Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Burden of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Signs and Symptoms in Quality of Life: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, recurrent and debilitating inflammatory skin disease of the hair follicle that usually presents as painful, deep-seated inflamed lesions in the apocrine gland-bearing areas of the body. HS patients suffer from uncomfortable signs and symptoms, such as pain, pruritus, malodour and suppuration, which may impair patients’ quality of life (QoL). Although HS patients frequently experience these signs and symptoms, they are only occasionally assessed by clinicians and, unexpectedly, the scientific evidence available is limited and heterogeneous. The aim of this study is to summarize the evidence regarding the impact of HS signs and symptoms on QoL to serve as a basis for future research and help clinicians to consider them in the daily care of HS patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA Guidelines. The following search algorithm was used: (hidradenitis or “acne inversa”) and (pain or itch or odour or malodour or suppuration or oozing or drainage) and (“quality of life”). The literature search identified 836 references, 17 of them met the eligible criteria and were included for analysis, representing 4929 HS patients. Mean age of the participants was 36.28 years and there was a predominance of female sex among study participants. The BMI of the population was in the range of over-weight and about two out five patients were active smokers. Studies included patients with mild to moderate HS, with a mean disease duration of 13.69 years. The HS signs and symptoms assessed were pain, pruritus, malodour and suppuration. Overall, the higher intensity of a sign or symptom correlated with poorer general QoL or specific QoL dimensions including sexual distress, anxiety, depression and sleep. The most frequently employed tool to assess QoL was the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). DLQI was used in 52.9% of the studies (9/17) with a mean value of 10.70 (2.16 SD). The scores employed to assess signs and symptoms severity were subjective and varied between studies, being the numerical rating scale (NRS) for each of the most used symptoms. The mean NRS value for pain was 3.99 and the mean NRS for pruritus was 4.99. In conclusion, we have summarized, categorized and analyzed the scientific evidence regarding signs and symptoms in HS patients and their impairment in QoL. Their assessment should be thorough and included during routine evaluation of HS patients to motivate therapeutic modifications and increase patients’ health.
Influence of surgical and N95 face masks on speech perception and listening effort in noise

Daily-life conversation relies on speech perception in quiet and noise. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have become mandatory in many situations. Acoustic attenuation of sound pressure by the mask tissue reduces speech perception ability, especially in noisy situations. Masks also can impede the process of speech comprehension by concealing the movements of the mouth, interfering with lip reading. In this prospective observational, cross-sectional study including 17 participants with normal hearing, we measured the influence of acoustic attenuation caused by medical face masks (mouth and nose protection) according to EN 14683 and of N95 masks according to EN 1149 (EN 14683) on the speech recognition threshold and listening effort in various types of background noise. Averaged over all noise signals, a surgical mask significantly reduced the speech perception threshold in noise was by 1.6 dB (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0, 2.1) and an N95 mask reduced it significantly by 2.7 dB (95% CI, 2.2, 3.2). Use of a surgical mask did not significantly increase the 50% listening effort signal-to-noise ratio (increase of 0.58 dB; 95% CI, 0.4, 1.5), but use of an N95 mask did so significantly, by 2.2 dB (95% CI, 1.2, 3.1). In acoustic measures, mask tissue reduced amplitudes by up to 8 dB at frequencies above 1 kHz, whereas no reduction was observed below 1 kHz. We conclude that face masks reduce speech perception and increase listening effort in different noise signals. Together with additional interference because of impeded lip reading, the compound effect of face masks could have a relevant impact on daily life communication even in those with normal hearing.
Emergency Use of Targeted Osmotic Lysis for the Treatment of a Patient with Aggressive Late-Stage Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix

Upregulation of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) and Na+/K+-ATPase (sodium pumps) is common across most malignant carcinomas. Targeted osmotic lysis (TOL) is a developing technology in which the concomitant stimulation of VGSCs and pharmacological blockade of sodium pumps causes rapid selective osmotic lysis of carcinoma cells. This treatment of cervical carcinoma is evidence that TOL is a safe, well-tolerated and effective treatment for aggressive advanced carcinomas that has the potential to extend life without compromising its quality. TOL is likely to have broad application for the treatment of advanced-stage carcinomas.
Ethanol Sensing Properties and First Principles Study of Au Supported on Mesoporous ZnO Derived from Metal Organic Framework ZIF-8

