Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic boundary detection for speech translation

Speech translation is usually the pipeline task of automatic speech recognition (ASR), translation unit segmentation and machine translation (MT). Segmenting the ASR output to translation units poses a challenge of balancing the translation quality and efficiency for real-time speech translation. In this paper, we firstly propose a parser-based semantic boundary detection method to detect all semantic boundaries based on our definition. To realize the translation of the semantic units, a word-boundary language model is secondly proposed to improve the translation quality. Experiments on English to Chinese and Chinese to English speech translation have shown that the proposed method yields improved translation quality and lower latency, when compared to the conventional punctuated methods.
Imaging of DNA molecules by atomic force microscope

This paper explores suitable conditions for the imaging of DNA molecules by atomic force microscope (AFM). As a typical biological macro-molecule, DNA with genetic information has attracted extensive attention, which is an important research subject in molecular biology and biomedicine. In this work, 3-Aminopropyl Triethyl Silane (APTES), Ni2+ and Mg2+ were used to modify the surface of mica substrate, and DNA molecules were adhered to the mica surface through the physical interaction of charges. The DNA molecules were imaged using an AFM under both air and liquid conditions. By analyzing the images of DNA molecules obtained in the experiments, it was found that the mica surface modified with Ni2+ had the best imaging quality under the liquid condition. This work will be useful for the study of high quality AFM imaging of DNA molecules, and the manipulation of DNA molecules by AFM mechanical forces.
Patient Similarity Using Population Statistics and Multiple Kernel Learning

We present a multiple kernel learning framework to learn similarity functions that compare physiological state between patients. A powerful ensemble kernel is learned from many base kernels evaluated on individual features. Our proposed framework captures two aspects of patient similarity: that patient similarity should be dependent on clinical context and that similarity should be modulated by the frequency and specificity of individual feature values. We validate our model on ICU data to predict hemodynamic instability and present analyses on using the patient similarity function to construct personalized cohorts. Our experiments show that the statistical properties learned by the kernels functions based on feature population distributions are significantly more predictive than naive stationary kernels (e.g. RBFs). Population-based kernels outperform RBF’s in identifying patient cohorts based on abnormality of their vitals and lab measurements and at predicting mortality.
A Quantitative Light Microscopic Study of the Odontoblast and Subodontoblastic Reactions to Active and Arrested Enamel Caries without Cavitation

This study describes cellular and microradiographic findings in thin undemineralized enamel-dentine sections from 36 enamel caries lesions from freshly extracted third molars. Lesions activity was determined by clinical examination and the estimated age of the lesion at extraction time. The cellular reactions to the enamel/dentine lesion complex were measured using computerized histomorphometry under the following conditions: (a) the cytoplasm:nucleus ratio of the odontoblast cell; (b) the odontoblast cell:dentinal tubule ratio, and (c) the adjacent predentine area (μm2). The first cellular reactions were observed beneath superficial enamel lesions before visible alterations in dentine mineralization. The cytoplasm:nucleus ratio of the odontoblast cells was markedly reduced, and only active lesions showed evidence of cellular proliferation into the cell-free zone. In more advanced active lesions the affected odontoblast cells had a significantly lower cytoplasm:nucleus ratio compared with the controls. Similar changes were not seen in arrested or slow-progressing lesions. Before onset of tertiary dentine formation there was a positive correlation between odontoblast cell size and predentine formation. Primary odontoblast cells were involved in early tertiary or reactionary dentine formation without odontoblast cell replacement. Reactionary dentine was only seen in active lesions, suggesting that reactions in the dentine/pulp complex are closely associated with the external environment.
Topotecan – A Novel Topoisomerase I Inhibitor: Pharmacology and Clinical Experience

