Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Local defense systems in the prepuce

Objective. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common bacterial infection in children. Circumcision reduces the incidence of UTI, and prevents preputial colonization with uropathic bacteria in childhood. However, there is insufficient information about the reason(s) why such colonization tends to occur in prepucium skin. Material and methods. We evaluated some of the humoral and cellular defense systems in the prepucium skins of 30 boys (age range 6 months to 5 years). We measured the expressions of Langerhans cells, mast cells, T lymphocytes, IgA, IgG and IgM in the prepuce and compared them with those in normal skin. Tissues obtained during circumcision were divided into two groups. In the first group, sections were stained with hematoxylin–eosin and toluidine blue. Immunohistochemical reactions were performed on paraffin-embedded tissue by means of the avidin–biotin–peroxidase complex method. The antibodies used were S-100 for Langerhans cells and CD8 and CD4 for T lymphocytes. In the second group, frozen sections were stained for IgA, IgG and IgM using an immunofluorescence method. Results. The distribution of mast cells and IgG positivity was similar to that of normal skin. Langerhans cells were increased in prepucium skin (p<0.05), whilst only a few CD4 T lymphocytes were observed around the perivascular area and no expression of CD8 was observed in the prepucium and normal skin. Conclusions. The increase in Langerhans cells in prepucium skin may be the result of continuous stimulation of bacteria found in the periurethral area, and the absence of CD8 may help the colonization of uropathic bacteria.
A new feature selection algorithm in text categorization

A major problem with text classification problems is the high dimensionality of the feature space. This paper investigates how genetic algorithm and k-means algorithm can help select relevant features in text classification. which uses the genetic algorithm (GA) optimization features to implement global searching, and uses k-means algorithm to selection operation to control the scope of the search, ensure the validity of each gene and the speed of convergence. Our experimental results show that the combination of GA and k-means algorithm is quite useful in reduce the high feature dimension, and improved accuracy and efficiency for text classification.
Backpack Load Influences Heart Rate While Climbing

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze effects of backpack loads on heart rate while climbing. Material and methods: A first sample of climbers absolved a 5b route (French scale) without a backpack and with 5, 10 and 15 kg load. To further analyze effects of climbing difficulty a second sample of climbers absolved two routes with difficulty of 5b respectively 5c (French Scale) without and with a load of 10 kg. Results: In the first sample increases of heart rate from 97.6 ± 14.4 to 146.0 ± 15.1 with no load, 105.9 ± 14.7 to 154.7 ± 14.6 with 5 kg load, 108.2 ± 16.2 to 162 ± 14.2 with 10 kg load, 111.2 ± 9.9 to 170.2 ± 9.9 with 15 kg load were detected (p<0.01). In route 5b average heart rate increased from 99.8 ± 15.5 to 146.3 ± 23.7 without respectively 102.4 ± 22.8 to 164.1 ± 22.7 with 10 kg load (p<0.01). In route 5c an increase from 99.6 ± 11.9 to 145.1 ± 24.0 without respectively from 102.0 ± 26.6 to 164.1 ± 19.2 with 10 kg load was detected (p<0.001). Conclusions: Analyses indicate that an increase of 1 kg in backpack load leads to an increase of heart rate of 1-2 beats per Minute independent from climbing difficulty.
The Study of Electrocardiograph Based on Radial Basis Function Neural Network

In this paper we introduce a set of adaptive signal procedure techniques which could be used. Firstly, we introduce discrete wavelet transform and extract the characteristics of Electrocardiogram (ECG) optimization. Then, we make use of Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network to achieve the classification of ECG and to compare the performance of their respectively. Among which two types of ECG arrhythmias which obtained from MIT-BIH ECG Arrhythmias database are normal beat and paced beat respectively. The experimental results show that the use of RBF neural network algorithm to classify the 8-dimensional feature vector training under the db2 wavelet performs as the optimal classifier, and the overall classification accuracy rate is more than 90%.
A simple 8-bit digital microcontroller implementation for chaotic sequence generation

