Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validation of a new system of tracheal sound analysis for the diagnosis of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To evaluate the validity of a novel method of using tracheal sound analysis for the diagnosis of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. DESIGN Retrospective analysis in consecutive patients. SETTING A sleep clinic in a general hospital. PATIENTS A total of 383 patients who were referred for suspected sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome and underwent diagnostic polysomnography with sufficient quality. INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Ordinary polysomnography with simultaneous tracheal sound recording was performed. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was calculated as the number of apnea and hypopnea events per hour of sleep. Tracheal sounds were digitized and recorded as power spectra. An automated computer program detected transient falls (TS-dip) in the time series of moving average of the logarithmic power of tracheal sound. We defined the tracheal sound-respiratory disturbance index (TS-RDI) as the number of TS-dips per hour of examination. We also calculated the oxygen desaturation index (the number of SaO2 dips of at least 4% per hour of examination). The TS-RDI highly correlated with AHI (r = 0.93). The mean (+/- SD) difference between the TS-RDI and AHI was -8.4 +/- 10.4. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the TS-RDI when the same cutoff value was used as for AHI were 93% and 67% for the AHI cutoff value of 5 and 79% and 95% for the AHI cutoff value of 15. The agreement between the TS-RDI and AHI was better than that between the oxygen desaturation index and AHI. CONCLUSIONS The fully automated tracheal sound analysis demonstrated a relatively high performance in the diagnosis of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome. We think that this method is useful for the portable monitoring of sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome.
Targeted nanotheranostics for personalized cancer therapy

Introduction: The development of nanomedicine, during the last 10 years have given rise to novel delivery systems among which multifunctional platforms called nanotheranostics that are designed to simultaneously diagnose and cure cancer. These systems can be built using the large panel of biocompatible and biodegradable materials. The recent advances of imaging modalities even enable targeted nanotheranostics to probe molecular structures on specific cells opening the doors to personalized cancer therapy. Areas covered: This review presents the different requirements nanotheranostics should fulfill to achieve an optimized anticancer therapy. It focuses on two imaging modalities: MRI and ultrasonography used to visualize drug delivery, release, and efficacy. The advantages and limitations of these two methods are considered. The review will enable the readers to virtually tune a nanotheranostic system according to the nature of the targeting tissue and the availability of imaging modality. Expert opinion: Despite great perspectives, described for nanotheranostic systems in personalized cancer therapy, the imaging techniques still face technological issues, such as high sensitivity and good spatial and temporal resolutions. Active targeting should consider better specificity and low immunogenicity of the ligand selected, to be more efficient.
Immediate effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and focal knee joint cooling on quadriceps activation.

PURPOSE To determine whether transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and focal knee joint cooling will affect the quadriceps central activation ratio (CAR) in patients with tibiofemoral osteoarthritis. METHODS Thirty-three participants with diagnosed tibiofemoral osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to the 45-min TENS treatment (six males and four females, 56 +/- 10.1 yr, 174.11 +/- 10.78 cm, 89.34 +/- 21.3 kg), the 20-min focal knee joint cooling treatment (six males and five females, 58 +/- 8.4 yr, 176.41 +/- 8.29 cm, 83.18 +/- 17.97 kg), or the control group (five males and seven females, 54 +/- 9.9 yr, 166.37 +/- 13.07 cm, 92.14 +/- 25.37 kg). Volitional quadriceps activation, maximal voluntary isometric contraction, and subjective pain measurements were conducted at baseline and at 20, 30, and 45 min. The 20-min focal knee joint cooling intervention consisted of two 1.5-L ice bags to the anterior and posterior aspects of the knee. The TENS group received 45 min of a sensory, biphasic square wave stimulation (150-mus phase duration and 150 pps) from four 2 x 2-inch electrodes positioned around the patella. RESULTS : TENS resulted in a significantly higher percent change in CAR scores compared with control at 20 min (6.4 +/- 4.8 vs -3.5 +/- 8, P = 0.006), 30 min (9.7 +/- 10.16 vs -1 +/- 7.9, P = 0.025), and 45 min (11.25 +/- 6.96 vs 0.81 +/- 9.4, P = 0.029). Focal knee joint cooling resulted in significantly higher percent change scores compared with the control group at 20 min (5.75 +/- 7.25 vs -3.5 +/- 8, P = 0.009) and trended to be higher at 45 min (9.06 +/- 9.63 vs 0.81 +/- 9.4, P = 0.098). No significant differences in percent change for CAR were found between the TENS and the focal knee joint cooling group. CONCLUSIONS Both TENS and focal knee joint cooling increased the quadriceps CAR immediately after application in participants with tibiofemoral osteoarthritis.
Effects of structural and bonding-based attachment on brand loyalty

