Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IPTranslator: Facilitating Patent Search with Machine Translation

Intellectual Property professionals frequently need to carry out patent searches for a variety of reasons. During a typical search, they will retrieve approximately 30% of their results in a foreign language. The machine translation (MT) options currently available to patent searchers for these foreign-language patents vary in their quality, consistency, and general level of service. In this article, we introduce IPTranslator; an MT web service designed to cater for the needs of patent searchers. At the core of IPTranslator is a set of MT systems developed specifically for translating patent text. We describe the challenges faced in adapting MT technology to such a complex domain, and how the systems were evaluated to ensure that the quality was fit for purpose. Finally, we present the framework through which the IPTranslator service is delivered to users, and the value-adding features which address many of the issues with existing solutions.
Design optimization and experimental analysis of Piezoelectric Energy harvester

This paper describes an approach to harvest electrical energy from a mechanically excited piezoelectric element. The structure of piezoelectric energy harvester is optimized for maximum power with minimum dimensions through Genetic Algorithm approach to enhance the conversion of mechanical energy into electrical energy using direct piezoelectric effect. Numerical analysis is carried out to obtain optimal PZT position on the cantilever beam to get maximum harvested power. A rectifier with boost converter IC is used for converting harvested power in to usable DC power. The simulation results are verified experimentally.
Usability-driven pruning of large ontologies: the case of SNOMED CT

OBJECTIVES To study ontology modularization techniques when applied to SNOMED CT in a scenario in which no previous corpus of information exists and to examine if frequency-based filtering using MEDLINE can reduce subset size without discarding relevant concepts. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subsets were first extracted using four graph-traversal heuristics and one logic-based technique, and were subsequently filtered with frequency information from MEDLINE. Twenty manually coded discharge summaries from cardiology patients were used as signatures and test sets. The coverage, size, and precision of extracted subsets were measured. RESULTS Graph-traversal heuristics provided high coverage (71-96% of terms in the test sets of discharge summaries) at the expense of subset size (17-51% of the size of SNOMED CT). Pre-computed subsets and logic-based techniques extracted small subsets (1%), but coverage was limited (24-55%). Filtering reduced the size of large subsets to 10% while still providing 80% coverage. DISCUSSION Extracting subsets to annotate discharge summaries is challenging when no previous corpus exists. Ontology modularization provides valuable techniques, but the resulting modules grow as signatures spread across subhierarchies, yielding a very low precision. CONCLUSION Graph-traversal strategies and frequency data from an authoritative source can prune large biomedical ontologies and produce useful subsets that still exhibit acceptable coverage. However, a clinical corpus closer to the specific use case is preferred when available.
Genetic association of mating types and virulence in Cryptococcus neoformans

A pair of congenic Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans strains, B-4476 (a mating type) and B-4500 (alpha mating type), that presumably differ only in mating type was constructed. This pair and their progeny, five alpha type and five a type, were tested for virulence in mice. In the parent strains as well as the progeny, alpha type was clearly more virulent than a type. In addition, death tended to occur earlier among the alpha-strain-infected mice that died than among the mice that died by infection caused by a strains. These data strongly suggest the genetic association of virulence with mating type in this human fungal pathogen.
IT Infrastructure Role in the Success of a Banking System: The Case of Limited Broadband Access

This study provides empirical support for including IT infrastructure (ITI) as part of the information systems (IS) success model. The IS success model has been validated in high-income countries, but research in low-income countries is still lacking. This research bridges this gab by identifying ITI as a contributing construct when evaluating the IS success model in the context of low-income countries. This paper investigates the research question: when considering low-income countries, what is the role of ITI in information systems success? The research is motivated by limited ITI and limited Internet access in low-income countries that hinder the success of information systems. We conducted a survey with 102 bank employees in a low-income country – Ethiopia. The SEM-PLS analysis showed strong impact of ITI on user, user satisfaction, and net benefit. This study recommends inclusion of the ITI construct when evaluating the success of information systems and the policies that govern it.
19F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for the elucidation of carbonyl groups in lignins. 1. Model compounds

A new method for the detection of different classes of carbonyl groups in a series of carbonylcontaining lignin-like model compounds has been developed. The method is based on the selective fluoride-induced trifluoromethylation of carbonyl groups with (trifluoromethyl)trimethylsilane (TMS-CF 3 ) in the presence of tetramethylammonium fluoride (TMAF), followed by hydrolysis with aqueous HF or TMAF in the case of quinones. In this study a series of ketones, aldehydes, quinones, and dimeric-lignin model compounds were quantitatively trifluoromethylated followed by 19 F NMR spectral analyses of the resulting fluorine-containing derivatives, allowing for a thorough understanding of their structure/ 19 F chemical shift relationships. These studies have shown that the 19 F-NMR chemical shifts of the trifluoromethyl groups vary significantly and consistently for various classes of carbonyl groups which may be present in complex lignocellulosic materials. These studies are to form the basis for the development of a novel and sensitive method that can be used to obtain quantitative information on the various carbonyl groups present in such materials.
An Integrative Medicine Intervention in a Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant

In reviewing Dr Sinnott’s “Administrative Delays and Chronic Disability in Patients With Acute Occupational Low Back Injury,” I disagree with the author’s rationale for not controlling litigation as well as her conclusion that such an omission “minimized the potential for excluded variables to have an influence on outcomes. ” In fact, the extraordinary influence of litigation on claim administration and cost make adequate statistical controls essential: litigated claims make up approximately one of two lost-time injuries and almost $7 of every $8 spent in the entire California workers’ compensation system. The eligibility for and payment of workers’ compensation benefits are strictly controlled by statute and regulation. The statutory and regulatory requirements compel claims administrators to determine compensability and other factual issues before benefits can be paid. Litigation is most often triggered by the determination of compensability, the assessment of permanent disability, and the disputes over providing optimal medical care. By not controlling for litigation in issues regarding timing of benefit payments, the author opens the door to significant distortion of the outcomes and misinterpretation of the model’s results. If concern over endogeneity was her reason for excluding litigation, then an appropriate alternative technical method of dealing with endogenous variables should have been considered. Instead of not controlling for litigation, the author’s goals might have included exploring to what extent litigation explained the observed administrative delays and to determine the factors that enhanced or mitigated the effects of litigation. Furthermore, Dr Sinnott’s causal attribution that, “any administrative delay has the potential to produce significantly adverse outcomes” is at odds with a cross-sectional study design’s essential purpose of detecting associations and inability to establish cause and effect. Finally, the statutes and regulations mitigating benefit payments during the study’s time frame of 1993 to 2000 injuries were significantly modified during the 2003 to 2004 reforms to include a precompensability first pay provision for medical treatment. Given these issues, a revised analysis across the preand postreform period coupled with adequate controls for litigation would add valuable insights to the public policy discussion.
Evaluation and Utilization as a Public Health Tool of a National Molecular Epidemiological Tuberculosis Outbreak Database within the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2001

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to develop a national model and analyze the value of a molecular epidemiological Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA fingerprint-outbreak database. Incidents were investigated by the United Kingdom PHLS Mycobacterium Reference Unit (MRU) from June 1997 to December 2001, inclusive. A total of 124 incidents involving 972 tuberculosis cases, including 520 patient cultures from referred incidents and 452 patient cultures related to two population studies, were examined by using restriction fragment length polymorphism IS6110 fingerprinting and rapid epidemiological typing. Investigations were divided into the following three categories, reflecting different operational strategies: retrospective passive analysis, retrospective active analysis, and retrospective prospective analysis. The majority of incidents were in the retrospective passive analysis category, i.e., the individual submitting isolates has a suspicion they may be linked. Outbreaks were examined in schools, hospitals, farms, prisons, and public houses, and laboratory cross-contamination events and unusual clinical presentations were investigated. Retrospective active analysis involved a major outbreak centered on a high school. Contact tracing of a teenager with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis matched 14 individuals, including members of his class, and another 60 cases were identified in schools clinically and radiologically and by skin testing. Retrospective prospective analysis involved an outbreak of 94 isoniazid-resistant tuberculosis cases in London, United Kingdom, that began after cases were identified at one hospital in January 2000. Contact tracing and comparison with MRU databases indicated that the earliest matched case had occurred in 1995. Subsequently, the MRU changed to an active prospective analysis targeting linked isoniazid-monoresistant isolates for follow up. The patients were multiethnic, born mainly in the United Kingdom, and included professionals, individuals from the music industry, intravenous drug abusers, and prisoners.
Elemental Carbon Exposure at Residence and Survival After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Particulate air pollution has been consistently related to cardiovascular mortality. Some evidence suggests that particulate matter may accelerate the atherosclerotic process. Effects of within-city variations of particulate air pollution on survival after an acute cardiovascular event have been little explored. Methods: We conducted a cohort study of hospital survivors of acute myocardial infarction (MI) from the Worcester, MA, metropolitan area to investigate the long-term effects of within-city variation in traffic-related air pollution on mortality. The study builds on an ongoing community-wide investigation examining changes over time in MI incidence and case-fatality rates. We included confirmed cases of MI in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003. Long-term survival status was ascertained through 2005. A validated spatiotemporal land use regression model for traffic-related air pollution was developed and annual averages of elemental carbon at residence estimated. The effect of estimated elemental carbon on the long-term mortality of patients discharged after MI was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards model, controlling for a variety of demographic, medical history, and clinical variables. Results: Of the 3895 patients with validated MI, 44% died during follow-up. Exposure to estimated elemental carbon in the year of entry into the study was 0.44 μg/m3 on average. All-cause mortality increased by 15% (95% confidence interval = 0.03%–29%) per interquartile range increase in estimated yearly elemental carbon (0.24 μg/m3) after the second year of survival. No association between traffic-related pollution and all-cause mortality was observed during the first 2 years of follow-up. Conclusions: Chronic traffic-related particulate air pollution is associated with increased mortality in hospital survivors of acute MI after the second year of survival.
Negotiating Justice: Courts as local civil authority during the conflict in South Sudan

