Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Initial testing of electrospun nanofibre filters in water filtration applications

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of nanofibre microfiltration membranes, spun by an innovative electrospinning technique, in water filtration applications. As such, this study bridges the gap between developments in electrospinning techniques for the production of flat-sheet membranes and the application of these membranes in water filtration. Three dif ferent applications were examined. Firstly, the use of the membrane (functionalised or non-functionalised) for the removal of pathogens was investigated. Secondly, the electrospun flat-sheet membranes were applied for wastewater treatment in a laboratory-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR). In addition to these applications, physical properties such as clean water permeability (CWP) and strength were also examined. The tests showed that the electrospun membranes can be used for water filtration applications, but that further improvements are necessary before these membranes can be practically employed. In particular, the level of functionality and the properties of irreversible fouling require further research.
Careers in serious leisure: from dabbler to devotee in search of fulfillment

and “Food tourism in Niagara, Ontario, Canada”. While the book would be a useful resource for academic or industry researchers, it would also serve as a useful undergraduate text, with each chapter ending with study questions and a list of online resources. In conclusion, this is an excellent book on a subject of growing academic, public policy, and private sector interest and is a worthy addition to any tourism-related library.
Endometriosis: An Update on Management

Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease that commonly occurs in women of reproductive age and is associated with pain and infertility. This disease can be challenging to manage given its propensity to progress and recur despite treatment. Although medical therapy is beneficial for controlling pain due to endometriosis, medical management has not proven to be effective in treating infertility resulting from endometriosis. Surgery has historically been performed to both improve pain and treat infertility in women with endometriosis. However, the optimal management of endometriosis in asymptomatic women who desire fertility is unclear. Intrauterine insemination with superovulation and IVF are other treatments that have proven to be effective in assisting women with endometriosis to conceive. As the underlying molecular mechanisms of this disease become better understood, promising new therapies for the treatment of endometriosis continue to be investigated.
A Slice-Based Change Impact Analysis for Regression Test Case Prioritization of Object-Oriented Programs

Test case prioritization focuses on finding a suitable order of execution of the test cases in a test suite to meet some performance goals like detecting faults early. It is likely that some test cases execute the program parts that are more prone to errors and will detect more errors if executed early during the testing process. Finding an optimal order of execution for the selected regression test cases saves time and cost of retesting. This paper presents a static approach to prioritizing the test cases by computing the affected component coupling ACC of the affected parts of object-oriented programs. We construct a graph named affected slice graph ASG to represent these affected program parts. We determine the fault-proneness of the nodes of ASG by computing their respective ACC values. We assign higher priority to those test cases that cover the nodes with higher ACC values. Our analysis with mutation faults shows that the test cases executing the fault-prone program parts have a higher chance to reveal faults earlier than other test cases in the test suite. The result obtained from seven case studies justifies that our approach is feasible and gives acceptable performance in comparison to some existing techniques.
The roles of starvation and selective substrates in the emergence of araB‐lacZ fusion clones.

The araB‐lacZ fusion system has been a key case in the ‘directed mutation’ controversy. Fusions did not occur detectably during normal growth but formed readily after prolonged incubation on selective Ara‐Lac medium. To distinguish the roles of starvation stress and selective substrates in coding sequence fusions, we applied sib selection and PCR technologies. Sib selection of the prefusion strain, MCS2, starved under aerobic conditions permitted us to isolate active fusion clones which had never been in contact with arabinose or lactose. Hence, a directive role for selective substrates is not essential. Aerobiosis was necessary for fusions to appear in glucose‐starved cultures. The difference in fusion formation between normal and starved conditions is best explained by the response of a signal transduction network to physiological stimuli to activate Mu prophage joining of araB and lacZ sequences. PCR analysis revealed that direct plating on selective Ara‐Lac agar yielded mostly a single class of ‘standard’ fusions, while sib selection yielded a broader spectrum of fusion structures. Standard fusions were found to occur within a narrow 9 bp window in lacZ. The high frequency of standard fusions in glucose‐starved cultures suggested efficient and/or specific Mu action.
Efficient Active-to-Passive Light Coupling of InGaAsP/InP Laser Using Subwavelength Coupler

We propose a subwavelength coupler for efficient light coupling from an InGaAsP/InP laser to a passive waveguide. The active-to-passive coupling device is designed on the asymmetric twin waveguide (ATG) platform with two InGaAsP layers: one is used as the laser active layer, and the other with a wider band gap is used as the guiding layer of the passive waveguide. By introducing subwavelength trenches in the active InGaAsP layer, the subwavelength coupler is designed to provide a gradual effective index transition region, and it couples the light between the vertically separated active and passive layers. Simulation result shows that coupling efficiency of 86.5% is achieved at a length of only 31 μm.
Robust gridding of TMAs after whole‐slide imaging using template matching