This paper introduces a simple implementation of digital chaotic sequence generator. The implementation is based on using microcontroller ATMGA 16 to generate the chaotic map required for advanced encryption standard (AES) encryption scheme s-box and radar frequency agile control. The implemented circuit is simple, low cost and suitable for use with identification friend or foe (IFF) equipped with data encryption systems. The circuit also can changes the carrier frequency of the transmitted signal based on chaotic map, benefits a security and confidentiality to the radar waveform against Electronic Counter Measurement (ECM). The circuit generates 256 random sequences at different initial conditions and each of them has 256 sequences generated from different bifurcation parameters. The circuit is simulated under Matlab program environment and Proteus circuit simulation program. A security analysis for the implemented circuit is demonstrated. The results show the superiority of the circuit for generating the random sequences forming an efficient s-box for IFF system and radar frequency agility.
The Application of a Course-of-Action Ontology to Support OPFOR COA Selection and Assessment

This paper describes the application of a course-of-action (COA) ontology to a demonstration scenario that the authors' company participated in that included a task to forecast the COAs to be executed by a simulated insurgent opposing force (OPFOR). The COA ontology includes standard decision-theoretic concepts to describe preference models from the perspective of an insurgent group for the purpose of predicting possible OPFOR COAs. The OPFOR preference structure is represented as a preference graph that visually displays the ranking of the COAs, from the perspective of the OPFOR decision maker, highlighting the most and least preferred COAs.
A Bayesian Analysis for Identifying DNA Copy Number Variations Using a Compound Poisson Process

To study chromosomal aberrations that may lead to cancer formation or genetic diseases, the array-based Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH) technique is often used for detecting DNA copy number variants (CNVs). Various methods have been developed for gaining CNVs information based on aCGH data. However, most of these methods make use of the log-intensity ratios in aCGH data without taking advantage of other information such as the DNA probe (e.g., biomarker) positions/distances contained in the data. Motivated by the specific features of aCGH data, we developed a novel method that takes into account the estimation of a change point or locus of the CNV in aCGH data with its associated biomarker position on the chromosome using a compound Poisson process. We used a Bayesian approach to derive the posterior probability for the estimation of the CNV locus. To detect loci of multiple CNVs in the data, a sliding window process combined with our derived Bayesian posterior probability was proposed. To evaluate the performance of the method in the estimation of the CNV locus, we first performed simulation studies. Finally, we applied our approach to real data from aCGH experiments, demonstrating its applicability.
Error modeling and improved position estimation for optical incremental encoders by means of time stamping

Optical incremental encoders are extensively used for position measurements in motion systems. The number of slits on the encoder disk defines the resolution of the encoder and bounds the accuracy of the position measurement. The encoder position measurements suffer from quantization errors. Moreover, encoder imperfections occur due to manufacturing tolerances. In this paper a method, which is based on time stamping, is proposed to obtain more accurate position and velocity estimations. Time stamping makes use of stored events, consisting of the encoder counts and their time instants, which are captured at a high resolution clock. Low order polynomial fitting through these encoder events is combined with active compensation of the encoder errors. The proposed method is applied in real-time experiments to a motion system. The results show an improvement in the position accuracy of up to 87% in terms of the maximum error. The estimated velocity is also much more accurate than the differentiated quantized encoder output signal.
Danon Disease: Clinical Features, Evaluation, and Management

