Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Further Experience with Urethral Advancement for Anterior Hypospadias Repair

We report on our further experience with urethral mobilization and advancement as a treatment for anterior hypospadias. From January 2004 to March 2008, 67 children (mean age 5.1 years) of anterior hypospadias without hypoplastic distal urethra or marked curvature, were managed by urethral mobilization and advancement. The dissection began proximally in avascular plane above tunica albuginea covering each corpus cavernosum medially till reaching under the corpus spongiosum up to the meatus. Tension free urethral anastomosis was done. The mobilized urethra was covered by dartos flap. The urethral stent was stayed for 24 hours post-operatively. Mean follow up was 27 months (range 6 to 41). Three folds urethral mobilization was sufficient to achieve tension free urethral anastomosis. Slit-like orthotopic meatus at conical shaped glans of straight penis was achieved in all but 3 subcoronal cases that had mid-glans meatal retraction during our early experience. Post-operative urethral fistula was not recorded in any. Satisfactory urinary stream for parents and child was reported in 52/67 within normal range of flowmetric study in all.
The Feasibility of a Modified Exclusive Endoscopic Transcanal Transpromontorial Approach for Vestibular Schwannomas

Abstract Objective We evaluated the feasibility of an exclusive endoscopic transcanal transpromontorial approach (EETTA) for the treatment of small vestibular schwannomas (VSs) limited to the internal auditory canal (IAC), and introduced a modification without external auditory canal closure. Methods Between June 2016 and June 2017, seven patients with VS underwent surgery using a modified EETTA. Treatment outcomes, including efficacy of tumor resection, preservation of function, operation time, and quality of life (QOL), were evaluated. Results The patients preoperatively exhibited Koos Grade I/II tumors and severe-to-profound hearing loss. Gross total resection was accomplished in all cases. There were no major complications, and all patients exhibited normal facial nerve function immediately after surgery. The mean follow-up period was 12.9 months. The operation time (average 196.3 ± 64.9 minutes) and hospitalization period (average 7.4 ± 1.0 days) were favorable. Short Form-36 scores for QOL showed unremarkable results compared with previous reports. Conclusions The modified EETTA was effective in the removal of VSs in the IAC. It can be an alternative surgical option for small VSs.
Electricity load forecasting with artificial neural networks

Artificial neural networks are powerful tools for time series forecasting. The problem addressed in this article is to do multi-step prediction of a stationary time series, and to find the associated prediction limits. Artificial neural network models for time series are nonlinear. However, results that are applicable to linear models are sometimes mistakenly applied to non-linear models. One example where this is observed is in multi-step forecasting. A bootstrap method is proposed to calculate one- and multi-step predictions and prediction limits. The results are applied to an electricity load time series as well as to a pure autoregressive time series. OPSOMMING Kunsmatige neurale netwerke is kragtige instrumente vir tydreeksvoorspelling. In hierdie artikel word multistap-vooruitberaming van ‘n stasionere tydreeks en die gepaardgaande vertroueinterval behandel. Resultate wat slegs geldig is vir lineere modelle word soms verkeerdelik op neurale netwerkmodelle toegepas. ‘n Voorbeeld hiervan kom in multistapvoorspelling voor. ‘n Skoenlusmetode, word voorgestel waarvolgens eenstap- en multistapvoorspellings en vertroueintervalle bereken kan word. Die resultate word op ‘n elektrisiteitslastydreeks en op ‘n suiwer outoregressiewe tydreeks toegepas.
Identification of Vietnamese Ochna integerrima (Lour.) Merr Species Based on Ribosomal DNA Internal Transcribed Spacer Sequence

