Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Refusal to Autopsy: A Societal Practice in Pakistan Context

Autopsies or post-mortem examinations have become a common practice in Western medicine for verifying the cause of death, and to obtain additional scientific information on certain diseases. In monotheistic religions autopsies present several ethical questions even though the advantages attributed to post-mortems in the West are well acknowledged by people living in this modern world. In Islamic Republic of Pakistan where Islam is the prevailing religion followed by the Muslims, Pakistani society have diverse perception, assumptions and hypothesis on the concept of autopsy. This presumption is due to presence of diverse objections raised in religious and sociocultural context. In our context, death ritual and practices are surrounded by religious and cultural beliefs and has a major influence on post mortem examination. Religious objections face a debate where the oppositions are in conflict with the laws. A definite and clear-cut answer is not possible based on Islamic beliefs nonetheless, for the advancement of medical science and betterment of humanity autopsies seems to be accepted.
Comparison of Effectiveness and Safety of Add-on Therapy of Saroglitazar and Fenofibrate with Metformin in Indian Patients with Diabetic Dyslipidaemia.

INTRODUCTION Diabetic dyslipidaemia poses a therapeutic challenge. New therapies have emerged in this patient subgroup to enhance outcome and improve compliance. AIM The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of add on therapy of saroglitazar and fenofibrate with metformin in Indian patients with diabetic dyslipidaemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Adults patients with diabetic dyslipidaemia fulfilling the inclusion criteria were randomized in two groups. Group A patients received metformin (1000 mg/ day) and fenofibrate (160 mg/day) while group B patients received metformin (1000 mg/day) and saroglitazar (4 mg/day). Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C), triglyceride (TG), LDL- cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were measured at baseline and week 12 visits. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and post prandial plasma glucose (PPPG) were measured at baseline and on week 4, 8 and 12 visits. RESULTS TG and HbA1C levels decreased significantly at week 12 from their respective baseline values (p< 0.05) in both groups. FPG and PPPG levels significantly decreased at weeks 4, 8 and 12 compared to their pretreatment values (p< 0.05) in both groups. TG and HbA1C levels in group B decreased significantly compared to group A at week 12. FPG and PPPG levels in group B also decreased significantly compared to group A at every interval. Inter group analysis did not show any statistically significant change in body weight, LDL-C and HDL-C at week 12. CONCLUSION Add on therapy of saroglitazar with metformin significantly decreased TG, HbA1C, FPG and PPPG levels compared to add on therapy of fenofibrate with metformin in Indian patients with diabetic dyslipidaemia.
A comparison of the effects of propofol and nitrous oxide on the electroencephalogram in epileptic patients during conscious sedation for dental procedures.

The influence of sedative doses of propofol or nitrous oxide on the electroencephalogram was studied in 11 mentally handicapped patients with treated epilepsy undergoing dental procedures. At one session, propofol was titrated to achieve conscious sedation. The mean (+/- SD) dose requirements were 5.5 +/- 1.1 mg.kg-1.h-1. In six patients, the electroencephalogram was unchanged during propofol administration. In three patients, there was a decrease in epileptic activity, and in two patients, paroxysmal discharges disappeared. At another session, nitrous oxide was administered by nasal mask. The mean (+/- SD) concentration of nitrous oxide needed was 43.6% +/- 4.8%. The electroencephalogram did not change in nine patients, whereas in two patients epileptic activity decreased. There were no clinical epileptoid or other adverse manifestations during any treatment or up to 48 h thereafter. The results of the present study suggest that propofol or nitrous oxide can be administered in subanesthetic doses for conscious sedation in mentally handicapped patients with treated epilepsy.
Performance Analysis of Reflection Paths for Millimeter Wavelength Systems

