abstract Study of incorporation of albumin-bound lysolecithin-32P into lecithin of human leukocytes (from peripheral blood) during ingestion of inert particles revealed that significantly more lysolecithin was incorporated than at rest. This stimulation of lecithin synthesis accounts for substantial addition of new lecithin and may be important for membrane formation during phagocytosis. Leukocytes from a patient with chronic granulomatous disease, cells that are known to manifest decreased bactericidal activity but normal phagocytosis, also exhibited increased lecithin synthesis, during engulfment of particles in vitro, from lysolecithin in the medium. Electron microscopy of the patient's leukocytes showed formation of phagosomes and degranulation indistinguishable from similar phenomena in leukocytes from normal persons.
The Natural Crossover for the 2 D Euclidean TSP

For the traveling salesman problem various search algorithms have been suggested for decades. In the eld of genetic algorithms, many genetic operators have been introduced for the problem. Most genetic encoding schemes have some restrictions that cause more-or-less loss of information contained in problem instances. We suggest a new encoding/crossover pair which pursues minimal information loss in chromosomal encoding and minimal restriction in recombination for the 2D Euclidean traveling salesman problem. The most notable feature of the suggested crossover is that it is based on a totally new concept of encoding. We also prove the theoretical validity of the new crossover by an equivalence-class analysis. The proposed encoding/crossover pair outperformed both distance-preserving crossover and edge-assembly crossover, two state-of-the-art crossovers in the literature.
Optimal Constructions of Visual Secret Sharing Schemes for the Graph Access Structure

Visual secret sharing scheme (for short the VSS scheme) with access structure based on graph \cite{ABSS96} has been proposed and this can be considered as an extension of $(2, n) $-threshold VSS scheme. Ateniese et al. showed a decomposition method that we decompose star graphs from a given graph which edges are specified by qualified sets. Namely, two participants (vertices in a given graph) has a common edge if and only if participants can reconstruct the secret image by stacking the shares each other. In this paper, we expand the definition of black-white visual secret sharing scheme and propose new decomposition methods by splitting complete $n$-partite graphs. These methods improve the contrast of the decoded secret image. Moreover, we classify graph-based VSS schemes which pixel expansion is up to 3, and show several optimal examples.
Pitman-Yor Process-Based Language Models for Machine Translation

The hierarchical Pitman-Yor process-based smoothing method applied to language model was proposed by Goldwater and by Teh; the performance of this smoothing method is shown comparable with the modified Kneser-Ney method in terms of perplexity. Although this method was presented four years ago, there has been no paper which reports that this language model indeed improves translation quality in the context of Machine Translation (MT). This is important for the MT community since an improvement in perplexity does not always lead to an improvement in BLEU score; for example, the success of word alignment measured by Alignment Error Rate (AER) does not often lead to an improvement in BLEU. This paper reports in the context of MT that an improvement in perplexity really leads to an improvement in BLEU score. It turned out that an application of the Hierarchical PitmanYor Language Model (HPYLM) requires a minor change in the conventional decoding process. Additionally to this, we propose a new Pitman-Yor process-based statistical smoothing method similar to the Good-Turing method although the performance of this is inferior to HPYLM. We conducted experiments; HPYLM improved by 1.03 BLEU points absolute and 6% relative for 50k EN-JP, which was statistically significant.
Detection of Non-Native Named Entities Using Prosodic Features for Improved Speech Recognition and Translation

In this work, we describe the use of acoustic-prosodic features to detect and localize non-native named entities spoken by a native speaker in the target language (English) for the purpose of improved speech recognition and translation. The exaggerated variation in accent and duration introduced by the speaker for non-native names is exploited in the detection process through the use of prosodic features like f0 excursions, durational variations and pause information. First, we validate the use of prosodic features in classifying non-native named entities (person names in Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Persian, Indian) in the first mention spoken by native English speakers. We set up the problem as a binary classification task between the non-native named entities and other content words spoken by the speakers in the native language. Results based on a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier indicate a 80% classification accuracy for such events. Second, we use the prosody-based SVM classifier to detect and localize named entities at the output of an Automatic Speech Recognizer (ASR).
Exploring movies through interactive visualizations

