Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy of unknown aetiology

Background: Recently endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been widely reported to be useful for patients with lung cancer for lymph node staging, and this tool may be the first line procedure for patients with mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy of unknown aetiology. However, more invasive techniques as mediastinoscopy and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) are useful in well-selected patients, and surgery has a significant role in the evaluation of some areas in the mediastinum. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the clinical utility of VATS with the uni-portal approach in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathies of unknown aetiology. Methods: Retrospective chart review of our VATS database between 2003 and 2013 (10-year experience) was performed. All mediastinal lymphadenopathies of unknown origin were included in the study and were classified and designated according to the International Staging System. Pathological diagnosis was determined in all patients and was classified into two categories: malignant lymphadenopathy and benign lymphadenopathy. Results: A total of 136 patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy of unknown origin were identified, and the final diagnosis was available in all patients’ means of VATS surgery with uniportal technique. We no consider mediastinoscopy cases. The final diagnosis was available in all patients and was 114 malignant lymphadenopathies and 22 benign lymphadenopathies. VATS was safe (without complications) and had a sensitivity and a specificity of 100%, and it permits to study all areas of the mediastinum. Additionally, VATS surgery is accurate in the diagnosis of EBUS-TBNA negative lymphadenopathy (26 patients, 19%). Conclusions: VATS is a safe and reliable minimally invasive approach for a sampling of mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathies, and it should be considered a second line procedure for a sampling of mediastinal tissue. However, in some areas of the mediastinum (anterior, posterior, left 5–6 lymph node stations) and in the cases where EBUS-TBNA fails, this is a winning tool for obtaining a pathological diagnosis of mediastinal disease. We also believe that for these patients are paramount a multidisciplinary approach.
Collateral Ligament Strains During Knee Joint Laxity Evaluation Before and After TKA

Passive knee stability is provided by the soft tissue envelope which resists abnormal motion. There is a consensus amongst orthopedic surgeons that a good outcome in TKA requires equal tension in the medial and the lateral compartment of the knee joint, as well as equal tension in the flexion and extension gap. The purpose of this study was to quantify the ligament laxity in the normal non-arthritic knee before and after standard posterior-stabilized total knee arthroplasty (PS-TKA). We hypothesized that the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) will show minimal changes in length when measured directly by extensometers in the native human knee during varus/valgus laxity testing. We also hypothesized that due to differences in material properties and surface geometry, native laxity is difficult to be completely reconstructed using contemporary types of PS-TKA.Methods:A total of 6 specimens were used to perform this in vitro cadaver test using extensometers to provide n.
Advances in Genomic Interventions for Wheat Biofortification: A Review

Wheat is an essential constituent of cereal-based diets, and one of the most significant sources of calories. However, modern wheat varieties are low in proteins and minerals. Biofortification is a method for increasing the availability of essential elements in the edible portions of crops through agronomic or genetic and genomic interventions. Wheat biofortification, as a research topic, has become increasingly prevalent. Recent accomplishments in genomic biofortification could potentially be helpful for the development of biofortified wheat grains, as a sustainable solution to the issue of “hidden hunger”. Genomic interventions mainly include quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, marker-assisted selection (MAS), and genomic selection (GS). Developments in the identification of QTL and in the understanding of the physiological and molecular bases of the QTLs controlling the biofortification traits in wheat have revealed new horizons for the improvement of modern wheat varieties. Markers linked with the QTLs of desirable traits can be identified through QTL mapping, which can be employed for MAS. Besides MAS, a powerful tool, GS, also has great potential for crop improvement. We have compiled information from QTL mapping studies on wheat, carried out for the identification of the QTLs associated with biofortification traits, and have discussed the present status of MAS and different prospects of GS for wheat biofortification. Accelerated mapping studies, as well as MAS and GS schemes, are expected to improve wheat breeding efficiency further.
INNOVATION PROGRAMS MODELS: Design and management