Topotecan, a water-soluble analogue of camptothecin, is a newly available cytotoxic agent which acts as an inhibitor of topoisomerase I, an enzyme necessary for DNA replication. Topotecan is a semisynthetic product derived from camptothecin, which was discovered during a National Cancer Institute cytotoxic drug screening program almost 30 years ago. It acts by forming a stable covalent complex with the DNA/topoisomerase I aggregate, the so-called ‘cleavable complex’. This process leads to breaks in the DNA strand resulting in apoptosis and cell death. Topotecan possesses a serum half-life of approximately 3 h, a high volume of distribution with high tissue uptake and a low protein binding. The chemical structure is based on a lactone ring. Topotecan undergoes reversible hydrolysis from its biologically active lactone form to the open ring inactive carboxylate form. It is also able to penetrate the intact blood-brain barrier. Since most of the agent is excreted by the kidneys, dose adjustment is necessary when renal function is impaired. In contrast, pharmacokinetic behavior is unchanged in patients with limited hepatic function. The principal toxicity of topotecan when administered at standard doses is neutropenia, but thrombocytopenia and anemia occur as well, while the nonhematological toxicities are usually mild. Alopecia is frequently observed and some patients may suffer from pronounced fatigue. Most clinical data available are based on the following schedule: 1.5 mg/m2 topotecan given as a 30-min infusion, days 1–5. There are currently only minimal data available regarding a dose–antitumor activity relationship. Other topotecan administration schedules are currently being investigated. Preclinical data suggest that continuous-infusion schedules may be a better application form in terms of both, toxicity and antitumor activity. However, clinical trials could not confirm these results to date. Results of phase II studies suggest considerable antitumor activity of single agent topotecan in small cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer patients. A randomized phase III trial of topotecan versus paclitaxel in ovarian cancer patients pretreated with cisplatin/cyclophosphamide has demonstrated that topotecan is as effective as paclitaxel in the second-line treatment of these patients. Activity of topotecan was also observed in non-small-cell lung cancer, refractory leukemias/myelodysplastic syndromes and in childhood sarcomas. Due to its unique mechanism of action and lack of cross-resistance, cisplatin, etoposide, cytarabine and paclitaxel are potential interacting partners for combination chemotherapy regimens. However, the best combination regimen as well as the optimal combination schedule have yet to be conclusively determined. The potential of topotecan in a variety of solid tumors, as well as its use in combination regimens for ovarian and small cell lung cancer is currently being investigated.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor: An Important Angiogenic Mediator in Bladder Cancer

Angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels from existing ones and is critical for tumour development, invasion and metastasis. In bladder cancer the prognostic significance of mean vascular density, a surrogate for angiogenesis, has lead to study of the factors determining the angiogenic phenotype. The motivation for these studies has been the search for non-invasive prognostic or diagnostic markers for the disease and for new therapeutic strategies against bladder cancer recurrence and progression. Whilst a large number of factors are involved in the mediation of tumour angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is widely considered to be central to the process. This review highlights the information presently available regarding the role of VEGF in bladder cancer through observational studies of its expression in bladder tumours and within the urine. In addition the value of VEGF in determining the prognosis in bladder cancer and the future possibilities for anti-VEGF therapy are discussed.
Secoiridoid Glycosides from the Twigs of Ligustrum obtusifolium Possess Anti-inflammatory and Neuroprotective Effects.

Two new secoiridoid glycosides, obtusifolisides A and B (1, 2), together with 7 known secoiridoid glycosides (3-9) were isolated from the twigs of Ligustrum obtusifolium. The chemical structures of new compounds were determined by a spectroscopic data analysis, including one and two dimensional (1D-, 2D)-NMR, High resolution-MS, and experiments involving chemical reactions. The isolated secoiridoid glycosides were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 murine microglia cells. Compounds 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9 significantly reduced the production of nitric oxide (NO), with IC50 values of 5.45, 11.17, 14.62, 15.45, and 14.96 µM, respectively. None of the compounds were toxic to the cells. Additionally, we evaluated the neuroprotective effects of compounds 1-9 on nerve growth factor (NGF) induction in a C6 rat glioma cell line. Compounds 2 and 6 upregulated NGF secretion to 155.56±7.16%, and 139.35±11.65%, respectively, without significant cell toxicity.
Evaluating information-seeking approaches to metacognition.

Metacognition has been divided into information monitoring and control processes. Monitoring involves knowing that you know or do not know some information without taking corrective action. Control involves taking corrective action based on the knowledge that you know or do not know some information. In comparative metacognition, considerable attention has been paid toward critically assessing putative evidence for information monitoring in non-human animals. However, less attention has been paid toward critically evaluating evidence for control processes in animals. We briefly review a critique of information-monitoring in animals. Next, we apply these concepts to a number of studies that focus on information seeking in animals. The main type of evidence for control processes in animals come from tube tipping experiments. Before having the opportunity to search for the bait in these experiments, the subject sometimes observes opaque tubes being baited but is sometimes prevented from seeing the baiting. The observations that the subjects look more if baiting was not seen and are more accurate if baiting was seen have been taken as evidence for metacognition in information-seeking experiments. We propose simple alternative hypotheses that are sufficient to explain putative evidence for information seeking in animals without positing metacognition. The alternative explanation focuses on two relatively simple principles: First, an animal has a default "look before you go" response which supersedes random searches in space. Second, spatially guided behavior follows a default rule of "go where something good is. " These principles can explain the results of tube tipping experiments without proposing metacognition.
Reactivation of latent working memories with transcranial magnetic stimulation

