Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The COPE Intervention for Caregivers of Patients With Heart Failure: An Adapted Intervention

The purpose of this 2-group comparative experimental study was to pilot test the heart failure–COPE (creativity, optimism, planning, and expert information) intervention for caregivers of heart failure patients in hospice care in a small randomized trial focusing on caregiver burden, quality of life, depression and anxiety, caregiver knowledge, patient quality of life, and emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Forty patient-caregiver dyads participated with the treatment group receiving the COPE–heart failure intervention in 21 days, and both groups provided data at baseline and at weeks 4 and 5. Results showed no effect of the intervention, but the sample was small, and patients had been diagnosed for a mean of more than 10 years. The most commonly reported symptoms by patients were dry mouth and fatigue. Self-care was less than adequate, but depression and distress among patients were low, whereas quality-of-life scores were relatively high. Caregivers reported low distress from patient symptoms and from caregiving burden and low mean anxiety and depression scores. We concluded that caregivers had been managing heart failure symptoms for a long time and that our intervention near the end of the disease trajectory was not needed; caregivers already felt competent to manage the care of these patients.
A Digital Ink Recogntion Server for Handwritten Japanese Text

This paper describes the design and implementation of a recognition server for online handwritten Japanese text. Currently, fast and accurate recognition of online handwritten characters requires a high-performance CPU and a large memory space. However, PDA and other small portable devices lack the qualification. On the other hand, data transmission speed is getting remarkably higher. To solve the CPU and memory constraint on a client and avail the speed-up of transmission, we employ a network environment and build an a recognition server. This paper descrives network data flow transmission, client/server architecture and presents performance.
Full-field laser speckle contrast imaging for shear wave measurements of 3D cell culture systems

The biochemical and biomechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) contribute to the regulatory functions of the cell microenvironment, which is vital for cell development and tissue homeostasis. Studies have shown that the stiffness of the ECM can promote growth, apoptosis or cell migration. Thus, the analysis of the three-dimensional (3D) matrix stiffness may provide information about the dynamics of the cancer cell and its microenvironment during disease progression and treatment. In this report, a shear wave imaging system based on laser speckle contrast imaging was used to measure the local shear modulus of the 3D cell culture quantitatively. The temporal study has shown that the stiffness of the cell matrix is related to the length of the culture period, where the increased of the cell matrix stiffness is correlated with the structural changes in the ECM, such as formation of fiber bundles and network.
Allosteric regulation of CCR5 by guanine nucleotides and HIV-1 envelope.

The chemokine receptor CCR5 is the principal coreceptor for R5 (macrophage-tropic) strains of HIV-1. CCR5 uses G-proteins as transducing elements. Here we report the biochemical consequences of the interaction between CCR5 and G-proteins. Macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta (MIP-1beta) binding to CCR5 was potently and specifically inhibited by guanine nucleotides. The molecular mechanism of this inhibitory effect was shown to be a dose-dependent reduction in MIP-1beta receptors. We also show that the MIP-1beta binding site is allosterically regulated by monovalent cations and that binding of this endogenous agonist is highly temperature sensitive and dependent on divalent cations, characteristic of a G-protein-coupled receptor(GPCR). HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein decreased the affinity of CCR5 for MIP-1beta but also altered the kinetics of MIP-1beta binding to CCR5, proving that it interacts with a distinct, but allosterically coupled binding site. The findings described herein contribute to our understanding of how CCR5 interacts with chemokines and HIV-1 envelope.
In vitro Antioxidant Activity of Marine Diatoms