It is of great significance to develop ethanol sensors with high sensitivity and low detection temperature. Hence, we prepared Au-supported material on mesoporous ZnO composites derived from a metal-organic framework ZIF-8 for the detection of ethanol gas. The obtained Au/ZnO materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherms. The results showed that the Au/ZnO-1.0 sample maintains a three-dimensional (3D) dodecahedron structure with a larger specific surface area (22.79 m2 g−1) and has more oxygen vacancies. Because of the unique ZIF structure, abundant surface defects and the formation of Au-ZnO Schottky junctions, an Au/ZnO-1.0 sensor has a response factor of 37.74 for 100 ppm ethanol at 250 °C, which is about 6 times that of pure ZnO material. In addition, the Au/ZnO-1.0 sensor has good selectivity for ethanol. According to density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the adsorption energy of Au/ZnO for ethanol (−1.813 eV) is significantly greater than that of pure ZnO (−0.217 eV). Furthermore, the adsorption energy for ethanol is greater than that of other gases.
Opening up participatory spaces: a way of rethinking school practices linked to territory

ABSTRACT Background For education to be underpinned deeply by the principles of inclusion and interculturality, there is a need for school to be reconceptualised as an institution which is strongly linked to its territory and capable of being an agent of social change. As part of a wider project exploring processes of democratic participation for social transformation, this article reports on a research study that supported schools to review and reformulate their educational practices through a school-based Participatory Action Research (PAR) project. Purpose The study sought to support participating schools to examine, review and transform practices by using participatory social diagnosis (PSD) strategies. In particular, it aimed to explore the ways in which PSD practices enabled the review of practices linked to territory, encouraging a process of transformative participation towards inclusion. Method Through participatory projects across four infant (3- to 6-year-old pupils) and primary (6- to 12-year-old pupils) schools in different locations in Spain, case studies were developed to examine participation and community building in the context of each case. Data, including recordings of focus group sessions, were transcribed and analysed qualitatively, using content analysis techniques. Findings Across the four case studies, analysis suggested that, in a variety of ways, spaces and times were created for shared reflection, and participatory techniques generated creative forms available to the entire community to contribute to the analysis and transformation of practices. The findings indicated that PAR techniques had enabled a means of participation that led to a process of circulation and collective production of knowledge, allowing a rethinking of inclusion and territory. Conclusions : Our small scale, in-depth study highlights the implications of opening up participatory spaces with regard to the concept of community, social change and territory. This research may provide insights for future researchers and school communities with similar goals of changing educational practices to address participation from an inclusive and intercultural approach.
A Rare Stinkhorn Fungus Itajahya rosea Attract Drosophila by Producing Chemical Attractants

Abstract Itajahya rosea was found growing in association with Leucaena leucocephala plants at Savitribai Phule Pune University campus in India. The species identity was confirmed by phylogenetic analysis based on ITS and LSU regions of rDNA, wherein, our fugus was placed along with I. rosea in phylogenetic tree. It represents first record of I. rosea from India. Frequent visitation by Drosophila species on I. rosea fruiting body particularly on gleba was observed. The Drosophila got attracted to the detached gleba under the laboratory conditions and even sometimes, they prefer to sit over the gleba as compare to their food banana. It suggested that I. rosea gleba or pseudostipe produces some compounds for attraction and feeding behavior of Drosophila species. Therefore, we characterized the volatile attractants produced by gleba and pseudostipe of I. rosea by GC-MS analysis. Nineteen compounds were identified from gleba while nine compounds were recovered from the pseudostipe. Out of them, blends of three abundant odor producing volatile compounds were reported namely, Hexadecane, Pentadecane and Nonadecane, which are responsible for attraction of Drosophila toward the gleba. Three fatty acids namely 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z), hexadecanoic acid and benzoic acid ethyl ester produced are served as an appetitive signal through olfactory response of Drosophila, so the flies were feed on the gleba. Two pheromones’ compounds, heneicosane and (+)-(5S,9S)-5,9-dimethylpentadecane, were also reported in pseudostipe and gleba, respectively, which play a role in Drosophila for breeding. Our study highlights an intriguing chemical ecology of fungus–Drosophila interaction.
A new spectral index for the quantitative identification of yellow rust using fungal spore information

ABSTRACT Yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. Tritici) is a frequently occurring fungal disease of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). During yellow rust infestation, fungal spores appear on the surface of the leaves as yellow and narrow stripes parallel to the leaf veins. We analyzed the effect of the fungal spores on the spectra of the diseased leaves to find a band sensitive to yellow rust and established a new vegetation index called the yellow rust spore index (YRSI). The estimation accuracy and stability were evaluated using two years of leaf spectral data, and the results were compared with eight indices commonly used for yellow rust detection. The results showed that the use of the YRSI ranked first for estimating the disease ratio for the 2017 spectral data (R2 = 0.710, RMSE = 0.097) and outperformed the published indices (R2 = 0.587, RMSE = 0.120) for the validation using the 2002 spectral data. The random forest (RF), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms were used to test the discrimination ability of the YRSI and the eight commonly used indices using a mixed dataset of yellow-rust-infested, healthy, and aphid–infested wheat spectral data. The YRSI provided the best performance.
Recurrent Neural Networks for Edge Intelligence

