Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intratympanic Triamcinolone Acetonide as Treatment Option for Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

INTRODUCTION Corticosteroids represent the most commonly used treatment option for patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. In the past, these compounds were mainly formulated and tested for intravenous or oral administration. Intratympanic application is increasingly being used, often as salvage treatment. The most suitable corticosteroid for local application has yet to be identified. Trials have suggested that triamcinolone acetonide has superior molecular properties for this treatment modality. METHODS The main aim of this study was to retrospectively assess the first audiometric results of patients diagnosed with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss and treated simultaneously with systemic prednisolone and intratympanic triamcinolone acetonide. This data was then compared to systemic treatment only, as well as to historic cohorts treated intratympanically with widely used corticosteroids, namely dexamethasone or methylprednisolone. RESULTS 90 patients received intravenous prednisolone only, and 89 individuals underwent intravenous treatment combined with three to four simultaneous intratympanic applications of triamcinolone. Eight patients received intratympanic triamcinolone as first-line treatment. After adjusting data for sex, time since onset, age, and severity of hearing loss, no statistically significant difference between the two main treatment groups could be identified. No major adverse events were observed, specifically no otitis media or persistent vertigo. Two perforated tympanic membranes healed spontaneously within several days. CONCLUSION While the exact role of intratympanic injections requires additional trials, triamcinolone resulted in similar outcomes compared to studies using dexamethasone or methylprednisolone. Due to favorable pharmacological properties, triamcinolone represents a safe and efficacious alternative for intratympanic treatment in idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss.
Concurrent Treatment for PTSD and Prolonged Grief Disorder: Review of Outcomes for Exposure- and Nonexposure-Based Treatments

This review gives an overview of treatments used to concurrently reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and prolonged grief disorder (PGD). For purposes of this review, emphasis is placed on locating and comparing literature on exposure- and nonexposure-based treatments. Across 14 studies, the overall findings suggest that treatments are generally effective in treating PTSD and PGD concurrently and that treatments incorporating exposure-based components performed similarly to those without exposure-based components. However, methodological limitations preclude the ability to draw firm conclusions about the added impact of exposure-based components in traumatic grief treatment. Future directions for research on concurrent treatments for PTSD and PGD are discussed.
Chord Bunch Walks for Recognizing Naturally Self-Overlapped and Compound Leaves

Effectively describing and recognizing leaf shapes under arbitrary variations, particularly from a large database, remains an unsolved problem. In this research, we attempted a new strategy of describing leaf shapes by walking and measuring along a bunch of chords that pass through the shape. A novel chord bunch walks (CBW) descriptor is developed through the chord walking behavior that effectively integrates the shape image function over the walked chord to reflect both the contour features and the inner properties of the shape. For each contour point, the chord bunch groups multiple pairs of chords to build a hierarchical framework for a coarse-to-fine description that can effectively characterize not only the subtle differences among leaf margin patterns but also the interior part of the shape contour formed inside a self-overlapped or compound leaf. Instead of using optimal correspondence based matching, a Log-Min distance that encourages one-to-one correspondences is proposed for efficient and effective CBW matching. The proposed CBW shape analysis method is invariant to rotation, scaling, translation, and mirror transforms. Five experiments, including image retrieval of compound leaves, image retrieval of naturally self-overlapped leaves, and retrieval of mixed leaves on three large scale datasets, are conducted. The proposed method achieved large accuracy increases with low computational costs over the state-of-the-art benchmarks, which indicates the research potential along this direction.
Utilization of corn-based diets supplemented with an exogenous α-amylase for broilers.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a supplemental α-amylase on energy and nutrient utilization of broiler chickens fed diets with variable amounts of corn. A total of 480 slow feathering Cobb × Cobb 500 male broilers were randomly distributed into 10 treatments with 8 replicates of 6 birds each. Birds were fed a common starter to 14 D post-hatch. The experimental diets were provided subsequently until 25 D, which were a conventional corn-soy basal diet (CS) and a corn-soy diet displaced with 40% of corn (CN). These were fed as-is or supplemented with 40, 80, 120, or 160 kilo-Novo α-amylase units (KNU)/kg. Dietary treatments were distributed factorially as a 2 × 5 arrangement (diet type vs. amylase). Samples of feed, excreta, and ileal digesta were analyzed for determination of ileal digestible energy (IDE), ME, total tract retention, and digestibility of dry matter, protein, and fat. No interactions between diet type and amylase were observed. The CN diet had lower (P < 0.05) energy utilization and nutrient digestibility when compared to the CS diet. AMEn and IDE increased (P < 0.05) by 110 and 207 kcal/kg, respectively, when CS and CN diets were supplemented with 80 KNU/kg. The amylase added to the CS diet led to quadratic increases (P < 0.05) on growth performance, IDE, AME, and AMEn, as well as in dry matter, protein, and fat digestibility. Energy utilization and crude protein digestibility were linearly increased (P < 0.05) when amylase was added to the CN diet or the extrapolated 100% of corn. In conclusion, energy utilization, digestibility of crude protein, fat, and dry matter increased with amylase supplementation in corn-soy-based diets. When amylase was tested in a complete diet having 53.6% corn, 100 and 105 KNU/kg maximized AMEn and IDE, respectively; however, the maximum energy response in the CN diet or 100% of corn was not achieved until 160 KNU/kg, suggesting an association between amylase dose optimization and dietary starch concentration.
Transcriptome Profile Analysis of Winter Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) in Response to Freezing Stress, Reveal Potentially Connected Events to Freezing Stress

