Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic laser-assisted excision of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas.

BACKGROUND Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNAs) are highly vascular tumors that originate in the nasopharynx of young males. The primary treatment is surgical excision. Traditional surgical approaches are associated with significant morbidity and facial deformity. We introduce and outline the clinical advantages of an endoscopic surgical approach to JNAs using the Nd:YAG laser with image-guided surgery. DESIGN Case series. SETTING Tertiary care medical center. PATIENTS AND METHODS Our study included 5 male patients (age range, 8-21 years) with extensive JNAs. Their tumors were large and ranged from Fisch stage IIA to IIIA. Embolization of tumor-feeding vessels was performed before surgery. The tumors were photocoagulated via a transnasal endoscopic approach using a Nd:YAG laser. Devascularized, lased tumor was removed with a microdebrider. Image-guided navigation systems were used to assist skull base tumor removal, and sublabial and buccolabial incisions were used as needed to gain lateral endoscopic tumor access. Endoscopic tumor margins were obtained for frozen section. RESULTS All patients achieved symptomatic remission, with no complications. No blood transfusions were necessary. The patients were ready for discharge 1 to 2 days after surgery. Postoperative and magnetic resonance imaging scans showed 2 skull base recurrences, which were removed endoscopically. Follow-up ranged between 2 and 3 years. CONCLUSIONS Traditional external surgical approaches to large JNAs may result in significant morbidity. Laser-assisted image-guided endoscopic excision of JNAs is a safe and effective minimally invasive surgical treatment. Its distinct advantages include (1) diminished blood loss, (2) superior cosmesis without observed altered facial growth, (3) direct access of skull base with minimal morbidity, and (4) ease of endoscopic follow-up.
A refined taxonomy of behaviour change techniques to help people change their physical activity and healthy eating behaviours: The CALO-RE taxonomy

Background: Current reporting of intervention content in published research articles and protocols is generally poor, with great diversity of terminology, resulting in low replicability. This study aimed to extend the scope and improve the reliability of a 26-item taxonomy of behaviour change techniques developed by Abraham and Michie [Abraham, C. and Michie, S. (2008). A taxonomy of behaviour change techniques used in interventions. Health Psychology, 27(3), 379–387. ] in order to optimise the reporting and scientific study of behaviour change interventions. Methods: Three UK study centres collaborated in applying this existing taxonomy to two systematic reviews of interventions to increase physical activity and healthy eating. The taxonomy was refined in iterative steps of (1) coding intervention descriptions, and assessing inter-rater reliability, (2) identifying gaps and problems across study centres and (3) refining the labels and definitions based on consensus discussions. Results: Labels and definitions were improved for all techniques, conceptual overlap between categories was resolved, some categories were split and 14 techniques were added, resulting in a 40-item taxonomy. Inter-rater reliability, assessed on 50 published intervention descriptions, was good (kappa = 0.79). Conclusions: This taxonomy can be used to improve the specification of interventions in published reports, thus improving replication, implementation and evidence syntheses. This will strengthen the scientific study of behaviour change and intervention development.
Evolution and the duration of a doomed population

Many populations are doomed to extinction, but little is known about how evolution contributes to their longevity. We address this by modeling an asexual population consisting of genotypes whose abundances change independently according to a system of continuous branching diffusions. Each genotype is characterized by its initial abundance, growth rate, and reproductive variance. The latter two components determine the genotype's “risk function” which describes its per capita probability of extinction at any time. We derive the probability distribution of extinction times for a polymorphic population, which can be expressed in terms of genotypic risk functions. We use this to explore how spontaneous mutation, abrupt environmental change, or population supplementation and removal affect the time to extinction. Results suggest that evolution based on new mutations does little to alter the time to extinction. Abrupt environmental changes that affect all genotypes can have more substantial impact, but, curiously, a beneficial change does more to extend the lifetime of thriving than threatened populations of the same initial abundance. Our results can be used to design policies that meet specific conservation goals or management strategies that speed the elimination of agricultural pests or human pathogens.
The association between retinal vein ophthalmodynamometric force change and optic disc excavation

