Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Controlled ovarian stimulation with r-FSH plus r-LH vs. HMG plus r-FSH in patients candidate for IVF/ICSI cycles: An RCT

Background: Different combination of gonadotropin preparation has been introduced with no definite superiority of one over others in in vitro fertilization (IVF), but individualized regimens for each patient are needed. Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of controlled ovarian stimulation with recombinant- follicle stimulating hormone (r-FSH) plus recombinant-luteinizing hormone (rLH) versus human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) plus r-FSH on fertility outcomes in IVF patients. Materials and Methods: This is a randomized clinical trial study that was performed from October 2014-April 2016 on 140 infertile patients with a set of inclusion criteria that referred to infertility clinics in Vali- asr and Gandhi Hospital in Tehran. The women were randomly divided into two treatment groups. The first group (n=70) received rFSH from the second day of cycle and was added HMG in 6th day and the 2nd group (n=70), received rFSH from the second day of cycle and was added recombinant-LH in 6th day. Then ovum Pick-Up and embryo transfer were performed. In this study, we assessed the outcomes such as; chemical and clinical pregnancy rate, live birth and abortion rate. Results: Number of follicles in ovaries, total number of oocytes or M2 oocytes and quality of fetuses has no significant differences between two groups (p>0.05). Total number of fetuses were significantly higher in patients who received rFSH + HMG (p=0.02). Fertility outcomes consisted of: live birth rate, chemical pregnancy and clinical pregnancy rate were higher in rFSH + HMG group in comparison to rFSH +r-LH group (p<0.05). Conclusion: It seems that in IVF patients, HMG + rFSH used for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation have better effects on fertility outcomes, but in order to verify the results, it is recommended to implement studies on more patients.
Which Insurers Write Cyber Insurance? Evidence from U.S. Property and Casualty Insurance Industry

This article is the first to analyze the relationship between corporate characteristics and the writing of cyber insurance in the U.S. property and casualty insurance industry. Given that cyber risk is an emerging dynamic and difficult‐to‐quantify risk category, we interpret the writing of cyber insurance as a risky activity, and link our results to the broad literature on insurers’ risk taking. The results show that insurers with more capital, lower asset risk, greater diversification among business lines and geographic areas, and group members are more likely to write cyber insurance. The results for different ownership types are ambiguous: although many mutual insurers are more likely to offer cyber coverage as part of existing policies, stock insurers are more likely to sell standalone cyber insurance. We also analyze the interrelationship between writing cyber risk and capital and reinsurance usage with a simultaneous equation model. Besides the positive relationship between capital and the undertaking of cyber risk, the results show that insurers writing cyber insurance policies use more reinsurance to transfer their risk.
Evolution of the CaF2:Tm (TLD-300) glow curve as an indicator of beam quality for low-energy photon beams

We study the high- to low- temperature signal ratio (HLTR) of the CaF2:Tm glow curve as a function of beam quality for low-energy photon beams with effective energy between 15.2 and 33.6 keV, generated with W, Mo and Rh anodes. CaF2:Tm dosemeters (TLD-300) were exposed to x-rays and 60Co gamma-rays. Glow curves were deconvoluted into 7 peaks, using computerized glow curve deconvolution and HLTR was evaluated. Air kerma and dose in water were between 2.1–15.0 mGy and 49.8–373.8 mGy, respectively. All peaks in the glow curve showed a linear response with respect to air kerma and dose in water. HLTR values decreased monotonically between 1.029 ± 0.010 (at 15.2 keV) and 0.821 ± 0.011 (33.6 keV), and no effects due to the use of different anode/filter combinations were observed. The results indicate a relatively high value of HLTR (about 1 for 17 keV effective energy, or 3 keV μm−1 track-average LET) and a measurable dependence on the photon beam quality. Comparison of these photon data with HLTR for ions shows good quantitative agreement. The reported evolution of the CaF2:Tm glow curve could facilitate the estimation of the effective energy of unknown photon fields by this technique.
Range sensing by projecting multi-slits with random cuts