A pulse of random activity is sufficient for a brain network to retrieve a dormant activity state. How to reactivate forgotten memories Sophisticated techniques can decode stimulus representations for items held in a person's working memory. However, when subjects shift their attention toward something else, the neural representation of the now unattended item drops to baseline, as though the item has been forgotten. Rose et al. used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to briefly reactivate the representation of an unattended item. A short pulse of TMS enhanced recognition of “forgotten” stimuli, bringing an unattended item back into focal attention. Science, this issue p. 1136 The ability to hold information in working memory is fundamental for cognition. Contrary to the long-standing view that working memory depends on sustained, elevated activity, we present evidence suggesting that humans can hold information in working memory via “activity-silent” synaptic mechanisms. Using multivariate pattern analyses to decode brain activity patterns, we found that the active representation of an item in working memory drops to baseline when attention shifts away. A targeted pulse of transcranial magnetic stimulation produced a brief reemergence of the item in concurrently measured brain activity. This reactivation effect occurred and influenced memory performance only when the item was potentially relevant later in the trial, which suggests that the representation is dynamic and modifiable via cognitive control. The results support a synaptic theory of working memory.
Relationship between Renal Size and Hypertension in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to compare renal size, shape and volume in hypertensive and nonhypertensive patients with end-stage renal failure. Methods: Patients with volume overload and diabetes mellitus, myeloma, amyloidosis, or polycystic renal disease were all excluded. Fifty patients undergoing hemodialysis for the first time were grouped as normotensive (23/50) and hypertensive (27/50). Hypertensive patients were then divided into subgroups having slight (4/27), medium (13/27), or high (10/27) hypertension. Using ultrasonographic methods, absolute renal size, relative renal size (renal length/body length), renal volume (length × width × depth × 0.52), and renal shape (width/length) were calculated. Results: In hypertensive patients, right and left relative and absolute renal lengths and left renal volume were found to be significantly less than in normotensive patients. Within the hypertensive group, no significant differences were found in the parameters. There was no relationship between age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, creatinine, creatinine clearance, sodium, calcium levels, renal shape and hypertension. Conclusion: In this study, etiopathogenesis of the renal disease, individual and multifactorial effects, residual renal function and nephron numbers may be involved in the results. Further investigations are needed to evaluate multifactorial effects on blood pressure and kidney size in chronic renal failure patients.
The relationship between health worker stigma and uptake of HIV counseling and testing and utilization of non-HIV health services: the experience of male and female sex workers in Kenya

ABSTRACT The barrier HIV-stigma presents to the HIV treatment cascade is increasingly documented; however less is known about female and male sex worker engagement in and the influence of sex-work stigma on the HIV care continuum. While stigma occurs in all spheres of life, stigma within health services may be particularly detrimental to health seeking behaviors. Therefore, we present levels of sex-work stigma from healthcare workers (HCW) among male and female sex workers in Kenya, and explore the relationship between sex-work stigma and HIV counseling and testing. We also examine the relationship between sex-work stigma and utilization of non-HIV health services. A snowball sample of 497 female sex workers (FSW) and 232 male sex workers (MSW) across four sites was recruited through a modified respondent-driven sampling process. About 50% of both male and female sex workers reported anticipating verbal stigma from HCW while 72% of FSW and 54% of MSW reported experiencing at least one of seven measured forms of stigma from HCW. In general, stigma led to higher odds of reporting delay or avoidance of counseling and testing, as well as non-HIV specific services. Statistical significance of relationships varied across type of health service, type of stigma and gender. For example, anticipated stigma was not a significant predictor of delay or avoidance of health services for MSW; however, FSW who anticipated HCW stigma had significantly higher odds of avoiding (OR = 2.11) non-HIV services, compared to FSW who did not. This paper adds to the growing evidence of stigma as a roadblock in the HIV treatment cascade, as well as its undermining of the human right to health. While more attention is being paid to addressing HIV-stigma, it is equally important to address the key population stigma that often intersects with HIV-stigma.
Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate receptor 1 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with primary testicular diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma

Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) is a potent lipid mediator that is produced during the metabolism of sphingolipid by sphingosine kinase. S1P has been implicated in the migration and trafficking of lymphocytes and several lymphoid malignancies through S1P receptors. Moreover, the overexpression of sphingosine‐1‐phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) has been correlated with the constitutive activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 and poor prognosis of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Thus, in this study, we examined the expression of S1PR1 in 198 DLBCL samples collected from nodal and various extranodal sites and sub‐classified formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue samples into germinal centre B‐cell‐like (GCB) and non‐GCB subgroups using immunohistochemistry. These analyses showed S1PR1 overexpression in 15·7% of all cases with DLBCL and in 54·2% of 24 cases with primary testicular (PT)‐DLBCL; S1PR1 expression correlated with S1PR1mRNA expression and STAT3 phosphorylation in fresh samples. Analyses of data from a single institution suggested that S1PR1 overexpression was an independent negative prognostic marker in 68 patients with DLBCL of clinical stages I and II. The present high prevalence of S1PR1 overexpression warrants the consideration of PT‐DLBCL as a distinct disease subtype and suggests the potential of the S1P/S1PR1 axis as a therapeutic target.
Effects of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Gene Expressions Related to Insulin, Lipid, and Inflammation Pathways in Patients With Diabetic Nephropathy.

