Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical events occurrence and the changes of quality of life in chronic haemodialysis patients with dry weight determined by echocardiographic method

The maintenance of circulating blood volume within an optimal range is necessary for haemodialysis patients to avoid circulating complications, including over‐hydration and dehydration. Inferior vena cava diameter (IVCD) estimation is a non‐invasive method to obtain a well correlation with the intravascular fluid status, and it may get a reliable ideal dry weight (DW) for chronic haemodialysis patients. We try to analysis the life quality changes and circulating complication in chronic haemodialysis patients who adjust DW with this tool in comparing with the traditional method. A total of 100 chronic haemodialysis patients, ranging from 26 to 77 years old, were involved in this study. They are randomly divided into study (n = 50) and control group (n = 50). All of them received the IVCD estimation by echocardiography every month for 3 months. The patients in the study group adjusted the DW with the IVCD estimated by echocardiographic method, however, patients in the control group with the traditional method. The quality of life (QOL) was evaluated with the short form 36 questionnaire (SF‐36) in the beginning and the end of the study. The scores of physical functioning (PF), role limitation‐physical (RP), general health (GH) and role limitation‐emotional (RE) have much improvement in the patients of the study group than those in the control group. Besides, the occurrence of clinical events due to circulating complications during the study period showed significant reduction in the extents of hypotension, gastrointestinal upset, discontinuation of haemodialysis, muscular cramps, tinnitus, headache and chest discomforts with electrocardiographic changes; and these effects, especially, are significant in the patients with over‐dehydrated status, which with the IVCD < 8 mm/m2 detected by echocardiographic method. The study demonstrated that ideal DW estimated by echocardiographic method not only improved the QOL but also reduced the circulating complications during haemodialysis for chronic haemodialysis patients.
HAND DRAWN SKETCH CLASSIFICATION USING CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS

Sketch-based object recognition and classification has become an important research topic in vision applications. In the recent years, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), have emerged as a powerful framework for feature representation and recognition for variety of applications in image analysis. But there exists few works that utilized CNNs in sketch classification domain. In this paper, a few deep CNNs are trained to improve the accuracy of sketch image classification in comparison with current state of the art. The size of inputs in the architectures of CNNs that currently have used for sketch recognition, has considered to be greater than 200×200 pixels which has limited the accuracy of classification. In this paper, tiny images are used as inputs, thus the architecture of CNNs are simplified and can be trained in a reasonable time, in CPU mode. These simplified CNN architectures are used to recognize sketch categories of TU-Berlin sketch dataset. The results show that the proposed method can outperforms state of the art performance of sketch recognition in addition to increasing the speed of training.
Recommendation of move method refactorings using coupling, cohesion and contextual similarity

Method placement is one of the most important design activities in any object oriented application. Recommendation of move method refactorings plays a significant role through grouping similar behavior of methods. It is also used as a refactoring technique of feature envy code smell by placing methods into correct classes from the incorrect ones. Due to this code smell, an application will be tightly coupled and loosely cohesive which reflect poor design and hence development and maintenance effort, time and cost will be increased. Existing techniques mostly used only non-static methods for refactoring the code smell and so these approaches are not generalized for all types of methods (static and non-static). This paper proposes a novel approach for recommending move method refactorings to remove the code smell for both types of methods based on coupling, cohesion and context. The results of a preliminary empirical evaluation indicate that the proposed approach provides better results than JDeodorant (a popular eclipse plugin for refactorings).
Decline of surface MHC I by adenoviral gene transfer of anti‐MHC I intrabodies in human endothelial cells—new perspectives for the generation of universal donor cells for tissue transplantation

The seeding of small‐calibre vascular polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts with endothelial cells provides an increase in biocompatibility of the graft surface. The harvest and ex vivo culture of autologous endothelial cells is highly delicate. Allogeneic human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) could be a potential cell source—however, rejection might occur due to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I mismatches. Lowering cell surface MHC I expression on endothelial cells by gene transfer of an anti‐MHC I intrabody might reduce graft failure. The intrabody consists of a single‐chain variable fragment (sFv) of an anti‐MHC I antibody, carrying a terminal KDEL sequence to retain the molecule together with the MHC I inside the endoplasmic reticulum.
Time course of the diameter of the major cerebral arteries after subarachnoid hemorrhage using corrosion cast technique

