Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polypectomy techniques among gastroenterologists in Norway – a nationwide survey

Abstract Background and study aims Incomplete polyp removal has been estimated to cause 27 % of all colorectal cancers detected soon after colonoscopy. There is limited information regarding polypectomy techniques among endoscopists. The article is a nationwide survey of polypectomy techniques among Norwegian endoscopists. Materials and methods We invited all board-certified gastroenterologists in Norway to complete a web-based questionnaire about their polypectomy technique. Inadequate polypectomy techniques were defined as using biopsy forceps for polyps larger than 3 mm in diameter, using hot biopsy forceps for polypectomy, and using the same electrocautery output irrespective of polyp size and morphology. Results Twenty-six of 30 Norwegian gastroenterology departments participated in the study. A total of 119 endoscopists received the survey, and 70 (59 %) responded. Mean duration of endoscopy practice was 11.5 years, and 95 % had performed more than 1,000 colonoscopies during their career. Twenty-eight endoscopists (40 %) used one or more inadequate polypectomy techniques: 10 (14.3 %) used biopsy forceps for removal of polyps larger than 3 mm in diameter, five (7.1 %) used hot biopsy for polypectomy, and 17 (24 %) used the same electrocautery output for all polypectomies. Five (7 %) endoscopists reported that they did not remove polyps smaller than 4 mm. Conclusion A substantial number of Norwegian endoscopists use inadequate polypectomy techniques. Improved training and certification of endoscopists is warranted.
Predicting Chinese Adolescent Internet Gaming Addiction From Peer Context and Normative Beliefs About Aggression: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study

There has been growing concern over Internet gaming addiction (IGA) around the world. However, the risk factors and mediating mechanisms of IGA in Chinese youth remain largely unknown. A total of 323 Chinese adolescents (52.94% females, M age = 14.83, SD = 0.49, range = 13.50–16.50) completed questionnaires regarding peer victimization, deviant peer affiliation (DPA), normative beliefs about aggression (NBA), and IGA in the fall semester of 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. Structural equation modeling showed that 7th grade peer victimization predicted higher 8th grade DPA, which in turn was associated with enhanced 9th grade NBA, and ultimately, higher 9th grade IGA. In addition, 7th grade peer victimization made a unique contribution to 9th grade IGA through 9th grade NBA. The current study goes beyond previous research by using a 2-year longitudinal design and by taking into account both peer relations and individual cognitions as predictors of IGA. In addition, these findings have practical significance for improving intervention strategies targeting risk factors for adolescent IGA.
Advances in Pharmaceutical Strategies Enhancing the Efficiencies of Oral Colon-Targeted Delivery Systems in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common disease characterized by chronic inflammation in gastrointestinal tracts, which is primarily treated by administering anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs that inhibit the burden of intestinal inflammation and improve disease-related symptoms. However, the established therapeutic strategy has limited therapeutic efficacy and adverse drug reactions. Therefore, new disease-targeting drug-delivery strategies to develop more effective treatments are urgent. This review provides an overview of the drug-targeting strategies that can be used to treat IBD, and our recent attempts on the colon-specific delivery system (Pae-SME-CSC) with a paeonol-loaded self-microemulsion (Pae-SMEDDS) are introduced.
AniMAL - a user interface prototyper and animator for MAL interactor models

Resumo Engineering correct software is one of the grand challenges of computer science. Practical design and verification methodologies to ensure correct software can have a substantial impact on how programs are built by the industry. As human-machine systems become more functional, they also become more complex. Consequently, the interactions between the machine and its users becomes less predictable and more difficult to analyse. Using Model Checking it is possible to automatically analyse the behaviour of a modelled system. Hence, different authors have investigated the applicability of model checking to the analysis of human-machine interactions. The IVY workbench is a tool that supports system design and verification, by providing a model checking based integrated modelling and analysis environment. The tool is based around a plugin architecture, and although it features a verification results’ analyser, it thus far lacked the ability to visually expose the sequence of events that lead to a system failure on a system’s prototype. We propose the AniMAL plugin as an extension to the IVY workbench, providing automatic user interface prototyping and verification results’ animation, while allowing thorough customisation.
Energy Footprint Modelling: a tool for process optimisation in Large Wastewater Treatment Plants

