Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single Incision Trans-Umbilical Total Hysterectomy: Robotic or Laparoscopic?

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the early surgical outcomes in patients who underwent total hysterectomy with laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS-TH) versus robotic single-site total hysterectomy (RSS-TH). Methods: Twenty-four patients who underwent RSS-TH and thirty-four patients who underwent LESS-TH were retrospectively evaluated. Patient characteristics, operation time, intraoperative data (conversions, complications, estimated blood loss, etc.) and postoperative pain scores were compared. Results: The total operation time was significantly longer in the robotic surgery group, with a time of 98.5 vs. 86 min (p = 0.013), while vaginal closure time was significantly higher in the laparoscopic surgery group (p = 0.011). Intraoperative outcomes and postoperative pain scores were similar in the two groups. Conclusion: RSS-TH helps surgeons to overcome the technical disadvantages of LESS-TH, particularly vaginal cuff closure, ergonomics and instrument crowding and clashing. Early surgical outcomes are comparable in the two groups, and both techniques are safe and feasible.
Enhancing Recommendation Diversity Through a Dual Recommendation Interface

The beyond-relevance objectives of recommender system are drawing more and more attention. For example, a diversity-enhanced interface has been shown to positively associate with overall levels of user satisfaction. However, little is known about how a diversity-enhanced interface can help users to accomplish various real-world tasks. In this paper, we present a visual diversity-enhanced interface that presents recommendations in a two-dimensional scatter plot. Our goal was to design a recommender system interface to explore the different relevance prospects of recommended items in parallel and to stress their diversity. A within-subject user study with real-life tasks was conducted to compare our visual interface to a standard ranked list interface. Our user study results show that the visual interface significantly reduced exploration efforts required for explored tasks. Also, the users' subjective evaluation shows significant improvement on many user-centric metrics. We show that the users explored a diverse set of recommended items while experiencing an improvement in overall user satisfaction.
Evaluation of accuracy of shade selection using two spectrophotometer systems: Vita Easyshade and Degudent Shadepilot

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this In vitro study was to evaluate the accuracy of shade matching using two spectrophotometric devices. Materials and Methods: Thirteen patients who require a full coverage restoration for one of their maxillary central incisors were selected while the adjacent central incisor was intact. 3 same frameworks were constructed for each tooth using computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing technology. Shade matching was performed using Vita Easyshade spectrophotometer, Shadepilot spectrophotometer, and Vitapan classical shade guide for the first, second, and third crown subsequently. After application, firing, and glazing of the porcelain, the color was evaluated and scored by five inspectors. Results: Both spectrophotometric systems showed significantly better results than visual method (P < 0.05) while there were no significant differences between Vita Easyshade and Shadepilot spectrophotometers (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Spectrophotometers are a good substitute for visual color selection methods.
State feedback control of continuous-time Networked Control Systems in multiple-packet transmission

This paper is concerned with state feedback controller design for continuous-time Networked Control Systems (NCSs) in multiple-packet transmission. Discrete-time system models are constructed for multiple-packet transmission with delay and with transmission constrains, respectively. Based on these models, corresponding methods to design state feedback controllers are proposed.
Methodology for Java distributed and parallel programming using distributed collections

Designing distributed and parallel applications is an important issue in the context of programming and execution environments. Designing applications as independently and as transparently as possible of the distributed system is not an easy issue. At the same time, improving efficiency of execution is considered to be difficult especially for irregular applications executing on a heterogeneous environment.In ADAJ (Adaptive Distributed Applications in Java), the concept of distributed collections is used as a guide for the methodology of programming Java distributed and parallel applications. Distributed collections encapsulate data parallelism and make use of threads transparent for the user. Asynchronous calls are also proposed in order to achieve task parallelism. The article shows the interest of using distributing collections and asynchronous calls, evaluating both conception and execution of ADAJ applications.
Computationally efficient environmental monitoring with electronic nose: A potential technology for ambient assisted living