The in vitro total antioxidant assay, total phenolic content, DPPH assay, FRAP assay of the acetone extracts from four centric diatoms (Chaetoceros simplex, Skeletonema costatum, Odontella mobiliensis, Coscinodiscus centralis) and three pennate diatoms (Nitzschia closterium, Pleurosigma angulatum and Navicula sp.) were performed. The centric diatom, O. mobiliensis was found higher amount of phenolic content (0.75 ± 0.06) followed by C. simplex. The maximum total antioxidant activity of 45.03 ± 2.1 ascorbic acid equivalent/g was observed in P. angulatum followed by the centric diatom C. simplex. The O. mobiliensis was showed significantly higher DPPH radical scavenging activity of 70.04 ± 4.17 % followed by C. simplex (55.69 ± 2.52 %) and P. angulatum (49.57 ± 2.74 %). The phenolic compounds of acetone extracts were not major contributor to the antioxidant capacities of these diatoms. The pigments such as, chlorophylls and carotenoids may be the main contributor of antioxidant activity in this study. The total antioxidant activity may be increased when extracted other solvent. Thus, these species can be act as natural antioxidant source for food preservation and protection of organisms from the degenerative diseases.
Class Disjointness Constraints as Specific Objective Functions in Neural Network Classifiers

Increasing performance of deep learning techniques on computer vision tasks like object detection has led to systems able to detect a large number of classes of objects. Most deep learning models use simple unstructured labels and assume that any domain knowledge will be learned from the data. However when the domain is complex and the data limited, it may be useful to use domain knowledge encoded in an ontology to guide the learning process. In this paper, we conduct experiments to introduce constraints into the training process of a neural network. We show that explicitly modeling a disjointness axiom between a set of classes as a speciﬁc objective function leads to reducing violations for this constraint, while also reducing the overall classiﬁcation error. This opens a way to import domain knowledge modeled in an ontology into a deep learning process.
Comparison of the Ziemer FEMTO LDV femtosecond laser and Moria M2 mechanical microkeratome.

PURPOSE To assess and compare the dimensions of LASIK flaps created by the Ziemer FEMTO LDV "Classic" femtosecond (FS) laser and Moria M2 microkeratome with 110-μm head and -20 blade. METHODS Seven hundred twenty eyes from 360 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study and divided into two groups of equal size for flap creation with the Ziemer LDV (FS laser group) and Moria M2 mechanical microkeratome (microkeratome group). Nominal flap thickness was 110 μm for all patients and for both devices. Flap thickness was measured by Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography in 14 specified positions on each flap 1 week after surgery to analyze the regularity, uniformity, and accuracy of the two types of LASIK flaps. RESULTS The mean deviation between achieved and attempted flap thickness was smaller in the FS laser group than in the microkeratome group. The flaps in the FS laser group were more regular and uniform, showing an almost planar configuration, whereas flaps in the microkeratome group had a meniscus shape and were significantly thicker near the flap edge. Nasal and temporal flap thickness did not differ significantly in the FS laser group, whereas in the microkeratome group, characteristic differences in temporal versus nasal flap thickness were noticed. Within the 5040 individual measurements of the 360 eyes, deviations of >20 μm were observed in 0.73% of eyes in the FS laser group and 42.4% in the microkeratome group. CONCLUSIONS The dimensions of flaps created by the Ziemer LDV femtosecond laser were more uniform and accurate than those created by the Moria M2 microkeratome.
Analytical characterization of gaseous slip flow and heat transport through a parallel-plate microchannel with a centered porous substrate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analytically perform gaseous slip flow and heat transfer analysis within a parallel-plate microchannel partially filled with a centered porous medium under local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) condition. Heat transfer of gaseous flow in a porous microchannel is analytically studied. Energy communication at the porous-fluid interface is considered by two approaches: the gas rarefaction negatively impacts the heat transfer performance, and the optimum ratio of porous thickness is found to be around 0.8. Design/methodology/approach – Both Models A and B are utilized to consider the heat flux splitting for the fluid and solid phases at the porous-fluid interface. Findings – Analytical solutions for the fluid and solid phase temperature distributions and the Nusselt number are derived. In the no-slip flow limit, the present analytical solutions are validated by the partially and fully filled cases available in the literature. Research limitations/implications – The con.
High accuracy measurement of aspherical surface by point diffraction interferometry

