Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Postoperative laryngeal symptoms in a general surgery setting. Clinical study.

INTRODUCTION Vocal cord injuries (VI), postoperative hoarseness (PH), dysphonia (DN), dysphagia (DG) and sore throat (ST) are common complications after general anesthesia; there is actually a lack of consensus to support the proper timing for post-operative laryngoscopy that is reliable to support the diagnosis of laryngeal or vocal fold lesions after surgery and there are no valid studies about the entity of laryngeal trauma in oro-tracheal intubation. Aim of our study is to evaluate the statistical relation between anatomic, anesthesiological and surgical variables in the case of PH, DG or impaired voice register. MATERIALS AND METHODS 50 patients (30 thyroidectomies, 8 videolaparoscopic cholecistectomies, 2 right emicolectomies, 2 left emicolectomies, 1 gastrectomy, 1 hemorrhoidectomy, 1 nefrectomy, 1 diagnostic videothoracoscopy, 1 superior right lung lobectomy, 1 appendicectomy, 1 incisional hernia repair, 1 low anterior rectal resection, 1 radical hysterectomy) underwent clinical evaluation and direct laryngoscopy before surgery, within 6 hours, after 72 hours and after 30 days, to evaluate motility and breathing space, phonatory motility, true and false vocal folds and arytenoids oedema. We evaluated also mean age (56.6 ± 3.6 years), male:female ratio (1:1.5), cigarette smoke (20%), atopic comorbidity (17/50 = 34%), Mallampati class (32% 1, 38% 2, 26% 3, 2% 4), mean duration of intubation (159 minutes, range 50 - 405 minutes), Cormack-Lehane score (34% 1, 22% 2, 22% 3, 2% 4), difficult intubation in 9 cases (18%). No complication during the laryngoscopy were registered. We investigated the statistic relationship between pre and intraoperative variables and laryngeal symptoms and lesions. RESULTS In our experience, statistically significant relations were found in prevalence of vocal folds oedema in smokers (p < 0.005), self limiting DG and DN in younger patients (p < 0.005) and in thyroidectomy (p < 0.01), DG after thyroidectomy (p < 0.01). The short preoperative use of steroids and antihistaminic to prevent allergic reactions appears not related to reduction or prevention of DN, DG, PH and ST. No statistical relation in incidence of postoperative complications was found for the prolonged intubation, gastro-esophageal reflux, BURP manoeuvre (backward upward right sided pressure) and Mallampati and Cormack-Lehane class more than 2, maintenance with sevoflurane 2% and use of stilet. CONCLUSIONS Direct laryngoscopy is essential for the detection of arytenoid lesions after orotracheal intubation for general anesthesia. In our opinion, a part of temporary post-operative DN or PH is due to monolateral or bilateral arytenoids oedema, secondary to prolonged or difficult orotracheal intubation, valuable with laryngoscopy 72 hours after surgery. Is necessary to adjunct these complications in the surgical informed consensus scheme.
Chairing academic departments: Disciplinary cultures and communication strategies

Based on situational leadership, this paper aims to explore how department chairpersons of universities adapt and develop their communication strategies in view of their differential disciplinary cultures and the cultural backgrounds of their target audiences. It is argued that in their communication network, effective communication strategy varies not only with the task, job or function that needs to be accomplished, but also with another very important variable-the person or group to deal with.
Positively Selected G6PD-Mahidol Mutation Reduces Plasmodium vivax Density in Southeast Asians

