jimnoneill/paper-to-field-training huggingface dataset:
Combination of aortic stenosis and cardiac amyloidosis: where do we stand?

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Aortic stenosis and cardiac amyloidosis are two distinct disease processes that are associated with high mortality and have both been increasing in prevalence. While these two conditions occur independently of each other, owing to similar risk factors, overlap is not uncommon but often underappreciated. We herein review Combined Aortic Stenosis and Cardiac Amyloidosis (CASCA), a condition of increasing importance.

Key words:
Aortic stenosis; Cardiac amyloidosis; Diagnosis; Prognosis
SWIS: Self-Supervised Representation Learning for Writer Independent Offline Signature Verification

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

Writer independent offline signature verification is one of the most challenging tasks in pattern recognition as there is often a scarcity of training data. To handle such data scarcity problem, in this paper, we propose a novel self-supervised learning (SSL) framework for writer independent offline signature verification. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to utilize self-supervised setting for the signature verification task. The objective of self-supervised representation learning from the signature images is achieved by minimizing the cross-covariance between two random variables belonging to different feature directions and ensuring a positive cross-covariance between the random variables denoting the same feature direction. This ensures that the features are decorrelated linearly and the redundant information is discarded. Through experimental results on different data sets, we obtained encouraging results.
Genome-based identification and purification of bacteriocin Q13 against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Lactococcus lactis Q13

Field: Immunology and Microbiology (Life Sciences)

Abstract Objectives Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is widely acknowledged as a significant threat to food safety and human health. This research focused on the characteristics of bacteriocin Q13 produced by Lactococcus lactis Q13 isolated from the traditional Chinese fermented food hairy tofu. Materials and Methods The biosynthetic gene clusters of bacteriocins were identified through whole-genome sequencing of L. lactis Q13. The antibacterial activity of its cell-free supernatant was assessed against MRSA and other Gram-positive bacteria. Subsequently, bacteriocin Q13 was purified through ammonium sulfate precipitation, Sephadex G-50 gel filtration chromatography, and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Its molecular weight was determined via matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and structural features were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Stability of bacteriocin Q13 under various conditions (enzymes, organic solvents, surfactants, metal ions, UV exposure, NaCl concentration, and storage time and temperature) was evaluated. The antimicrobial mode of action was investigated via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results Bacteriocin Q13 exhibited a significant bacteriostatic effect against MRSA and a broad spectrum of Gram-positive bacteria. Its molecular weight was 19367.97 Da, with dominant secondary structures identified as β-turn and β-sheet. Bacteriocin Q13 demonstrated remarkable stability under different conditions. SEM analysis showed that bacteriocin Q13 was able to induce significant morphological changes in MRSA, including disruption of cellular morphology, impairment of membrane integrity, and leakage of cytoplasmic contents, revealing the bacteriostatic mechanism of bacteriocin Q13 against MRSA. Conclusions Bacteriocin Q13 from L. lactis Q13 exhibits considerable potential as a natural antimicrobial compound for controlling MRSA contamination in food products. These results lay a scientific foundation for the application of L. lactis Q13 and its bacteriocin in the food industry as potential probiotics and preservatives.
Cancer vaccines - where are we now? : review

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Chronic infection with viruses, bacteria or parasites, has long been recognised as a major causative factor in the initiation and/or promotion of the development of cancers worldwide. This has led to research in the areas of immunotherapy and prophylactic immunisation in an effort to reduce the world’s cancer burden. Cancer vaccines differ from other conventional methods of managing cancer such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy in that they initiate a process of activating the body’s own immune system. Research efforts have concentrated on two types of cancer vaccines namely:
• Prophylactic vaccines which prevent the development of a cancer and
• Therapeutic vaccines which are intended to treat an existing cancer

Research is ongoing in this field of medicine but over the last few years two prophylactic vaccines have become available. This article will explore the rationale behind treating and preventing cancers using vaccines and the products currently available.
Insect-Computer Hybrid Robot

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

An insect–computer hybrid robot, often referred to as a biological machine or an insect cyborg, is the fusion of a living insect platform and artificial microdevices, including stimulators, sensors, and computers. When compared with the artificial robots, a hybrid robot can be operated as an autonomous mobile machine with low energy consumption and hardware costs. A hybrid machine can verify various biological hypotheses, such as function determination, by stimulating a muscle or any other structure.
Risk factors for recurrence of borderline ovarian tumors in France: A multicenter retrospective study by the FRANCOGYN group