Aim: Retinal vein ophthalmodynamometric force (ODF) is predictive of future optic disc excavation in glaucoma, but it is not known if variation in ODF affects prognosis. We aimed to assess whether a change in ODF provides additional prognostic information. Methods: 135 eyes of 75 patients with glaucoma or being glaucoma suspects had intraocular pressure (IOP), visual fields, stereo optic disc photography and ODF measured on an initial visit and a subsequent visit at mean 82 (SD 7.3) months later. Corneal thickness and blood pressure were recorded on the latter visit. When venous pulsation was spontaneous, the ODF was recorded as 0 g. Change in ODF was calculated. Flicker stereochronoscopy was used to determine the occurrence of optic disc excavation, which was modelled against the measured variables using multiple mixed effects logistic regression. Results: Change in ODF (p = 0.046) was associated with increased excavation. Average IOP (p = 0.66) and other variables were not associated. Odds ratio for increased optic disc excavation of 1.045 per gram ODF change (95% CI 1.001 to 1.090) was calculated. Conclusion: Change in retinal vein ODF may provide additional information to assist with glaucoma prognostication and implies a significant relationship between venous change and glaucoma patho-physiology.
Multiple harmonics control for three-phase grid converter systems with the use of PI-RES current controller in a rotating frame

Voltage source inverters connected to the grid in applications such as active rectifiers, active filters, uninterruptible power supplies, and distributed generation systems need an optimal ac current control. To obtain zero steady-state error at the fundamental frequency (i.e., unity power factor), the use of a standard integrator in a rotating frame is as effective as the use of a resonant controller in a stationary frame. However, the grid voltage harmonics influence the current controller and generate current harmonics unless several integrators in multiple rotating frames or resonant compensators in a stationary frame are adopted. In this letter, a hybrid system consisting of a proportional integral (PI) controller plus a generic hth harmonic resonant controller implemented in a frame rotating at the n th harmonic frequency is discussed in detail. The hth harmonic controller is able to decrease both the (h - n)th and (h + n)th harmonics, while the PI controller is able to decrease other harmonics if the synchronization phase signal adopted for the frame transformation is unfiltered. It is demonstrated that the use of a PI and sixth harmonic resonant compensator is effective for both positive and negative sequence fifth and seventh harmonics; hence, four harmonics are compensated with the proportional integral-resonant (PI-RES) controller implemented in a synchronous frame. Simulation and experimental tests validate the proposed analysis
Deep learning for acupuncture point selection patterns based on veteran doctor experience of Chinese medicine

The inheritance of clinical experience of veteran doctors of Chinese medicine (CM) plays a key role in the development and effectiveness enhancement of Chinese medicine in the history. The clinical experience are classified as the patterns of disease diagnosis and Chinese medical Zheng diagnosis, the identification of core elements of Zheng, the treatment experience and relation of herbal medicine formulae, Zheng and disease, and the common law of diagnosis and treatment in real practice. The source of the experience mainly originates from literature and manuscripts of CM masters, which are being electronically recorded during the last two decades. As a result, it makes feasible to apply data mining to the knowledge discovery through the experience of veteran CM doctors. However, the current focus on this field is limited to the published literature such as journal papers, conference proceedings and textbooks, but the paper based manuscripts personally written by the veteran doctors are usually neglected. In this paper, we established a database for Dr Situ Ling, who is a deceased famous CM acupuncture master in southern China. The study objective is to discover the acupuncture point selection patterns which require profession knowledge and experience from senior CM doctors. It is believed these patterns are deposited as underlying knowledge with various middle level concepts that can be analyzed and discover by a serial of algorithms. Thus in this work, we formularized the patterns of acupuncture point selection as a learning task with deep architecture, which attempts to capture either existent or underlying concepts so as to simulate the planning process of the combined diagnosis of western medicine and Chinese medicine. The Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBM) was used as the main model for deep learning to process to medical record data with international standard diagnosis (ICD-10) previously made by trained doctors. Then the ICD-10 based diagnosis dataset was introduced into our framework to enhance the concepts diversity. After applying this model, the learning accuracy based on the medical record database of Dr Situ Ling was raised up to 75%. Thus this model can serve as a solution to discover the acupuncture point selection patterns of CM acupuncture veteran doctors. Furthermore, the data mining study model linked by international diagnosis standard (i.e. ICD-10), point selection patterns, and clinical symptoms will provide useful cues to reveal the essence of Zheng diagnosis through experience of CM veteran doctors.
Mapping of Flooded Areas in the Kudus District

Flood is still an annual problem in the Kudus District. Based on the survey and interview with Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD – Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah) data showed that in the Kudus District there are still many flood-prone areas. They also said that, there are six parameter that can be used to identify potential flood area such as: extensive inundation (km2, ha), depth or height of flood waters (meters), the flow velocity (m/s,km/h), the material washed away by flood flow (rocks, boulders, trees, and other solid objects), concentrations of water or silt thickness (meters, centimeters), and duration of inundation (hours, days, months). Therefor this research use six parameters are then analyzed and used as a benchmark model to identify flood-prone areas by using the production rule method, and as the material in constructing and designing flood-prone area identification systems based on expert system. Thus this research resulted a system to assist the identification of flood prone areas in the Kudus District by using expert system and geographic information system (GIS). Full Text PDF DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.11591/ijeecs.v4. i3.pp670-677
Modelling and control of a coaxial helicopter UAV in an indoor laboratory

