Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ethics of Translation: MOLST and Electronic Advance Directives

before a major treatment decision, only 29.3% said that this occurs at age 9 or younger. Given the complexity of such decisions, this might be appropriate when treatments hold a high likelihood of benefit to a child. But as the chance for benefit diminishes and the cost to the child in terms of time, lost opportunity to do nonmedical activities, and potential suffering grows, the weight of a child’s participation in decision making should increase, even if only in the form of expressing preferences, values, and priorities. This is especially true at the end of life when families are considering interventions that may have only a small chance of direct, curative benefit to the child; facilitating a child’s ability to express values, priorities, and preferences at this time might add an important dimension to the difficult process surrounding decision making at the end of life. Qualitative interviews were then conducted with healthy children to help us understand preferences as we developed the design concept. We looked at ways of presenting information literally and metaphorically, as well as at different graphical themes (both realistic, as with sports motifs, and abstract, as with geometric patterns). We had several sessions with the children in which we showed them the designs and asked open-ended questions about their preferences. We found that the use of a pie chart and percentages was what they found to be most appealing and comprehensible, among the options presented. This was not intended to be a rigorous analysis, but rather an attempt to get early-stage feedback on the aesthetic and informational preferences of children to inform the starting point for our design approach. As a result of the interviews, we crafted an early-stage design concept that will constitute the starting point for prototyping the tool we are in the process of building. In light of the success Levi and Green have had adapting such technology to adult advance care planning, we hope that others consider studying appropriate ways in which a process might be developed that is fitting to the task of allowing children to have some voice in their care at the end of life.
Advantages and disadvantages of the Zernike expansion for representing wave aberration of the normal and aberrated eye.

PURPOSE Zernike expansion has been selected for use in describing wavefront aberrations in the human eye. The advantages and limitations of this approach are assessed for eyes with varying degrees of aberration. METHODS Corneal topography examinations were taken with the Nidek OPD-Scan topographer/aberrometer. These higher data density corneal topography examinations were converted to height data and subsequently to wavefront representations. System noise was evaluated with a 2D frequency analysis of 43-D test balls. Both Zernike polynomials and 2D Fourier transforms were used to evaluate fidelity in the presentation of the point spread function. A display format for potential clinical use was developed based upon Zernike decomposition. RESULTS Systematic noise from the corneal topographer was found to be minimal and, when eliminated, produced small changes in the point spread function. Using Zernike decomposition up to the 30th order failed to preserve the higher frequency aberrations present in aberrated eyes. Use of a Zernike decomposition display with a fixed micron scale presented only clinically significant details of spherical aberration, coma, trefoil, irregular components above third order and total higher-order aberrations (above second order). CONCLUSIONS Zernike polynomials excel in extracting the low-order optical characteristics of visual optics. Zernikes accurately represent both low- and high-order aberrations in normal eyes where high-order aberrations are clinically insignificant. For eyes after corneal surgery or eyes with corneal pathology such as keratoconus that have significant higher-order aberrations, the Zernike method fails to capture all clinically significant higher-order aberrations.
Contribution of linguistic variables to bilingual listeners' perception of degraded English sentences.

PURPOSE The present study was designed to investigate what linguistic variables best predict bilingual recognition of acoustically degraded sentences and how to identify bilingual individuals who might have more difficulty than their monolingual counterparts on such tasks. METHOD Four hundred English speech-perception-in-noise (SPIN) sentences with high and low context were presented in combinations of noise (signal-to-noise ratio: +6 and 0 dB) and reverberation (reverberation time: 1.2 and 3.6 s) to 10 monolingual and 50 bilingual listeners. A detailed linguistic profile was obtained for bilingual listeners using the Language Experience and Proficiency Questionnaire. RESULTS Variables per reading in English (age of fluency, proficiency, and preference) emerged as strong predictors of performance across noise, reverberation, and context effects. Via discriminant analyses, bilingual listeners who rated their accent to be perceptible and reported shorter length of immersion in an English-spoken country or school tended to score significantly lower on the SPIN test than monolingual listeners. CONCLUSIONS Bilingual listeners' linguistic background plays a major role in their use of context in degraded English sentences. Rather than conventional variables such as age of acquisition, variables pertaining to reading, proficiency, immersion, and accent severity may be obtained for improved prediction of bilingual performance on the task.
An Efficient Image Gathering Scheme with Quality Control in Disaster