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Background: Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) although rare, have shown an increase in the incidence worldwide. Although the survival rate is high, the recurrence rate is estimated to be between 5% and 34%. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for recurrence of BOTs. Methods: This retrospective multicenter study included 493 patients treated surgically for BOT between January 2001 and December 2018. Results: Thirty-seven patients showed recurrence (group R, 7.5%), while 456 did not (group NR, 92.5%). With an average follow-up of 30.5 months (1-276), the overall recurrence rate was 7.5%. Recurrence rates for the BOT and invasive types were 5.7% (n=28) and 1.4% (n=7), respectively. The mean time to recurrence was 44.1 (3-251) months. Univariate analysis showed that age at diagnosis, type of surgical procedure, histological type, and FIGO stage were factors influencing recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors for recurrence of BOT were conservative treatment (OR=7 [95% CI 3.01-16.23]; p<0.05) and advanced FIGO stage (OR=5.86 [95% CI 2.21-15.5]; p<0.05). Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this multicenter study was one of the largest studies on the risk factors for BOT recurrence. Conservative treatment and advanced FIGO stage were identified as risk factors for BOT recurrence. These results reinforce the need for restaging of patients who did not have an optimal initial surgical staging so as not to avoid missing a tumor in the advanced stage. Referral to a surgical oncology center is suggested to optimize overall patient management.
RADIANT COOLING EFFECT OF CEILING SLIT CAPABLE OF BOTH DAYLIGHT HARVESTING AND SOLAR HEAT REMOVAL

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

In recent years, there is an increasing number of offices that harvest daylight actively for the well-being of occupants. However, if large windows are provided for the purpose of daylight harvesting, the amount of solar heat gain will increase, which will lead to deterioration in energy efficiency and indoor environment. The objective of this study is to verify the radiant cooling effect of the ceiling slit for satisfying both daylight harvesting and solar removal through field measurements. In this study, radiant cooling capacity of the ceiling slit and the indoor radiant environment were measured in the spring and summer.
The Harvest Coach Architecture: Embedding Deviation-Tolerance in a Harvest Logistic Solution

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

We introduce a deviation-tolerance software architecture, which is devised for a prototype of a cloud-based harvest operation optimisation system issuing harvest plans. The deviation-tolerance architecture adapts the fault tolerance notions originating in the area of systems engineering to the harvest domain and embeds them into the Vienna developed method (VDM) model at the core of our harvest logistics system prototype. The fault tolerance supervision/execution level architecture is framed under the notion of an “harvest coach” which diagnoses deviations to the planned operations using “harvest deviation monitors” and deploys a novel “plan” (controller) that mitigates the encountered “deviation” (fault). The architecture enabled the early start of field experiments of the harvest logistics system prototype, which lead to the validation/refutation of early design stage assumptions on the diverse system components behaviours and capabilities. For instance, we casually found discrepancies in the arithmetic precision of open-source libraries used in the conversion of vehicle positioning coordinates, we assessed the maturity of the frameworks used to develop the field user interfaces, and we calibrated the level of system-operator interactivity when deviations occurs. The obtained results indicate that the architecture may have a positive impact in the context of developing systems featuring intrinsic human-driven deviations which require mitigation.
Assessing emotional responses induced in virtual reality using a consumer EEG headset: A preliminary report

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

We report on a pilot study involving emotion elicitation in virtual reality (VR) and assessment of emotional responses with a consumer-grade EEG device. The stimulation used HTC Vive VR system showing pictures from NAPS database within a specifically designed virtual environment. The stimulation consisted of two distinct sequences with 10 pictures of happiness and 10 pictures of fear. Each picture was contained in a separate virtual room that the participants traveled through along a preset path. The estimation employed EMOTIV EPOC+ 14-channel EEG headset and a custom-developed application. The software wirelessly received EEG signals from alpha, beta low, beta high, gamma and theta bands, time-stamped them and dynamically stored in a relational database for subsequent analysis. Our preliminary results show that statistically significant correlations between valence and arousal ratings of pictures and EEG bands are present but highly personalized. Simultaneous correct placement of VR and EEG headsets is demanding and precise localization of electrodes is difficult. In fact, if emotion estimation is not strictly necessary we recommend using devices with fewer electrodes. Nevertheless, we found the EEG to be effective. By acknowledging its limitations, and using the headset in the correct context, experiments involving emotions may be significantly amended.
ChemInform Abstract: A Novel Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibitor with Analgesic and Antiinflammatory Activity.

