Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative Efficacy of Interventional Therapies for Early-stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma

AbstractThere are several interventional therapies that improve the prognosis and increase the survival rate of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (early-stage HCC), but it is uncertain about whether one is superior to others, and available researches investigating the comparative effects of different treatments are limited. The main objective of this Bayesian network meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy of these different treatment strategies for early-stage HCC and rank these interventions for practical consideration.We performed an electronic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, and extracted data from randomized controlled trials that compared different interventional therapies for early-stage HCC. Direct comparison and network meta-analyses were conducted with Aggregate Data Drug Information System software. Consistency models were created to determine whether there was a significant difference between any 2 therapies, and cumulative probability was used to rank different treatments.Twenty-one randomized controlled trials involving 2691 patients were included. In our network meta-analysis, the combination therapy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was associated with better 1-year survival rate, as compared with hepatic resection alone (P < 0.05, odds ratio [OR] 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06–0.83), percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) alone (P < 0.05, OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.03–0.45), and RFA alone (P < 0.05, OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07–0.70). TACE + RFA had a higher 3-year survival rate than PEI alone (P < 0.05, OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.15–0.72) and RFA alone (P < 0.05, OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.24–0.87). And there was a statistical difference between RFA + PEI and PEI alone (P < 0.05, OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.12–0.93) for 3-year survival rate. The results of rank test and cumulative probability showed that TACE + RFA ranked highest on the evaluation of 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rate.Based on Bayesian network meta-analysis combining direct and indirect comparisons, the combination therapy of TACE and RFA seemed to be the most effective strategy for early-stage HCC.
Seeding Enquiry-Based Learning in Electrical and Electronic Engineering: Case Study 2 - Robotics

Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) was developed in the third-year module Robotics. Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is an instance of EBL, where the students' enquiry into a topic is triggered by an i nitial scenario. A PBL scenario was introduced towards the end of this module, where the students are asked to act as consultants engaged in a systems integration activi ty for a selected industrial automation process. The scenari o requires the selection and integration of automated material handling components, including conveyer belts, robots and sensors. Being at the end of the module, this activity provides an opportunity for the integratio n of earlier module content into the activity, as well a s the finding, analysis and synthesis of new information. Key decisions in the design of the scenario, considerat ion of the learning environment and the form of assessment are described, emphasising flexibility in approach and sensitivity to the context of this development. This development is in the second year of its deliv ery. The results of an integrative evaluation, drawing o n questionnaires, participant observation and student focus groups, will be presented. The experiences and crea tivity of the groups of students who have worked through this scenario will be presented, highlighting the impact of internal and external factors.
Oral potentially malignant disorders among dental patients: a pilot study in Jordan.

BACKGROUND To determine the prevalence, types, and risk factors of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) among a group of Arab Jordanian dental patients, and to evaluate their awareness and attitudes toward early diagnosis and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 1,041 patients attending a University Hospital for dental care were examined for the presence of OPMDs. Histopathological examination was performed on all cases clinically diagnosed and patients were directly interviewed to evaluate their knowledge and attitudes toward early detection and treatment of oral cancer. RESULTS The prevalence of OPMDs overall was 2.8%. Lichen planus/lichenoid lesions were the most common lesions (1.8%) followed by leukoplakias (0.48%), chronic hyperplastic candidiosis (0.38%), and erythroplakia (0.096%). Smoking, alcohol, and age (>40 years) were the main identifiable risk factors. Patients with OPMDs displayed a general lack of awareness and negative attitudes towards early diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS OPMDs among Arab dental patients are relatively uncommon and awareness about oral cancer among Jordanian dental patients is low. Interventions to improve public knowledge about oral cancer and attitudes toward early diagnosis and treatment are urgently indicated.
On the Dynamical Foundations of α Disks

The dynamical foundations of α disk models are described. At the heart of the viscous formalism of accretion disk models are correlations in the fluctuating components of the disk velocity, magnetic field, and gravitational potential. We relate these correlations to the large-scale mean flow dynamics used in phenomenological viscous disk models. MHD turbulence readily lends itself to the α formalism, but transport by self-gravity does not. Nonlocal transport is an intrinsic property of turbulent self-gravitating disks, which in general cannot be captured by an α model. Local energy dissipation and α-like behavior can be reestablished if the pattern speeds associated with the amplitudes of an azimuthal Fourier decomposition of the turbulence are everywhere close to the local rotation frequency. In this situation, global wave transport must be absent. Shearing box simulations, which employ boundary conditions forcing local behavior, are probably not an adequate tool for modeling the behavior of self-gravitating disks. As a matter of principle, it is possible that disks that hover near the edge of gravitational stability may behave in accord with a local α model, but global simulations performed to date suggest matters are not this simple.
New information-estimation results for poisson, binomial and negative binomial models