Rescue teams require information about victims in need of help rapidly to improve survival rate at the time of disaster. Emergency Rescue Information Sharing System gathers and provides the information with a framework called METHANE in addition to efficient wireless link's selection using OpenFlow. However, it is difficult for those who rescue the victims except for the rescue teams to recognize detail situation of disaster area by using only METHANE information. To gather and provide the information rapidly, we introduce information about disaster area such as image information in addition to METHANE framework. However, transmission of the image information affects transmission of METHANE information in unstable network at the time of disaster. In this paper, we propose a transmission scheme using quality modification of image information. This scheme aims to gather high quality image information rapidly without affecting the transmission of METHANE information. To enable the transmission of the image information without affecting the transmission of METHANE, we distinguish flows of contents and assign different wireless links to each content. Moreover, for rapid image information gathering, we select the links dynamically based on available bandwidth and modify quality of information. Prototype demonstration shows that proposed scheme has usefulness in terms of rapid collection of low quality image information as well as slow collection of high quality image information.
MULTI PULSE RECTIFIER USING DIFFERENT PHASE SHIFTING TRANSFORMERS AND ITS THD COMPARISON FOR POWER QUALITY ISSUES

The converters which are also known as rectifiers are generally fed from three phase ac supply have problems of power quality in terms of harmonics injected into the supply which cause poor power factor, ac voltage distortion and rippled dc outputs. To eradicate these problems, multipulse converters can be used. Multi pulse converters are converters providing more than six pulses of DC voltage per cycle or the converter is having more steps in AC input current than that of six pulse rectifier supply current. In this paper multipulse converter with 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 pulse rectifier are designed using different topologies of three phase star-delta, delta-star, star-star, delta-delta, and ziz-zag connection of transformer for different phase shifts. It has been proved that these topologies provide less harmonics and good voltage regulation with proper comparisons of their THD levels.
Nicardipine, a calcium antagonist, does not aggravate intracerebral haemorrhage in an intracerebral haemorrhage model in rats

Despite controversy over their safety in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage, calcium antagonists are widely used in the treatment of hypertensive emergencies. Here, we investigated the effects of nicardipine on haematoma size and neurological deficit in a rat model of collagenase‐induced intracerebral haemorrhage. Injection of collagenase (0.014 U) into the striatum induced haematoma (19.9 ± 3.4 mm3) in the striatum and brain oedema. Drugs were infused from 30 min after collagenase injection for 3 h under conscious conditions. Nicardipine intravenously at 0.1, 1 and 10 μg kg−1 min−1 affected neither haematoma size nor the degree of brain oedema. Nicardipine at these doses provided a stable and dose‐dependent decrease in mean blood pressure of 6%, 13% and 33%, respectively, with an increase in heart rate that was apparently caused reflexively. Further, nicardipine did not aggravate the neurological deficits in these intracerebral haemorrhage rats, primarily forearm flexion behaviour on suspension by the tail and circling behaviour. These results indicate that nicardipine infusion stably decreased blood pressure without affecting intracerebral haemorrhage in an intracerebral haemorrhage model in rats.
Face Recognition Based on Optimized Projections for Distributed Intelligent Monitoring Systems