A method is described for acquiring range data by projecting a single pattern of multiple slits. To obtain three-dimensional data by projecting a single pattern, certain codes for identifying each slit must be contained in the pattern. In addition, if the characteristics of the code embedded in the pattern are not affected by the change of relations between a position of a camera and that of a pattern projector, arbitrariness in positions of both the camera and the projector can be allowed. Random dots are used to identify each slit. The random dots are given as randomly distributed cuts on each slit. Thus, each slit is divided into many small line segments, and, using these segments as features, stereo matching is carried out to obtain three-dimensional data. Using adjacent relations among slit segments, segment pairs, whose adjacent segments also correspond to each other, are extracted and considered to be correct matches. From the resultant matches, the correspondence is propagated by utilizing the adjacency relationships to get an entire range image. <<ETX>>
Pravastatin Does Not Prevent Antiphospholipid Antibody Effects On Human First Trimester Trophoblast Function

Women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) have circulating antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and are at risk for recurrent pregnancy loss and late pregnancy complications due placental dysfunction. Recent research has demonstrated that aPL directly alter human first trimester trophoblast function by up-regulating inflammatory cytokines, limiting cell migration, and altering angiogenic factor production. Due to their anti-inflammatory properties, Statins have been tested both in vitro, using human trophoblast, and in vivo, using a mouse model, for the treatment of APS-associated pregnancy complications and preeclampsia. In vivo mouse studies showed that statins prevent aPLmediated fetal loss, whereas in vitro human studies suggest that statins, like pravastatin may compromise normal trophoblast function and viability. Therefore, the objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that pravastatin prevents the effects of aPL-on human first trimester trophoblast function. The human first trimester trophoblast cell line, HTR8, and first trimester trophoblast primary cultures were incubated with or without an aPL in the presence or absence of pravastatin. Cytokine and angiogenic factor secretion were measured by ELISA and multiplex analysis. Cell migration was measured using a colorimetric two-chamber migration assay. Pravastatin significantly augmented the aPL-induced up-regulation of IL-8, IL-1 and sEndoglin secretion by HTR8 cells, but had no effect on aPL-induced up-regulation of VEGF, PlGF and GRO-. Furthermore, pravastatin alone limited basal HTR8 cell migration, and did not mitigate the adverse effect of aPL on trophoblast migration. However, Pravastatin
Protease activities of Candida spp. isolated from immunocompetent patients with otomycosis

Summary: Otomycosis is a fungal infection of the ear dominantly caused by Candida and Aspergillus spp. The possible virulence factors of Candida spp. are enzymes, such as proteases, phospholipases, phosphatases and esterase. Protease production in Candida strains isolated from patients with otomycosis is, according to our knowledge, not investigated. The present study was aimed at determining in vitro protease activity in 28 strains of Candida spp. (C. parapsilosis, C. famata, C. guilliermondii, C. albicans and C. kefyr) isolated from patients with otomycosis. The majority of isolated strains 25/28 (89.28%) were protease positive. The protease Pz ranged from 0.691 to 0.851. The futher investigation is necessary to clarify contribution of protease production to Candida virulence associated with otomycosis.
A novel reduced switch count Bidirectional Contactless Charging System for EVs and PHEVs applications

This paper describes a novel reduced switch count Bidirectional Contactless Charging System (BCCS) suitable for Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) applications. The proposed topology has half the number of switches and diodes compared to the conventional full bridge topology. This results in reduced control complexity, losses and converter cost. The operation and performance of the reduced switch count BCCS topology has been investigated for Vehicle to Grid (V2G) and Grid to Vehicle (G2V) operations. A reduced switch count BCCS scheme has been designed for a 2kW system and is tested by simulation to check its bidirectional power flow functionality.
Design and fabrication of microfluidic chip with micro/nano structures

In this manuscript we designed and fabricated two types of microfluidic chips for plasma isolation from whole blood by using micro/nano structures. One type of the microchips was designed based on the principle of crossflow filtration, while the other was based on plasma skimming effect. The microchips were fabricated by MEMS technology, which were made of a silicon wafer and a PDMS-glass cover. The fabrication parameters were demonstrated and optimized for the both types of chips. These microfluidic chips used for plasma isolation has the potential to integrate into micro total analytical system (μTAS) with the advantages of low cost, short analytical time, disposability, low reagent and sample consumption, which will create a microanalysis system for point-of-care diagnostics.
Is ventilatory efficiency dependent on the speed of the exercise test protocol in healthy men and women?

