Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early results of a trimodality treatment for superior sulcus tumors

Introduction Superior sulcus tumors are a unique form of lung cancer. Preoperative concurrent radio- and chemotherapy improves the results of treating these lung tumors. Aim The study aimed to assess the early results of a trimodality treatment for superior sulcus tumors. Material and methods Fifty-six superior sulcus tumors patients were operated on between 2006 and 2013. Data from 25 patients undergoing preoperative chemoradiotherapy were analyzed. Fifteen men and 10 women were treated (mean age: 59 years). All patients experienced pain in the pectoral girdle of the chest. Results Nineteen patients received preoperative chemoradiotherapy consisting of 2 chemotherapy cycles with cisplatin (a different number of cycles was administered in 6 cases) and irradiation at a mean dose of 51.2 Gy (30-60 Gy) in 25 fractions (25-30 fractions). All patients underwent upper lobectomy. Twenty-two patients underwent chest wall resection, whereas 3 patients underwent extrapleural excision of the infiltrate without rib resection. Stages IIB and IIIB were diagnosed in 15 and 10 patients, respectively. In 9 samples, no neoplastic features were found, 9 showed individual neoplastic lesions, and in 7 most tumor cells were necrotized. The R1 resection was noted in 2 patients. Mean hospitalization time was 13 days. No perioperative deaths were noted. Conclusions The trimodality treatment for superior sulcus tumors is a safe method. Perioperative mortality and the number of complications observed among patients treated with this method are similar to those observed in one-phase surgery. In over half of the patients, chemoradiotherapy resulted in complete or nearly complete remission of the neoplasm.
A Viscoelastic Model of Ice Stream Flow with Application to Stick-Slip Motion

Stick-slip motion such as that observed at Whillans Ice Stream, West Antarctica, is one example of transient forcing significantly affecting longer-term ice-stream dynamics. We develop and present a two-dimensional map-plane viscoelastic model of perturbations to ice-stream dynamics suitable for simulating and analyzing stick-slip behavior. Model results suggest important roles in stick-slip motion for both the elastic and viscous components of ice rheology, confirming and extending inferences drawn from simple models and observations. Elastic behavior depends on the rate of applied stress, at times allowing significant velocity perturbations with little change in accumulated stress perturbation; in contrast, viscous behavior depends on total accumulated stress and can lead to changes in ice-stream thickness over many stick-slip cycles.
Characterization of the interaction between protein Snu13p/15.5K and the Rsa1p/NUFIP factor and demonstration of its functional importance for snoRNP assembly

The yeast Snu13p protein and its 15.5K human homolog both bind U4 snRNA and box C/D snoRNAs. They also bind the Rsa1p/NUFIP assembly factor, proposed to scaffold immature snoRNPs and to recruit the Hsp90-R2TP chaperone complex. However, the nature of the Snu13p/15.5K–Rsa1p/NUFIP interaction and its exact role in snoRNP assembly remained to be elucidated. By using biophysical, molecular and imaging approaches, here, we identify residues needed for Snu13p/15.5K–Rsa1p/NUFIP interaction. By NMR structure determination and docking approaches, we built a 3D model of the Snup13p–Rsa1p interface, suggesting that residues R249, R246 and K250 in Rsa1p and E72 and D73 in Snu13p form a network of electrostatic interactions shielded from the solvent by hydrophobic residues from both proteins and that residue W253 of Rsa1p is inserted in a hydrophobic cavity of Snu13p. Individual mutations of residues in yeast demonstrate the functional importance of the predicted interactions for both cell growth and snoRNP formation. Using archaeal box C/D sRNP 3D structures as templates, the association of Snu13p with Rsa1p is predicted to be exclusive of interactions in active snoRNPs. Rsa1p and NUFIP may thus prevent premature activity of pre-snoRNPs, and their removal may be a key step for active snoRNP production.
Language, play and early literacy for deaf children: the role of parent input