Videos and movies are important sources of information in the entertainment and learning form, having great power to affect us, perceptually, cognitively and emotionally. By integrating various media like image, sound and text along time, they are very rich and they are becoming pervasive on the Internet and interactive TV, increasing the need for new and powerful ways to access, browse and view them. Interactive visualization techniques have the potential to help handling with this rich but complex information: both the time when they were released, and the time along which their contents are weaved, in each movie. In previous work we have presented visualizations that allow the access to the movies released over a certain period of time based on genres and rankings, and to overview and browse movies based on their contents represented with tag clouds. In this paper, we explore the movies through visual representations of the different aspects of their contents, especially image, audio, and subtitles, with a focus on emotions. This approach has the ultimate goal of providing overviews, and browsing mechanisms based on interactive visualizations that may provide insights in analytical or more ludic uses, that may be efficient in conveying and accessing information, and are also easy, funny and aesthetical.
Development and Validation of a UPLC-MS/MS and UPLC-HR-MS Method for the Determination of Fumonisin B1 and Its Hydrolysed Metabolites and Fumonisin B2 in Broiler Chicken Plasma

A sensitive and specific method for the quantitative determination of Fumonisin B1 (FB1), its partially hydrolysed metabolites pHFB1a+b and hydrolysed metabolite HFB1, and Fumonisin B2 (FB2) in broiler chicken plasma using ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed. The sample preparation was rapid, straightforward and consisted of a deproteinization and phospholipid removal step using an Oasis® OstroTM 96-well plate. Chromatography was performed on an Acquity HSS-T3 column, using 0.3% formic acid and 10 mM ammonium formate in water, and acetonitrile as mobile phases. The MS/MS instrument was operated in the positive electrospray ionization mode and the two multiple reaction monitoring transitions were monitored for each component for quantification and identification, respectively. The method was validated in-house: matrix-matched calibration graphs were prepared and good linearity (r ≥ 0.99) was achieved over the concentration ranges tested (1–500 ng/mL for FB1 and FB2; 0.86–860 ng/mL for pHFB1a; 0.72–1430 ng/mL for pHFB1b and 2.5–2500 ng/mL for HFB1). Limits of quantification (LOQ) and detection (LOD) in plasma ranged between 0.72 to 2.5 ng/mL and 0.03 to 0.17 ng/mL, respectively. The results for the within-day and between-day precision and accuracy fell within the specified ranges. Moreover, the method was transferred to an UPLC high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) instrument in order to determine potential metabolites of HFB1, such as N-acyl-HFB1s and phase II metabolites. The method has been successfully applied to investigate the toxicokinetics and biotransformation of HFB1 in broiler chickens.
Optimized and Validated Spectrophotometric Methods for the Determination of Enalapril Maleate in Commercial Dosage Forms

Four simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric methods have been proposed for the determination of enalapril maleate in pharmaceutical formulations. The first method is based on the reaction of carboxylic acid group of enalapril maleate with a mixture of potassium iodate (KIO3) and iodide (KI) to form yellow colored product in aqueous medium at 25 ± 1°C. The reaction is followed spectrophotometrically by measuring the absorbance at 352 nm. The second, third and fourth methods are based on the charge transfer complexation reaction of the drug with p-chloranilic acid (pCA) in 1, 4-dioxan-methanol medium, 2, 3-dichloro 5, 6-dicyano 1, 4-benzoquinone (DDQ) in acetonitrile-1,4 dioxane medium and iodine in acetonitrile-dichloromethane medium. Under optimized experimental conditions, Beer’s law is obeyed in the concentration ranges of 2.5–50, 20–560, 5–75 and 10–200 μg mL−1, respectively. All the methods have been applied to the determination of enalapril maleate in pharmaceutical dosage forms. Results of analysis are validated statistically.
Wavelet Denoising of Multicomponent Images Using Gaussian Scale Mixture Models and a Noise-Free Image as Priors

In this paper, a Bayesian wavelet-based denoising procedure for multicomponent images is proposed. A denoising procedure is constructed that 1) fully accounts for the multicomponent image covariances, 2) makes use of Gaussian scale mixtures as prior models that approximate the marginal distributions of the wavelet coefficients well, and 3) makes use of a noise-free image as extra prior information. It is shown that such prior information is available with specific multicomponent image data of, e.g., remote sensing and biomedical imaging. Experiments are conducted in these two domains, in both simulated and real noisy conditions.
Treatment of pulmonary exacerbations in cystic fibrosis

