Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An active electrolocation catheter system for imaging and analysis of coronary plaques

Coronary artery disease—currently one of the most frequent causes of death—is characterized by atherosclerotic plaques grown in the wall of blood vessels and inhibiting blood flow. Preventive assessment focusses on critical sizes of structural plaque parameters like relative lipid core area and cap thickness to identify high-risk plaques called thin cap fibroatheromas. Although state-of-the-art catheter systems were successfully applied in invasive plaque diagnostics, the high costs induced by these devices inhibit usage in daily clinical practice. To overcome this shortcoming, we follow a biomimetic approach to construct a prospective low-cost catheter system that adapts the active electrolocation principles of weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii. Only a few and simple parameters relevant for plaque detection and characterization are estimated from plaque-evoked electric images which are projected on the surface of the catheter. Two prototypical electrolocation catheter systems were tested. The first catheter system featured a ring electrode catheter and was used to obtain dynamic 1D electric images of synthetic plaques in an agarose atherosclerosis model. Our proof of concept showed that synthetic plaques could be reliably detected from 1D electric images. Based on a cluster analysis of selected key image features, synthetic plaques could be categorized into four plaque conditions, predefined from thresholds for critical structural parameters, representing high to low risk plaques. In the second recording approach, plaque-evoked dynamic and static spatial electric images were obtained by a multi-electrode catheter system. Based on these recordings, a synthetic plaque with a critical cap thickness could be detected and localized in a pig coronary artery.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Antagonists Mitigate the Effects of Dioxin on Critical Cellular Functions in Differentiating Human Osteoblast-Like Cells

The inhibition of bone healing in humans is a well-established effect associated with cigarette smoking, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Recent work using animal cell lines have implicated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as a mediator of the anti-osteogenic effects of cigarette smoke, but the complexity of cigarette smoke mixtures makes understanding the mechanisms of action a major challenge. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, dioxin) is a high-affinity AhR ligand that is frequently used to investigate biological processes impacted by AhR activation. Since there are dozens of AhR ligands present in cigarette smoke, we utilized dioxin as a prototype ligand to activate the receptor and explore its effects on pro-osteogenic biomarkers and other factors critical to osteogenesis using a human osteoblast-like cell line. We also explored the capacity for AhR antagonists to protect against dioxin action in this context. We found dioxin to inhibit osteogenic differentiation, whereas co-treatment with various AhR antagonists protected against dioxin action. Dioxin also negatively impacted cell adhesion with a corresponding reduction in the expression of integrin and cadherin proteins, which are known to be involved in this process. Similarly, the dioxin-mediated inhibition of cell migration correlated with reduced expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its ligand, CXCL12, and co-treatment with antagonists restored migratory capacity. Our results suggest that AhR activation may play a role in the bone regenerative response in humans exposed to AhR activators, such as those present in cigarette smoke. Given the similarity of our results using a human cell line to previous work done in murine cells, animal models may yield data relevant to the human setting. In addition, the AhR may represent a potential therapeutic target for orthopedic patients who smoke cigarettes, or those who are exposed to secondhand smoke or other environmental sources of aryl hydrocarbons.
Performance effect analysis for insect classification using convolutional neural network

It is necessary to develop an automated insect classification method in order to create high added value of insects. Recently, image classification work applying deep learning shows the best result of classification performance. In this paper, we use convolutional neural network to classify insects and examine the effect of the classification performance with the varying number of kernels in the convolution layer and with the different image datasets. Experiments were conducted on 27 insect classes of ImageNet dataset with AlexNet. We confirmed that the classification performance of neural network improves where insects are well represented at the center of the image, and when the number of convolution kernels increases.
Combined steroid and lignocaine injection in resistant cases of tennis elbow: A prospective, interventional study from India

Background: Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis is a chronic, painful condition and is often resistant to conventional therapy. We evaluated the benefits of a combined steroid and lignocaine injection in resistant cases of tennis elbow. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, interventional study, we included chronic lateral epicondylitis patients resistant to analgesics and physiotherapy. The pain was assessed by visual analog scale (VAS), and we included patients with a baseline VAS >4. All patients were given local infiltration at the painful site with methylprednisolone (1 ml) and lignocaine (1 ml) by the peppering technique. The primary outcome was the change in VAS from the baseline at the end of 7 and 28 days. The improvement is classified as good, moderate, or mild based on the reduction in VAS score by 3, 2, 1, respectively. Descriptive statistics and appropriate tests were used to analyze the results. Results: The study population (n = 63; male: female - 33:30) had a mean age of 36.2 ± 4.5 years and disease duration of 17.4 ± 5.8 weeks. After 1 week, 55 patients showed good improvement, three patients showed moderate improvement, two patients showed mild improvement, and three patients had no improvement. The improvement persisted till 28 days in all the patients and one patient who had not improved after 7 days did not report for 28 days follow-up. Conclusion: Local infiltration with steroids and lignocaine is a useful modality of therapy for tennis elbow, especially in patients where ultrasonic therapy and conservative measures have failed.
A review on power electronic converters suitable for renewable energy sources

