Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual renin-angiotensin blockade therapy in patients at high risk of early ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome receiving IVF and elective embryo cryopreservation: a case series.

BACKGROUND Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is an important and dangerous aspect of assisted reproduction techniques. Although elective cryopreservation of all embryos can prevent pregnancy-induced late OHSS, it cannot prevent early OHSS, which is induced by hCG administration. METHODS We undertook this trial to assess the efficacy with which the combined oral administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) could prevent early OHSS in IVF patients at very high risk for this syndrome. Four women, who had serum estradiol concentration > or =8000 pg/ml on the day of hCG injection, were treated with the combination of the ACEI alacepril and the ARB candesartan cilexetil for 8 days starting the day after oocyte retrieval. Embryos were cryopreserved and embryo transfer was postponed until later cycles. RESULTS Despite the extremely enlarged ovaries, no ascites was accumulated in any of the cases. Haematocrit (34.1 +/- 1.0) and serum albumin concentration (4.1 +/- 0.2 g/dl) were normal throughout the treatment period. These patients showed elevated plasma renin and angiotensin II concentration before the treatment. CONCLUSIONS The dual renin-angiotensin blockade therapy used here would be worth exploring further in a study with more patients and a prospective, randomized design.
Echo State Networks With Orthogonal Pigeon-Inspired Optimization for Image Restoration

In this paper, a neurodynamic approach for image restoration is proposed. Image restoration is a process of estimating original images from blurred and/or noisy images. It can be considered as a mapping problem that can be solved by neural networks. Echo state network (ESN) is a recurrent neural network with a simplified training process, which is adopted to estimate the original images in this paper. The parameter selection is important to the performance of the ESN. Thus, the pigeon-inspired optimization (PIO) approach is employed in the training process of the ESN to obtain desired parameters. Moreover, the orthogonal design strategy is utilized in the initialization of PIO to improve the diversity of individuals. The proposed method is tested on several deteriorated images with different sorts and levels of blur and/or noise. Results obtained by the improved ESN are compared with those obtained by several state-of-the-art methods. It is verified experimentally that better image restorations can be obtained for different blurred and/or noisy instances with the proposed neurodynamic method. In addition, the performance of the orthogonal PIO algorithm is compared with that of several existing bioinspired optimization algorithms to confirm its superiority.
Evaluation of Datacenter Network Topology Influence on Hadoop MapReduce Performance

Hadoop MapReduce has nowadays become the de-facto standard for the Big-Data processing within Cloud datacenters. However, little is known about the influence of datacenter network topology on Hadoop performance, and suitability of various topologies for different workload distributions. By extending a publicly available simulator CloudSim, we simulate six well-known or recently proposed topologies (Hierarchical, FatTree, DCell, CamCube, BCube, MapReduce) and evaluate Hadoop MapReduce performance across varyingly distributed workloads. We conclude that while no topology is clearly optimal, the experimental CamCube topology exhibits the most promising results. However, different topologies correspond to different workload divisions in terms of best performance, with greatly differing results, and generally weak performance under highly skewed workloads. This finding could lead to significant Hadoop MapReduce performance improvements by adjusting or selecting appropriate datacenter network topologies - potentially even at runtime, using Software Defined Networking.
Pexophagy: Autophagic Degradation of Peroxisomes

The abundance of peroxisomes within a cell can rapidly decrease by selective autophagic degradation (also designated pexophagy). Studies in yeast species have shown that at least two modes of peroxisome degradation are employed, namely macropexophagy and micropexophagy. During macropexophagy, peroxisomes are individually sequestered by membranes, thus forming a pexophagosome. This structure fuses with the vacuolar membrane, resulting in exposure of the incorporated peroxisome to vacuolar hydrolases. During micropexophagy, a cluster of peroxisomes is enclosed by vacuolar membrane protrusions and/or segmented vacuoles as well as a newly formed membrane structure, the micropexophagy-specific membrane apparatus (MIPA), which mediates the enclosement of the vacuolar membrane. Subsequently, the engulfed peroxisome cluster is degraded. This review discusses the current state of knowledge of pexophagy with emphasis on studies on methylotrophic yeast species.
Measuring the Complexity of Join Enumeration in Query Optimization