The work presented here aims at providing deeper knowledge on the behavior of non-line-of-sight (NLOS) links that particularly benefit from a specular reflection for fixed wired access systems (FWA) operating in the 40 GHz bands. For comparison purposes, the performance of the proposed NLOS link has been assessed in contrast with that of an unobstructed line-of sight (LOS) link. Both of the measured links were carried out in urban environments in order to explore the statistical propagation effects in such areas. Both links attain a dominant signal and hence are modeled using a Rician envelope distribution. Comparisons considered in terms of signal variations, cumulative curves and Rician K-factor have indicated the potential usefulness of the received reflected signals.
Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Background Relatively few transplant recipients participate in regular physical activity. There is a paucity of information regarding barriers and facilitators to physical activity in kidney transplant recipients. Objective To investigate factors that transplant recipients perceive as barriers and facilitators to physical activity and whether these barriers and facilitators differ on the basis of transplant patients' reported level of physical activity. Method—Using a descriptive, cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 100 kidney transplant recipients provided survey data on a physical activity questionnaire on their current levels of physical activity and determinants that influence participation in physical activity. Results The “rarely/never” (32%) physical activity group reported more frequent barriers and the “often” (20%) group reported the least. Overall, perceived facilitators were reported most frequently by the “often” (80%) physical activity group and least by the “rarely/never” (67%) group. Conclusions Motivational interventions should focus on diminishing perceived barriers in the less physically active transplant recipients and enhancing perception of health-related facilitators. Nurses should be innovative in customizing interventions, recommending structured physical activity programs, and encouraging less structured, enjoyable ways to increase activities that expend energy. Interventions with achievable outcomes and realistic expectations are more acceptable to patients.
Fatigue Behavior of an Advanced Sic/Sic Composite with an Oxidation Inhibited Matrix at 1200°C in Air and in Steam

Abstract : The fatigue behavior of an advanced Silicon Carbide/Silcon (SiC/SiC) ceramic matrix composite (CMC) with oxidation inhibited matrix was investigated at 1200 deg C in laboratory air and in steam environments. The composite consisted of an oxidation inhibited SiC matrix reinforced with Hi-Nicalon fibers coated with pyrolytic carbon (PyC) with a boron carbide overlay woven into eight-harness-satin (8HS) weave plies. Tensile stress-strain behavior and tensile properties were evaluated at 1200? C. Tension-tension fatigue tests were conducted in both laboratory air and in steam at 1200 deg C at frequencies of 0.1 Hz, 1.0 Hz, and 10 Hz. The tension-tension fatigue tests had a ratio of minimum stress to maximum stress of R = 0.05, with maximum stresses ranging from 100 to 140 MPa in air and in steam. Fatigue run-out was defined as 105 cycles for the 0.1 Hz tests and as 2 x 105 cycles for the 1.0 Hz and 10 Hz tests. Strain accumulation with cycles and modulus evolution with cycles were analyzed for each fatigue test. The presence of steam degraded the fatigue resistance of the material at 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz. At 1.0 Hz, the presence of steam appeared to have little influence on the fatigue resistance for the fatigue stress levels <140 MPa. The presence of steam degraded the fatigue performance of the CMC at 1.0 Hz for the fatigue stress level of 140 MPa. Fatigue limit was 100 MPa (32.6% UTS) in air and steam at 1.0 Hz and in steam at 0.1 Hz. Fatigue limit was 140 MPa (45.6%) in air at 10 Hz. Specimens that achieved run-out were subjected to tensile tests to failure to characterize the retained tensile properties. Specimens tested in air retained 42-61% of their tensile strength and specimen tested in steam retained 59-75% of their tensile strength. The modulus loss in air and in steam was limited to 56%.
metaMicrobesOnline: phylogenomic analysis of microbial communities

The metaMicrobesOnline database (freely available at http://meta.MicrobesOnline.org) offers phylogenetic analysis of genes from microbial genomes and metagenomes. Gene trees are constructed for canonical gene families such as COG and Pfam. Such gene trees allow for rapid homologue analysis and subfamily comparison of genes from multiple metagenomes and comparisons with genes from microbial isolates. Additionally, the genome browser permits genome context comparisons, which may be used to determine the closest sequenced genome or suggest functionally associated genes. Lastly, the domain browser permits rapid comparison of protein domain organization within genes of interest from metagenomes and complete microbial genomes.
Fatigue of pseudoelastic NiTi within the stress-induced transformation regime: a modified Coffin–Manson approach

Strain controlled fatigue tests of a pseudoelastic nickel–titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) have been carried out in this investigation. In particular, flat dog-bone shaped specimens, obtained from commercial NiTi sheets, have been analyzed, under pull–pull loading conditions, in two subsequent steps: (i) material stabilization and (ii) fatigue life estimation. The first step was carried out to obtain a stable pseudoelastic response of the SMA, i.e. with no residual deformations upon unloading, and it can be regarded as a preliminary processing condition of the alloy. Results on functional fatigue, i.e. in terms of stabilized pseudoelastic response, and on structural fatigue, in terms of cycles to failure, are reported and discussed. Furthermore, a modified Coffin–Manson approach for fatigue life estimation of SMAs is proposed, which takes into account the strain mechanisms involved during repeated stress-induced martensitic transformations.
Eculizumab-induced reversal of dialysis-dependent kidney failure from C3 glomerulonephritis

