Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patients use normalisation techniques to cope with the quality-of-life effects of anal cancer.

INTRODUCTION Anal cancer is a rare malignancy, but during the past three decades, its incidence has increased in both sexes. Approximately 90% of anal cancers are related to human papillomavirus infection. The primary treatment for anal cancer is radiotherapy or radio-chemotherapy. This quality of life (QoL) study aimed at obtaining in-depth knowledge about patients' experiences with anal cancer and its impact on their QoL. METHODS A literature study identified topics for qualitative interviews with six anal cancer patients who had received oncological treatment and were without recurrent disease. The interviews were analysed using a medical anthroo-logical approach focusing on patients' health-related phys-ical, psycho-sexual and social QoL. RESULTS The participants suffered from common sequelae of anal cancer treatment, mainly ano-genital pain, reduced sphincter function and sexual dysfunction. The participants employed a number of "normalisation techniques", including dissociation from other cancer patients, delimitation of the cancer to a perceived external and peripheral body part and fast resumption of their usual activities. CONCLUSION Anal sphincter dysfunction and sexual problems after radiotherapy for anal cancer may have a major impact on patients' QoL. By maintaining normalcy, patients tried to distance themselves from this tabooed cancer disease. FUNDING not relevant. TRIAL REGISTRATION not relevant, but approval was obtained from the Danish Data Protection Agency.
Prevalence of restless legs syndrome in chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Abstract Introduction: Nowadays prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients was reported in many studies, while the results varied. The aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of RLS in this population, considering different data collecting measures and diagnostic criteria. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were searched for relevant studies. We limited the analyses to studies using clinical interview or questionnaire for diagnosis. Univariate meta-regression analysis was preformed to assess the effects of the disease-related covariates on prevalence estimates. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 2.0 was used to perform the meta-analysis. Results: Fifty-one studies were included in the analysis. Prevalence of RLS was varied by renal function and diagnostic methods. Overall prevalence in CKD populations was 24.2% (95%CI, 20.1–28.7). Pooled prevalence of RLS was higher in patients diagnosed by questionnaire than by clinical interview [26.2% (95%CI, 17.9–36.5) vs. 23.6% (95%CI, 19.6–28.1)]. When grouped by CKD setting, the prevalence was 28.4% (95%CI, 24.6–32.6) in dialysis patients, followed by early stages patients [9.9% (95%CI, 5.4–17.5)], and kidney transplant recipients [6.7% (95%CI, 5.6–7.8)]. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggested that more than one-quarter of CKD sufferers, especially those who were on dialysis, were plagued by RLS. Higher sensitivity of diagnostic criteria in interview may be valuable for timely treatment.
A Hybrid Neuro Fuzzy Approach for Bug Prediction using Software Metrics

— Software quality is an important factor since software systems are playing a key role in today’s world. There are several perspectives within the field on software quality measurement. This measurement is frequently used so many defects which can cause crashes, failures, or security breaches encountered in the software. Testing the software for such defect is essential to enhance the quality. However, due to the increase in intricacy of software manual testing was becoming extremely time consuming task and some automatic supporting tools have been developed. One such supporting tool is defect prediction models. Some defect prediction models can be found in the literature and most of them share a common procedure to develop the models. In general, the models’ development procedure indirectly assumes that underlying data distribution of software systems is relatively stable over time. But, this assumption is not necessarily true and consequently, the reliability of those models is doubtful at some points in time.
Mutation detection in plasmid‐based biopharmaceuticals

As the number of applications involving therapeutic plasmid DNA (pDNA) increases worldwide, there is a growing concern over maintaining rigorous quality control through a panel of high‐quality assays. For this reason, efficient, cost‐effective and sensitive technologies enabling the identification of genetic variants and unwanted side products are needed to successfully establish the identity and stability of a plasmid‐based biopharmaceutical. This review highlights several bioinformatic tools for ab initio detection of potentially unstable DNA regions, as well as techniques used for mutation detection in nucleic acids, with particular emphasis on pDNA.
ISOANTIBODIES TO HUMAN CANCER CELLS IN CANCER PATIENTS FOLLOWING CANCER HOMOTRANSPLANTS.