ABSTRACT This paper reviews and synthesizes research into the ways in which parents support their child across three major developmental domains in early childhood: early language, play and early literacy. We show how these domains are linked to each other and suggest that there is some evidence that interventions in all of them will promote mutual development. Early interventions that focus on parent–child interactive experiences that are both routine and ‘exotic’ in nature are likely to be more powerful than practitioner-dominated interventions.
Studies of a sample of 6C radio galaxies at a redshift of 1 - I. Deep multifrequency radio observations

Deep radio observations at 5 and 8 GHz are presented of a complete sample of 11 radio galaxies with redshifts 0.85 < z < 1.5, selected from the 6C sample of Eales. The radio data, taken using the Very Large Array in A, B and C array configurations, provide a best angular resolution of 0.25 arcsec and reach an rms noise level of the order of 20 μ Jy. Radio spectral index, radio polarization, and rotation measure maps are also presented for each source, and the radio data are compared with K-band infrared images of the fields of these sources. Radio core candidates are detected in eight of the 11 sources. Nine of the 11 sources display deviations from ‘standard double radio source’ morphologies, with multiple hotspots in one or both lobes, or a hotspot withdrawn from the leading edge of the radio emission. At 8 GHz, the sources are typically polarized at the 5 to 15 per cent level. The mean rotation measures of the individual lobes are, in all but one case, less than 50 rad m-2, but strong asymmetries between the two lobes and steep gradients within some lobes indicate that the Faraday rotation does not have a Milky Way origin; rather, the distant 6C radio sources lie in a relatively dense clumpy environment. The sources are compared with the more radio powerful 3CR radio galaxies in the same redshift range, and with low-redshift radio galaxies. The ratio of core to extended radio flux is found to be almost independent of the linear size of a radio source and only weakly inversely correlated with the total radio source power. This latter result indicates that the high radio luminosity of the most powerful radio sources must originate in a powerful active nucleus, in contrast to the suggestion of some authors that such sources are so luminous only because confinement by a dense surrounding environment boosts the lobe fluxes. Environmental effects must play a secondary role.
Template-based hardware-software codesign for high-performance embedded numerical accelerators

Sophisticated algorithms for control, state estimation and equalization have tremendous potential to improve performance and create new capabilities in embedded and mobile systems. Traditional implementation approaches are not well suited for porting these algorithmic solutions into practical implementations within embedded system constraints. Most of the technical challenges arise from design approach that manipulates only one level in the design stack, thus being forced to conform to constraints imposed by other levels without question. In tightly constrained environments, like embedded and mobile systems, such approaches have a hard time efficiently delivering and delivering efficiency. In this work we offer a solution that cuts through all the design stack layers. We build flexible structures at the hardware, software and algorithm level, and approach the solution through design space exploration. To do this efficiently we use a template-based hardwaresoftware development flow. The main incentive for template use is, as in software development, to relax the generality vs. efficiency/performance type tradeoffs that appear in solutions striving to achieve run-time flexibility. As a form of static polymorphism, templates typically incur very little performance overhead once the design is instantiated, thus offering the possibility to defer many design decisions until later stages when more is known about the overall system design. However, simply including templates into design flow is not sufficient to result in benefits greater than some level of code reuse. In our work we propose using templates as flexible interfaces between various levels in the design stack. As such, template parameters become the common language that designers at different levels of design hierarchy can use to succinctly express their assumptions and ideas. Thus, it is of great benefit if template parameters map directly and intuitively into models at every level. To showcase the approach we implement a numerical accelerator for embedded Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm. While most of this work and design flow are quite general, their full power is realized in search for good solutions to a specific problem. This is best understood in direct comparison with recent works on embedded and high-speed MPC implementations. The controllers we generate outperform published works by a handsome margin in both speed and power consumption, while taking very little time to generate. Thesis Supervisor: Vladimir Stojanovic
A tough egg to crack: recreational boats as vectors for invasive goby eggs and transdisciplinary management approaches