In wastewater treatment modelling, energy information is not always immediately available. More detailed energy information on a unit process level can be used to calibrate energy balance models serving for quantification of larger energy savings. Modelling energy footprint has lower uncertainty than other greenhouse gas equivalent footprint models, and is the prime candidate for minimising costs and environmental impact. Due to their magnitude, and their larger number of equipment units, large wastewater treatment plants are associated with the largest margin for improvement.
Network Intrusion Detection Based on Stacked Sparse Autoencoder and Binary Tree Ensemble Method

With the increasing of network attacks, the traditional machine learning method can not solve the classification problem of massive intrusion data effectively. This paper proposes a Xgboost based on stacked sparse autoencoder network(SSAE-XGB) method to learn latent representation of original data. Due to inconsistent category distribution of training and test dataset, we use the sparsity constraint to enhance the generalization ability of the model. Stacked sparse autoencoder network is employed to reduce the dimension of high-dimensional and unlabeled original data, so as to obtain the deep feature representation of the original data. Due to the class imbalance of intrusion data, this paper proposes a novel hybrid classifier, which is constructed by using binary tree and ensemble method. Our experiments with all NSL-KDD dataset demonstrate that our proposed SSAE-XGB binary tree and ensemble method can achieve incredibly high performance in terms of F1 and it outperforms the previous work.
Software-Defined WAN via Open APIs

Cloud applications require the ability to customize bandwidth and network policies for desired wide area network (WAN) connections. Unfortunately, currently widely used virtual private network is difficult to achieve such customization where sophisticated manual configurations and operator expertise are required. Software-defined network (SDN) creates the opportunities to provide this ability. In this paper, we design Grace, a SDN-based system to provide diverse connections with flexible bandwidth and customized policies, implementing WAN as a service. Our contributions can be listed as follows: 1) We introduce open APIs for customers by abstracting WAN connections based on connection types, bandwidth, latency sensitivity, and policy-related information; 2) We develop an effective conflict detection algorithm considering both resource reservation and safety guarantee; 3) We propose a linear programming -based bandwidth algorithm for latency-sensitive connections by dynamic scheduling of time and bandwidth, and design a pricing scheme for various connection demands to address the case that network cannot fulfill all the connection requests. A prototype implementation and extensive evaluations show that Grace provides the ability to customize WAN connections without policy conflicts, allocates required bandwidth optimally, translates them into low-level configurations for underlying network devices, and successfully deploys WAN in a short time.
Exposure of Zebrafish to Brominated Environmental Chemicals Studies on reproduction, maternal transfer and early life-stage development

Abstract Fish reproduction and embryonic development may be sensitive to environmental chemicals. This thesis investigated effects of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polybrominated dibenzo- p -dioxins (PBDDs) on reproduction and early life-stage development in zebrafish ( Danio rerio ). Most of these compounds are highly hydrophobic, hence it was hypothesized that important routes of exposure are dietary uptake and maternal transfer. Adult zebrafish were exposed to feed spiked with a mixture of structurally diverse BFRs to investigate accumulation from feed, maternal transfer, and effects on reproduction and early life-stage development. One of the compounds in the BFR mixture, i.e. 2,4,6-tribromophenol, was tested separately. The BFRs were also tested individually in an embryo toxicity test, to screen for effects of waterborne BFRs on early life stages. To investigate effects of PBDDs on reproduction, early life-stage development, and on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway, adult zebrafish were exposed to feed spiked with 2,3,7,8-tetraBDD (TBDD), or a mixture of PBDDs that was designed to reflect relative concentrations found in Baltic Sea biota. Most brominated chemicals exposed via feed were detected in females and in their offspring. Ovarian morphology was altered in all studies, and the PBDDs induced AHR-regulated genes and ethoxyresorufin-
Theoretical study of ferroelectric nanoparticles using phase reconstructed electron microscopy

