Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stereotactic Radiosurgery with the CyberKnife for Pituitary Adenomas.

OBJECTIVE In recent years, CyberKnife has emerged as an important treatment modality in the management of pituitary adenomas. Treatment results after performing CyberKnife and the complications of this procedure are reviewed. METHODS Twenty-six patients with pituitary adenomas received stereotactic radiosurgery with the CyberKnife (CKRS). The follow-up periods ranged from 7 months to 47 months (mean+/-SD : 30+/-12.7 months). The patients consisted of 17 with non-functioning adenomas, 3 with prolactinomas and 6 with acromegaly. The change in the tumor volume, visual acuity, hormonal function, and complications by this therapy were analyzed in each case. RESULTS The tumor control rate was 92.3%. Hormonal function was improved in all of the 9 (100%) functioning adenomas. Hormonal normalization was observed in 4 of the 9 (44%) patients with a mean duration of 16 months. In two patients (7.6%), visual acuity worsened due to cystic enlargement of the tumor after CKRS. No other complications were observed. CONCLUSION CyberKnife is considered safe and effective in selected patients with pituitary adenomas. However, longer follow-up is required for a more complete assessment of late toxicity and treatment efficacy.
Initial investigation of a novel light-scattering gel phantom for evaluation of optical CT scanners for radiotherapy gel dosimetry

There is a need for stable gel materials for phantoms used to validate optical computerized tomography (CT) scanners used in conjunction with radiation-induced polymerizing gel dosimeters. Phantoms based on addition of light-absorbing dyes to gelatine to simulate gel dosimeters have been employed. However, to more accurately simulate polymerizing gels one requires phantoms that employ light-scattering colloidal suspensions added to the gel. In this paper, we present the initial results of using an optical CT scanner to evaluate a novel phantom in which radiation-exposed polymer gels are simulated by the addition of colloidal suspensions of varying turbidity. The phantom may be useful as a calibration transfer standard for polymer gel dosimeters. The tests reveal some phenomena peculiar to light-scattering gels that need to be taken into account when calibrating polymer gel dosimeters.
Preserving Fluid Sheets with Adaptively Sampled Anisotropic Particles

This paper presents a particle-based model for preserving fluid sheets of animated liquids with an adaptively sampled Fluid-Implicit-Particle (FLIP) method. In our method, we preserve fluid sheets by filling the breaking sheets with particle splitting in the thin regions, and by collapsing them in the deep water. To identify the critically thin parts, we compute the anisotropy of the particle neighborhoods, and use this information as a resampling criterion to reconstruct thin liquid surfaces. Unlike previous approaches, our method does not suffer from diffusive surfaces or complex remeshing operations, and robustly handles topology changes with the use of a meshless representation. We extend the underlying FLIP model with an anisotropic position correction to improve the particle spacing, and adaptive sampling to efficiently perform simulations of larger volumes. Due to the Lagrangian nature of our method, it can be easily implemented and efficiently parallelized. The results show that our method can produce visually complex liquid animations with thin structures and vivid motions.
Psychosocial Factors Associated with Longevity in the United States: Age Differences between the Old and Oldest-Old in the Health and Retirement Study

Recent growth in the number of adults surviving to advanced ages raises questions about the quality of life associated with increased longevity. Psychosocial factors have received relatively little attention in research on quality of life among the oldest-old. This study uses nationally representative data on older US adults to examine how social relationships, feelings of loneliness, and satisfaction with life and the aging experience differ between the oldest-old, those who have survived to age 90 or older, and older adults in their 70s. We find that the oldest-old are able to maintain social relationships with family and friends and receive more social support than younger elderly adults. Yet, the oldest-old are more likely to feel lonely due to their greater rates of widowhood. Satisfaction with life was higher among the oldest-old, but the oldest-old had more negative perceptions of the aging experience. Psychosocial dimensions of longevity should be considered in research on quality of life among the oldest-old.
IDENTIFYING COMPETENCIES OF VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS OF COMMUNITY SPORTS CLUBS