Indices of ventilatory efficiency have proven useful in assessing patients with heart and lung disease. One of these indices is the slope of the ventilation (V̇E) versus carbon dioxide output (V̇CO2) relationship during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for work rates where the relationship is linear. However, this relationship is defined not only by the slope but also by the y‐intercept. To examine whether this relationship is dependent on the speed of the CPET protocol, 30 healthy subjects (16 males) were administered a rapid CPET with 1‐min increment duration (1‐min CPET) to the limit of tolerance and a slow CPET with 4‐min increment duration (4‐min CPET) to the lactate threshold. Ventilation and the gas fractions for oxygen and CO2 were measured with a Vacumed metabolic cart. The average increment size of both protocols for both sexes was not significantly different (P>0·05). For the males, the mean (SD) slope for the 1‐ and 4‐min CPET was 20·12 (2·61) and 20·37 (2·41), respectively. The corresponding values for the y‐intercept were 4. ·89 (2·08) and 5. ·10 (2·00) l min−1. For the females, the mean (SD) slope for the 1‐ and 4‐min CPET was 23·90 (2·38) and 24·16 (2·55), respectively. The corresponding values for the y‐intercept were 3·93 (0·39) and 3·77 (0·71) l min−1. Paired t‐test analysis demonstrated for both sexes that the slopes and y‐intercepts were not different for the two protocols (P>0·05). The results of this study demonstrate that the V̇E versus V̇CO2 relationship is not dependent on the speed of the CPET protocol.
Erroneous test results after use of pieced-together rotors in a Cobas Fara centrifugal analyzer confirmed.

The thiobarbituric acid (ThA) reaction is commonly used to measure freeradical-mediated oxidative changes in lipids containing polyunsaturated fatty acids (1). It has been used to study circulating lipid peroxides in a wide variety of diseases (2). The assay is based on the reaction between ThA and the three-carbon compound malondialdehyde (MDA) during heating at acid pH to produce a chromogenic complex. Most of the MDA that is measured is produced during the acid-heating stage of the test, as a result of decomposition of non-volatile products of lipid peroxidation (1). TEA reactivity is influenced by several variables and, in addition, lipid peroxidation may occur in vitro during the test ithelf Experienced researchers in the free-radical field have cautioned that the test may give misleading results (3). However, there are theoretical objections to all of the alternative procedures that are currently available for investigating free-radical production in the clinical situation (4), and the TBA test has the merit of simplicity. Recently we set up an assay for plasma TBA reactivity (5), using 1,1,4,4-tetramethoxypropane (TMP), which hydrolyzes to MDA, as an external standard (6). Plasma or standard was heated to 100 #{176}C for 1 h with TBA at pH 3.5. The MDA-TBA complex was extracted into butan-1-ol, and fluerescence was recorded at 553 mu (excitation wavelength, 532 nm). The assay was linear over the range 200-1200 nmol of MDA per liter, and was sensitive, with a lower detection limit of 100 nmol/L. The between-batch CV for one normal plasma sample was 4.6% for a mean concn of 772 (SD 35 nxnollL, n = 7). However, analytical recovery of MDA added topl as TMP at three concentrations was poor (55 to 61%). MDA may have interacted with primary amino groups in the sample (7). Furthermore, investigation of the effect of heating time showed that whereas TEA reactivity of the TMP standard increased for up to 30 mm, then reached a plateau, that of plasma continued to increase during the 6 h of observation, at which time a yellow discoloration had developed. Therefore, there was no reliable “end-point” for MDA production for plasma. Concentrations in plasma samples collected on five occasions from two healthy fasting adults varied widely: Subject A, 5001240 ninol/L (mean 802 mnolJL); Subject B, 880-1320 nmol/L (mean 1032 nmol/L). Some ofthis variabffity might have reflected true day-to-day changes in lipid peroxidation. However, from our observations, it equally well might have reflected variable production and (or) availability of MDA during the heating stage of the test. The test was abandoned because of its uncertainty. Although methods incorporating “high-pressure” liquid chromatography may improve the specificity of the analysis of the TBA-MDA complex (8), most of the variability and artefact in the TBA test arises during the acidheating stage, which suggests that a new analytical approach is required (4). Perhaps methods based on enzymic determination of lipid peroxidation will prove to be more appropriate for plasma (9).
Collective dipole oscillations in small silver clusters embedded in rare-gas matrices.