In recent years, a number of mathematical relationships have been established between information measures and estimation measures for various models, including Gaussian, Poisson and binomial models. In this paper, it is shown that the second derivative of the input-output mutual information with respect to the input scaling can be expressed as the expectation of a certain Bregman divergence pertaining to the conditional expectations of the input and the input power. This result is similar to that found for the Gaussian model where the Bregman divergence therein is the square distance. In addition, the Poisson, binomial and negative binomial models are shown to be similar in the small scaling regime in the sense that the derivative of the mutual information and the derivative of the relative entropy converge to the same value.
Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Regulates Angiogenesis by Modulating Integrin Signal Transduction

ABSTRACT The transmembrane peptidase prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is universally upregulated in the vasculature of solid tumors, but its functional role in tumor angiogenesis has not been investigated. Here we show that angiogenesis is severely impaired in PSMA-null animals and that this angiogenic defect occurs at the level of endothelial cell invasion through the extracellular matrix barrier. Because proteolytic degradation of the extracellular matrix is a critical component of endothelial invasion in angiogenesis, it is logical to assume that PSMA participates in matrix degradation. However, we demonstrate a novel and more complex role for PSMA in angiogenesis, where it is a principal component of a regulatory loop that is tightly modulating laminin-specific integrin signaling and GTPase-dependent, p21-activated kinase 1 (PAK-1) activity. We show that PSMA inhibition, knockdown, or deficiency decreases endothelial cell invasion in vitro via integrin and PAK, thus abrogating angiogenesis. Interestingly, the neutralization of β1 or the inactivation of PAK increases PSMA activity, suggesting that they negatively regulate PSMA. This negative regulation is mediated by the cytoskeleton as the disruption of interactions between the PSMA cytoplasmic tail and the anchor protein filamin A decreases PSMA activity, integrin function, and PAK activation. Finally, the inhibition of PAK activation enhances the PSMA/filamin A interaction and, thus, boosts PSMA activity. These data imply that PSMA participates in an autoregulatory loop, wherein active PSMA facilitates integrin signaling and PAK activation, leading to both productive invasion and downregulation of integrin β1 signaling via reduced PSMA activity. Therefore, we have identified a novel role for PSMA as a true molecular interface, integrating both extracellular and intracellular signals during angiogenesis.
Liveness in Notation Use: From Music to Programming

In this paper we draw an analogy between musical systems and programming environments, concentrating on user experience associated with feedback and its implications for flow. We present a number of different analytical frames all of which, we suggest, influence the nature of this feedback and with it, the user experience. We introduce a new diagrammatic analysis format, and use it to explore the kinds of feedback loop present in musical systems, what such systems might teach us in the analytical description of programming languages, and vice versa
Dynamic RPL for multi-hop routing in IoT applications

The Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) has become the standard routing protocol for the Internet of Things (IoT). This paper investigates the use of RPL in dynamic networks and presents an enhanced RPL for different applications with dynamic mobility and diverse network requirements. This implementation of RPL is designed with a new dynamic Objective-Function (D-OF) to improve the Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), end-to-end delay and energy consumption while maintaining low packet overhead and loop-avoidance. We propose a controlled reverse-trickle timer based on received signal strength identification (RSSI) readings to maintain high responsiveness with minimum overhead and consult the objective function when a movement or an inconsistency is detected to help nodes make an informed decision. Simulations are done using Cooja with random waypoint mobility scenario for healthcare applications considering multi-hop routing. The results show that the proposed dynamic RPL (D-RPL) adapts to the nodes mobility and has a higher PDR, slightly lower end-to-end delay and reasonable energy consumption compared to related existing protocols.
Training Teachers to Facilitate Early Identification of Mental and Behavioral Health Risks