Tissue microarrays (TMAs) represent an important approach for the high‐throughput cellular analysis of large numbers of tissue samples on one single slide in research related to diagnostics and oncology. Whole‐slide imaging now enables full scanning and subsequent image analysis of such TMAs. In contrast to automatically spotted RNA microarrays, TMAs are fabricated manually and mechanically by arranging hundreds of tissue cores in a single paraffin block. This procedure frequently results in quality problems severely hampering the later automatic image analysis of TMAs after whole‐slide imaging. We therefore set out to (a) determine the extent of these quality issues in exemplary TMAs and (b) to develop a robust gridding method to identify the logical position coordinates of each TMA core on a virtual TMA slide. We present the first robust method identifying these coordinates by shifting a template grid over all cores of the TMA (template matching) and thereby measuring in how far the grid matches a predefined list of cores on the virtual TMA Slide. Analysis of 20 TMAs from Breast Cancer as well as 40 Head‐and‐Neck Cancer showed that frequent TMA layout issues comprise low staining, debris, core displacement, nonuniform background, missing cores, and rotated subarrays. On this highly demanding test comprising chromogen as well as fluorescence stained TMAs, our template matching method achieved an excellent position analysis. Of 8900 cores, 8864 (99.59%) were assigned properly. In all 60 slides of the test set, no localization error occurred. The automatic grid analysis of TMAs after whole‐slide imaging is highly demanding and requires dedicated algorithms. We demonstrate such a method and evaluate its performance. © 2010 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Validation and reliability of the Baecke questionnaire for the evaluation of habitual physical activity in adult men

The aim of this study was to verify validity and reliability of the scores for physical exercise in leisure (PEL), leisure and locomotion activities (LLA), and total score (TS) of the Baecke habitual physical activity questionnaire in adult males. Twenty-one students of Physical Education were evaluated. For validation, the maximum oxygen uptake (O2max) and the decrease of the heart rate in percentile (%DHR) were measured through the Cooper's 12-minute walk or run test, and an annual index of physical exercise (IPE), and a week index of locomotion activities (ILA). The reliability was verified through test-retest with interval of 45 days. The Pearson correlation coefficient, and partial correlation adjusted for age and body mass index were used for validation. The intraclass correlation and paired t-test were used for reliability. The results indicated that %DHR was correlated with LLA and TS (r = 0.47 and p = 0.030; r = 0.48 and p = 0.027, respectively). IPE was correlated with PEL and TS (r = 0.56 and p = 0.008; r = 0.46 and p = 0.036, respectively). ILA was correlated with LLA and TS (r = 0.64 and p = 0.002 and r = 0.51 and p = 0.017, respectively). There was no significant difference in PEL, LLA and TS means in test-retest. The intraclass correlations were r = 0.69; r = 0.80 and r = 0.77, respectively for PEL, LLA and TS. In conclusion, the Baecke questionnaire is valid and reliable to measure habitual physical activity in Brazilian adult men.
Association Between Pulmonary Mycobacterium Avium Complex Infection and Lung Cancer

Introduction: Patients with lung cancer are sometimes found to have respiratory cultures growing Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). This study describes the clinical, pathologic, and radiographic characteristics of individuals who harbor concomitant lung cancer and MAC. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with positive respiratory cultures for MAC (370 men, 475 women) and with newly diagnosed lung cancer (792 men, 840 women) from 1995 to 2010. Results: Of the patients with respiratory cultures growing MAC, 8.6% of men and 6.3% of women had lung cancer. Twenty-five percent of patients with lung cancer and 3% with nonbronchiectatic benign lung disease grew MAC from their respiratory cultures. Significantly fewer women with both MAC and lung cancer were smokers than the control group of women with lung cancer and negative MAC cultures (68% versus 89%, p < 0.01). Squamous cell carcinoma occurred in 40% of women in the MAC/lung cancer group versus 28% of women in the lung cancer control group. Peripherally located squamous cell carcinomas were found in 71% of the MAC/lung cancer group versus 40% of the lung cancer control group (p = 0.01) Conclusions: The percentage of smokers among women with both MAC and lung cancer was lower than among the lung cancer control group who did not grow MAC. The presence of MAC in respiratory cultures of lung cancer patients was particularly associated with squamous cell carcinomas located in the periphery of the lung. Because MAC typically affects distal airways, this possible association between MAC infection and lung cancer warrants further study.
Acoustic impedance measurement using plsr based analysis of ultrasonic signals