Abstract In this report, we examined whether corrosion cast method is also applicable for the measurement and estimation of the rat major arteries in which subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is produced. Additionally, we have examined the diameters of the rat major arteries following SAH. A total of 0.3 ml autologous blood was injected into the cisterna magna of male Sprague-Dawley rats for the SAH model. A perfusion of a semi-polymerized casting medium was performed, 10 min, 30 min, 1 h, 4 h, 8 h, 1 day, 2 days, 3 days, 5 days, and 7 days after SAH. The brains were corroded in a 10% NaOH solution. The BA and the other major arteries were then measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Macroscopic observation and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining were also performed. Using the corrosion cast method, the biphasic contractile response was observed in the BA; 8.3% and 11.6% contractions were observed 30 min and 1 day after SAH, respectively. In addition, there was almost no smooth muscle or adventitial thickening in the chronic stage. In contrast, the dilative response was observed in the internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery 10 min after SAH. Macroscopic findings and HE staining revealed that the extensive basal subarachnoid hematoma had almost disappeared by day 2. These results indicate that in this model, the minimal spasm, which occurs one day after SAH, can be explained by the small capacity of the rat subarachnoid space and the rapid cerebrospinal fluid washout around major vessels at the cerebral base. Moreover, the present data also show the compensatory dilatation in the ICA and MCA in the early stage after SAH.
High-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem-cell rescue for multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND High-dose therapy with supporting autologous stem-cell transplantation remains a controversial treatment for cancer. In multiple myeloma, first-line regimens incorporating high-dose therapy yield higher remission rates than do conventional-dose treatments, but evidence that this translates into improved survival is limited. METHODS In this multicenter study, the Medical Research Council Myeloma VII Trial, we randomly assigned 407 patients with previously untreated multiple myeloma who were younger than 65 years of age to receive either standard conventional-dose combination chemotherapy or high-dose therapy and an autologous stem-cell transplant. RESULTS Among the 401 patients who could be evaluated, the rates of complete response were higher in the intensive-therapy group than in the standard-therapy group (44 percent vs. 8 percent, P<0.001). The rates of partial response were similar (42 percent and 40 percent, respectively; P=0.72), and the rates of minimal response were lower in the intensive-therapy group than in the standard-therapy group (3 percent vs. 18 percent, P<0.001). Intention-to-treat analysis showed a higher rate of overall survival (P=0.04 by the log-rank test) and progression-free survival (P<0.001) in the intensive-therapy group than in the standard-therapy group. As compared with standard therapy, intensive treatment increased median survival by almost 1 year (54.1 months [95 percent confidence interval, 44.9 to 65.2] vs. 42.3 months [95 percent confidence interval, 33.1 to 51.6]). There was a trend toward a greater survival benefit in the group of patients with a poor prognosis, as defined by a high beta2-microglobulin level (more than 8 mg per liter). CONCLUSIONS High-dose therapy with autologous stem-cell rescue is an effective first-line treatment for patients with multiple myeloma who are younger than 65 years of age.
The use of affinity chromatography on 2'5' ADP-sepharose reveals a requirement for NADPH, thioredoxin and thioredoxin reductase for the maintenance of high protein synthesis activity in rabbit reticulocyte lysates.

Rabbit reticulocyte lysates were passed through 2′5′ ADP-Sepharose columns under conditions in which the gelfiltration effect was negligible and low-molecular-weight compounds were retained in the flow-through lysate. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and glutathione reductase were quantitatively adsorbed by the column and removed from the lysate, but isocitrate dehydrogenase and thioredoxin reductase were retained in the flow-through lysate. The initial rate of protein synthesis in lysates treated in this way was normal, but synthesis stopped after about 20 min of incubation. This shut-off could be prevented by the addition of dithiothreitol or by providing a means of NADPH generation, which could be achieved either by adding isocitrate or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Further experiments used lysates which were first gel-filtered to remove low-molecular-weight metabolites and then passed through 2′5′ ADP-Sepharose columns. Under these conditions thioredoxin reductase was efficiently adsorbed by the affinity column, in addition to the three enzymes already listed. The maintenance of full protein synthesis activity in these lysates required the addition of both a sugar phosphate and a reducing agent. The sugar phosphate requirement could be satisfied by glucose 6-phosphate, or 2-deoxyglucose 6-phosphate, or fructose 1,6-biphosphate, but not by 6-phosphogluconic acid. The requirement for reducing agent could be met by the addition of dithiothreitol, or by an NADPH-generating system together with rabbit thioredoxin reductase. Purified thioredoxin reductase from Escherichia coli was also effective provided E. coli thioredoxin was also added, but the addition of glutathione with glutathione reductase did not activate protein synthesis. It is concluded that there is a dual requirement for the maintenance of high rates of protein synthesis in reticulocyte lysates: certain sugar phosphates must be present, in addition to an NADPH-generating system and a functional thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase system.
Printing of high concentration nanocomposites (MWNTs/PDMS) using 3D-printed shadow masks

