Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Minimally invasive procedures in the management of uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are benign uterine tumors. In women during the reproductive period, uterine fibroids occur in about 25%, whereas after this time, they are observed in more than 40% of women. In the majority of women (about 20-50%), such tumors do not cause discomfort and do not require treatment. Asymptomatic uterine fibroids usually undergo only regular medical control, whereas symptomatic fibroids are an indication for treatment. Current treatment methods include surgical, pharmacological and minimally invasive treatment. Among the current commonly used methods, there are minimally invasive treatment options, which include Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE), Magnetic Resonance Guided Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS), MR-guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (MR-HIFU) and Laparoscopic Uterine Artery Occlusion (LUAO). The minimally invasive Ultrasound-guided High Intensity Focused Ultrasound method (US-HIFU) is new, but still experimental. The use of MRgFUS/MR-HIFU for the thermoablative treatment of fibroids was approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 2004. As a minimally invasive method, it enables preservation of the uterus and eliminates the need for general anesthesia. LUAO is based on the use of the vascular clip, which is placed on the uterine artery at the level of the internal iliac artery. This procedure is performed bilaterally. The use of UAE in obstetrics and gynecology was first described in 1987 as an effective method in the treatment of hemorrhage, which allows avoiding surgical intervention and enables the uterus to be preserved. An appropriate qualification of patients is crucial for high clinical efficacy and prevention of complications after UAE. The candidates should be women with symptomatic uterine fibroids, without other pathologies within the pelvis, who do not plan to get pregnant in the future. The variety of uterine fibroids as for the location, size, and symptoms they can evoke, has enforced a very individual approach to each patient, to begin with observation and regular gynecological control, through a number of pharmacological and minimally invasive treatment methods, and ending with the removal of the uterus. It gives the doctors the tools, which, if used properly, can manage uterine fibroids and fulfil the expectations of the patient.
Response of broiler chickens to dietary energy and lysine levels in a warm environment.

Two trials were conducted to determine the response of 23- to 47-day-old broiler chickens to dietary lysine and energy levels when reared in a 26.7 C environment. Broiler finishing diets, which contained 3100, 3175, 3250, or 3325 kcal ME/kg of feed were fed in combination with either . 308 or . 322% lysine/Mcal (kg) with a constant 18.7% dietary protein. Male and female body weights were not statistically different (P less than .05) among dietary energy levels when both sexes were fed . 308% lysine/Mcal (kg). When the male chicks were fed . 322% lysine/Mcal (kg), body weights increased with increasing dietary energy level. Feed utilization also increased with increasing dietary energy level when broilers were fed either . 308 or . 322% lysine/Mcal (kg). These data suggest that the body weight response to dietary energy level when broilers were reared in a warm environment will occur only when adequate amino acid levels are employed. The dietary energy requirement is at least 3250 kcal ME/kg of feed when 23- to 47-day-old broilers are fed . 322% lysine/Mcal (kg) and reared in a hot environment but appeared to be lower when broilers were fed . 308% lysine/kg of feed.
Evaluating Different Strategies to Mitigate the Ramp-up Problem in Recommendation Domains

Recommender Systems (RSs) have assumed a prominent role in e-commerce domains, affecting decisively distinct business phases, such as convert new users into customers. The total absence of information about new users is one of the main challenges in this area, and it is known in the literature as Ramp-up Problem. In this scenario, non-personalized strategy are chosen for simplicity, domain independence and effectiveness. State-of-the-art strategies assume that popular items are more likely to represent useful recommendations when the user profile is not known. In contrast, other strategies consider that diversifying recommendations represents potential chances of attracting new users. This work performs an extensive characterization of this problem, in order to contrast the main existing techniques. Our analyses point to a trade-off of popularity and diversity, suggesting that these two dimensions are essential to the Ramp-up problem. However, the main e-commerce systems insist on presenting only strategies that consider accuracy, prioritizing popularity over diversity. The results show that, indeed, both dimensions are relevant to this important scenario in e-commerce.
Fronthaul data compression for Uplink CoMP in cloud radio access network (C‐RAN)

The design of efficient wireless fronthaul connections for future heterogeneous networks incorporating emerging paradigms such as cloud radio access network has become a challenging task that requires the most effective utilisation of fronthaul network resources. In this paper, we propose to use distributed compression to reduce the fronthaul traffic in uplink Coordinated Multi‐Point for cloud radio access network. Unlike the conventional approach where each coordinating point quantises and forwards its own observation to the processing centre, these observations are compressed before forwarding. At the processing centre, the decompression of the observations and the decoding of the user message are conducted in a successive manner. The essence of this approach is the optimisation of the distributed compression using an iterative algorithm to achieve maximal user rate with a given fronthaul rate. In other words, for a target user rate the generated fronthaul traffic is minimised. Moreover, joint decompression and decoding is studied and an iterative optimisation algorithm is devised accordingly. Finally, the analysis is extended to multi‐user case and our results reveal that, in both dense and ultra‐dense urban deployment scenarios, the usage of distributed compression can efficiently reduce the required fronthaul rate and a further reduction is obtained with joint operation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clearance of stored red blood cells is not increased compared with fresh red blood cells in a human endotoxemia model