Homotransplants of human cancer cells were made in patients with cancer of various types and in various stages of progression. Tissue-cultured cancer cell lines (HEp 2, HEp 3 or RPMI 41) were used for 28 recipients, and cell suspensions prepared from surgical specimens were used for another 12. Homologous leukocytes or other non-neoplastic cells were admixed with some of the inocula. Sera collected at frequent but irregular intervals were tested for reaction with antigens prepared from HEp 2 cells, using the tanned erythrocyte agglutination technique. All pretransplantation sera gave negative tests. Twenty-three of the 28 recipients of tissue-cultured cells developed antibody at serum dilution titers of 1:10 to 1:40, usually by 14 days after transplantation. Five of the 12 direct homotransplant recipients developed antibody, but titers were only 1:5 or 1:10. As previously reported, rejection of these cancer cell homografts in cancer patients was significantly delayed in about half of the recipients—as compared with rate of rejection in healthy recipients. There was no consistent relationship between homotransplant behavior and antibody response. The role of serum antibody in homograft rejection, and the ability of cancer patients to produce serum antibody, are discussed briefly.
H∞ control for a class of nonlinear system based on L2 gain computation

This paper addresses the state feedback H∞ control for a class of nonlinear system based on its L2 gain computation, where the technique of the sum of squares decomposition is applied. By reformulating the Hamilton-Jacobin inequality as a linear semi-definite optimization problem, the L2 gain of the considered nonlinear systems can be estimated with the help of the software SOSTOOLS [1] under the sum of squares framework. A new iterative state feedback H∞ control synthesis algorithm for the considered nonlinear system is proposed, where a state feedback H∞ controller is synthesized iteratively based on an initial controller that can stabilize the system to a finite L2 gain. Some examples are shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The iterative algorithm is extended for the output feedback synthesis at the end of this paper.
Automotive FDS Resolution Improvement by Using the Principle of Rational Approximation

In this paper, a novel method of frequency counting of signals coming from automotive sensors is presented. The present method helps to improve fast resolution of output parameters of typical automotive frequency-domain sensors (FDS). Controlling the electromechanical systems in today's cars is a task that requires a high processing speed. The method proposed here has been tested under computer experiments, and theoretical results have shown that it meets the requirements of speed of response and offset error of the parameters under measurement. Here, both a principle of rational approximation and its application to fast registration of frequency changes in the signal that is proportional to the physical parameter under measurement are shown. Finally, some experimental results are shown as well.
Suppression of physiological eye movement artifacts in functional MRI using slab presaturation

Reduction of image‐to‐image signal fluctuations and imaging artifacts is important for fMRI studies. The imaging artifacts caused by respiration, cardiac pulsation, and gross head motion and the suppression of these artifacts have been studied for many years. However, the artifacts caused by eye movement and their effects on fMRI mapping are not well known. It is demonstrated in this report that involuntary eye movements during resting conditions can cause substantial signal fluctuations in the phase‐encoding direction even for a fast echo‐planar imaging sequence. An oblique slab presaturation technique is proposed for saturating the magnetization of eyes and suppressing the artifacts from eye movements with minimal signal loss of other brain tissues. The results show that the technique significantly reduces signal fluctuations and improves fMRI reliability for mapping functional activation in the human brain.
IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 Levels in Healthy Weight and Overweight Children

