Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term outcome of treatment of anemia in MDS with erythropoietin and G-CSF. Commentary

We report long-term results of treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with erythropoietin and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). A total of 129 patients were followed up 45 months after last inclusion in the Nordic MDS Group studies. Erythroid response rate was 39% and median response duration 23 months (range, 3-116 months or more). Complete responders showed longer response duration than partial responders (29 versus 12 months, P = .006). The International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) groups Low/lntermediate-1 (Low/Int-1) had longer response duration than Int-2/High (25 versus 7 months, P = .002). The time until 25% developed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was longer in the good and intermediate predictive groups for erythroid response compared with the poor predictive group (52 versus 13 months, P = .008). Only 1 of 20 long-term responders developed AML. We assessed the effect on long-term outcome by comparing treated patients with untreated patients selected from the IPSS database using multivariate Cox regression, adjusting for major prognostic variables. There was no difference in survival (odds ratio [OR], 0.9; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 0.7-1.2; P = .55) or risk of AML evolution (OR, 1.3; 95% Cl, 0.7-2.2; P .40) between treated and untreated patients. Patients with high/intermediate probability of response and with IPSS Low/Int-1 show frequent and durable responses without adverse effects on outcome, while other patients should not be considered candidates for this treatment.
Design of rapid monitoring system of geological disaster based on LoRa

According to the characteristics of the geological environment and disasters, this paper uses microelectronics, wireless communication, thin-film solar power supply and other technologies, combined with lightweight process design, a new scheme for rapid geological disaster monitoring system based on LoRa is proposed. The system is based on embedded microprocessor of STM32F103 and SX1278 module of LoRa, which uses self-organizing network design of star-type and constructs a monitoring system with long communication distance and stable and reliable data transmission. The system can realize real-time data collection of multiple monitoring parameters of the disaster body and transmit the monitoring data to the data center or dedicated data receiving terminal through LoRa/GPRS/BeiDou satellite, which can provide data support for expert analysis and decision-making. The system has the features of low power consumption, long transmission distance, ad hoc network, stable and reliable communication, which has wide application prospect in the field of geological disaster monitoring.
Host gazes from an Islamic island: challenging homogeneous resident perception orthodoxies

Abstract Resident perception research orthodoxies have dominated academic literature for the past two decades. Homogenised host gaze outcomes have been crafted from decades of surveys that largely overlook the perspectives of non-Western less-developed host communities, including residents of remote island locations. Indeed, despite the popularity of islands as destinations, little is known about residents’ interpretations of tourism prior to the potential influx of tourists. Our study focuses on the meanings of tourism and variations of the host gaze that emerge from interviews with individual residents in a devout Islamic island community. The island of Madura, located off the coast of Java in Indonesia, has only recently been established and promoted as a tourist destination. A critical symbolic interactionist approach provides a method for exploring diverse meanings associated with tourism as they emerge in a particular social context, providing nuanced insights into meaning making that perception based analyses are unlikely to reveal. The findings of the qualitative analysis coalesce around five discursive themes: advancing enterprise, economic mobility, pilgrimage, moral decline, and commodification. Each of these discourses are dynamic and embed both positive and negative sentiments that challenge the notion of a homogenous host gaze. Rather, these discourses reflect the multiple gazes that emerge in the religio-cultural milieu that comprises Madura Island.
Lab-on-a-Chip - Oral Cancer Diagnosis at Your Door Step

Oral cancer is one of the most common deadliest cancers leading to disfigurement. Despite recent advancement in the treatment modalities, it has less improvement in the prognosis. Early detection plays vital role survival rate of the patients. There is no accurate, cost-effective and reliable method for screening of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. Hence, many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. Early detection would, therefore, help to identify patients and modify treatment with close monitoring. There is a need for mass screening with a rapid and reliable oral cancer diagnostic test that can be widely used in a clinical setting. Recent diagnostic techniques for OSCC require modern laboratory facilities, sophisticated equipment with elaborative and lengthy processing techniques by skilled personnel. Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) or micro-total-analysis systems, one of the microfluidics technology that is defined as adaptation, miniaturization, integration, and automation of analytical laboratory procedures into a single device or “chip. ” This technology assures the replacement of complicated techniques with miniaturized, integrated, programmed and economical diagnostic devices. The detection of oral dysplastic and cancer cells utilizing chip is based on membrane-associated cell proteins. There is unique gene transcription profiles singularly expressed on the cell membranes for its detection. Hence, this system provides a means for rapid, automated, molecular analysis of cancer cells. This review articles emphasis on LOC technology for identification of biomarkers of oral cancer. Key Words: Diagnostic aids, lab on a chip, microfluidics, oral cancer, pre-malignant lesion
X-ray and solution structures of human beta-2 glycoprotein I reveal a new mechanism of autoantibody recognition