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the effects of structural and bonding attachment on brand loyalty. The authors identified network quality, network coverage and mobile number portability (MNP) as structural elements of attachment that affect brand loyalty. Similarly, the authors identify brand trust and social interaction ties as elements of bonding-based attachment that affects brand loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The authors employed a survey as the research design. There were 500 respondents who were customers of telecommunication network brands in Ghana. Data collected were analyzed using the partial least square approach to structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on SmartPLS 3. Findings The findings indicate that structural and bonding-based attachments affect the brand loyalty. Specifically, the authors found that network coverage, network quality, brand trust and social interaction ties have positive effects on brand loyalty while MNP has a negative effect on brand loyalty. Originality/value This study conceptualizes attachment from both structural and bonding perspectives, which are rare in the marketing literature. Thus, this study advances the conceptualization of attachment in the marketing literature.
A comprehensive evaluation of the toxicology of monogram inks added to experimental cigarettes

Abstract Context: Cigarettes often have a small identifying mark (monogram) printed either on the cigarette paper toward the filter end of the cigarette or on the tipping paper. Objective: A battery of tests was used to compare the toxicology of mainstream smoke from experimental cigarettes manufactured with different monogram inks. Cigarettes with different concentrations of different pigments were compared with cigarettes without ink, and with a control ink. Materials and methods: Smoke from each of the experimental cigarettes was evaluated using analytical chemistry and in vitro bacterial mutagenicity (Salmonella, five strains, ±S9) and cytotoxicity (neutral red uptake) assays. Results: No differences were observed between experimental cigarettes printed with three different pigment loads of iron oxide-based Black pigment and non-printed cigarettes. In general, no dose response was observed. However, increases in certain smoke constituents were found to correlate with Pigment Yellow 14 (also known as benzidine yellow) and Pigment Blue 15 (copper phthalocyanine). Increases in bacterial mutagenicity were observed for high-level print of Pigment Yellow 14 in TA98 and TA1537 and the high-level print of Pigment Blue 15 in TA98. In vitro cytotoxicity of mainstream smoke was unaffected by the presence of monogram ink on cigarettes. Conclusion: Statistically significant dose-responsive constituent changes and an increase in mutagenicity were observed with inclusion of Pigment Yellow 14 and Pigment Blue 15. Other pigments showed minimal toxicological activity.
Designing Harmonic Transponders Using Lumped-Component Matching Circuits

Design of harmonic transponders is presented in a case when the harmonic operating frequencies are implemented with a separate matching circuit based on lumped components. The required frequency multiplication is generated by a diode, and both varactor and detector diodes are investigated. Benefits and drawbacks of the proposed design compared to completely self-resonant transponder antennas are considered. Transponders are designed for three different diodes. Based on the obtained results, it can be seen that when using a matching-circuit-based transponder, antenna design is more straightforward. The main design challenge in this approach becomes finding a suitably well-performing matching circuit and circuit topology.
Design of a manual device to measure ankle joint stiffness and range of motion

Background and Aim: Ankle joint stiffness and its range of motion (ROM) are commonly assessed to determine the appropriate mechanical characteristics required in an effective ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) prescription. The aim of this technical note is to present the design of a manual device that enables their convenient measurement in the clinical setting and to demonstrate its reliability. Technique: The manual device was designed with a torquemeter, a potentiometer, a steering wheel, a rotary plate, and a foot plate. The measurement of resistive torque at 0° (neutral), 5° (dorsiflexion) and 10° (dorsiflexion) ankle angular positions demonstrated the high reliability of the device with Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) (1,k) values over 0.97. Discussion: Quantitative measurement of ankle joint stiffness and ROM by this manual device would provide objective information that could potentially assist AFO prescriptions. A future study should investigate how to incorporate the measurement obtained from the device into the prescription of an AFO.
Quality Screening and Trade Intermediaries: Evidence from China

We examine the qualityâ€ screening role played by intermediaries in international trade, exploiting export data at the product level for Chinese exporters. We uncover substantial heterogeneity among intermediaries, and distinguish two types: generalized and specialized intermediaries. We find strong evidence of a qualityâ€ verification role for specialized intermediaries: they are more prevalent in products with greater quality dispersion among local exporters, and export goods of higher quality than do generalized intermediaries. Our results suggest that specialized intermediaries have the capacity to reduce the incidence of quality problems.
Patterns of CD8+ Immunodominance May Influence the Ability of Mamu-B*08-Positive Macaques To Naturally Control Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmac239 Replication