Ferroelectric nanostructures are important for a variety of applications in electronic and electro-optical devices, including nonvolatile memories and thin-ﬁlm capacitors. These applications involve stability and switching of polarization using external stimuli, such as electric ﬁelds. We present a theoretical model describing how the shape ofananoparticleaffectsitspolarizationintheabsenceofscreeningcharges,andquantifytheelectron-opticalphase shift for detecting ferroelectric signals with phase-sensitive techniques in a transmission electron microscope. We provide an example phase shift computation for a uniformly polarized prolate ellipsoid with varying aspect ratio in the absence of screening charges.
Swarm Compensative Behavior in Collaborating with Humans in Pursuit-Evasion Games

As the task dimension scaling up, it becomes impossible for humans to iterate through the entire state space, especially in planning, resource allocation, and time scheduling tasks subject to multi-dimensional constraints. Robots could seamlessly collaborate with humans to enhance their optimality. A mutual understanding between humans and robots in the team is necessary for a robot to offer support timely and even compensate for the sub-optimality in human decision-making processes effectively. We develop a way of enabling a robot swarm to model human players in a pursuit-evasion game and adapt its strategy to humans to win the game in a collaborative and efficient way. Keywords—collaboration, human, modeling, swarm, pursuitevasion.
Design of dielectric rod antenna for ground station applications

A high performance Dielectric rod antenna is developed at ISRO Satellite Centre for Ground Station Applications in Ka-band in the frequency range of 25.5 to 27 GHz. Tapered dielectric rod antenna is designed, developed and tested for a possible application in monopulse tracking system. The designed antenna is circularly polarized with a measured axial ratio of 1 dB over the required frequency band of 25 GHz to 27.5 GHz. This antenna is fabricated in Rexolite dielectric material for low loss and high electrical performances. Radiation patterns, return loss performance of the antenna are studied using electromagnetic simulation software. Fabrication is carried out in house facility for the finalised antenna configuration. Antenna pattern measurements are carried out at Compact Antenna Test Facility (CATF) of ISAC, Bengaluru and found that measured results are well matching with simulated results. Developed antenna element has a gain of 16 dBi with symmetrical radiation patterns. In this paper, electrical design, simulation and measured results of the dielectric rod antenna are presented. Developed antenna in 2 x 2 array configuration will be used as monopulse tracking feed in Ground stations.
Theory and Realization of a Pattern-Reconfigurable Antenna Based on Two Dipoles

A front-to-back pattern-reconfigurable antenna based on two dipoles is investigated. The theory for a front-to-back pattern reconfiguration is analyzed. The front-to-back ratio (F/B) is improved by using two folded dipoles. The pattern-reconfigurable antenna is realized by switching two PIN diodes with two broadband baluns. Two parasitic elements are introduced for the improvement of impedance bandwidth and pattern bandwidth. A shorter dipole is added to each folded dipole for further enhancing the pattern bandwidth. Experimental results show that the pattern-reconfigurable antenna achieves a bandwidth of 31.4% for return loss >10 dB and a pattern-bandwidth of 20.8% for F/B > 10 dB and 11.5% for F/B > 15 dB.
Novel biocompatible cholinium-based ionic liquids—toxicity and biodegradability

The synthesis, characterisation and toxicological assessment of a new group of environmentally friendly ionic liquids are presented. Focussing on the toxic effect of the anion, the ionic liquids were designed by combining the benign cholinium cation, [NMe3(CH2CH2OH)]+, with a range of linear alkanoate anions ([CnH2n+1CO2]−, n = 1-9), as well as two structural isomers (n = 3 or 4). The toxicity of these ionic liquids was evaluated using filamentous fungi as model eukaryotic organisms. Surprisingly, most of the tested species showed active growth in media containing extremely high ionic liquid concentrations, up to molar ranges in some cases. The biodegradability of these ionic liquids was assessed, and new biotechnological applications for them are proposed, e.g. as solvents for biopolymers. This study leads to the better understanding of the anion influence on the ionic liquid toxicity, but its core is the recognition that conscious design of ionic liquids can be used to deliver truly biocompatible salts without adversely affecting one of the most striking of their properties—their outstanding solvent ability.
TIME VARIABILITY IN THE OUTER EDGE OF SATURN'S A-RING REVEALED BY CASSINI IMAGING