Recurrent Neural Networks are ubiquitous and pervasive in many artificial intelligence applications such as speech recognition, predictive healthcare, creative art, and so on. Although they provide accurate superior solutions, they pose a massive challenge “training havoc. ” Current expansion of IoT demands intelligent models to be deployed at the edge. This is precisely to handle increasing model sizes and complex network architectures. Design efforts to meet these for greater performance have had inverse effects on portability on edge devices with real-time constraints of memory, latency, and energy. This article provides a detailed insight into various compression techniques widely disseminated in the deep learning regime. They have become key in mapping powerful RNNs onto resource-constrained devices. While compression of RNNs is the main focus of the survey, it also highlights challenges encountered while training. The training procedure directly influences model performance and compression alongside. Recent advancements to overcome the training challenges with their strengths and drawbacks are discussed. In short, the survey covers the three-step process, namely, architecture selection, efficient training process, and suitable compression technique applicable to a resource-constrained environment. It is thus one of the comprehensive survey guides a developer can adapt for a time-series problem context and an RNN solution for the edge.
Frequency of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies in a large cohort of neurological patients

Background Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody disease (MOG-AD) is recognized as a distinct nosological entity. IgG antibodies against MOG (MOG-Ab) overlap with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) phenotype in adults. However, an increasing number of clinical phenotypes have been reported to be associated with MOG-Ab. Objective To investigate the seroprevalence of MOG-Ab under consideration of demographics, disease entities and time course in a large cohort of unselected neurological patients. Methods Blood samples of 2.107 consecutive adult neurologic patients admitted to our department between 2016-2017 were tested for MOG-Ab using a cell-based assay. MOG-Ab persistence was analyzed in follow-up samples. External validation was performed in two independent laboratories. Results We found MOG-Ab in 25 of 2.107 (1.2%) patients. High antibody ratios were mostly associated with NMOSD and MOG-AD phenotype (5/25). Low ratios occurred in a wide range of neurological diseases, predominantly in other demyelinating CNS diseases (5/25) and stroke (6/25). MOG-Ab persistence over time was not confined to NMOSD and MOG-AD phenotype. Conclusion The present study demonstrates the occurrence of MOG-Ab in a wide range of neurological diseases. Only high MOG-Ab ratios were associated with a defined clinical phenotype, but low MOG-Ab ratios were not. The diagnostic value of low MOG-Ab is thus highly limited.
The characteristics of lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented food as potential probiotics

Abstract Objectives This study aims to determine the characteristics of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus reuteri from fermented soursop fruit juice and cow’s milk, respectively as probiotic candidate based on exposure to pH, bile salts, pathogenic bacteria, and antibiotics. Methods In vitro studies were conducted to examine the resistance of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus reuteri in pH 2, 2.5, 3.2, and 7.2, resistance to bile salts, resistance to pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) and antituberculosis antibiotics. Results Viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus reuteri isolates remained unchanged (6.3 × 107 CFU/mL and 5.03 × 107 CFU/mL) at various acidic pH, and had a low survival rate in Ox gall 0.3% (bile salts). These isolates also showed antibacterial properties against pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract. Both of these bacteria are quite safe to be used together with ofloxacin, linezolid, moxifloxacin, and levofloxacin, antibiotic for tuberculosis therapy. Conclusions The results showed that Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus reuteri from fermented soursop fruit juice and cow’s milk respectively fulfilled the characteristics of probiotic and could potentially be used as adjunct therapy in tuberculosis drug-resistance.
Oblique illumination in self-referencing digital holographic microscopy and its applications

This paper presents the use of oblique illumination in self-referencing digital holographic microscopy (SR-DHM) to separate the interfering beams and enhance the resolution. SR-DHM is a compact and vibration-immune quantitative phase microscopy technique in which the interference of the object beam with part of itself forms the digital hologram. However, one drawback with SR-DHM is that both interfering beams contain object information that may overlap and hinder proper reconstruction. This study shows that using oblique illumination in off-axis DHM configurations separates the two interfering beams' spectra in the Fourier space, which can be used in SR-DHM to separate the overlapping beams' information without any restriction on the sample or the Field of View (FoV). The technique's capability is first shown in lateral shearing SR-DHM using a glass plate in which the object beams reflected from the front and back surfaces of a thick glass plate interfere and form the hologram. Using oblique illumination in this setup removes the redundant information from the FoV and improves the resolution twice. On the other hand, the technique is applied in SR-DHM using Lloyd's mirror, in which part of the object beam reflected from the Lloyd's mirror interferes with the part that arrives straightly at the camera plane. By tuning the fringe density in this setup using the illumination angle, we show that the interfering beams can be separated and the two simultaneous holograms can be recorded and reconstructed without overlapping information. This feature can be used for single-shot 1D resolution enhancement without overlapping information. The samples used in our validation experiments are a USAF test target and a 1D phase grating.
Recovery of camera spectral sensitivity based on multi-objective optimization method