Compressive sensing (CS), as a new theory of signal processing, has found many applications. This paper deals with a CS-based face recognition system design. A novel framework, called projection matrix optimization- (PMO-) based compressive classification, is proposed for distributed intelligent monitoring systems. Unlike the sparse preserving projection (SPP) approach, the projection matrix is designed such that the coherence between different classes of faces is reduced and hence a higher recognition rate is expected. The optimal projection matrix problem is formulated as identifying a matrix that minimizes the Frobenius norm of the difference between a given target Gram and that of the equivalent dictionary. A class of analytical solutions is derived. With the PMO-based CS system, two frameworks are proposed for compressive face recognition. Experiments are carried out with five popularly utilized face databases (i.e., ORL, Yale, Yale Extend, CMU PIE, and AR) and simulation results show that the proposed approaches outperform those existing compressive ones in terms of the recognition rate and reconstruction error.
FeoC from Klebsiella pneumoniae Contains a [4Fe-4S] Cluster

ABSTRACT Iron is essential for pathogen survival, virulence, and colonization. Feo is suggested to function as the ferrous iron (Fe2+) transporter. The enterobacterial Feo system is composed of 3 proteins: FeoB is the indispensable component and is a large membrane protein likely to function as a permease; FeoA is a small Src homology 3 (SH3) domain protein that interacts with FeoB; FeoC is a winged-helix protein containing 4 conserved Cys residues in a sequence suitable for harboring a putative iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster. The presence of an iron-sulfur cluster on FeoC has never been shown experimentally. We report that under anaerobic conditions, the recombinant Klebsiella pneumoniae FeoC (KpFeoC) exhibited hyperfine-shifted nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and a UV-visible (UV-Vis) absorbance spectrum characteristic of a paramagnetic center. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) results were consistent only with the [4Fe-4S] clusters. Substituting the cysteinyl sulfur with oxygen resulted in significantly reduced cluster stability, establishing the roles of these cysteines as the ligands for the Fe-S cluster. When exposed to oxygen, the [4Fe-4S] cluster degraded to [3Fe-4S] and eventually disappeared. We propose that KpFeoC may regulate the function of the Feo transporter through the oxygen- or iron-sensitive coordination of the Fe-S cluster.
Validity of the INR System for Patients with Liver Impairment

The paper by Kovacs et al. (1) confirms what has been known for many years. The authors omitted to mention that the difference between the recombinant human thromboplastin and human placental thrombo­ plastin versus the rabbit brain thromboplastin, is due to the lack of sen­ sitivity of rabbit brain thromboplastin to PIVKA (Protein Induced by Vitamin K Absence or Antagonists) (2) i. e. the non-carboxylated or partially carboxylated forms of factors II, VII and X. The difference in sensitivity of the three types of thromboplastin to PIVKA is illus­ trated by the PIVKA inhibitor plots in the figure. The sensitivity of the recombinant human thromboplastin (Innovin) is greater than that of cadaver human brain (BCT 253), whilst rabbit brain thromboplastin * (CRM 149R) is completely insensitive. This difference in sensitivity is reflected in the INR results in Table 3 of Kovacs et al. where Innovin shows the greatest difference in INR’s between the warfarin controls and liver patients. Although rabbit brain thromboplastin is calibrated against warfarin samples containing PIVKA, it measures only reduc­ tion in the levels of factors II, V, VII and X, and not the PIVKA in­ hibitor, and thus at similar tissue concentrations rabbit brain thrombo­ plastin is less sensitive than human brain thromboplastin (3). Using rabbit brain thromboplastin, the INR system can be used for any type of liver impairment whether PIVKA is present or absent be­ cause the INR measures reduction in factors II, VII and X, the only factors measured in its calibration. There is no evidence that PIVKA behaves as an inhibitor in vivo and the only advantage in the use of
Characteristics of a broadband printed quadrifilar helical antenna employing a novel compact feeding circuit