It is thought that the clearance of transfused red blood cells (RBCs) is related both to the storage time of the transfusion product and to the inflammatory status of the recipient. We investigated these effects in a randomized, “two‐hit,” healthy volunteer transfusion model, comparing autologous RBCs that were stored for 35 days with those that were stored for 2 days.
Effects of different aerobic exercise programmes with nutritional intervention in sedentary adults with overweight/obesity and hypertension: EXERDIET-HTA study

Background Both exercise training and diet are recommended to prevent and control hypertension and overweight/obesity. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of different 16-week aerobic exercise programmes with hypocaloric diet on blood pressure, body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness and pharmacological treatment. Methods Overweight/obese, sedentary participants (n = 175, aged 54.0 ± 8.2 years) with hypertension were randomly assigned into an attention control group (physical activity recommendations) or one of three supervised exercise groups (2 days/week: high-volume with 45 minutes of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), high-volume and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), alternating high and moderate intensities, and low-volume HIIT (20 minutes)). All variables were assessed pre- and post-intervention. All participants received the same hypocaloric diet. Results Following the intervention, there was a significant reduction in blood pressure and body mass in all groups with no between-group differences for blood pressure. However, body mass was significantly less reduced in the attention control group compared with all exercise groups (attention control –6.6%, high-volume MICT –8.3%, high-volume HIIT –9.7%, low-volume HIIT –6.9%). HIIT groups had significantly higher cardiorespiratory fitness than high-volume MICT, but there were no significant between-HIIT differences (attention control 16.4%, high-volume MICT 23.6%, high-volume HIIT 36.7%, low-volume HIIT 30.5%). Medication was removed in 7.6% and reduced in 37.7% of the participants. Conclusions The combination of hypocaloric diet with supervised aerobic exercise 2 days/week offers an optimal non-pharmacological tool in the management of blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in overweight/obese and sedentary individuals with hypertension. High-volume HIIT seems to be better for reducing body mass compared with low-volume HIIT. The exercise-induced improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness is intensity dependent with low-volume HIIT as a time-efficient method in this population. ClinicalTrials.gov Registration: NCT02283047.
An MDA approach for developing secure OLAP applications: Metamodels and transformations

Decision makers query enterprise information stored in Data Warehouses (DW) by using tools (such as On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) tools) which employ specific views or cubes from the corporate DW or Data Marts, based on multidimensional modelling. Since the information managed is critical, security constraints have to be correctly established in order to avoid unauthorized access. In previous work we defined a Model-Driven based approach for developing a secure DW repository by following a relational approach. Nevertheless, it is also important to define security constraints in the metadata layer that connects the DW repository with the OLAP tools; that is, over the same multidimensional structures that end users manage. This paper incorporates a proposal for developing secure OLAP applications within our previous approach: it improves a UML profile for conceptual modelling; it defines a logical metamodel for OLAP applications; and it defines and implements transformations from conceptual to logical models, as well as from logical models to secure implementation in a specific OLAP tool (SQL Server Analysis Services).
Another case for diet restriction: TAp73-expressing medulloblastomas are stunted by glutamine withdrawal

This Outlook by Napoli and Flores discusses the study by Niklison-Chirou et al., in which they identify the p53 family member and p73 isoform TAp73 as a crucial factor causing glutamine addiction in aggressive medulloblastomas. These findings pave the way for the use of glutamine restriction as an adjuvant treatment for TAp73-expressing medulloblastomas.
Can anti-Mullerian hormone predict the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome? A systematic review and meta-analysis of extracted data.

