Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reconstruction of Soft-Tissue Defects at the Foot and Ankle after Oncological Resection

Introduction Solid malignancies at the foot and ankle region are rare and include mainly soft-tissue sarcomas, bone sarcomas, and skin malignancies. Complete surgical resection with clear margins still remains the mainstay of therapy in these malignancies. However, attainment of negative surgical margins in patients with locally advanced tumors of the foot and ankle region may require extensive surgery and could result in loss of extremity function. In these circumstances, plastic surgical techniques can frequently reduce functional impairment and cover soft-tissue defects, particularly in cases of large tumor size or localization adjacent to critical anatomic structures, thereby improving the quality of life for these patients. The aim of this article is to illustrate the various treatment options of plastic surgery in the multimodal therapy of patients with malignant tumors of the foot and ankle region. Materials and methods This article is based on the review of the current literature and the evaluation of the author’s own patient database. Results The local treatment of malignant extremity tumors has undergone major changes over the last few decades. Primary amputations have been increasingly replaced by limb-sparing techniques, preserving extremity function as much as possible. Although defect coverage at the foot and ankle region is demanding due to complex anatomical features and functional requirements, several plastic surgical treatment options can be implemented in the curative treatment of patients with malignant solid tumors in this area. Soft-tissue defects after tumor resection can be covered by a variety of local flaps. If local flaps are not applicable, free flap transfers, such as the anterolateral thigh flap, parascapular flap, or latissimus dorsi flap, can be utilized to cover nearly all kinds of defects in the foot and ankle region. Conclusion Soft-tissue reconstruction in the foot and ankle region is a vital component of limb-sparing surgery. It enables complete resection of locally advanced tumors and subsequent adjuvant radiotherapy. Modern plastic surgical techniques should, therefore, be integrated in the multimodal treatment concept of malignancies in the foot and ankle region.
Relations between full information and Kalman-based estimation

For nonlinear state space systems with additive noises, sometimes the number of process noise signals could be less than the dimension of the state space. In order to improve the accuracy and stability of nonlinear state estimation, this paper provides for the first time the derivation of the full information estimator (FIE) for such nonlinear systems. We verify our derivation of the FIE by firstly proving the unbiasedness and minimum-variance of the FIE for linear time varying (LTV) systems, then showing the equivalence between the Kalman filter/smoother and the FIE for LTV systems. Finally, we prove that the FIE will provide more accurate state estimates than the extended Kalman filter (EKF) and smoother (EKS) for nonlinear systems.
Comments on "Maximal upstroke velocity as an index of available sodium conductance: comparison of maximal upstroke velocity and voltage clamp measurements of sodium current in rabbit Purkinje fibers".

In order to estimate the sodium conductance (gN.) of mammalian cardiac tissues, two techniques have been used: measurements of the maximum upstroke velocity (V^) of the free-running action potential, and, recently, voltage clamp measurement (under special conditions) of the sodium current (IN»). So far it has not been possible to voltage clamp the sodium current of these tissues reliably under physiological conditions (37°C and external sodium about 140 ITIM). Therefore, most laboratories have continued to use V. ^, especially since the effects of certain drugs that interact with sodium channels are modified by both temperature (Sevcik, 1982) and external sodium concentration (Cahalan et al., 1980). It therefore may be important to study the mechanism of action of these drugs under physiological conditions. In a recent paper, Cohen et al. (1984) claim that Vn^ is a very nonlinear measure of sodium conductance in mammalian heart. However, all of their comparisons between Vm^ and IN. were made at either (1) different holding potentials (Fig. 1, Cohen et al., 1984), (2) different sodium concentrations (Fig. 4, Cohen et al., 1984), (3) different potentials at which peaks (IN» or V ^ ) are measured (Fig. 1, Cohen et al., 1984), or (4) even between different preparations (Fig. 2, Cohen et al., 1984). After careful analysis of this paper, the only conclusion I can reach is that at low temperatures, when IN. and V^,* are measured under different conditions, they may appear not to be linearly related to one another. My major objections to their paper are based on several methodical inconsistencies and on the variability of results present in their study.
Contactless recording of photoplethysmogram on a sleeping bed

This paper reports a novel contactless monitoring method to record reflective mode photoplethysmogram (PPG) on a sleeping bed for heart rate (HR) estimation. The electrocardiogram (ECG) and pulse transit time (PTT) were also measured in this study. ECG was measured from subjects' limbs whilst PPG was obtained from their right index fingers and their backs with and without direct contact between the PPG sensor and the subjects' skin respectively. Clear PPG waveforms were obtained from the subjects' backs even though the sensor was not directly attached to their skin. Beat-to-beat HRs derived from the back PPGs were closely correlated with those measured from the finger PPGs and ECGs. Thus we found that contactless PPG could be captured from the subjects' backs to determine HR accurately.
Predicting Prokaryotic Ecological Niches Using Genome Sequence Analysis