Danon disease is an X-linked dominant skeletal and cardiac muscle disorder with multisystem clinical manifestations. It was first described in boys presenting with cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy, and varying degrees of intellectual disability.1 As histological findings of glycogen buildup in muscle tissue similar to those seen in Pompe disease were noted, the condition was originally considered to be a lysosomal storage disease and was termed glycogen storage disease type IIb. In 2000, Nishino et al2 identified the genetic defects in the lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 ( LAMP2 ) gene, encoding the LAMP2 protein. Most Danon disease mutations lead to an absence of LAMP2 protein expression,2 a situation more problematic in men who are hemizygous for LAMP2 . For reasons not yet fully understood, reduction in LAMP2 disrupts intracytoplasmic trafficking and leads to accumulation of autophagic material and often glycogen in skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle cells (Figure 1). 2 Major clinical features include skeletal and cardiac myopathy, cardiac conduction abnormalities, mild intellectual difficulties, and retinal disease. Men are typically affected earlier and more severely than women. The disease is unfamiliar to many practitioners, and the majority of published data stem from case reports with a brief clinical review published in 2002.4 Our aim was to perform a systematic review of Danon disease, provide a comprehensive clinical and molecular update, and propose diagnostic and management guidelines for clinicians and researchers working with patients with Danon disease. Figure 1. Histological images from skeletal muscle biopsy and endomyocardial biopsy.3 Electron microscopy shows intracytoplasmic vacuoles (arrows) containing autophagic material and glycogen in both ( A ) skeletal muscle (bar 1 μm) and ( B ) endomyocardial tissue biopsy (bar 1 μm). Reprinted from Taylor et al3 with permission of the publisher. Copyright © 2007, Nature Publishing Group. Authorization for this adaptation has been obtained both from …
The influence of bone and blood lead on plasma lead levels in environmentally exposed adults.

There is concern that previously accumulated bone lead stores may constitute an internal source of exposure, particularly during periods of increased bone mineral loss (e.g., pregnancy, lactation, and menopause). Furthermore, the contribution of lead mobilized from bone to plasma may not be adequately reflected by whole-blood lead levels. This possibility is especially alarming because plasma is the main circulatory compartment of lead that is available to cross cell membranes and deposit in soft tissues. We studied 26 residents of Mexico City who had no history of occupational lead exposure. Two samples of venous blood were collected from each individual. One sample was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-magnetic sector mass spectrometry for whole-blood lead levels. The other sample was centrifuged to separate plasma, which was then isolated and analyzed for lead content by the same analytical technique. Bone lead levels in the tibia and patella were determined with a spot-source 109Cd K-X-ray fluorescence instrument. Mean lead concentrations were 0.54 microg/l in plasma, 119 microg/l in whole blood, and 23.27 and 11.71 microg/g bone mineral in the patella and tibia, respectively. The plasma-to-whole-blood lead concentration ratios ranged from 0.27% to 0.70%. Whole-blood lead level was highly correlated with plasma lead level and accounted for 95% of the variability of plasma lead concentrations. Patella and tibia lead levels were also highly correlated with plasma lead levels. The bivariate regression coefficients of patella and tibia on plasma lead were 0.034 (p<0. 001) and 0.053 (p<0.001), respectively. In a multivariate regression model of plasma lead levels that included whole-blood lead, patella lead level remained an independent predictor of plasma lead level (ss = 0.007, p<0.001). Our data suggest that although whole-blood lead levels are highly correlated with plasma lead levels, lead levels in bone (particularly trabecular bone) exert an additional independent influence on plasma lead levels. It will be important to determine whether the degree of this influence increases during times of heightened bone turnover (e.g., pregnancy and lactation). ImagesFigure 1Figure 2
Comprehensive Analysis of Human Cytomegalovirus MicroRNA Expression during Lytic and Quiescent Infection

