SkillBot: Towards Data Augmentation using Transformer language model and linguistic evaluation

Creating accurate, closed-domain, and machine learning-based chatbots that perform language understanding (intent prediction/detection) and language generation (response generation) requires significant datasets derived from specific knowledge domains. The common challenge in developing a closed-domain chatbot application is the lack of a comprehensive dataset. Such scarcity of the dataset can be complemented by augmenting the dataset with the use of state- of-the-art technologies existing in the field of Natural Language Processing, called ‘Transformer Models’. Our applied computing project experimented with a ‘Generative Pre-trained Transformer’ model, a unidirectional transformer decoder model for augmenting an original dataset limited in size and manually authored. This model uses unidirectional contextual representation i.e., text input is processed from left to right while computing embeddings corresponding to the input sentences. The primary goal of the project was to leverage the potential of a pre-trained transformer-based language model in augmenting an existing, but limited dataset. Additionally, the idea for using the model for text generation and appending the generated embedding to the input embedding supplied was to preserve the intent for the augmented utterances as well as to find a different form of expressions for the same intent which could be expressed by the potential users in the future. Our experiment showed improved performance for understanding language and generation for the chatbot model trained on the augmented dataset indicating that a pre-trained language model can be beneficial for the effective working of natural language-based applications such as a chatbot model trained on the augmented dataset indicating that a pre-trained language model can be beneficial for the effective working of natural language-based applications such as a chatbo

Impact of Educational Intervention Measures on Knowledge regarding HIV/ Occupational Exposure and Post Exposure Prophylaxis among Final Year Nursing Students of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India

Amongst the different Health Care Personnel nurses are at a greater risk of being accidentally exposed to HIV and other Blood Borne Pathogens. The present study was conducted among 50 final year nursing students of a Medical College Hospital to assess the knowledge regarding HIV, occupational exposure and Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) among the students and analyses the impact of educational intervention measures on the issues amongst the study subjects. A Pre-designed and Pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the level of knowledge before and after educational intervention sessions. Knowledge regarding risk of transmission of HIV by needle-stick injury and body fluids against which universal precautions were mandatory increased by 72% following the intervention sessions (χ2 = 53.202, p <0.001). 72% and 36% respondents correctly knew the duration within which to start PEP and the drugs available for PEP, post educational sessions 98% and 96% students were aware of it: the difference being statistically significant (χ2 = 11.294, p <0.001) and (χ2 = 37.748, p <0.001) respectively. The mean pre-intervention score was 8.32; mean post-intervention score was 14.40: statistical analysis showed the results to be significant (t= 13.857, p< 0.001). The study reflects that there is a dearth of knowledge among the study group. Incorporating the concerned issues in the academic curriculum to provide the students with adequate knowledge and information during their formative years is needed

Clinical Evaluation of self and professionally applied desensitizing agents in relieving dentin hypersensitivity after a single topical application: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of self and professionally applied desensitizing agents in relieving dentinal hypersensitivity after single direct topical application. Study Design: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted among 57 patients. 8% Arginine paste was self- applied by the subject and Gluma desensitizer was applied by investigator. Numeric rating scale was used to mea - sure hypersensitivity after tactile stimulus, Schiff scale was used for cold and air blast stimuli respectively. Scores were recorded at baseline, immediately, 15 and 30 days after the application. Friedman, Wilcoxon test as post hoc was used to analyze within group differences, between group differences analyzed using Mann Whitney U test ( P <0.05 considered significant). Results: 8% Arginine paste elicited significantly higher reductions in sensitivity ( P <0.05) than that of Gluma group at all follow ups. There was a significant decrease in hypersensitivity for both the groups from baseline till final follow-up ( P <0.05) for all three stimuli. 8% Arginine paste was found to be more effective than Gluma desensitizer in providing immediate relief from dentine hypersensitivity and also sustained the effect significantly for a period of 30 days. Conclusions: Self applied 8% Arginine paste is effective than professionally applied Gluma desensitizer in relie - ving dentinal hypersensitivity immediately and over a period of one month

Enhanced Removal Efficiency of Arsenic and Copper from Aqueous Solution Using Activated Acorus calamus Based Adsorbent

