Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Spontaneous Cerebral Microemboli Consistent in Carotid Disease?

Background and Purpose— Transcranial Doppler may be used to detect spontaneous cerebral emboli (SCE), but this information will only identify at-risk patients if these individuals are consistently identified over time. We investigated the consistency of SCE production in patients with symptomatic carotid disease. Methods— Transcranial Doppler signals from the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery in 25 patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis of >70% were recorded over 1 hour for blind analysis by a panel of trained observers. This was repeated at the same time of day, weekly, for 6 weeks. Results— The number of patients with SCE increased with each week of monitoring until 13 (52%) were positive. The range of the cumulative number of SCE was 1 to 6. Ten (40%) patients were positive for SCE during only 1 monitoring session, and 2 (8%) were positive for SCE during 2 sessions. SCE-positive patients tended to have more recent symptoms. The correlation coefficients between time elapsed since last cerebral symptom and SCE were weak and not significant. Conclusions— Most, if not all, patients with severe carotid disease will eventually produce SCE. However, the production of an SCE is random, and it is likely that many hours of monitoring are required to determine whether a patient with symptomatic carotid disease is SCE positive. SCE are unlikely to identify at-risk patients but may indicate periods of transiently increased risk in individual patients.
Review of Knowledge Extraction from Email : The Boundaries of Natural Language Processing Techniques

The aim of this research is to determine if natural language processing techniques can be used to fully automate the extraction of knowledge from emails. The paper reviews the four generations of building systems to share knowledge and highlights the challenges faced by all. The paper shows that although the f-measure results are world leading for this study, there is still a requirement for user intervention to enable the system to be accurate enough to be of use to an organisation.
Developmental screening: predictors of follow-up adherence in primary health care.

BACKGROUND The importance of early identification for infants and young children with developmental delays is well established. Poor follow-up on referrals, however, undermines the effectiveness of early intervention programmes. OBJECTIVES To identify factors, including text message reminders, that influence follow-up adherence for early intervention after developmental screening in primary health care. A secondary objective surveyed reasons for follow-up default. METHODS The PEDS tools were used to screen 247 high-risk children. A risk assessment questionnaire was completed with caregivers whose children were referred for speech-language and/or occupational therapy (n=106, 43%). A quasi-experimental correlational study was employed to identify risk factors for defaulting on appointments. A thematic analysis of telephonic interviews was also employed to determine reasons for follow-up defaults. RESULTS Follow-up adherence was 17%. Participants who were never married, divorced or widowed were 2.88 times more likely to attend a follow-up appointment than those who were married or living together (95%, CI 0.97-8.63). Text message reminders did not improve follow-up. More than half (58%) of participants who defaulted on appontments could be reached for telephonic interviews. Interviews showed that 87% of participants were unconcerned about their child's development. Other reasons for defaulting were employment, logistical issues, other responsibilities and forgetfulness. CONCLUSION Follow-up adherence for early intervention services following a positive primary health care screen was poor. Increased awareness and education regarding the importance of development for educational success is needed.
Direction-Specific Adaptation in Neuronal and Behavioral Responses of an Insect Mechanosensory System

Stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) is considered to be the neural underpinning of habituation to frequent stimuli and novelty detection. However, neither the cellular mechanism underlying SSA nor the link between SSA-like neuronal plasticity and behavioral modulation is well understood. The wind-detection system in crickets is one of the best models for investigating the neural basis of SSA. We found that crickets exhibit stimulus-direction-specific adaptation in wind-elicited avoidance behavior. Repetitive air currents inducing this behavioral adaptation reduced firings to the stimulus and the amplitude of excitatory synaptic potentials in wind-sensitive giant interneurons (GIs) related to the avoidance behavior. Injection of a Ca2+ chelator into GIs diminished both the attenuation of firings and the synaptic depression induced by the repetitive stimulation, suggesting that adaptation of GIs induced by this stimulation results in Ca2+-mediated modulation of postsynaptic responses, including postsynaptic short-term depression. Some types of GIs showed specific adaptation to the direction of repetitive stimuli, resulting in an alteration of their directional tuning curves. The types of GIs for which directional tuning was altered displayed heterogeneous direction selectivity in their Ca2+ dynamics that was restricted to a specific area of dendrites. In contrast, other types of GIs with constant directionality exhibited direction-independent global Ca2+ elevation throughout the dendritic arbor. These results suggest that depression induced by local Ca2+ accumulation at repetitively activated synapses of key neurons underlies direction-specific behavioral adaptation. This input-selective depression mediated by heterogeneous Ca2+ dynamics could confer the ability to detect novelty at the earliest stages of sensory processing in crickets. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) is considered to be the neural underpinning of habituation and novelty detection. We found that crickets exhibit stimulus-direction-specific adaptation in wind-elicited avoidance behavior. Repetitive air currents inducing this behavioral adaptation altered the directional selectivity of wind-sensitive giant interneurons (GIs) via direction-specific adaptation mediated by dendritic Ca2+ elevation. The GIs for which directional tuning was altered displayed heterogeneous direction selectivity in their Ca2+ dynamics and the transient increase in Ca2+ evoked by the repeated puffs was restricted to a specific area of dendrites. These results suggest that depression induced by local Ca2+ accumulation at repetitively activated synapses of key neurons underlies direction-specific behavioral adaptation. Our findings elucidate the subcellular mechanism underlying SSA-like neuronal plasticity related to behavioral adaptation.
An Analysis of Var-Based Capital Requirements