Automated DNA sequencing technology is so rapid that analysis has become the rate-limiting step. Hundreds of prokaryotic genome sequences are publicly available, with new genomes uploaded at the rate of approximately 20 per month. As a result, this growing body of genome sequences will include microorganisms not previously identified, isolated, or observed. We hypothesize that evolutionary pressure exerted by an ecological niche selects for a similar genetic repertoire in those prokaryotes that occupy the same niche, and that this is due to both vertical and horizontal transmission. To test this, we have developed a novel method to classify prokaryotes, by calculating their Pfam protein domain distributions and clustering them with all other sequenced prokaryotic species. Clusters of organisms are visualized in two dimensions as ‘mountains’ on a topological map. When compared to a phylogenetic map constructed using 16S rRNA, this map more accurately clusters prokaryotes according to functional and environmental attributes. We demonstrate the ability of this map, which we term a “niche map”, to cluster according to ecological niche both quantitatively and qualitatively, and propose that this method be used to associate uncharacterized prokaryotes with their ecological niche as a means of predicting their functional role directly from their genome sequence.
Characterization of Polarization Diversity at the Mobile

Two new models used to characterize polarization diversity at the mobile are presented and discussed. The first model is built upon existing theoretical models at a base station to demonstrate how those principles apply to the mobile fading environment. Due to limitations of antennas at the mobile, this extended model, although relevant, is not sufficient to characterize polarization diversity of the antennas; therefore, this paper moves on to show how a new approach to polarization diversity at the mobile exists as an inherent feature within an angular diversity system. Results show that, for two polarizations in a fading environment, the best overall output occurs with a plusmn45deg element configuration, although the diversity combiner itself has optimum performance with a plusmn67.5deg configuration due to lower correlation at the input. The second model is also used to demonstrate how differently polarized dipoles are using polarization diversity inherent within an angular diversity system.
Optimal sampling of genetic algorithms on polynomial regression

This paper investigates the utility of sampling as an evaluation-relaxation technique in genetic algorithms (GAs). In many real-world applications, sampling can be used to generate a less accurate, but computationally inexpensive fitness evaluator to speed GAs up. This paper focuses on the problem of polynomial regression as an example of problems with positive dependency among genes. Via statistical analysis of the noise introduced by sampling, this paper develops facet-wise models for the optimal sampling size, and these models are empirically verified. The results show that when the population is sized properly, small sampling sizes are preferred for most applications. When a fixed population size is adopted, which is usually the case in real-world applications, an optimal sampling size exists. If the sampling size is too small, the sampling noise increases, and GAs would perform poorly because of an insufficiently large population. If the sampling size is too large, the GA would spend too much time in fitness calculation and cannot perform well either within limited run duration.
A model-matching algorithm based on improved BP over out-of-order streams

Due to the explosive increment of data in big data era, it is a challenging task to analyze and extract meaningful data for users. Data needs to be timely operated because of the time sensitivity, so it faces enormous pressure in storage and computing. To deal with the problem that it is hard to achieve valuable information from out-of-order streams over big data in short time, a model-matching algorithm based on improved BP (Back Propagation) is proposed. In the algorithm, the matching model is set dynamically. Information is extracted for users according to the order of data's arriving time. Furthermore, the algorithm parameters are automatically adjusted in the process of learning and matching. Accordingly, the responding speed of learning is accelerated and the time of matching reduces. In the simulation, a group of optimum parameters of improved BP are achieved by using self-adapting adjusting mechanism. The threshold (TH), connecting weight (CW) and learning rate (LR) are equal to 1.5, 3 and 1, respectively. We implement our model-matching algorithm on 10000 sets of out-of-order streams with these parameters. Results indicate that the proposed algorithm can obviously improve the accuracy and speed of matching and achieve better stability.
An Exploratory Study of ERP Assimilation in Developing Countries: The Case of Three Tunisian Companies

ERP systems could be considered as the most difficult systems to be assimilated. Very little research, however, has been realised to investigate the determinants of success of the ERP assimilation process. There has been also a dearth in research about ERP projects in general and ERP post-implementation and assimilation in particular in developing countries. Using a case study methodology grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, this study tries to understand the factors that could improve or challenge the ERP systems assimilation process in three Tunisian companies. Our findings highlighted the importance of several factors such as top management support, strategic alignment, IT expertise, training, communication, organizational culture, and coercive pressures.
Happy Mini 2017 Team Description Paper

This paper describes our research interests and technical information of the Happy Mini team, former demura.net, for the RoboCup @Home league of RoboCup 2017. The Happy Mini team from the Kanazawa Institute of Technology and D.K. T. Limited Liability Company has developed an autonomous domestic service robot named “Happy Mini” for little child and elderly. This paper describes the basic architecture of the robot as well as present various algorithms and research contribution. Finally, this paper concludes and outlines our future research works.
Retrotransposons Control Fruit-Specific, Cold-Dependent Accumulation of Anthocyanins in Blood Oranges[W][OA]

