Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphine-sparing effect of acetaminophen in pediatric day-case surgery.

BACKGROUND Postoperative pain is a major problem in day-case surgery in children. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs have gained popularity in management of pediatric surgical patients to reduce the need for opioids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different doses of rectal acetaminophen in day-case surgery in children. METHODS A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study design was used. Patients (n = 120) were randomized to receive a single dose of 0, 20, 40, or 60 mg/kg of rectal acetaminophen after induction of anesthesia. General anesthesia was induced by mask ventilation with sevoflurane (7%) in nitrous oxide and oxygen and maintained with 2.5-4.0% end-tidal sevoflurane. Opioids or local anesthetics were not used. Postoperative pain was evaluated by behavioral assessment and physiologic measurements every 10 min after arrival at the postanesthesia care unit. The pain intensity was scored using a 0-100 visual analog scale used in the authors' clinic. The need for rescue medication, intravenous morphine 0.1 mg/kg, was decided by the nurse, who was unaware of the rectal acetaminophen dose. The parents were interviewed by phone after 24 h regarding pain and its treatment, nausea, and vomiting. Rescue analgesia at home was rectal ibuprofen, 10 mg/kg. RESULTS In the postanesthesia care unit pain scores were significantly lower in the 40- and 60-mg/kg groups compared with placebo and 20-mg/kg groups. Acetaminophen resulted in a dose-related reduction in the number of children who required postoperative rescue opioid, with significance reached with 40 or 60 mg/kg doses. Calculated dose of acetaminophen at which 50% of the children not requiring a rescue opioid was 35 mg/kg. The need for rescue analgesia at home during the first 24 h after surgery was also significantly less in patients in the 40- or 60-mg/kg groups than in the 0- or 20-mg/kg groups (20-17 vs. 80-63%). Thirty-three percent of patients receiving placebo had postoperative nausea and vomiting, compared with 0-3% in groups receiving 40 or 60 mg/kg acetaminophen. CONCLUSIONS A single dose of 40 or 60 mg/kg of rectal acetaminophen has a clear morphine-sparing effect in day-case surgery in children if administered at the induction of anesthesia. Moreover, children with adequate analgesia with acetaminophen have less postoperative nausea and vomiting.
On-line Biomass Estimation in a Batch Bio-technological Process: Bacillus Thuringiensis δ - Endotoxins Production.

Biomass concentration in a biotechnological process is one of the states that characterize a bioprocess. Moreover, it is generally the main direct or indirectly desired product. It is well known that the biomass concentration is not normally measured online because this measurement is not possible or this is economically unprofitable. Therefore, for control purposes it is necessary to replace the unavailable biomass concentration measurements with reliable and robust online estimations. To this aim, several states observers can be found in the literature. A review of commonly used techniques can be found in (Bastin & Dochain, 1990; Dochain, 2003) and references therein. Observers can be coarsely divided into two broad classes: first principles or phenomenological estimators and empirical estimators. The phenomenological estimators can be also subdivided into classical observers and asymptotic observers. Classical observers include extended Kalman filter (EKF), extended Luenberger observer, high gain observer, nonlinear observers, and full horizon observer. In this class of estimators, a detailed knowledge of the reaction kinetics and associated transport phenomena are required to represent the balance equations. Modeling the biological kinetics reactions is a difficult and time-consuming task, and therefore the model used by the estimators could differ significantly from reality. This is the main disadvantage of these phenomenological estimators, i.e., their efficiency strongly relies on the model quality. Asymptotic observers are based on the idea that uncertainty in bioprocess models lies in the process kinetics models. The design of these observers is based on a state transformation performed to provide a model which is independent of the kinetics. A potential drawback of the asymptotic observers is that the rate of convergence is completely determined by the operating conditions, i.e., the rate of convergence can be very slow or the observer may not converge. Empirical estimators are based on constructing appropriate nonlinear models of biotechnological processes exclusively from the process input–output data without considering the functional or phenomenological relations between the bioprocess variables. However, the conventional empirical modeling approach is based on the knowledge of the structure (functional form) of the data-fitting model (in advance). This is a difficult task since it involves the heuristic selection of an appropriate nonlinear model structure from numerous alternatives.
Effects of S-Ketamine as an Anesthetic Adjuvant to Propofol on Treatment Response to Electroconvulsive Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Pilot Study