Abstract Universal screening has been proposed as a method for effectively and efficiently identifying students at risk for mental health concerns. As with traditional rating scales, screeners have historically been used in the absence of any user training. Recent research suggests, however, that systematic training can be used to enhance the psychometric defensibility of teacher rating data. Thus, the present investigation evaluated the effectiveness of a pilot teacher training intervention on improving identification of students with behavioral or emotional concerns. A total of 91 teachers (57 training, 34 control) participated in the study. Participants in the training group received information on the utility of universal screening and were provided with information regarding mental and behavioral risk in schools. Videos depicting examples of problem behaviors and student concerns were also provided, and trainees were given the opportunity to practice rating videos with performance feedback. Following training, teachers completed the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) for their 1,158 students in four urban elementary schools. Teachers also completed measures of perceived assessment usability and willingness and efficacy to engage in universal screening. Finally, schools provided extant data regarding each student's academic and behavioral functioning (e.g., benchmark assessments, suspensions, and disciplinary referrals). Structural equation modeling and moderation analyses indicated a stronger relationship between SAEBRS fall risk and end-of-year behavioral outcomes in the trained group, and this relationship was moderated by assessment acceptability. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
A New Method for Enterprise Architecture Assessment and Decision-Making about Improvement or Redesign

In the process of Enterprise Architecture Planning, the “As-Is” architecture is considered as baseline architecture, and target-architecture is designed on its basis. However, in some enterprises, particularly in developing countries, “as-is” architecture is not a suitable basis for creating target architecture. One method of improvement and correction of organizational architecture is using enterprise architecture maturity. In such cases, improvement efforts will not only fail to improve the procedures, but also consume time and financial and human resources of the organization. That is why it is recommended to redesign the organizational architecture instead of organizational architecture improvement. In this paper, multifactor systems are used to provide a practical method for assessment of any given organization and making accurate decisions on improvement or redesign of its architecture based on missions, goals and restrictions of the organization. With the use of this method, the enterprise architectures can be assessed and an accurate decision about development of the enterprises can be made based on its mission.
Thermal X-Ray Iron Line Emission from the Galactic Center Black Hole Sagittarius A*

We model thermal X-ray emission from the accreting supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* at the Galactic center. For the region inside 1. ″5 of the center, we use a generalized radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF) model, and for the region out to 10'' we use published models of the ambient hot gas. We calculate the equivalent widths of hydrogen-like and helium-like emission lines of various elements, notably iron. We predict that a strong helium-like iron line with an equivalent width ~1 keV should be emitted by both the external medium and the RIAF. The equivalent width in the external medium is sensitive to the metallicity Z of the gas as well as the mean temperature. For reasonable choices of these parameters, the calculated results agree with Chandra's detection of an iron line with an equivalent width of 1.3 keV within 10''. The emission from within 1. ″5 is not sensitive to the external temperature, but is sensitive to the density and, especially, temperature profile inside the Bondi radius. For the range of profiles we consider, we calculate the equivalent width of the iron line to be ~0.6-1.5(Z/Z☉) keV, where Z☉ is the solar metallicity. We present a new Chandra spectrum of the quiescent emission within 1. ″5 of Sgr A*. The measured equivalent width of the iron line is 0.7 keV. Although this measurement has a large uncertainty, it is consistent with our predictions, provided the metallicity of the gas is approximately solar.
Does Experience Matter? Innovations and the Productivity of ICT in German Services

In this paper, it is argued that ICT investment is closely linked with complementary innovations and most productive in firms with innovative experience. In an analysis based on firm–level panel data covering the period 1994–99, system GMM estimates for an extended production function framework reveal significant productivity effects of ICT in the German service sector. Moreover, there is strong support for the hypothesis that the experience gained from past process innovations is a specific feature that makes ICT investment more productive. The results suggest that ICT may have been contributing to productivity differentials between firms.
Action Potential Backpropagation and Multiglomerular Signaling in the Rat Vomeronasal System

In the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), sensory neurons expressing a given vomeronasal receptor (VR) gene send divergent projections to many glomeruli, and second-order neurons (mitral cells) link to multiple glomeruli via branched primary dendrites. We used calcium imaging and paired somadendritic patch-clamp recording to track backpropagated action potentials (APs) in rat AOB primary dendrites. In cells loaded with 150 μm Calcium Orange, somatic spikes elicited fluorescence transients over the entire primary dendritic tree, and the relative fluorescence increment ΔF/F0 increased along all branches from soma to glomeruli. Backpropagation was reliant on Na+ channels: in 1 μm TTX, somatic AP commands evoked dendritic Ca2+ transients that declined steeply with distance. In paired soma- dendritic whole-cell recordings, backpropagated APs were unattenuated up to ∼200 μm from the soma, whereas subthreshold voltage transients decayed markedly. Computational modeling indicated that the large distal Ca2+ transients are consistent with active, not passive, backpropagation. Genetic tracing in the AOB has suggested homotypic connectivity with individual mitral cell dendritic arbors projecting only to glomeruli targeted by sensory neurons expressing the same VR gene. Non-decremental, non-dichotomous backpropagation in AOB primary dendrites ensures fast, reliable communication between mitral cells and their homotypic glomeruli, binding them into functional modules in accordance with their VR-coded inputs.
Quantum Dots for Live Cells, in Vivo Imaging, and Diagnostics