We examine the outer edge of Saturn's A-ring, whose shape is strongly influenced by the co-orbital satellites Janus and Epimetheus, during the period from day 2005-121 to day 2009-036. Twenty-four Cassini imaging data sets are used, each one giving a picture of the ring during a short interval, allowing us to explore its time variability in detail for the first time. We find that the ring experienced a period of adjustment within ∼8 months of the 2006 January co-orbital swap, corresponding to the interval during which the two satellites were within about 60° of one another. Outside that adjustment period, the ring is dominated by an m = 7 pattern, as expected near a 7:6 inner Lindblad resonance, but the alignment is opposite in phase to that predicted for isolated test particles, and the amplitude of the radial distortion varies with time. We find that the amplitude variation corresponds to a beat pattern between the perturbations from the two satellites as would be expected if the responses add linearly. However, we also find deviations of limited azimuthal extent from the simple m = 7 pattern. Some of the additional structure may arise from coupling between the two excited modes in the ring, but the origin of these features is still under investigation.
Contribution of the Lateral Prefrontal Cortex to Cognitive-Postural Multitasking

There is evidence for cortical contribution to the regulation of human postural control. Interference from concurrently performed cognitive tasks supports this notion, and the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) has been suggested to play a prominent role in the processing of purely cognitive as well as cognitive-postural dual tasks. The degree of cognitive-motor interference varies greatly between individuals, but it is unresolved whether individual differences in the recruitment of specific lPFC regions during cognitive dual tasking are associated with individual differences in cognitive-motor interference. Here, we investigated inter-individual variability in a cognitive-postural multitasking situation in healthy young adults (n = 29) in order to relate these to inter-individual variability in lPFC recruitment during cognitive multitasking. For this purpose, a one-back working memory task was performed either as single task or as dual task in order to vary cognitive load. Participants performed these cognitive single and dual tasks either during upright stance on a balance pad that was placed on top of a force plate or during fMRI measurement with little to no postural demands. We hypothesized dual one-back task performance to be associated with lPFC recruitment when compared to single one-back task performance. In addition, we expected individual variability in lPFC recruitment to be associated with postural performance costs during concurrent dual one-back performance. As expected, behavioral performance costs in postural sway during dual-one back performance largely varied between individuals and so did lPFC recruitment during dual one-back performance. Most importantly, individuals who recruited the right mid-lPFC to a larger degree during dual one-back performance also showed greater postural sway as measured by larger performance costs in total center of pressure displacements. This effect was selective to the high-load dual one-back task and suggests a crucial role of the right lPFC in allocating resources during cognitive-motor interference. Our study provides further insight into the mechanisms underlying cognitive-motor multitasking and its impairments.
Effects of Target Eccentricity on Temporal Costs of Point of Gaze and the Hand in Aiming

This experiment addresses the coordination of point of gaze (PG) and hand movements in a speeded aiming task to predictable targets of three different eccentricities (35, 40, and 45 cm). In each condition subjects moved the eyes, head, trunk, and hand freely. Performance was assessed on 5 blocks of 5 trials. Analyses were conducted for (a) frequencies for initiation order of PG and the hand, (b) correlation between initiation latencies of PG and the hand, and (c) initiation, movement, and response times of PG and the hand. PG always arrived on target in advance of the hand and at approximately 50% of the response time of the hand (proportional time). Varying eccentricity increased initiation time of PG but not of the hand. With learning there was an initial temporal improvement and decreased variability of response within the first 10 trials, and with additional practice response times were further reduced. The importance of proportional time and its relationship to the first submovement in aiming are disc.
Somatosensory − Evoked Potentials in Vascular Dementia and in Alzheimer ’ s Disease *

