ahmedabdelwahed/Medical_papers_title_and_abstract_NLP_dataset huggingface dataset:
State-of-the-art progress for the selective crystallization of actinides, synthesis of actinide compounds and their functionalization

Crystallization and immobilization of actinides to form actinide compounds are of significant importance for the extraction and reutilization of nuclear waste in the nuclear industry. In this paper, the state-of-art progress in the crystallization of actinides are summarized, as well as the main functionalization of the actinide compounds, i.e., as adsorbents for heavy metal ions and organic pollutant in waste management, as (photo)catalysts for organic degradation and conversion, including degradation of organic dyes and antibiotics, dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles, CO2 cycloaddition, selective alcohol oxidation and selective oxidation of sulfides. This review will give a comprehensive summary about the synthesis and application exploration of solid actinide crystalline salts and actinide-based metal organic frameworks in the past decades. Finally, the future perspectives and challenges are proposed in the end to give a promising direction for future investigation.
The Abstract Expressionists and Les Automatistes: A shared multi-fractal depth?

Statistical analysis of abstract paintings is becoming an increasingly important tool for understanding the creative process of visual artists. We present a multifractal analysis of 'poured' paintings from the Abstract Expressionism and Les Automatistes movements. The box-counting dimension (D-o) is measured for the analyzed paintings, as is the associated multifractal depth Delta D=D-o - D-infinity, where D-infinity, is the asymptotic dimension. We investigate the role of depth by plotting a 'phase space' diagram that examines the relationship between D-o and D-infinity. We show that, although the D-o and D-infinity values vary between individual paintings, the collection of paintings exhibit a similar depth, suggesting a shared visual characteristic for this genre. We discuss the visual implications of this result. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Two distinct conformational states of Mycobacterium tuberculosis virulent factor early secreted antigenic target 6 kDa are behind the discrepancy around its biological functions

Early secreted antigenic target 6 kDa (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein 10 kDa (CFP-10) are complex proteins secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that play a major role in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. However, studies focusing on the biological functions of ESAT-6 led to discordant results and the role of ESAT-6 remains controversial. In the present study, we aim to address a potential explanation for this discrepancy and to highlight the physiological impact of two conformational states of ESAT-6. Analysis of a recombinant form of ESAT-6 by native gel electrophoresis, size exclusion chromatography and CD spectroscopy revealed that ESAT-6 forms dimers/multimers with higher molecular weight, which disappeared under the action of the detergent amidosulfobetaine-14 (ASB), giving rise to another conformational state of the protein. NMR has further indicated that ASB-treated versus nontreated ESAT-6 adopted distinct structural forms but with no well defined tertiary structure. However, protein-protein docking analysis favored a dimeric state of ESAT-6. Interestingly, the two preparations presented opposing effects on mycobacterial infectivity, as well as macrophage survival, interferon-γ secretion and membrane pore formation. Thereafter, we generated a recombinant form of the physiological heterodimer ESAT-6/CFP-10 that ASB was also able to dissociate and which showed functions similar to those of ESAT-6 dimers/multimers. Our data suggest that, in the absence of CFP-10, the hydrophobic regions of the ESAT-6 can form dimers/multimers, mimicking the ESAT-6/CFP-10 heterodimer, whereas their dissociation generates a protein presenting entirely different activities. Overall, the present study clarifies the intriguing divergences between reports that could be attributed to the ESAT-6 oligomeric state and sheds light on its importance for a better comprehension of the physiopathology of tuberculosis.
Deformable Image Registration Using Functions of Bounded Deformation

Deformable image registration is a widely used technique in the field of computer vision and medical image processing. Basically, the task of deformable image registration is to find the displacement field between the moving image and the fixed image. Many variational models are proposed for deformable image registration, under the assumption that the displacement field is continuous and smooth. However, displacement fields may be discontinuous, especially for medical images with intensity inhomogeneity, pathological tissues, or heavy noises. In the mathematical theory of elastoplasticity, when the displacement fields are possibly discontinuous, a suitable framework for describing the displacement fields is the space of functions of bounded deformation (BD). Inspired by this, we propose a novel deformable registration model, called the BD model, which allows discontinuities of displacement fields in images. The BD model is formulated in a variational framework by supposing the displacement field to be a function of BD. The existence of solutions of this model is proven. Numerical experiments on 2D images show that the BD model outperforms the classical demons model, the log-domain diffeomorphic demons model, and the state-of-the-art vectorial total variation model. Numerical experiments on two public 3D databases showthat the target registration error of the BD model is competitive compared with more than ten other models.
Illness representations and psychological adjustment of Greek couples dealing with a recently-diagnosed cancer: dyadic, interaction and perception-dissimilarity effects

