Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
International palliative care research in the context of global development: a systematic mapping review

Context An increasing amount of health policy is formulated at global level. At this global level, palliative care has attracted support primarily from normative institutions (WHO), not funding agencies. To attract greater global attention from policymakers, it has been argued that an international approach to research is required. However, the extent to which an international approach is being undertaken is unknown. Objectives To systematically identify and thematically synthesise all international palliative care research, defined as research involving two or more countries, or focused on the global level. Methods Five bibliographic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, ASSIA, Web of Knowledge, Psychinfo) were searched for journal articles relevant to international and global palliative care and end-of-life care. Data were extracted using a piloted extraction form and findings were synthesised. Results 184 studies were included, published across 75 different academic journals. Research emanates from and focuses on all world regions and there is increasing focus on the global level. Thematically, there is a high focus on Evaluation (n=53) and views of Stakeholders (n=38). The review revealed a predominantly observational research approach and few interventional studies were identified. Conclusions International palliative care research is a relatively new, but growing field. However, many gaps in the evidence base remain and palliative care research continues to take place outside broader discourses of international development. The relative absence of interventional research demonstrating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of palliative care risks limiting the tools with which advocates can engage with international policymakers on this topic.
Retinal venous pressure is higher than the airway pressure and the intraocular pressure during the Valsalva manoeuvre

The aims of this prospective experimental study were to explore the influence of the Valsalva manoeuvre (VM) on retinal venous pressure (RVP) in human volunteers in a university setting and to establish correlations for RVP with the increase in airway pressure (∆AirP) and in intraocular pressure (∆IOP).
Effect of Caregiver Training on the Neurodevelopment of HIV-Exposed Uninfected Children and Caregiver Mental Health: A Ugandan Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: Early childhood development programs typically combine healthy nutrition and cognitive stimulation in an integrated model. We separately delivered these 2 components in a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate their comparative effectiveness in promoting healthy child development and caregiver mental health. This is the first study to do so for HIV-affected children and their infected mothers. Methods: Two hundred twenty-one HIV-exposed but uninfected child (2–3 years old) and caregiver dyads in 18 geographic clusters in Eastern Uganda were randomized by cluster to receive biweekly individualized sessions of either (1) Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) training emphasizing cognitive stimulation or (2) Uganda Community Based Association for Child Welfare (UCOBAC) program that delivered health and nutrition training. Children were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, 1 year (training conclusion), and 1-year posttraining with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), the Color-Object Association Test for memory, the Early Childhood Vigilance Test of attention, and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-parent). The Caldwell Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment (HOME) was completed by observers to gauge caregiving quality after training. Caregiver depression/anxiety (Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25) and functionality (list of activities of daily living) were also evaluated. Data collectors were blinded to trial arm assignment. Results: Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers resulted in significantly better quality of caregiving compared with UCOBAC midintervention with an adjusted mean difference (MadjDiff) of 2.34 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.54–3.15, p < .01), postintervention (MadjDiff = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.61–3.25, p < .01), and at 1-year follow-up (MadjDiff = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.23–2.90, p < .01). MISC caregivers reported more problems on the BRIEF for their child at 1-year posttraining only (p < .01). Caregiving quality (HOME) was significantly correlated with MSEL composite performance 1-year posttraining for both the MISC and the UCOBAC trial arms. Likewise, physical growth was significantly related to child development outcomes even though it did not differ between trial arms. Conclusion: Even though MISC demonstrated an advantage of improving caregiving quality, it did not produce better child cognitive outcomes compared with health and nutrition training. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01640561.
A hybrid simulation-based assessment framework of smart manufacturing systems

ABSTRACT US manufacturers’ capabilities have consistently been degrading over the past few decades with no end in sight. To ebb this tide and assist the decision-makers in designing better configurations and system capabilities, this paper proposes the use of smart manufacturing systems (SMS) to develop a framework that generates and evaluates pre-implementation near optimal manufacturing configurations and provide guidance to establishing appropriate information messaging protocols between system components using hybrid simulation modelling. The framework calls for the implementation of computer-based tools including an expert system to identify the required machines and their corresponding characteristics, a business process modelling and notation tool to capture the process plan in an object-oriented fashion and an agent unified modelling language tool to guide the application of message sequence diagram and state charts, in addition, a hybrid simulation tool to assist in determining the correct configuration, an agent-based modelling tool to capture the behaviour of the required machines and a discrete event simulation tool to mimic the process flow. The application of the proposed framework to a manufacturing case study shows positive outcomes to support upper management in the planning phase of establishing a SMS or evaluating an existing one.
The Respiratory Induced Kidney Motion: Does It Really Effect the Shock Wave Lithotripsy?