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics (Life Sciences)

Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract of an article which was published elsewhere, please select a “Full Text” option. The original article is trackable via the “References” option.
Empirical orthogonal function analysis of sea surface temperature patterns in Delaware Bay

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences (Physical Sciences)

Empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) are used to study a time-series of IR images from the Delaware Bay region, to determine the dominant patterns of sea surface temperature (SST) variance. Thirty-two months of AVHRR imagery, from February 1992 to September 1994, were used in the study. The SST images were averaged into monthly means for the analysis. EOF analysis decomposed the time series into its component parts. For Delaware Bay, the seasonal solar heating cycle dominated the results, accounting for 95.3% of the total variance. Higher modes in this area are interpreted as the result of spring heating and fall cooling of shallow river and bay waters ahead of offshore waters. The EOF results provide independent satellite derived evidence for lateral variability in the circulation of the estuary, which had previously been found in in-situ studies. The lateral variability in the bay circulation is a result of Delaware Bay's drowned river valley bathymetry.
Diffusion and NCC combined image registration

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

Image registration is a process of transforming a data set from one coordinate system into another. There are two typical approaches for image registration: Feature point match based and Area similarity comparison based. The feature point match based approach, using points to establish the correspondence between two images, is relatively fast, but it involves feature extractions and parameter selection to create feature points. Feature extractions involve derivatives which are ill-posed problems and may lead to robustness issues. The area similarity comparison based approach compares intensity patterns using a correlation metric such as normalized cross correlation (NCC). Since it does not require feature extraction, is simple and not sensitive to noise. However its computational cost is high. Even when some fast techniques like FFT are used to reduce the computational cost, the implementation is still time consuming. In this paper, we propose a diffusion equation and normalized cross correlation (NCC) combined method to perform robust image registration with low computational cost. We first apply the diffusion equation to two images received from two sensors (or the same sensor) and allow these two images to evolve by this diffusion equation. Based on the characteristics of evolutions, we select a very small percentage of stable points in the first image and perform the normalized cross correlation to the second image at each transformation point. The highest NCC point provides the transformation parameters for registering these two images. This new method is resistant to noise since the evolution of the diffusion equation reduces noise and it chooses only stable points for the NCC computation. Furthermore, the new method is computationally efficient since only a small percentage of pixels involve in the transformation estimation. Finally, the experiments for video motion estimation and image registration are provided to demonstrate that the new method is able to estimate the registration transformation reliably in real time.
Spatial Evolution of Producer Service Sectors and Its Influencing Factors in Cities: A Case Study of Hangzhou, China

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

Producer service industries are an important feature in the current development of a metropolis. Researchers from different countries are increasingly concerned about location changes and the motives of producer service sectors in cities. Given the rapid development of producer service sectors in developing countries, this study examines changes in the distribution of producer service sectors over the past decade and factors influencing them in a case study using the city of Hangzhou in China. Results show that Hangzhou’s producer service sector is still mainly concentrated in the central business district (CBD). However, a distinct trend of diffusion to suburban areas was observed, which formed several secondary clusters on the periphery of the city. Locations of the CBD, sub-centers, and professional clusters of producer service sectors established by the government are the most important factors that affect the spatial distribution of producer service sectors. The main influencing factors for the spatial evolution of producer service sectors are: (1) the high development cost and residential suburbanization of the central areas of the city promote the development of producer service sectors toward the periphery; (2) city planning has guided the clustering of producer service sectors on the city’s CBD and secondary city centers; (3) city renewal has provided personalized and diversified development space for producer service sectors; (4) incentive policies introduced by the government, such as rentals, and taxes have enhanced the orderly aggregation of producer service sectors.
Pharmaceutical care on a patient with acute bacterial meningitis

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

A 50-year-old male patient with acute bacterial meningitis accompanied by septic shock was admitted into neurological intensive care unit (NICU). The patient was treated with several antibiotics before admission, but the infection was not well controlled. During the intensive care of the patient in NICU, clinical pharmacist participated in making therapeutic plan of anti-infection and suggested treating with norvancomycin plus adequate dosage of meropenem according to the guidelines of acute bacterial meningitis and the possible bacterial infection as well as creatinine clearance of the patient. Then the infection was controlled after 3 days. For prophylaxis of neurological sequelae, clinical pharmacist suggested simultaneous use of hydrocortisone after comparing the dosage, duration and withdrawl reaction of several available corticosteroids, and the patient passed through the dangerous period after 3 days. In addition, clinical pharmacist also designed a sequence of intravenous transfusion on the basis of physical and chemical properties of intravenous drugs to ensure the safety and efficacy of drug use.
An RF/microwave microfluidic sensor based on a 3D capacitive structure with a floating electrode for miniaturized dielectric spectroscopy