Venous and arterial thromboses in patients suffering from the autoimmune disorder Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) are caused by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Emerging evidence indicates that autoantibodies targeting the epitope R39-R43 in the N-terminal domain, Domain I (DI), of β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) are among the most pathogenic aPL in patients with APS. How such autoantibodies engage β2GPI at the molecular level remains incompletely understood. Here, we have used X-ray crystallography, single-molecule FRET, and small-angle X-ray scattering to demonstrate that, in the free form, under physiological pH and salt concentrations, human recombinant β2GPI adopts an elongated, flexible conformation in which DI is exposed to the solvent, thus available for autoantibody recognition. Consistent with this structural model, binding and mutagenesis studies revealed that the elongated form interacts with a pathogenic anti-DI antibody in solution, without the need of phospholipids. Furthermore, complex formation was affected neither by the neighboring domains, nor by the presence of the linkers, nor by the glycosylations. Since the pathogenic autoantibody requires residues R39 and R43 for optimal binding, these findings challenge longstanding postulates in the field envisioning β2GPI adopting immunologic inert conformations featuring inaccessibility of the epitope R39-R43 in DI and support an alternative model whereby the preferential binding of anti-DI antibodies towards phospholipid-bound β2GPI arises from the ability of the pre-existing elongated form to bind to the membranes and then oligomerize, processes that are likely to be supported by protein conformational changes. Interfering with these steps may limit the pathogenic effects of anti-DI antibodies in APS patients. Significance In the autoimmune disorder called Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), the presence of autoantibodies targeting the plasma glycoprotein beta-2 glycoprotein I (β2GPI) is associated with arterial and venous thrombosis as well as pregnancy complications. Understanding how β2GPI becomes immunogenic and how autoantibodies in complex with β2GPI cause the blood to clot remains a top priority in the field. By elucidating the structural architecture of β2GPI free in solution, our studies challenge longstanding postulates in the field and shed new light on the pathogenic mechanisms of APS that may help the development of new diagnostics and therapeutic approaches.
Improved Robust Performance Design for Passive Uncertain Systems—Active Use of the Uncertainty Phase and Gain

In the robust performance design, the celebrated $\mu$-synthesis provides a reputed tool for systems with norm-bounded uncertainty. However, such small-gain methods inevitably limit the achievable robust performance when the dynamic uncertainty is not characterized by its gain bound. To achieve a high robust performance for systems with positive real (PR) uncertainty, an output strict passivity (OSP) approach is proposed recently which makes use of the positive realness and the maximum gain information of the uncertainty. Aiming at an even higher robust performance, this article proposes a novel model for PR uncertainties which captures the frequency-dependent gain bound, and establishes the corresponding design theory to actively utilize both gain and phase bounds of the uncertainty in the robust performance design. A case study reveals that the new uncertainty model alone yields a substantial improvement over the OSP method in performance even under the same design setup. Moreover, the best tuned controller outperforms the OSP controller.
Relationships between structure and microwave dielectric properties in cotton fabrics

The microwave dielectric properties of cotton fabrics in the fabric thickness direction are investigated in relation to the fabric construction, thread count and solid volume fraction (SVF) under the five different relative humidity (RH) conditions. The dielectric constants of the fabric samples exhibits increasing trends with RH, and this is primarily due to more abundant free water in the samples. For most of woven and knitted samples, an increase in thread count results in a higher dielectric constant and this is associated with the increase in SVF. By comparing the woven and knitted samples of the same SVFs, it is found that the woven fabrics tend to have higher dielectric constants than the knitted samples at near 2.45 GHz. This observation of the dielectric properties of cotton fabrics clearly indicates that although the SVF is primarily responsible for the resulting dielectric properties of fabrics, other structural parameters must also be considered in dielectric analysis. Based on in-situ analysis of yarn orientations in the given samples, we claim that the yarn orientation plays an important role in the microwave dielectric properties of cotton fabrics.
Efeitos do método isostretching na função respiratória e postura de respiradores bucal