PURPOSE To investigate the effect of respiratory induced kidney mobility on success of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) with an electrohydraulic lithotripter. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between May 2013 and April 2015, 158 patients underwent SWL treatment for kidney stones with an electrohydraulic lithotripter. The exclusion criteria were presence of a known metabolic disease (such as cystinuria), non-opaque stones, need for focusing with ultrasonography, abnormal habitus, urinary tract abnormalities, and inability to tolerate SWL until the end of the procedure. Stones greater than 20 mm, and lower pole stones were also excluded. The movement of the kidneys were measured with fluoroscopy guidance. RESULTS The procedure was successful in 66.7% of the males, and 56.9% of the females. The mean stone size was 11 ± 3 mm in the successful group, and it was 14 ± 4 mm in the unsuccessful group. The mean stone mobility rate was 32 ± 10 in the successful group and 40 ± 11 in the unsuccessful group. Multivariate analysis showed that stone size and kidney mobility affected the success rate significantly, however Hounsfield Unit (HU) did not. CONCLUSION The current study shows the significant effect of kidney motion on the success of SWL. Further studies with different lithotripters are needed to determine the significance of kidney mobility.
Solexa sequencing and custom microRNA chip reveal repertoire of microRNAs in mammary gland of bovine suffering from natural infectious mastitis

Identification of microRNAs (miRNAs), target genes and regulatory networks associated with innate immune and inflammatory responses and tissue damage is essential to elucidate the molecular and genetic mechanisms for resistance to mastitis. In this study, a combination of Solexa sequencing and custom miRNA chip approaches was used to profile the expression of miRNAs in bovine mammary gland at the late stage of natural infection with Staphylococcus aureus, a widespread mastitis pathogen. We found 383 loci corresponding to 277 known and 49 putative novel miRNAs, two potential mitrons and 266 differentially expressed miRNAs in the healthy and mastitic cows' mammary glands. Several interaction networks and regulators involved in mastitis susceptibility, such as ALCAM, COL1A1, APOP4, ITIH4, CRP and fibrinogen alpha (FGA), were highlighted. Significant down-regulation and location of bta-miR-26a, which targets FGA in the mastitic mammary glands, were validated using quantitative real-time PCR, in situ hybridization and dual-luciferase reporter assays. We propose that the observed miRNA variations in mammary glands of mastitic cows are related to the maintenance of immune and defense responses, cell proliferation and apoptosis, and tissue injury and healing during the late stage of infection. Furthermore, the effect of bta-miR-26a in mastitis, mediated at least in part by enhancing FGA expression, involves host defense, inflammation and tissue damage.
Protective Effect of Azadirachta indica and Vitamin E Against Arsenic Acid-Induced Genotoxicity and Apoptosis in Rats

ABSTRACT Sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) is one of the major environmental toxicants with severe toxicological consequences in some developing and developed countries. Rats in Group A received normal saline. Genotoxicity and apoptosis were induced by single intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg sodium arsenite to rats in Groups B–F. Rats in Groups C and D had earlier been pretreated with Azadirachta indica (100 and 200 mg/kg) or E and F with vitamin E (50 and 100 mg/kg), respectively. Markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, hepatic damage, genotoxicity, and apoptosis were assessed. Pretreatment of rats with either Azadirachta indica or vitamin E led to a significant (p <.05) increase in the activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione (GSH) in the liver compared to the group that received NaAsO2 alone. Markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation, nitric oxide (NO), and myeloperoxidase (MPO), were significantly (p <.05) lowered in rats pretreated with Azadirachta indica or vitamin E. The frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCEs) and expression of caspase-3 were significantly (p <.05) reduced in rats pretreated with either Azadirachta indica or vitamin E compared to rats intoxicated with arsenite. Histopathology of the liver showed areas of infiltration of inflammatory cells with deaths of numerous hepatocytes in NaAsO2-intoxicated rats, and these were reversed by Azadirachta indica. Together, we report for the first time the genoprotective and antiapoptotic effect of Azadirachta indica by a significant reduction in the frequency of micronuclei-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress by arsenic intoxication.
Value of Ultrasound-Guided Systematic Sextant Biopsies in Prostate Tumor Mapping