Projetos de inovacao podem desenhar, desenvolver e implementar uma abordagem pratica e estruturada, com o objetivo de criar um modelo gerencial de inovacao. As deficiencias nas habilidades de gerenciamento de pequenas empresas (em gestao economica, financeira ou humana) ou as limitacoes de recursos nao sao uma questao de inovacao nem o setor o a industria da empresa. E a falta de processos estruturados que integram inovacao de produtos, servicos, processos, marketing e modelos de negocios e, ao mesmo tempo, criam os recursos que capacitam os lideres de negocios a agirem sobre inovacao. Os programas de inovacao praticados em pequenas empresas enfatizaram o como faze-lo em duas experiencias no Peru e na Colombia. A inovacao de produtos e servicos foi baseada em metodologias em quatro eixos; contexto empresarial, aprendizado por imersao, gamificacao, lean e design thinking. Embora a inovacao do modelo de negocios baseada nos mesmos processos e metodologias exigisse recursos e ferramentas adicionais. Isso pode envolver estrutura de modelos de inovacao, ferramentas de desenho de modelos de negocios, rede de valor de parceria, todos focados no contexto de negocios (tendencias e tecnologias), usuarios como co-criadores de valor, plataformas digitais e ecossistemas.
Improvements in hip arthroplasty - did they work? Evaluations of different articulations and fixation concepts.

Today, total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the safest and most efficient surgical treatments. New materials, surgical techniques and design concepts intended to improve THA have not always been successful. Thorough preclinical and early clinical investigations can detect some aspects of underperforming, while continuing surveillance is recommended to detect and analyze reasons for any later appearing flaws. In this thesis, several ways to monitor and assess THA performance are explored and carried out, using survival analysis in registry studies, radiostereometry (RSA), radiology and clinical outcome. In Paper I, a study using the Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association (NARA) registry shows that HRA had an almost 3-fold increased early non-septic revision risk and that risk factors were found to be female sex, certain HRA designs and units having performed few HRA procedures. Papers II and III contain comparisons of highly cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) and conventional polyethylene (PE). XLPE had a considerably lower wear rate up to 10 years but showed no obvious improvements regarding implant fixation, BMD or clinical outcome. In the NARA registry, in 2 of 4 studied cup designs the XLPE version had a lower risk of revision for aseptic loosening compared to the PE version. Paper IV describes that stem subsidence and retrotorsion measured with RSA at 2 years predicted later aseptic stem failure in an unfavorably altered, previously well-functioning cemented femoral stem. In Paper V and VI, a novel approach to measure articulation wear with RSA in radiodense hip arthroplasty articulations was presented and evaluated. Subsequently, a comparison between ceramic-on-ceramic (COC) and metalon-conventional PE uncemented THA displayed a considerably lower wear rate, smaller periacetabular bone lesions and a relatively high squeaking rate, the latter with unknown long-term consequences, in the COC hips. Implant fixation, heterotopic ossification and clinical outcome did not differ between articulation types. In conclusion, it was confirmed that implant surveillance can be done with RSA, also in radiodense THA. Early migration predicts later aseptic implant failure. Prolonged surveillance can confirm long-term material and design performance, verify or contradict anticipated advantages as well as detect unanticipated long-term complications.
Study on microstructure and texture of a new-type low Si high Mn non-oriented silicon steel 50W250

A new method to fabricate a high grade non-oriented silicon steel was provided, in which the significant feature is low Si high Mn. Metallographic microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to investigate the microstructure, texture evolution and precipitates characteristics, respectively. It is found that hot rolled sheet had a distinct stratification appearance. Fine equiaxed grains occupy the surface while subsurface and center regions were dominated by deformed microstructure and equiaxed grains. After normalizing, the microstructure of hot rolled sheet completely recrystallized. A number of shear bands were observed attributed to cold rolling. With the increase of annealing temperature or time, the average grain size of final annealed sheet increases. Annealed at 1000 °C for 7 min, annealed sheet exhibits highest and lowest fraction of {001}<100> cube texture and {112}<11-1> copper texture, respectively. The average grain size of final sheet also reaches peak, and it is 117.65 µm. In addition, the fine precipitates mainly include spherical MnS, CuS, regular hexahedral AlN, TiN and partly approximate spherical composite precipitates. The average size and distribution density are 132.10 nm and 1.62 × 1012 cm−3, respectively. Under the condition annealed at 1000 °C for 7 min, the core loss P1.5/50 is 2.461 W · Kg−1 and the magnetic induction B50 is 1.699 T.
Eye Redness Image Processing Techniques