The aim was to examine the impact of the dyadic, interaction and dissimilarity effects of the illness representations on the psychological health of recently diagnosed cancer patients and spouses in Greece. The sample consisted of 298 individuals nested in 149 couples. Effects were examined with the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Both actor (i.e., within person) and partner (i.e., between partners) effects were detected for both patients' and spouses' psychological symptoms. The negative association of patients' psychological symptoms with their representations of illness coherence was weak at the higher and medium levels, and stronger at the lower levels of spouse corresponding representations. Patient-partner discrepancy in perceived illness consequences was associated with more psychological symptoms in patients. Adaptation to cancer is a dyadic process within the context of which patient and partner psychological well-being is affected by each other's understanding of illness. Thus, the parallel examination of the illness representations of both partners is needed from the early phases of the illness trajectory.
A concise tutorial on human motion tracking and recognition with Microsoft Kinect

This paper provides a concise tutorial on the Microsoft Kinect technology and the state of art research on human motion tracking and recognition with Microsoft Kinect. A pre-requisite for human motion recognition is feature extraction. There are two types of feature extraction methods: skeleton joint based, and depth/color image based. Given a set of feature vectors, a motion could be recognized using machine learning, direct comparison, or rule-based methods. We also outline future research directions on the Kinect technology.
Ideal Regularized Composite Kernel for Hyperspectral Image Classification

This paper proposes an ideal regularized composite kernel (IRCK) framework for hyperspectral image (HSI) classification. In learning a composite kernel, IRCK exploits spectral information, spatial information, and label information simultaneously. It incorporates the labels into standard spectral and spatial kernels by means of the ideal kernel according to a regularization kernel learning framework, which captures both the sample similarity and label similarity and makes the resulting kernel more appropriate for specific HSI classification tasks. With the ideal regularization, the kernel learning problem has a simple analytical solution and is very easy to implement. The ideal regularization can be used to improve and to refine state-of-the-art kernels, including spectral kernels, spatial kernels, and spectral-spatial composite kernels. The effectiveness of the proposed IRCK is validated on three benchmark hyperspectral datasets. Experimental results show the superiority of our IRCK method over the classical kernel methods and state-of-the-art HSI classification methods.
Mesothelial fusion mediates chorioallantoic membrane formation

In amniotic vertebrates (birds, reptiles and mammals), an extraembryonic structure called the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) functions as respiratory organ for embryonic development. The CAM is derived from fusion between two pre-existing membranes, the allantois, a hindgut diverticulum and a reservoir for metabolic waste, and the chorion which marks the embryo's external boundary. Modified CAM in eutherian mammals, including humans, gives rise to chorioallantoic placenta. Despite its importance, little is known about cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating CAM formation and maturation. In this work, using the avian model, we focused on the early phase of CAM morphogenesis when the allantois and chorion meet and initiate fusion. We report here that chicken chorioallantoic fusion takes place when the allantois reaches the size of 2.5-3.0 mm in diameter and in about 6 hours between E3.75 and E4. Electron microscopy and immunofluorescence analyses suggested that before fusion, in both the allantois and chorion, an epithelial-shaped mesothelial layer is present, which dissolves after fusion, presumably by undergoing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The fusion process per se, however, is independent of allantoic growth, circulation, or its connection to the developing mesonephros. Mesoderm cells derived from the allantois and chorion can intermingle post-fusion, and chorionic ectoderm cells exhibit a specialized sub-apical intercellular interface, possibly to facilitate infiltration of allantois-derived vascular progenitors into the chorionic ectoderm territory for optimal oxygen transport. Finally, we investigated chorioallantoic fusion-like process in primates, with limited numbers of archived human and fresh macaque samples. We summarize the similarities and differences of CAM formation among different amniote groups and propose that mesothelial epithelial-mesenchymal transition mediates chorioallantoic fusion in most amniotic vertebrates. Further study is needed to clarify tissue morphogenesis leading to chorioallantoic fusion in primates. Elucidating molecular mechanisms regulating mesothelial integrity and epithelial-mesenchymal transition will also help understand mesothelial diseases in the adult, including mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and fibrosis. This article is part of the theme issue 'Extraembryonic tissues: exploring concepts, definitions and functions across the animal kingdom'.
Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors and Major Cardiovascular Events after Sepsis