CONTEXT Existing biochemical tests for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have poor sensitivity and specificity. Many women with PCOS have high anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations; thus, this may be a useful addition to the diagnostic criteria. OBJECTIVE A systematic literature review was performed to assess the true accuracy of AMH in the prediction of PCOS and to determine the optimal diagnostic threshold. DATA SOURCES Published and gray literature were searched for all years until January 2013. STUDY SELECTION Observational studies defining PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria and assessing the value of AMH in diagnosing PCOS were selected. Ten studies of the initial 314 hits reporting AMH values in the diagnosis of PCOS were included in the meta-analysis and the construction of the summary receiver-operating characteristic curve. Four studies that plotted individual AMH serum levels of women with PCOS and controls on graphs were selected for individual data extraction. DATA EXTRACTION Two researchers independently assessed the abstracts resulted from the initial search against the inclusion criteria, graded the papers for selection and verification biases, and selected the papers that assessed the value of AMH in diagnosing PCOS. Data were extracted from 4 studies with the plotted individual data on graphs with the help of computer software. DATA SYNTHESIS The meta-analysis of the extracted data demonstrated the specificity and sensitivity in diagnosing PCOS in the symptomatic women of 79.4% and 82.8%, respectively, for a cutoff value of AMH of 4.7 ng/mL. The area under the curve was 0.87 (95% confidence interval 0.83-0.92), identical with the area under the curve of 0.87 for the summary receiver-operating characteristic curve involving 10 separate studies. CONCLUSIONS AMH may be a useful initial diagnostic test for PCOS subject to validation in prospective population cohorts.
On Generalizing Neural Node Embedding Methods to Multi-Network Problems

Representation learning has attracted significant interest in the community and has been shown to be successful in tasks involving one graph, such as link prediction and node classification. In this paper, we conduct an empirical study of two leading deep learning based node embedding methods, node2vec and SDNE, to examine their suitability for problems that involvemultiple graphs. Although they have been shown to preserve properties necessary for the success of canonical tasks on a single graph, we find that different runs of the same algorithm even on the same graph yield different embeddings. For node embedding methods to apply to multi-graph problems, we note that this finding motivates additional work in learning how to embed different graphs similarly.
Anatomy, Development, and Function of the Human Pelvis

The pelvis is an anatomically complex and functionally informative bone that contributes directly to both human locomotion and obstetrics. Because of the pelvis’ important role in obstetrics, it is one of the most sexually dimorphic bony elements of the human body. The complex intersection of pelvic dimorphism, locomotion, and obstetrics has been reenergized by exciting new research, and many papers in this special issue of the pelvis help provide clarity on the relationship between pelvic form (especially female) and locomotor function. Compared to the pelvis of our ape relatives, the human pelvis is uniquely shaped; it is superoinferiorly short and stout, and mediolaterally wide—critical adaptations for bipedalism that are already present in some form very early in the history of the hominin lineage. In this issue, 13 original research papers address the anatomy, development, variation, and function of the modern human pelvis, with implications for understanding the selection pressures that shaped and continue to shape this bone. This rich collection of scholarship moves our understanding of the pelvis forward, while raising dozens of new questions that we hope will serve as inspiration for colleagues and students (both current and future) puzzled by this fascinatingly complex bone. Anat Rec, 300:628–632, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multifunctional Woven Structure Operating as Triboelectric Energy Harvester, Capacitive Tactile Sensor Array, and Piezoresistive Strain Sensor Array

This paper presents a power-generating sensor array in a flexible and stretchable form. The proposed device is composed of resistive strain sensors, capacitive tactile sensors, and a triboelectric energy harvester in a single platform. The device is implemented in a woven textile structure by using proposed functional threads. A single functional thread is composed of a flexible hollow tube coated with silver nanowires on the outer surface and a conductive silver thread inside the tube. The total size of the device is 60 × 60 mm2 having a 5 × 5 array of sensor cell. The touch force in the vertical direction can be sensed by measuring the capacitance between the warp and weft functional threads. In addition, because silver nanowire layers provide piezoresistivity, the strain applied in the lateral direction can be detected by measuring the resistance of each thread. Last, with regard to the energy harvester, the maximum power and power density were measured as 201 μW and 0.48 W/m2, respectively, when the device was pushed in the vertical direction.
Effects of delayed housing of broiler chicks and three different types of waterers on broiler performance.

The performance of broilers was examined under different days of placement (after hatching) and with three different types of waterers: 1) an automatic satellite waterer; 2) a broiler Plasson waterer; and 3) a regular Plasson waterer with a plastic ring in the trough of the waterer for 3 d. Male broiler chicks (2,106) from a commercial strain were randomly placed in 27 litter floor pens, with 9 pens per day of placement and waterer treatments. The broilers consumed feed and water ad libitum and mortality was recorded. The broilers were weighed at day of placement, at 7 and 49 d from day of placement and at 28 and 49 d from day of hatch. There was a difference in body weight (P < .05) among the broilers on the day of placement, with those on the day of hatch being heavier. There was no difference in body weights or feed conversion taken after the broilers were on feed for 7 and 49 d after placement. The broilers placed on the 3rd d after hatching had a higher (P < .05) mortality rate at 28 d of age than the other two groups. There was no difference in body weight, feed conversion, or mortality within the three different waterer treatments except for the broilers on the Plasson with the ring, which was higher in mortality percentage (P < .05) than the broilers on the broiler Plasson waterer. The broilers placed in the pens with the regular Plasson waterer did not get wet from climbing into the water during the first few days as did the broilers in the pens with the automatic satellite waterer or the Plasson waterer with the ring.
Active perception and modeling of deformable surfaces using Gaussian processes and position-based dynamics