Ghosts of Selection Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the most common enzyme deficiency of humans, and it has been long suspected to exert an effect on Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Africa. Likewise, the increase in prevalence of the G6PD-Mahidol 487A allele among Karen people in Thailand, who only in the past few thousand years have migrated into malarious zones, may be the result of selection by Plasmodium vivax malaria. P. vivax has recently been implicated in more severe disease than previously suspected, providing both a direct selective effect through mortality and an indirect selective effect through morbidity and reproductive failure. Louicharoen et al. (p. 1546) link population-genetic evidence for positive selection in an 8-year family-based study of 3000 Karen individuals and reveal that there is an association between the presence of the G6PD-Mahidol 487A allele and a reduction in the density of P. vivax parasites circulating in the bloodstreams of infected individuals. The mutation appears to exert its effect on the physiology of immature red blood cells, which are the preferred niche for P. vivax but not of P. falciparum. Positive selection acts on a hemolytic anemia–causing mutation that affects the proliferation of a blood parasite in humans. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency—the most common known enzymopathy—is associated with neonatal jaundice and hemolytic anemia usually after exposure to certain infections, foods, or medications. Although G6PD-deficient alleles appear to confer a protective effect against malaria, the link with clinical protection from Plasmodium infection remains unclear. We investigated the effect of a common G6PD deficiency variant in Southeast Asia—the G6PD-Mahidol487A variant—on human survival related to vivax and falciparum malaria. Our results show that strong and recent positive selection has targeted the Mahidol variant over the past 1500 years. We found that the G6PD-Mahidol487A variant reduces vivax, but not falciparum, parasite density in humans, which indicates that Plasmodium vivax has been a driving force behind the strong selective advantage conferred by this mutation.
Handling unpredicted motion in industrial robot workcells using sensor networks

Purpose – Aims to show how sensor networks can be used to effectively allow industrial robots to handle unpredicted movements within their workcells.Design/methodology/approach – Presents the concept of using sensor networks, using off‐the‐shelf technologies, to sense in real time movements within the workcell, and to feed this information, in real time, to the industrial robot controller, to allow adaptation of the robot to the movements. Results of numerous experiments in intercept and grasp of moving objects using a prototype of the system are reported.Findings – Finds that the prototype system operates effectively and in a robust fashion in over 1,000 trials.Research limitations/implications – Provides new insight and understanding for engineers working in the area of visually guided robots.Practical implications – Results are of significant value to practitioners seeking to expand the markets of industrial robots by showing how to expand the capabilities of current systems with off‐the‐shelf technolo.
Update : Innovation in Cardiology ( I ) Imagining the Future of Diagnostic Imaging

Cardiovascular imaging has become essential to achieving a better understanding of cardiovascular diseases. Due to the advent of new technology and the refinement of existing technologies, imaging’s role has extended into the biological, functional, and hemodynamic diagnosis of multiple pathophysiologic processes. Current and future trends in cardiovascular imaging will focus on improving early diagnosis of vascular disease, so as to be able to promote cardiovascular health, and on its development as a useful tool in clinical decision-making. Imaging is also increasingly used to quantify the effect of novel therapies. The rapid development of molecular imaging and fusion imaging techniques improves our understanding of cardiovascular processes from the molecular and cellular points of view and makes it possible to design and test new preventive interventions. The proliferation and integration of imaging techniques in different clinical areas and their role in ‘‘translational imaging’’ plays an important part in the implementation of personalized therapeutic and preventive management strategies for patients with cardiovascular disease. 2012 Sociedad Española de Cardiologı́a. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved. Imaginando el futuro del diagnóstico por imagen
Evaluation of integration of ACBL and AOCC caching algorithms

Transactional caching algorithms proposed for object database management systems (ODBMSs) have been classified into detection and avoidance categories, depending on whether they allow access to stale data. Although studies have shown that in most situations the leading detection-based algorithms tend to outperform those that use avoidance, most ODBMSs use a variation of the leading avoidance-based algorithm because detection algorithms in certain situations lead to abort rates that are unacceptable for some, typically interactive, applications. The Interoperable Server-side Caching (ISCT) algorithm allows both types of algorithms to interoperate in the same environment while being supported by an interoperable server. Clients use either the leading detection-based algorithm, called Adaptive Optimistic Concurrency Control (AOCC), or the leading avoidance-based algorithm, called Adaptive Call-Back Locking (ACBL). The caching operations of the client-side algorithms are not affected - only the server-side is adapted to interoperate with both types of clients. This paper presents the results of performance evaluation that compares the three algorithms under various loads. Evaluation shows that the interoperable server-side caching algorithm increases throughput in environments where some applications can use the high-throughput AOCC algorithm while other applications use a detection-based ACBL algorithm. To compare the algorithms a new workloads, in which different applications exhibit different server load characteristics, were developed.
Exhuming the criticism of the logicist