INTRODUCTION Data on the effects of coenzyme Q10 (CQ10) on gene expression related to insulin, lipid, and inflammation in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) are scarce. This study aimed to determine the effects of CQ10 supplementation on gene expression related to insulin, lipid, and inflammation pathways in patients with DN. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty patients with DN, aged 40 to 85 years old, were randomly assigned into 2 groups to receive either 100 mg/d of CQ10 supplements (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20), for 12 weeks. Gene expression related to signaling pathway of insulin, lipid, and inflammation were determined in blood samples using a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method. RESULTS Quantitative results of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that compared with the placebo, CQ10 administration upregulated gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (P = .02) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the patients with DN. In addition, compared with the placebo, CQ10 supplementation downregulated gene expression of interleukin-1 (P = .003) and tumor necrosis factor-α (P = .02). No significant effects were observed on gene expression of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, lipoprotein(a), glucose transporter-1, transforming growth factor-β in the CQ10 group. CONCLUSIONS Overall, CQ10 supplementation for 12 weeks in DN patients significantly improved gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, interleukin-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α.
Reversible data hiding with image bit-plane slicing

Utilizing bit-plane slicing, a novel approach for reversible data hiding (RDH) is introduced in this paper. Instead of directly embedding in an input image, we propose to embed in a pair of bit-plane sliced images of the input image. Specifically, an (m + n)-bit input image is subdivided in two lower intensity images, i.e., n-bit image using n-LSB planes and m-bit image using m MSB planes. Embedding in a lower intensity image would offer relatively higher embedding rate, since the pixel-counts of the highest bin in the image histogram would be much higher than that of the original image. Moreover, embedding in the n-bit image would cause lower embedding distortion, while that in the m-bit image should contribute to a higher contrast enhancement. After embedding, histogram shifting (HS)-based embedding, those two images can be combined to get the (m+n)-bit embedded image. Comparing with a prominent HS-based RDH scheme, the proposed scheme has demonstrated significantly higher embedding rate and better contrast-enhancement.
Comparison of renal function parameters in the assessment of cis-platin induced nephrotoxicity.

The early renal function parameters (RFP), i.e. urinary alanine aminopeptidase (AAP), beta-galactosidase (beta GAL), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), retinol-binding protein (RBP), albumin (ALB), total protein (TP) and the conventional RFP plasma creatinine were assessed in 8 patients before and during treatment with the nephrotoxic antitumor agent cis-platin. Plasma creatinine increased during treatment with cis-platin. In all patients, acute tubular damage was revealed by early RFP. Albumin and total protein excretion patterns suggested alterations in glomerular function. The cumulative change in RBP excretion was related to plasma creatinine concentrations following cis-platin administration. The present study demonstrates that urinary RBP is a valuable parameter for the early assessment of cis-platin-induced nephrotoxicity.
Comparison of two telemetric intestinal temperature devices with rectal temperature during exercise

Objective: The discomfort caused by rectal probes and esophageal probes for the estimation of body core temperature has triggered the development of gastrointestinal (GI) capsules that are easily accepted by athletes and workers due to their non-invasive characteristics. We compare two new GI capsule devices with rectal temperature during cycle ergometer exercise and rest. Approach: Eight participants followed a protocol of (i) 30 min exercise with a power output of 130 W, (ii) 5 min rest, (iii) 10 min self-paced maximum exercise, and (iv) 15 min rest. Core temperature was measured using two GI-capsule devices (e-Celsius and myTemp) and rectal temperature. Main results: The myTemp system provided only slightly different temperatures to the rectal temperature probe during rest and exercise. However, the factory-calibrated e-Celsius system showed a systematic rectal temperature underestimation of 0.2 °C that is corrected in the 2018 versions. Both GI capsules reacted faster to temperature changes in the body compared to the rectal temperature probe during the rest period following maximum exercise. Significance: The GI-capsules react faster to temperature changes in the body compared to the rectal temperature probe, in particular during the rest period following exercise.