Background Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes microRNAs (miRNAs) that function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression during lytic infection in permissive cells. Some miRNAs have been shown to suppress virus replication, which could help HCMV to establish or maintain latent infection. However, HCMV miRNA expression has not been comprehensively examined and compared using cell culture systems representing permissive (lytic) and semi-permissive vs. non-permissive (latent-like) infection. Methods Viral miRNAs levels and expression kinetics during HCMV infection were determined by miRNA-specific stem-loop RT-PCR. HCMV infected THP-1 (non-permissive), differentiated THP-1 (d-THP-1, semi-permissive) and human embryo lung fibroblasts (HELs, fully-permissive) were examined. The impact of selected miRNAs on HCMV infection (gene expression, genome replication and virus release) was determined by Western blotting, RT-PCR, qPCR, and plaque assay. Results Abundant expression of 15 HCMV miRNAs was observed during lytic infection in HELs; highest peak inductions (11- to 1502-fold) occurred at 48 hpi. In d-THP-1s, fourteen mRNAs were detected with moderate induction (3- to 288-fold), but kinetics of expression was generally delayed for 24 h relative to HELs. In contrast, only three miRNAs were induced to low levels (3- to 4-fold) during quiescent infection in THP-1s. Interestingly, miR-UL70-3p was poorly induced in HEL (1.5-fold), moderately in THP-1s (4-fold), and strongly (58-fold) in d-THP-1s, suggesting a potentially specific role for miR-UL70-3p in THP-1s and d-THP-1s. MiR-US33, -UL22A and -UL70 were further evaluated for their impact on HCMV replication in HELs. Ectopic expression of miR-UL22A and miR-UL70 did not affect HCMV replication in HELs, whereas miR-US33 inhibited HCMV replication and reduced levels of HCMV US29 mRNA, confirming that US29 is a target of miR-US33. Conclusions Viral miRNA expression kinetics differs between permissive, semi-permissive and quiescent infections, and miR-US33 down-regulates HCMV replication. These results suggest that miR-US33 may function to impair entry into lytic replication and hence promote establishment of latency.
Innovation in impact assessment: a bibliometric review and a practical test.

A bibliometric study was carried out to identify the main innovations and shortcomings pointed out by scientific research on impact assessment (IA). Out of 1,547 articles published between 1990 and 2015 in two leading journals, IAPA and EIAR, 381 were reviewed for their contents related to new methodological approaches or proposals for improving practice. It was found that innovations and gaps are predominantly treated disregarding IA’s theoretical basis. We suggest that IA core values shall always guide innovation. It is proposed that the theoretical boundaries of an IA System shall be previously stablished when discussing innovation. The information systematized through a bibliometric approach allowed to propose a framework that correlates IA theoretical foundations with innovation options in a vertical integration way.
Liquefaction Opportunity Mapping via Seismic Wave Energy

An empirical, energy-based methodology for liquefaction hazard assessment and microzonation mapping is presented. The approach is probabilistic, considers the uncertainty in the liquefaction criterion, and is applicable to most earthquake-induced liquefaction analyses. The examples illustrated are for water-saturated sands at level ground. The energy of ground shaking is estimated from the Fourier amplitude spectra of the incident waves. The susceptible materials are characterized only by their corrected standard penetration test value \iN¯ and overburden pressure σ\d0. Illustrative microzonation maps of liquefaction opportunity are shown for the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Two types of maps are presented, one showing the average return period of liquefaction occurrence (for given \iN¯ and σ\d0), and another one showing distribution of \iN¯ with equal probability to liquefy during 50 years exposure (for given σ\d0). An advantage of the method is that the result is given directly in terms of in situ albeit simple soil characteristics rather than in terms of laboratory tests and peak acceleration. Possible applications of the computed opportunity maps are discussed.
Lymphaticovenular Bypass for Lymphedema Management in Breast Cancer Patients: A Prospective Study

Background: Lymphedema is a common and debilitating condition. Management options for lymphedema are limited and controversial. The purpose of this prospective study was to provide a preliminary analysis of lymphaticovenular bypass for the treatment of upper limb lymphedema in breast cancer patients. Methods: Twenty patients with upper extremity lymphedema secondary to treatment of breast cancer underwent lymphaticovenular bypass using a “supermicrosurgical” approach. The mean age of the patients was 54 years, 16 patients had received preoperative radiation therapy, and all patients had received axillary lymph node dissection. The mean duration of lymphedema was 4.8 years, and the mean volume differential of the lymphedematous arm compared with the unaffected arm was 34 percent. Evaluation included qualitative assessment and quantitative volumetric analysis before surgery and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after the procedure. Results: The mean number of bypasses performed per patient was 3.5 (range, two to five), and the size of bypasses ranged from 0.3 to 0.8 mm. The mean operative time was 3.3 hours (range, 2 to 5 hours). Hospital stay was less than 24 hours for all patients. The mean follow-up time was 18 months. Nineteen patients (95 percent) reported symptom improvement following surgery, and 13 patients had quantitative improvement. The mean volume differential reduction was 29 percent at 1 month, 36 percent at 3 months, 39 percent at 6 months, and 35 percent at 1 year. No patients experienced postoperative complications or lymphedema exacerbation. Conclusions: Lymphaticovenular bypass may effectively reduce the severity of lymphedema in breast cancer patients. Long-term analysis is needed.
Randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of a brief intervention targeting anxiety sensitivity cognitive concerns.