We study the dynamic investment and reporting problem of a Financial institution subject to capital requirements based on self-reported VaR estimates, as in the Basel Committee's Internal Models Approach (IMA). We characterize the solution of this problem using martingale duality and parametric quadratic programming techniques. With constant price coefficients, we show that optimal portfolios display a local three-fund separation property. VaR-based capital requirements induce financial institutions to tilt their portfolios towards assets with high expected return (and high systematic risk), but result nevertheless in a decrease of the overall risk of trading portfolios. In general, an institution may optimally under-report or over-report its true VaR, depending on its risk aversion and the stringency of capital requirements. Overall, we find that capital requirements determined on the basis of the IMA can be very effective not only in curbing portfolio risk but also in inducing truthful revelation of this risk.
Use of the low-dose desferrioxamine test to diagnose and differentiate between patients with aluminium-related bone disease, increased risk for aluminium toxicity, or aluminium overload.

BACKGROUND Aiming at a safe method in the diagnosis of aluminium-related bone disease (ARBD)/aluminium overload the low-dose desferrioxamine (DFO) test was developed. In a multicentre study histological and histochemical data and aluminium bulk analysis of bone biopsies of 77 dialysis patients were correlated with the results of both the 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg DFO tests. METHODS ARBD was considered to be present when > 15% of the bone surface was positively stained for aluminium and the bone formation rate was below 220 microns 2/mm2/day. Patients in which the Aluminon staining was positive (> 0%) were considered at an increased risk for aluminium toxicity independent of the type of renal osteodystrophy. Patients were considered aluminium overloaded when the bone aluminium content was > 15 micrograms/g wet weight and/or the Aluminon staining was positive (> 0%). RESULTS Using the proposed criteria 15 patients were found to have ARBD; 13 of them presenting with a serum iPTH below 150 ng/l. In conjunction with an iPTH measurement the DFO test had a more than acceptable sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of ARBD. The test was considered positive when a post-DFO serum aluminium increment (delta sA1) above 50 micrograms/l (5 mg/kg) or 70 micrograms/l (10 mg/kg) together with a serum iPTH below 150 ng/l was found. Using these cut-off levels the 5 and 10 mg/kg tests in the diagnosis of ARBD had a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 95% and 92% respectively whereas the predictive value for a positive test for the population under study was 80% (5 mg/kg). Not a single patient with a serum iPTH > 650 ng/l had a positive staining (> 0%) even when the bone aluminium level was elevated (> 15 micrograms/g wet weight). In the detection of patients at risk for aluminium toxicity delta sA1 thresholds of 50 micrograms/l (5 mg/kg) and 70 micrograms/l (10 mg/kg) in combination with a serum iPTH < 650 ng/l had a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 86% and 84% respectively. In the clinical setting of aluminium overload, threshold delta sA1 levels of 50 micrograms/l (5 mg/kg) and 70 micrograms/l (10 mg/kg) had a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 95% and 90% respectively. CONCLUSIONS The low-dose DFO test is a reliable test for the detection of aluminium overload; however, it is not specific enough to differentiate between ARBD, increased risk of aluminium toxicity, and aluminium overload unless it is used in combination with a serum iPTH measurement. In conjunction with a serum iPTH measurement it is an important tool in the differential diagnosis and may avoid the necessity of a bone biopsy in the majority of patients. Data obtained in the present study have allowed us to update the strategies for monitoring, diagnosis and patient follow-up proposed at the Consensus Conference on Diagnosis and Treatment of Aluminium Overload in End-Stage Renal Failure; Paris, 1992.
WLAN Fairness with Idle Sense