Pulmonary exacerbations have very important consequences in cystic fibrosis (CF), both in terms of current morbidity as well as implications for long term morbidity and mortality. Even though there is no universally agreed definition of pulmonary exacerbation, prompt and aggressive treatment with a multidisciplinary approach is recommended. Maintenance treatments reduce the risk of exacerbations. Antibiotics should be targeted against the common CF bacteria and these can be given orally, although i.v. antibiotics will be required for ongoing symptoms or severe exacerbations. The evidence base for recommendations regarding the optimal regimens, route and frequency of administration of antibiotics, location, and duration of i.v. antibiotic treatment will be discussed. Management of comorbidities, like poor nutrition and diabetes, is critical in improving outcomes.
Determinants of reduced health-related quality of life in pediatric inherited neuropathies

Objective: We have shown that health-related quality of life (QOL) in children with inherited neuropathies (Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease [CMT]) is significantly reduced compared to population norms, thus establishing its utility as an outcome measure in therapeutic trials. However, the Australian ascorbic acid trial in children with CMT type 1A (CMT1A) identified no change in QOL scores despite a trend toward improvement in nerve conduction velocities in the treated group. The objective of this study was to identify clinical, electrophysiologic, and functional correlates of QOL in children with CMT1A, to guide future investigations of strategies to improve QOL and reduce disability in these patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a series of multivariate regression models were developed to determine whether QOL scores could be explained by demographic and symptom data, standardized measures of gross motor function, foot/ankle and hand/finger involvement, electrophysiology, and gait characteristics in 70 children aged 5–16 years with CMT1A. Results: Independent determinants of reduced QOL in children with CMT1A, from strongest to weakest, were leg cramps, hand tremor, short step length, reduced long jump distance, ankle inflexibility, poor agility and endurance, advancing age, and foot drop. Many of the standardized clinical and electrophysiologic measures used as endpoints in clinical trials of CMT correlated poorly with QOL. Conclusion: QOL is negatively affected by CMT1A in children. Multivariate modeling suggests that interventions designed to improve leg cramps, tremor, agility, endurance, and ankle flexibility might have a substantial effect on QOL in children with CMT1A.
Stathmin/Op18 phosphorylation is regulated by microtubule assembly.

Stathmin/Op 18 is a microtubule (MT) dynamics-regulating protein that has been shown to have both catastrophe-promoting and tubulin-sequestering activities. The level of stathmin/Op18 phosphorylation was proved both in vitro and in vivo to be important in modulating its MT-destabilizing activity. To understand the in vivo regulation of stathmin/Op18 activity, we investigated whether MT assembly itself could control phosphorylation of stathmin/Op18 and thus its MT-destabilizing activity. We found that MT nucleation by centrosomes from Xenopus sperm or somatic cells and MT assembly promoted by dimethyl sulfoxide or paclitaxel induced stathmin/Op18 hyperphosphorylation in Xenopus egg extracts, leading to new stathmin/Op18 isoforms phosphorylated on Ser 16. The MT-dependent phosphorylation of stathmin/Op18 took place in interphase extracts as well, and was also observed in somatic cells. We show that the MT-dependent phosphorylation of stathmin/Op18 on Ser 16 is mediated by an activity associated to the MTs, and that it is responsible for the stathmin/Op18 hyperphosphorylation reported to be induced by the addition of "mitotic chromatin. " Our results suggest the existence of a positive feedback loop, which could represent a novel mechanism contributing to MT network control.
` 1 minimisation with noisy data

Compressed sensing aims at recovering a sparse signal x ∈ RN from few nonadaptive, linear measurements Φ(x) given by a measurement matrix Φ. One of the fundamental recovery algorithms is an `1 minimisation. In this paper we investigate the situation when our measurement Φ(x) is contaminated by arbitrary noise under the assumption that the matrix Φ satisfies the restricted isometry property. This complements results from [4] and [8].
Thin-film photonic crystal LEDs with enhanced directionality

