Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lump in the throat

Globus pharyngeus – a sensory abnormality of the throat – is a common condition affecting 6% of the population at any one time. It affects more than twice as many women than it does men, and although there is no upper limit for age of presentation, it rarely occurs in the first 2 decades of life. Globus is a clinical diagnosis made on history taking and examination, and there are several points to be aware of during the consultation: • The characteristics of the presenting complaint show variability in terms of quality, site and intensity, not just between patients but also within patients. Although globus is classically described as ‘a ball in the throat’, it can equally be reported as the sensation of a hair or nut caught in the throat, as throat strain or swelling, or as a persistent throat itch. The affected area is usually indicated as being the back of the throat but it can lateralise, and although the intensity does also vary over time, it is overall non-progressive – a feature which should called upon to reassure patients about the benign nature of their symptoms. • This sensory abnormality leads to repeated dry swallowing and throat clearing, which in turn can perpetuate a mild dysphonia and/or throat discomfort (atypical globus). • The presence or absence of globus during swallowing is often used as a discriminating factor in differentiating globus pharyngeus from organic lesions, but it should be noted that up to 20% of patients with globus pharyngeus have persistence of their symptom during deglutination. Indeed for some patients, food can accentuate their awareness of their globus sensation. Conversely, others claim that food alleviates their symptom, and this can lead to weight gain. • Although upper aerodigestive tract malignancy is always a consideration in a person presenting with a lump in the throat, one should be aware that upper aerodigestive tract malignancy rarely, if ever, presents as a globus sensation alone. Inquire about associated symptoms, as the presence of dysphagia, aspiration, weight loss, pain and/or hoarseness greatly increases the likelihood of a malignancy being uncovered, especially in high risk patients (excess alcohol, smoking, >40 years). • Identify indicators of underlying anxiety. Although a long way from its former guise of globus hystericus, globus pharyngeus has been shown to be associated with increased levels of covert psychological distress, particularly amongst female sufferers. This tends to be in the domains of anxiety and affective disorders, but not, contrary to popular belief, related to emotion. There is a correlation between anxiety levels and throat scores, and the level of anxiety seems to be stable over longterm follow-up. • Globus pharyngeus patients are, on the whole, physically well patients with few other major co-morbidities. They are, however, more likely than other patients to have reported other medically unexplained symptoms to their general practitioner in the past, such as irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain, or headaches.
Effects of Visual Cues of Object Density on Perception and Anticipatory Control of Dexterous Manipulation

Anticipatory force planning during grasping is based on visual cues about the object’s physical properties and sensorimotor memories of previous actions with grasped objects. Vision can be used to estimate object mass based on the object size to identify and recall sensorimotor memories of previously manipulated objects. It is not known whether subjects can use density cues to identify the object’s center of mass (CM) and create compensatory moments in an anticipatory fashion during initial object lifts to prevent tilt. We asked subjects (n = 8) to estimate CM location of visually symmetric objects of uniform densities (plastic or brass, symmetric CM) and non-uniform densities (mixture of plastic and brass, asymmetric CM). We then asked whether subjects can use density cues to scale fingertip forces when lifting the visually symmetric objects of uniform and non-uniform densities. Subjects were able to accurately estimate an object’s center of mass based on visual density cues. When the mass distribution was uniform, subjects could scale their fingertip forces in an anticipatory fashion based on the estimation. However, despite their ability to explicitly estimate CM location when object density was non-uniform, subjects were unable to scale their fingertip forces to create a compensatory moment and prevent tilt on initial lifts. Hefting object parts in the hand before the experiment did not affect this ability. This suggests a dichotomy between the ability to accurately identify the object’s CM location for objects with non-uniform density cues and the ability to utilize this information to correctly scale their fingertip forces. These results are discussed in the context of possible neural mechanisms underlying sensorimotor integration linking visual cues and anticipatory control of grasping.
Metodologia de análise qualitativa em para-raios poliméricos sujeitos à umidade interna = Methodology of qualitative analysis for polymer housed surge arresters subjected to internal moisture

