Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Head and neck hemangiomas in pediatric patients treated with endolesional 980-nm diode laser.

PURPOSE In pediatric patients with hemangiomas, vascular malformations, or lymphovenous malformations, therapeutic decisions frequently pose a challenge to surgeons, dermatologists, radiologists, and pathologists. We analyze the value of an interdisciplinary approach, and treatment of hemangiomas with an endolesional 980-nm diode laser. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 2000 and 2008 we provided interdisciplinary consultation for patients with hemangiomas, lymphangiomas, and vascular anomalies. We treated 250 patients with a 980-nm diode laser. In patients with hemangiomas and venous malformations, clinical diagnosis was confirmed by color Doppler flow imaging and magnetic resonance imaging; angiography was employed for patients with arteriovenous malformations. All patients were either treated by laser surgery or treated conservatively depending on lesion size and behavior. RESULTS Two hundred fifty pediatric patients were treated; these included 160 patients with hemangiomas, 50 with vascular malformations, and 40 with lymphatic malformation. The treatment results were analyzed by evaluating the decrease in lesion size and the lesion's complete clinical disappearance. All patients had resolution except 38 for whom there was a reduction in lesion size that required a new session. CONCLUSIONS The interdisciplinary approach increases diagnostic accuracy, and subsequently improves individual treatment for pediatric patients with hemangioma, lymphangioma, and vascular anomalies. The diode laser was found to be useful in the treatment of lesions in pediatric patients in terms of aesthetic results and resolution.
Baseline Values and Sotalol‐Induced Changes of Ventricular Repolarization Duration, Heterogeneity, and Instability in Patients With a History of Drug‐Induced Torsades de Pointes

The authors investigated whether computerized parameters quantifying ventricular repolarization delay, heterogeneity, and instability characterize individuals who developed drug‐induced Torsades de Pointes. Assessing an individual's propensity to Torsades de Pointes when exposed to a QT‐prolonging drug is challenging because baseline QT prolongation has limited predictive value. Five‐minute digital 12‐lead electrocardiograms were acquired at baseline and after a sotalol challenge in 16 patients who had a history of Torsades de Pointes in the context of a QT‐prolonging drug and 17 patients who did not have such history. Computerized measurements of QTc, T peak to T end intervals (TpTe), TpTe/QTc, and QT variability were implemented, and novel quantifiers of ventricular repolarization heterogeneity from the early (ERD) and late (LRD) part of the T wave were investigated. Compared with electrocardiograms of patients without a history of Torsades de Pointes, the baseline electrocardiograms of patients with a history of Torsades de Pointes had a longer QTc and an increased repolarization heterogeneity of the early part of the T wave (ERD30%: 44 ± 13 vs 35 ± 8 ms, P = .02). On sotalol, the electrocardiograms from individuals with Torsades de Pointes revealed a delay of the terminal part of the T wave that was not present in patients without Torsades de Pointes (TpTe: 27 ± 40 vs −1 ± 21 ms, P = .02; LRD70%: 20 ± 29 vs 2 ± 4 ms, P = .04). Results suggest that the electrocardiogram abnormalities characterizing patients with a history of Torsades de Pointes are (1) an increased repolarization heterogeneity at baseline and (2) a sotalol‐induced prolongation of the terminal part of the T wave.
CHARACTERIZATION AND MITIGATION OF ELECTRO-STATIC BONDING FAILURES IN MICROSENSORS

Electrostatic bonding between glass and silicon is carried out in micro sensor devices to achieve higher bond strength thus eliminating the requirement of adhesives. This can also be useful in providing hermiticity and results in reliable operation of the micro sensor devices. Practically the sensor performance is prone to long term drift mainly due to process associated with the assembly and packaging. Bonding is the one of the critical process in micro sensor and generally sensor stability is dependent on this process along with other packaging material and methodology. Bond strength is one of the critical parameters to find out the quality of bond and the same is quantified and compared for different conditions. This article details electrostatic bonding process, various parameters responsible for the reliable bonding, modelling and characterization along with simple methodology to achieve higher bond strength.
Dementia risk in renal dysfunction