The accurate prediction of spectral sensitivity of digital camera is essential for various aspects in color science, such as color correction, color rendering and color constancy. In this paper, a multi-objective optimization algorithm was proposed to estimate the spectral sensitivity of cameras. Multiple objective functions and Sine subspace based spectral sensitivity were employed in the proposed algorithm, in which excellent robustness and high smoothness were achieved. The performance of this algorithm was theoretically evaluated by multiple numerical simulation experiments, and was further compared with other algorithms in previous literatures based on the criteria of color aberration (δE), spectral recovery error (SE) and similarity between the estimated sensors and the measured ground truth (Vora). According to the numerical simulation results, the multi-objective algorithm can significantly improve the performance of the spectral sensitivity estimation, which may promote its various applications in the fields of color correction and illumination modeling between cameras.
Adaptive LOD representation of terrain model based on quad-tree

Many applications require real-time rendering while ensuring the accuracy of the terrain model. In response to this problem, a lot of research has been conducted in the academic community. Based on previous studies, this paper studies the LOD representation of a regular terrain scene based on a quad-tree, and proposes an adaptive LOD representation method. This method has two advantages: (1) When the quad-tree is used to represent the terrain scene, it is determined whether the quad-tree node needs to be further subdivided according to the number of triangles in the patch. By parameterizing the indicator, it realized the adaptive terrain storage structure; (2) LOD is only performed for the scene within the viewing cone, and the subdivision is mainly based on the viewpoint distance, and the relationship between the subdivision level and the rendering area is quantified. The experimental results show that when the drawing scene is large, the algorithm can greatly reduce the amount of calculation, improve the rendering efficiency of the terrain model, and ensure a good experience of the entire scene.
Study of the amplification behaviors of LP01 and LP11 mode signal during stimulated Brillouin scattering in two-mode fiber

During the stimulated Brillouin scattering in multimode fiber, the Brillouin gain of different mode of the signal beam is affected by the property of both the light modes and acoustic modes in waveguides. In our study, the stimulated Brillouin scattering process in two-mode fiber is investigated, both experimentally and numerically, based on the mode characteristics of light field and acoustics field. The results indicate that the Brillouin gain of corresponding combination of signal-pump modes is determined by the overlapping area of optics-acoustic mode fields.
Study on the ablation of layered semiconductor material by femtosecond laser

Graphene has emerged excellent electronic, optical and mechanical properties as a layered semiconductor, and opening its bandgap through modulation further expands its practical applications. Direct laser writing has been widely used in material modulation, owing to its high precision, convenient local processing capacity. As an important factor, laser parameters play a crucial role in the ablation of materials. In this paper, the influence of laser parameters on the ablation was investigated by adjusting the energy and numbers of laser pulse. The saturation of ablation was found in the case of 500 pulses, and the ablation threshold of graphene paper was calculated to be 0.2 J/cm2. The results above have a positive effect on the modulation and the further devices fabrication of graphene paper.
Iterative reconstruction of diffraction limited digital holography

Digital holographic imaging has the characteristics of fast and flexible with simple set up, and it can quantitatively obtain the intensity and phase of objects. The resolution of the reconstructed image is greatly limited by the pixelated imaging detectors during the digitization processing of holograms. Due to the limited diffraction bandwidth, the diffracted beam of each object point can be viewed as a diffractive cone. The lack of diffraction components causes the reconstructed quality to decrease when the detector cannot collect a complete diffracted wave field in the inline holography. In this work, we studied the reconstructed quality of holograms under different sampling forms. The losing diffraction components can be reconstructed by using an iterative algorithm based on energy attenuation and support constraints. We propose three iterative methods. The first is the bicubic interpolation and extrapolation iterative method based on a single small detector. The second is multi-plane extrapolation iterative method. The third is a faithful iterative reconstruction based on a sparse sensor array. When the diffraction component recorded by the hologram is missing, the losing diffraction components can be reconstructed by using the principle of the holographic redundancy. The reduction of reconstruction quality caused by the loss of sampling in the small-sized detector and sparse sensor array in the digital holography can be compensated.