Polymers have been widely used in industry especically in power (distribution) systems due to their known insulating properties. However all polymers are permeable to different extents. This requires a good knowledge of the dynamic process of permeation through these materials as well as the careful analysis of the structures and or the devices using polymeric materials for isolation. Therefore based on experimental tests this work attempts to evaluate the performance of four different types of polymer housed metal oxide surge arresters in moist conditions. This was undertaken by studying the permeation properties through the polymer under test along with the electrical losses resulting from moisture degradation. The influence of certain elements added to silicone and ethylene vinyl acetate used as surge arrester housings were verified using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry which provided information about the fillers used in each compound. Furthermore, the polymers ability to withstand moisture permeation was studied using water vapour transmission rates calculated from the gravimetric dish testing results. In terms of electrical characteristics the possible effects of moisture in the polymer were analyzed by the dielectric dissipation factor and DC conductivity measurements during the 30 days of immersion. In addition the surge arresters were evaluated by daily measurements of total leakage current and partial discharge. The leakage current signal and the applied voltage were the input data for implementing a computational monitoring routine based on the point-on-wave technique, as well as the main aspects considered in the new methodology presented in this thesis which is based on a qualitative analysis of the Voltage x Leakage Current graphic. Finally we propose a new approach for the qualitative evaluation of the operating conditions of surge arresters utilising the graphic of Voltage x Total Leakage Current. This methodology may be used as an initial analysis to identify the arrester‘s degradation without the need for complex mathematical equations or computational analysis. This is a feature that can be extended to all zinc oxide surge arresters and utilised as an efficient method to identify the aging of arresters due to internal moisture.
Post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in bacterial pathogens by toxin-antitoxin systems

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small genetic elements ubiquitous in prokaryotic genomes that encode toxic proteins targeting various vital cellular functions. Typically, toxin activity is controlled by adjacently encoded protein or RNA antitoxins and unleashed as a consequence of genetic fluctuations or stressful conditions. Whereas some TA systems interfere with replication or cell wall synthesis, most of them influence transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene regulation. Antitoxin proteins often act as DNA binding transcriptional regulators and many TA toxins exhibit endoribonuclease activity to selectively degrade different RNA species and thus alter gene expression patterns. Some TA RNases cleave tRNA, tmRNAs or rRNAs, whereas most commonly mRNAs either in association with the ribosome or as free transcripts, are targeted. Examples are provided on how TA toxins differentially shape gene expression in bacterial pathogens by creating specialized ribosomes or by altering the transcriptome and how this may be tied in the control of pathogenicity factors.
An improved resource-based performance model for optical core switches

The evolution of optical technology has resulted in the emergence of several promising paradigms so as to realize the next generation Internet backbone infrastructure. Among all the existing switching techniques, optical burst switching (OBS) has shown to support the bursty nature of diverse IP traffic classes more efficiently. Nevertheless, with increase in realtime applications over the Internet, devising mechanisms that guarantee quality of service (QoS) and efficient bandwidth utilization within the OBS network has become a major endeavor. In the literature, resource allocation-based QoS management has been investigated as a possible solution to overcome this necessity. However, to the best of our knowledge, the resource-based technique has not been analytically studied for any arbitrary number of traffic classes taking both, wavelengths and fiber delay lines (FDLs) into account. In this paper, we present a novel mathematical model for the resource-based approach with two service classes namely, real-time (H) and non real-time (L) classes. We then extend the model to cover any number of classes. The effectiveness of the model is justified through simulation experiments.
The Effect of Silicon Nitride Stoichiometry on Charging Mechanisms in RF-MEMS Capacitive Switches

This paper discusses the mechanisms responsible for charging of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) silicon nitride films used in the fabrication of RF microelectromechanical (MEMS) switches. Nitride films deposited at different temperatures are characterized in order to better understand the effect of deposition conditions on material stoichiometry and stress. Both RF MEMS switches and metal-semiconductor-metal capacitors with PECVD silicon nitride as the dielectric layer were fabricated and their charging mechanisms were examined. Measurements indicate that charging arises from the formation of a defect band where charge transport occurs through a Poole-Frenkel-like effect. The calculated activation energy exhibits direct relation to material stoichiometry, and therefore to the nitride bandgap. Finally, it is viewed that lower temperature nitride is less prone to dielectric charging.
IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE METHODS IN DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEMS IN THE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