Objective Ketamine in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) anesthesia has been reported to be associated with better seizure quality and longer duration compared with methohexital anesthesia. Furthermore, ketamine may enhance the efficacy of ECT while having rapid independent antidepressant properties itself. However, data on the effects of ketamine with ECT are inconsistent, and there are no reports of S-ketamine. The aim of the present pilot study was to explore the effects of S-ketamine as an adjuvant to propofol on the efficacy, seizure duration, and quality of electroencephalography in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Methods Thirty-two patients with a recurrent severe or psychotic major depressive disorder with treatment resistance to antidepressants were included in the study. For induction of anesthesia, the patients were randomized into 2 study groups. The S-ketamine group first received S-ketamine (0.4 mg/kg) as a bolus and then propofol. The treatment-as-usual group first received saline and then propofol. Results A statistically significant and clinically relevant reduction in the depression symptom scores was found in both study groups during ECT. There was no difference in the magnitude or speed of response between the study groups, nor was there any difference in the numbers of ECT treatments, seizure thresholds, seizure durations, and the electrical doses either. The patients recovered from anesthesia equally, but the degree of posttreatment disorientation and restlessness was more marked in the S-ketamine group. Conclusions In conclusion, a subanesthetic adjuvant dose of S-ketamine with propofol may not increase the effects of ECT in patients with treatment-resistant depression. However, S-ketamine was associated with increased posttreatment disorientation and restlessness.
Identifying Cochlear Implant Channels With Poor Electrode-Neuron Interfaces: Electrically Evoked Auditory Brain Stem Responses Measured With the Partial Tripolar Configuration

Objectives: The goal of this study was to compare cochlear implant behavioral measures and electrically evoked auditory brain stem responses (EABRs) obtained with a spatially focused electrode configuration. It has been shown previously that channels with high thresholds, when measured with the tripolar configuration, exhibit relatively broad psychophysical tuning curves. The elevated threshold and degraded spatial/spectral selectivity of such channels are consistent with a poor electrode-neuron interface, defined as suboptimal electrode placement or reduced nerve survival. However, the psychophysical methods required to obtain these data are time intensive and may not be practical during a clinical mapping session, especially for young children. Here, we have extended the previous investigation to determine whether a physiological approach could provide a similar assessment of channel functionality. We hypothesized that, in accordance with the perceptual measures, higher EABR thresholds would correlate with steeper EABR amplitude growth functions, reflecting a degraded electrode-neuron interface. Design: Data were collected from six cochlear implant listeners implanted with the HiRes 90k cochlear implant (Advanced Bionics). Single-channel thresholds and most comfortable listening levels were obtained for stimuli that varied in presumed electrical field size by using the partial tripolar configuration, for which a fraction of current (&sgr;) from a center active electrode returns through two neighboring electrodes and the remainder through a distant indifferent electrode. EABRs were obtained in each subject for the two channels having the highest and lowest tripolar (&sgr; = 1 or 0.9) behavioral threshold. Evoked potentials were measured with both the monopolar (&sgr; = 0) and a more focused partial tripolar (&sgr; ≥ 0.50) configuration. Results: Consistent with previous studies, EABR thresholds were highly and positively correlated with behavioral thresholds obtained with both the monopolar and partial tripolar configurations. The Wave V amplitude growth functions with increasing stimulus level showed the predicted effect of shallower growth for the partial tripolar than for the monopolar configuration, but this was observed only for the low-threshold channels. In contrast, high-threshold channels showed the opposite effect; steeper growth functions were seen for the partial tripolar configuration. Conclusions: These results suggest that behavioral thresholds or EABRs measured with a restricted stimulus can be used to identify potentially impaired cochlear implant channels. Channels having high thresholds and steep growth functions would likely not activate the appropriate spatially restricted region of the cochlea, leading to suboptimal perception. As a clinical tool, quick identification of impaired channels could lead to patient-specific mapping strategies and result in improved speech and music perception.
Biomarkers In Early Clinical Trials: the Committed and the Skeptics