McDermott has recently explained his fundamental philosophical shift on the methodology of artificial intelligence (AI) and has further suggested that the shift is both necessary and inevitable. The shift results from a perception that a trend towards overformalisation has detached the real problems from the research results. McDermott's criticism is an enlightened exhumation of the criticisms of the seventies and explains new ways in which the logical methodology can be abused. I argue that McDermott's criticism should not discourage the use of logic, but force a timely reexamination of its fundamental role in AI.
A subband adaptive filter allowing maximally decimation

Conventional subband adaptive filters (ADF) using filter banks have shown degradation in performance because of the nonideal nature of filter banks. For this problem, the authors propose an alias free subband structure for adaptive filtering using polyphase frequency sampling filter (FSF) banks. As a preliminary, they make it clear that the conventional polyphase discrete Fourier transform (DFT) bank is equivalent to a class of the FSF bank. Then, they propose a new class of ADF using the FSF banks based on the frequency sampling theorem. As a result, the proposed technique enables subband adaptive filtering without the degradation effect of both the aliasing and cross terms, even if one chooses critical subsampling. >
Application of superconducting shields in current-limiting and special-purpose transformers

The principles of operation and the design of power transformers based on superconducting shields have been considered. The laboratory prototypes of fault current-limiting and special-purpose (arc welding/furnace) transformers have been tested. The application of both low-T/sub c/ and high-T/sub c/ superconducting shields has been studied. <<ETX>>
Hot One-Temperature Accretion Flows Revisited

The effectiveness of the thermal coupling of ions and electrons in optically thin, hot accretion flows is investigated in a phenomenological approach. In the limit of complete coupling, we focus on the one-temperature accretion flows around black holes. Based on a global analysis, the results are compared with two-temperature accretion flow models and with the observations of black hole sources. Many features of one- and two-temperature solutions are quite similar. That is, hot one-temperature solutions are found to exist for mass flow rates less than a critical value, i.e., ≲ 10α2Edd, where Edd = LEdd/c2 is the Eddington accretion rate. When ≲ 10-3α2Edd, the viscous energy is mainly balanced by the advective cooling, i.e., the solution is in the advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF) regime. On the other hand, when 10-3α2Edd ≲ ≲ 10α2Edd, radiative cooling is effective and is mainly balanced by advective heating, placing the solution in the regime of luminous hot accretion flow (LHAF). When ≳ 10α2Edd, the accretion flow collapses at a transition radius with only the standard optically thick and geometrically thin disk solution existing in the innermost regions. We have fitted the spectra of the two black hole sources with the one-temperature models, Sgr A* and XTE J1118+480, which have been examined successfully with two-temperature models. It is found that the one-temperature models do not provide acceptable fits to the multi-wavelength spectra of Sgr A* nor to XTE J1118+480 as a result of the higher temperatures characteristic of the one-temperature models. It is concluded that the thermal coupling of ions and electrons cannot be fully effective and that a two-temperature description is required.
Echocardiography based estimation of pulmonary vascular resistance in patients with pulmonary hypertension: a simultaneous Doppler echocardiography and cardiac catheterization study.