The aim of this overview paper is to present the new approaches elaborated at VUJE, Inc. to make the diagnostic systems in the environment of a nuclear power plant more robust and reliable. The systems in question are the sensor signal validation, denoising, early detection and identification of anomalies in chemical regime, time prediction of plant process parameters, and loose part monitoring in the reactor primary circuit. The techniques used are based on the computational intelligence and modern signal processing methods. The development of these systems was very much facilitated by variety of methods that can be used in MATLAB environment together with the toolboxes like Signal processing, Fuzzy Logic, Neural Networks, and Wavelet toolbox. This paper is of an overview character and does not focus on a detailed description of the methods used. 1 Real-Time Process Signal Validation Based on Neuro-Fuzzy and Possibilistic Approach The operation of each industrial plant is based on the readings of a set of sensors. Their reliable functioning is essential as the output of sensors provides the only objective information of the process. The task of the signal validation is to confirm whether the sensors are functioning properly. Signal validation must be enough robust to multiple sensor faults as well. This requirement is crucial especially in case of an accident when the abnormal changes of the process together with possible severe damage of the sensors can occur. The only information about the actual state the plant or process is in can be obtained from the values of technological variables, which describe the plant or process. The condition monitoring of the plant or the process is based on monitoring of technological variables’ deviations from their expected values. These deviations represent the degradation of the plant/process properties. Condition monitoring is thus an important step towards the optimization of the plant/process operation efficiency with impact on operation and maintenance costs. In the sector of power industry or industry at all this is the main goal and challenge for upcoming decade.
Access to care as a predictor of patients' knowledge of cardiovascular diseases.

OBJECTIVE To determine if a patient's degree of access to healthcare predicts his or her fund of knowledge about cardiovascular diseases. METHODS Trained research associates at a public, urban emergency department in New York City administered cross-sectional surveys to selected patients from June 2005 to January 2007. "Best" access to healthcare was defined by: 1) a regular relationship with one physician and 2) receiving care at a private office or health maintenance organization (HMO). Fund of knowledge was evaluated using previously validated questions. RESULTS Participants in this study (n=655) represented diverse racial, economic and educational backgrounds. In unadjusted analyses, participants with the best access to care fared significantly better in three tests evaluating fund of knowledge about hypertension (p=0.049), heart attack symptoms (p=0.004) and heart disease mortality (p=0.002). After adjustment for confounding variables such as race, income and educational background, access to care was no longer significantly correlated with respondents' fund of knowledge about hypertension, heart attack or heart disease. CONCLUSION Patients with different levels of access to care--after controlling for race, education and income--appear to have similar funds of knowledge about cardiovascular diseases. Disparities in knowledge persist across racial and socioeconomic boundaries.
Visualization, Search and Analysis of Hierarchical Translation Equivalence in Machine Translation Data

Abstract Translation equivalence constitutes the basis of all Machine Translation systems including the recent hierarchical and syntax-based systems. For hierarchical MT research it is important to have a tool that supports the qualitative and quantitative analysis of hierarchical translation equivalence relations extracted from word alignments in data. In this paper we present such a toolkit and exemplify some of its uses. The main challenges taken up in designing this tool are the efficient and compact, yet complete, representation of hierarchical translation equivalence coupled with an intuitive visualization of these hierarchical relations. We exploit a new hierarchical representation, called Hierarchical Alignment Trees (HATs), which is based on an extension of the algorithms used for factorizing n-ary branching SCFG rules into their minimally-branching equivalents. Our toolkit further provides a search capability based on hierarchically relevant properties of word alignments and/or translation equivalence relations. Finally, the tool allows detailed statistical analysis of word alignments, thereby providing a breakdown of alignment statistics according to the complexity of translation equivalence units or reordering phenomena. We illustrate this with an empirical study of the coverage of inversion-transduction grammars for a number of corpora enriched with manual or automatic word alignments, followed by a breakdown of corpus statistics to reordering complexity.
How Internet Users Find, Evaluate, and Use Online Health Information: A Cross-Cultural Review