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

This paper reports on the design, fabrication and testing of a microfluidic sensor for a miniaturized measurement platform dedicated to dielectric spectroscopy at RF/microwave frequencies. The sensor employs a novel, three-dimensional, parallel-plate, capacitive sensing structure with a floating electrode integrated onto a PMMA microfluidic cap used for delivering the material-under-test (MUT) with a 9μL-sample volume. Requiring only an S 11 measurement and after a 6-point calibration, complex relative permittivity readings by the sensor in the frequency range of 14MHz to 6.5GHz agree very well with bulk-solution reference measurements conducted with an Agilent 85070E dielectric probe kit. Using ethanol and ethylene glycol as two different MUTs with the sensor, the rms errors in real and imaginary parts of the complex relative permittivity of ethanol over the full frequency range are 3.5% and 5.6%, respectively. The corresponding numbers for ethylene glycol are 5.4% and 4.5%, respectively.
Ignorance and bias in collective decision:Theory and experiments

Field: Decision Sciences (Social Sciences)

We consider a committee with common interests. Committee members do not know which of two alternatives is the best, but each member may acquire privately a costly signal before casting a vote under either majority or unanimity rule. In the lab, as predicted by Bayesian equilibrium, voters are more likely to acquire information under majority rule, and attempt to counter the bias built in favor of one alternative under unanimity rule. As opposed to Bayesian equilibrium predictions, however, some committee members vote for either alternative when uninformed. Moreover, uninformed voting is correlated with a lower disposition to acquire information. We show that an equilibrium model of subjective prior beliefs may account for this correlation, and provides a good fit for the observed patterns of behavior both in terms of rational ignorance and biases.
Regulation of Laboratory Genetic Testing

Field: Health Professions (Health Sciences)

Laboratory regulations provide rules to establish consistency and to evaluate performance. They also set out the qualifications and experience needed for laboratory staff to fulfill regulatory requirements and meet professional standards. Clinical genetic counselors play a significant role in determining which tests to offer patients, which laboratories to consider for testing, and which phenotypic information to provide to the clinical laboratory to improve the interpretation of test results. This chapter discusses laboratory regulations pertinent to the type of genetic testing offered and specimens received in the laboratory. The goal is to help the laboratory genetic counselor understand the regulatory oversight of genetic testing and the quality management of clinical laboratory operations.
An Improved Underwater Earphone

Field: Engineering (Physical Sciences)

Am inproved underwater earphone, insensitive to depth, has been developed following the theoretical approaches reported earlier [B. B. Bauer and E. L. Torick, “Calibration and Analysis of Underwater Earphones by Loudness Balance Method,”J. Acoust. Soc. Amer. 39, 35–39 (1966)]. This new transducer offers good efficiency and yields speech reproduction comparable to most air acoustic earphones. The earphone design provides tympanic, rather than bone-conduction sensing, thereby providing directional signal information to the listener. Pairs of these devices have been used successfully in a directional communication system for underwater swimmers. Threshold levels and some man-earphone equal loudness contours were obtained for this device.
Mitochondrial Redox Signaling and Oxidative Stress in Kidney Diseases

Field: Medicine (Health Sciences)

Mitochondria are essential organelles in physiology and kidney diseases, because they produce cellular energy required to perform their function. During mitochondrial metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced. ROS function as secondary messengers, inducing redox-sensitive post-translational modifications (PTM) in proteins and activating or deactivating different cell signaling pathways. However, in kidney diseases, ROS overproduction causes oxidative stress (OS), inducing mitochondrial dysfunction and altering its metabolism and dynamics. The latter processes are closely related to changes in the cell redox-sensitive signaling pathways, causing inflammation and apoptosis cell death. Although mitochondrial metabolism, ROS production, and OS have been studied in kidney diseases, the role of redox signaling pathways in mitochondria has not been addressed. This review focuses on altering the metabolism and dynamics of mitochondria through the dysregulation of redox-sensitive signaling pathways in kidney diseases.