Introduction: Mouth breathing interferes with tonicity, posture, mobility and sensitivity of phonoarticulatory organs, which may generate vicious oral habits. Objective: Assessing the posture and the breathing capacity of mouth breathers submitted to the isostretching technique. Methods: A prospective, quasi-experimental study in which the posture of 17 children was assessed by photogrammetry and the respiratory parameters were evaluated by cirtometry; manovacuometry and peak flow. The children were evaluated before the first session and successively after 12 sessions of isostretching technique. Results: There was a change in the sternoclavicular angles (Initial: 3.57±1.54, Final 2.08±0.93; p=0.003), anterosuperior (Initial: 3.31±2.51, Final: 2.00±1.26; p= 0.001) and posterosuperior (Initial: 2.99±2.22, Final 1.62±1.92, p= 0.009) iliac spine, maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) (Initial: 79.29±16.11; Final 91.17±17.80; p= 0.001) and in the Peak Flow (Initial: 279.41±72.92, Final 310.91±66.65; p= 0.01). Conclusion: Treatment with isostretching was effective to improve the respiratory capacity and to change the postural angles.
Influence of Nitrogen Content on Persistent Photoconductivity in Zinc Oxynitride Thin Film Transistors

In this work, the influence of anion composition on the photoresponse characteristics of zinc oxynitride thin film transistors is investigated and compared directly to conventional In-Ga-Zn-O TFTs. Increasing the ratio of N to (N+O) led to higher field effect mobility and improved subthreshold swing. The subgap density of states extracted by monochromatic photonic capacitance-voltage measurement indicated that the nitrogen-related defect states, such as nitrogen vacancies, increased with increasing nitrogen gas flow rate. Furthermore, the photoconductivity mechanism of ZnON TFTs is discussed in detail.
Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Intake of Common Fishes Available in the Brahmaputra River of Bangladesh

Fifteen (15) fish species were collected from three (3) locations of the Brahmaputra River to determine heavy metals content in fish flesh, and to assess potential human health risk through consumption of those fishes. The contents of heavy metals in aqueous extract of different fish species were determined by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) at the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, during the period from March to June, 2018. The concentrations of Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr in different fish species ranged from 41.70376. 62, 38.98-279.08, 3.19-47.91, 2.20-3.73, 0.19-1.20 and 0.59-2.40 mg kg -1 , respectively. The study results revealed that the edible portion of fish species of the river contained reasonably higher amount of Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr and Cu compared to some other previous studies carried out elsewhere with freshwater fishes. Among the fish species, mola (Amblypharyngodon mola) showed the highest metal pollution index (20.12) followed by chela (Salmophasia bacaila) (17.72), chanda (Chanda nama) (16.78) and chingri (Macrobrachium sp.) (15.83), while baim (Macrognathus Original Research Article Zakir et al.; ACRI, 19(2): 1-15, 2019; Article no.ACRI. 52690 2 aculeatus) exhibited the lowest (6.79). The calculated daily metal intake for Pb, Mn and Cd for both male and female were higher than that of upper tolerable intake level, which indicates consumption of common fishes of this river, is not safe. Similarly, target hazard quotient (THQ) values for Mn surpassed 5.0 for both male and female, and the same value for Pb also surpassed 5.0 for female indicate that the exposed population are unsafe. The study results also revealed that all individual THQ values of other metals for both male and female surpassed 1, which means exposed population are in level of concern interval. In Bangladesh freshwater river fishes are more popular than farm fishes. However, the study results recommend to aware people about heavy metal contents before consuming fish species of a polluted river system.
Prevalence of atlE, ica, mecA, and mupA Genes in Staphylococcus epidermidis Isolates

Background Coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CoNS) bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus epidermidis, are one of the major causes of nosocomial infections. This study evaluated the prevalence of atlE, ica, mecA, and mupA genes in S. epidermidis isolates. Methods Two hundred thirty samples were collected from 2 hospitals (Ali Asghar and Hazrat Rasoul) in Tehran, Iran. One hundred twenty-three (53%) of isolates were identified as S. epidermidis. These isolates were tested for prevalence of atlE, ica, mecA, and mupA genes by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Results The prevalence of atlE, ica, mecA, and mupA were 94%, 78%, 76%, and 30% for clinical, 90%, 28%, 51%, and 13% for flora, and 94%, 29%, 51%, and 3% for environmental isolates, respectively. Conclusions Multiplex polymerase chain reaction revealed that occurrence of atlE, ica, mecA, and mupA in our isolates was relatively high. The growing problem of staphylococci especially S. epidermidis in Iran requires further cautious surveillance.
5GENESIS Deliverable