Since relational database management systems typically support only diadic join operators as primitive operations, a query optimizer must choose the “best” scquence of two-way joins to achieve the N-way join of tables requested by a query. The computational complexity of this optimization process is dominated by the number of such possible sequences that must bc evaluated by the optimizer. This paper describes and measures the performance of the Starburst join enumerator, which can parameterically adjust for each query the space of join sequences that arc evaluated by the optimizer to allow or disallow (I) composite tables (i.e., tables that are themselves the result of a join) as the inner operand of a join and (2) joins between two tables having no join predicate linking them (i.e., Cartesian products). To limit the size of their optimizer’s search space, most earlier systems excludcd both of these types of plans, which can exccutc significantly faster for some queries. Dy experimentally varying the parameters of the Starburst join enumerator, we have validated analytic formulas for the number of join sequcnccs under a variety of conditions, and have proven their dependence upon the “shape” of the query. Specifically, ‘linear” queries, in which tables arc connectcd by binary predicates in a straight lint, can hc optimized in polynomial time. llence the dynamic programming techniques of System R and R* can still be used to optimize linear queries of as many as 100 tables in a reasonable amount of time! A query optimizer in a relational DRMS translates non-procedural queries into a pr0cedura.l plan for execution, typically hy generating many alternative plans, estimating the execution cost of each, and choosing the plan having the lowest estimated cost. Increasing this set offeasilile plans that it evaluates improves the chances but dots not guarantee! that it will find a bcttct plan, while increasing the (compile-time) cost for it to optimize the query. A major challenge in the design of a query optimizer is to ensure that the set of feasible plans contains cflicient plans without making the :set too big to he gcncratcd practically.
Cohabitation in China: Trends and Determinants.

Using recent, nationally representative data, we examine the prevalence and social determinants of premarital cohabitation, an important sign of the Second Demographic Transition (SDT) in China. Descriptive results show that although only about 7 percent of Chinese adults born before 1980 cohabited before first marriage, cohabitation has grown sharply among recent birth cohorts. Based on the theoretical perspectives of “ideational change” and “economic development,” we conduct multivariate analyses of social determinants of cohabitation that may reveal potential mechanisms of its diffusion. We find that greater exposure to Western culture, higher educational attainment for men, and more advantaged family background were all positively related to premarital cohabitation. Our results also show the influence of a unique social institution in China, with Communist Party members less likely than their counterparts to cohabit before first marriage. Broadly speaking, the positive association between economic development and local rates of premarital cohabitation suggests the transformative influence of modernization on family systems.
Note on ( D 6 , D 8 ) Bound State , Massive Duality and Non-commutativity ∗

In this paper we study half-supersymmetric (D6,D8) bound state brane configuration of massive type IIA supergravity. We show this bound state can also be generated by using massive T-duality rules of type II strings in D = 9 and starting from D7-branes. We write down corresponding Killing spinors and find that these backgrounds indeed preserve 16 supersymmetries like any other Dp-brane bound state with B µν field. We also make a point on the massive nature of B µν field in this background. The Seiberg-Witten limits to obtain non-commutative Yang-Mills theories in D = 9 are also discussed, but the full understanding of such gauge theories remains unanswered.
Fault Tolerant Control Using Model Reference Adaptive Controller Method

Stimulated by the growing demand for improving system performance and reliability, fault-tolerant system design has been receiving significant attention. This paper proposes a new fault-tolerant control methodology using model reference adaptive controller method based on the learning capabilities of neural networks or fuzzy systems. Moreover, the fault-tolerance ability of the adaptive controller has been further improved by exploiting information estimated from a fault-diagnosis unit designed by interfacing multiple models with an expert supervisory scheme.
Expression of insulin pathway genes during the period of caste determination in the honey bee, Apis mellifera

Female honeybees have two castes, queens and workers. Developmental fate is determined by larval diet. Coding sequences made available through the Honey Bee Genome Sequencing Consortium allow for a pathway‐based approach to understanding caste determination. We examined the expression of several genes of the insulin signalling pathway, which is central to regulation of growth based on nutrition. We found one insulin‐like peptide expressed at very high levels in queen but not worker larvae. Also, the gene for an insulin receptor was expressed at higher levels in queen larvae during the 2nd larval instar. These results demonstrate that the insulin pathway is a compelling candidate for pursing the relationship between diet and downstream signals involved in caste determination and differentiation.
Inhibitors of Continuance Intention to Use Mobile Social Networking Sites: The Effects of Stress and Regret

: [Purpose /significance] This study aims at exploring factors influencing continuance intention to use mobile social networking sites (SNS). Specifically, this study attempts to investigate the effects of stress and regret. [Method /process] 226 valid data from working stuff were collected via questionnaires and further analyzed using SEM. [Result /conclusion] Results show that, stress and regret have significant impacts on continuance intention to use mobile SNS. Also, technology-work conflict and technology-personal conflict have significant influences on stress, and excessive use has a significant effect on regret.
Structural requirements for imidazobenzodiazepine binding to GABA(A) receptors.