ABSTRACT Certain major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I alleles are strongly associated with control of human immunodeficiency virus and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). CD8+ T cells specific for epitopes restricted by these molecules may be particularly effective. Understanding how CD8+ T cells contribute to control of viral replication should yield important insights for vaccine design. We have recently identified an Indian rhesus macaque MHC class I allele, Mamu-B*08, associated with elite control and low plasma viremia after infection with the pathogenic isolate SIVmac239. Here, we infected four Mamu-B*08-positive macaques with SIVmac239 to investigate why some of these macaques control viral replication. Three of the four macaques controlled SIVmac239 replication with plasma virus concentrations below 20,000 viral RNA copies/ml at 20 weeks postinfection; two of four macaques were elite controllers (ECs). Interestingly, two of the four macaques preserved their CD4+ memory T lymphocytes during peak viremia, and all four recovered their CD4+ memory T lymphocytes in the chronic phase of infection. Mamu-B*08-restricted CD8+ T-cell responses dominated the acute phase and accounted for 23.3% to 59.6% of the total SIV-specific immune responses. Additionally, the ECs mounted strong and broad CD8+ T-cell responses against several epitopes in Vif and Nef. Mamu-B*08-specific CD8+ T cells accounted for the majority of mutations in the virus at 18 weeks postinfection. Interestingly, patterns of viral variation in Nef differed between the ECs and the other two macaques. Natural containment of AIDS virus replication in Mamu-B*08-positive macaques may, therefore, be related to a combination of immunodominance and viral escape from CD8+ T-cell responses.
Normal tissue complication probability modeling of radiation-induced sensorineural hearing loss after head-and-neck radiation therapy

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to generate the dose–response curves by six normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models and ranking the models for prediction of radiation induced sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) caused by head and neck radiation therapy (RT). Materials and methods: Pure tone audiometry (PTA) was performed on 70 ears of patients for 12 months after the completion of RT. The SNHL was defined as a threshold shift ≤15 dB at two contiguous frequencies according to the common toxicity criteria for adverse events scoring system. The models evaluated were: Lyman and Logit; Mean Dose; relative seriality (RS); Individual critical volume (CV); and population CV models. Maximum likelihood analysis was used to fit the models to experimental data. The appropriateness of the fit was determined by the two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Ranking of the models was made according to Akaike’s information criterion. Results: The dose of 50% complication rate (D50) was 51–60 Gy. Three of the examined models fitted well with clinical data in a 95% confidence interval. The RS model was ranked as the best model of prediction for radiation induced SNHL. Conclusions: Cochlea shows a different behavior against different NTCP models; it may be due to its small size.
A Line-Interactive Single-Phase to Three-Phase Converter System

This paper describes a line-interactive single-phase to three-phase converter. A typical application is in rural areas supplied by a single-wire with earth return system. The traditional objective of feeding a three-phase induction motor is not anymore the main concern for such conversion. Due to the evolution of the farm technology, some of the local loads (as electronic power converters, computers, communication equipments, etc) require high power quality that is intended as sinusoidal, symmetrical, and balanced three-phase voltage. Additionally, to maximize the power from the feeder, the system provides a unity power factor to the grid. A three-phase voltage source inverter-pulsewidth modulation converter is used for this purpose. The power converter processes a fraction of the load power and the energy necessary to regulate the dc link voltage. As it does not need to supply active power, it is not necessary to have a source at the dc side. However, if island mode operation is needed, a dc source must be available at the dc link to supply the load. The control strategy, design criteria, and experimental results are presented
P‐wave Measurements and Electrical Reconnection of the Posterior Left Atrium after Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Recurrent atrial arrhythmias (RAAs) following posterior left atrial isolation (PLAI) for atrial fibrillation are common and are associated with reconnection of the PLA and pulmonary veins. We aimed to show that P‐wave duration (PWD) and P‐wave area under the curve (PWAUC) changes in patients undergoing PLAI can be measured using signal‐averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG), and that reversal of these changes in patients with RAAs can be used to noninvasively detect reconnection.
An Empirical Study of the Cross Market Efficiency of the Index Options Market: A Case Study from the Italian Derivatives Market