South Sudan’s courts have continued to function despite the extreme pressures of civil war, atrocities, and economic crisis. They constitute a resilient form of civil authority and an instrument to deal with everyday criminality. The courts also hold the potential to prevent violence and improve protection, not least because both men and women turn to the courts to resolve all manner of disputes, from minor arguments within families to violent disputes and abuses, including by local authorities. People also publicly show compliance during court proceedings, despite uncertainty over when and how judgements will be implemented. However, all are not equal under the law in South Sudan. Instead justice reproduces social and economic inequalities, and is subject to local improvisations. Court decisions are sometimes complicit in human rights violations, especially of women and youth. And military, political and economic elites have opportunities to circumvent or manipulate the system.
DivaServices - A RESTful web service for Document Image Analysis methods

In this article we present a web service framework providing automatic document processing methods to the public. Furthermore, an assessment environment and sample applications using this framework are briefly described. Research on Document Image Analysis (DIA) focuses mainly on developing and refining automatic processing steps, e.g. text line extraction, binarization, and layout analysis. While many state-of-the-art methods perform satisfactorily, the algorithms applied to obtain the results are not easily accessible for other researchers. Making the source code available is often not sufficient as it typically requires a cumbersome installation of required libraries and reading long manuals about the usage. We present a new approach for making methods available to researchers in the digital humanities without detailed knowledge of the algorithms. For our approach we propose a RESTful web service architecture, the current state of the art in online web communication. For a developer this reduces the steps needed to access a method to sending and receiving HTTP requests with Java Script Object Notification data, removing all installation steps. We will build on standards such as the Text Encoding Initiative and the International Image Interoperability Framework. Thus, methods hosted on DivaServices can be integrated easily into document processing workflows by any software engineer in computer science, but also the digital humanities without specific knowledge of the mathematical and algorithmic details of DIA.
Active vitamin D and accelerated progression of aortic stiffness in hemodialysis patients: a longitudinal observational study.

BACKGROUND We hypothesized that high-dose active vitamin D therapy in the form of alphacalcidol (α-calcidol), used to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic kidney disease, could lead to vascular calcification and accelerated progression of aortic stiffness. METHODS We conducted an observational study in 85 patients on chronic hemodialysis, among which 70 were taking a weekly dose of α-calcidol of <2 µg and 15 were taking a weekly dose of ≥2 µg (pharmacological dose). Parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, fibroblast growth factor 23, and α-klotho were determined. Aortic stiffness was assessed by determination of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 1.2 years. A multivariable regression model was used to evaluate the impact of pharmacological dose of α-calcidol on the progression of aortic stiffness. RESULTS At baseline, clinical, biological, and hemodynamic parameters were similar. At follow-up, cf-PWV increased more in patients with pharmacological dose of α-calcidol (0.583±2.291 m/s vs. 1.948±1.475 m/s; P = 0.04). After adjustment for changes in mean blood pressure and duration of follow-up, pharmacological dose of α-calcidol was associated with a higher rate of progression of cf-PWV (0.969 m/s; 95% confidence interval = 0.111-1.827; P = 0.03), and this association persisted after further adjustments for parameters of mineral metabolism. CONCLUSIONS In this study, pharmacological dose of α-calcidol was associated with accelerated progression of aortic stiffness. This study suggest that the vascular safety of active vitamin D posology may need to be specifically addressed in the treatment of chronic kidney disease-related bone mineral disorder.
Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in lymph node melanoma metastases: a histopathologic prognostic indicator and an expression of local immune response.