Several structural subclasses of ligands bind to the benzodiazepine (BZD) binding site of the GABA(A) receptor. Previous studies from this laboratory have suggested that imidazobenzodiazepines (i-BZDs, e.g., Ro 15-1788) require domains in the BZD binding site for high-affinity binding that are distinct from the requirements of classic BZDs (e.g., flunitrazepam). Here, we used systematic mutagenesis and the substituted cysteine accessibility method to map the recognition domain of i-BZDs near two residues implicated in BZD binding, gamma(2)A79 and gamma(2)T81. Both classic BZDs and i-BZDs protect cysteines substituted at gamma(2)A79 and gamma(2)T81 from covalent modification, suggesting that these ligands may occupy common volumetric spaces during binding. However, the binding of i-BZDs is more sensitive to mutations at gamma(2)A79 than classic BZDs or BZDs that lack a 3'-imidazo substituent (e.g., midazolam). The effect that gamma(2)A79 mutagenesis has on the binding affinities of a series of structurally rigid i-BZDs is related to the volume of the 3'-imidazo substituents. Furthermore, larger amino acid side chains introduced at gamma(2)A79 cause correspondingly larger decreases in the binding affinities of i-BZDs with bulky 3' substituents. These data are consistent with a model in which gamma(2)A79 lines a subsite within the BZD binding pocket that accommodates the 3' substituent of i-BZDs. In agreement with our experimental data, computer-assisted docking of Ro 15-4513 into a molecular model of the BZD binding site positions the 3'-imidazo substituent of Ro 15-4513 near gamma(2)A79.
Carpé data: supporting serendipitous data integration in personal information management

The information processing capabilities of humans enable them to opportunistically draw and integrate knowledge from nearly any information source. However, the integration of digital, structured data from diverse sources remains difficult, due to problems of heterogeneity that arise when data modelled separately are brought together. In this paper, we present an investigation of the feasibility of extending Personal Information Management (PIM) tools to support lightweight, user-driven mixing of previously un-integrated data, with the objective of allowing users to take advantage of the emerging ecosystems of structured data currently becoming available. In this study, we conducted an exploratory, sequential, mixed-method investigation, starting with two pre-studies of the data integration needs and challenges, respectively, of Web-based data sources. Observations from these pre-studies led to DataPalette, an interface that introduced simple co-reference and group multi-path-selection mechanisms for working with terminologically and structurally heterogeneous data. Our lab study showed that participants readily understood the new interaction mechanisms which were introduced. Participants made more carefully justified decisions, even while weighing a greater number of factors, moreover expending less effort, during subjective-choice tasks when using DataPalette, than with a control set-up.
Image registration by the extended evolutionary self-organizing map

The Evolutionary Self-Organizing Map (EvSOM) is a recently proposed robust approach for topographic map formation that is based on evolutionary algorithms. In this work, a variant of EvSOM is proposed in order to fully exploit the neighborhood preservation property of the topographic maps induced by it when dealing with the image registration (IR) problem. In particular, the novel EvSOM is adopted here with the assumption that the relationship between the reference image and the free image can be approximated by an affine transformation. Preliminary experiments with black & white retinal blood vessel images are discussed, comparing the performance of EvSOM with that of two well-known IR methods, namely, iterative closest point and template matching. Overall, the results confirm the potentials of the extended EvSOM in this new application scenario.
Preparation Methods for Improving PEEK's Bioactivity for Orthopedic and Dental Application: A Review

There is an increased interest in the use of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) for orthopedic and dental implant applications due to its elastic modulus close to that of bone, biocompatibility, and its radiolucent properties. However, PEEK is still categorized as bioinert due to its low integration with surrounding tissues. Many studies have reported on methods to increase the bioactivity of PEEK, but there is still one-preparation method for preparing bioactive PEEK implant where the produced implant with desirable mechanical and bioactivity properties is required. The aim of this review is to present the progress of the preparation methods for improvement of the bioactivity of PEEK and to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the existing methods.
Maternal Mortality in Henan Province, China: Changes between 1996 and 2009

Background Maternal deaths occur mostly in developing countries and the majority of them are preventable. This study analyzes changes in maternal mortality and related causes in Henan Province, China, between 1996 and 2009, in an attempt to provide a reliable basis for introducing effective interventions to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR), part of the fifth Millennium Development Goal. Methods and Findings This population-based maternal mortality survey in Henan Province was carried out from 1996 to 2009. Basic information was obtained from the health care network for women and children and the vital statistics system, from specially trained monitoring personnel in 25 selected monitoring sites and by household survey in each case of maternal death. This data was subsequently reported to the Henan Provincial Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital. The total MMR in Henan Province declined by 78.4%, from 80.1 per 100 000 live births in 1996 to 17.3 per 100 000 live births in 2009. The decline was more pronounced in rural than in urban areas. The most common causes of maternal death during this period were obstetric hemorrhage (43.8%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (15.8%), amniotic fluid embolism (13.9%) and heart disease (8.0%). The MMR was higher in rural areas with lower income, less education and poorer health care. Conclusion There was a remarkable decrease in the MMR in Henan Province between 1996 and 2009 mainly in the rural areas and MMR due to direct obstetric causes such as obstetric hemorrhage. This study indicates that improving the health care network for women, training of obstetric staff at basic-level units, promoting maternal education, and increasing household income are important interventional strategies to reduce the MMR further.
Termination of programs with strategy annotations