Ochna integerrima is a medicinal and ornamental plant, is widely distributed in Southeast Asia areas. In Vietnam, it has been ranked as the rare and endangered species due to its high demand trade of the beautiful species. In this study, total 21 Ochna samples, collected from the northern and southern areas, were used to characterize the morphological traits using morphological analyses and molecular tool. The results have revealed that the morphological characterization of flower and its quality of Yen Tu Ochna samples showed differences in comparison with the common Ochna and southern Ochna samples. To accurately distinguish genetic traits of the samples, we have sequenced the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (including ITS1, 5.8S) of 21 species. The results have disclosed the genetic correlations of the samples ranging from 96.25% to 100% among the studied Ochna samples, of which 5 samples include B1, B2, B3, B6 and N3.1 were divided into the separate groups. The current work is the first report in constructing a molecular database of Ochna for further assessment of inter-and intra-specific molecular diversity of Ochna species in Vietnam.
What Is the Point? How Point-of-care Sexually Transmitted Infection Tests Can Impact Infected Patients

Point-of-care (POC) tests are an important strategy to address the epidemic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among both adolescents and young adults. While access to care and confidentiality are major barriers to STI care, POC tests allow the clinician to provide immediate and confidential test results and treatment. In addition, POC test results constitute a "teachable moment"; that is, an opportunity to provide immediate feedback to the patient that may impact his/her risk behaviors. This paper reviews published data and manufacturer's product literature describing current point-of-care STI tests, including studies of test performance as well as impact on treatment intervals and disease spread. It presents theoretical and proposed pitfalls and solutions of implementing POC tests in clinical settings, non-traditional settings, and home care venues. We reviewed the available STI tests according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for judging POC tests: the "ASSURRED" criteria (Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid and Robust, Equipment-free, Delivered).
THE ADDITIVE HAZARDS MODEL FOR RECURRENT GAP TIMES

Recurrent event data and gap times between recurrent events are often the targets in the analysis of longitudinal follow-up or epidemiological studies. To analyze the gap times, Huang and Chen (2003), among others, proposed to fit the proportional hazards model. It is well-known, however, that the proportional hazards model might not fit the data well. To provide an alternative, this paper investigates the fit of the additive hazards model to gap time data, and an estimating equation approach is presented for inference about regression parameters. Both asymptotic and finite sample properties of the proposed parameter estimates are established. One major advantage of the use of the additive hazards model over the proportional hazards model is that the resulting parameter estimator has a closed form. The method is applied to a cancer study.
A Macro Discourse Primary and Secondary Relation Recognition Method Based on Topic Similarity

蒋峰,褚晓敏,徐昇,李培峰,朱巧明 (苏州大学计算机科学与技术学院,江苏 苏州 215006; 江苏省计算机信息技术处理重点实验室,江苏 苏州 215006) 摘要:篇章分析是自然语言处理领域的一个重要任务。 分析篇章主次关系有助于理解篇章的结构和语义, 并为自然语言处理的应用提供有力的支持。 本文在微观篇章主次关系识别研究的基础上,重点研究宏观篇 章主次关系,提出了一种基于 word2vec 和 LDA 的主题相似度的宏观篇章主次关系识别模型。 基于 word2vec 的主题相似度和基于 LDA 的主题相似度在不同维度上计算语义相似度,两者在语义层面形成互补,因而增 强了模型识别宏观篇章主次关系的能力。 该模型在宏观汉语篇章树库(MCDTB)上实验的F1值达到79. 9%, 正确率达到 81.82%,相较基准系统分别提升了 1.7%和 1.81%。 关键词:宏观篇章主次关系;主题相似度;word2vec;LDA 中图分类号:TP391 文献标识码:A
ON THE RULED SURFACES WHOSE FRAME IS THE BISHOP FRAME IN THE EUCLIDEAN 3 SPACE

In this study we investigate the dierential geometric elements (such as Normal vector eld N, Weingarten Map S, curvatures K and H, the fundamental forms I,II,III) of a ruled surface according to its Bishop frame or parallel transport frame in the Euclidean 3 space.
Fire intensity impacts on post-fire temperate coniferous forest net primary productivity