The cold dependency of pigment formation in blood orange constitutes a major limitation on production worldwide and is due to the cold induction of retrotransposons controlling this gain-of-function trait. Traditionally, Sicilian blood oranges (Citrus sinensis) have been associated with cardiovascular health, and consumption has been shown to prevent obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet. Despite increasing consumer interest in these health-promoting attributes, production of blood oranges remains unreliable due largely to a dependency on cold for full color formation. We show that Sicilian blood orange arose by insertion of a Copia-like retrotransposon adjacent to a gene encoding Ruby, a MYB transcriptional activator of anthocyanin production. The retrotransposon controls Ruby expression, and cold dependency reflects the induction of the retroelement by stress. A blood orange of Chinese origin results from an independent insertion of a similar retrotransposon, and color formation in its fruit is also cold dependent. Our results suggest that transposition and recombination of retroelements are likely important sources of variation in Citrus.
NUSAP1 influences the DNA damage response by controlling BRCA1 protein levels

NUSAP1 has been reported to function in mitotic spindle assembly, chromosome segregation, and regulation of cytokinesis. In this study, we find that NUSAP1 has hitherto unknown functions in the key BRCA1-regulated pathways of double strand DNA break repair and centrosome duplication. Both these pathways are important for maintenance of genomic stability, and any defects in these pathways can cause tumorigenesis. Depletion of NUSAP1 from cells led to the suppression of double strand DNA break repair via the homologous recombination and single-strand annealing pathways. The presence of NUSAP1 was also found to be important for the control of centrosome numbers. We have found evidence that NUSAP1 plays a role in these processes through regulation of BRCA1 protein levels, and BRCA1 overexpression from a plasmid mitigates the defective phenotypes seen upon NUSAP1 depletion. We found that after NUSAP1 depletion there is a decrease in BRCA1 recruitment to ionizing radiation-induced foci. Results from this study reveal a novel association between BRCA1 and NUSAP1 and suggests a mechanism whereby NUSAP1 is involved in carcinogenesis.
An Approach to Quad Meshing Based on Harmonic Cross-Valued Maps and the Ginzburg-Landau Theory

A generalization of vector fields, referred to as N-direction fields or cross fields when N = 4, has been recently introduced and studied for geometry processing, with applications in quadrilateral (quad) meshing, texture mapping, and parameterization. We make the observation that cross field design for two-dimensional quad meshing is related to the well-known Ginzburg-Landau problem from mathematical physics. This yields a variety of theoretical tools for efficiently computing boundary-aligned quad meshes, with provable guarantees on the resulting mesh, such as the number of mesh defects and bounds on the defect locations. The procedure for generating the quad mesh is to (i) find a complex-valued "representation" field that minimizes the Ginzburg-Landau energy subject to a boundary constraint, (ii) convert the representation field into a boundary-aligned, smooth cross field, (iii) use separatrices of the cross field to partition the domain into four sided regions, and (iv) mesh each of these four-sided regions using standard techniques. Leveraging the Ginzburg-Landau theory, we prove that this procedure can be used to produce a cross field whose separatrices partition the domain into four sided regions. To minimize the Ginzburg-Landau energy for the representation field, we use an extension of the Merriman-Bence-Osher (MBO) threshold dynamics method, originally conceived as an algorithm to simulate mean curvature flow. Finally, we demonstrate the method on a variety of test domains.
Is FAST Stroke Smart? Do the Content and Language used in Awareness Campaigns Describe the Experience of Stroke Symptoms?

Background Public education campaigns for stroke are used worldwide. However, there are few published evaluations of such campaigns. Aim This cross-sectional study examined patient and bystander awareness of two Australian campaigns, ‘FAST’ (face, arm, speech, time) and ‘Signs of Stroke’, and evaluated the campaigns ability to identify stroke and to describe the symptom experience. Methods Interviews were conducted with either stroke patients or a key bystander for consecutive eligible cases admitted to two metropolitan hospitals between August 2006 and April 2008. Participants were asked to describe awareness of the FAST campaign, the symptoms experienced and to evaluate the symptom descriptions of Signs of Stroke against their own experience. Results A total of 100 patients and 70 bystanders were interviewed for 170 cases (71% of eligible cases). Only 12% of those interviewed were aware of the FAST campaign, and of these few (19%) were able to recall all FAST symptoms, with only one bystander using the FAST assessments to identify stroke. At least one FAST symptom was reported by 84% and one Signs of Stroke symptom by 100%. Less than half of those experiencing ‘weakness or paralysis’ thought this description exactly described their experience. Common descriptors of symptoms were: face or mouth droop or drop; trouble using, coordinating or moving arm, hand or leg; trouble walking or standing; numbness; and slurring or loss of speech. Conclusion Awareness of the FAST and Signs of Stroke campaigns was low, with poor recall and little use of the FAST assessments. Some symptom descriptions used in the campaign were not reflective of the symptom experience. The content and language of these campaigns could be improved to portray stroke symptoms more realistically.
Computational Immunology Meets Bioinformatics: The Use of Prediction Tools for Molecular Binding in the Simulation of the Immune System

