Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Schwache Atmung – schwaches Herz

Zusammenfassung Im letzten Jahrzehnt wurden große Fortschritte in der Diagnostik und Therapie neuromuskulärer Erkrankungen gemacht. Insbesondere die Therapie des chronischen Atemmuskelversagens mit der nicht-invasiven Beatmung konnte Morbidität und Mortalität senken und die Lebensqualität verbessern. Rezidivierende Atemweginfekte und Atelektasen komplizieren den Verlauf bei Patienten mit fortgeschrittenen Erkrankungen und sind Folgen eines insuffizienten Hustens. Ein wichtiger, aber noch nicht ausreichend angewandter Bestandteil der Therapie ist die Technik des assistierten Hustens. Mit steigender Lebenserwartung rückt die Herzbeteiligung als lebenslimitierender Faktor weiter in den Vordergrund. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit wird die aktuelle Datenlage zum Atemmuskelversagen und der Herzbeteiligung bei neuromuskulären Erkrankungen diskutiert.
V/f Control of PMSM Drive fed from PR Current Controller Based Single-Phase AFE Rectifier

In this proposed work, the performance of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) with open-loop V/f control has been analyzed both in constant torque and constant power region. The supply side is connected through a single-phase Active Front-End (AFE) rectifier to provide dc supply to the inverter. To obtain Unity Power Factor (UPF) operation of the rectifier, two-loop cascaded control topology is used, where outer loop is implemented by Proportional-Integral (PI) controller and the inner loop is designed by Proportional-Resonant (PR) controller. Different case studies have been observed from the simulink environment pertaining both constant torque and constant power region of motor operation. The efficiency of PMSM has been found above 90% and the rectifier efficiency above 95% accordingly. It is also noted that the motor power factor is improved with gradual increase in load torque and input power factor of the rectifier remains at unity. Along with that, Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of input current is maintained at satisfactory value.
Neurotrophin‐3 reverses experimental cisplatin‐induced peripheral sensory neuropathy

Cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, induces a sensory neuropathy with selective loss of vibration sense and proprioception. Here we demonstrate that neurotrophin‐3 (NT‐3), a member of the nerve growth factor family of neurotrophic factors, restored to normal levels the reduced H‐reflex‐related sensory nerve conduction velocity induced by cisplatin in rats. NT‐3 treatment corrected an abnormal cytoplasmic distribution of neurofilament protein in large sensory neurons in dorsal root ganglia and the reduction in the numbers of myelinated fibers in sural nerves caused by cisplatin. The NT‐3–dependent reversal of cisplatin neurotoxicity thus suggests the possible use of NT‐3 in the treatment of peripheral sensory neuropathy.
Mesures subjectives et épidémiologie : problèmes méthodologiques liés à l'utilisation des techniques psychométriques

L’utilisation des mesures subjectives en epidemiologie s’est intensifiee recemment, notamment avec la volonte de plus en plus affirmee d’integrer la perception qu’ont les sujets de leur sante dans l’etude des maladies et l’evaluation des interventions. La psychometrie regroupe les methodes statistiques utilisees pour la construction des questionnaires et l’analyse des donnees qui en sont issues. Ce travail de these avait pour but d’explorer differents problemes methodologiques souleves par l’utilisation des techniques psychometriques en epidemiologie. Trois etudes empiriques sont presentees et concernent 1/ la phase de validation de l’instrument : l’objectif etait de developper, a l’aide de donnees simulees, un outil de calcul de la taille d’echantillon pour la validation d’echelle en psychiatrie ; 2/ les proprietes mathematiques de la mesure obtenue : l’objectif etait de comparer les performances de la difference minimale cliniquement pertinente d’un questionnaire calculee sur des donnees de cohorte, soit dans le cadre de la theorie classique des tests (CTT), soit dans celui de la theorie de reponse a l’item (IRT) ; 3/ son utilisation dans un schema longitudinal : l’objectif etait de comparer, a l’aide de donnees simulees, les performances d’une methode statistique d’analyse de l’evolution longitudinale d’un phenomene subjectif mesure a l’aide de la CTT ou de l’IRT, en particulier lorsque certains items disponibles pour la mesure differaient a chaque temps. Enfin, l’utilisation de graphes orientes acycliques a permis de discuter, a l’aide des resultats de ces trois etudes, la notion de biais d’information lors de l’utilisation des mesures subjectives en epidemiologie.
Elevated water temperature and carbon dioxide concentration increase the growth of a keystone echinoderm