Winter rapeseed is not only an important oilseed crop, but also a winter cover crop in Northern China, where its production was severely limited by freezing stress. As an overwinter crop, the production is severely limited by freezing stress. Therefore, understanding the physiological and molecular mechanism of winter rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) in freezing stress responses becomes essential for the improvement and development of freezing-tolerant varieties of Brassica napus. In this study, morphological, physiological, ultrastructure and transcriptome changes in the Brassica napus line “2016TS(G)10” (freezing-tolerance line) that was exposed to –2 °C for 0 h, 1 h, 3 h and 24 h were characterized. The results showed that freezing stress caused seedling dehydration, and chloroplast dilation and degradation. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, soluble protein and soluble sugars were increased, as well as the relative electrolyte leakage (REL) which was significantly increased at frozen 24 h. Subsequently, RNA-seq analysis revealed a total of 98,672 UniGenes that were annotated in Brassica napus and 3905 UniGenes were identified as differentially expressed genes after being exposed to freezing stress. Among these genes, 2312 (59.21%) were up-regulated and 1593 (40.79%) were down-regulated. Most of these DEGs were significantly annotated in the carbohydrates and energy metabolism, signal transduction, amino acid metabolism and translation. Most of the up-regulated DEGs were especially enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism pathways. Transcription factor enrichment analysis showed that the AP2/ERF, WRKY and MYB families were also significantly changed. Furthermore, 20 DEGs were selected to validate the transcriptome profiles via quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). In conclusion, the results provide an overall view of the dynamic changes in physiology and insights into the molecular regulation mechanisms of winter Brassica napus in response to freezing treatment, expanding our understanding on the complex molecular mechanism in plant response to freezing stress.
Anorectal Melanoma - a Histopathological Case Report and a Review of the Literature

Abstract Primary melanomas of the anus and rectum are rare neoplasms with aggressive behavior, accounting for 0.1%-4.6% of anal canal tumors. Mucosal melanomas account for approximately 1.2% of all melanomas, of which fewer than 25% are anorectal. Histological evaluation with immunohistochemical stains like HMB-45, S-100, vimentin and Melan A is required for definitive diagnosis. The 5-year survival rate for anorectal melanomas (AM) was reported to be as low as < 20%, in contrast to the value of approximately 80% for cutaneous melanomas. Furthermore, up to 67% of patients are found to have distant metastases at the time of their initial diagnosis with AM. Since the chemotherapy treatment possibilities are limited, patients usually undergo mutation detection tests giving the opportunity of targeted therapy. Herein we report a case of a patient with anorectal melanoma, diagnosed in stage II and the pathomorphological and mutation status finding, together with their correlation to tumor behavior and patient prognosis.
Draft Genome Sequence of FK506-Producing Streptomyces tsukubensis Strain VKM Ac-2618D

The 23-membered macrolide tacrolimus (FK506) is an important immunosuppressant that is widely used in the prevention of graft rejection and in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases and immune diseases. We report here the draft genome sequence of the FK506 producer Streptomyces tsukubensis VKM Ac-2618D. ABSTRACT The 23-membered macrolide tacrolimus (FK506) is an important immunosuppressant that is widely used in the prevention of graft rejection and in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases and immune diseases. We report here the draft genome sequence of the FK506 producer Streptomyces tsukubensis VKM Ac-2618D.
SCENE CLASSIFICATION USING SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINES WITH LDA