The optical-absorption spectra of small mass-selected ${\mathrm{Ag}}_{\mathit{N}}$ clusters (N=2\char21{}21) embedded in solid argon are measured in the energy range 2.5\char21{}6.2 eV. Investigation of a continuous range of cluster sizes reveals the size development of the photoabsorption behavior. The main features of the spectra are in agreement with predictions based on the Nilsson-Clemenger shell model. The measured photoabsorption cross sections are consistent with a sum-rule calculation involving only s electrons. In addition, the medium influence on the spectra is studied by changing the matrix gas from argon to krypton and xenon for the cluster sizes N=7, 11, 15, and 21.
Finite Element Approximation of a Phase Field Model for Void Electromigration

We consider a fully practical finite element approximation of the nonlinear degenerate parabolic system \begin{align} \gamma\,\textstyle{\frac{\partial u}{\partial t}} - \nabla . ( \,b(u) \,\nabla [ w +\alpha\,\phi]\, ) = 0\,, \quad w = - \gamma\, \Delta u + \gamma^{-1}\,\Psi'(u)\,, %\nonumber \\ \quad \nabla . (\, c(u) \,\nabla \phi ) = 0\, \nonumber \end{align} subject to an initial condition $u^0(\cdot) \in [-1,1]$ on u and flux boundary conditions on all three equations. Here $\gamma \in {\mathbb R}_{>0}$, $\alpha \in {\mathbb R}_{\geq 0}$, $\Psi$ is a nonsmooth double well potential, and $c(u) :=1+u$, $b(u):=1-u^2$ are degenerate coefficients. %diffusional mobility. The degeneracy in b restricts $u(\cdot,\cdot) \in [-1,1]$. The above, in the limit $\gamma \rightarrow 0$, models the evolution of voids by surface diffusion in an electrically conducting solid. In addition to showing stability bounds for our approximation, we prove convergence, and hence existence of a solution to this nonlinear degenera.
Depression in Later-Life Puerto Rican Primary Care Patients: The Role of Illness, Stress, Social Integration, and Religiosity

Background: Older Puerto Ricans belong to two rapidly growing demographic groups known to have high rates of depression: the aging and Hispanic populations. Studies of depression in Puerto Ricans have primarily focused on the impact of demographic factors and health. This study expands previous research, examining the relationships between depression and social stressors, social support, and religiosity, for Puerto Rican primary care patients aged 50 and older. Patients: Participants included 303 Puerto Ricans from six primary care clinics in a northeastern city. Methods: Patients completed in-person interview in Spanish. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview indicated depressive disorders meeting DSM-IV criteria. Bivariate and multivariate relationships between depression and demographics, health, social stress and support, and religiosity were explored. Results: One fifth of participants met DSM-IV criteria for major depression or dysthymia. Participants with the lowest income, more recent migration, and poor subjective health were significantly more likely to be depressed. In addition, rates of depression increased steeply for patients caring for grandchildren and those with personal or family legal problems. Seeing few relatives each month and needing more instrumental, emotional, or financial support were also related to higher rates of depression. Unexpectedly, low objective illness severity correlated with increased depression, whereas religiosity and religious participation had no relationship to depression. Conclusions: The findings presented here indicate the potential for social stressors and inadequate supports to substantially increase the risk of depression in older Puerto Ricans in primary care settings. Further studies should explore incorporating these social risk factors into improved prevention, clinical detection, and culturally sensitive treatment of older depressed Puerto Ricans.
off-State Current Limits of Narrow Bandgap MOSFETs

