Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epilepsy surgery for pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy: a decision analysis.

CONTEXT Patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy have increased mortality compared with the general population, but patients with pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy who meet criteria for surgery and who become seizure-free after anterior temporal lobe resection have reduced excess mortality vs those with persistent seizures. OBJECTIVE To quantify the potential survival benefit of anterior temporal lobe resection for patients with pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy vs continued medical management. DESIGN Monte Carlo simulation model that incorporates possible surgical complications and seizure status, with 10,000 runs. The model was populated with health-related quality-of-life data obtained directly from patients and data from the medical literature. Insufficient data were available to assess gamma-knife radiosurgery or vagal nerve stimulation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Life expectancy and quality-adjusted life expectancy. RESULTS Compared with medical management, anterior temporal lobe resection for a 35-year-old patient with an epileptogenic zone identified in the anterior temporal lobe would increase survival by 5.0 years (95% CI, 2.1-9.2) with surgery preferred in 100% of the simulations. Anterior temporal lobe resection would increase quality-adjusted life expectancy by 7.5 quality-adjusted life-years (95%, CI, -0.8 to 17.4) with surgery preferred in 96.5% of the simulations, primarily due to increased years spent without disabling seizures, thereby reducing seizure-related excess mortality and improving quality of life. The results were robust to sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION The decision analysis model suggests that on average anterior temporal lobe resection should provide substantial gains in life expectancy and quality-adjusted life expectancy for surgically eligible patients with pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy compared with medical management.
Power Output in Rugby Players Comparing Unilateral and Bilateral Isotonic Upper-body Resistance Exercise

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(6): 691-700, 2019. Bilateral deficit (BLD) occurs when the internal muscular force generated during simultaneous bilateral limb exercise is lower than the sum of internal muscular forces generated during separate right limb and left limb unilateral exercise, while attempting to oppose the same total external load. Numerous BLD studies have evaluated force output differences during exercise; however, no study has determined whether BLD exists when generating power during isotonic upper-body exercise. To address this, we measured and compared power output across unilateral and bilateral isotonic upperbody exercise. Seventeen college male rugby players (age = 21.8 ± 2.1 y) completed 4 randomized, equal volume, upper-body exercise sessions: unilateral exercise using traditional weight training (UWT); unilateral exercise using circuit training (UCT); bilateral exercise using traditional weight training (BWT); and bilateral exercise using circuit training (BCT). Five sets of 5 repetitions of each dumbbell exercise (bench press, bent over row, overhead press, biceps curl, front raise, and bent over raise) were completed using a moderate dumbbell load (40–50% of 1-RM). Linear position transducer units were employed to measure power output. Peak and mean power scores (with the power data of all 6 exercises combined within a given group) were significantly higher in UWT compared with the other 3 protocols (p = .0001). This study involving collegiate rugby players demonstrates the presence of a bilateral power deficit in upper-body isotonic exercise and suggests that traditional unilateral exercise may generate the highest power output during a given resistance exercise session involving similar volumes of work.
Testing Dark Energy models vs $\Lambda$CDM Cosmology by Supernovae and Gamma Ray Bursts

A new method to constrain the cosmological equation of state is proposed by using combined samples of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and supernovae (SNeIa). The Chevallier-Polarski-Linder parameterization is adopted for the equation of state in order to find out a realistic approach to achieve the deceleration/acceleration transition phase of dark energy models. As results, we find that GRBs, calibrated by SNeIa, could be, at least, good distance indicators capable of discriminating cosmological models with respect to $\Lambda$CDM at high redshift. Besides, GRBs+SNeIa combined redshift-distance diagram puts better in evidence the change of slope around redshift $z\sim 0.5$ which is usually addressed as the "signature" of today observed acceleration. This feature could be interpreted, in more standard way, by the red sequence in galaxy clusters.
On the Advanced Optimistic Algorithms for Concurrent B-Tree

Numerous algorithms have been proposed to access B-tree index concurrently. Recent performance analyses found that two groups of the algorithms provide a higher degree of concurrency, namely, B link and optimistic algorithms. In this article we develop further the optimistic approach which is successful when no B-tree restructuring is needed. We argue that it can be also exploited in searching the top of the update scope when some splits/merges of B-tree nodes are necessary. Two new algorithms, multiple optimistic descent and jumping optimistic, are proposed. They permit an updater to nd and lock the update scope top without holding exclusive locks on the high-level nodes. The performance of new algorithms has been simulated in high data contention situations. Both new algorithms provide much more concurrency than the usual optimistic algorithms and perform better that B link-algorithm.
Complete plastome sequence of Heliciopsis lobata (merr.) Sleum: a Chinese medicinal species in China