Abstract Non‐native invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems are naturally rather isolated from one another. Nonetheless, invasive species often spread rapidly across water sheds. This spread is to a large extent realized by human activities that provide vectors. For example, recreational boats can carry invasive species propagules as “aquatic hitch‐hikers” within and across water sheds. We used invasive gobies in Switzerland as a case study to test the plausibility that recreational boats can serve as vectors for invasive fish and that fish eggs can serve as propagules. We found that the peak season of boat movements across Switzerland and the goby spawning season overlap temporally. It is thus plausible that goby eggs attached to boats, anchors, or gear may be transported across watersheds. In experimental trials, we found that goby eggs show resistance to physical removal (90 mN attachment strength of individual eggs) and stay attached if exposed to rapid water flow (2.8 m·s−1for 1 h). When exposing the eggs to air, we found that hatching success remained high (>95%) even after eggs had been out of water for up to 24 h. It is thus plausible that eggs survive pick up, within‐water and overland transport by boats. We complemented the experimental plausibility tests with a survey on how decision makers from inside and outside academia rate the feasibility of managing recreational boats as vectors. We found consensus that an installation of a preventive boat vector management is considered an effective and urgent measure. This study advances our understanding of the potential of recreational boats to serve as vectors for invasive vertebrate species and demonstrates that preventive management of recreational boats is considered feasible by relevant decision makers inside and outside academia.
Trends in Prevalence of Hypertension in Brazil: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Background The prevalence of hypertension in emerging nations was scarcely described to date. In Brazil, many population-based surveys evaluated the prevalence in cities throughout the country. However, there is no population-based nationwide study of prevalence of hypertension. In this study, we estimated the prevalence of hypertension for the country and analyzed the trends for the last three decades. Methods Cross-sectional and cohort studies conducted from 1980 to 2010 were independently identified by two reviewers, without language restriction, in the PubMed, Embase, LILACS, and Scielo electronic databases. Unpublished studies were identified in the Brazilian electronic database of theses and in annals of Cardiology congresses and meetings. In total, 40 studies were selected, comprising 122,018 individuals. Results Summary estimates of prevalence by the former WHO criteria (BP≥160/95 mmHg) in the 1980’s and 1990’s were 23.6% (95% CI 17.3–31.4%) and 19.6% (16.4–23.3%) respectively. The prevalence of hypertension by the JNC criteria (BP≥140/90 mmHg) in the 1980’s, 1990’s and 2000’s were 36.1% (95% CI 28.7–44.2%), 32.9% (29.9–36.0%), and 28.7% (26.2–31.4%), respectively (P<0.001). In the 2000’s, the pooled prevalence estimates of self-reported hypertension on telephone inquiries was 20.6% (19.0–22.4%), and of self-reported hypertension in home surveys was 25.2% (23.3–27.2%). Conclusions The prevalence of hypertension in Brazil seems to have diminished 6% in the last three decades, but it still is approximately 30%. Nationwide surveys by self-reporting by telephone interviews underestimate the real prevalence. Rates of blood pressure control decreased in the same period, corresponding currently to only one quarter of individuals with hypertension.
Enhanced Bio-Ethanol Production from Industrial Potato Waste by Statistical Medium Optimization

Industrial wastes are of great interest as a substrate in production of value-added products to reduce cost, while managing the waste economically and environmentally. Bio-ethanol production from industrial wastes has gained attention because of its abundance, availability, and rich carbon and nitrogen content. In this study, industrial potato waste was used as a carbon source and a medium was optimized for ethanol production by using statistical designs. The effect of various medium components on ethanol production was evaluated. Yeast extract, malt extract, and MgSO4·7H2O showed significantly positive effects, whereas KH2PO4 and CaCl2·2H2O had a significantly negative effect (p-value < 0.05). Using response surface methodology, a medium consisting of 40.4 g/L (dry basis) industrial waste potato, 50 g/L malt extract, and 4.84 g/L MgSO4·7H2O was found optimal and yielded 24.6 g/L ethanol at 30 °C, 150 rpm, and 48 h of fermentation. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that industrial potato waste can be used effectively to enhance bioethanol production.
Metrics and methodologies for measuring teaching quality in higher education: developing the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)