Point diffraction interferometry (PDI) provides a promising method for measurement of spherical and aspherical surfaces with nanometer or even sub-nanometer (RMS) accuracy. In this paper, an optimal design of PDI system is discussed in detail and experiment systems are established. A 152.4 mm aspheric mirror is measured in our experiment and the test results show a good agreement with Zygo interferometer testing results. Also, a novel method which combining the point diffraction interferometry and annular subaperture stitching technology for high accuracy measurement of large-departure aspherical surface is proposed and the principles are presented.
Antinociceptive effect of the aqueous extract obtained from Foeniculum vulgare in mice: the role of histamine H1 and H2 receptors

Summary Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) has been widely used in traditional medicine for treatment of various diseases including pediatric colic. This study was designed to assess the antinociceptive effects of aqueous extract of F. vulgare on visceral pain and possible involvement of opioidergic, serotonergic, adrenergic and histaminergic systems. The results of this study showed that aqueous extract of F. vulgare (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, IP) induces antinociceptive effects (P<0.001) and that the pretreatment with chlorpheniramine and cimetidine significantly attenuate this effect (from 71.9% to 21.6%, P<0.001 and from 71.4% to 35.9%, P=0.003, respectively). Furthermore, chlorpheniramine and cimetidine significantly decreased onset of first abdominal writhing (latency) in comparison with extract (P<0.05), however naloxone, cyproheptadine and phentolamine had no effect on antinociception and the latency induced by F. vulgare. The ED50 value for antinociceptive effects of extract was 87.6 mg/kg. These results suggest that antinociceptive effects of F. vulgare are partially mediated by histamine H1 and H2 receptors.
Reconstructive surgery for hypospadias: A systematic review of long-term patient satisfaction with cosmetic outcomes

Introduction: Research on long-term results of hypospadias has focused on surgical techniques and functional outcomes, and it is only recently that patient satisfaction with appearance and psychosocial outcomes have been considered. The aim of this study was to provide an evidence-based systematic review of adolescent and adult patient perceptions of cosmetic outcomes following childhood surgery for hypospadias. Methods: A systematic review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA and PICO guidelines, and studies assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine system. MEDLINE, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases were searched from 1974 to 2014 for clinical studies containing patient perceptions of appearance, deformity, and social embarrassment following hypospadias surgery. Results: A total of 495 publications were retrieved, of which 28 met the inclusion criteria. Due to study design/outcome measure, heterogeneity data were synthesized narratively. Results indicate (i) patient perceptions of penile size do not differ greatly from the norm; (ii) perceptions of appearance findings are inconsistent, partially due to improving surgical techniques; (iii) patients who are approaching, or have reached, sexual maturity hold more negative perceptions and are more critical about the cosmetic outcomes of surgery than their prepubertal counterparts; (iv) patients report high levels of perceptions of deformity and social embarrassment; and (v) there is a lack of data using validated measurement tools assessing long-term patient perceptions of cosmetic outcomes, particularly with patients who have reached genital maturity. Conclusions: Protocols for clinical postpuberty follow-up and methodologically sound studies, using validated assessment tools, are required for the accurate assessment of cosmetic and psychological outcomes of hypospadias surgery.
Safety Benefit of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Traffic and Weather Uplink Services

The automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast system serves a dual role for general aviation operators, allowing integration with modern surveillance systems and providing an uplink of traffic, weather, and airspace information to participating aircraft. To obtain automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast uplink services, aircraft must be equipped with a portable or installed “automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast-in” receiver and display. This study used an online survey to assess pilot perception and valuation of automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast-in traffic and weather services, including flight information system-broadcast and traffic information system-broadcast. Of the 1407 pilot respondents to the survey, 56.3% indicated having used automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast-in traffic and weather services while operating an aircraft. Among pilots who reported using automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast-in traffic services regularly, 64.5% reported that it helped them visually a.
Two-axis electromagnetic microscanner for high resolution displays