Second, the initials of the elements (or the volunteer board members) and the group (outstanding performing, average performing or poor performing volunteer board member) were written on blank cards. A card-sort exercise was performed to elicit bipolar constructs. Respondents were informed that the goal of the study was to identify competencies of volunteer board members. Respondents then, were asked to select at random three cards or three elements. This is called a triad. Respondents were asked to identify “any way in which any two of these elements (volunteer board members) are alike in some way, yet different from the third element (volunteer board member)”. Respondents had to take all elements in the triad into consideration. This leads to better differentiation of bipolar constructs (Hagans, Neimeyer, & Goodholm, 2000). An elicited bipolar construct, as for example “honest vs. liar”, is a competency that respondents used to differentiate between outstanding performing, average performing and poor performing volunteer board members. Triading was repeated until respondents did not mention new constructs. There is no minimum or maximum number of triads. According to Kelly (1955), a number of triads between 7 and 10 is most common. For more details on different RGT eliciting methods see Hagans et al. (2000) and Neimeyer, Bowman and Saferstein (2005)
An Empirical Study on the Determinants of Anxiety in Gift-Giving Behavior: An Expansion of Wooten's Model

Why so many givers become anxious in gift giving? Wooten (2000) provided an answer to the question by proposing a model of gifting anxiety. However, his model is lack of quantitative analysis to support its empirical adequacy. This study aims to expand Wooten's model with additional nine determinants of gifting anxiety and verify the expanded model by conducting quantitative analysis based on consumer surveys. The results show that givers' gifting anxiety arises when highly motivated to impress the recipient but doubt of success, which supports Wooten's hypotheses. The verified expanded model suggests that all additional determinants have significant effects on gifting anxiety.
Treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

孔の部f立で第1[枝の紳経切除を施行したところ揮痛発 緒 雷 作は消失したが, 6ヵ月徹頃より薄び落1南発1乍が現わ 三叉神経痛は症候ヒ1モと真{生とに区別さ’1し,我々が治 れ4千年罎には疹痛が増強してきた。 「司時に宥第IH枝 療対象としているものは,なんらの病因も見当らない の癒痛発作を訴えるようになつた。 策皿披の疹痛発作 灘三叉神繍である。 に対してば眼割しの部位でアル・一ルプ・ツクを行 三叉神経痛の治療法としては,1)内科的療法, なつた。 第II[枝に対しては卵円孔より頭藍骨外に出る 2)理学的療法,3)外科約1藪瀞があり,内科的療法 齢kでア・レ・=一ルヅ・ックを行なつた・1 }」F・6力服 では一般に鎮静剤123を用いているが効果は余り期 の現在疹痛発作セよ全くない。 衙腺ない。 タ圃的療法セ鳳夢襯11蜘酬徽と観血 鰍4は右第1枝及び第腋の舗辮で劉枝に 的療法とがある。 前聴は80%アルロ 一一ルないし純アル 対しては上眼繍孔の部偉で神経切除を行ない・第][枝 コールの注射療法で,末梢神経への濾射としては上下 に対しては下眼窩孔の部位でアル=・・一ルヅロツクを施 眼窩孔,願孔に行なうもの,正円孔,卵円孔で神経枝 行し瘍痛発作は完全に湖央した。 が頭龍から出てく翻位衛なうもの, 5L半琳際節 症例5は左第職及び第服の郷発作を訴えたの (G・ngli・・G.e・i)rc注射を行なうもの(H9・t・1・Nk で,剃枝醐しては下眼窩孔の部t’t「’で鞭購を行 法14)等がある。 後渚には,頭盗外手術と頭豊内手 ない,第皿枝に対しては卵円孔より頭蓋骨外に出る部 術等がある。 位でアル=一ルブロックを行なった。 6ヵ月後第班枝 我々は最近丸田外科教室において三叉神経蒲の9例 の再発を認めたが,他医により手術的治療を受けて綿 を取り扱ったので,その治僚経験について述べる。 癒したと曇う。 症例6,7,8,9の4例はいずれも第皿被のみの癩1 症例(表1) 彌発作で、卵円孔部において第1旺枝のアルロ 一一ルブPt 疲例工は左第皿枝及び第皿枝に疹痛発作を総め,第 ツクを施行したところ著効を奏し,癌痛発俘は全く消 五枝に対しては左下眼窩孔の部位で神経切除を行なつ 失したが,そのうち症例6は1年後に樗発したのでtl たが,効果が不充分であつたので,さらにH燦tel氏 再度同様の油射療法によつて現在治癒している。 法}こよる半月神経節のアルユールブロツクを施行し, 繍発作は全く消失した。 ・lti.1・ft法の副(株)とし 考按 て,散瞳,咬筋麻痺,眼瞼下垂,角膜炎等が現われた 我々の痕例はいずれも原因不明の翼性三叉神経痛で が澗もなく消失し19鞭の現在郷発作もなく元 あつて,丸酬科を訪れるまでに他の病院で薬物療 気に働いている。 法,或いは理学的療法を受けたり,抜鯛を受けたりし 症例2は右第1枝及び第職の齢発作で,上下眼 たが効果はなく,アル・一ルブ・ツ域は礪外神経 窩孔の部位で神経切除を施行したが効果は不充分であ 切除によつてはじめて治癒したものである。 ったので,さらにHblrte1氏法による単月神経節のア 従来三叉神経痛に対するアルコールブPツクとして ノレコーノレブロツクを施行したところ終痛発作は消失し はH駐rte1氏法がもつばら推奨されて来たが124.
Creativity and Education Futures: Learning in a Digital Age