Objective: Renal dysfunction has been linked with increased risk for cognitive impairment and dementia, but studies are conflicting. For that reason, the aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize the best available evidence on the prospective association between potential markers of renal dysfunction and development of cognitive impairment or dementia. Methods: Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for potential publications until August 1, 2016. Studies were eligible if they fulfilled the following criteria: population-based study, prospective design, ≥100 participants, aged ≥45 years, ≥1 year follow-up, and cognition/dementia outcomes. Where appropriate, random effects meta-analyses were conducted yielding pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Twenty-two out of 8,494 abstracts fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Sufficient evidence was found for albuminuria, mixed results for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), insufficient support for cystatin C, and tentative evidence for serum creatinine and creatinine clearance. Meta-analyses of 5 studies representing 27,805 persons showed a 35% increased risk of cognitive impairment or dementia in those with albuminuria (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.06–1.73, p = 0.015), whereas eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 showed no significant association (OR 1.28, 95% CI 0.99–1.65, p = 0.063). No meta-analyses could be done for serum creatinine, creatinine clearance, or cystatin C. Conclusions: The overall evidence for an association between renal dysfunction and cognitive impairment or dementia is modest. Evidence suggests that albuminuria is associated with higher odds of developing cognitive impairment or dementia.
MIMS: A Prototype for medical image retrieval

With the advent of multimedia information, several problems have bounded traditional database approaches designed strictly for alphanumeric data. One of the many induced problems is the retrieving process. All current proposed systems approach the retrieval problem using one aspect of the concerned media (image, voice and video). Our prototype, called Medical Image Management System (MIMS), is based on a synergy of several approaches and conceived to yield an effective system appropriated to retrieve images in medical domain. The main goals of our system are to acquire significant information associated to medical imaging and answer complex medical queries. This paper presents MIMS prototype and show how the end-user is able to process easily both complex medical image retrieval and storage.
Discrete Flux as Quantum Hair

We investigate Yang-Mills theory on a spatial torus at finite temperature in the presence of discrete electric and magnetic fluxes using the AdS/CFT correspondence. We calculate the leading dependence of the partition function on the fluxes using the dual supergravity theory and comment upon the interpretation of these fluxes as discrete quantum hair for black holes in AdS spacetime.
The Impact of Positive Practices on Nurse Work Environments: Emerging Applications of Positive Organizational Scholarship

The overall purpose of improving work environments in health care is to enhance patient care delivery and improve the retention of nurses by engaging nurses in a model of cultural change that enhances communication and collaboration and actively involves nurses in organizational and clinical decision making. This article reports the findings from a 5-year study that describes an educational intervention for nurse leaders and a unit-based educational intervention for nursing staff, based on the application of Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) and its impact on nursing work environments.
Arterivirus Minor Envelope Proteins Are a Major Determinant of Viral Tropism in Cell Culture

ABSTRACT Arteriviruses are enveloped positive-strand RNA viruses for which the attachment proteins and cellular receptors have remained largely controversial. Arterivirus particles contain at least eight envelope proteins, an unusually large number among RNA viruses. These appear to segregate into three groups: major structural components (major glycoprotein GP5 and membrane protein [M]), minor glycoproteins (GP2a, GP3, and GP4), and small hydrophobic proteins (E and the recently discovered ORF5a protein). Biochemical studies previously suggested that the GP5-M heterodimer of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) interacts with porcine sialoadhesin (pSn) in porcine alveolar macrophages (PAM). However, another study proposed that minor protein GP4, along with GP2a, interacts with CD163, another reported cellular receptor for PRRSV. In this study, we provide genetic evidence that the minor envelope proteins are the major determinant of arterivirus entry into cultured cells. A PRRSV infectious cDNA clone was equipped with open reading frames (ORFs) encoding minor envelope and E proteins of equine arteritis virus (EAV), the only known arterivirus displaying a broad tropism in cultured cells. Although PRRSV and EAV are only distantly related and utilize diversified transcription-regulating sequences (TRSs), a viable chimeric progeny virus was rescued. Strikingly, this chimeric virus (vAPRRS-EAV2ab34) acquired the broad in vitro cell tropism of EAV, demonstrating that the minor envelope proteins play a critical role as viral attachment proteins. We believe that chimeric arteriviruses of this kind will be a powerful tool for further dissection of the arterivirus replicative cycle, including virus entry, subgenomic RNA synthesis, and virion assembly.
Development and control of new legged robot QUARTET III - from active walking to passive walking

We introduce a newly developed legged robot QUARTET III. Two direct drive motors are mounted on the robot as a main actuator. Therefore, this robot can walk both actively and passively. We also propose a new control law for the robot on a slight slope. The strategy of the control scheme is as follows. At the beginning of the walking, the robot walks with actuator. Then after a while the control input gradually decrease. Finally, the robot walks passively. The effectiveness of the control law is shown through simulations and experiments.
Direct Microbicidal Activity of Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes

Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) are famous for their ability to kill tumor, allogeneic and virus-infected cells. However, an emerging literature has now demonstrated that CTL also possess the ability to directly recognize and kill bacteria, parasites, and fungi. Here, we review past and recent findings demonstrating the direct microbicidal activity of both CD4+ and CD8+ CTL against various microbial pathogens. Further, this review will outline what is known regarding the mechanisms of direct killing and their underlying signalling pathways.
Delay-Dependent Functional Observer Design for Linear Systems With Unknown Time-Varying State Delays