Background/Aim: In adults, studies have shown that obesity is a chronic low-grade inflammatory state characterized by altered levels of cytokines. Studies in children have mainly focused on C-reactive protein and adiponectin, and there is limited data for other inflammatory markers in healthy weight and overweight children. The aim of this study was to measure IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 levels in healthy normal weight and overweight children at 8 and 15 years. Methods: 118 normal weight and overweight children (59 boys) from the Nepean longitudinal study were recruited at age 8 years and followed up at 15 years. Serum IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 levels were measured at both time-points. Results: At 8 years, we found no significant differences in cytokine levels between normal weight and overweight (owt)/obese (ob) groups. However, at 15 years, owt/ob girls (n = 23) had higher levels of IL-6 (p = 0.04), IL-8 (p = 0.04) and IL-10 (p = 0.03) compared to normal weight girls (n = 36), even after adjustment for puberty; no differences were seen in boys. Conclusion:The effects of obesity on IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 levels vary with age and sex, with owt/ob girls at 15 years showing raised IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 levels compared to healthy weight girls.
A framework for assessing the performance of pulsar search pipelines

In this paper, we present a framework for assessing the effect of non-stationary Gaussian noise and radio frequency interference (RFI) on the signal to noise ratio, the number of false positives detected per true positive and the sensitivity of standard pulsar search pipelines. The results highlight the necessity to develop algorithms that are able to identify and remove non-stationary variations from the data before RFI excision and searching is performed in order to limit false positive detections. The results also show that the spectrum whitening algorithms currently employed, severely affect the efficiency of pulsar search pipelines by reducing their sensitivity to long period pulsars.
Part of Speech Tagging for New Words (Étiquetage morpho-syntaxique pour des mots nouveaux) [in French]

Les outils d'etiquetage automatique sont plus ou moins robustes en ce qui concerne l'etiquetage de mots inconnus, non rencontres dans le corpus d'apprentissage. Il est important de connaitre de maniere precise la performance de ces outils lorsqu'on cible plus particulierement l'etiquetage de neologismes formels. En effet, la categorie grammaticale constitue un critere important a la fois pour leur identification et leur documentation. Nous presentons une evaluation et une comparaison de 7 etiqueteurs morphosyntaxiques du francais, a partir d'un corpus issu du Wiktionnaire. Les resultats montrent que l'utilisation de traits de forme ou morphologiques est favorable a l'etiquetage correct des mots nouveaux.
Companion modelling for integrated renewable resource management: a new collaborative approach to create common values for sustainable development

The sustainable management of renewable resources is often complicated by the diversity and dynamic nature of the ecological and socio-economic systems involved. As the dynamics and interactions of these systems are highly complex and frequently unpredictable, there is a need to opt for transdisciplinary research addressing adaptive and integrated management of renewable resources. Companion modelling (ComMod) is a multi-agent systems (MAS)-based approach relying on synergistic effects between role-playing games (RPG) and agent-based models (ABM) to facilitate collective information sharing and learning, and to improve coordination among stakeholders for negotiation and decision-making. The iterative and adaptive sequences of fieldwork with modelling activities allows the mutual and interactive participation of stakeholders during the design, implementation, calibration and validation steps of the models, as well as exploration of possible scenarios. ComMod was implemented in a study of the conflict between two ethnic communities and a newly proposed national park in Northern Thailand. Deforestation, biodiversity conservation and the livelihoods of the villagers were key issues discussed during RPG sessions with small groups of participants, and subsequently represented in an ABM simulator used with a larger audience. Consequently, the local stakeholders learned about agro-ecological and socio-economic dynamics and gained an increased awareness of these key issues. Mutual understanding was improved, and the importance of collaborative discussion, essential to negotiations and decision-making, became obvious. Finally, this Northern Thailand experience has shown that collaborative interactions mediated by ComMod were supportive of improved communication and joint learning for the adaptive and integrated sustainable management of renewable resources.
Effect of redox potential and pH on arsenic speciation and solubility in a contaminated soil