This paper presents an attractive and feasible approach for developing large area flexible pressure sensors by using high concentration nanocomposites of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) mixed in poly (dimethyl-siloxane) (PDMS). A shadow mask is prepared by using 3D printer and employed for the patterned deposition of nanocomposites on 25 μm thick flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. Sensors are developed in the form of 4 modules in single step, each containing arrays of 4×4 interconnected sensors. A parallel plate capacitive structure is followed, whereby, MWNTs/PDMS nanocomposites layers are packed in two printed silver plates of 1×1 mm2 area each. An encapsulation layer of another pet substrate is adhered on top of these printed sensors, containing top electrodes and force concentrated structures on each side respectively. Three different (by wt. %) nanocomposite solutions are prepared which are finally printed by using a shadow mask developed by 3D printer. An investigative study has been carried out in this research in which an easy and cost-effective technique for patterned deposition of nonhomogeneous nanocomposites with high percolation ratios is developed. Here the change in resistance values upon application of normal compressive forces is investigated to monitor the applied stress. The modular expansion of this type of sensor could be advanced for possible application as a tactile sensor in an electronic skin for robots and general purpose applications.
Page segmentation based on thinning of background

This paper presents a new method of page segmentation based on the analysis of background (white areas). The proposed method is capable of segmenting pages with non-rectangular layout as well as with various angles of skew. The characteristics of the method are as follows: (1) thinning of the background enables us to represent white areas of any shape as connected thin lines or chains and the robustness for tilted page images is also achieved by the representation; and (2) based on this representation, the task of page segmentation is defined as to find the loops enclosing printed areas. The task is achieved by eliminating unnecessary chains using not only a feature of white areas, but also a feature of black areas divided by a chain. Based on the experimental results and the comparison with previous methods, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the proposed method.
Responsibility for ancillary care in clinical trials: Research patrimony and unintended coercion are hazards

EDITOR—I agree with many of the assessments and suggestions made by Belsky and Richardson on medical researchers' responsibilities for ancillary care,1 but important issues remain to be considered. The need to explore ancillary care is just as important in developed countries as it is in developing countries. British study participants, for example, …
Developing an Adaptive Risk-Based Access Control Model for the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is creating a revolution in the number of connected devices. Cisco reported that there were 25 billion IoT devices in 2015 and modest estimation that this number will almost double by 2020. Society has become dependent on these billions of devices, devices that are connected and communicating with each other all the time with information constantly share between users, services, and internet providers. The emergent IoT devices as a technology are creating a huge security rift between users and usability, sacrificing usability for security created a number of major issues. First, IoT devices are classified under Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) that blows any organization security boundary and make them a target for espionage or tracking. Second, the size of the data generated from IoT makes big data problems pale in comparison not to mention IoT devices need a real-time response. Third, is incorporating secure access and control for IoT devices ranging from edge nodes devices to application level (business intelligence reporting tools) is a challenge because it has to account for several hardware and application levels. Establishing a secure access control model between different IoT devices and services is a major milestone for the IoT. This is important because data leakage and unauthorized access to data have a high impact on our IoT devices. However, traditional access control models with the static and rigid infrastructure cannot provide the required security for the IoT infrastructure. Therefore, this paper proposes a risk-based access control model for IoT technology that takes into account real-time data information request for IoT devices and gives dynamic feedback. The proposed model uses IoT environment features to estimate the security risk associated with each access request using user context, resource sensitivity, action severity and risk history as inputs for security risk estimation algorithm that is responsible for access decision. Then the proposed model uses smart contracts to provide adaptive features in which the user behaviour is monitored to detect any abnormal actions from authorized users.
Fully integrated power conversion and the enablers

This paper presents the needs and enablers for an emerging trend in power electronics: fully integrated power conversion. Prime emphasis is placed on discussing the key enablers for this power supply miniaturization trend, comprising high switching frequency, advanced process and packaging, system co-design and circuit innovation. Industry product and research design examples are used to assist the discussion. A comparison among different regulator types, including linear regulator, switched-inductor, switched-capacitor, and hybrid regulators serves as a guideline for choosing a regulator type to meet a certain set of requirements in the context of fully integrated implementation.
Embryonic cardiomyocyte hypoplasia and craniofacial defects in Gαq. Gα11‐mutant mice

Heterotrimeric G proteins of the Gq class have been implicated in signaling pathways regulating cardiac growth under physiological and pathological conditions. Knockout mice carrying inactivating mutations in both of the widely expressed Gαq class genes, Gαq and Gα11, demonstrate that at least two active alleles of these genes are required for extrauterine life. Mice carrying only one intact allele [Gαq(−/+);Gα11(−/−) or Gαq(−/−);Gα11(−/+)] died shortly after birth. These mutants showed a high incidence of cardiac malformation. In addition, Gαq(−/−);Gα11(−/+) newborns suffered from craniofacial defects. Mice lacking both Gαq and Gα11 [Gαq(−/−);Gα11(−/−)] died at embryonic day 11 due to cardiomyocyte hypoplasia. These data demonstrate overlap in Gαq and Gα11 gene functions and indicate that the Gq class of G proteins plays a crucial role in cardiac growth and development.
Characterizing In-Text Citations Using N-Gram Distributions