Scene classification, the classification of images into semantic categories is a challenging and important problem nowadays. We present a procedure to classify real world scenes in eight semantic groups of coast, forest, mountain, open country, street, tall building, highway and inside city using support vector machines. Traditional classification approaches generalize poorly on image classification tasks, when the classes are non-separable. In this paper we used Support Vector Machine (SVM) for scene classification. SVM is a supervised classification technique, has its roots in Statistical Learning Theory and have gained prominence because they are robust, accurate and are effective even when using a small training sample. By their nature SVMs are essentially binary classifiers, however, they can be adapted to handle the multiple classification tasks common in scene classification. This paper shows that support vector machines (SVM's) can generalize well on difficult scene classification problems. SVMs can efficiently perform a non-linear classification using kernel trick, implicitly mapping their inputs into high-dimensional feature spaces. In this paper 4 types of kernels (linear, polynomial, gaussian and sigmoidal kernels) are used with support vector machines. It is observed that Gaussian kernel outperform other types of kernels. Moreover, we observed that a simple remapping of the input x to x' improves the performance of linear SVM's to such an extent that it makes them, for this problem, a valid alternative to RBF kernels.
Practices to initiate business model innovation in incumbent enterprises

9 VII. Abstract In both theory and practice, business model innovation is acknowledged as an important means to gaining a competitive edge. Business model innovation means entrepreneurial undertakings beyond product or process innovation, even beyond enterprise borders. Taking the correct actions critical for success, remains challenging due to the uncertainty and rigidity of the assumptions about the environment made before embarking on business model innovation. Hence, business model innovation may be hampered. Management sciences in the 21st century need to develop practices to master these challenges in order to gain a competitive edge. This research aims at supporting managers from incumbent enterprises to obtain a more rigid approach to business model innovation through a set of practices that initiate business model innovation. This research is embedded in business model, innovation management and intelligence research in order to transfer concepts to the process of business model innovation and thereby develop a rigid understanding of the environment. It follows a qualitative research approach, drawing upon case studies from real world entities. The research contributes to the concept of business model innovation through three main practices that show the potential to initiate business model innovation: Simplification, developing and sensing. Simplification is the practice to analyze competitive information and display it in a simple manner. Its goal is to deliver the assumptions needed to embark on business model innovation. Developing is a practice to design a business model in a step by step approach. Its goal is to incorporate assumptions about the environment into the business model design process. Sensing is the practice to make use of an intelligence framework. Its goal is to monitor the environment to create timely and meaningful information about that environment. The research contributes to the research of business model innovation by providing enabling practices to initiate and integrate business model innovation in incumbent enterprises. In doings so, it provides guidance to business model innovation. Researchers may use the findings to study business model innovation from an enterprise transformational perspective. Practitioners may use the approaches to inject business model innovation as a corporate ability to engage with a changing environment, beyond product and process innovation.
Hydrogen Production from Non-Conventional Biomass Pyrolysis

Biomass is a potential energy resource that can be converted to hydrogen and is available from a wide range of sources. In this study, non-conventional biomass sources: soybean (Glycine max.), cassava (Manihot esculenta) and banana rachis (Musa paradisiaca L.) had been tested for hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis. The influence of biomass microstructure and reducing sugar content on the hydrogen production was studied through a high-energy ball-milling pre-process of the soybean source. The results indicate that the maximum production of hydrogen was obtained at 275°C independently of the biomass source. The biomass microstructure and reducing sugar content does not seem to have an effect on hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis. Soybean thermal stability is increased during the ball-milling process. High-energy ball-milling can be a good, easy and low cost method to increase biomass reducing sugar content.
Southern ( SAIS ) 2011 Project Level Decision Rights : A Contingency Perspective

The study of IT development governance rests on the assumption of goal difference between the procurer (customer or user) and the provider (development organization). But governance research also finds that the knowledge of both parties must be incorporated in order to maximize decision effectiveness. The goal difference is resolved through governance forms that assign different decisions to the procurer and the provider. But this splitting of decision rights can impact how knowledge is shared. At the same time, unified teams are also capable of completing effective development projects as witnessed by the successes of agile development methodologies. These teams do not split decision rights and knowledge is more readily shared. Successful projects under one governance model may be identifiably different from successful projects under the other. This study extends governance research by understanding development project characteristics that indicate whether splitting decision rights is an effective strategy for a specific project.
Pain as Feedback for Bionic Limbs