To the Editors: The article by Goulart et al. ([1][1]) and the provocative accompanying editorial by Ratain and Glassman ([2][2]) raise important issues. We would like to respectfully take issue with some of the conclusions. First, the quantitative effect of publication bias in phase I trials with
Distribution of drugs over whole blood: II. The transport function of whole blood for phenytoin.

Phenytoin (DPH) partition between the three main blood compartments, i.e., plasma proteins, erythrocytes, and plasma water, was studied at various concentrations in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, the partition ratio of DPH in a system of erythrocytes in plasma water was 4.5 at concentrations between 0.8 and 100.8 micrograms DPH/ml. In vitro in whole blood (hence, in the presence of plasma proteins), this ratio was approximately 3.9. At 38 degrees C, blank erythrocytes were already in equilibrium with DPH-spiked plasma 3 min after contact, whereas at 20 degrees C, equilibration took 10 minutes or more. By adding blank ultrafiltrate to blood containing DPH, DPH concentrations of blood compartments shifted. It appeared that with the added blank ultrafiltrate, DPH was delivered overproportionally from erythrocytes and less from the protein fraction. In vivo, the elimination half-life of DPH in erythrocytes was 21.4 h and in plasma proteins 67.9 h. These results are similar to those obtained with valproate. It is concluded that erythrocytes have a low affinity for DPH. Their high-capacity transport system, having a "last-come-first-go" mechanism, plays a quantitatively important role in the transport of DPH.
A n efficient proximity-effect correction method for electron-beam patterning of photonic-crystal devices

A simple and accurate method was developed for proximity-effect correction (PEC) in electron-beam patterning of two-dimensional photonic-crystal devices. The method relies on the inherent periodicity of the underlying photonic-crystal structure, which is given as a corresponding matrix representation. This formulation sets up an ‘‘inverse exposure dose problem’’ which is then solved by matrix inversion. The proximity effect parameters are determined experimentally with the doughnut technique for a 30 kV acceleration voltage and 220 nm PMMA on InP substrates. A generic photonic-crystal bend structure, written into PMMA resist, shows an improvement of hole-size homogeneity by a factor of two, when comparing corrected with uncorrected structures.  2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Oral rehabilitation of a patient with Amelogenesis Imperfecta - A Case Report

For most patients with a developmental enamel disorders full mouth rehabilitation is one of the most effective option to restore aesthetics and function. This clinical report describes the details of rehabilitation of one such patient with Amelogenesis imperfecta with emphasis on the prosthetics. Treatment involved the use of splint to achieve a musculoskeletal position of the condyle and PFM restorations for all teeth to fulfill occlusion and aesthetics. The outcome was satisfactory to the dentist and the patient.
Towards automatic computer‐aided knee surgery by innovative methods for processing the femur surface model

The femoral shaft (FDA) and transepicondylar (TA), anterior–posterior (WL) and posterior condylar (PCL) axes are fundamental quantities in planning knee arthroplasty surgery. As an alternative to the TA, we introduce the anatomical flexion axis (AFA). Obtaining such axes from image data without any manual supervision remains a practical objective. We propose a novel method that automatically computes the axes of the distal femur by processing the femur mesh surface.
CMOS Image Sensors are entering a new age