Contributors SRL ( Simula Metropolitan Center For Digital Engineering), KAU (Karlstads Universitet), NCSRD ( National Center For Scientific Research “DEMOKRITOS”), LMI (L.M. Ericsson Limited), FON (FON Technology SL), ATOS (Atos Spain SA), UMA (Universidad De Malaga), HU (Humboldt University), INF (INFOLYSiS P.C.), FhG ( Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E.V.), SHC (Space Hellas (Cyprus) Ltd), INT (Intel)
Differentiating Text-Based and Knowledge-Based Validation Processes during Reading: Evidence from Eye Movements

ABSTRACT To build a coherent accurate mental representation of a text, readers routinely validate information they read against the preceding text and their background knowledge. It is clear that both sources affect processing, but when and how they exert their influence remains unclear. To examine the time course and cognitive architecture of text-based and knowledge-based validation processes, we used eye-tracking methodology. Participants read versions of texts that varied systematically in (in)coherence with prior text or background knowledge. Contradictions with respect to prior text and background knowledge both were found to disrupt reading but in different ways: The two types of contradiction led to distinct patterns of processes, and, importantly, these differences were evident already in early processing stages. Moreover, knowledge-based incoherence triggered more pervasive and longer (repair) processes than did text-based incoherence. Finally, processing of text-based and knowledge-based incoherence was not influenced by readers’ working memory capacity.
Potential Natural Aromatase Blockers on Enhance the Frequency and Sound Quality of Male Canaries

The quality sound of singing birds strongly depends on testosterone. Unfortunately, most of the testosterone will be converted to estradiol by the aromatase enzyme. The study aimed to examine the potential of natural aromatase blockers for increasing the frequency and quality of canary chirps. Five adult male canaries, with bodyweight 25-30 g were used in the study. After being adapted for a week, birds were fed a mixture of aromatase blockers and canary seed for 20 days at a dose of 0.3 mg /30 g body weight. Quantities of a song using Hagemon touch methods were calculated by frequency of chirping for 10 minutes, whereas the quality of the song was counted by the periods of once chirping for 10 minutes. Recording begins when the bird is given standard feeding and repeated after treatment for 20 days. The results showed that the frequency of chirping before given a mixture of ingredients was 15.3 /10 min, after being treated with aromatase blockers the frequency increased up to 78.9 /10 min. The length of the tweet before treatment was <1s while after treatment up to 17s. It can be concluded that aromatase blockers can increase the frequency and quality of male Canary's song.
Frugal MOOCs: An Adaptable Contextualized Approach to MOOC Designs for Refugees

There is a growing body of literature that recognizes the role Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can play in improving access to education globally, and particularly to thousands of people in developing and developed countries. There is increasing concern, however, that the millions of displaced refugee learners throughout Europe, the Middle East, and other regions are still disadvantaged when it comes to engaging in learning through MOOCs. The reasons for this disadvantage range from a lack of appropriate infrastructure or other supporting structures, to a lack of contextualized content. So far, little attention has been paid to contextualized MOOC models, which may both impact policies and be adapted to the specific needs of these learners who often do not have the means to access many education opportunities. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a frugally-engineered MOOC model that addresses the barriers of access and participation for refugees. This paper engages in an exploratory research methodology, using findings from the literature and expert opinions gathered through interviews. These findings lead to the development of what the authors call a Frugal MOOC Model which can be contextualized to meet the needs of refugee learners. The paper goes on to highlight the development of the Frugal MOOC Model as the first phase of an ongoing study. It concludes with recommendations for the next phase of the study: how to implement the newly developed model.
Speaking difficulties of Philippine indigenous learners in English Semantics

This study aimed to investigate Philippine indigenous learners’ speaking difficulties in English Semantics. The objectives was to identify indicators of poor vocabulary, processing and expressing of information. It was a qualitative research through case studies of five Grade 2 Indigenous Peoples (IP) learners in Echague, Isabela, Philippines. Data collection was done through observation and oral assessments activities. Instruments include checklist of speaking difficulties signified by inadequacy in English vocabulary; and constructed oral assessment activities in English. Data gathered were qualitatively analysed. Findings revealed that all the five indigenous learner-participants demonstrated English vocabulary deficiency to name depicted objects in the surroundings. They had struggles in reciting week-days, months and in citing common Philippine events. They had difficulty in conveying illustrated antonyms and synonyms. These findings denote a language intervention to improve essential skills in English semantics. This study can be an alternative to investigate problems in other language literacy domains.