Abstract. Fire is a dynamic ecological process in forests and impacts the carbon (C) cycle through direct combustion emissions, tree mortality, and by impairing the ability of surviving trees to sequester carbon. While studies on young trees have demonstrated that fire intensity is a determinant of post-fire net primary productivity, wildland fires on landscape to regional scales have largely been assumed to either cause tree mortality, or conversely, cause no physiological impact, ignoring the impacted but surviving trees. Our objective was to understand how fire intensity affects post-fire net primary productivity in conifer-dominated forested ecosystems on the spatial scale of large wildland fires. We examined the relationships between fire radiative power (FRP), its temporal integral (fire radiative energy – FRE), and net primary productivity (NPP) using 16 years of data from the MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) for 15 large fires in western United States coniferous forests. The greatest NPP post-fire loss occurred 1 year post-fire and ranged from −67 to −312 g C m−2 yr−1 (−13 to −54 %) across all fires. Forests dominated by fire-resistant species (species that typically survive low-intensity fires) experienced the lowest relative NPP reductions compared to forests with less resistant species. Post-fire NPP in forests that were dominated by fire-susceptible species were not as sensitive to FRP or FRE, indicating that NPP in these forests may be reduced to similar levels regardless of fire intensity. Conversely, post-fire NPP in forests dominated by fire-resistant and mixed species decreased with increasing FRP or FRE. In some cases, this dose–response relationship persisted for more than a decade post-fire, highlighting a legacy effect of fire intensity on post-fire C dynamics in these forests.
Assessment and Comparison of the Condylar Guidance by Protrusive Interocclusal Records and Panoramic Radiographic Imaging in Edentulous and Dentulous Individuals

Aim: To compare the condylar guidance angle obtained by extraoral Gothic arch tracing, protrusive interocclusal records (IORs), and orthopantomogram (OPG) in completely edentulous and dentulous subjects. Materials and methods: A total of 30 edentulous and 30 dentulous subjects were selected. Conventional steps in the fabrication of complete denture with balanced occlusion were carried out. Extraoral Gothic arch tracing records were obtained from each subject. Protrusive IORs were used to program the Hanau Wide-Vue semiadjustable articulator, to obtain the sagittal condylar guidance angle. The sagittal condylar guidance was determined in 60 subjects by protrusive IORs and facebow transfer. The sagittal outline of the articular eminence and glenoid fossa was traced in panoramic radiographs. The sagittal condylar path inclination was constructed by joining the heights of curvature in the glenoid fossa and the corresponding articular eminence. This was then related to the constructed Frankfurt horizontal plane to determine the radiographic angle of sagittal condylar guidance. Results: There was statistically significant difference between the sagittal condylar guidance values obtained using extraoral Gothic arch tracing and OPG method (p 0.0237) in edentulous subjects. Statistically significant values were obtained using protrusive records and OPG method (p 0.0237) in dentulous subjects. Conclusion: The use of OPG to set condylar guidance on the articulator should be taken into consideration for both dentulous and edentulous subjects.
Titanian clinohumite in the carbonatites of the Jacupiranga Complex , Brazil : Mineral chemistry and comparison with titanian clinohumite from other environments

Titanian clinohumite (TiCl) occurs in the carbonatites of the Jacupiranga Complex, Brazil, either as the result of alteration of olivine (Mitchell, 1978) or in the reaction rock developed in the contact ofthe carbonatites and the host magnetite pyroxenite, where it may not be related to olivine. Lamellae of titanian chondrodite (TiCh) are found, and the presence of lamellae of polysomes representing n > 4 is inferred. The TiCl samples contain TiO, up to 3.78 wto/0, FeO up to 3.09 wto/0, and F up to 2.34 wto/o. Fe and Ti show a positive correlation. Complex zoning is always present. The only consistent trend is that of increasing TiO, toward the margins, but even this trend is only observed in the crystals of the reaction rock. The partitioning of Fe and Mg between TiCl and olivine indicates enrichment of Mg in the TiCl and is different for samples from the three sovites. The characteristics of the TiCl are thought to derive from a changing metasomatic environment, and all TiCl so far reported from carbonatite complexes is possibly of metasomatic origin. The Jacupiranga TiCl is similar in composition to TiCl from marbles, an observation that cannot be extended to TiCl from carbonatites in general. Samples of TiCl from kimberlites have compositions similar to those from some Alpine peridotites. Fluorine TiCl is certainly stable in the upper mantle, but because of its rarity it is considered a mineral of no importance to mantle geology.
Deep learning-based classification and anomaly detection of side-channel signals