This paper looks at advancements made in the area of thought controlled mechanical prosthesis that are being developed for amputees in order for them to regain mobility. It focuses on the brain-machine interface which is hardware and software that is used to control mechanical prosthesis or bionic limbs by sending and receiving signals between the prosthetic and the users mind. There is signaling feedback from the prosthesis to the user that indicates how much pressure is being applied to an object that is being grasped for instance. This paper explores the notion of the value of pain as a warning in the form of artificial feedback to help prevent damage and death to people and posits that pain should be included in the feedback loop so that when, for example, an artificial hand is in imminent danger of being burned the wearer is alerted. PAIN AS FEEDBACK FROM BIONIC LIMBS 3
Socioeconomic, bio-demographic and health/behavioral determinants of neonatal mortality in Nigeria: a multilevel analysis of 2013 demographic and health survey

Background: Nigeria ranks as one of the countries in the world with considerable burden of neonatal mortality. This study aims to investigate the association of socioeconomic, bio-demographic and health/behavioural factors with neonatal mortality in the country using the most current available evidence. Methods: The 2013 Nigeria demographic and health survey (NDHS) dataset was analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to identify determinants associated with neonatal mortality. The role of breastfeeding was examined by conducting analyses with and without adjustment for ‘breastfeeding status’. Complex sample analysis was used to control for the complex sampling design used in NDHS . Results: Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) stood at 33 deaths per 1000 live births. With or without adjustment for ‘breastfeeding status’, bio-demographic factors – maternal marital status, rural-urban residence, birth size, gender of child, birth interval and maternal body mass index (BMI) – were predictive of neonatal mortality. Maternal age and ethnicity became additional bio-demographic predictors after adjusting for ‘breastfeeding status’. Maternal literacy (socioeconomic factor) and mode of delivery (health/behavioral factor) were significant predictors only when breastfeeding status was not adjusted for. Conclusions: Bio-demographic factors formed the bulk of predictors of neonatal mortality in Nigeria. The effect of socioeconomic and health/behavioural factors disappeared when breastfeeding status was adjusted for. Intervention programs would need to prioritize the identified predictors for an accelerated reduction of neonatal mortality in Nigeria.
Single Market Non-Compliance: How Relevant is the Institutional Setting?

This paper investigates the role of the national institutional setting in explaining Single Market non-compliance regarding non-tariff barriers in intra-European Union (EU) trade. Using data on infringements to Single Market law we show that the quality of domestic institutional characteristics is relevant to explain non-compliance among EU countries. While government independence from political pressures and higher levels of representativeness and accountability reduce the propensity of member states to infringe upon Single Market laws, better regulatory quality increases the probability of non-compliance at industry level, suggesting that increases in competition may generate protectionist measures that violate Single Market law.
Studies on some biochemical constituents of ovarian follicular fluid and peripheral blood in buffaloes.

This project was designed to study some biochemical constituents of ovarian follicular fluid (FF) and peripheral blood in buffaloes. For this purpose, ovaries were collected from adult buffaloes immediately after slaughter, FF was aspirated and stored at -4°C. Blood samples were also collected from these buffaloes before slaughter, plasma was separated and stored for further analysis. Samples were classified into two groups according to the follicle diameter i.e. small (3-10 mm) and large (11-20 mm). The FF and plasma samples were analyzed for various biochemical constituents, including glucose, cholesterol, total proteins, albumin, globulin, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, triiodothyronine and thyroxine contents, using commercial kits. The results showed that small follicles had significantly lower (P<0.05) glucose contents than large follicles, while blood plasma had significantly higher (P<0.05) glucose contents than fluid from both classes of follicles. The differences in concentrations of cholesterol, total proteins, albumin and globulin between small and large follicles were non-significant. The concentrations of these compounds were higher in the blood than in FF, except albumin, which was higher in FF than in the blood. Contents of electrolytes and trace elements did not vary between the two follicle classes. However, the plasma levels of these electrolytes and trace elements, except potassium and zinc, were significantly higher (p<0.05) than their levels in FF. The level of potassium was significantly higher (P<0.05) in FF than in the plasma, while serum zinc level did not differ from FF. The differences in concentrations of triiodothyronine and thyroxine in fluid from small and large sized follicles were non-significant. Likewise, the levels of these hormones were non-significantly higher in blood plasma than in FF. It was concluded that FF levels of glucose differed between small and large follicle groups, while blood levels of most of constituents were higher than their levels in FF.