The use of photographs for the assessment of ocular conditions has been suggested to further standardize clinical procedures. The selection of the photographs to be used as scale reference images was subjective. Numerous methods have been proposed to assign eye redness scores by computational methods. Image analysis techniques have been investigated over the last 20 years in an attempt to forgo subjective grading scales. Image segmentation is one of the most important and challenging problems in image processing. This paper briefly outlines the comprehensive of image processing and the implementation of image segmentation in eye redness.
Effects of Involuntary Smoking and Vaping on the Cardiovascular System

In deaths and diseases attributed to tobacco smoke cardiovascular events exceed cancer and respiratory diseases. Second hand smoke (SHS) promotes the development of arteriosclerosis and can also trigger acute changes of endothelial function and of blood coagulability. Indoor smoking bans reduced coronary syndrome and myocardial infarction 10-20% within one year and were followed by sustainable decreases of stroke and diabetes. With a smoke-free hospitality industry people recognized tobacco smoke as an air pollutant, smoking in public was denormalized and social acceptance of smoking in front of children and pregnant women decreased also in homes and in cars. Combined effects with ambient air pollution are proven for active smoking and suspected for SHS. Contamination with third hand smoke (THS, “cold smoke”) persists for months in homes and cars, creating secondary pollutants that in some cases are more toxic (e.g., tobacco-specific nitrosamines). Remnants found in air, dust, and on surfaces (carpets, wallpapers, upholstery, soft toys) were associated with their metabolites in saliva and urine of children and with elevated levels of nicotine on hands and cotinine in urine of nonsmokers residing in homes previously occupied by smokers. In animal experiments effects of THS were found on thrombogenesis, insulin resistance through oxidative stress, on the developing immune system, lipid metabolism and alterations in liver, lung, skin and behavior. Much less is known about health effects for bystanders from the aerosols exhaled during “vaping” of e-cigarettes, but nicotine and other toxins from e-cigarettes are certainly a hazard, which should be prevented by the use of dermal and oral nicotine products, which are safer for nicotine replacement and without risk for bystanders.
Efecto del Enterococcus faecium en el desarrollo y crecimiento intestinal de pollos de engorde

En la alimentacion, los animales se exponen a bacterias y sustancias toxicas, donde el epitelio intestinal actua como una barrera natural ante estos patogenos presentes en el lumen intestinal. Sin embargo, la ingesta de bacterias probioticas podria influir sobre el desarrollo y funcion de organos digestivos, mejorando los parametros fisiologicos, nutricionales e inmunologicos de este. El objetivo de esta investigacion fue evaluar diferentes dosis de la cepa probiotica Enterococcus faecium, sobre el crecimiento y desarrollo intestinal en pollos de engorde durante su etapa productiva. El proyecto de investigacion, se realizo en el area del vivero de la Facultad de Ciencias Agronomicas ubicada en final 25 avenida norte, San Salvador, entre los meses de enero a julio del 2018, llevandose a cabo la crianza de 100 pollos de engorde (Arbor Acres®) de un dia de edad, los cuales fueron alimentados con cuatro dietas: concentrado comercial con y sin la adicion de cepa probiotica en distintas dosis. El modelo estadistico utilizado es el diseno completamente al azar, con cuatro raciones diferentes (cuatro tratamientos) y cuatro repeticiones, constituidas por seis unidades experimentales cada una. La inclusion de Enterococcus faecium en la alimentacion de pollos de engorde a una dosis de 1.75 g por qq de concentrado mejoraron el crecimiento y desarrollo intestinal, en vellosidades con altura de 1211.34 μm y ancho 147.7 μm, y criptas menos profundas 164.30 μm (p<0,05); lo cual se vio reflejado en pollos con un peso final de 2,195.5gr a la sexta semana, ganancia diaria promedio de 58.75g durante la semana seis e indice de conversion alimenticia de 1.85 (p<0,05); por lo anterior, la suplementacion con E. faecium, mejoro el rendimiento de pollos de engorde y puede ser utilizado en la alimentacion durante todo el ciclo productivo como promotor de crecimiento. Palabras claves: Enterococcus faecium. Probiotico. Desarrollo intestinal. Pollos de engorde.
Enhancing multivariate pattern analysis for magnetoencephalography through relevant sensor selection