Anthropogenic climate change poses a serious threat to biodiversity. In marine environments, multiple climate variables, including temperature and CO2 concentration ([CO2]), are changing simultaneously. Although temperature has well-documented ecological effects, and many heavily calcified marine organisms experience reduced growth with increased [CO2], little is known about the combined effects of temperature and [CO2], particularly on species that are less dependent on calcified shells or skeletons. We manipulated water temperature and [CO2] to determine the effects on the sea star Pisaster ochraceus, a keystone predator. We found that sea star growth and feeding rates increased with water temperature from 5 °C to 21 °C. A doubling of current [CO2] also increased growth rates both with and without a concurrent temperature increase from 12 °C to 15 °C. Increased [CO2] also had a positive but nonsignificant effect on sea star feeding rates, suggesting [CO2] may be acting directly at the physiological level to increase growth rates. As in past studies of other marine invertebrates, increased [CO2] reduced the relative calcified mass in sea stars, although this effect was observed only at the lower experimental temperature. The positive relationship between growth and [CO2] found here contrasts with previous studies, most of which have shown negative effects of [CO2] on marine species, particularly those that are more heavily calcified than P. ochraceus. Our findings demonstrate that increased [CO2] will not have direct negative effects on all marine invertebrates, suggesting that predictions of biotic responses to climate change should consider how different types of organisms will respond to changing climatic variables.
The effect of different vertical camera-angles on faceperception

The purpose of the study was to take a closer look on different camera-angles and the effects on the perceived credibility and attractiveness of pictured people. Participants of an online survey were asked to judge a face on the dimension of overall Impression, credibility and physical attractiveness. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the five conditions in which they saw a picture of a face from a different perspective (high-angle-condition, short-high-angle-condition, eye-level-condition, short-low-angle-condition and low-angle-condition). Results revealed that participants in the low-angle-condition judged the face significant higher on the overall impression-dimension and the credibility-dimension. Significant differences were also found between the conditions that used a combination of vertical camera-perspectives and the one-shot-only-perspectives. No effect was found for the physical attractiveness scale.
Negotiation of identities in multilingual contexts

New theoretical approaches to the study of negotiation of identities in multilingual contexts. "The making of an American" - negotiation of identities at the turn of the 20th century, Aneta Pavlenko constructions of identity in political discourse in multilingual Britain, Adrian Blackledge negotiating between bourge and racaille - Verlan as youth identity practice in suburban Paris, Meredith Doran (Pennsylvania State University) Black Deaf or Deaf Black? being Black and Deaf in Britain, Melissa James and Bencie Woll (City University, London) mothers and mother tongue - perspectives on self-construction by mothers of Pakistani heritage, Jean Mills (University of Birmingham) the politics of identity, representation, and the discourses of self-identification, Frances Giampapa (University of Toronto) Alice doesn't live here anymore - foreign language learning and identity reconstruction, Celeste Kinginger (Pennsylvania State University) intersections of literacy and construction of social identities, Benedicta Egbo (University of Windsor) multilingual writers and the struggle for voice in academic discourse, Suresh Canagarajah (City University of New York) identity and language use - the politics of speaking ESL in schools, Jennifer Miller (University of Queensland) sending mixed messages - language minority education at a Japanese public elementary school, Yasuko Kanno (University of Washington).
Once again on norms and comparison classes

Abstract A central assumption about relative adjectives (e.g., big, old) is that their positive form is interpreted vis-à-vis a class-specific reference point located in the midzone of a series (norm). More recently, functional-cognitive studies argued that other reference points (e.g., argumentative zero, endpoints) are more relevant in actual language use than a norm. This paper argues that the two positions are not necessarily irreconcilable and experimentally tests a hypothesis that a norm is a default reference point used for the interpretation of relative adjectives in zero contexts. Experiment 1 addressed the location of a norm in the midzone of a series and its category dependence. As predicted by the traditional semantic studies, the cutoff point between “big” and “small” is located around the midpoint of a scale. Furthermore, its location is category-dependentand sensitive to prototypicality effects. The results further indicate that adults easily compute a contextually relevant norm by integrating their world knowledge with the visually provided information. Experiment 2 investigated the relevance of a norm in the online processing of relative adjectives. The results suggest that language users indeed exploit norms for the interpretation of relative adjectives in real time.
A novel visual attention model using multi-scale cues