Abstract The creation of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) represents a significant development concerning the teaching mission of the university in the UK. This paper considers the background to, and the development of, the TEF. It explains the context from which the TEF emerged and unpacks a series of rationales which illustrate the need for, and the role of, the new framework. The TEF is presented as an instrument to fulfil a range of functions, including: a mechanism to determine tuition fee rises and inform student choices in a reconfigured higher education market; a means of updating the quality and regulatory regime; and a way of raising the esteem of teaching within the academy, and the importance institutions place on student education. The paper explains how the contested idea of “teaching excellence” is defined within the framework, and the metrics and methodology used to assess this. An overview of the submission process and results illustrates how the TEF works in practice. How the TEF embeds two agendas in higher education is discussed: the use of quantitative measures to capture and convey performance, and the role of the student as a consumer not just a learner. The paper concludes the TEF can be viewed as a multi-purpose evaluation tool, not merely designed by the imperatives of teaching excellence or quality assurance, but also by the need for a measure to provide market information to consumers and allocate fee increases to institutions, and this is reflected in its content and character.
Procedural repetition in task-based interaction among young EFL learners: Does it make a difference?

Interactive tasks are valuable tools for L2 learners and have long made their way into language lessons. Among the different task conditions, only few studies have dealt with procedural repetition, which consists of repeating the same task type with different contents and which is frequently used in schools. In this study we explore the effects of procedural repetition on the oral interactions of ten pairs of English learners (age 11) who had to repeat a task three times. Their negotiation strategies and general performance (accuracy, fluency and complexity) were analysed. Results show that, in the third repetition, the amount of confirmation checks and repetitions decreased significantly and accuracy timidly improved. All other aspects remained unaffected. The pedagogical implications of these results are also discussed.
Conflict, Culture, and Performance in Virtual Teams - Results from a Study in an MMOG

The relationship between different types of conflict and performance in virtual teams is still unclear. Therefore, this paper tries to shed light on the relationship between conflict and team performance as well as the moderating role of culture. Using survey and archival data of 1,683 virtual teams from 23 countries from a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG), this study’s findings show that task conflict is positively related to team performance while process conflict is negatively related to team performance. Furthermore, while collectivistic culture is positively related to performance, it also moderates the conflict-performance relationship. Whereas the team performance of collectivistic teams is highly affected by both types of conflict, team performance of individualistic teams is hardly affected by task conflict and almost not affected by process conflict. We provide a detailed discussion of our findings in the conclusion of the paper and highlight the implications for both research and practice.
DALI : An Untyped , CBV Functional Language Supporting First-Order Datatypes with Binders ( Summary * )

Writing (meta-)programs that manipulate other (object-) programs poses significant technical problems when the objectlanguage itself has a notion of binders and variable occurrences. Higher-order abstract syntax is a representation of object programs that has recently been the focus of several studies. This paper points out a number of limitations of using higher order syntax in a functional context, and argues that DALI, a language based on a simple and elegant proposal made by Dale Miller ten years ago can provide superior support for manipulating such object-languages. Miller's original proposal, however, did not provide any formal treatment. To fill this gap, we present both a big-step and a reduction semantics for DALI, and summarize the results of our extensive study of the semantics, including the rather involved proof of the soundness of the reduction semantics with respect to the big-step semantics. Because our formal development is carried out for the untyped version of the language, we hope it will serve as a solid basis for investigating type system(s) for DALI.
Mutual Fund Ratings and Performance Persistence