While the popularity of multivariate pattern classification is growing rapidly in magnetoencephalography (MEG) data analysis, the analysis pipelines used by the neuroscience community are still missing some fundamental machine‐learning techniques and principles that would increase their effectiveness. Here, we show that MEG decoding accuracy improves significantly with the addition of feature selection methods to the analysis pipeline. We compare one unsupervised and two supervised feature reduction methods in the current study. Our results show that supervised feature selection methods like statistical dependency and mutual information improve decoding performance and attain higher session‐to‐session reliability compared to unsupervised dimensionality reduction methods like principal component analysis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the selected sensors in the data related to a visual task at each time point are consistent with the pattern reflecting the sweep of information in the ventral visual pathway.
Quantifying the Terrestrial Carbon Feedback to Anthropogenic Carbon Emission

The surface warming response to carbon emission is dependent on feedbacks operating in both the physical climate and carbon cycle systems, with physical climate feedbacks quantified via linearly combinable climate feedback terms, λclimate in watt per square meter per kelvin. However, land carbon feedbacks are often quantified using a two‐parameter description, with separate cumulative carbon uptake responses to surface warming, γL in petagram of carbon per kelvin, and rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, βL in petagram of carbon per parts per million. Converting the γL and βL responses to an overall terrestrial carbon feedback parameter, λcarbon in watt per square meter per kelvin, has remained problematic, with λcarbon affected by significant nonlinear interactions between carbon‐climate and carbon‐concentration responses and a nonlinear relation between atmospheric CO2 and subsequent radiative forcing. This study presents new relationships quantifying how the overall steady state terrestrial carbon feedback to anthropogenic emission, λcarbon, is dependent on the terrestrial carbon responses to rising CO2 and temperature, βL, and γL, and the physical climate feedback, λclimate. Nonlinear interactions between βL and γL responses to carbon emission are quantified via a three‐parameter description of the land carbon sensitivities to rising CO2 and temperature. Numerical vegetation model output supports the new relationships, revealing an emerging sensitivity of land carbon feedback to climate feedback of ∂λcarbon/∂λclimate ~ 0.3. The results highlight that terrestrial carbon feedback and physical climate feedback cannot be considered in isolation: Additional surface warming from stronger climate feedback is automatically compounded by reduced cooling from terrestrial carbon feedback, meanwhile around half the uncertainty in terrestrial carbon feedback originates from uncertainty in the physical climate feedback.
Dual training in Europe: a policy fad or a policy turn?

Since the start of the global financial crisis Europe has experienced a new enthusiasm for dual vocational education and training (VET). The EU itself has actively promoted the benefits of dual VET to its members, offering financial and organisational support for the introduction of apprenticeships into the formal educational systems. However, while dual VET is widely considered to be a valuable tool for easing the transition into the labour market for young people, it is also a form of skill formation that requires a lot of coordination not only between the schools and firms that carry out the training, but also among the firms themselves and between employer and employee organisations. In this introduction we argue that whereas the EU has been successful in encouraging establishment of dual VET in all its member countries, its implementation has been very uneven. This is due in part to the pre-existing differences in the underlying organisational structures, but also to the ongoing demographic, technological, and institutional changes – some caused by European integration itself – which weaken firms’ incentives to train.
From incompetence to competence: maintaining intersubjectivity through shifting epistemic stance in intercultural L2 talk in an Asian context