A broadband printed quadrifilar helical antenna employing a novel compact feeding circuit is proposed in this paper. Good results have been obtained in simulation for the quadrifilar antenna alone. To feed this antenna, a circuit based on an aperture-coupled transition and including two 90° surface mount hybrids has been designed. The measured return loss of this circuit is greater than 12 dB between 1.06 and 1.64 GHz, the maximum output magnitude imbalance is 0.5 dB, and the maximum output phase imbalance is 3° over the same bandwidth. Simulations have been carried out to evaluate the effect of the aperture in the ground plane on the antenna performance. The simulated active return loss has been found to be equal to or greater than 10 dB and the gain varies between −0.5 and 3.5 dBc from 1.27 to 1.63 GHz. The HPBW is 144°, and the cross-polarization rejection is greater than 14 dB over the HPBW. At 1.4 GHz, the AR is lower than 3.3 dB over the HPBW. A 16-dB back-radiation level of the LHCP has been noticed in this case at 1.4 GHz.
SOFT TISSUE ANALYSIS AND CAST MEASUREMENT IN ORTHODONTICS USING DIGITAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY

In orthodontics the lateral X-ray and its analysis is an important part of the diagnostic procedures since the discovery of X-ray and the introduction of cephalic measuring with almost parallel X-rays. Making lateral and frontal photographs of the patient represents another common diagnostic method in this particular medical subject area. But both methods only allow a two dimensional inspection of cephalic or facial structures. While making a lateral X-ray the patient is exposed to radiation. Furthermore, the bony structures of the cephalic skeleton are pictured as a summation, which increases the probability of misinterpretation of the measured values. With the three dimensional photogrammetric measurement of the facial skull using 5 standard views a new diagnostic resource is available to the orthodontist, which allows the non-tactile, radiation free acquisition of the measure points of the viscerocranium with an accuracy in the range of 0.1 mm. Particularly the spatial acquisition of soft tissue points is possible for the first time without considerable instrumental expenditure and radiation for the patient. Also digitizing of teeth and jaws from a plaster cast may be performed and the data transformed to the skull data using a special transformation bar which is photographed while the patient holds it with his teeth and also while attached to the plaster casts. Off the shelf digital cameras are used (Fuji DS-300 (1280x1000 pixels) and a Kodak DC260 (1536x1024 pixels)). The obtained results are very well in the range of the point definition accuracy of soft tissue points.
Oxytocin and autism: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE Little is known about the effectiveness of pharmacological interventions on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a systematic review of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of oxytocin interventions in autism, made from January 1990 to September 2013. METHOD A search of computerized databases was supplemented by manual search in the bibliographies of key publications. The methodological quality of the studies included in the review was evaluated independently by two researchers, according to a set of formal criteria. Discrepancies in scoring were resolved through discussion. RESULTS The review yielded seven RCTs, including 101 subjects with ASD (males=95) and 8 males with Fragile X syndrome. The main categories of target symptoms tested in the studies were repetitive behaviors, eye gaze, and emotion recognition. The studies had a medium to high risk of bias. Most studies had small samples (median=15). All the studies but one reported statistically significant between-group differences on at least one outcome variable. Most findings were characterized by medium effect size. Only one study had evidence that the improvement in emotion recognition was maintained after 6 weeks of treatment with intranasal oxytocin. Overall, oxytocin was well tolerated and side effects, when present, were generally rated as mild; however, restlessness, increased irritability, and increased energy occurred more often under oxytocin. CONCLUSIONS RCTs of oxytocin interventions in autism yielded potentially promising findings in measures of emotion recognition and eye gaze, which are impaired early in the course of the ASD condition and might disrupt social skills learning in developing children. There is a need for larger, more methodologically rigorous RCTs in this area. Future studies should be better powered to estimate outcomes with medium to low effect size, and should try to enroll female participants, who were rarely considered in previous studies. Risk of bias should be minimized. Human long-term administration studies are necessary before clinical recommendations can be made.
Origin and function of the major royal jelly proteins of the honeybee (Apis mellifera) as members of the yellow gene family