Objective: To determine the value of positive sextant biopsies in assessing the location of prostate tumors within radical prostatectomy specimens and to determine if prostate weight influences the results. Methods: From 1988 to 1996, 166 radical prostatectomies were performed for localized prostate cancer diagnosed by means of ultrasound-guided sextant biopsies. The location of the biopsies was compared with that of tumor tissue within the radical prostatectomy specimen. Results: Of the 996 biopsies, 331 (33%) were positive. The correspondence between the location of the biopsies and that of tumor tissue in the surgical specimen was found to have a sensitivity of 39.4%, a specificity of 81.5%, a positive predictive value of 83.3%, negative predictive value of 36.4% and an accuracy of 52%. For prostates weighing < and ≥ 45 g, the sensitivity was 39.9 and 38.9%, the specificity was 88 and 77.2%, the positive predictive value was 90.8 and 76.1%, the negative predictive value was 34.9 and 39.8%, and the accuracy was 52 and 52%, respectively. Conclusion: Negative biopsies do not predict a lack of tumor tissue in the corresponding prostate site after radical prostatectomy, and had less value than positive biopsies for prognostic staging before radical prostatectomy. Results of sextant biopsies are more significant for prognosis before radical prostatectomy when positive. Prostate weight influences the interpretation of the results of sextant biopsies.
Blind speaker counting in highly reverberant environments by clustering coherence features

This paper proposes the use of the frequency- domain Magnitude Squared Coherence (MSC) between two ad- hoc recordings of speech as a reliable speaker discrimination feature for source counting applications in highly reverberant environments. The proposed source counting method does not require knowledge of the microphone spacing and does not assume any relative distance between the sources and the microphones. Source counting is based on clustering the frequency domain MSC of the speech signals derived from short time segments. Experiments show that the frequency domain MSC is speaker-dependent and the method was successfully used to obtain highly accurate source counting results for up to six active speakers for varying levels of reverberation and microphone spacing.
In situ TEM studies of micron‐sized all‐solid‐state fluoride ion batteries: Preparation, prospects, and challenges

Trustworthy preparation and contacting of micron‐sized batteries is an essential task to enable reliable in situ TEM studies during electrochemical biasing. Some of the challenges and solutions for the preparation of all‐solid‐state batteries for in situ TEM electrochemical studies are discussed using an optimized focused ion beam (FIB) approach. In particular redeposition, resistivity, porosity of the electrodes/electrolyte and leakage current are addressed. Overcoming these challenges, an all‐solid‐state fluoride ion battery has been prepared as a model system for in situ TEM electrochemical biasing studies and first results on a Bi/La0.9Ba0. 1F2.9 half‐cell are presented. Microsc. Res. Tech. 79:615–624, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Negative Resistance-Based Electronic Impedance Tuner

An electronic impedance tuner using the negative resistance of tunneling diodes is proposed in this paper. Aside from the fact that it is an interesting solution to synthesize impedance with reflection coefficient larger than one, this scheme is proven to be simpler and consume less power than the state-of-the-art techniques. The overall circuit topology consists of two parts, namely, impedance tuning circuit including a hybrid block of PIN and tunneling diode for generating a set of impedance points, and wideband nonlinear transmission line-based 360° phase shifter for rotating the set of impedance points around the Smith chart from 1.5 to 5 GHz. The operating power of the electronic tuner is below −25 dBm, which is limited by the tunneling diode. The worst-case maximum power consumption of the electronic tuner is as low as 3 mW. Such an electronic tuner should be useful for the development of on-wafer noise characterization systems.
Application of Plasmonic Gold Nanoparticle for Drug Delivery System.

BACKGROUND Efforts in developing various colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) as theranostic probes have been promising in the biomedical field. Specifically, colloidal gold nanoparticles (GNP) have been extensively utilized as a theranostic probe for molecular imaging and drug delivery owing to their unique physiochemical properties with excellent biocompatibility. OBJECTIVE This review outlines and discusses the progress regarding gold nanoparticle synthesis methods for controlled geometry (spherical, rod, and cage), surface functionalization (covalent and non-covalent), and associated in vitro/in vivo cytotoxicity as well as some of the interesting diagnostic (imaging) and therapeutic (photo-thermal, drug delivery) applications. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION GNP possesses several advantages compared to other traditional theranostic agents, we firmly believe that GNP based clinical approach will gain continuous interest with increasing numbers of innovations.
for the degree of Licentiate of Engineering On the Character of Active Sites in Copper Exchanged Zeolites during NH 3-SCR