OFF-state current limitations of two types of MOSFETs, namely 1) flatband-mode MOSFET and 2) inversion-mode MOSFET, with narrow bandgap channel materials such as InSb, InAs, InGaAs, and Ge are discussed in conjunction with long-term requirements of the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). Flatband-mode high-mobility MOSFETs appear to be better suited for low off-state currents, in particular when a backside contact is used for minority carrier extraction. Based on off-state thermal minority carrier generation in narrow bandgap materials at room temperature, flatband MOSFETs with InSb channels appear to be applicable for high-performance logic and even low operating power requirements of the long-term ITRS; however, standby power requirements will demand InAs or channels of higher bandgap unless material and interface quality (and, thus, carrier lifetime) is substantially improved. The effects of drain-induced barrier lowering, band-to-band tunneling, impact ionization, and increased temperature on off-state currents are not considered here but may impose further restrictions
A Hybrid WiFi/Magnetic Matching/PDR Approach for Indoor Navigation With Smartphone Sensors

This paper presents a hybrid pedestrian navigation algorithm based on investigation of different combinations of pedestrian dead-reckoning (PDR), WiFi fingerprinting, and magnetic matching (MM). A multilevel quality-control mechanism is developed based on the interaction between different techniques. The algorithms were evaluated by walking in two indoor environments, with two smartphones, and under four motion conditions (i.e., handheld, at an ear, dangling with hand, and in a pants pocket). It was found that 2D accuracy of WiFi fingerprinting and MM is related with received signal strength and magnetic distribution, respectively. MM results had small errors on some occasions but suffered from significant mismatches. WiFi-aided MM provided better results than either WiFi or MM, but still had a risk of mismatching. Furthermore, integration of PDR, WiFi, and MM reduced dependency on both navigation environment and motion condition. The proposed algorithm provided more reliable solutions than both PDR/WiFi and PDR/MM, especially in areas with poor WiFi signal distribution or indistinctive magnetic features.
Policy-effective Financial Knowledge and Attitude Factors in Latin America

In this research we implement a technique that produces measures of financial knowledge and attitudes by combining variables with weights that capture their impact on financial behavior variables, thus providing guidance to policy design. We use data gathered by CAF-Development Bank of Latin America in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It is the first time that this technique has been used in a cross-country setting. We show that the composition and the weight vary from one country to another. However, the importance of attitude variables stands out in all countries, especially regarding the setting of long-term goals by individuals.
Quantitative Assessment of Corneal Clarity in Keratoconus: A Case Control Study of Corneal Densitometry

Purpose To evaluate corneal clarity quantitatively by corneal densitometry measurement in treatment-naive keratoconus patients and to compare these results with those of healthy control subjects. Methods Corneal densitometry measurement of consecutive treatment-naive keratoconus patients and healthy control subjects was performed by Scheimpflug corneal topography (Pentacam®HR). Corneal densitometry measurements were expressed in gray scale unit (GSU) and the data from the right eyes of subjects were used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 102 subjects (51 patients with keratoconus [27 male, 24 female] and 51 healthy control subjects [24 male, 27 female]) were included in the study. There was no statistically significant difference with regard to the mean age (p = 0.910) or distribution of sex (p = 0.552) between the groups. There were significant differences in corneal densitometry values of the groups in central 2 mm (17.95 ± 0.33 GSU in keratoconus and 16.43 ± 0.24 GSU in controls, p<0.001) and in annulus of 2 to 6 mm in diameter (15.88 ± 0.26 GSU in keratoconus and 15.02 ± 0.22 GSU in controls, p = 0.015). When considering the measurements in different depths, the anterior layer displayed the highest densitometry value compared to that of both the central and posterior layers. Corneal densitometry of anterior 0-2 mm was positively correlated with simulated K value (r = 0.446, p = 0.001), whereas it was negatively correlated with central corneal thickness (r = −0.361, p = 0.016) in keratoconus patients. Conclusions Treatment-naive keratoconus patients have significantly higher corneal densitometry values in central cornea when compared to healthy control subjects. The clinical relevance should be further studied in detail.