Partial state estimation has numerous applications in practice. Nevertheless, designing delay-dependent functional observers (FOs) for systems with unknown time delays is rigorous and still an open dilemma. This paper addresses the problem for linear time-invariant systems with state time-varying delays. The delay is assumed to be bounded in an interval with a bounded derivative. A sliding mode FO structure that is robust against the delay uncertainties is established to this aim. The structure employs an auxiliary delay function that can be defined based on the existing knowledge on the actual delay values. Delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the stability of the observer are obtained using the Lyapunov Krasovskii approach, and are expressed in terms of a linear matrix inequality and two rank conditions. The delay-free observer structure is additionally studied and the necessary and sufficient conditions for its stability are obtained. Two descriptive numerical examples and simulation results demonstrate the design procedure and emphasize the effectiveness of the proposed observer design algorithm.
Effects of Solid Solution and Aging Treatment on Texture Evolution and Properties of Cu-Ni-Si Alloy

The relationship between textures and properties of Cu-Ni-Si alloys was analyzed in this paper. The texture evolution of high strength and high elasticity Cu-Ni-Si alloy in different cold rolling and heat treatment processes was researched by the fiber analysis. And the electrical conductivity and tensile strength in different directions of the Cu-Ni-Si alloy were measured. The results showed that there were mainly Brass texture B{011}<211>，Gauss texture G {011}<100> and Copper texture C {211}<111> in the cold-rolled Cu-Ni-Si alloy. With the increase of cold deformation, the Copper texture was weakening, while the Gauss texture and Brass texture increased. When the deformation was 65%, there was almost no Copper texture in the alloy, and only Gauss and Brass texture exist. After the solid solution and aging process, both the Gauss and Brass texture were weakening, while the S texture {123}<624> increased greatly. After 4 hours aging the conductivity was up to 42.7% IACS. And the tensile strength of different directions is 745.5MPa (0°direction,RD), 684.5MPa (90°direction,TD) and 653.5MPa (45°direction) respectively. Based on the above results, maximum Schmid factor of different textures in different directions and the Index of Plane Anisotropy (IPA) were been analyzed.
Timing Driven Functional Decomposition for FPGAs

This work explores the effect of adding a timing driven functional decomposition step to the traditional field programmable gate array (FPGA) CAD flow. Once placement has completed, alternative decompositions of the logic on the critical path are examined for potential delay improvements. The placed circuit is then modified to use the best decompositions found. Any placement illegalities introduced by the new decompositions are resolved by an incremental placement step. Experiments conducted on Altera’s Stratix and Stratix II device families indicate that this functional decomposition technique can provide average performance improvements of 6.1% and 5.6% on a large set of industrial designs, respectively.
Dynamic Pricing and Learning with Finite Inventories

We study a dynamic pricing problem with finite inventory and parametric uncertainty on the demand distribution. Products are sold during selling seasons of finite length, and inventory that is unsold at the end of a selling season perishes. The goal of the seller is to determine a pricing strategy that maximizes the expected revenue. Inference on the unknown parameters is made by maximum-likelihood estimation. We show that this problem satisfies an endogenous learning property, which means that the unknown parameters are learned on the fly if the chosen selling prices are sufficiently close to the optimal ones. We show that a small modification to the certainty equivalent pricing strategy-which always chooses the optimal price w.r. t. current parameter estimates-satisfies RegretT = Olog2T, where RegretT measures the expected cumulative revenue loss w.r. t. a clairvoyant who knows the demand distribution. We complement this upper bound by showing an instance for which the regret of any pricing policy satisfies I©log T.
When Wanting the Best Goes Right or Wrong

Researchers have often disagreed on how to define maximization, leading to conflicting conclusions about its potential benefits or drawbacks. Drawing from motivation research, we distinguish between the goals (i.e., wanting the best) and strategies (e.g., alternative search) associated with maximizing. Three studies illustrate how this differentiation offers insight into when maximizers do or do not experience affective costs when making decisions. In Study 1, we show that two motivational orientations, promotion focus and assessment mode, are both associated with the goal of wanting the best, yet assessment (not promotion) is related to the use of alternative search strategies. In Study 2, we demonstrate that alternative search strategies are associated with frustration on a discrete decision task. In Study 3, we provide evidence that one reason for this link may be due to reconsideration of previously dismissed options. We discuss the potential of this approach to integrate research in this area.
Mechanism of activation and inactivation of Gq/phospholipase C-β signaling nodes.