A novel visual attention model using multi-scale cues is presented in this paper. Visual data is decomposed into multi-scale sub-images which contain multi-scale details on the basis of Gaussian Pyramid, and contrast features are extracted from these multi-scale images for saliency map generation. Compared with other visual attention models, the proposed model can efficiently generate saliency map with better visual effects of integrated contour and inner region. Experimental results on various types of images achieved better performance, which demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.
Definition of CD4 Immunosignatures Associated with MTB

We have recently described the first true genome-wide screen for CD4+ T-cell reactivity directed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in latent TB-infected individuals. The approach relied on predictions of HLA-binding capacity for a panel of DR, DP, and DQ alleles representative of those most commonly expressed in the general population, coupled with high throughput ELISPOT assays. The results identified hundreds of novel epitopes and antigens, and documented the novel observation that T cells in latent MTB infection are confined to the CXCR3+CCR6+ phenotype and largely directed against three antigenic “islands” within the MTB genome. In parallel, we have made generally available to the scientific community the technical approaches and reagents developed in the process, such as motifs, algorithms, and binding assays for several common HLA class II alleles, and a panel of single allele HLA class II transfected cell lines representative of the most frequent specificities in the general population. Recent efforts have been focused on characterization of epitopes and antigens recognized by patients with active TB and individuals vaccinated with BCG, with the aim of providing the first systematic evaluation of the overlap between latent, active, and BCG cohorts. The definition of a broad range of epitopes restricted by common HLA molecules, will facilitate development of diagnostic reagents, allow a rigorous evaluation of T-cell responses associated with TB infection in humans, and enable the evaluation of the immunogenicity of different vaccine candidates. Furthermore, it might suggest new candidates for vaccine and diagnostic development.
New Approximate 4:2 Compressor for High Accuracy and Small Area Using MUX Logic

Approximate computing plays a key role in building energy-efficient high-performance digital systems, as much data and computation are required recently. This paper proposes a new approximate compressor that improves accuracy with faster computation performance. Through analyzing the error occurring cases in the truth table of the compressor, patterns were identified to extract a simplified logic. As a result of evaluating the performance through Vivado simulation, the proposed approximate compressor is operating 16% faster using 43% less power compared to the exact computation and the approximate multiplier using the compressor shows higher accuracy with reduced delay than other multiples.
The design of nonlinear servo system using fuzzy method

This paper presents the design of nonlinear servo system using fuzzy method. The objective of the simulation is to show that the developed control method using fuzzy method can stabilize the nonlinear servo system. The nonlinear servo system will be divided into small area of the operating point, and treated as a collection of local linear servo systems using Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model. Feedback co-efficient of each local linear servo system has been calculated using Hikita Method. Fuzzy method has been applied to each local linear servo system and combines it as new control law. The simulations have been done to nonlinear mass-spring-damper system to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Characterisation of Plasmodium falciparum RESA-like protein peptides that bind specifically to erythrocytes and inhibit invasion

Abstract The Plasmodium falciparum ring-erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA)-like putative protein was identified and characterised. PCR and RT-PCR assays revealed that the gene encoding this protein was both present and being transcribed in P. falciparum strain FCB-2 16 h after erythrocyte invasion. Indirect immunofluorescence studies detected this protein in infected erythrocyte (IE) cytosol in dense fluorescent granules similar to Maurer's clefts at 16–20 h (parasites in ring and trophozoite stages) and very strongly on IE membranes at 22 h, suggesting that it is synthesised during early ring stages (16 h) and transported to the infected red blood cell (RBC) membrane surface during the trophozoite stage (22 h). Western blotting showed that antisera produced against polymerised synthetic peptides of this protein recognised a 72-kDa band in P. falciparum schizont lysate. P. falciparum RESA-like peptides used in normal RBC binding assays revealed that peptides 30326 (101NAEKI LGFDD KNILE ALDLFY120), 30334 (281RVTWK KLRTK MIKAL KKSLTY300) and 30342 (431SSPQR LKFTA GGGFC GKLRNY450) bind with high activity and saturability, presenting nM affinity constants. These peptides contain α-helical structural elements, as determined by circular dichroism, and inhibit P. falciparum in vitro invasion of normal RBCs by up to 91%, suggesting that some RESA-like protein regions are involved in intra-erythrocyte stage P. falciparum invasion.
Molecular Phylogeny Restores the Supra-Generic Subdivision of Homoscleromorph Sponges (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha)