AIMS Pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is an important measurement for the diagnosis of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) but needs accurate determination of mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAMP). We aimed to test the accuracy of a Doppler-derived measurement of PVR, using the conventional invasive equation in patients with PH. METHODS AND RESULTS We investigated 30 patients undergoing right heart catheterization (RHC), mean age 62 ± 13 years, 21 females, with different diseases; idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (n = 5), associated PAH (n = 16), chronic thromboembolic PH (n = 6), interstitial lung disease (n = 2), and after closure of an atrial septal defect (n = 1). Patients with impaired left ventricular systolic function (EF < 50%) or elevated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP >15 mmHg on RHC) were excluded. We used the formula: PAMP = PASP(echo) × 0.61 + 2 mmHg, where PASP(echo) is the peak tricuspid regurgitation pressure drop + 10 or 7 mmHg. Pulmonary vascular resistance was then calculated as PAMP(echo)- PCWP/cardiac output. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was estimated at 10 mmHg in all cases. The Doppler-derived estimation of PVR(echo) was achievable in 90% of patients, in whom accurate calculation of PAMP was obtainable. Pulmonary vascular resistance echo individual values strongly correlated with those from RHC (r = 0.85, P < 0.001 and r = 0.87, P < 0.001 for the two estimated values for right atrial pressure, respectively). The regression equation using this formula was PVR(rhc) = 0.95 × PVR(echo)- 0.29, and the regression line was close to identity. The Bland-Altman plot showed a good agreement between PVR(echo) and PVR(rhc) values, with a mean difference of -0.66 ± 2.1 Wood unit. CONCLUSION The proposed Doppler-derived formula for estimating PVR based on the conventionally used invasive equation strongly correlates with invasive gold standard measures.
Self‐Esteem, Social Support, And Positive Health Practices

The purpose of this study was to identify relationships among perceived social support, self-esteem, and positive health practices among adults living in a southwestern metropolitan area. The sample (N = 98) of convenience was selected from an adult apartment complex and the variables were measured using three self-report questionnaires (Personal Resource Questionnaire, Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, and Personal Life-style Activities Questionnaire). Initially, a positive association among the variables, self-esteem, social support, and life-style, was determined using a simple correlation matrix. To further explicate the relationships among the variables, a theoretical causal model was developed and tested. Using path analytic techniques, both the direct and the indirect effects of various independent variables on life-style were determined; 28% of the variance, p < . 0001, was accounted for by this model. The study suggests that both self-esteem and social support are positive indicators of life-style. Further, social support was found to exert influence indirectly through its direct effect on self-esteem.
Detection of CD 4 + and CD 8 + Lymphocytes in the Intestine of Broiler Chicks Treated with Lactobacillus spp . and Challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis

The expression of immune response as a leukocytic infiltrate by CD4+ and CD8+ cells in the epithelium and in the intestinal lamina propria of chicks fed Lactobacillus spp or cecal microflora (CM) and experimentally challenged or not with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) was studied using immunohistochemistry. Three hundred and twenty dayof-hatch broiler chicks were divided into four groups of 80 birds each and orally received L. reuteri, L. salivarius, L. acidophilus, or CM. Each group was subdivided into four subgroups of 20 birds each, classified as follows: a subgroup did not receive any oral treatment (negative control), subgroup treated with L. spp or CM, subgroup treated with L. spp or CM and challenged with SE, and subgroup only challenged with SE (positive control). The results show that the oral treatment with L. reuteri, L. salivarius, L. acidophilus, or CM and challenge or not with SE stimulated bird immune response as determined by the leukocytic infiltrate by CD8+ lymphocytes followed by CD4+ in the epithelium and in the lamina propria of the duodenum, jejunum, and cecum of chicks up to 12 days of age. CD8+ lymphocyte number was significantly higher in the intestine of chicks receiving CM and challenged with SE. The duodenum, followed by the jejunum, were the segments in which the immune response, as shown by T, CD4+ and CD8+ cells, was stimulated with the greatest intensity.
Serum cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen for the diagnosis of bone metastases from solid tumours in the Chinese population: Meta-analysis

Objective A meta-analysis to determine the diagnostic value of serum cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) for bone metastasis from solid tumours in the Chinese population. Methods Eligible case–control studies published up until 22 September 2014 were identified by searching the electronic literature databases PubMed®, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang using the keyword ‘NTx’ in combination with ‘cancer’. A meta-analysis of the diagnostic value of serum NTx for bone metastasis from solid tumours was undertaken. Results The meta-analysis included 14 studies (1279 patients: 668 with bone metastasis; 611 controls without bone metastasis). There was a significant relationship between serum NTx concentration and bone metastasis from solid tumours in the Chinese population (odds ratio 1.39, 95% confidence intervals 1.26, 1.51). Significant heterogeneity was found in this study, but no publication bias was observed. Conclusion Serum NTx concentration may play an important role in the diagnosis of bone metastasis from solid tumours in the Chinese population.
Negative Acculturation and Nothing More? Cumulative Disadvantage and Mortality during the Immigrant Adaptation Process among Latinos in the United States 1