We present a new approach to the study of the immune system that combines techniques of systems biology with information provided by data-driven prediction methods. To this end, we have extended an agent-based simulator of the immune response, C-ImmSim, such that it represents pathogens, as well as lymphocytes receptors, by means of their amino acid sequences and makes use of bioinformatics methods for T and B cell epitope prediction. This is a key step for the simulation of the immune response, because it determines immunogenicity. The binding of the epitope, which is the immunogenic part of an invading pathogen, together with activation and cooperation from T helper cells, is required to trigger an immune response in the affected host. To determine a pathogen's epitopes, we use existing prediction methods. In addition, we propose a novel method, which uses Miyazawa and Jernigan protein–protein potential measurements, for assessing molecular binding in the context of immune complexes. We benchmark the resulting model by simulating a classical immunization experiment that reproduces the development of immune memory. We also investigate the role of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) haplotype heterozygosity and homozygosity with respect to the influenza virus and show that there is an advantage to heterozygosity. Finally, we investigate the emergence of one or more dominating clones of lymphocytes in the situation of chronic exposure to the same immunogenic molecule and show that high affinity clones proliferate more than any other. These results show that the simulator produces dynamics that are stable and consistent with basic immunological knowledge. We believe that the combination of genomic information and simulation of the dynamics of the immune system, in one single tool, can offer new perspectives for a better understanding of the immune system.
Isosceles right triangular waveguides with boundary conditions of composite electric and magnetic walls

Isosceles right triangular waveguides with six kinds of boundary conditions of composite electric and magnetic walls are discussed in this paper. The completed closed-form modal solutions are derived for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes. These exact solutions not only serve as accuracy standards for approximate methods, but also solve a fundamental problem. Their corresponding electric field distributions are plotted for the dominant modes of the six kinds of isosceles right triangular waveguides. Finally, electric field distributions excited in the quarter-mode substrate integrated waveguide and eighth-mode substrate integrated waveguide are studied, and they are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
Verification of Effective Retrieval Method for Anchor Text on Navigational Retrieval

We participated in NTCIR-5 WEB Navigational Retrieval Subtask(Navi-2) in order to verify the most effective retrieval method for the index of anchor texts by using a retrieval system that indexed only anchor texts instead of full texts of Web pages. We introduced retrieval methods that combine one or more of six retrieval measures: (a) anchor frequency (af), (b) reference consistency (rc), (c) query weight (qw), (d) page representativeness (rep), (e) site relevancy (sr), and (f) inverse anchor document frequency (iadf). The experimental results revealed that: (1) it could be implied that the retrieval method that used only anchor frequency for the index of anchor texts was more effective than the retrieval method for the index of only full texts of Web pages, and that (2) the retrieval method that contained sr or iadf was effective for the index of anchor texts, and that sr was more effective than iadf. Keyword: Anchor Text, Navigational Retrieval, Site Relevancy
Neuromuscular training for sports injury prevention: a systematic review.

PURPOSE The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of proprioceptive/neuromuscular training in preventing sports injuries by using the best available evidence from methodologically well-conducted randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials without randomization. METHODS Two independent researchers performed a literature search in various electronic databases and reference lists. The reviewers independently assessed trials for inclusion criteria and methodological quality and extracted the data. Focusing on studies of high methodological quality, relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate treatment effects. RESULTS From a total of 32 relevant studies, 7 methodologically well-conducted studies were considered for this review. Pooled analysis revealed that multi-intervention training was effective in reducing the risk of lower limb injuries (RR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.49-0.77, P < 0.01), acute knee injuries (RR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.28-0.76, P < 0.01), and ankle sprain injuries (RR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.31-0.79, P < 0.01). Balance training alone resulted in a significant risk reduction of ankle sprain injuries (RR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.46-0.9, P < 0.01) and a nonsignificant risk reduction for injuries overall (RR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.13-1.8, P = 0.28). Exercise interventions were more effective in athletes with a history of sports injury than in those without. CONCLUSION On the basis of the results of seven high-quality studies, this review showed evidence for the effectiveness of proprioceptive/neuromuscular training in reducing the incidence of certain types of sports injuries among adolescent and young adult athletes during pivoting sports. Future research should focus on the conduct of comparative trials to identify the most appropriate and effective training components for preventing injuries in specific sports and populations.