Strategy annotations have been used in a number of programming languages and rewriting-based systems (e.g., OBJ2, OBJ3, CafeOBJ, Maude, JITty, μCRL, . . . ) for improving the termination behavior and avoiding useless computations. Regarding the ability of these annotations to improve the termination behavior of programs, the possibility of forbidding reductions on some arguments of function symbols play a crucial role. From an abstract point of view, in term rewriting this feature has been modeled as the so-called context-sensitive rewriting (CSR). We show that CSR provides a framework for analyzing termination of programs running under control of strategy annotations. Thus, CSR and its associated techniques for ensuring termination provide a useful tool for the programmers and designers of software systems aimed at supporting the practical use of such programming languages and rewriting-based systems.
Functional immunoglobulin light chain genes are replaced by ongoing rearrangements of germline V kappa genes to downstream J kappa segment in a murine B cell line

A murine B cell lymphoma (38C13) was subjected to immunoselection with mAbs directed against the idiotypic determinants of its cell surface Ig. Variants emerged with altered Ig receptors containing identical heavy chains but different light chains. The functional light chain genes in these variants were composed of V kappa segments drawn from the V kappa Ox-1 family, which had replaced the V kappa gene expressed by the parental tumor by rearranging to downstream J kappa segments. Rearrangement at the kappa locus continued to occur spontaneously, giving rise to secondary and tertiary variants at a rate of 1.9 x 10(- 4) per cell per generation. Variants were isolated that had ceased production of surface Ig but went on to rearrange again and to become surface Ig+. The Ig- state may be an intermediate step providing a stimulus for continued rearrangement. This process provides an additional mechanism for generating diversity within B cell clones and expands the use of the available repertoire of Ig genes.
Att vara vaken

Det blir allt vanligare att opereras vaken under regional och lokal anestesi vilket staller andra krav pa anestesisjukskoterskan gentemot anvandningen av generell anestesi. Darav ar det av vikt att systematiskt granska samt sammanstalla den evidens som foreligger, for att beskriva patienters upplevelser av att vara vaken under operation. Studiens syfte var att systematiskt sammanstalla litteratur for att beskriva patientens upplevelse av att vara vaken under operation. Studien har genomforts som en systematisk litteraturstudie med narrativ syntes som baserats pa nio originalartiklar med kvalitativt innehall. Resultatet av studien visar att patienter anser att kommunikationen, informationen samt bemotandet fran anestesisjukskoterskan och ovriga i operationsteamet ar de viktigaste faktorerna for hur upplevelsen av den vakna operationen ska bli. Studien kan i kliniska syften anvandas som ett underlag for att oka medvetenheten, formagan att forsta samt kunskapen av patienternas upplevelse av att vara vaken under operation. (Less)
2. Exploring variation in phonetic reduction: Linguistic, social, and cognitive factors

Substantial empirical research has revealed that temporal and spectral phonetic vowel reduction occurs in “easy” processing contexts relative to “hard” processing contexts, including effects of lexical frequency, lexical neighborhood density, semantic predictability, discourse mention, and speaking style. Theoretical accounts of this phonetic reduction process include listener-oriented approaches, in which the reduction reflects the talker’s balancing the comprehension needs of the listener with production effort constraints, talker-oriented approaches, in which reduction is argued to result entirely from constraints on speech production processes, and evolutionary approaches, in which reduction results directly from long-term interactive communication within a community. Recent research in our laboratory has revealed complex interactions among the linguistic, social, and cognitive factors involved in phonetic vowel reduction processes. These interactions reveal variation in the robustness of phonetic reduction effects across linguistic factors, as well as different patterns of interactions among linguistic, social, and cognitive factors across acoustic domains. These interactions challenge aspects of each of the three existing models of phonetic reduction. We therefore propose that a more complex view of the relationship between processing demands and phonetic vowel reduction processes is necessary to account for these observed patterns of variation.
Cache-aided coded multicast for correlated sources

The combination of edge caching and coded multicasting is a promising approach to improve the efficiency of content delivery over cache-aided networks. The global caching gain resulting from content overlap distributed across the network in current solutions is limited due to the increasingly personalized nature of the content consumed by users. In this paper, the cache-aided coded multicast problem is generalized to account for the correlation among the network content by formulating a source compression problem with distributed side information. A correlation-aware achievable scheme is proposed and an upper bound on its performance is derived. It is shown that considerable load reductions can be achieved, compared to state of the art correlation-unaware schemes, when caching and delivery phases specifically account for the correlation among the content files.