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are formed during combustion in diesel engines and one current approach to reduce NOx to N2 is selective catalytic reduction with NH3 as reducing agent (NH3-SCR). To acquire both high activity and selectivity, the active site is often atomically dispersed metal atom, so-called single-site catalysts. In the case of NH3-SCR, one example is Cu-exchanged chabazite (Cu-CHA). This is a kind of ion-exchanged zeolites that over the past decade has emerged as a promising candidate for NH3-SCR thanks to its good performance over a wide temperature window (473-773 K) and a high hydrothermal stability. In this thesis, the mechanisms for solid-state ion exchange of copper into CHA and activation of oxygen during NH3-SCR in Cu-CHA have been studied through density functional theory (DFT) in combination with ab-initio thermodynamics and molecular dynamics. Firstly, the energetic conditions for functionalization of CHA with copper ions from Cu2O(111) via the formation of Cu(NH3)2 + are explored. It is found that the diamine complexes form easily on Cu2O(111) and diffuse with low barriers over the surface and inside the CHA framework. The charge neutrality of the systems is maintained via counterdiffusion of H in the form of NH4 + from the zeolite to the Cu2O surface where water can be formed. The efficient solvation of Cu and H by ammonia renders the ion-exchange process exothermic. The dynamic character of Cu ion sites in CHA in the presence of ammonia is also highlighted. Secondly, the activation of oxygen, one crucial step during NH3-SCR reactions, is investigated. The character of ligand-solvated Cu ions under SCR conditions is explored and Cu(NH3)2 + is found to be the preferable species under low-temperature operation conditions (below 523 K). Direct dissociation of O2 is found to be facile over a pair of Cu(NH3)2 , whereas dissociation on a single Cu(NH3)2 + species is unlikely due to a high activation energy. The effect of Al distribution on the stability of the pair formation in CHA is also investigated. The Al distribution is found to strongly affect the propensity to form the pairs in CHA. At temperatures above 623 K, copper sites are preferably framework-coordinated without any ligands. In this case, the NH3-SCR catalytic cycle is completed over framework-coordinated Cu sites. The character of active sites during NH3-SCR is consequently condition-dependent, where the low temperature reaction occurs on Cu-solvated species. The NH3-SCR process in Cu-CHA is consequently just at the border between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.
Intelligent Logistics Tracking System Based on Wireless Sensor Network

: Wireless sensor networks are widely used to collect and monitor data in the physical world and play a vital role. This article mainly studies the intelligent logistics tracking system based on wireless sensor network. In this paper, the compressed sensing theory is used to reconstruct the environment monitoring data in the cabin to verify the validity of the theory. The five types of sensors are placed in the specified position in the carriage for multi-point sampling, and each node performs data collection every 45 seconds. This paper uses the entropy weight fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to evaluate the platform planning scheme. The wireless network adopts a multi-zone network networking method, which divides the entire coverage area into multiple sub-areas. Each wireless access point is responsible for controlling a sub-area. At the same time, each wireless access point will also become a mobile terminal and the backbone network. In the actual image transmission, there are two data transmission modes of Zigbee module involved, transparent transmission and point-to-point mode. In the transparent transmission mode, only the communication between the gateway device and the edge device can be carried out, and the communication between the edge devices cannot be carried out. In order to test that the wireless sensor node can actively track the logistics status of the logistics object, this paper uses a temperature sensor to test to test whether the wireless sensor node can actively track the logistics object at different temperatures. In order to achieve the goal of performance testing, a test program was written to simulate a large number of users logging into the system at the same time to perform operations to test the performance of the system. Starting from 15m, the communication radius increases by 5m each time to 50m, and the average positioning error is gradually decreasing. The results show that the introduction of Internet technology and mobile communication network positioning technology into the logistics tracking system can greatly improve the utilization of existing resources.
Repolarization Reserve and Action Potential Dynamics in Failing Myocytes.

See Article by Hegyi et al Prolongation of action potential duration (APD) is typically observed in isolated myocytes from both humans and animals with heart failure (HF) and is generally thought to be an important arrhythmia substrate. Traditionally, voltage-clamp studies have found that in addition to increased Na+/Ca2+ exchange and late Na+ currents, repolarizing currents, including the inward rectifier K+ ( I K1) and delayed rectifier K+ ( I Ks, I Kr) currents, are decreased in HF.1,2 These changes are expected to significantly prolong repolarization; however, this is not often observed at faster beating rates in failing myocytes3 and HF patients.4 In this issue of the Journal, Hegyi et al5 contend that more physiological conditions are required to understand the mechanisms of repolarization dynamics in HF myocytes. To this end, they used an elegant action potential (AP)–clamp technique to unravel the role and regulation of K+ currents6 under more realistic physiological conditions. Hegyi et al5 report that when more realistic physiological conditions are used by leaving Ca2+ cycling intact, APD in failing isolated myocytes is prolonged at slow beating rates but similar to control myocytes at faster, near normal rates. In contrast, APD prolongation was observed in HF versus control at all beating rates studied when 10 mmol/L 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane- N,N,N‘,N‘ -tetraacetic acid (BAPTA) was applied to prevent [Ca2+]i transients. The lack of significant APD prolongation at faster rates with Ca2+ cycling left intact is consistent with ECG QTc …