The extent and rapidity of economic, social, technological, scientific, spiritual and environmental change means that children today grow up facing uncertainties and possibilities on an unprecedented scale. What kinds of education are appropriate when the possible futures that exist for children are so uncertain and so rapidly advancing? Where learning occurs in a Web 2.0 social environment as naturally as it does in the playground, playing field, front room or street? Where adults may continue to play and experiment far beyond their childhood in ways unimaginable even thirty years ago? Where creativity is increasingly both possible and expected of young people? Drawing on the ideas of 'wise creativity' and 'collective possibility thinking', this book explores the changing nature of society, childhood and youth and asks how education might need to change in response. How can education facilitate wise collective creativity which anticipates and constructs the future? This book discusses approaches to constructing imaginative educational futures which hear all voices, those of students, parents and professionals. Creativity and Education Futures will be of interest to those engaged in grappling with the messy and difficult task of transforming education, including those developing approaches to creative partnership.
Diastolic dysfunction, cardiopulmonary bypass, and atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common complication after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and utilization of healthcare resources. Diastolic dysfunction (DD) causes a range of changes in left atrial structure and function that may predispose patients to increased risk of AF. We hypothesized that patients with either new or worsened grade of DD after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) would have higher prevalence of AF after CABG surgery. The current study sought to determine an association between the dynamic changes in diastolic function during the perioperative period and postoperative AF in patients undergoing CABG surgery. METHODS A total of 109 patients undergoing elective CABG surgery were assessed for the presence of DD before and after CPB. All patients were monitored for the development of AF after surgery for the entire hospital stay. RESULTS DD was present in 89 (81%) and 91 (83%) patients before and after CPB. Thirty-four (31%) patients had either new or worsened grade of DD after CPB. Postoperative AF was present in 30 (27.5%) patients, including 15 (44%) patients with either new or worsened DD, and 15 (20%) patients with either unchanged or improved DD (P=0.009). Independent predictors of postoperative AF included age ≥65 yr [odds ratio (OR) 4.207, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.527, 11.588], and new or worsened DD (OR 4.145, 95% CI 1.519, 11.356). CONCLUSIONS New or worsened DD after CABG surgery is associated with an increased incidence of postoperative AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION http://www.clinicaltrials. gov; unique identifier NCT00188903.
Higher-Order Factor Structures and Intercorrelations of the 16pf5 and Firo-B

This study investigated the intercorrelations and the independent and combined factor structures of the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire Fifth Edition (16PF5) and the Fundamental Interpersonal Orientation-Behaviour Scale (FIRO-B). Four thousand four hundred and fourteen U.S. participants completed these measures as part of executive assessments between 1994 and 2003. Exploratory factor analyses supported the five-factor higher-order structure of the 16PF5; however, the three-component structure for the FIRO-B was not supported. A six-factor structure was found to underlie the variance in the measures in combination. Five of these were close to the 16PF5 higher-order structure, but a sixth factor labelled Social Independence also emerged. This new factor consisted of the 16PF5 primaries of Liveliness and Social Boldness, and the FIRO-B Wanted Control scale.
Simultaneous Model Selection and Optimization through Parameter-free Stochastic Learning