At present, power electronics advancements on renewable energy sources are mainly lying on converters and inverters (i.e.) moderators. The power electronic modules play a vital role in handling generation, transmission, distribution and consumer end appliances. Due to the lack of familiarity on the power electronic modules the researchers experience the complexity in choosing appropriate power electronic modules for standalone renewable energy sources like Photovoltaic panels, wind turbines etc. The improper selection of power modules leads to deteriorating the efficiency of the system and detriment of the equipments too. There is a discussion on the usefulness of hybridization of renewable energy resources by taking into account of optimum utilization and compensation of the investment done on the sources. So, choosing a suitable power module for the hybrid system further increases the complexity in choosing the appropriate power electronic modules. This proposed paper will emphasis on different power electronic converters that have been presented in the literature which are suitable for stand-alone and an array of renewable energy sources. In addition, it presents about different kinds of power converter topologies along with the technical requirements, control structures and boundaries. This paper also gives an insight on the evaluation of the existing converter topologies by considering the various parameters. Through which a suitable characterization of promising converter topology can be opted for either stand alone or hybrid renewable energy resources.
Modelling of the Superplastic Deformation of the Near-α Titanium Alloy (Ti-2.5Al-1.8Mn) Using Arrhenius-Type Constitutive Model and Artificial Neural Network

The paper focuses on developing constitutive models for superplastic deformation behaviour of near-α titanium alloy (Ti-2.5Al-1.8Mn) at elevated temperatures in a range from 840 to 890 °C and in a strain rate range from 2 × 10−4 to 8 × 10−4 s−1. Stress–strain experimental tensile tests data were used to develop the mathematical models. Both, hyperbolic sine Arrhenius-type constitutive model and artificial neural-network model were constructed. A comparative study on the competence of the developed models to predict the superplastic deformation behaviour of this alloy was made. The fitting results suggest that the artificial neural-network model has higher accuracy and is more efficient in fitting the superplastic deformation flow behaviour of near-α Titanium alloy (Ti-2.5Al-1.8Mn) at superplastic forming than the Arrhenius-type constitutive model. However, the tested results revealed that the error for the artificial neural-network is higher than the case of Arrhenius-type constitutive model for predicting the unmodelled conditions.
An Interactive Graphical Interface for Retrieving Multi-attribute Data: A Case Study on Historical Relics Retrieval in 3D Digital Museum

Information retrieval (IR) has become more and more important in our daily lives. But there are few graphical interfaces or tools that can represent complex data querying and the searching process. This paper proposes a visual tool for multi-attribute data retrieval. The tool provides a Voronoi treemap combined with a selected path tree (SPT) on one window to conduct information retrieval according to different attributes of data, which are organized by a Voronoi treemap, and the other window is used to show retrieval results synchronously. Herein, SPT is used to record user's selection of attributes and is visually superimposed on Voronoi treemap. It may be composed of different levels of nodes in Voronoi treemap and it records the operations of attributes - Union, Intersection and Complement- during the attributes selecting process. Users can also adjust the SPT interactively according to displayed results on the other window. Finally, the paper gives some examples of selecting historical relics in 3D digital museum design system based on double touch-screen. The results prove the usability and effectiveness of our work.
The Influence of Big (Clinical) Data and Genomics on Precision Medicine and Drug Development

Drug development continues to be costly and slow, with medications failing due to lack of efficacy or presence of toxicity. The promise of pharmacogenomic discovery includes tailoring therapeutics based on an individual's genetic makeup, rational drug development, and repurposing medications. Rapid growth of large research cohorts, linked to electronic health record (EHR) data, fuels discovery of new genetic variants predicting drug action, supports Mendelian randomization experiments to show drug efficacy, and suggests new indications for existing medications. New biomedical informatics and machine‐learning approaches advance the ability to interpret clinical information, enabling identification of complex phenotypes and subpopulations of patients. We review the recent history of use of “big data” from EHR‐based cohorts and biobanks supporting these activities. Future studies using EHR data, other information sources, and new methods will promote a foundation for discovery to more rapidly advance precision medicine.
The study of vegetation greenness patterns through time series clustering of remotely sensed data