This paper describes the modelling, the control algorithm and the flight experiments performed with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The vehicle is a coaxial toy helicopter and the control platform is an indoor platform with a computer vision sensor. The dynamic model of the vehicle as well as the identification process of its parameters are described. The controller consists on a cascade control structure formed by trajectory, velocity and attitude control loops implemented with PID-based controllers. The experimental results show a maximum position error of 5cm on hovering experiments and exhibit a great precision in the trajectory tracking experiments.
Analysis of the wild‐type and mutant genes encoding the enzyme kynurenine monooxygenase of the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti

Kynurenine 3‐monooxygenase (KMO) catalyses the hydroxylation of kynurenine to 3‐hydroxykynurenine. KMO has a key role in tryptophan catabolism and synthesis of ommochrome pigments in mosquitoes. The gene encoding this enzyme in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, is called kynurenine hydroxylase (kh) and a mutant allele that produces white eyes has been designated khw. A number of cDNA clones representative of wild‐type and mutant genes were isolated. Sequence analyses of the wild‐type and mutant cDNAs revealed a deletion of 162 nucleotides in the mutant gene near the 3′‐end of the deduced coding region. RT‐PCR analyses confirm the transcription of a truncated mRNA in the mutant strain. The in‐frame deletion results in a loss of 54 amino acids, which disrupts a major α‐helix and which probably accounts for the loss of activity of the enzyme. Recombinant Ae. aegypti KMO showed high substrate specificity for kynurenine with optimum activity at 40 °C and pH = 7.5. Kinetic parameters and inhibition of KMO activity by Cl– and pyridoxal‐5‐phosphate were determined.
The relationships between physical violence, verbal abuse and women's psychological distress during the postpartum period

Objective. To analyse the relationship between violence in the post-partum period and mothers' psychological distress. Method. Three hundred and fifty two women responded to a questionnaire after the birth, at the Trieste Hospital (Italy), and 292 of them responded to a telephone interview 8 months later. Psychological distress was evaluated with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ); partner and family violence were evaluated with a 28-item scale. Results. Eight months post-partum, 10% of women were experiencing violence either from the partner or from another family member; 5% showed high psychological distress. Multivariate analyses show that, after adjustment for covariates, the OR for depressive symptoms was 19.17 for women experiencing partner or family violence. Being dissatisfied with their working situation, hospitalisation of the baby and pre-pregnancy mental health were also significantly associated with high GHQ scores Conclusion. These results stress the relationship between violence in post-partum and maternal psychological distress. Measures aimed to identify and end violence against women around pregnancy could contribute to the improvement of women's mental health post-partum.
Understanding, Avoiding, and Managing Severe Filler Complications

Summary: Any injectable filler may elicit moderate-to-severe adverse events, ranging from nodules to abscesses to vascular occlusion. Fortunately, severe adverse events are uncommon for the majority of fillers currently on the market. Because these are rare events, it is difficult to identify the relevant risk factors and to design the most efficacious treatment strategies. Poor aesthetic outcomes are far more common than severe adverse events. These in contrast should be easily avoidable by ensuring that colleagues receive proper training and follow best practices.
Development of a Direct AC-AC Converter Based on a DSPACE Platform

This paper proposes a new direct AC-AC current generation method based on DSPACE platform. To date AC-DC- AC or DC-AC configurations are widely used in high frequency applications. There are a lot of circuit and controller design issues associated with them. Moreover, DC link capacitors have to be used as a middle stage in these traditional converters. As an energy storage component, it is large and expensive and has limited lifetime. The new converter proposed in this paper is based on free oscillation and energy injection control. It can achieve direct AC-AC conversion without any DC links, and the frequency of generated current can be increased to a very high level. Furthermore, soft switching techniques are applied to minimize the power losses and EMI, and the inductor current magnitude can be controlled very easily with very fast dynamic response.
Environmental and maternal effects on embryonic and larval developmental time until dispersal of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)