In the honeybee, Apis mellifera, the queen larvae are fed with a diet exclusively composed of royal jelly (RJ), a secretion of the hypopharyngeal gland of young worker bees that nurse the brood. Up to 15% of RJ is composed of proteins, the nine most abundant of which have been termed major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs). Although it is widely accepted that RJ somehow determines the fate of a female larva and in spite of considerable research efforts, there are surprisingly few studies that address the biochemical characterisation and functions of these MRJPs. Here we review the research on MRJPs not only in honeybees but in hymenopteran insects in general and provide metadata analyses on genome organisation of mrjp genes, corroborating previous reports that MRJPs have important functions for insect development and not just a nutritional value for developing honeybee larvae.
Assessing for mild TBI among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans: Outcomes of injury severity and neurological factors

Abstract Objective: To investigate injury severity markers and neurological symptoms associated with clinician-confirmed mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Setting: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centre and five affiliated community-based outpatient clinics. Participants: Three hundred and fifty Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with positive initial VA TBI screens between 1 April 2007 and 1 June 2010 and clinician-confirmed TBI status by 1 December 2010. Methods: Retrospective-cohort study of medical record data. Main measures included clinician-confirmed TBI status, injury severity markers (e.g. loss of consciousness (LOC), post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) or confusion/disorientation) and neurological symptoms. Results: Among veterans who screened positive on the initial VA TBI and then received a clinician evaluation, 60% were confirmed to have a TBI diagnosis. Veterans reporting at least one LOC, confusion or PTA were almost 18-times more likely to receive a confirmed TBI diagnosis. Odds of clinician-confirmed TBI were 2.5–3-times greater among those who endorsed dizziness, poor coordination, headaches, nausea, vision problems and/or irritability, compared to those not endorsing these symptoms. Nausea had greatest utility for confirming a TBI. Conclusions: Identification of neurologic symptoms that most contribute to a clinician-confirmed diagnosis of TBI has potential for streamlining detection of TBI and symptoms needed for treatment.
Hemimegalencephaly: A rare cause of hemihypoperfusion on 99m technetium-ethyl cysteinate dimer brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography

Hemimegalencephaly is a rare congenital neuronal migration disorder that can presents with the equally rare finding of hemihypoperfusion on brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). It is an extremely rare cause of intractable epilepsy. Technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) brain perfusion SPECT is useful in excluding other foci of hypoperfusion in the contralateral since hemispherectomy has been suggested to be the treatment of choice. Furthermore, hemimegalencephaly may present with hyper as well as hypoperfusion on ECD SPECT. We present the case of an 11-year-old male child with intractable seizures who showed hemihypoperfusion in the hemimegalecephalic hemisphere.
Phylogenies and the Comparative Method: A General Approach to Incorporating Phylogenetic Information into the Analysis of Interspecific Data

This article considers the statistical issues relevant to the comparative method in evolutionary biology. A generalized linear model (GLM) is presented for the analysis of comparative data, which can be used to address questions regarding the relationship between traits or between traits and environments, the rate of phenotypic evolution, the degree of phylogenetic effect, and the ancestral state of a character. Our approach thus emphasizes the similarity among evolutionary questions asked in comparative studies. We then discuss ways of specifying the sources of error involved in a comparative study (e.g., measurement error, error due to evolution along a phylogeny, error due to misspecification of a phylogeny) and show how the impact of these sources of error can be taken into account in a comparative analysis. In contrast to most existing phylogenetic comparative methods, our procedure offers substantial flexibility in the choice of microevolutionary assumptions underlying the statistical analysis, allowing researchers to choose assumptions that are most appropriate for their particular set of data and evolutionary question. In developing the approach, we also propose novel ways of incorporating within-species variation and/or measurement error into phylogenetic analyses, of estimating ancestral states, and of considering both continuous (quantitative) and categorical (qualitative or "state") characters in the same analysis.