Vegetation greenness is a proxy for good and fertile condition of the ecosystem. In this study we use the vegetation health index computed from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to semi-automatically track greenness patterns across Thailand. Time series data from NOAA-AVHRR are clustered to analyze greenness patterns and compare these greenness patterns against geographical areas. The study results reveal some interesting agreement of cluster's greenness value to the actual land use activity. The two major patterns considered interesting are the lowest vegetation health index of the cluster containing Bangkok and surrounding metropolitan areas, and the fluctuation of greenness value in the cluster of central provincial areas along the Chao Phraya River. These central provinces are massive rice fields of Thailand. The fluctuation of greenness values within a year in these central provinces is found being in accordance with the rice growing and harvesting seasons. This finding thus confirms the reliability of NOAA-AVHRR to remotely monitor growing season of farm crops.
A novel stability criterion for fuzzy hyperbolic time-delay system based on dynamic delay partitioning approach

In this paper, a new method, namely, the dynamic delay partitioning method, is firstly developed to solve the problems of stability analysis for fuzzy hyperbolic time-delay systems. Different from previous results, the delay interval [0, τ] is partitioned into some variable subintervals by employing dynamic delay partitioning method. Thus, new delay-dependent stability criteria for fuzzy hyperbolic time-delay systems is derived by applying this dynamic delay partitioning method, which is less conservative than previous results. The stability result is further extended to fuzzy time-delay systems with time-varying parameter uncertainties. Two examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness for conservatism reduction.
Collagen and Elastic Fibers in the Penis of Human Fetuses at 28 Weeks Postconception

Objectives: The extracellular matrix is a key element in penile function and pathology, yet little is known of its development. Herein we investigated the morphological organization of collagen and elastin in the corpora cavernosa and tunica albuginea of human fetuses. Material and Methods: The penises from 5 fresh human fetuses at 28 weeks postconception (WPC) were routinely fixed and embedded, and all staining procedures were carried out on paraffin sections. Collagen was evidenced by staining with: (1) Gomori’s trichrome; (2) sirius red, followed by observation under polarized light, and (3) an antihuman collagen type-III antibody. Elastin and the whole elastic system were revealed using an antihuman elastin antibody and Weigert’s resorcin fucsin, respectively. Results: At this stage of fetal development, the albuginea is formed predominantly by dense bundles of collagen. Near the corpora cavernosa, the presence of type-III collagen was also observed. Weigert staining showed numerous fibers of the elastic system in the albuginea. Type-III collagen was found to be strongly positive in the cavernous trabeculae and in the connective sheath surrounding the central artery. Using Weigert staining and an immunolabeling method with primary antibody against human elastin, we found an important quantity of elastic system fibers in the trabeculae of the corpora cavernosa. Conclusion: In fetuses at 28 WPC the albuginea is formed predominantly by dense bundles of collagen. The trabecular structures of the corpora cavernosa present a significant quantity of type-III collagen and elastic system fibers.
The effect of remission status on work functioning in employed patients treated for major depressive disorder.

BACKGROUND The ability to function at work is impaired in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) but few clinical trials include occupational outcome assessments. This study examined whether symptom remission following treatment for MDD is associated with work functioning improvement. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of a 12-week randomized clinical trial comparing escitalopram with or without telephone-administered cognitive therapy in employed patients with MDD (N = 86). Outcomes included the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and validated, self-rated work functioning scales including the Lam Employment Absence and Productivity Scale (LEAPS), Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ), and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Remission was defined as MADRS score ≤10 at 12 weeks. Data were evaluated using analysis of covariance with baseline score as covariates. RESULTS Remission status was associated with significant improvement in work performance as assessed by the LEAPS productivity subscale, HPQ overall performance, and the SDS work/school item; a trend (P = .08) was observed with the HPQ productivity subscale. The effect sizes (d = 0.23, 0.51, 0.36, and 0.43, respectively) indicate small to medium effects that are likely clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study confirm that symptom remission following treatment is associated significantly with improvement in work performance and productivity, as measured by validated work functioning scales. Measurement-based care for MDD should include both symptom and functional outcome assessments.
An introduction to face-recognition methods and its implementation in software applications