ABSTRACT Recent research on interactional competence has expanded our understanding of how second language (L2) speakers keep their talk organized despite gaps in their linguistic repertoire. This has attracted much attention to appropriateness in L2 talk while posing key questions regarding what counts as appropriate and how appropriateness is dynamically co-constructed by the participants in a conversation. The present study has addressed such questions via focusing on how intersubjectivity is achieved and maintained in intercultural L2 talk. The data for this research comprised video recordings of online intercultural interactions among Japanese and Taiwanese speakers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The findings of this conversation analytic study suggest that intersubjectivity is achieved and maintained in part through the participants' moment-by-moment shifts in their epistemic stance. Dynamic alternations between more knowledgeable and less knowledgeable stances were mainly achieved through fluid management of turn-taking as well as repair initiation and accomplishment.
Co-hort study of urinary schistosomiasis among two villages residing along Hadejia Valley, Jigawa State, Nigeria

A study was carried out to determine prevalence of urinary Schistosomiasis among two villages located along Hadejia valley in Jigawa State, Nigeria. A total of 125 urine sample from people residing in each of the two villages (Yamidi and Shawara), were screened for the presence or absence of S. haematobium eggs. Urine sample were screened using Concentration Sedimentation Technique. The overall prevalence of S. haematobium infection in Yamidi was 76.8% with mean Eggs per cubic Centiliter (EPC) of 2.9, and in Shawara the overall prevalence was 77.6% with mean EPC of 3.4. Males were found to be more infected than female in both the two villages. People aged 1 to 5 years have highest prevalence of the infection in both the two villages than people among older age group. People with haematuria have highest prevalence of 95.1% and mean EPC of 6.0 than people without haematuria that have lower prevalence of 72.0% and mean EPC of 3.4. There was no significant relationship ( p > 0.05) between the infection and presence or absence of haematuria. This study has established that urinary schistosomiasis is endemic in the study area. Keywords: Hadejia, Haematuria, Infection, Jigawa, Nigeria, Schistosomiasis
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LEPIDIUM SATIVUM-A REVIEW

Lepidium sativum contained many bioactive constituents included cardiac glycoside, alkaloids, phenolic, flavonoids, cardiotonic glycosides, coumarins, glucosinolates, carbohydrates, proteins and amino-acids, mucilage, resins, saponins, sterols, tannins, volatile oils, triterpene, sinapic acid and uric acid. The pharmacological investigation revealed that Lepidium sativum possessed antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anticancer, reproductive, gastrointestinal, respiratory, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, cardiovascular, hypolipidemic, diuretic, central nervous, fracture healing and protective effects. The current review discussed the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Lepidium sativum.
Urban green boosterism and city affordability: For whom is the ‘branded’ green city?

Increasingly, greening in cities across the Global North is enmeshed in strategies for attracting capital investment, raising the question: for whom is the future green city? Through exploring the relationship between cities’ green boosterist rhetoric, affordability and social equity considerations within greening programmes, this paper examines the extent to which, and why, the degree of green branding – that is, urban green boosterism – predicts the variation in city affordability. We present the results of a mixed methods, macroscale analysis of the greening trajectories of 99 cities in Western Europe, the USA and Canada. Our regression analysis of green rhetoric shows a trend toward higher cost of living among cities with the longest duration and highest intensity green rhetoric. We then use qualitative findings from Nantes, France, and Austin, USA, as two cases to unpack why green boosterism correlates with lower affordability. Key factors determining the relation between urban greening and affordability include the extent of active municipal intervention, redistributional considerations and the historic importance of inclusion and equity in urban development. We conclude by considering what our results mean for the urban greening agenda in the context of an ongoing green growth imperative going forward.