This study examines the cross-market efficiency of the FTSE/MIB index options contracts traded on the Italian derivatives market (IDEM) between 1st October 2007 and 31st December 2012, a period including the financial crisis, using daily option prices. Two fundamental no-arbitrage conditions are tested: the lower boundary condition (LBC) and the put/call parity (PCP) condition while taking into account the role of transaction costs in mitigating the number of violations reported. Ex-post tests of LBC and PCP revealed a low incidence of mispricing in this market. Furthermore, to check the robustness of the results obtained by the ex-post tests, ex-ante tests were applied to PCP violations occurring within a one-day lag. The results showed a significant drop in the number of profitable arbitrage strategies. Overall, the number and monetary value of the violations reported declined during the post financial crisis period compared to those during the financial crisis period. The findings obtained from these tests generally support the cross-market efficiency of the Italian index options market during the sample period, though some violations were occasionally reported.
Price Discovery Efficiency of Cotton Futures Market in India

The paper evaluates the efficiency of Indian cotton futures prices in predicting future spot prices during the period January, 2013 to December, 2015 using Vector Auto Regression (VAR) model and Granger causality tests. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller test was initially applied to check stationarity in futures and spot prices. The results shown that both the variables are stationary at level. The VAR model suggests that lag value of futures has more influence on spot price of cotton. The causality test has further indicated that futures markets have negligible ability to predict subsequent spot prices for cotton. The results of this study will be useful for various stakeholders who are actively participating in agricultural commodity markets.
Approaches to evidence synthesis in international development: a research agenda

ABSTRACT This article discusses the spectrum of synthesis methods available to generate, explore and text theory, their value to the field of international development and innovations required to make better use of the primary research available. It argues for clearer distinctions between syntheses produced as public goods and those tailored to specific circumstances, and strengthening knowledge systems through greater use of maps to navigate existing and missing evidence, harmonised outcomes and measures, and advances in automation technologies. Improved methods and guidance are required for synthesising formative research and investigating contextual factors. Engaging stakeholders and working across academic disciplines support the production of policy-relevant syntheses and inspire methods development.
Effects of Tawhidic paradigm dynamism in qualitative research

Qualitative research provides alternative dynamism in the contemporary intellectualism and philosophical inquiry to meet the high level of uncertainty and complexity of the world. Qualitative research has been widely accepted in all disciplines for academic as well as non-academic reasons. Qualitative research has its own uniqueness and dynamism in philosophy, paradigm, ontology, epistemology and methodology. Realism, constructionism and pragmatism paradigms have been applied widely for qualitative research. However, the mainstream research has inadequate philosophy inquiry driven by Tawhidic paradigm. This postulates that there are several effects on the dynamism of qualitative research based on Tawhidic paradigm. This study obtained feedback through personal interview from five (5) very experienced qualitative social researchers pertaining to the inclination on applying Tawhidic Paradigm. The respondents gave positive inclination on the application of Tawhidic Paradigm given the holistic, comprehensive and balanced ontology, epistemology and methodology. The feedback from the informants explained that dynamism driven by Tawhidic paradigm in qualitative research is in the research stages of describing, narrating, explaining and exploring events, individuals, groups, institutions, and organisations in the deductive manner within the parameters and measurement of Tawhid. Indeed, the dynamism Tawhidic paradigm enables for knowledge acquisition, modelling, using and retrieving in systematic and pragmatic way.
Evidence for the isolation, growth, and characterization of malignant cells in primary cultures of human tumors

SummaryIsolation and growth of malignant cells from solid tumors have often met with disappointing results. Consequently, we have developed a cell culture methodology based on ex vivo explantation of tumor tissue, with subsequent monolayer cell outgrowth. In an attempt to assess methods for detection of malignant cells in these cultures, we analyzed and compared the results of cytopathology, growth in soft agar, and detection of telomerase activity with those of standard immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques for the detection of cytokeratins, tumor marker p53, and proliferation marker Ki-67. The sensitivity of detection of malignant cells was 85% (22/26) for cytopathological examination, 30% (3/10) for soft agar growth, and 100% (12/12) for detection of telomerase activity. From these data, we concluded that both cytopathological examination and assessment of telomerase activity contribute to the detection of malignant cells in primary cultures of human solid tumors, whereas growth in soft agar was not a good indicator of malignant cells. Although not specific for malignant cells per se, IHC detection for epithelial cell cytokeratins showed a high degree of sensitivity (100%, 23/23), whereas the sensitivity for detection of tumor marker p53 and proliferation marker Ki-67 was 30% (7/23) and 70% (16/23), respectively. These data also provide proof that malignant tumor cells, derived from a diverse number of human solid tumors, can be isolated and grown in primary cell culture.