Idle Sense (IS) is a simple yet efficient access method to provide optimized throughput and fairness in wireless local area networks (WLAN). Each station dynamically controls its contention window (CW) size by monitoring the mean number of idle slots between transmission attempts. In general this quantity is subject to estimation error that is related to the number of transmissions, M, over which it is measured. Previous works in IS assumed all stations use similar CW sizes to contend the channel; an assumption that is not always valid in reality. Therefore, this paper studies the behaviour of the scheme when stations have different CW sizes. An analysis shows that bias caused by the additive increase multiplicative decrease (AIMD) algorithm used to control the CW sizes, combined with varying lengths of M can cause a fairness problem. Two classes of stations develop, with the first class gaining most of the channel bandwidth while the second class stays idle.
A precision CMOS voltage reference with enhanced stability for the application to advanced VLSIs

A precision CMOS voltage reference circuit is very important for the design of the stable voltage-down converter of high density VLSIs. By using the active mode operation of the component MOS transistors, a CMOS bandgap type reference voltage circuit is redesigned for the enhancement of the circuit stability against the internal noises. The voltage supply independence, temperature independence and the stability characteristics of the reference circuit are analyzed by using an analytical model. The designed circuit is incorporated into a 5-V to 3.3-V down converter and integrated into a 16-M DRAM by using 0.6-/spl mu/m CMOS technology. The measured characteristics of the fabricated voltage-down converter show a voltage dependence of 47.5 mV/V and 18 ppm/C temperature coefficient at V/sub ext/ = 3.2 V and 255 ppm/C at V/sub ext/ = 5.45 V, respectively. <<ETX>>
Prognostic Factors of Primary Intraosseous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (PIOSCC): A Retrospective Review

Objectives To delineate clinical and pathological features and determine the prognostic factors of primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma (PIOSCC). Materials and methods Patients diagnosed with PIOSCC, attending the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Nanjing stomatological hospital between 2005 and 2015, were identified and retrospectively reviewed for clinical and pathological characteristics. Therapeutic modalities were measured and related follow-up data recorded, in order to determine prognostic factors of PIOSSC. Results A total of 77 patients with PIOSCC were included in the study. Mean age at diagnosis was 58.8 years, (range, 37−81 years). Of the 77 patients, there were 58 men and 19 women. The most common location of disease was the mandible (71.42%), particularly the posterior mandible. The common presenting symptoms included jaw swelling (79.2%) and ulceration (42.65%). The estimated 2-year and 5-year overall survival were 68.9% and 38.8%, respectively. Univariate analysis identified the following as negative prognostic factors: histological grade, N classification, nodal status and treatment modalities. However, multivariate analysis determined positive nodal status, high histological grade and advanced N classification as the independent significant prognostic factors. Conclusion Our results demonstrate several clinical and pathological features of PIOSCC and identify important prognostic factors associated with overall survival in PIOSCC. These prognostic factors include nodal status, histological grade, N classification, and treatment modalities, all of which are important for patient counseling and may be useful for the development of new treatment approaches.
Nonfragile reliable control for positive switched systems with actuator faults and saturation

This paper presents a nonfragile reliable control approach to positive switched systems with actuator faults and saturation. In order to guarantee the reliability of the controller, the controller gain matrix is chosen as the sum of a normal gain matrix and a gain perturbation matrix. A nonfragile reliable control is first proposed for the considered systems using a gain matrix decomposition technique. Then, the presented nonfragile control design approach is developed for the systems with exogenous disturbances. An approach to compute the normal gain matrix and the gain perturbation matrix is also provided. Under the obtained controller, the resulting closed‐loop systems are positive and L1‐gain stable. Meanwhile, all the states will stay inside a cone. All presented conditions are described via linear programming. Finally, two examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the theory findings.
A fuzzy logic rule-based system for chromosome recognition

One of the longest standing problems in medical image analysis is that of the automated recognition of chromosomes from images of a metaphase spread of a cell. This process of visualizing and categorizing the chromosomes within a cell, called karyotyping, is a key factor in many medical procedures. It is a labor intensive activity, and hence, is a great candidate for automation. However, there are many sources of uncertainty in this problem domain, making complete karyotyping a difficult problem. We describe how fuzzy logic is being inserted into a complete karyotyping system to deal with uncertainty in similar chromosome classes. <<ETX>>
Optimization of universal ballasts through magnetic regulators