The Internet has become a favored source to find health information. Worldwide, about 4.5% of all Internet searches are for health-related information. However, research has found that the quality of online health information is mixed, which raises serious concerns about the impact of this information. This paper reviews relevant research to understand how health information on the Internet is retrieved, evaluated, and used. Most users of online health information are looking for information about specific health conditions because they or someone they know was diagnosed with a medical condition. They typically use general search engines to find online health information and enter short phrases, often misspelled. They seldom go beyond the first page of a search. Both their search and evaluation skills are limited although they are concerned about the quality of online health information. They avoid sites with overt commercialism, but often do not pay attention to indicators of credibility. Online health information is used to fill an information void which can enhance coping and self efficacy, affects health-related decisions and behavior of users and their friends and family, and is often discussed with health care providers. There are cross-cultural differences in the types of sites used as well as how online information is used. Based on the research reviewed in this paper, three major recommendations are suggested. Professionals should recommend sites. Professionals should promote more effective search and evaluation techniques. Professionals should be involved in developing and promoting uniform standards for health and mental health sites.
Performance Evaluations of Comparison-with-a-Standard Procedures

We investigate the performance of a heuristic sequential procedure to compare a finite number of designs with respect to a single standard. The goal is to identify the best design, and if the chosen best design is not the standard, to determine whether the chosen best design is better than the standard. We give preferential status to the standard because there are costs and time involved in replacing the standard. We accomplish this goal by extending indifference-zone selection procedures. An experimental performance evaluation demonstrates the validity and efficiency of our sequential procedures
ADHD, Lifestyles and Comorbidities: A Call for an Holistic Perspective – from Medical to Societal Intervening Factors

The review examines Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD in its Child and Adult form) and its various presentations (Hyperactive Impulsive, Inattentive, and Combined) with a particular focus on environmental (incl. social factors), lifestyles and comorbidities. It is argued that ADHD is best understood in a holistic and interactive context and a vast empirical literature is presented to illustrate the point: Environmental factors include stress in general as well as exposure to toxins (phthalates, bisphenol A). Social factors are illustrated by effects of social deprivation and seduction to unhealthy lifestyles. Maternal lifestyle during pregnancy is pointed out (particularly her exposure to nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and drugs, even seemingly benign medications like acetaminophen), which all tend to be related to ADHD. Family environment is discussed with respect to protective effect of (mainly authoritative and autocratic) parenting styles. Societal factors include mainly economic and political issues: income inequality and poverty (low SES is an ADHD risk factor) and a growing moral dilemma between a humanistic effort to globally spread the knowledge of ADHD and the medicalization and commercialization of the disorder. The second part of the review is devoted to ADHD related lifestyles and resulting comorbidities (e.g., food addiction and obesity, substance abuse, electronic media dependencies and conduct and personality disorders). Although ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, its assessment and treatment are also linked to environmental, behavioral and social factors and their interactions.
Defective complex I assembly due to C20orf7 mutations as a new cause of Leigh syndrome

Background Leigh syndrome is an early onset, progressive, neurodegenerative disorder with developmental and motor skills regression. Characteristic magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities consist of focal bilateral lesions in the basal ganglia and/or the brainstem. The main cause is a deficiency in oxidative phosphorylation due to mutations in an mtDNA or nuclear oxidative phosphorylation gene. Methods and results A consanguineous Moroccan family with Leigh syndrome comprise 11 children, three of which are affected. Marker analysis revealed a homozygous region of 11.5 Mb on chromosome 20, containing 111 genes. Eight possible mitochondrial candidate genes were sequenced. Patients were homozygous for an unclassified variant (p.P193L) in the cardiolipin synthase gene (CRLS1). As this variant was present in 20% of a Moroccan control population and enzyme activity was only reduced to 50%, this could not explain the rare clinical phenotype in our family. Patients were also homozygous for an amino acid substitution (p.L159F) in C20orf7, a new complex I assembly factor. Parents were heterozygous and unaffected sibs heterozygous or homozygous wild type. The mutation affects the predicted S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) dependent methyltransferase domain of C20orf7, possibly involved in methylation of NDUFB3 during the assembly process. Blue native gel electrophoresis showed an altered complex I assembly with only 30–40% of mature complex I present in patients and 70–90% in carriers. Conclusions A new cause of Leigh syndrome can be a defect in early complex I assembly due to C20orf7 mutations.