In computer systems, information leaks from the physical hardware through side-channel signals such as power draw. We can exploit these signals to infer the state of ongoing computational tasks without having direct access to the device. This paper investigates the application of recent deep learning techniques to side-channel analysis in both classification of machine state and anomaly detection. We use real data collected from three different devices: an Arduino, a Raspberry Pi, and a Siemens PLC. For classification we compare the performance of a Multi-Layer Perceptron and a Long Short-Term Memory classifiers. Both achieve near-perfect accuracy on binary classification and around 90% accuracy on a multi-class problem. For anomaly detection we explore an autoencoder based model. Our experiments show the potential of using these deep learning techniques in side-channel analysis and cyber-attack detection.
Modification, Expression, and Purification of Hyperactive Antifreeze Proteins from Insect Tenebrio Molitor

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs), also known as thermal hysteresis proteins, can protect organisms from damage caused by freezing by lowering the freezing point of fluids. AFPs can bind to small ice crystals, inhibit ice growth, and change the morphology of ice crystals. The difference between the freezing temperature and the melting temperature is termed thermal hysteresis (TH). There are different types of AFPs, such as fish AFPs (type I, II, III, and IV) and insect AFPs. These AFPs can also be classified by their thermal hysteresis activity: moderately active AFPs and hyperactive AFPs. Previous research groups successfully constructed AFP (type I, and type III) multimers, and the thermal hysteresis measurement showed that the size of multimers can affect TH activities. However, how the TH of insect AFPs will be affected by multimerization is still unknown, since they already have much higher thermal hysteresis activities than fish AFPs in nature. Making active multimers of insect AFPs can be harder than type I and type III fish AFPs because of their highly disulfide-bonded structure. The aim of this thesis is to construct trimers of Tenebio molitor (TmAFP) by adding a foldon domain. The foldon domain has been added separately to N-teminus and C-terminus of TmAFP. Cold finger purification was utilized for the protein purification
Effects of OsCDPK1 on the Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Starch in Developing Rice Seeds

Overexpression of a constitutively active truncated form of OsCDPK1 (OEtr) in rice produced smaller seeds, but a double-stranded RNA gene-silenced form of OsCDPK1 (Ri) yielded larger seeds, suggesting that OsCDPK1 plays a functional role in rice seed development. In the study presented here, we propose a model in which OsCDPK1 plays key roles in negatively controlling the grain size, amylose content, and endosperm appearance, and also affects the physicochemical properties of the starch. The dehulled transgenic OEtr grains were smaller than the dehulled wild-type grains, and the OEtr endosperm was opaque and had a low amylose content and numerous small loosely packed polyhedral starch granules. However, the OEtr grain sizes and endosperm appearances were not affected by temperature, which ranged from low (22 °C) to high (31 °C) during the grain-filling phase. In contrast, the transgenic Ri grains were larger, had higher amylose content, and had more transparent endosperms filled with tightly packed polyhedral starch granules. This demonstrates that OsCDPK1 plays a novel functional role in starch biosynthesis during seed development and affects the transparent appearance of the endosperm. These results improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms through which the grain-filling process occurs in rice.
A theory of the term structure of interest rates'', Econometrica 53, 385-407

AbstractThis paper uses an intertemporal general equilibrium asset pricing model to study the term structure of interest rates. In this model, anticipations, risk aversion, investment alternatives, and preferences about the timing of consumption all play a role in determining bond prices. Many of the factors traditionally mentioned as influencing the term structure are thus included in a way which is fully consistent with maximizing behavior and rational expectations. The model leads to specific formulas for bond prices which are well suited for empirical testing.
Ultrafast photoinduced carrier dynamics at ZnO nanohybrid interfaces for light-harvesting applications