Stochastic gradient descent algorithms for training linear and kernel predictors are gaining more and more importance, thanks to their scalability. While various methods have been proposed to speed up their convergence, the model selection phase is often ignored. In fact, in theoretical works most of the time assumptions are made, for example, on the prior knowledge of the norm of the optimal solution, while in the practical world validation methods remain the only viable approach. In this paper, we propose a new kernel-based stochastic gradient descent algorithm that performs model selection while training, with no parameters to tune, nor any form of cross-validation. The algorithm builds on recent advancement in online learning theory for unconstrained settings, to estimate over time the right regularization in a data-dependent way. Optimal rates of convergence are proved under standard smoothness assumptions on the target function as well as preliminary empirical results.
Assignment of electrical vehicles to charging stations by a distributed approach

This paper presents a solution for the distributed dynamic assignment of a set of electric vehicles to a network of charging stations. The drivers of the vehicles send requests for the charging of their own vehicle; then they receive the location of the station to reach for the battery charging. The problem is solved using some distributed multi-agent assignment algorithms: the stations reach a consensus solving some local integer linear programming problems. Moreover, the convergence of the algorithms is proved and an example shows the efficiency of the proposed solution.
Implementing telemedicine services in northern Norway: Barriers and facilitators

summary Telemedicine is not simply a technology – it also involves processes. The use of telemedicine is influenced by many factors. Our intention was to examine what conditions promote the use of telemedicine between general practitioners (GPs) and hospitals. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with 16 GPs in northern Norway. The extent to which GPs were using the services was limited, although some used them fairly frequently. The most widely used service was teledermatology. The GPs saw advantages of the services in general and saw clear benefits for their patients. The services were considered to be time-consuming, and the lack of adequate government remuneration for the time involved in teleconsultations was seen as a barrier to their use. The GPs focused on their own ability to handle new technology and expressed a need to practise more.
Evolutionary Relationships of the Triatoma matogrossensis Subcomplex, the Endemic Triatoma in Central-Western Brazil, Based on Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

The phylogenetic relationships among species of Triatoma matogrossensis subcomplex ( T. baratai, T. guazu, T. matogrossensis, T. sordida, T. vandae, and T. williami) was addressed by using fragments of cytochrome oxidase I (COI), 16S rDNA (16S), and cytochrome b (Cytb) through Bayesian and parsimony analyses. We did not recover a monophyletic T. matogrossensis subcomplex, and their members were found clustered in three strongly supported clades, as follows: i) T. jurbergi + T. matogrossensis + T. vandae + T. garciabesi + T. sordida; ii) with T. guasayana as the sister group of clade (i); and iii) T. williami + T. guazu, however not closely related to the clade formed by the previously mentioned species. The other two endemic species from Central-Western Brazil, T. baratai and T. costalimai, were not recovered with strong clade support as related to other members of this subcomplex. Results call for a further revision in the classification of the subcomplexes within the genus Triatoma.
Status of Novel Cardiovascular Risk Factor and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in an Urban Cuban Population—A Pilot Study

Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in Cuba, yet the prevalence of novel risk factors is not known. To examine the prevalence of risk factors of traditional and novel cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) among an urban Cuban population, a cross-sectional pilot survey was undertaken in Havana city, Cuba. Ninety-seven adults aged 45-60 years registered to receive medical care at a policlinic. The prevalences of rates of CVD risk factors were: hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) (53.6%), hypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol >5.2 mmol/L) (47.0%), low high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (<1.03 mmol/L) (64.3%); diabetes (self-reported) (24.6%); metabolic syndrome (ATP III criteria) (58.2%); overweight and obesity (body mass index ≥25 kg/m2) (78.0%); current smoking (39.3%); elevated level of C-reactive protein (3 15 μmol/L) (11.1%). The total carotenoid status was independently associa-ted with waist-circumference and risk of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. In this small unrepresentative sample of people aged 40-65 years from Havana city, there was a high prevalence of traditional and novel CVD risk factors. The total serum carotenoid status appeared to be associated with an increased prevalence of CVD risk factors.
A Flexible Approach to Intrusion Alert Anonymization and Correlation