Background. The search for sensitive biochemical, genetic, and electrophysiological markers which could be help− ful in differentiating dementia continues. Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of short somatosensory−evoked potentials (SSEPs) in differentiating vascular dementia (VD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Material and Methods. The study covered 34 patients who met the criteria of probable vascular dementia (NINDS−AIREN) and 59 patients who met the criteria of probable Alzheimer’s dementia (NINCDS−ADRDA) with similar dementia advancement on the MMSE scale. SSEPs were elicited in response to electric stimulation of the median nerve. The somatosensory responses were recorded hetero− and homolaterally by a Nicolet computer which calculates mean values of data. Results. The average latencies of N13 responses in both groups of patients with recognized dementia were signif− icantly extended compared with the control group (VD: p < 0.001; AD: p = 0.01). The latencies of N20 responses recorded contralaterally to the stimulation were also significantly longer on both sides, both in the group of AD patients (p < 0.001) and in the VD patients (p < 0.01). The central time to the cortex (TTC) was extended in both the examined groups, but it was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The mean latency of the N20 response recorded homolaterally was indeed extended, but only in patients with VD and on the right side (p < 0.001). Conclusions. The extended N13 latency in patients with AD may indicate vascular changes in cervical posterior columns, similar to the changes observed in VD. In the differential diagnosis of dementia, assessment of the laten− cy of the somatosensory N20 cortex response recorded heterolaterally seems of little use. Only the latency of the N20 response recorded homolaterally may indicate the location and advancement of vascular changes in VD (Adv Clin Exp Med 2007, 16, 2, 263–267).
Influence of Heavy Metals (Ni, Cu, and Zn) on Nitro-Oxidative Stress Responses, Proteome Regulation and Allergen Production in Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Plants

One of the most significant biosphere contamination problems worldwide is derived from heavy metals. Heavy metals can be highly reactive and toxic according to their oxidation levels. Their toxic effects are associated with the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cellular damage induced in plants. The present study focuses on the effects of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) applied to the soil on the antioxidant response and allergen production in the aromatic plant basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) following a combined physiological, biochemical and analytical approach. The concentrations used for the three heavy metals were based on the 2002 Regulation of the Polish Ministry of the Environment on Soil Quality Standards [(i) agricultural land (group B): Ni 100 ppm, Ni 210 ppm, Cu 200 ppm, Cu 500 ppm, Zn 720 ppm and (ii) industrial land (group C): Ni 500 ppm, Cu 1000 ppm, Zn 1500 ppm, Zn 3000 ppm]. The highest physiological and cellular damage in basil plants was caused by Cu and Zn. Increasing concentrations of Cu resulted in a further increase in cellular damage and nitro-oxidative stress, correlating with an induction in activity of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species metabolism enzymes (SOD, CAT, APX, NR). Treatment with Cu led to increased concentration of the allergenic protein profilin, while increasing concentrations of Cu and Zn led to a decrease in the concentration of total proteins (likely due to proteolysis) and antioxidant capacity. Interestingly, severe Cu stress resulted in the accumulation of specific proteins related to transpiration and photosynthetic processes. On the basis of these findings, Ni stress in basil plants appears to be less damaging and with lower allergenic potential compared with Cu and Zn stress, while Cu-stressed basil plants experience most detrimental effects and display highest allergen production.
A dual-UWB rotation independent clock antenna for WLAN applications

The following paper presents a dual-UWB rotation independent clock antenna for WLAN applications. The antenna resonates at a frequency of 4GHz and at WLAN frequency of 5.2GHz with return losses of 24.31dB and 19.31dB respectively with an overall gain of 1.92dBi. A parametric study of the hour hand at different angles in the clock has been carried out so as to ensure the stable working of the antenna and to ensure that it is truly rotation independent. The clock antenna occupies two frequency bands from 3.66GHZ to 4.64GHz with bandwidth of 980MHz and from 4.89GHz to 5.5GHz with a bandwidth of 610MHz respectively.