Abstract Heliciopsis lobata, National class II rare and Endangered plant protection, is one of the subtropical important medicinal plants. However, its complete plastome information and systematic position are still unknown. In order to enhance the development of its Chinese medicinal value and deepen the study of it, we report and characterize the complete plastid genome sequence of H. lobata in an effort to provide genomic resources useful to promoting its medicinal value and systematic research. The complete plastome is 160,961 bp in length and contains the typical structure and gene content of angiosperm plastome, including two inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,455 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 88,929 bp, and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 19,122 bp. The plastome contains 117 genes, consisting of 83 unique protein-coding genes, 30 unique tRNA genes, and 4 unique rRNA genes. The overall A/T content in the plastome of H. lobata is 62.00%. The complete plastome sequence of H. lobata will provide a useful resource for the conservation genetics of this species as well as for the phylogenetic studies of Proteaceae.
Universität Des Saarlandes Fachrichtung 6.1 – Mathematik Can Variational Models for Correspondence Problems Benefit from Upwind Discretisations? Can Variational Models for Correspondence Problems Benefit from Upwind Discretisations? Can Variational Models for Correspondence Problems Benefit from Upw

Optic flow and stereo reconstruction are important examples of correspondence problems in computer vision. Correspondence problems have been studied for almost 30 years, and energy-based methods such as variational approaches have become popular for solving this task. However, despite the long history of research in this field, only little attention has been paid to the numerical approximation of derivatives that naturally occur in variational approaches. In this paper we show that strategies from hyperbolic numerics can lead to a significant quality gain in computational results. Starting from a basic formulation of correspondence problems, we take on a novel perspective on the mathematical model. Switching the roles of known and unknown with respect to image data and displacement field, we use the arising hyperbolic colour equation as a basis for a refined numerical approach. For its discretisation, we propose to use one-sided differences in the correct direction identified via a smooth predictor solution. The one-sided differences that are first-order accurate are blended with higher-order central schemes. Thereby the blending mechanism interpolates between the following two situations: The one-sided method is employed at image edges which often coincide with edges in the displacement field. In smooth image parts the higher-order scheme is used. We apply our new scheme to several prototypes of variational models for optic flow and stereo reconstruction, where we achieve significant qualitative improvements compared to standard discretisations.
Binding of plasma proteins to titanium dioxide nanotubes with different diameters

Titanium and titanium alloys are considered to be one of the most applicable materials in medical devices because of their suitable properties, most importantly high corrosion resistance and the specific combination of strength with biocompatibility. In order to improve the biocompatibility of titanium surfaces, the current report initially focuses on specifying the topography of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes (NTs) by electrochemical anodization. The zeta potential (ζ-potential) of NTs showed a negative value and confirmed the agreement between the measured and theoretically predicted dependence of ζ-potential on salt concentration, whereby the absolute value of ζ-potential diminished with increasing salt concentrations. We investigated binding of various plasma proteins with different sizes and charges using the bicinchoninic acid assay and immunofluorescence microscopy. Results showed effective and comparatively higher protein binding to NTs with 100 nm diameters (compared to 50 or 15 nm). We also showed a dose-dependent effect of serum amyloid A protein binding to NTs. These results and theoretical calculations of total available surface area for binding of proteins indicate that the largest surface area (also considering the NT lengths) is available for 100 nm NTs, with decreasing surface area for 50 and 15 nm NTs. These current investigations will have an impact on increasing the binding ability of biomedical devices in the body leading to increased durability of biomedical devices.
DNA polymerase I function is required for the utilization of ethanolamine, 1,2-propanediol, and propionate by Salmonella typhimurium LT2

Evidence documenting the requirement for a functional DNA polymerase I when Salmonella typhimurium LT2 uses ethanolamine (EA), 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDL), or propionate (PRP) as the sole carbon and energy source is presented. Providing rat polymerase beta in trans demonstrated that the growth phenotypes observed were due exclusively to the lack of DNA polymerase I functions. The location of the mutation (a MudI1734 insertion) that rendered cells unable to grow on EA, 1,2-PDL, or PRP was determined by DNA sequencing to be within the polA gene. polA mutants of this bacterium may be unable to repair the damage caused by reactive aldehydes generated during the catabolism of EA, 1,2-PDL, or PRP. Consistent with this hypothesis, the inhibitory effects of acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde on the growth of this polA mutant were demonstrated. A derivative of the polA mutant unable to synthesize glutathione (GSH) was markedly more sensitive to acetaldehyde and propionaldehyde than was the polA mutant proficient in GSH synthesis. This finding was in agreement with the recently proposed role of GSH as a mechanism for quenching reactive aldehydes generated during the catabolism of these compounds (M. R. Rondon, R. Kazmierczack, and J. C. Escalante-Semerena, J. Bacteriol. 177:5434-5439, 1995).
Using growth velocity to predict child mortality12