The influence of redox potential and pH on arsenic speciation and solubility was studied in a contaminated soil. Alterations in the oxidation state of arsenic, and influenced by redox potential and pH, greatly affected its solubility in soil. At higher soil redox levels (500-200 mV), arsenic solubility was low and the major part (65-98%) of the arsenic in solution was present as As(V). An alkaline pH, or the reduction of As(V) to As(III), released substantial proportions of arsenic into solution. Under moderately reduced soil conditions (0-100 mV), arsenic solubility was controlled by the dissolution of iron oxyhydroxides. Arsenic was coprecipitated (as As(V)) with iron oxyhydroxides and released upon their solubilization. Upon reduction to {minus}200 mV, the soluble arsenic content increased 13-fold as compared to 500 mV. The observed slow kinetics of the As(V)-As(III) transformation and the high concentrations of Mn present indicate that, under reduced soil conditions, arsenic solubility could be controlled by a Mn{sub 3}(AsO{sub 4}){sub 2} phase.
The thalamo-hyperstriatal system is established by the time of hatching in chicks (Gallus gallus): A cholera toxin B subunit study

Connections of the thalamo-hyperstriatal system of hatchling chicks were investigated using multiple injections of cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) in the wulst. In the diencephalon, cells with CTb-like immunoreactivity (CTb-LI) were seen bilaterally in n. dorsolateralis anterior thalami, pars lateralis dorsalis and ventralis, n. dorsolateralis anterior thalami, pars magnocellularis, and pars lateralis rostralis. Within this complex, more CTb-LI cells were observed in the ventral portions of the ipsilateral side, whereas more labeled cells were found in the dorsolateral portions of the contralateral side. Moreover, CTb-LI cells were seen bilaterally in n. superficialis magnocellularis. In the nonvisual thalamic structures, numerous CTb-LI cells were seen in n. dorsolateralis anterior thalami, pars medialis and n. dorsolateralis posterior thalami. In the ventral thalamus, intense CTb-LI fibers/terminals were present in the external half of the external laminae of n. geniculatus lateralis, pars ventralis. Moderate to minor concentrations of fibrous labeling were found in n. intercalatus thalami and n. ventrolateral thalami. Moreover, efferent projections of the wulst were evident in the most ventral half of the optic tectum and the pretectal areas. The latter included n. pretectalis medialis, n. spiriformis medialis, n. principalis precommissuralis, n. lentiformis mesencephali, pars magnocellularis, and n. superficialis synecephali. Also, CTb-LI fibers were seen in n. basal optic root. The present study provides strong evidence that neuronal connections of the thalamo-hyperstriatal system are well established by the time of hatching. Additionally, efferent projections from the wulst to the diencephalic, mesencephalic, and pretectal structures are evident.
[Effectiveness of detection of bronchial asthma with two international questionnaires].

AIM Assessment of two questionnaires (ECRHS and IUATLD) for efficiency in bronchial asthma (BA) detection. MATERIAL AND METHODS 196 patients aged 16-59 years seeking advice of a doctor for pulmonary or extrapulmonary complaints. All of them have not been previously examined for BA. At first stage of the study the patients filled in ECRHS and IUATLD questionnaires. At the second stage patients who had answered positively as least one question of the above questionnaires underwent clinical, functional and allergological examinations. RESULTS BA was more frequently detected in patients with chronic bronchopulmonary and allergic diseases. New cases with mild disease predominated. CONCLUSION Both questionnaires were effective for BA diagnosis but ECRHS showed a number of advantages which make it preferable for epidemiological surveys.
Clickbaits: Curious Hypertexts for News Narratives in the Digital Medium

News reporting is increasingly becoming an exercise in attention catching headlines1, and raising expectations which trigger sharing on social media. The proposed paper examines how conventional journalism can stay viable despite the transformations brought by rapidly changing media forms. We examine the role of human curiosity as a major contributing factor in online content navigating mechanisms such as clickbaits, listicles, and sharing behaviour on social media. As news reporting shifts online, the navigation on the internet resembles the exploration of primitive humans beyond their immediate needs. The clickbaity headlines are becoming popular with editors and readers putting pressure on news reports to ’dumb-down’. This paper will explore how evolutionary anthropology, psychology, neuroscience and sociology provide insights into the working of clickbaits: ‘how exactly do they attract viewers and why? ’ It is based on a study of news reports in three mainstream Indian newspapers over one year (2014) during which an important general election was held. It studies the headlines that garner attention and analyse their morphology. We hope to use our learnings on clickbaits to see how journalism which stays true to its mandate of informing citizens and providing news can attract views and readership and thus remain viable.
Mary Church Terrell and the National Association of Colored Women, 1896 to 1901