OBJECTIVE Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a well-established, malleable risk factor for anxiety and other forms of psychopathology. Structural evaluation models of AS suggest it can be decomposed into physical, social, and cognitive concerns, and emerging work indicates that these components may be differentially related to various adverse outcomes. In particular, AS cognitive concerns have been consistently linked with suicide. Prior work has also shown that brief interventions can effectively reduce overall AS, but these treatments tend to focus on its physical subcomponent. The aim of the current investigation was to design and evaluate the efficacy of an AS treatment more specifically focused on its cognitive component. METHOD Non-treatment-seeking participants (N = 108) with elevated AS were randomly assigned to a 1-session intervention utilizing psychoeducation and interoceptive exposure techniques to target AS or a health information control intervention and assessed posttreatment and at 1-month follow-up. RESULTS The active treatment condition produced significantly greater reductions in AS at posttreatment. Group differences persisted at 1-month follow-up that were specific to AS cognitive concerns. Moreover, changes in cognitive AS mediated symptom change at follow-up including suicide outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Despite the brevity of the treatment intervention, findings demonstrate that it resulted in substantial reductions in AS cognitive concerns that were linked with symptom improvement.
Intravenous dexmedetomidine versus clonidine for prolongation of bupivacaine spinal anesthesia and analgesia: A randomized double-blind study

Background: Alpha2-adrenergic agonists have synergistic action with local anesthetics and may prolong the duration of sensory, motor blockade and postoperative analgesia obtained with spinal anesthesia. Aim: The objectives of this study are to compare and evaluate the efficacy of intravenous dexmedetomidine premedication with clonidine and placebo on spinal blockade duration, postoperative analgesia and sedation in patients undergoing surgery under bupivacaine intrathecal block. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study, 75 patients of the American Society of Anesthesiologists status I or II, scheduled for orthopedic lower limb surgery under spinal anesthesia, were randomly allocated into three groups of 25 each. Group DE received dexmedetomidine 0.5 μgkg−1, group CL received clonidine 1.0 μgkg−1 and placebo group PL received 10 ml of normal saline intravenously before subarachnoid anesthesia with 15 mg of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine. Onset time and regression times of sensory and motor blockade, the maximum upper level of sensory blockade were recorded. Duration of postoperative analgesia and sedation scores along with side effects were also recorded. Data was analyzed using analysis of variance or Chi-square test, and the value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The sensory block level was higher with dexmedetomidine (T4 ± 1) than clonidine (T6 ± 1) or placebo (T6 ± 2). Dexmedetomidine also increased the time (243.35 ± 56.82 min) to first postoperative analgesic request compared with clonidine (190.93 ± 42.38 min, P < 0.0001) and placebo (140.75 ± 28.52 min, P < 0.0001). The maximum Ramsay sedation score was greater in the dexmedetomidine group than other two groups (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Premedication with intravenous dexmedetomidine is better than intravenous clonidine to provide intraoperative sedation and postoperative analgesia during bupivacaine spinal anesthesia.
Development and comparison of three syllable stress classifiers

The paper describes the development of three alternative techniques for the classification of syllable stress in fluent speech. They are based on: (1) neural networks that use contextual syllabic information; (2) first and second order Markov chains that depend on a new dynamic vector quantization approach; and (3) a rule based approach. Both the neural network and the statistical approach achieved performance above 80%, with the neural networks slightly outperforming the Markov models. Experimental results also show that stress classification could enhance speech recognition.