Nowadays there are few commercial types of ballasts able to control fluorescent lamps with different power ratings. One of the main issues is how to get optimum operation for each lamp in this condition. This paper tries to demonstrate how to accomplish this objective using a magnetic regulator, i.e. using a variable inductor. This variable inductor is controlled by a dc current delivered by a forward converter directly supplied from the ballast dc bus voltage. This control current allows changing the resonant tank, adapting it to the working parameters imposed by each lamp, ensuring near resonance working conditions. Design criteria and practical verifications are included to confirm this new technique. Theoretical predictions are verified with the experimental results for three TLD Philips fluorescent lamps, from 18 W to 58 W.
Many rivers to cross: the journey of zinc from soil to seed

An important goal of micronutrient biofortification is to enhance the amount of bioavailable zinc in the edible seed of cereals and more specifically in the endosperm. The picture is starting to emerge for how zinc is translocated from the soil through the mother plant to the developing seed. On this journey, zinc is transported from symplast to symplast via multiple apoplastic spaces. During each step, zinc is imported into a symplast before it is exported again. Cellular import and export of zinc requires passage through biological membranes, which makes membrane-bound transporters of zinc especially interesting as potential transport bottlenecks. Inside the cell, zinc can be imported into or exported out of organelles by other transporters. The function of several membrane proteins involved in the transport of zinc across the tonoplast, chloroplast or plasma membranes are currently known. These include members of the ZIP (ZRT-IRT-like Protein), and MTP (Metal Tolerance Protein) and heavy metal ATPase (HMA) families. An important player in the transport process is the ligand nicotianamine that binds zinc to increase its solubility in living cells and in this way buffers the intracellular zinc concentration.
A comparative study on serum lipoprotein (a) and lipid profile between rheumatoid arthritis patients and normal subjects

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic and systemic inflammatory disorder, in which Lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] increases plaque formation and thus promotes atherosclerosis. Coronary artery disease is one of the co-morbidity in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate Lp (a) as a cardiovascular risk factor in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This was a comparative study in which Lp (a) and lipid profile were compared in rheumatoid arthritis patients and controls. Materials and Methods: The study included 30 sero-positive rheumatoid arthritis patients and 30 normal healthy subjects with an age and sex matched group of 25–80 years. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 17. Results: Serum Lp (a) concentration was significantly increased (P < 0.001) in rheumatoid arthritis patients compared with controls. Serum high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was significantly lowered (P < 0.05) in patients as compared to controls. There was no significant difference in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol between patients and controls. Conclusion: The findings indicate that the patients with rheumatoid arthritis are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease in future due to the increased level of Lp (a). In addition to conventional lipid profile, estimation of Lp (a) can prove to be a valuable tool in risk assessment of population in general and management of disease in particular.
A Novel Retransmission Scheme for Video Services in Hybrid Wireline/Wireless Networks

In this paper a crossed application and physical layer retransmission scheme is proposed for video streaming services in hybrid wireline and wireless networks. Each video packet carries the importance levels of succeeding packets at the application layer. In wireless transmission, by mapping the packet importance levels to different number of physical layer HARQ retransmissions, data packets are differentially protected which can greatly alleviate higher layer retransmissions and at the same time reduce the transmission delay for realtime services.
Fingolimod-associated macular edema

Fingolimod (FTY-720), a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulator, is the first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved oral agent for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Two recent phase III clinical studies (TRANSFORMS [Trial Assessing Injectable Interferon vs FTY720 Oral in RRMS] and FREEDOMS [FTY720 Research Evaluating Effects of Daily Oral Therapy in MS]) demonstrated a significant reduction in the annualized relapse rate in patients with relapsing-remitting MS, compared to once weekly interferon β-1a and placebo. Macular edema was a prominent adverse event reported in these and prior studies of fingolimod. Thirteen of 2,564 (0.5%) patients treated with fingolimod in FREEDOMS and TRANSFORMS developed macular edema. Fingolimod-associated macular edema (FAME) appears to be dose-dependent (observed in only 2 patients taking the FDA-approved 0.5 mg dose) and typically resolves upon cessation of therapy. Although a relatively common condition in ophthalmology, most neurologists have not encountered macular edema in clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to educate the neurologist on the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic modalities, and treatment approaches in patients with FAME. We also discuss the use of fingolimod in patients with uveitis and diabetes mellitus, highlight the guidelines for surveillance ophthalmic examination, and outline the key distinguishing features between FAME and optic neuritis.