Face detection and recognition technology has shown a steep development in the field of scientific research and is subsequently harvesting growing interest from the industry, which in fact can be confirmed seeing numerous implementations in forms of commercial applications such as autofocus in digital cameras, human computer interfaces in smartphones, or even video surveillance cameras in airports. In response to this growing interest and willingness to implement this technology of face detection and face recognition technology, this paper will provide the readers with fundamental knowledge of how face detection essentially works and ought to help the readers to establish a foothold in developing own ideas using face detection technology. The main purpose of this research paper is to introduce several significant principles of current face-detecting methods such as active shape model (ASM), active appearance model (AAM) and constrained local models (CLM) in a comprehensive manner and to provide some insight on closely related topics such as principal component analysis and eigenfaces. In this paper, we will also present selected examples of implementations of above mentioned face-detecting methods via open-source software applications such as of xFacetracker and FaceSubstitution with openFrameworks.
A randomized controlled trial on a nurse‐led smartphone‐based self‐management programme for people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes: A study protocol

AIM To develop and compare a nurse-led smartphone-based self-management programme with an existing nurse-led diabetes service on health-related outcomes for people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes in Singapore. BACKGROUND Over the past decades, Asia has emerged as the "diabetes epicentre" in the world due to rapid economic development, urbanization and nutrition transition. There is an urgent need to develop more effective care management strategies in response to this rising diabetes epidemic. DESIGN A randomized controlled trial with pre- and repeated posttests control group design. METHODOLOGY A total of 128 adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes will be recruited from the diabetes clinic of a public acute hospital in Singapore through convenience sampling. Study participants will be randomly allocated either to the experimental group or the control group. Outcome measures will include the 10-item General Self-Efficacy Scale, 11-item Revised Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities and 19-item Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life. Data will be collected at three time points: baseline, 3 and 6 months from the baseline. DISCUSSION It is expected that this programme will be an alternative offered to diabetes patients to master their self-care management skills, in addition to the existing diabetes service provided in diabetes clinics in Singapore hospitals. Furthermore, the self-supporting and less resource-intensive nature of this programme, using a smartphone application as the mode of intervention delivery, will greatly reduce nurses' direct contact time with patients and allow more time to be allocated to those who require more attention. The study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. The trial registration number is NCT03088475.
Adapting psychotherapy for older patients with Parkinson's disease

ABSTRACT Background: Emotional distress associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) increases disease burden and decreases functioning. The literature supports the benefits of psychological interventions for amelioration of emotional distress in persons with PD. The objective of this study is to apply the Contextual Adult Lifespan Theory for Adapting Psychotherapy (CALTAP) to enhancing psychological treatment for persons with PD. Methods: This paper uses case examples to demonstrate the usefulness of the CALTAP model in helping patients and clinicians separate disease symptoms from the aging process. The examples also illustrate how working in this way can be beneficial in reducing emotional distress in persons with PD. Results: CALTAP contributes to helping persons with PD and persons treating them understand the effects of the disease, separate disease effects from aging processes, and think through the influences of social context, cohort effects, and cultural differences. Conclusions: The CALTAP model can guide adaptations to psychological interventions for emotional distress in PD and potentially improve their effects.
Pathogenic, immunologic, and clinical aspects of sepsis – update 2016

ABSTRACT Introduction: Sepsis is a major cause of death worldwide but its orchestrating components remain incompletely understood. On the one hand, development of sepsis results from an infectious focus that cannot be controlled by the immune system, but on the other, responding immune cells that can eliminate the infection inflict damage to the host by contributing to complications such as endothelial leakage, septic shock, and multiorgan failure. Areas covered: In this review we give a comprehensive overview of how sepsis occurs, which exogenous and endogenous factors might affect the immune-pathophysiological course of sepsis and finally how this knowledge translates into up-to-date definitions and therapeutic approaches. Expert commentary: Although new immunological mechanisms altering the course of sepsis have been identified recently, future research needs to address the limitations of experimental approaches, redirect the research focus into translational approaches, and finally evaluate personalized treatment strategies.
Estimation of CFO in OFDM based UWB system

The Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is used an effective transmission scheme for multipath propagation which finds application in the Ultra-Wide Band system (UWB). However, the performance of OFDM based system is severely degraded because of the mismatch in the Doppler shift and in the transmitter receiver oscillators which known as the carrier frequency offset causing inter carrier interference, shift rotation of constellation points. To achieve better receiver performance we have to estimate and correct the CFO before processing the receiver. In this papers, two methods are presented to estimate CFO, one is based on the training signal which has two identical parts each having half the duration of the time domain OFDM symbol, and the another method based on the unique data aided training symbol. The performances of these methods are evaluated through mean square error (MSE) simulation using Matlab.