Foreign- and U.S.-born Hispanic health deteriorates with increasing exposure and acculturation to mainstream U.S. society. Because these associations are robust to (static) socioeconomic controls, negative acculturation has become their primary explanation. This overemphasis, however, has neglected important alternative structural explanations. Examining Hispanic mortality using the 1998–2006 U.S. National Health Interview Survey-Linked Mortality File according to nativity, immigrant adaptation measures, and health behaviors, this study presents indirect but compelling evidence that suggests negative acculturation is not the only or main explanation for this deterioration.
De la perception audiovisuelle des flux oro-faciaux en parole à la perception des flux manuo-faciaux en langue française parlée complétée adultes et enfants : entendants, aveugles ou sourds

La Langue francaise Parlee Completee (LPC) a ete elaboree a partir de son Cued Speech par Cornett (1967), pour pouvoir desambiguiser la phonologie visible sur le visage par des gestes phonemiques manuels simultanes. Mais c'est seulement depuis cinq ans que le secret de sa production est connu, lorsqu'il a ete decouvert que la main etait toujours en avance sur le visage (Attina & al. , 2004). Ce comportement anticipatoire nous renvoie a celui de la parole. Sur ce comportement general, la question cle que nous allons poser ici est celle de la perception des flux acoustiques et optiques dans la parole et dans la parole coordonnee avec le code manuel de Cornett pour le LPC. Nous determinerons en premier lieu que la parole bimodale est flexible meme dans les structures CVCV les plus simples, non seulement entre locuteurs mais chez un meme sujet. Si la parole peut etre vue avant meme d'etre entendue (comme l'ont etabli de maniere exemplaire Cathiard & al. , 1991), l'inverse est aussi vrai, et chez le meme locuteur. En fait nous montrerons que la parole peut aussi etre entendue avant d'etre vue et meme que la parole peut etre entendue aussitot qu'elle est vue. En examinant soigneusement la structure des stimuli testes, nous avons pu montrer que les patrons perceptifs resultants sont "rives" (locked) a la production oro-faciale de la parole. Ce qui se demontre en tenant compte des relations articulatori-acoustiques. Nos experiences de gating et de desynchronisation, menees avec des entendants et des sourds, adultes et enfants – et aussi des sujets aveugles "controles" pour l'audio – nous ont permis de tester la gamme de flexibilite que peut permettre cette coordination phonemique unique de la face et de la main. Ces resultats viennent renforcer la conception avancee depuis Attina & al. (2004), comme quoi le comportement anticipatoire dans la Langue francaise Parlee Completee repose sur la mise en phase des types de controles les plus compatibles, ceux des (con)tacts de la main avec le visage pour les voyelles et ceux des constrictions de la bouche pour les consonnes. La fenetre qui nous a ete ainsi ouverte par le code de Cornett (Cornett's code) – surtout par la tournure qui lui a permis d'etre neuralement incorpore (embodied & "embrained") dans une habilete linguistique – nous a ainsi de maniere surprenante permis d'apporter des reponses plus decisives sur la nature des controles des segments dans la phonologie du langage que par la seule observation des actes de parole.
Dynamical evolution of quantum oscillators toward equilibrium.

A pure quantum state of large number N of oscillators, interacting via harmonic coupling, evolves such that any small subsystem n<<N of the global state approaches equilibrium. This provides a different example where stability emerges as natural phenomena under quantum dynamics alone, with no necessity to bring in any additional statistical postulates. Mixing of equilibrated subsystems consisting of 1,2,. ,n<<N clearly indicates that small subsystems are entangled with the rest of the state, i.e., the bath. Every single mode oscillator is found to relax in a mixed density matrix of the Boltzmann canonical form. In two oscillator stationary subsystems, intraentanglement within the "system" oscillators is found to exist when the magnitude of the squeezing parameter of the bath is comparable in magnitude with that of the coupling strength.