For migratory fish like lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), the period from egg deposition through embryonic and larval development until dispersal (ELDTUD) contributes substantially to variation in survival at the individual level and to population levels of recruitment. Using genetically determined parentage, we examined the relative importance of en- vironmental variables in a stream environment (e.g., temperature and discharge) and maternal effects (including individual female body size, spawning time, and location) to ELDTUD on an individual basis. Adult lake sturgeon (n = 208) spawning in the Upper Black River (Michigan, USA), and larvae (n = 1444) dispersing downstream were captured during the 2007 spawning season. We used generalized mixed models and multimodel inference based on Kullback-Leibler information- theoretic criteria to demonstrate that environmental variables and the maternal effects of individual female and spawning time were both important predictors of ELDTUD. Decreasing ELDTUD during the season resulted from linearly increasing temperature and nonlinearly decreasing river discharge. Spawning time and individual female explained a large proportion of variation in ELDTUD. The individual-based approach used in this study provided precise estimates of ELDTUD and also facilitated the partitioning of variation in ELDTUD of larvae produced by the same female and among females spawn- ing at different times and different environmental conditions. Resume : Chez les poissons migrateurs comme l'esturgeon jaune (Acipenser fulvescens), la periode qui commence a la
Novel locally strained channel technique for high performance 55nm CMOS

A novel local strained channel (LSC) MOSFET has been fabricated by a stress control technique utilizing a strained poly silicon gate electrode. The residual compressive stress in arsenic (As) implanted polysilicon is induced by high temperature annealing of CVD SiO/sub 2/ cap with high tensile stress. On the other hand, boron (B) implanted poly silicon is free from stress. As a result, the only n-channel region is locally strained by the strained polysilicon electrode. The drain current of LSC nFETs is improved 15% compared to that of the conventional nFET without the degradation of pFET drain current. High performance 55nm CMOSFET is realized by simple process for LSC-structure.
Programming behaviors with local perception and smart objects: an approach to solve autonomous agents tasks

We propose an integrated framework in which local perception and close manipulation skills are used in conjunction with a high-level behavioral interface based on a "smart object" paradigm as support for a virtual agent to perform autonomous tasks. In our model, virtual "smart objects" encapsulate information about possible interactions between the agent and its environment, including sub-tasks defined by scripts that the agent can perform. We use the information provided by low-level sensing mechanisms to construct a set of local, perceptual features, with which to categorize at run-time possible target objects. Once objects are activated, based on their interactivity information and on the current task script, the agent can reparametrize its behavior, according to its mission goal defined in a global plan script. A challenging problem solved here is the construction (abstraction) of the mechanism to link individual perceptions to actions. As a practical result virtual agents are capable of acting with more autonomy, enhancing their performance.
Voltage-controlled ferromagnetic order in MnGe quantum dots

Here, we speculate that room temperature voltage-controlled ferromagnetic ordering may become a founding phenomenon for the next generation of low-power spintronics nanodevices and discuss the special role of dilute magnetic semiconductors as the most reliable material basis to date. Then, we report on our latest experimental achievements in the voltage manipulation of the ferromagnetism in MnGe quantum dots, experimentally demonstrating the capacity of pushing the Curie temperature further above room temperature for technological applications.
Competitive Selection of Lactic Acid Bacteria That Persist in the Human Oral Cavity

ABSTRACT Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) might offer opportunities as oral probiotics provided candidate strains persist in the mouth. After intake of a mixture of 69 LAB, strains of Lactobacillus fermentum and Lactobacillus salivarius were especially recovered. Coaggregation with other microbes is likely not a prerequisite for persistence since L. salivarius strongly coaggregated with typical oral cavity isolates, whereas L. fermentum failed to display this phenotype.
Clinical antiangiogenic effect of recombinant adenovirus-p53 combined with hyperthermia for advanced cancer.

OBJECTIVE To assess the safety and clinical antiangiogenic effect of recombinant adenovirus-p53 (rAd-p53) combined with hyperthermia plus or not plus radiotherapy in advanced cancer. METHODS Expression of Vascular epithelial growth factor (VEGF) after intratumoral injection of rAd-p53 was assayed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) imaging. Forty-four patients with advanced cancer were enrolled into this clinical study. The patients were intratumorally injected with rAd-p53 (Gendicine) at a dose of 1×10(12) vp once a week, with a total of 4-54 (mean 7.7) times. Total of 4-29 (mean 8.5) times of hyperthermia was given to the patients. Among the 44 patients, 30 patients were concurrently added with radiotherapy of a total dose 30-76 Gy/15-38 f/3-8 w (mean 58 Gy). RESULTS Before and after intratumoral injection of rAd-p53, the VEGF IHC positive cell scores were 2.80 and 1.50, respectively (P=0.031). The treatment of rAd-p53 combined with hyperthermia plus or not plus radiotherapy in advanced cancer achieved CR rate of 13.60% (6/44), and PR rate of 29.6% (13/44), and thus the effective rate was 43.2%. In addition to 6 patients with CR, 19 patients (19/38, 50.0%) had low density area (LDA) of more than 50% area on CT image within tumor indicating tumor tissue necrosis. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that rAd-p53 inhibits VEGF expression and angiogenesis, and promotes tumor necrosis and shrinkage induced by hyperthermia plus or not plus radiotherapy in advanced cancer.