Intrusion alert data sets are critical for security research such as alert correlation. However, privacy concerns about the data sets from different data owners may prevent data sharing and investigation. It is always desirable and sometimes mandatory to anonymize sensitive data in alert sets before they are shared and analyzed. To address privacy concerns, in this paper we propose three schemes to flexibly perform alert anonymization. These schemes are closely related but can also be applied independently. In Scheme I, we generate artificial alerts and mix them with original alerts to help hide original attribute values. In Scheme II, we further map sensitive attributes to random values based on concept hierarchies. In Scheme III, we propose to partition an alert set into multiple subsets and apply Scheme II in each subset independently. To evaluate privacy protection and guide alert anonymization, we define local privacy and global privacy, and use entropy to compute their values. Though we emphasize alert anonymization techniques in this paper, to examine the utility of data, we further perform correlation analysis for anonymized data sets. We focus on estimating similarity values between anonymized attributes and building attack scenarios from anonymized data sets. Our experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of our techniques
Counting the Cost of Sentencing in North Carolina, 1980-2000

North Carolina's Fair Sentencing Act of 1979 emphasized the need to reduce sentence disparities. Because the statute lacked any enforcement mechanism, judges reverted to earlier practices within five years. In the Structured Sentencing Act of 1993, legislators put concerns about disparity to the side and concentrated on changing the state's prison use priorities. The new law lengthened prison terms for violent crimes and assigned more property offenders to nonprison sanctions. It also guided judicial choices among "intermediate" and "community" punishments for lesser crimes. Tight controls on judges made it possible to match corrections resources to sentencing practices. The intended effects took hold during the first five years. Judges imposed longer prison terms for violent crimes and sentenced a larger proportion of property felons to intermediate and community sanctions. The longer-term effects may prove more difficult to manage. Appellate judges have remained uninvolved in sentencing policy; no "common law" of sentencing is developing. Prosecutors are dismissing and discounting more charges while at the same time obtaining more serious felony convictions overall.
Early Adolescent Sex and Diminished School Attachment: Selection or Spillovers?

Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study examines the relationship between adolescent virginity and four measures of school attachment: out-of-school suspensions, unexcused absences from school, affinity for school, and preference to attend college. Ordinary least squares and school fixed effects estimates reflect that adolescents who engage in sexual activity are less likely to be attached to school than virgins. However, after controlling for unmeasured heterogeneity via individual fixed effects and instrumental variables, the evidence of a causal link is weaker, with modest adverse effects of early teen sex observed for the youngest teenagers. The results suggest that adverse educational spillovers of early teen sex are sensitive to controls for unobservables.
Moxalactam (LY127935) in treatment of meningitis due to gram-negative bacilli

Moxalactam (LY127935; 6059S), a new broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic, was used successfully with an aminoglycoside in a patient with Serratia marcescens meningitis complicating a neurosurgical procedure. With a bioassay method, peak and trough serum and cerebrospinal; fluid concentrations of moxalactam were determined during therapy. Mean peak and trough serum levels were 100.6 and 35.5 micrograms/ml, respectively. Corresponding mean peak and trough cerebrospinal fluid levels were 12.4 and 10.38 micrograms/ml. Cerebrospinal fluid levels of moxalactam exceeded the minimal bactericidal concentration for the infecting organism by more than 30-fold throughout therapy. No untoward effects of moxalactam were observed. Moxalactam may be a useful agent in the treatment of meningitis due to susceptible gram-negative bacilli.
Relaxed MHD states of a multiple region plasma

We calculate the stability of a multiple relaxation region MHD (MRXMHD) plasma, or stepped-Beltrami plasma, using both variational and tearing mode treatments. The configuration studied is a periodic cylinder. In the variational treatment, the problem reduces to an eigenvalue problem for the interface displacements. For the tearing mode treatment, analytic expressions for the tearing mode stability parameter Δ′, being the jump in the logarithmic derivative in the helical flux across the resonant surface, are found. The stability of these treatments is compared for m = 1 displacements of an illustrative reverse field pinch-like configuration, comprising two distinct plasma regions. For pressureless configurations, we find the marginal stability conclusions of each treatment to be identical, confirming the analytical results in the literature. The tearing mode treatment also resolves ideal MHD unstable solutions for which Δ′ → ∞: these correspond to displacement of a resonant interface. Wall stabilization scans resolve the internal and external ideal kink. Scans with increasing pressure are also performed: these indicate that both variational and tearing mode treatments have the same stability trends with β, and show destabilization in configurations with increasing core pressure. Combined, our results suggest that variational stability of MRXMHD configurations is sufficient for both ideal and tearing (Δ′ < 0) stability. Such configurations, and their stability properties, are of emerging importance in the quest to find mathematically rigorous solutions of ideal MHD force balance in 3D geometry.