Water security, due to heavy metal pollution in water resources, has become a serious problem in modern urbanized society. Plants with a good source of cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, etc., are the most promising adsorbents for the removal of heavy metals from water. In this work, for the first time, a low-cost local plant named Acorus calamus (AC; flag root or sweet flag) and citric acid modified AC root powder (CAMAC) were used as potential adsorbents. The samples were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, and the sorption properties were investigated by different parameters, such as solution pH, batch kinetic study, batch isotherm, effect of adsorbent dose, effect of initial concentration, and effect of contact time. The results of ACRP on removal efficiency of copper (II) and arsenic (III) in an aqueous solution showed an excellent adsorption behavior (~ 80 % adsorption efficiency). This study opens up an easy and economical method for the decontamination of harsh polluting metal ions from water. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Knowledge and practices of general surgeons and residents regarding spilled gallstones lost during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a cross sectional survey

BACKGROUND: Gall bladder perforation, gallstone spillage and loss are commonly reported from Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC). Though rare, lost gallstones can cause a variety of complications presenting variably from within 1 month to 20 years postoperatively. Our objective was to investigate knowledge and practices of surgeons and surgical residents regarding spilled gallstones lost during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: An observational, cross-sectional survey, using a questionnaire based on 13 self-answered close-ended questions, was conducted at 6 different post-graduate centers in Karachi, Pakistan. RESULTS: Of the 82 participants, 23 (28%) were consultant surgeons while 59 (72%) were general surgery residents. 86% of participants were aware that stones lost during LC can cause complications. Out of the 18 reported complications presented, only 20% participants identified more than 8 complications for which they can consider lost gallstones causal. 28% of participants weren’t aware about the expected postoperative duration for presentation of complications. Only 15% of our participants expected complications beyond 5 years of the procedure. 72% of participants will not convert to open cholecystectomy to retrieve lost gallstones. While 88% of participants agreed that lost gallstones should be documented in operative notes, only 70% reported that it’s actually done in practice. 55% of participants agreed to have possibility of lost gallstones as part of the informed consent but in practice it’s included according to only 31% of participants. 68% of participants believe that patients should be informed if gallstones are lost but in actual practice only 41% participants inform patients when gallstones are lost during procedure. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that there is a dearth of awareness regarding diversity of complications from lost gallstones and about their variable postoperative duration of presentation. The practices involving lost gallstones management, documentation and patient information were found to vary widely. Proper awareness is imperative as it may compel surgeons to undertake all possible measures to retrieve spilled gallstones and progress towards better and standardized practices in managing lost gallstones

Human P450 CYP17A1: Control of Substrate Preference by Asparagine 202

CYP17A1 is a key steroidogenic enzyme known to conduct several distinct chemical transformations on multiple substrates. In its hydroxylase activity, this enzyme adds a hydroxyl group at the 17α position of both pregnenolone and progesterone at approximately equal rates. However, the subsequent 17,20 carbon–carbon scission reaction displays variable substrate specificity in the numerous CYP17A1 isozymes operating in vertebrates, manifesting as different Kd and kcat values when presented with 17α-hydroxypregnenlone (OHPREG) versus 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (OHPROG). Here we show that the identity of the residue at position 202 in human CYP17A1, thought to form a hydrogen bond with the A-ring alcohol substituent on the pregnene- nucleus, is a key driver of this enzyme’s native preference for OHPREG. Replacement of asparagine 202 with serine completely reverses the preference of CYP17A1, more than doubling the rate of turnover of the OHPROG to androstenedione reaction and substantially decreasing the rate of formation of dehydroepiandrosterone from OHPREG. In a series of resonance Raman experiments, it was observed that, in contrast with the case for the wild-type protein, in the mutant the 17α alcohol of OHPROG tends to form a H-bond with the proximal rather than terminal oxygen of the oxy–ferrous complex. When OHPREG was a substrate, the mutant enzyme was found to have a H-bonding interaction with the proximal oxygen that is substantially weaker than that of the wild type. These results demonstrate that a single-point mutation in the active site pocket of CYP17A1, even when far from the heme, has profound effects on steroidogenic selectivity in androgen biosynthesis