Exploring and modeling heterogeneous elastic surfaces requires multiple interactions with the environment and a complex selection of physical material parameters. The most common approaches model deformable properties from sets of offline observations using computationally expensive force-based simulators. In this work we present an online probabilistic framework for autonomous estimation of a deformability distribution map of heterogeneous elastic surfaces from few physical interactions. The method takes advantage of Gaussian Processes for constructing a model of the environment geometry surrounding a robot. A fast Position-based Dynamics simulator uses focused environmental observations in order to model the elastic behavior of portions of the environment. Gaussian Process Regression maps the local deformability on the whole environment in order to generate a deformability distribution map. We show experimental results using a PrimeSense camera, a Kinova Jaco2 robotic arm and an Optoforce sensor on different deformable surfaces.
Origins of Shared Genetic Variation in African Cichlids

Cichlid fishes have evolved tremendous morphological and behavioral diversity in the waters of East Africa. Within each of the Great Lakes Tanganyika, Malawi, and Victoria, the phenomena of hybridization and retention of ancestral polymorphism explain allele sharing across species. Here, we explore the sharing of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between the major East African cichlid assemblages. A set of approximately 200 genic and nongenic SNPs was ascertained in five Lake Malawi species and genotyped in a diverse collection of ∼160 species from across Africa. We observed segregating polymorphism outside of the Malawi lineage for more than 50% of these loci; this holds similarly for genic versus nongenic SNPs, as well as for SNPs at putative CpG versus non-CpG sites. Bayesian and principal component analyses of genetic structure in the data demonstrate that the Lake Malawi endemic flock is not monophyletic and that river species have likely contributed significantly to Malawi genomes. Coalescent simulations support the hypothesis that river cichlids have transported polymorphism between lake assemblages. We observed strong genetic differentiation between Malawi lineages for approximately 8% of loci, with contributions from both genic and nongenic SNPs. Notably, more than half of these outlier loci between Malawi groups are polymorphic outside of the lake. Cichlid fishes have evolved diversity in Lake Malawi as new mutations combined with standing genetic variation shared across East Africa.
Fecal Microbiota Transplant Restores Mucosal Integrity in a Murine Model of Burn Injury

ABSTRACT The gut microbiome is a community of commensal organisms that are known to play a role in nutrient production as well as gut homeostasis. The composition of the gut flora can be affected by many factors; however, the impact of burn injury on the microbiome is not fully known. Here, we hypothesized that burn-induced changes to the microbiome would impact overall colon health. After scald-burn injury, cecal samples were analyzed for aerobic and anaerobic colony forming units, bacterial community, and butyrate levels. In addition, colon and total intestinal permeabilities were determined. These parameters were further determined in a germ-reduced murine model. Following both burn injury and germ reduction, we observed decreases in aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, increased colon permeability and no change to small intestinal permeability. After burn injury, we further observed a significant decrease in the butyrate producing bacteria R. Gnavus, C. Eutactus, and Roseburia species as well as decreases in colonic butyrate. Finally, in mice that underwent burn followed by fecal microbiota transplant, bacteria levels and mucosal integrity were restored. Altogether our data demonstrate that burn injury can alter the microbiome leading to decreased butyrate levels and increased colon permeability. Of interest, fecal microbiota transplant treatment was able to ameliorate the burn-induced changes in colon permeability. Thus, fecal transplantation may represent a novel therapy in restoring colon health after burn injury.
2 B +-tree for Persistent Memory 2 . 1 Challenge : clflush and mfence

With the emergence of byte-addressable persistent memory (PM), a cache line, instead of a page, is expected to be the unit of data transfer between volatile and nonvolatile devices, but the failure-atomicity of write operations is guaranteed in the granularity of 8 bytes rather than cache lines. This granularity mismatch problem has generated interest in redesigning block-based data structures such as B+-trees. However, various methods of modifying B+-trees for PM degrade the efficiency of B+trees, and attempts have been made to use in-memory data structures for PM. In this study, we develop Failure-Atomic ShifT (FAST) and Failure-Atomic In-place Rebalance (FAIR) algorithms to resolve the granularity mismatch problem. Every 8-byte store instruction used in the FAST and FAIR algorithms transforms a B+-tree into another consistent state or a transient inconsistent state that read operations can tolerate. By making read operations tolerate transient inconsistency, we can avoid expensive copy-onwrite, logging, and even the necessity of read latches so that read transactions can be non-blocking. Our experimental results show that legacy B+-trees with FAST and FAIR schemes outperform the state-of-the-art persistent indexing structures by a large margin.