Background: Growth assessment based on the WHO child growth velocity standards can potentially be used to predict adverse health outcomes. Nevertheless, there are very few studies on growth velocity to predict mortality. Objectives: We aimed to determine the ability of various growth velocity measures to predict child death within 3 mo and to compare it with those of attained growth measures. Design: Data from 5657 children <5 y old who were enrolled in a cohort study in the Democratic Republic of Congo were used. Children were measured up to 6 times in 3-mo intervals, and 246 (4.3%) children died during the study period. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models informed the mortality risk within 3 mo for weight and length velocity z scores and 3-mo changes in midupper arm circumference (MUAC). We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to present balance in sensitivity and specificity to predict child death. Results: GEE models showed that children had an exponential increase in the risk of dying with decreasing growth velocity in all 4 indexes (1.2- to 2.4-fold for every unit decrease). A length and weight velocity z score of <−3 was associated with an 11.8- and a 7.9-fold increase, respectively, in the RR of death in the subsequent 3-mo period (95% CIs: 3.9, 35.5, and 3.9, 16.2, respectively). Weight and length velocity z scores had better predictive abilities [area under the ROC curves (AUCs) of 0.67 and 0.69] than did weight-for-age (AUC: 0.57) and length-for-age (AUC: 0.52) z scores. Among wasted children (weight-for-height z score <−2), the AUC of weight velocity z scores was 0.87. Absolute MUAC performed best among the attained indexes (AUC: 0.63), but longitudinal assessment of MUAC-based indexes did not increase the predictive value. Conclusion: Although repeated growth measures are slightly more complex to implement, their superiority in mortality-predictive abilities suggests that these could be used more for identifying children at increased risk of death.
Differential flatness and control of protocentric aerial manipulators with any number of arms and mixed rigid-/elastic-joints

In this paper we introduce a particularly relevant class of aerial manipulators that we name protocentric. These robots are formed by an underactuated aerial vehicle, a planar-Vertical Take-Off and Landing (PVTOL), equipped with any number of different parallel manipulator arms with the only property that all the first joints are attached at the Center of Mass (CoM) of the PVTOL, while the center of actuation of the PVTOL can be anywhere. We prove that protocentric aerial manipulators (PAMs) are differentially flat systems regardless the number of joints of each arm and their kinematic and dynamic parameters. The set of flat outputs is constituted by the CoM of the PVTOL and the absolute orientation angles of all the links. The relative degree of each output is equal to four. More amazingly, we prove that PAMs are differentially flat even in the case that any number of the joints are elastic, no matter the internal distribution between elastic and rigid joints. The set of flat outputs is the same but in this case the total relative degree grows quadratically with the number of elastic joints. We validate the theory by simulating object grasping and transportation tasks with unknown mass and parameters and using a controller based on dynamic feedback linearization.
Summarizing software artifacts: a case study of bug reports

Many software artifacts are created, maintained and evolved as part of a software development project. As software developers work on a project, they interact with existing project artifacts, performing such activities as reading previously filed bug reports in search of duplicate reports. These activities often require a developer to peruse a substantial amount of text. In this paper, we investigate whether it is possible to summarize software artifacts automatically and effectively so that developers could consult smaller summaries instead of entire artifacts. To provide focus to our investigation, we consider the generation of summaries for bug reports. We found that existing conversation-based generators can produce better results than random generators and that a generator trained specifically on bug reports can perform statistically better than existing conversation-based generators. We demonstrate that humans also find these generated summaries reasonable indicating that summaries might be used effectively for many tasks.
The Sequential Role of Lymphotoxin and B Cells in the Development of Splenic Follicles

The transfer of lymphocytes into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice induces a series of histological changes in the spleen, including the appearance of mature follicular dendritic cells (FDCs). Studies were undertaken to clarify the role of lymphotoxin (LT) in this process. The results show that SCID mice have a small and partially differentiated white pulp containing marginal zone and interdigitating dendritic cells, but lacking FDCs. Transferred spleen cells can segregate into T and B cell areas shortly after their injection to SCID mice. This ability is dependent on signaling through LT-β receptor (LT-βR), since blocking ligand–receptor interaction in recipient SCID mice ablates the capacity of the transferred cells to segregate. A week after lymphocyte transfer, host-derived FDCs appeared in the reconstituted SCID mice. This induction of FDCs is dependent on LT-βR signaling by B cells since LT-α−/− B cells are incapable of inducing development of FDCs in SCID mice, even after cotransfer of LT-α+/+ T cells. Therefore, LT plays at least two discrete roles in splenic organization. First, it appears that LT induces the differentiation of the white pulp to create sites for lymphocyte segregation. Second, LT expression by B cells drives the maturation of FDCs and the organization of B cell follicles.
Effects of total parenteral nutrition and chemotherapy on the metabolic derangements in small cell lung cancer.