Research on fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals (also known as quantum dots or qdots) has evolved over the past two decades from electronic materials science to biological applications. We review current approaches to the synthesis, solubilization, and functionalization of qdots and their applications to cell and animal biology. Recent examples of their experimental use include the observation of diffusion of individual glycine receptors in living neurons and the identification of lymph nodes in live animals by near-infrared emission during surgery. The new generations of qdots have far-reaching potential for the study of intracellular processes at the single-molecule level, high-resolution cellular imaging, long-term in vivo observation of cell trafficking, tumor targeting, and diagnostics.
Gender differences in music search behaviour on social Q&A sites: A case study on Zhihu

In spite of ample studies on music information behaviour, little is known on how music search behaviour is performed on social question and answer (social Q&A) sites by considering gender differences. Based on a collection of 12,331 music questions collected from Zhihu, the study adopted a mixed research methodology and performed both quantitative analysis and qualitative content analysis to explore gender differences in music search behaviour on social Q&A sites. The results show that males are associated with more questions, answers and followers than females. Males asked question on social Q&A sites mainly for seeking ready reference, whereas females often asked question to promote a discussion. When formulating questions, females tend to use second pronouns and interrogative words like “what” more often than males. In contrast, questions from males tend to include more words and are thus longer than the questions from females. In addition, questions asked by males tend to attract more answers than those from females. Our results shed light to current music information behaviour studies and contribute new insights to the development of a better music service system.
Executive functioning among Finnish adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE The present study examined cognitive functioning in a population sample of adolescents with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. METHOD The sample consisted of 457 adolescents ages 16 to 18 who were assessed using a battery of cognitive tasks. Performance according to diagnostic group (control, behavior disorder, and ADHD) and sex was compared. Then, the effect of executive function deficit (EFD) was assessed by diagnostic group status on behavioral and cognitive measures. RESULTS When compared to non-ADHD groups, adolescents with ADHD exhibited deficits on almost all of the cognitive measures. The behavior disorder group obtained scores that were generally intermediate between the ADHD and control groups, but exhibited deficits in intelligence and executive function similar to the ADHD group. Approximately half the ADHD sample had EFD; however, the type and presence of EFDs were not differentially related to cognitive performance as a function of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that EFDs are more frequent in ADHD than control or behavior disorder groups. EFDs are a general risk factor for poor cognitive functioning across multiple domains, irrespective of diagnostic status.
The Dark Universe

For a few years now, cosmology has a standard model. By this term, we mean a consistent theoretical background which is at the same time simple and broad enough to offer coherent explanations for the vast majority of cosmological phenomena. This review will briefly summarize the cosmological model, then proceed to discuss what we know from observations about the evolution of the Universe and its contents and what we conclude about the origin and the future of the Universe and the structures it contains.
No tissue damage by chronic deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease

We report on the pathological findings in the brains of 8 Parkinson's disease patients treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus (6 cases) and subthalamic nucleus (2 cases). DBS was performed continuously for up to 70 months. All brains showed well‐preserved neural parenchyma and only mild gliosis around the lead track compatible with reactive changes due to surgical placement of the electrode. We conclude that chronic DBS does not cause damage to adjacent brain tissue. Ann Neurol 2000;48:372–376
Modelling Long-Run Relationships in Finance

Learning outcomes In this chapter, you will learn how to • Highlight the problems that may occur if non-stationary data are used in their levels form • Test for unit roots • Examine whether systems of variables are cointegrated • Estimate error correction and vector error correction models • Explain the intuition behind Johansen's test for cointegration • Describe how to test hypotheses in the Johansen framework • Construct models for long-run relationships between variables in EViews Stationarity and unit root testing 8.1. 1 Why are tests for non-stationarity necessary? There are several reasons why the concept of non-stationarity is important and why it is essential that variables that are non-stationary be treated differently from those that are stationary. Two definitions of non-stationarity were presented at the start of chapter 6. For the purpose of the analysis in this chapter, a stationary series can be defined as one with a constant mean, constant variance and constant autocovariances for each given lag. Therefore, the discussion in this chapter relates to the concept of weak stationarity. An examination of whether a series can be viewed as stationary or not is essential for the following reasons: The stationarity or otherwise of a series can strongly influence its behaviour and properties . To offer one illustration, the word ‘shock’ is usually used to denote a change or an unexpected change in a variable or perhaps simply the value of the error term during a particular time period. […]