C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is characterized by C3 deposits with minimal immunoglobulin deposition caused by alternative complement pathway dysregulation. Unfortunately, no therapeutic intervention has consistently improved outcomes for patients with C3G. Eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody to C5, is currently the only approved complement-specific agent with some efficacy in the treatment of C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN). Here, we describe a patient with acute crescentic C3GN with no identified complement mutation or family history of renal disease who required dialysis for 6 months. Five months after initiation of eculizumab, she became dialysis independent, showing improvement is possible after adequate time on eculizumab.
Nonlinear Ultrasonic Parameter in Quenched Martensitic Steels

We have determined the nonlinear ultrasonic parameter β and the ultrasonic longitudinal phase velocity vL for a series of martensitic steel specimens which varied in carbon content. The specimens were measured in the as-quenched state to ensure that the carbon was present primarily as an interstitial in the martensite. β increased monotonically with carbon content and hardness over the range 0.10–0.40 mass % C (39.0–57.5 Rockwell C hardness). However, vL remained virtually the same for all specimens. Therefore we conclude that β is sensitive to microstructural variations between the specimens, but vL is not. X-ray diffraction experiments indicate that the dislocation density in the specimens is large (∼1011–1012/cm2) and increases with increasing carbon content. These results support the hypothesis that the observed increase in β can be attributed to dislocation-related effects in the specimens.
Effects of Naked Gold Nanoparticles on Proinflammatory Cytokines mRNA Expression in Rat Liver and Kidney

The data on the biocompatibility of naked gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are scarce, and their interpretation is controversial. We studied the acute (1 day) and subchronic (5 days) effects of GNPs (10 and 50 nm diameter) on expression of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the liver and kidneys of rats. In the liver, the GNPs of both sizes (10 and 50 nm) significantly increased the cytokines gene expression on day 1 which was subsided on day 5; the GNPs of 50 nm size produced more severe inflammatory response as compared to smaller sized GNPs. In the kidney, the GNPs did not produce any significant change in the expression of IL-1β. Although the gene expression of IL-6 and TNF-α was not affected by GNPs of 10 nm size, 50 nm GNPs significantly increased the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α in the kidneys of rats on day 1 after treatment which returned to normalcy on day 5. These findings indicate the possible immunocompatibility of medium sized GNPs as they caused only a transient acute phase increase in proinflammatory cytokines expression followed by their normalcy during the repeated exposure.
The Influence of Dual Pressure Biofeedback Units on Pelvic Rotation and Abdominal Muscle Activity during the Active Straight Leg Raise in Women with Chronic Lower Back Pain

[Purpose] This study was performed to assess the influence of applying dual pressure biofeedback units (DPBUs) on the angle of pelvic rotation and abdominal muscle activity during the active straight leg raise (ASLR). [Subjects] Seventeen patients with low-back pain (LBP) participated in this study. [Methods] The subjects were asked to perform an active straight leg raise (ASLR) without a PBU, with a single PBU, and with DPBUs. The angles of pelvic rotation were measured using a three-dimensional motion-analysis system, and the muscle activity of the bilateral internal oblique abdominis (IO), external oblique abdominis (EO), and rectus abdominis (RA) was recorded using surface electromyography (EMG). One-way repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to determine the rotation angles and muscle activity under the three conditions. [Results] The EMG activity of the ipsilateral IO, contralateral EO, and bilateral RA was greater and pelvic rotation was lower with the DPBUs than with no PBU or a single PBU. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that applying DPBUs during ASLR is effective in decreasing unwanted pelvic rotation and increasing abdominal muscle activity in women with chronic low back pain.
Ieee Computer Graphics and Applications 63 Visualization Viewpoints the Top 10 Challenges in Extreme-scale Visual Analytics

I n this issue of CG&A, researchers share their R&D fi ndings and results on applying visual analytics (VA) to extreme-scale data. Having surveyed these articles and other R&D in this fi eld, we've identifi ed what we consider the top challenges of extreme-scale VA. To cater to the magazine's diverse readership, our discussion evaluates challenges in all areas of the fi eld, including algorithms, hardware, software, engineering, and social issues.
Cost‐Effective Suppression and Eradication of Invasive Predators