Changes in energy metabolism, substrate use, and hormone profiles were prospectively studied in 31 patients with small cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy. Patients were randomized to receive either 4 weeks of total parenteral nutrition (n = 15) or to continue self-regulated p.o. diet (control group; n = 16). The initial actual resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry was 31% higher than the predicted resting energy expenditure determined by the Harris-Benedict formula. The p.o. calorie intake was inappropriately low for these hypermetabolic patients. Total parenteral nutrition resulted in a significant positive net energy balance, but in follow-up was associated with prolonged anorexia and a negative energy balance. Complete response to therapy reduced resting energy expenditure and increased calorie intake, whereas the contrary was true in nonresponders. Elevated plasma-free fatty acids (800 +/- 62 microM; S.E.) and a low respiratory quotient (0.74 +/- 0.02) indicate that the dominant energy source in patients with small cell lung cancer is fat, and that increased fat oxidation continues despite tumor response. Elevated fasting plasma catecholamines and insulin resistance may contribute to continued fat mobilization. Initially, there was a significant increase in blood lactate (1118 +/- 95 microM) suggesting either increased tumor or tumor-mediated glycolytic activity. Response to therapy was associated with a fall in blood lactate levels. The most effective way of improving the metabolic derangements in patients with small cell lung cancer was to achieve tumor response to therapy.
FLOWer — Device benchmarking beyond 100 Gbit/s

The growth of bandwidth in computer networks fuels the constant adoption of measurement equipment and methodologies. Networking equipment offers processing capacity in the Terabit/s range nowadays. However, test equipment in academia lags behind. We propose FLOWer, a novel and cost effective approach capable of testing such high-speed devices. FLOWer combines an inexpensive software packet generator with an OpenFlow-enabled switch to amplify the bandwidth while sustaining the flexibility of the software solution. By utilizing OpenFlow, FLOWer is able to provide the required bandwidths the software solution cannot generate on its own. We demonstrate a proof-of-concept with example measurements at bandwidths of multiple 100 Gbit/s.
Simultaneous Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of a Patient with Seizures and Encephalitis

ABSTRACT We report a case of a 62-year-old female with seizures and encephalitis. Molecular testing of the patient's cerebrospinal fluid was positive for both herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of simultaneous detection of HSV-1 and HSV-2 in cerebrospinal fluid.
Chaotic synchronisation for coupled neural networks based on T-S fuzzy theory

Chaotic synchronisation problems for fuzzy neural networks with hybrid coupling are investigated in this paper. A novel concept that can make use of more relaxed variables by employing the new type of augmented matrices with Kronecker product operation is proposed. The proposed method can handle multitude of Kronecker product operation in Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional, and introduce more arbitrary matrices to reduce the conservatism. Since the expression based on linear matrix inequality is used, the synchronisation criteria can be easily checked in practice. Numerical simulation examples are provided to verify the effectiveness and the applicability of the proposed method.
On Detection Algorithms for Spurious Retransmissions in TCP

In TCP, a spurious packet retransmission can be caused by either spurious timeout (STO) or spurious fast retransmit (SFR). The "lost" packets are unnecessarily retransmitted and the evoked congestion control process causes network underutilization. In this paper, we focus on spurious retransmission detection. We first present a survey on some important and interesting spurious retransmission detection algorithms. Based on the insights obtained, we propose a novel yet simple detection algorithm called split-and-retransmit (SnR). SnR only requires a minor modification to the TCP sender while leaving the receiver intact. The key idea is to split the retransmitted packet into two smaller ones before retransmitting them. As the packet size is different, the ACK triggered will carry different ACK numbers. This allows the sender to easily distinguish between the original transmission and the retransmission of a packet without relying on, e.g., TCP options. We then compare our SnR with STODER, F-RTO and Newreno under both loss-free and lossy network environments. We show that our SnR is resilient to packet loss and yields good performance under various simulation settings.
How to benchmark RDF engines and not die trying

Existing RDF engines have developed optimization techniques and efficient physical operators that speed up execution time. Additionally, some of these approaches have implemented structures to efficiently store and access RDF data, and have developed execution strategies able to reuse data previously stored in cache. In order to study the benefits of the techniques offered by each approach, particular datasets have to be considered as well as different benchmarks of queries. Queries must be of different complexity, number of patterns, selectivity and shape, while datasets have to be of different sizes and correlations between subjects, predicates and objects. In this paper, we describe the benchmarks that we have developed to analyze the performance of existing RDF engines when creating and indexing RDF structures, as well as the quality of the optimization and execution strategies implemented by these engines.
Using Legal Ontology for Query Enhancement in Generating a Document Summary

In this paper, we have proposed a novel comprehensive structural framework for the construction of ontology from a given legal corpus for the purpose of query enhancement to pick relevant documents for generating a summary. We evaluated our system with queries given by legal experts and non-experts and found that ontology-based query enhancement system results are significantly better than standard Microsoft Windows search queries.