Mechanical properties of a liquid affect the wave shape of transmitted pulses. This interrelation can be statistically modeled using Multiple Linear Regression. The Partial Least Squares approach presented in this paper derives a model to indirectly measure the acoustic impedance of a liquid by analyzing the shape of transmitted pulses. It is shown that the acoustic impedance is an appropriate quantity to derive process parameters. The applicability of the proposed signal processing is demonstrated on measuring the density of an aqueous glycerin solution as well as on determining the glycerin concentration. The obtained values are compared to measured references. The influence of disturbances and parameter changes is highlighted. The influence of transducer properties is discussed.
ERP systems' capabilities for supply chain performance management

Purpose – The first purpose of this paper is to describe the demands from supply chain performance management (PM) on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The second purpose is to evaluate the corresponding capabilities of common ERP systems.Design/methodology/approach – The first purpose is handled conceptually: by a literature review, a framework for the demand on ERP systems from supply chain PM is developed. The second purpose is handled with an empirical study, based on the framework. Respondents for 12 common ERP systems on the Swedish market are interviewed.Findings – A framework for the demand on ERP systems from supply chain PM is developed containing ten demands: a theoretical contribution. The studied ERP systems are found overall to have good supply chain PM capabilities, where the most supporting systems in this sense are Oracle and iScala.Research limitations/implications – The findings imply that future research on supply chain PM could focus less on ERP systems' capabilities and mor.
Outcome of neonates ventilated in the main intensive care unit at The University Hospital of the West Indies: a 15-year experience

A 15-year retrospective review of neonates ventilated in the main intensive care unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies was conducted. During the study period, 153 neonates were ventilated, of whom 80 (52%) survived. The most common reason for admission was respiratory distress syndrome, which accounted for 67% (102/153) of admissions, 53 (52%) of these infants survived. Improving outcome will require strategies directed at improving neonatal intensive care.
Outcome after fixation of metastatic proximal femoral fractures: A systematic review of 40 studies

Endoprosthetic reconstruction, intramedullary nailing, and open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) are the most commonly practiced surgical strategies for treatment of metastatic proximal femoral fractures. This review describes functional outcome, local, and systemic complications. All three surgical strategies result in reasonable function on average; however, wide ranges indicate that both poor and good functional levels are obtained. We found that the overall reoperation rate was comparable for endoprosthesis and intramedullary nailing, but was higher for ORIF. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:507–519. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Incidental gallbladder cancer during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: managing an unexpected finding.

AIM To evaluate the impact of incidental gallbladder cancer on surgical experience. METHODS Between 1998 and 2008 all cases of cholecystectomy at two divisions of general surgery, one university based and one at a public hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. Gallbladder pathology was diagnosed by history, physical examination, and laboratory and imaging studies [ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT)]. Patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) were further analyzed for demographic data, and type of operation, surgical morbidity and mortality, histopathological classification, and survival. Incidental GBC was compared with suspected or preoperatively diagnosed GBC. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary endpoint was the difference in DFS between patients previously treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy and those who had oncological resection as first intervention. RESULTS Nineteen patients (11 women and eight men) were found to have GBC. The male to female ratio was 1:1.4 and the mean age was 68 years (range: 45-82 years). Preoperative diagnosis was made in 10 cases, and eight were diagnosed postoperatively. One was suspected intraoperatively and confirmed by frozen sections. The ratio between incidental and nonincidental cases was 9/19. The tumor node metastasis stage was: pTis (1), pT1a (2), pT1b (4), pT2 (6), pT3 (4), pT4 (2); five cases with stage Ia (T1 a-b); two with stage Ib (T2 N0); one with stage IIa (T3 N0); six with stage IIb (T1-T3 N1); two with stage III (T4 Nx Nx); and one with stage IV (Tx Nx Mx). Eighty-eight percent of the incidental cases were discovered at an early stage (≤ II). Preoperative diagnosis of the 19 patients with GBC was: GBC with liver invasion diagnosed by preoperative CT (nine cases), gallbladder abscess perforated into hepatic parenchyma and involving the transversal mesocolon and hepatic hilum (one case), porcelain gallbladder (one case), gallbladder adenoma (one case), and chronic cholelithiasis (eight cases). Every case, except one, with a T1b or more advanced invasion underwent IVb + V wedge liver resection and pericholedochic/hepatoduodenal lymphadenectomy. One patient with stage T1b GBC refused further surgery. Cases with Tis and T1a involvement were treated with cholecystectomy alone. One incidental case was diagnosed by intraoperative frozen section and treated with cholecystectomy alone. Six of the nine patients with incidental diagnosis reached 5-year DFS. One patient reached 38 mo survival despite a port-site recurrence 2 years after original surgery. Cases with non incidental diagnosis were more locally advanced and only two patients experienced 5-year DFS. CONCLUSION Laparoscopic cholecystectomy does not affect survival if implemented properly. Reoperation should have two objectives: R0 resection and clearance of the lymph nodes.
Combining Opinion Mining with Collaborative Filtering