This paper studies the persistence of mutual fund performance. Academic research often focuses on fund returns, sometimes adjusted for style and market cap biases. Because fund rating systems play a central role in the asset management industry, we consider another approach in this paper. Using a Markov modeling of these ratings, we illustrate that the persistence of the performance is relatively poor with respect to the time horizon of investors. We show that two facts may explain these results. First, the rating system is not necessarily time-homogeneous. Second, the importance of style is crucial when comparing the ratings of mutual funds. However, we show that it is extremely difficult to characterize quantitatively the style of a mutual fund. We conclude that fund selection is more art than science, and that quantitative analysis must be combined with qualitative insight.
Galectin-9 is Involved in Immunosuppression Mediated by Human Bone Marrow-derived Clonal Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have immunomodulatory properties and can suppress exaggerated pro-inflammatory immune responses. Although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, a variety of soluble factors are known to contribute to MSC-mediated immunosuppression. However, functional redundancy in the immunosuppressive properties of MSCs indicates that other uncharacterized factors could be involved. Galectin-9, a member of the β-galactoside binding galectin family, has emerged as an important regulator of innate and adaptive immunity. We examined whether galectin-9 contributes to MSC-mediated immunosuppression. Galectin-9 was strongly induced and secreted from human MSCs upon stimulation with pro-inflammatory cytokines. An in vitro immunosuppression assay using a knockdown approach revealed that galectin-9-deficient MSCs do not exert immunosuppressive activity. We also provided evidence that galectin-9 may contribute to MSC-mediated immunosuppression by binding to its receptor, TIM-3, expressed on activated lymphocytes, leading to apoptotic cell death of activated lymphocytes. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that galectin-9 is involved in MSC-mediated immunosuppression and represents a potential therapeutic factor for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Revisiting Asynchronous Linear Solvers: Provable Convergence Rate through Randomization

Asynchronous methods for solving systems of linear equations have been researched since Chazan and Miranker's pioneering 1969 paper. The underlying idea of asynchronous methods is to avoid processor idle time by allowing the processors to continue to make progress even if not all progress made by other processors has been communicated to them. Historically, work on asynchronous methods for solving linear equations focused on proving convergence in the limit. Comparison of the asynchronous convergence rate with its synchronous counterpart and its scaling with the number of processors were seldom studied, and are still not well understood. Furthermore, the applicability of these methods was limited to restricted classes of matrices, such as diagonally dominant matrices. We propose a randomized shared-memory asynchronous method for general symmetric positive definite matrices. We rigorously analyze the convergence rate and prove that it is linear, and is close to that of the method's synchronous counterpart if the processor count is not excessive relative to the size and sparsity of the matrix. Our work presents a significant improvement in convergence analysis as well as in the applicability of asynchronous linear solvers, and suggests randomization as a key paradigm to serve as a foundation for asynchronous methods.
Loss of Mitochondrial Fission Depletes Axonal Mitochondria in Midbrain Dopamine Neurons

Disruptions in mitochondrial dynamics may contribute to the selective degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, little is known about the normal functions of mitochondrial dynamics in these neurons, especially in axons where degeneration begins, and this makes it difficult to understand the disease process. To study one aspect of mitochondrial dynamics—mitochondrial fission—in mouse DA neurons, we deleted the central fission protein dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). Drp1 loss rapidly eliminates the DA terminals in the caudate–putamen and causes cell bodies in the midbrain to degenerate and lose α-synuclein. Without Drp1, mitochondrial mass dramatically decreases, especially in axons, where the mitochondrial movement becomes uncoordinated. However, in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a subset of midbrain DA neurons characterized by small hyperpolarization-activated cation currents (Ih) is spared, despite near complete loss of their axonal mitochondria. Drp1 is thus critical for targeting mitochondria to the nerve terminal, and a disruption in mitochondrial fission can contribute to the preferential death of nigrostriatal DA neurons.