Recently, ambient assisted living technologies have emerged to improve the quality of life of ageing populations. Identification of health-endangering indoor gases with a hardware-friendly solution may provide an early warning of unhealthy living conditions. Electronic nose technology, using an array of non-selective gas sensors, is a potential candidate to achieve this objective, but state-of-the-art gas classifiers hinder the development of low-cost and compact solutions. In this paper, we introduce a very simple classifier that transforms the multi-gas identification problem into pair-wise binary classification problems. This classifier is based on the resultant sign of the difference between values of the sensors' features for all possible pairs of sensors in each binary classification problem. A classifier qualification metric is defined to evaluate its suitability with given data of the target gases. As a case study, experimental data of four health-endangering gases, namely, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, is acquired in the laboratory by developing an array of commercially available gas sensors fabricated by Figaro Inc. and FIS Inc. A classification accuracy of 94.56% is achieved in distinguishing the target gasses with our proposed classifier. This performance is comparable to that of computation intensive state-of-the-art gas classifiers despite our classifier's simple implementation.
Networks of prospective thoughts: The organisational role of emotion and its impact on well-being

Recent research has shown that many prospective thoughts are organised in networks of related events, but the relational dimensions that contribute to the formation of such networks are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the organisational role of emotion by using cues of different valence for eliciting event networks. We found that manipulating the emotional valence of cues influenced the characteristics of events within networks, and that members of a network were more similar to each other on affective components than they were to members of other networks. Furthermore, a substantial proportion of events within networks were part of thematic clusters and cluster membership significantly modulated the impact of represented events on current well-being, in part through an intensification of the emotion felt when thinking about these events. These findings demonstrate that emotion contributes to the organisation of future thoughts in networks that can affect people's well-being.
In silico testing and in vivo experiments with closed-loop control of blood glucose in diabetes

Abstract Diabetes technology is currently focused on developing the artificial pancreas - a closed-loop control algorithm linking continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and subcutaneous insulin delivery. The future development of the artificial pancreas will be greatly accelerated by employing mathematical modeling and computer simulation. Such in silico testing would provide direction for clinical studies, outruling ineffective control scenarios in a cost-effective manner. Thus, computer simulation testing of closed-loop control algorithms is regarded as a prerequisite to clinical trials of artificial pancreas. We therefore present a system for in silico testing of control algorithms consisting of a simulated human metabolic system, simulated CGM and simulated insulin pump. Further, we present an overview of current in vivo clinical trials of CGM and closed-loop control and illustrate the positive effects of CGM by data collected in a clinical trial using the Freestyle Navigator™ (Abbott Diabetes Care, Alameda, CA).
Template preparation for rapid PCR in Colletotrichum lindemuthianum

Isolation of DNA for PCR is time-consuming and involves many reagents. The aim of this work was to optimise a rapid and easy PCR methodology without previous DNA isolation. Different strains of the phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum were used. Protoplasts were generated using lytic enzymes under high incubation temperatures using different methodologies to obtain the template. A rapid (10 minute) methodology was successful for smaller amplicons (<750 bp).
Absence of Infinite Cluster for Critical Bernoulli Percolation on Slabs

We prove that for Bernoulli percolation on a graph ℤ2×{0,…,k}(k≥0) , there is no infinite cluster at criticality, almost surely. The proof extends to finite‐range Bernoulli percolation models on ℤ2 that are invariant under π2 ‐rotation and reflection. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Resonance parameter measurements and analysis of gadolinium

The purpose of the present work is to measure the neutron cross sections of gadolinium accurately. Gd has the highest thermal absorption cross section of any natural element. Therefore it is an important element for thermal reactor applications Neutron capture and transmission measurements were performed by the time-of-flight technique at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) LINAC facility using metallic and liquid Gd samples. The liquid samples were isotopically-enriched in either 155 Gd or 157 Gd. The capture measurements were made at the 25-m flight station with a sodium iodide detector, and the transmission measurements were performed at 15- and 25-m flight stations with 6 Li glass scintillation detectors. The multilevel R-matrix Bayesian code SAMMY was used to extract resonance parameters. The results of the thermal region analysis are significant. Resonance parameters for the low energy doublet, at 0.025 and 0.032 eV, are presented. The thermal (2200 m/s) capture cross section of 157 Gd has been measured to be 11% smaller than that calculated from ENDF/B-VI updated through release 8. Thermal capture cross sections and capture resonance integrals for each isotope as well as elemental gadolinium are presented. In the epithermal region, natural metal samples were measured in capture and transmission. Neutron interaction data up to 300 eV have been analyzed. Substantial improvement to the understanding of gadolinium cross sections is presented, particularly above 180 eV where the ENDF resolved region for 155 Gd ends.
Comparative study of the residues 63 and 67 on the HLA‐B molecule in patients with Takayasu's arteritis and tuberculosis