A novel microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) actuation technique is developed for retinal scanning display and imaging applications allowing effective drive of a two-axes scanning mirror to wide angles at high frequency. Modeling of the device in mechanical and electrical domains, as well as the experimental characterization is described. Full optical scan angles of 65deg and 53deg are achieved for slow (60 Hz sawtooth) and fast (21.3 kHz sinusoid) scan directions, respectively. In combination with a mirror size of 1.5 mm, a resulting thetasopt D product of 79.5 degmiddotmm for fast axis is obtained. This two-dimensional (2-D) magnetic actuation technique delivers sufficient torque to allow non-resonant operation as low as dc in the slow-scan axis while at the same time allowing one-atmosphere operation even at fast-scan axis frequencies large enough to support SXGA (1280 times 1024) resolution scanned beam displays
Genetic engineering and cloning may improve milk, livestock production

In the past, procedures such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer have been used in the genetic manipulation of livestock. Advances in gene and quantitative-trait mapping will enhance these traditional animal-breeding approaches to improve farm animals. By genetically engineering livestock, scientists hope to produce animals with altered traits such as disease resistance, wool growth, body growth and milk composition. Laboratories world wide have produced transgenic pigs, sheep, goats and cattle, but currently the efficiency of producing the animals remains low and the procedure is expensive. Within the next few decades, however, genetically engineered dairy cows could become available. Cloning may also be used to duplicate animals with traits that are difficult to capture through traditional breeding practices. By 2025, cloning and breeding of elite animals could be carried out by companies comparable to those that now comprise the artificial insemination industry, which selects and breeds top dairy stock. The acceptance of genetically engineered animals by industry will depend on its economic benefits and whether consumers are prepared to buy the resulting products.
Population Substructure Can Significantly Affect Reliability of a DNA‐led Process of Identification of Mass Fatality Victims

Abstract: Aiming to evaluate the effects of population substructure on the reliability of a DNA correspondence in the process of human identification, we used the model of “in silico” constructed populations with and without substructure. Effects of population substructure were evaluated at the level of locus heterozygosity, Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and mini‐haplotype distribution. Inbreeding in a subpopulation of 100 individuals through 10 generations did not significantly alter the level of heterozygosity and Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. However, analysis of mini‐haplotype distribution revealed a significant homogenization in separated subpopulations. Average observed mini‐haplotype frequency (fo) increased to threefold from expected values (fe), and the number of mini‐haplotypes with fo/fe above 10 increased over sixfold, suggesting that the effects of population substructure on calculated likelihood ratios (LR) might be larger than previously estimated. In most criminal cases, this would not represent a problem, whereas for identifications in large‐scale mass fatality events, population substructure might considerably increase the risk of false identification.
Real Time PCR Based Expression of Metallothionein and Evaluation of Zn Bioavailability in Chickens Fed Zinc Oxide and Zinc Methionine

Zinc (Zn) as a micro mineral is essential for growth, skeletal development, and immune competence in chickens (Hudson et al., 2004). Inorganic Zn salts, such as sulphate and oxide, are generally supplemented in diets to meet the Zn requirement of chickens (Cao et al., 2002). However, in the recent past Inorganic trace minerals (ITMs) have been replaced by organic trace minerals (OTMs) because of higher bioavailability and considerable reduction in cost of mineral supplementation. Several researchers have conducted different trails with both organic and inorganic Zn supplementation and they have observed increased availability in organic forms of minerals (Yan Waldroup, 2006 and Ao et al., 2011).
Ripple Down Rule learning for automated word lemmatisation

Lemmatisation is the process of finding the normalised forms of wordforms as they appear in text. It is a useful pre-processing step for a large number of language engineering tasks, and especially important for languages with rich inflection morphology. This paper presents a machine learning approach to automated word lemmatisation using a Ripple Down Rule learning algorithm, specially adapted to this task. By focusing on word suffixes, the induced Ripple Down Rules determine which wordform suffix should be removed and/or added to generate the lemma. The rules, induced from a lexicon of lemmatised Slovene words, were evaluated by cross-validation in the lexicon and on a hand-validated annotated corpus, and compared to previous work using two other inductive lemmatisers, ATRIS and CLOG. We show that RDR outperforms ATRIS and is more flexible than CLOG, as it can, unlike CLOG, also work without prior part-of-speech tagging. The RDR lemmatiser is easy to train and use for new languages and is, together with CLOG, available via a Web service.
Quantitative Real-Time RT-PCR for Detection of Circulating Prostate-Specific Antigen mRNA Using Sequence-Specific Oligonucleotide Hybridization Probes in Prostate Cancer Patients