The phospholipase C (PLC) isozymes catalyze conversion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) into the Ca2+-mobilizing second messenger inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (inositol (1,4,5)P3) and the protein kinase-activating second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG). 1 Many PLC-dependent cellular responses occur in addition to those mediated by these classical second messengers since the activities of a broad range of membrane, cytosolic, and cytoskeletal proteins are regulated by PtdIns(4,5)P2 binding.2–4 Mammals express 13 different PLCs (Figure 1), which differ markedly in their modes of upstream regulation and physiological functions.5 Many growth factors, antigens, and other extracellular stimuli signal through tyrosine phosphorylation of the PLC-γ isozymes, whereas an even larger group of hormones, neurotransmitters, chemoattractant and chemosensory molecules, and other extracellular stimuli promote physiological effects through heterotrimeric G protein-dependent activation of the PLC-β isozymes. These and other forms of receptor-promoted signaling pathways also communicate to Ras superfamily GTPases, which in turn directly activate certain PLC isoyzmes. Thus, PLC-dependent signal transduction provides one of the major fabrics for communication of cells, and delineation of its function at all levels from the intact animal to the atomic resolution of mechanism is fundamental to understanding mammalian biology. Figure 1 Conserved domain structure of the mammalian PLC isozymes. The 13 functional human PLC isozymes were aligned on the basis of the conservation of the protein sequence, and a dendrogram was constructed to cluster similar sequences into shared branches. The . Many excellent reviews on PLC-dependent signaling are available that focus, for example, on early aspects of the discovery and function of receptor-promoted formation of Ins(1,4,5)P3/diacylglycerol and mobilization of Ca2+,1,6,7 classification and regulation of the PLC isozymes,8–10 tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent activation,11,12 activation through Ras superfamily GTPases,5,13,14 physiology,15,16 and structure/function.17–19 We have limited this review to a general introduction of the domain and structural features of the PLC isozymes and then consider in detail recent advances made in understanding the mechanisms through which Gα-subunits of the Gq family bind to and activate PLC-β isozymes and how the PLC-β isozymes in turn promote inactivation of this signaling complex by stimulating GTP hydrolysis by the GTP-activated G protein.
Comparison of infectious bursal disease live vaccines and a HVT-IBD vector vaccine and their effects on the immune system of commercial layer pullets

ABSTRACT Infectious bursal disease (IBD) is an economically important disease affecting poultry production worldwide. Previous experimental studies indicated that IBD live vaccination may induce transient immunosuppression, leading to suboptimal vaccine responses and therefore insufficient protection against other pathogens. Layer pullets are commonly not only vaccinated against IBD within their rearing period, but also against a variety of other pathogens. Therefore, it is of interest to investigate the effects of different IBD vaccination regimes on conventionally applied vaccines against other pathogens, and possible protection against widely spread very virulent IBD-virus (vvIBDV). A commercially available Herpesvirus of turkey vector vaccine (vHVT-IBD) expressing viral protein 2 of IBDV, and two IBD live vaccines were compared in commercial pullets for their effects on circulating B cell numbers, the ability of vaccinated birds to mount a humoral immune response against different antigens as well as their ability to induce protection against vvIBDV challenge. The results of this study demonstrate a clear immunosuppressive effect of the intermediate plus IBD live vaccine on the humoral branch of the immune system. On the other hand, no detectable effects of vHVT-IBD vaccination on these parameters were observed. All tested IBD vaccines protected against clinical IBD, although none induced sterile immunity in commercial layer pullets. vHVT-IBD-vaccinated birds showed significantly less lesions after vvIBDV challenge than IBD live-vaccinated or non-vaccinated birds (P < 0.05). Therefore, vHVT-IBD may be a suitable alternative to conventional IBD live vaccines, and may be applied even in the presence of maternally derived IBD antibodies without induction of detectable humoral immunosuppression.
An efficient cloud-assisted best-parking algorithm for BikeNet

Numerous countries have implemented public bike policies. Users can rent a bike in one place, and return it at a different location. However, users that change to another type of transport may spend considerable time searching for a parking space for the bike. This study proposes an efficient best-parking (BP) algorithm for bike networks. This mechanism efficiently offers bike users route with parking spaces nearby destination. This study also presents a parallel BP algorithm based on the MapReduce model to accelerate the computation of the ideal route for parking. Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm is ~70% better than that of the aggregating data dissemination (ADD) algorithm and 91% better than that of the parking space discovery (PSD) algorithm. The proposed BP algorithm collects parking-space information only as needed. Therefore, the BP communication overhead is considerably lower than that of ADD or PSD algorithms.