Abstract The use of nanoscale materials for efficient solar light harvesting has attracted immense attention in the recent time in order to address the energy and environmental issues. Among them, semiconductor materials such as ZnO have been widely used in the field of photocatalysis and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). However, due to limited visible-light activity and low photo-conversion efficiency, ZnO needs to be modified to design heterostructures with efficient charge separation. Several strategies have been made to modify the wide-bandgap semiconductors including narrow-bandgap semiconductor coupling, noble metal deposition, conducting polymer sensitization and organic dye sensitization. However, the activity of such heterogeneous systems critically depends on the charge dynamics across the involved nanostructured interface. The present review is an effort to unravel the ultrafast dynamical processes across the interface of heterostructures to enhance the solar light-harvesting efficiency. Here, we have discussed few of our selected results covering the different modification strategies of the ZnO nanostructures. The special emphasis has been given to the correlation between the ultrafast processes at the interface and their implications in the light-harvesting applications. The detailed spectroscopic investigations revealing electronic pathways for light harvesting will be helpful in designing future solar devices.
Community assembly along a soil depth gradient: contrasting patterns of plant trait convergence and divergence in a Mediterranean rangeland

Understanding how environmental factors drive plant community assembly remains a major challenge in community ecology. The strength of different assembly processes along environmental gradients, such as environmental filtering and functional niche differentiation, can be quantified by analysing trait distributions in communities. While environmental filtering affects species occurrence among communities, functional divergence or convergence is strongly related to species abundances within communities, which few studies have taken into account. We examine the trait‐mediated effect of these two processes along a stress‐resource gradient. We measured species abundances and the distributions of eight traits related to vegetative and regenerative phases in plant communities along a gradient of soil depth and resource availability in Mediterranean rangelands. We quantified environmental filtering, defined as a local restriction of trait range, and trait divergence, based on abundance‐weighted trait variance, using a two‐step approach with specifically designed null models. Communities presented a clear functional response to the soil gradient, as evidenced by strong trends in community‐weighted trait means. We detected environmental filtering of different traits at both ends of the gradient, suggesting that, contrary to widespread expectations, trait filtering may not necessarily be the result of abiotic filtering under harsh conditions but could likely also result from biotic interactions in productive habitats. We found marked shifts in trait abundance distributions within communities along the gradient. Vegetative traits (e.g. leaf dry matter content) diverged on shallow soils, reflecting the coexistence of distinct water‐ and nutrient‐use strategies in these constrained habitats and converged with increasing soil resource availability. By contrast, regenerative traits (e.g. seed mass) tended to diverge towards deeper soils, while plant reproductive heights diverged all along the gradient. Synthesis: Our study highlights how the combination of abundance data with traits capturing different functional niches is critical to the detection of complex functional responses of plant communities to environmental gradients. We demonstrate that patterns of trait divergence and filtering are strongly contingent on both trait and environment such that there can be no expectation of a simple trend of increasing or decreasing functional divergence along a gradient of resource availability.
The Mechanism and Potential of Palm Vitamin E as a Skin-lightening Agent

A light skin tone is considered a superior trait in most races, particularly among Asian and African women. Realising the demand for fair skin, many cosmetic companies are developing different molecules for use as skinlightening products. There are many commercial skin-lightening products readily available over-the-counter which use depigmenting agents such as hydroquinone, azelaic acid, kojic acid, vitamin C, niaciamide, corticosteroids, licorice extract, gluthathione, glycolic acid and gentisic acid (Sonthalia et al., 2016). However, several skin-lightening agents such as hydroquinone and kojic acid have been banned in cosmetic products due to their side effects on the skin, and this has led to the search for safer plant-based skin-lightening materials. The wide range and variety of available biomass is presumed to be an attractive bioresource for screening for inhibitors of melanin synthesis (Lin et al., 2007; Thongchai et al., 2007). The Mechanism and Potential of Palm Vitamin E as a Skin-lightening Agent