Objective: A great number of studies have failed thus far to demonstrate that the presence of PSA-expressing tumor cells in the blood of prostate cancer (PC) patients is a highly sensitive prognostic marker, particularly after radical prostatectomy (RPX). These studies have only relied on qualitative or semiquantitative detection techniques, however. We report our initial experience in testing real-time RT-PCR for the detection of PSA mRNA using a quantitative online PCR system, the LightCyclerTM, and sequence-specific oligonucleotide hybridization probes. Methods: Blood samples were obtained before and after surgery from 129 patients undergoing RPX for localized PC and from 19 patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Quantitative RT-PCR for the detection PSA mRNA was performed using the LightCycler system with RNA Amplification Kit Hybridization Probes and sequence-specific oligonucleotide hybridization probes. Results: PSA mRNA was detected by the LightCycler in 28 patients (39%) with pT2 tumors, in 22 patients (38%) with >pT2 tumors, but in only 3 patients (16%) with BPH. The mean values of the LNCaP cell equivalents were higher in >pT2 patients than in pT2 patients (37 × 103 and 104 × 103) or BPH patients (7.1 × 103 and 4.8 × 103) both preoperatively (333 × 103/ml blood) and postoperatively (545 × 103). Conclusion: Real-time RT-PCR with the LightCycler appears to be a promising method for the preoperative detection of circulating LNCaP tumor cells in PC as reflected by PSA mRNA. Considering the low detection rates in BPH patients, the method may also be suitable for patient monitoring after RPX and could thus play an important role in deciding on early radiotherapy or even hormone ablation therapy. Additional long-term follow-up will have to show whether patients with high expression of PSA mRNA actually have an increased risk or recurrence and whether the method is suitable as well to detect progression.
High detection frequency and viral loads of human rhinovirus species A to C in fecal samples; diagnostic and clinical implications

Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) can be divided into three species; HRV‐A to HRV‐C. Up to 148 different HRV (sero)types have been identified to date. Because of sequence similarity between 5′‐NCR of HRVs and enteroviruses (EVs), it is problematic to design EV‐specific RT‐PCR assays. The aims of this study were to assess the rate of false‐detection of different rhinoviruses by EV RT‐PCR, and to evaluate the diagnostic and clinical significance of such cross‐reactivity. In vitro RNA transcripts of HRV A‐C created from cDNA templates were quantified spectrophotometrically. Six hundred twenty‐one stool samples screened as part of routine diagnostic for EV, 17 EV‐positive stool samples referred for typing, 288 stool samples submitted for gastroenteritis investigations, and 1,500 CSF samples were included in the study. EV‐specific RT‐PCR detected RNA transcripts of HRV‐A1b, HRV‐B14, and HRV‐Crpat18 but with 10–1,000 reduced sensitivity compared to EV transcripts. Screening fecal samples by EV RT‐PCR identified 13 positive samples identified subsequently as rhinoviruses; a further 26 HRV‐positive samples were identified by nested HRV RT‐PCR. All individuals were hospitalized and presented mostly with diarrhea. A total of 26 HRV types were identified (HRV‐A: 46%; HRV‐B: 13%; HRV‐C: 41%). Results confirm that EV‐specific RT‐PCR can detect HRVs, and at a practical level, identify potential problems of interpretation if fecal samples are used for surrogate screening in cases of suspected viral meningitis. High detection frequencies (10%) and viral loads in stool samples provide evidence for enteric replication of HRV, and its association with enteric disease requires further etiological studies. J. Med. Virol. 84:536–542, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.