Background Homoscleromorpha is the fourth major sponge lineage, recently recognized to be distinct from the Demospongiae. It contains <100 described species of exclusively marine sponges that have been traditionally subdivided into 7 genera based on morphological characters. Because some of the morphological features of the homoscleromorphs are shared with eumetazoans and are absent in other sponges, the phylogenetic position of the group has been investigated in several recent studies. However, the phylogenetic relationships within the group remain unexplored by modern methods. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we describe the first molecular phylogeny of Homoscleromorpha based on nuclear (18S and 28S rDNA) and complete mitochondrial DNA sequence data that focuses on inter-generic relationships. Our results revealed two robust clades within this group, one containing the spiculate species (genera Plakina, Plakortis, Plakinastrella and Corticium) and the other containing aspiculate species (genera Oscarella and Pseudocorticium), thus rejecting a close relationship between Pseudocorticium and Corticium. Among the spiculate species, we found affinities between the Plakortis and Plakinastrella genera, and between the Plakina and Corticium. The validity of these clades is furthermore supported by specific morphological characters, notably the type of spicules. Furthermore, the monophyly of the Corticium genus is supported while the monophyly of Plakina is not. Conclusions/Significance As the result of our study we propose to restore the pre-1995 subdivision of Homoscleromorpha into two families: Plakinidae Schulze, 1880 for spiculate species and Oscarellidae Lendenfeld, 1887 for aspiculate species that had been rejected after the description of the genus Pseudocorticium. We also note that the two families of homoscleromorphs exhibit evolutionary stable, but have drastically distinct mitochondrial genome organizations that differ in gene content and gene order.
Deep Learning Based Segmentation of Luria's Alternating Series Test to Support Diagnostics of Parkinson's Disease

This research paper focuses on the analysis of various segments of Luria's alternating series drawing test as a diagnostic support for Parkinson's disease. Digitization of drawing tests has allowed capturing pen movement parameters imperceptible to the naked eye, enabling precise neurological disorder diagnosis. However, this analysis of parameters presents a disparity between the pre-digital era's human-assisted assessment and the machine learning algorithm employed today. While human practitioners primarily emphasized overall performance and subject errors, the machine learning method relies on kinematic and pressure features to characterize pen tip movements. The paper aims to bridge this gap by utilizing the deep learning object detection algorithm to identify test elements and classical machine learning techniques to analyze kinematic and pressure parameters associated with drawing these elements. The main research contribution centers around two key aspects: 1) evaluating the individual informativeness of test elements at different stages, i.e., beginning, middle, and final parts of the test, and 2) establishing an efficient automatic segmentation framework aimed at enhancing decision support systems in the context of Parkinson's disease diagnosis,
The demanding attention of tuberculosis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients: High incidence compared with general population

Background The risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients is expected to be relatively high in an intermediate TB burden country. This single-center retrospective study was conducted to investigate risk factors and the incidence of TB after allogeneic HSCT. Methods From January 2004 to March 2011, 845 adult patients were enrolled. Starting April 2009, patients were given isoniazid (INH) prophylaxis based on interferon-γ release assay results. The incidence of TB was analyzed before and after April 2009, and compared it with that of the general population in Korea. Results TB was diagnosed in 21 (2.49%) of the 845 allogeneic HSCT patients. The median time to the development of TB was 386 days after transplantation (range, 49–886). Compared with the general population, the standardized incidence ratio of TB was 9.10 (95% CI; 5.59–14.79). Extensive chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was associated with the development of TB (P = 0.003). Acute GVHD, conditioning regimen with total body irradiation and conditioning intensity were not significantly related. INH prophylaxis did not reduce the incidence of TB (P = 0.548). Among 21 TB patients, one patient had INH prophylaxis. Conclusion Allogeneic HSCT recipients especially those who suffer from extensive chronic GVHD are at a high risk of developing TB. INH prophylaxis did not statistically change the incidence of TB, however, further well-designed prospective studies are needed.
Plant Leaf Disease Classification Based on SVM Based Densenets

This research proposes a novel approach for the classification of plant leaf diseases by combining Support Vector Machines (SVM) with Dense Convolutional Neural Networks (DenseNets). Plant diseases pose a significant threat to agricultural productivity, making accurate and efficient disease classification crucial for timely intervention. In this study, a DenseNet architecture is employed to automatically extract high-level features from plant leaf images. These features are then fed into SVM classifiers for robust disease classification. The proposed hybrid model harnesses the strengths of both deep learning and traditional machine learning techniques, resulting in improved accuracy and generalization. Experimental results on a benchmark plant leaf disease dataset demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach, showcasing its potential for aiding in precision agriculture and crop management.