Photonic Crystals (PhCs) have attracted much attention during the last decade as a solution to overcome the low extraction efficiency of as-grown light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In this review we describe the underlying physics and summarize recent results obtained with PhC LEDs. Here, the main focus is on diffracting PhC. In order to quantify the benefit from the incorporation of PhCs for diffracting light a comparison by simulations between a PhC LED and a standard state-of-the-art LED is carried out. Finally, the impact of the PhC on the LEDs emission characteristics will be discussed with respect to étendue-limited applications. Azimuthal emission pattern of an InGaN/GaN LED with hexagonal PhC at a single wavelength
An Infrastructure for Fault-tolerant Wide-area Location and Routing

In today’s chaotic network, data and services are mobile and replicated widely for availability, durability, and locality. Components within this infrastructure interact in rich and complex ways, greatly stressing traditional approaches to name service and routing. This paper explores an alternative to traditional approaches called Tapestry. Tapestry is an overlay location and routing infrastructure that provides location-independent routing of messages directly to the closest copy of an object or service using only point-to-point links and without centralized resources. The routing and directory information within this infrastructure is purely soft state and easily repaired. Tapestry is self-administering, faulttolerant, and resilient under load. This paper presents the architecture and algorithms of Tapestry and explores their advantages through a number of experiments.
A Subband-Based SVM Front-End for Robust ASR

This work proposes a novel support vector machine (SVM) based robust automatic speech recognition (ASR) front-end that operates on an ensemble of the subband components of high-dimensional acoustic waveforms. The key issues of selecting the appropriate SVM kernels for classification in frequency subbands and the combination of individual subband classifiers using ensemble methods are addressed. The proposed front-end is compared with state-of-the-art ASR front-ends in terms of robustness to additive noise and linear filtering. Experiments performed on the TIMIT phoneme classification task demonstrate the benefits of the proposed subband based SVM front-end: it outperforms the standard cepstral front-end in the presence of noise and linear filtering for signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) below 12-dB. A combination of the proposed front-end with a conventional front-end such as MFCC yields further improvements over the individual front ends across the full range of noise levels.
Do cannabis-based medicinal extracts have general or specific effects on symptoms in multiple sclerosis? A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study on 160 patients

The objective was to determine whether a cannabis-based medicinal extract (CBME) benefits a range of symptoms due to multiple sclerosis (MS). A parallel group, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was undertaken in three centres, recruiting 160 outpatients with MS experiencing significant problems from at least one of the following: spasticity, spasms, bladder problems, tremor or pain. The interventions were oromucosal sprays of matched placebo, or whole plant CBME containing equal amounts of delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) at a dose of 2.5- 120 mg of each daily, in divided doses. The primary outcome measure was a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score for each patient’s most troublesome symptom. Additional measures included VAS scores of other symptoms, and measures of disability, cognition, mood, sleep and fatigue. Following CBME the primary symptom score reduced from mean (SE) 74.36 (11.1) to 48.89 (22.0) following CBME and from 74.31 (12.5) to 54.79 (26.3) following placebo [ns]. Spasticity VAS scores were significantly reduced by CBME (Sativex) in comparison with placebo (P- 0.001). There were no significant adverse effects on cognition or mood and intoxication was generally mild.
Photo-consistency based registration of an uncalibrated image pair to a 3D surface model using genetic algorithm

We consider the following data fusion problem. A 3D object with textured Lambertian surface is measured and independently photographed. A triangulated model of the object and two uncalibrated images are obtained. The goal is to precisely register the images to the model. Solving this problem is necessary for building a geometrically accurate, photorealistic model from laser-scanned 3D data and high quality images. Recently, we have proposed a novel method that generalises the photo-consistency approach by Clarkson et al. [2001] to the case of uncalibrated cameras, when both intrinsic and extrinsic parameters are unknown. This gives a user the freedom of taking the pictures by a conventional digital camera, from arbitrary positions and with varying zoom. The method is based on manual pre-registration followed by a genetic optimisation algorithm. A brief description of the pilot version of the method [Z. Janko et al. (2004)] has been given together with the results of a few initial tests. In this paper, we report on some new significant developments in this project. The critical issue of robustness against illumination changes is addressed and various colour representations and cost functions are tested and compared. Natural constraints are introduced and experimentally validated to simplify the camera model and accelerate the algorithm. Finally, we present synthetic and real data with ground truth, apply the improved method to the data and measure the quality of the results.