Abstract: Introduced predators can have pronounced effects on naïve prey species; thus, predator control is often essential for conservation of threatened native species. Complete eradication of the predator, although desirable, may be elusive in budget‐limited situations, whereas predator suppression is more feasible and may still achieve conservation goals. We used a stochastic predator–prey model based on a Lotka‐Volterra system to investigate the cost‐effectiveness of predator control to achieve prey conservation. We compared five control strategies: immediate eradication, removal of a constant number of predators (fixed‐number control), removal of a constant proportion of predators (fixed‐rate control), removal of predators that exceed a predetermined threshold (upper‐trigger harvest), and removal of predators whenever their population falls below a lower predetermined threshold (lower‐trigger harvest). We looked at the performance of these strategies when managers could always remove the full number of predators targeted by each strategy, subject to budget availability. Under this assumption immediate eradication reduced the threat to the prey population the most. We then examined the effect of reduced management success in meeting removal targets, assuming removal is more difficult at low predator densities. In this case there was a pronounced reduction in performance of the immediate eradication, fixed‐number, and lower‐trigger strategies. Although immediate eradication still yielded the highest expected minimum prey population size, upper‐trigger harvest yielded the lowest probability of prey extinction and the greatest return on investment (as measured by improvement in expected minimum population size per amount spent). Upper‐trigger harvest was relatively successful because it operated when predator density was highest, which is when predator removal targets can be more easily met and the effect of predators on the prey is most damaging. This suggests that controlling predators only when they are most abundant is the “best” strategy when financial resources are limited and eradication is unlikely.
Performance of preschool children with normal language development in past tense task.

UNLABELLED The acquisition of tense inflection is a gradual process, and the children appear unaware of the significance of inflectional endings, without recognizing that there is a general rule for deriving one form from another. PURPOSE To investigate the ability of past tense in children with normal language development (NLD). METHODS The subjects were 30 children with NLD, aged between 4 and 6 years. To evaluate the use of past tense, we developed a test composed of 30 regular and irregular verbs. The analysis of the answers considered the correct ones, the replacement, overregularization and errors. RESULTS The 4 years old children with NLD had worse performance than the children of 5 and 6 years in correct answers and total score. There was no difference between the numbers of replacement based on age. By the age of 4, we observed more tense inflection errors. The overregularization errors did not differ between age groups. By the age of 4, children had more regular than irregular verbs correct answers. CONCLUSION The 4 years old children with NLD had worse performance than 5 and 6 years old children, because they are still improving the use of verbs in their productions. At this age, we observed tense inflection errors. The 5 and 6 years old children already master the skill of past tense and do not differenciate.
Preferences Improve Learning to Solve Constraint Problems

Search heuristics that embody domain knowledge often reflect preferences among choices. This paper proposes a variety of ways to identify a good mixture of search heuristics and to integrate the preferences they express. Two preference expression methods inspired by the voting literature in political science prove particularly reliable. On hard problems, good methods to integrate such heuristics are shown to speed search, reducing significantly both computation time and the size of the search tree.
Biocompatibility improvement of titanium implants by coating with hybrid materials synthesized by sol-gel technique.

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials based on zirconia and polyethylene glycol (PEG) have been synthesized via sol-gel method in the present study. Those materials, still in the sol phase, have been used to coat a titanium grade 4 (Ti-4) substrate to improve its biological properties. Dip-coating technique has been used to obtain thin films. PEG, a biocompatible polymer, used as the organic phase, has been incorporated with different percentages in an inorganic zirconium-based matrix. Those hybrids have been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to detect interactions between the two phases. The films have been examined using SEM to detect morphological changes with PEG percentages. The potential applications of the hybrid coatings in biomedical field have been evaluated by bioactivity and cytotoxicity tests. The coated titanium was immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 21 days and the hydroxyapatite deposition on its surface was subsequently evaluated, as that feature can be used as an index of bone-bonding capability. SEM equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) was used to examine hydroxyapatite formation. NIH 3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cells were seeded on specimens to evaluate cells-materials interactions and cell vitality was inspected using WST-8 Assay.
Using extractive-free wood as a reinforcement in wood–LLDPE composites

Hot water extractives, solvent extractives and both hot water and solvent extractives were eliminated from different wood species via Soxhlet extraction. Different wood–linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) composites were prepared using 10% wood and 7% poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) as a compatibilizer. A comparison of the mechanical properties, water absorption behaviour and resistance to UV radiation between composites filled with unextracted wood and composites filled with the same species but without the above extractives were carried out. The results illustrated that there are several distinct benefits and drawbacks when using wood without extractives as a filler. Unextracted wood produced composites with better mechanical properties and resistance to UV radiation, while extracted wood led to composites with lower water absorption rates. Using wood without both hot water and solvent extractives as a filler caused the largest reduction in mechanical properties, UV resistance and water absorption rate, compared to composites made with wood where only one extractive component was removed.