In lymph node melanoma metastases, the expansive proliferation of tumor cells may be compared, structurally and cytologically, to the vertical growth phase (VGP) observed in primary melanoma. Both in VGP and in nodal metastases, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) may be present with different patterns. In the evaluation of the primary tumor, these patterns have been defined as brisk, non-brisk, and absent. The histologic slides of regional lymph node metastases, the site of first recurrence in 99 consecutive melanoma patients, were reviewed. Disease-free survival of these cases and whether or not they were treated with rIFN alpha-2A was recorded to identify any relationship among different patterns of TILs, therapy, and prognosis. Of 99 cases, 16 were classified as brisk, 37 as non-brisk, and 46 as absent. At 30 months of follow-up the disease-free survival was 81.3% for brisk cases, 46.8% for non-brisk cases, and 29.3% for absent groups (p = .007). Multivariate analysis confirmed the prognostic value of TILs in predicting disease-free survival in patients with regional node metastases. The difference according to the presence or absence of relapse is particularly evident when comparison is made between treated and untreated patients. In conclusion the evaluation of first-recurrence regional node melanoma metastases for TILs, using the same histopathologic criteria as in VGP of primary melanoma, subdivides the cases in brisk, non-brisk, and absent groups. Also, the presence of these patterns in metastatic node melanoma deposits is correlatable to disease-free survival. Our results further stress the difference of prognosis patients treated with rIFN alpha-2A compared to the untreated group. The TILs evaluation may prove useful in selecting those melanoma stage II patients who will best respond to therapy with biologic response modifiers, because the TILs may be the local immune effector cell targets of rIFN alpha-2A or of other biologic agents.
bcl-2 alters influenza virus yield, spread, and hemagglutinin glycosylation

We previously demonstrated that expression of bcl-2 in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells blocks influenza virus-induced apoptosis and DNA fragmentation. We show here that expression of bcl-2 also reduces the level of infectious virus production and the spread of virus in MDCK cell cultures infected at a low multiplicity of infection. This effect is associated with modified glycosylation of the hemagglutinin protein.
Experimental validation of a GPR imaging system

Experimental evaluation of a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system is presented. The method is based on an Underground-SAR imaging algorithm that takes into account the complex permittivity of the soil to compensate for the slower wave propagation so that buried objects are imaged at the correct depth. The proposed GPR imaging system is devoted to operate in C band, from 3.5 to 5.5 GHz, in order to enhance lateral resolution thanks to the higher operating frequency. The 2 GHz frequency bandwidth enables 7.5 cm range (or depth) resolution. Several cases with different Tx/Rx hardware and antennas have been tested in order to analyze the influence in the recovered SAR images. 2D-MoM simulations have been done to evaluate the agreement with experimental results as well.
Reconstruction of mitogenomes by NGS and phylogenetic implications for leaf beetles

Abstract Mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences are frequently used to infer phylogenetic relationships of insects at different taxonomic levels. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques are revolutionizing many fields of biology, and allow for acquisition of insect mitogenomes for large number of species simultaneously. In this study, 20 full or partial mitogenomes were sequenced from pooled genomic DNA samples by NGS for leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae). Combined with published mitogenome sequences, a higher level phylogeny of Chrysomelidae was reconstructed under maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference with different models and various data treatments. The results revealed support for a basal position of Bruchinae within Chrysomelidae. In addition, two major subfamily groupings were recovered: one including seven subfamilies, namely Donaciinae, Criocerinae, Spilopyrinae, Cassidinae, Cryptocephalinae, Chlamisinae and Eumolpinae, another containing a non-monophyletic Chrysomelinae and a monophyletic Galerucinae.
Purification and Characterization of PBP4a, a New Low-Molecular-Weight Penicillin-Binding Protein fromBacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT Penicillin-binding protein 4a (PBP4a) from Bacillus subtilis was overproduced and purified to homogeneity. It clearly exhibits dd-carboxypeptidase and thiolesterase activities in vitro. Although highly isologous to the Actinomadura sp. strain R39 DD-peptidase (B. Granier, C. Duez, S. Lepage, S. Englebert, J. Dusart, O. Dideberg, J. van Beeumen, J. M. Frère, and J. M. Ghuysen, Biochem. J. 282:781–788, 1992), which is rapidly inactivated by many β-lactams, PBP4a is only moderately sensitive to these compounds. The second-order rate constant (k2/K) for the acylation of the essential serine by benzylpenicillin is 300,000 M−1s−1 for the Actinomadura sp. strain R39 peptidase, 1,400 M−1 s−1 for B. subtilis PBP4a, and 7,000 M−1 s−1 forEscherichia coli PBP4, the third member of this class of PBPs. Cephaloridine, however, efficiently inactivates PBP4a (k2/K = 46,000 M−1 s−1). PBP4a is also much more thermostable than the R39 enzyme.
Colchicine and Prevention of Cardiovascular Events.

CLINICAL QUESTION Is continuous long-term treatment with colchicine associated with lower rates of all-cause mortality and myocardial infarction and higher rates of adverse events? BOTTOM LINE Continuous long-term treatment with colchicine may be associated with lower rates of myocardial infarction, but may be associated with higher rates of gastrointestinal adverse events.