Takayasu's arteritis (TA) and tuberculosis (TB) have been associated with major histocompatibility complex genes, especially HLA‐B alleles. However, different HLA‐B alleles have been detected in these diseases. The aim of the study was to compare the distribution of the residues 63 and 67 on the HLA‐B molecule in patients with TA and TB in order to establish a genetic relationship between these two diseases. HLA‐B sequences obtained in 30 patients with TB were compared to those previously reported in TA and healthy controls. 8 out of 30 TB patients studied (26.6%) presented at least one allele with glutamic acid at position 63 and serine at position 67. This was observed in 73% of the TA patients (p = 0.0005). Ten TB (10/30 = 33.3%) and two TA patients (2/26 = 7.7%) did not show similarity at the mentioned positions (p = 0.019). This preliminary study suggests a difference in the distribution of the residues 63 and 67 of the HLA‐B alleles in patients with TA and TB. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus: Genetic Analysis and Tick Survey in Turkey

ABSTRACT Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne virus in the family Bunyaviridae, genus Nairovirus. The virus is transmitted to humans through infected tick bites or from direct contact with viremic animals or humans. In the present study, a total of 1,015 adult ticks were collected from cattle (603 specimens), sheep (17 specimens), and goats (395 specimens) in the Kelkit Valley in Turkey. Four tick species were recognized on the animals in the surveyed region. The most abundant species were Rhipicephalus bursa and Hyalomma marginatum marginatum, at 47.68% (484/1,015) and 46.40% (471/1,015), respectively. Reverse transcriptase PCR was used to recover partial sequences of the CCHFV small (S) genome segment. The presence of CCHFV was determined in 3 of 33 (9.09%) R. bursa pools and in 1 of 31 (3.22%) H. m. marginatum pools. Virus sequences from R. bursa were extremely different from those of the Greek CCHFV strain (U04958) isolated from an R. bursa tick. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the CCHFV isolates obtained in this study clustered in group 5, whose range encompasses southwestern Russian and Kosovo. This is the first evidence of CCHFV in ticks from Turkey. Even though Hyalomma is the main vector for CCHFV, R. bursa may play a role in CCHFV transmission.
Cross-platform Mobile Development Approaches: A Systematic Review

Nowadays, there are at least four important mobile platforms (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone). The main challenge for mobile application developers is to provide their solution across all these platforms. Cross-platform development approaches emerged to address this challenge by allowing developers to implement their applications in one step for a range of platforms, avoiding repetition and increasing productivity. We will present a systematic review where we define and explain the different approaches used in cross-platform development in order to achieve a comparison between these approaches allowing us to identify the strong points, and weaknesses of each approach.
Study of the antioxidant response of several bean variants to irrigation with water containing MC‐LR and cyanobacterial crude extract

Cyanobacterial toxins have adverse effects on both terrestrial and aquatic plants. Agricultural plants may come in contact with cyanobacterial toxins when surface waters are used for its irrigation. In the present study the effects of MC‐LR and cyanobacterial crude extract on three variants of bean by irrigating the seedlings with water containing 5 μg L−1 MC‐LR were assessed. Study of the antioxidant enzymes activities glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST), peroxidases (POD) and glutathione reductase (GR) was performed in leaves and roots of the seedling exposed to the cyanotoxin compared to a control group and to a group exposed to cyanobacterial crude extract without MCs. Damage of oxidative status was observed in view of the fact that the antioxidant enzymes activities were altered. It is interesting to point out that each variant of bean was affected in a very different way, being GST the most altered enzyme and the B1 the most sensitive variant showing the greatest alterations in the majority of the studied enzymes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2011.
Analysis Image of Multiplayer Thin Films

According to the microstructure' characteristics of multi player thin film materials images under AFM, SEM and TEM, mathematical morphology and theories of non-local algorithm were used in image processing of multiplayer thin films, including noise reduction, enhancement, fusion and object segmentation. Through analysis of multiplayer thin films' surface microstructure, thin films images were improved. Some suggestions are put forward to regulate technological parameters of multiplayer thin films. The experiment shows that this processing method is effective and feasible, and image quality can be improved greatly.
The safety and effectiveness of interventions for aggression in mental health nursing