An experimental analysis of a combination of Opinion Mining and Collaborative Filtering algorithms is presented. The analysis used the Yelp dataset in order to have both the textual reviews and the star ratings provided by the users. The Opinion Mining algorithm was used to work on the textual reviews, while the Collaborative Filtering worked on the star ratings. The research activity carried out shows that most of the Yelp users provided star ratings corresponding to the related textual review, but in many cases an inconsistence was evident. A set of thresholds and coefficients were applied in order to test a hypothesis about the influence of restaurant popularity on the user ratings. Interesting results have been obtained in terms of Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE).
Nigeria: how British American Tobacco undermines the WHO FCTC through agricultural initiatives: invited commentary

As Nigeria took a giant step in domesticating the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control with the passing of the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB) in March 2011, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN) has come up with new strategies to undermine the treaty. Through a rigorous Corporate Social Responsibility programme, BATN now presents itself as a stakeholder in Nigeria's agriculture sector, targeting rural farm communities that make up 70% of Nigeria's population. As …
Development of reactor physics Monte Carlo model for MIT BEAVRS

Computer simulations play a very important role in the fields of science, engineering and technology. In the field of nuclear engineering, computer simulations help save tremendous amount of time, money and reduce unnecessary exposure to radiations. Development of new tools and methodologies need to be verified against trusted benchmarks. Benchmarks not only validate the tools but help users gain confidence of using those tools to obtain accurate results. In this study, Benchmark for Evaluation And Validation of Reactor Simulations (BEAVRS) set up by Computational Reactor Physics Group (CRPG) of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is modelled using open source Monte Carlo based code OpenMC. Monte Carlo based reactor physics code offer the benefit of exact 3D geometry along with continuous energy treatment as compared to homogenized geometry and multi-group treatment used in deterministic transport theory and diffusion theory based codes. Integral reactor physics parameters are calculated and compared with the reported benchmark values. This academic exercise will help gain expertise and confidence in the use of OpenMC code and also help to analyse/forecast the computational resources for such calculations.
Activation of PI 3 K Signaling in Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Purpose: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine tumor, often metastatic at presentation, for which current chemotherapeutic regimens are largely ineffective. As its pathogenesis is still unknown, we hypothesized that deregulation of signaling pathways commonly activated in cancer may contribute to MCC tumorigenesis and may provide insights into targeted therapy approaches for this malignancy. Experimental Design: We retrospectively profiled 60 primary MCC samples using a SNaPshot-based tumor genotyping assay to screen for common mutations in 13 cancer genes. Results:We identifiedmutations in9 (15%)MCCprimary tumors, includingmutations inTP53 (3of 60) and activating mutations in the PIK3CA gene (6 of 60). Sanger sequencing of the primary MCC tumors detected one additional PIK3CAmutation (R19K) that had not been previously described in cancer. Merkel cell polyoma virus (MCPyV)was detected in 38 (66%)MCCcases andpatientswithMCPyV-positive cancers showed a trend toward better survival.With one exception, the presence ofMCPyV and activatingmutations in PIK3CA appeared mutually exclusive. We observed that signaling through the PI3K/pAKT pathway was active in one MCPyV-positive and in all MCPyV-negative MCC cell lines, as evidenced by AKT phosphorylation. Importantly, the presence of a PIK3CA-activating mutation was associated with sensitivity to treatment with ZST474, a specific phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, and to NVP-BEZ235, a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, targeted agents under active clinical development. Conclusions: PI3K pathway activation may drive tumorigenesis in a subset of MCC and screening these tumors for PIK3CA mutations could help identify patients who may respond to treatment with PI3K pathway inhibitors. Clin Cancer Res; 18(5); 1227–36. 2012 AACR.