Rationale: Adult sepsis survivors have an increased risk of experiencing long-term cardiovascular events. Objectives: To determine whether the cardiovascular risk after sepsis is mitigated by renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi). Methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study of adult sepsis survivors designed to emulate a target randomized trial with an active comparator and new-user design. We excluded patients with a first-line indication for prescription of RASi (e.g., coronary heart disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension with diabetes mellitus). The main exposure of interest was a new prescription of a RASi within 30 days of hospital discharge. The active comparator was a new prescription of either a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide diuretic, also within 30 days of hospital discharge. The primary outcome of interest was the composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, and all-cause mortality during follow-up to 5 years. We used inverse probability weighting of a Cox proportional hazards model and reported results using hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results: The cohort included 7,174 adult sepsis survivors, of whom 3,805 were new users of a RASi and 3,369 were new users of a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide diuretic. New users of a RASi experienced a lower hazard of major cardiovascular events than new users of a calcium channel blocker or a thiazide diuretic (hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-0.99). This association was consistent across different follow-up intervals and multiple sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: A new RASi prescription is associated with a reduction in major cardiovascular events after sepsis. A randomized controlled trial should be considered to confirm this finding.
Questions of value, questions of magnitude: An exploration and application of methods for comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models

Mediation analysis is widely used to test and inform theory and debate about the mechanism(s) by which causal effects operate, quantitatively operationalized as an indirect effect in a mediation model. Most effects operate through multiple mechanisms simultaneously, and a mediation model is likely to be more realistic when it is specified to capture multiple mechanisms at the same time with the inclusion of more than one mediator in the model. This also allows an investigator to compare indirect effects to each other. After an overview of the mechanics of mediation analysis, we advocate formally comparing indirect effects in models that include more than one mediator, focusing on the important distinction between questions and claims about value (i.e., are two indirect effects the same number?) versus magnitude (i.e., are two indirect effects equidistant from zero or the same in strength?). After discussing the shortcomings of the conventional method for comparing two indirect effects in a multiple mediator model-which only answers a question about magnitude in some circumstances-we introduce several methods that, unlike the conventional approach, always answer questions about difference in magnitude. We illustrate the use of these methods and provide code that implements them in popular software. We end by summarizing simulation findings and recommending which method(s) to prefer when comparing like- and opposite-signed indirect effects.
A Conceptual Framework for Blockchain Enhanced Information Modeling for Healing and Therapeutic Design

In the face of the health challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, healing and therapeutic design (HTD) as interventions can help with improving people's health. It is considered to have great potential to promote health in the forms of art, architecture, landscape, space, and environment. However, there are insufficient design approaches to address the challenges during the HTD process. An increased number of studies have shown that emerging information modeling (IM) such as building information modeling (BIM), landscape information modeling (LIM), and city information modeling (CIM) coupled with blockchain (BC) functionalities have the potential to enhance designers' HTD by considering important design elements, namely design variables, design knowledge, and design decision. It can also address challenges during the design process, such as design changes, conflicts in design requirements, the lack of design evaluation tools and frameworks, and incomplete design information. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a conceptual BC enhanced IM for HTD (BC-HTD) framework that addresses the challenges in the HTD and promotes health and well-being. The structure of BC-HTD framework is twofold: (1) a conceptual high-level framework comprising three levels: user; system; and information, (2) a conceptual low-level framework of detailed content at the system level, which has been constructed using a mixed quantitative and qualitative method of literature analysis, and validated via a pre-interview questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with industry experts and academics. This paper analyzes the process of BC enhanced HTD and the knowledge management of HTD to aid design decisions in managing design information. This paper is the first attempt to apply the advantages of BC enabled IM to enhance the HTD process. The results of this study can foster and propel new research pathways and knowledge on the value of design in the form of non-fungible token (NFT) based on the extended advantages of BC in the field of design, which can fully mobilize the healing and therapeutic behaviors of designers and the advantage potential of HTD to promote health, and realize the vision of Health Metaverse in the context of sustainable development.
Area-efficient fully digital memory using minimum height standard cells for near-threshold voltage computing

This paper proposes a standard-cell based memory (SCM) as an alternative to a traditional on-chip SRAM for near-threshold voltage computing. It focuses on area- and energy-efficiency using minimum height standard-cells. Unlike conventional SCMs, the proposed SCM has standard-cells with a minimum possible cell height allowed by the logic design rule of the target technology. This paper also presents energy efficient readout and write schemes for reducing dynamic energy consumption. Post layout simulation using a 65-nm FD-SOI technology shows that the proposed SCM achieves area efficiency of 6.82 mu m(2) per bit (682F(2) per bit), which is 20% less than that of the state of the art SCMs. The results also show that the energy consumption of the proposed SCM is 31% less than that of the state of the art low voltage SRAMs.
Effectiveness of a low-cost UVGI chamber for decontaminating filtering facepiece respirators to extend reuse

In emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, the reuse or reprocessing of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) may be required to mitigate exposure risk. Research gap: Only a few studies evaluated decontamination effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 that are practical for low-resource settings. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a relatively inexpensive ultraviolet germicidal irradiation chamber to decontaminate FFRs contaminated with SARS-CoV-2. A custom-designed UVGI chamber was constructed to determine the ability to decontaminate seven FFR models including N95s, KN95, and FFP2s inoculated with SARS-CoV-2. Vflex was excluded due to design folds/pleats and UVGI shadowing inside the chamber. Structural and functional integrity tolerated by each FFR model on repeated decontamination cycles was assessed. Twenty-seven participants were fit-tested over 30 cycles for each model and passed if the fit factor was ≥100. Of the FFR models included for testing, only the KN95 model failed filtration. The 3M™ 3M 1860 and Halyard™ duckbill 46727 (formerly Kimberly Clark) models performed better on fit testing than other models for both pre-and-post decontaminations. Fewer participants (0.3 and 0.7%, respectively) passed fit testing for Makrite 9500 N95 and Greenline 5200 FFP2 and only two for the KN95 model post decontamination. Fit testing appeared to be more affected by donning & doffing, as some passed with adjustment and repeat fit testing. A ≥ 3 log reduction of SARS-CoV-2 was achieved for worn-in FFRs namely Greenline 5200 FFP2. Conclusion: The study showed that not all FFRs tested could withstand 30 cycles of UVGI decontamination without diminishing filtration efficiency or facial fit. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 log reduction varied across the FFRs, implying that the decontamination efficacy largely depends on the decontamination protocol and selection of FFRs. We demonstrated the effectiveness of a low-cost and scalable decontamination method for SARS-CoV-2 and the effect on fit testing using people instead of manikins. It is recognized that extensive experimental evidence for the reuse of decontaminated FFRs is lacking, and thus this study would be relevant and of interest in crisis-capacity settings, particularly in low-resource facilities.
Optimized Backlight Power Saving Algorithm Using Joint Power-PSNR Characteristics Among Multiple Frames

In this paper, an optimized backlight power saving algorithm using joint power-peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) characteristics among multiple frames is proposed. In existing state-of-the-art methods, the optimal decision for clipping point is made only with consideration of current frame, and the target frame PSNR are set the same for all frames. Therefore they have the same power-PSNR performance. In the proposed work, we show that better power-PSNR performance can be achieved by assigning different target frame PSNR for different frames. In the proposed algorithm, the decisions for clipping points associated with all frames are made at once. The inefficiency ratio of each clipping point is evaluated and put into the algorithm design. An optimization problem is formulated, and a solution-search procedure is proposed. Compared with state-of-the-art methods, the proposed work performs better in both aspects of power and PSNR; the BD-PSNR and the BD-Power of the proposed work against all other methods are better for every tested video; the BD-PSNR and the BD-Power can be as high as 19.80 dB on average, and the BD-Power can be as low as -26.25% on average.
Symptomatic Lymphocele Formation After Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Early Stage Cervical Cancer

In early stage cervical cancer, nodal status is the most important prognostic factor, and execution of retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy is currently an integral part of surgical therapy. Sentinel lymph node biopsy has been progressively incorporated with surgical therapy and could reduce morbidity. However, the current incidence of complications exclusively related to the procedure is unknown. We report on a 29-year-old woman affected by cervical cancer (Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique Stage 1b1), who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy in combination with radical vaginal trachelectomy, and who later developed a symptomatic pelvic lymphocele that required surgical therapy. Conservative procedures in the pelvic lymph nodes are not free of complications, especially with regard to the formation of symptomatic lymphoceles. This report brings to light an important discussion about the exact magnitude of the complications associated with the procedure.
An Event Detection Method for Social Networks Based on Evolution Fluctuations of Nodes

How can we discover and estimate major events in complex social networks? Event detection and evaluation in social networks provide an effective solution, which has become the critical basis for many real applications, such as crisis management and decision making. However, the existing methods ignore the difference of the evolution fluctuations of nodes. In order to further improve the accuracy of event detection, this paper proposes an event detection method for social networks based on node evolution fluctuations (NodeED). It contains a node similarity index algorithm (SimJudge) and a microevolution fluctuation detection algorithm (MicroFluc). The main work is as follows: 1) based on particle swarm optimization algorithm, SimJudge is proposed to apply the values of different similarity indexes to quantify the evolution fluctuations of nodes, and the optimal similarity index is determined for each node and 2) microFluc is proposed to integrate the evolution fluctuations of different nodes and quantify the impacts of events in the evolutions of social networks. The results of comparisons with state-of-the-art methods using extensive experiments show that NodeED improves the event detection accuracy and has more advantages to detect events in social networks than other state-of-the-art methods.