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Response Surface Analysis and Nonlinear Optimization Algorithm for Maximization of Clinical Drug Performance: Application to Extended‐Release and Long‐Acting Injectable Paliperidone

Model‐based approach is recognized as a tool to make drug development more productive and to better support regulatory and therapeutic decisions. The objective of this study was to develop a novel model‐based methodology based on the response surface analysis and a nonlinear optimizer algorithm to maximize the clinical performances of drug treatments. The treatment response was described using a drug‐disease model accounting for multiple components such as the dosage regimen, the pharmacokinetic characteristics of a drug (including the mechanism and the rate of drug delivery), and the exposure‐response relationship. Then, the clinical benefit of a treatment was defined as a function of the diseases and the clinical endpoints and was estimated as a function of the target pharmacodynamic endpoints used to evaluate the treatment effect. A case study is presented to illustrate how the treatment performances of paliperidone extended release (ER) and paliperidone long‐acting injectable (LAI) can be improved. A convolution‐based approach was used to characterize the pharmacokinetics of ER and LAI paliperidone. The drug delivery properties and the dosage regimen maximizing the clinical benefit (defined as the target level of D2 receptor occupancy) were estimated using a nonlinear optimizer. The results of the analysis indicated that a substantial improvement in clinical benefit (from 15% to 27% for the optimization of the in vivo release and from ∼30% to ∼70% for the optimization of dosage regimen) was obtained when optimal strategies were deployed either for optimizing the in vivo drug delivery properties of ER formulations or for optimizing the dosage regimen of LAI formulations.
Atrial fibrillation ablation in Brazil: results of the registry of the Brazilian Society of Cardiac Arrhythmias.

BACKGROUND Aiming to define the profile of curative atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation in Brazil, the Brazilian Cardiac Arrhythmia Society [Sociedade Brasileira de Arritmias Cardíacas] (SOBRAC) created the Brazilian Registry of AF Ablation [Registro Brasileiro de Ablação da FA]. OBJECTIVE To describe the results of this registry. METHODS A questionnaire was sent to SOBRAC members asking about data on patients submitted to AF ablation between September 2005 and November, 2006. RESULTS A total of 29 groups from 13 states completed the forms. Of these, 22 (76%) had performed AF ablations. Between 1998 and 2001, 7 groups (32%) initiated AF ablations and between 2002 and 2006, 15 groups began to perform them (68%). From 1998 to 2006, 2,374 patients were submitted to ablation, 755 (32%) of them during the registry period. Most (70%) were males and 89% presented with paroxysmal or persistent AF. Ancillary imaging methods (intracardiac echocardiography and electroanatomic mapping) were used by 9 groups (41%). During an average five-month follow-up period, total success was 82% and success without use of antiarrhythmic agents was 57%. Nevertheless, 35% of the patients required two or more procedures. There were 111 complications (14.7%) and 2 deaths (0.26%). CONCLUSION Curative AF ablation has been increasing significantly in our country, with success rates comparable to international indexes, but often more than one procedure is necessary. Despite promising results, AF ablation still results in significant morbidity. Supplementary imaging methods have been used more and more in an effort to increase efficacy and safety of the procedure. These findings should be considered by public and private funding agencies.
A Modular Robot System for Agricultural Applications

Agricultural tasks are manifold: Dependent on the crop, the environment and the desired plant maintenance operation, properties, such as modularity, robustness, compactness or user friendly interfaces, are advantageous for the automation using a robotic system. Therefore, several robotic manipulators have been designed and built for the requirements given by the EU-FP7 project CROPS for multiple applications, including selective harvesting and precision spraying of high-value crops such as sweet-peppers, apples or grapes. Its mechanical design and communication structure will be presented in the first part of this paper. Compact integrated drive units including motor, brake, gear and motor drivers support the modular design of the manipulator. Thus, the developed system can be used in different kinematic configurations according to the special needs of each application. The second part addresses the testing and evaluation concepts and tools in view of the challenges of the simultaneous development of the robot system within a large, spatially distributed project like CROPS. A setup for evaluation and validation of developed algorithms and functions in the laboratory as well as tools and concepts for simultaneous development of interfacing subsystems are shown. The manipulator can be controlled by an ROS interface in various operation modes. Hence, robot systems for three applications (sweet-pepper harvesting, apple harvesting, precision spraying) were implemented with full integration of the manipulator prototype.