In the early 90’s, it was suggested that Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) were in the process of becoming extinct and considered to be ‘technological dinosaurs’ [1]. The prediction is not entirely wrong, if the announcement made by Sony in 2015 is taken as an example. Sony Corporation has officially announced the end of the mass production of CCD and has entered into the last buy order procedure. While this announcement was expected for many years, it has caused a stir within the professional imaging community [2]. It is interesting to note that many industrial or professional applications (where CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) technology was expected to dominate) are still based on CCD sensors. Which characteristics still make CCDs more attractive that are not available with a CIS? At the beginning the two technologies cohabited and CCDs quickly established themselves as a superior technology to meet stringent image quality requirements. CMOS technology was then in its infancy and limited by its inherent noise and the pixel complexity. Architectures were then essentially analog and the idea of integrating the image processing features (System On-Chip) was not yet considered. The shrinkage of the technological node according to Moore's Law has made this technology more and more competitive due to its rapid expansion in the 2000s. CIS are now in the race of continuously improving electro-optical performances, and in many aspects are often shown to be better than CCDs. Considering the proposed metaphor of “the evolution of life” in the title of this white paper, the CIS can be compared to the emergence of mammals having withstood successive natural disasters; an evolutionary history that tells an epic story that covers 65 million years!
Hardware efficient, deterministic QCAC matrix based compressed sensing encoder architecture for wireless neural recording application

Wireless neural recording technologies are severely constrained by the limited energy efficiencies and telemetry bandwidth, while data compression or feature extraction techniques can be utilized to relax the burdens on the wireless data link. Compressed Sensing (CS) is an emerging approach for efficient data compression in wireless sensing applications. However, state-of-the-art CS encoder designs still lead to large area and energy overheads. This paper presents a novel CS encoder hardware design by incorporating deterministic measurement matrix, namely Quasi-Cyclic Array Code (QCAC) matrix, to improve overall area and power metrics over prior arts, while still preserving comparable signal recovery performance based on classic reconstruction algorithms. We demonstrate the advantages of the proposed QCAC-CS encoder design for spike data compression in neural recording application. Compared to the state-of-the-art CS encoder designs, QCAC-based CS encoder achieves on average (with compression ratio ranging from 0.0625 to 0.25) 42.7% and 49.5% reduction in encoder area and total power consumption, respectively. And the compressed spikes from the QCAC-CS encoder can be recovered with comparable performance toward random matrix based CS encoder designs.
Atypical sensory reactivity influences auditory attentional control in adults with autism spectrum disorders

Frequent observations of atypical sensory reactivity in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) suggest that the perceptual experience of those on the Spectrum is dissimilar to neurotypicals. Moreover, variable attention abilities in people with ASD, ranging from good control to periods of high distractibility, may be related to atypical sensory reactivity. This study used auditory event‐related potential (ERP) measures to evaluate top‐down and bottom‐up attentional processes as a function of perceptual load, and examined these factors with respect to sensory reactivity. Twenty‐five age and IQ‐matched participants (ASD: 22.5 year, SD = 4.1 year; Controls: 22.8 year, SD = 5.1 year) completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile prior to performing a modified 3‐stimulus (target, non‐target, and distractor) auditory oddball target detection task EEG was recorded during task completion. ERP analysis assessed early sensory processing (P50, ∼50 ms latency; N100, ∼100 ms latency), cognitive control (N200, ∼200 ms latency), and attentional processing (P3a and P3b, ∼300 ms latency). Behavioral data demonstrates participants with ASD and neurotypical performed similarly on auditory target detection, but diverged on sensory profiles. Target ERP measures associated with top‐down control (P3b latency) significantly increased under greater load in controls, but not in participants with ASD. Early ERP responses associated with bottom‐up attention (P50 amplitude) were positively correlated to increased sensory sensitivity. Findings suggest specific neural mechanisms for increased perceptual capacity and enhanced bottom‐up processing of sensory stimuli in people with autism. Results from participants with ASD are consistent with load theory and enhanced perceptual functioning. Autism Res 2016, 9: 1079–1092. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types ( basic entry )

Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) were invented to encapsulate and hide the complexity of managing Eventual Consistency. A CRDT is an abstract data type that implements some familiar object, such as a counter, a set or a sequence. Internally, a CRDT is replicated, to provide reliability, availability and responsiveness. Encapsulation hides the details of replication and conflict resolution.
A video text detection system based on automated training

In this paper we present a video text detection system based on automated neural network training. Compared with previous work which detects only graphical text with fixed parameters, our system (1) provides a training mechanism so the parameters of the system can be adapted to changing environments, (2) can detect both graphical text and scene text located in complex backgrounds, (3) can detect text in any orientation and (4) can perform multilingual text detection. Experiments show the effectiveness of our system in various text detection tasks.
Microwave-assisted extraction of phenolics from Canarium album L. and identification of the main phenolic compound

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was applied in the extraction of phenolics from Canarium album L. Effects of various conditions including the solvent, solvent to material ratio, microwave power and irradiation time on extraction yield of phenolics were investigated. In terms of the optimal conditions of MAE, it was concluded that 70% (v/v) of ethanol was the proper extraction solvent, the solvent to material ratio was 10 : 1 (mL : g), and the microwave power and irradiation time were 600 W and 15 s, respectively. Compared with normal stirring extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction, the MAE of phenolics from C. album L. was more time efficient and gave a high extraction rate. More than 1.2% extraction yield was achieved with MAE, and the purity of the phenolics in the extract product was up to 25%. In addition, by ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectrometry and electrospray ionised mass spectrometry (ESI/MS), the main phenolic compound in the extract product was identified as gallic acid.
Mismatch repair gene expression defects contribute to microsatellite instability in ovarian carcinoma

hMLH1, the human MutL homologue, has been linked to microsatellite instability (MSI) in gastrointestinal tumors. However, to the authors' knowledge, the role of hMLH1, the other mismatch repair genes (MMR), and MSI in ovarian carcinoma has not been well defined. The purpose of the current study was to determine the relation between MSI of ovarian carcinoma and MMR gene expression, hMLH1 and hMSH2 hypermethylation, and hMLH1 and hMSH2 null mutations.
Key success factors of strategic sourcing: An empirical study of the Hong Kong toy industry

Purpose – This research aims to identify and examine the importance of the key success factors (KSFs) of strategic sourcing, and investigate the relationship between KSFs and sourcing performance in the Hong Kong toy industry. The KSFs are ranked, and the results show those factors that should be given the highest priority in implementing strategic sourcing.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review, a questionnaire survey, interviews with industry experts and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) approach were employed in the study. First, the KSFs were identified after a full review and evaluation of the strategic sourcing literature. A questionnaire survey of 205 companies was then conducted in the Hong Kong toy industry to verify the importance of these KSFs. Finally, 20 sourcing experts from the toy industry were interviewed and assigned pairwise comparison judgements on a proposed AHP model, which prioritised the relative importance of these KSFs for the Hong Kong toy industry.Findings – Abo.
Two patients with Hermansky Pudlak syndrome type 2 and novel mutations in AP3B1

Hermansky Pudlak syndrome type 2 (HPS2) is a rare disorder associated with mutations in the Adaptor Protein 3 (AP-3) complex, which is involved in sorting transmembrane proteins to lysosomes and related organelles. We now report 2 unrelated subjects with HPS2 who show a characteristic clinical phenotype of oculocutaneous albinism, platelet and T-lymphocyte dysfunction and neutropenia. The subjects were homozygous for different deletions within AP3B1 (g.del180242-180866, c.del153-156), which encodes the AP-3β3A subunit, resulting in frame shifts and introduction of nonsense substitutions (p.E693fsX13, p.E52fsX11). In the subject with p.E693fsX13, this resulted in expression of a truncated variant β3A protein. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clones from both study subjects showed increased cell-surface expression of CD63 and reduced cytotoxicity. Platelets showed impaired aggregation and reduced uptake of 3H-serotonin. These findings are consistent with CTL granule and platelet dense granule defects, respectively. This report extends the clinical and laboratory description of HPS2.