After the Civil War, several black women worked autonomously to improve the status of blacks. Francis Jackson Coppin, a graduate of Oberlin, founded Cheyney Training School for Teachers in Pennsylvania, then known as the Institute of Colored Youth, in the 1870s. Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, a noted abolitionist and educator, became a prominent lecturer in the South. She spoke in colleges, churches, and homes on sundry subjects such as education, temperance, money, and morality. Years later, black women shifted away from their independent approach toward the institutionalization of women's clubs that were designed to foster social interaction and selfeducation. However, in the 1890s, the New Woman eschewed such traditional groups as sewing circles, church clubs, and sisterly orders and organized reform-oriented women's clubs. One of the leading associations that sought to combat racial discrimination and to express a sense of identity and solidarity among black women on a national level was the National Association of Colored Women [NACW]. ' Recently historians have begun to reexamine the history of women in America. Many of these historians are women working partly to discover the historical roots of their identity. The early nineteenth-century women's movement in particular has received a great deal of study and analysis from several perspectives. There have been histories of the suffrage movement and biographies of its leaders. There have been histories tracing changes in the legal and economic status of women, of their struggle for education, and of their position in the family, society, industry, and the professions.2 Unfortunately, these divergent forms of inquiry have left largely unexplored a salient aspect of the early women's movement-the experience of the black female. This examination of the NACW's strategy and leadership, specifically the role of Mary Church Terrell, one of its founders and the first president, will attempt partially to fill this void. From 1890 to 1895 the proliferation of black women's clubs and other "self-help" organizations owed their genesis to the peculiar circumstances of black life in general and specifically to discrimination against black women.3 By the end of the nineteenthcentury the comparative fluidity of race relations in the Reconstruction era dissipated into increasingly rigid discrimination-legally, physically, and culturally. The last decade of the nineteenth and the first years of the twentieth century marked what Rayford Logan has called the "nadir of the Negro," the lowest point of black citizenship. C. Vann Woodward, an authority on Southern history, described the period as the Age of Jim Crow. States enacted Jim Crow legislation that often simply confirmed long-honored customs but stood nevertheless as open and insistent declarations that
Reward responsiveness in patients with chronic pain

It is proposed that changes in reward processing in the brain are involved in the pathophysiology of pain based on experimental studies. The first aim of the present study was to investigate if reward drive and/or reward responsiveness was altered in patients with chronic pain (PCP) compared to controls matched for education, age and sex. The second aim was to investigate the relationship between reward processing and nucleus accumbens volume in PCP and controls. Nucleus accumbens is central in reward processing and its structure has been shown to be affected by chronic pain conditions in previous studies.
Enterprise Architecture - Towards essential sensemaking

In this position paper, we discuss our view on the past and future of the domain of enterprise architecture. We will do so, by characterising the past, and anticipated future, in terms of a number of trends. Based on these trends, we then discuss our current understanding of the future concept and role of enterprise architecture. We conclude by suggesting vantage points for future research in the field of enterprise architecture.
The Practice and Future of Release Engineering: A Roundtable with Three Release Engineers

Three release engineers share their perspectives on quality metrics for releases and on continuous delivery's benefits and limitations. They also discuss release-engineering job skills, the required mind-set, the role of education, and cultural change, and they recommend future research areas. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/O3cJQTZXAI8 is an audio recording of Davide Falessi speaking with Guest Editors Bram Adams and Foutse Khomh about release engineering and its value to the software industry.