Introduction This article focuses on a Natural Language Processing (NLP) approach for the analysis of citation functions in scientific papers. Bibliometric studies traditionally rely on citation metadata and count the number of times a publication has been cited. However, some recent studies rely also on full text processing on papers, e.g. (Boyack et al., 2013), (Bertin et al., 2013, 2014). The full text content of papers and more specifically the sentences containing citations provide valuable information on the functions of citations that can be exploited through NLP. To study citation acts, we need to consider full text papers and their rhetorical structure. The main question that we want to answer here is whether the most frequent citation patterns are correlated to the rhetorical structure of scientific papers. We investigate the properties of the linguistic patterns that appear in citation contexts. For this, we study the distribution of n-gram classes containing verb forms, and we show the existence of three different types of distributions according to the rhetorical structure.
Towards the Making of Education Policy in Kenya: Conclusions and Implications.

This paper uses the SACMEQ II data to carry out an analysis of classroom context factors that accounted for student scores in reading and mathematics as well as a review of methods used to derive policies in Kenya in order to emphasise the need for evidence-based research for the derivation of policies for the leadership and management of primary education in Kenya. The paper goes further to explain the advantages of the approach as well as some of the impediments. Some suggestions of measures needed to foster the approach are provided. It emphasises that this approach is a necessary ingredient for effectiveness and efficiency in education. Evidence-based research, policy-making, management of education, school effectiveness, Kenya
General type-2 fuzzy neural network with hybrid learning for function approximation

A novel Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) type fuzzy neural network which uses general type-2 fuzzy sets in a type-2 fuzzy logic system, called general type-2 fuzzy neural network (GT2FNN), is proposed for function approximation. The problems of constructing a GT2FNN include type reduction, structure identification, and parameter identification. An efficient strategy is proposed by using α-cuts to decompose a general type-2 fuzzy set into several interval type-2 fuzzy sets to solve the type reduction problem. Incremental similarity-based fuzzy clustering and linear least squares regression are combined to solve the structure identification problem. Regarding the parameter identification, a hybrid learning algorithm (HLA) which combines particle swarm optimization (PSO) and recursive least squares (RLS) estimator is proposed for refining the antecedent and consequent parameters, respectively, of fuzzy rules. Simulation results show that the resulting networks obtained are robust against outliers.
Topical Cyclosporine in the Management of Shield Ulcers

Purpose To report our experience with 0.05%–2% topical cyclosporine in the treatment of 4 cases of severe, corticosteroid-resistant, vernal keratoconjunctivitis with shield ulcers. Methods Four patients with shield ulcers not responding to medical treatment with topical steroids, antihistamines, and mast-cell stabilizers were treated with 0.05%–2% topical cyclosporine. The frequency of application was 4 times daily in all cases, and the concentration was adjusted according to the clinical status starting with 2%. Results Healing of ulcers with no epithelial defect occurred in 10 days with the 2% concentration in all cases. The patients experienced no side effects except for a burning sensation during administration. Recurrences occurred when the concentration was decreased to 0.05% in 3 cases. The recurrences were effectively treated with 1% concentration in all cases, and patients were stable with this concentration for at least 6 months. Conclusions Topical cyclosporine is an effective treatment alternative in the management of shield ulcers in patients with vernal keratoconjunctivitis. The 1% concentration seems to be the minimal effective concentration in such cases in our experience, but further controlled studies are needed to support our findings.
A comparison of the ethanol sensing properties of α-iron oxide nanostructures prepared via the sol–gel and electrospinning techniques

Haematite (α-Fe2O3) nanostructures were synthesized via a Pechini sol–gel method (PSG) and an electrospinning (ES) technique. Their texture and morphology were investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles were obtained by the PSG method, whereas fibrous structures consisting of interconnected particles were synthesized through the ES technique. The crystallinity of the α-Fe2O3 nanostructures was also studied by means of x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Gas-sensing devices were fabricated by printing the synthesized samples on ceramic substrates provided with interdigitated Pt electrodes. The sensors were tested towards low concentrations of ethanol in air in the temperature range (200−400°C). The results show that the α-Fe2O3 nanostructures exhibit somewhat different gas-sensing properties and, interestingly, their sensing behaviour is strongly temperature-dependent. The availability of active sites for oxygen chemisorption and the diffusion of the analyte gas within the sensing layer structure are hypothesized to be the key factors responsible for the different sensing behaviour observed.