Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Machine-learning prediction of cancer survival: a retrospective study using electronic administrative records and a cancer registry

Objectives Using the prediction of cancer outcome as a model, we have tested the hypothesis that through analysing routinely collected digital data contained in an electronic administrative record (EAR), using machine-learning techniques, we could enhance conventional methods in predicting clinical outcomes. Setting A regional cancer centre in Australia. Participants Disease-specific data from a purpose-built cancer registry (Evaluation of Cancer Outcomes (ECO)) from 869 patients were used to predict survival at 6, 12 and 24 months. The model was validated with data from a further 94 patients, and results compared to the assessment of five specialist oncologists. Machine-learning prediction using ECO data was compared with that using EAR and a model combining ECO and EAR data. Primary and secondary outcome measures Survival prediction accuracy in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results The ECO model yielded AUCs of 0.87 (95% CI 0.848 to 0.890) at 6 months, 0.796 (95% CI 0.774 to 0.823) at 12 months and 0.764 (95% CI 0.737 to 0.789) at 24 months. Each was slightly better than the performance of the clinician panel. The model performed consistently across a range of cancers, including rare cancers. Combining ECO and EAR data yielded better prediction than the ECO-based model (AUCs ranging from 0.757 to 0.997 for 6 months, AUCs from 0.689 to 0.988 for 12 months and AUCs from 0.713 to 0.973 for 24 months). The best prediction was for genitourinary, head and neck, lung, skin, and upper gastrointestinal tumours. Conclusions Machine learning applied to information from a disease-specific (cancer) database and the EAR can be used to predict clinical outcomes. Importantly, the approach described made use of digital data that is already routinely collected but underexploited by clinical health systems.
Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene/Carbon Black Composites

Polypropylene(PP)/carbon black(CB) composites at different compositions were prepared via melt blending of PP with CB. The effect of CB content on mechanical and electrical properties was studied. Test samples were prepared by injection molding and compression molding techniques. The effect of processing type on mechanical and electrical properties was also investigated. Composites become semi-conductive by addition of 2 wt% CB. The relation between mechanical and electrical properties was discussed. The influence of CB content on morphology and crystallinity was also studied.
Representative clustering of uncertain data

This paper targets the problem of computing meaningful clusterings from uncertain data sets. Existing methods for clustering uncertain data compute a single clustering without any indication of its quality and reliability; thus, decisions based on their results are questionable. In this paper, we describe a framework, based on possible-worlds semantics; when applied on an uncertain dataset, it computes a set of representative clusterings, each of which has a probabilistic guarantee not to exceed some maximum distance to the ground truth clustering, i.e., the clustering of the actual (but unknown) data. Our framework can be combined with any existing clustering algorithm and it is the first to provide quality guarantees about its result. In addition, our experimental evaluation shows that our representative clusterings have a much smaller deviation from the ground truth clustering than existing approaches, thus reducing the effect of uncertainty.
Optimizing levodopa therapy for Parkinson’s disease with levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone: implications from a clinical and patient perspective

After 40 years of clinical experience, levodopa remains the gold standard treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD) despite the recent emergence of a host of new therapies. Some physicians are cautious when prescribing levodopa because of its association with motor complications. Evidence now suggests that levodopa-associated complications are a result of deep troughs in delivery of levodopa to the brain caused by the short plasma half-life of conventional levodopa formulations (levodopa and a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor [DDCI]). Dosing strategies, such as dose increases and dose fractionation, may be effective in the short term. For the longer-term, levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone provides pharmacokinetically optimized levodopa therapy that significantly increases the plasma half-life and bioavailability of levodopa, providing more consistent plasma levodopa levels without deep troughs. Evidence from clinical trials in PD patients experiencing re-emergence of symptoms due to wearing-off has consistently shown that levodopa/DDCI and entacapone significantly increases ON-time and affords greater functionality, as measured by the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) with conventional levodopa. These trials have also shown that levodopa/DDCI and entacapone is generally well tolerated, with notable adverse events including worsening dyskinesia, nausea and diarrhea. Patients experiencing re-emergence of symptoms due to wearing-off may benefit from optimized levodopa therapy with levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone.
Murine Alveolar Macrophages Are Highly Susceptible to Replication of Coxiella burnetii Phase II In Vitro

ABSTRACT Coxiella burnetii is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes Q fever in humans. Q fever is an atypical pneumonia transmitted through inhalation of contaminated aerosols. In mammalian lungs, C. burnetii infects and replicates in several cell types, including alveolar macrophages (AMs). The innate immunity and signaling pathways operating during infection are still poorly understood, in part because of the lack of relevant host cell models for infection in vitro. In the study described here, we investigated and characterized the infection of primary murine AMs by C. burnetii phase II in vitro. Our data reveal that AMs show a pronounced M2 polarization and are highly permissive to C. burnetii multiplication in vitro. Murine AMs present an increased susceptibility to infection in comparison to primary bone marrow-derived macrophages. AMs support more than 2 logs of bacterial replication during 12 days of infection in culture, similar to highly susceptible host cells, such as Vero and THP-1 cells. As a proof of principle that AMs are useful for investigation of C. burnetii replication, we performed experiments with AMs from Nos2 −/− or Ifng −/− mice. In the absence of gamma interferon and nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2), AMs were significantly more permissive than wild-type cells. In contrast, AMs from Il4 −/− mice were more restrictive to C. burnetii replication, supporting the importance of M2 polarization for the permissiveness of AMs to C. burnetii replication. Collectively, our data account for understanding the high susceptibility of alveolar macrophages to bacterial replication and support the use of AMs as a relevant model of C. burnetii growth in primary macrophages.
Associations of food consumption, serum vitamins and metabolic syndrome risk with physical activity level in middle-aged adults: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2006

Abstract Objective To examine the associations of food consumption, serum vitamins and metabolic syndrome risk with physical activity level in middle-aged adults. Design Cross-sectional. Setting National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2006. Subjects Adults aged 40–70 years were divided into three groups by tertile of accelerometer-determined steps/d (in men and women, respectively): tertile 1 (sedentary), <6802, <5785; tertile 2 (intermediate), 6802–10698, 5785–9225; tertile 3 (active), ≥10699, ≥9226. Results The active men consumed more grain products, fruits and vegetables, whereas the active women consumed more legumes and vegetables, compared with the sedentary group. Serum vitamin concentrations were associated with daily steps in both men and women. Vitamin C, α-carotene, trans-β-carotene, cis-β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein+zeaxanthin, lycopene, γ-tocopherol and vitamin D were significantly associated with daily steps. OR (P<0·05) for the sedentary group were 1·52 and 1·61 for low HDL cholesterol, 1·66 and 3·97 for hypertriacylglycerolaemia, 1·02 and 2·73 for abdominal obesity, 1·79 and 1·77 for hyperglycaemia, 1·59 and 1·60 for hypertension, and 1·85 and 2·47 for metabolic syndrome in men and women, respectively. Conclusions Those with the highest steps taken showed a more healthful eating profile and a better serum vitamin profile compared with less active adults. Those with the lowest steps taken had greater odds of having metabolic syndrome and its risk components. Probably, daily walking is a marker of a healthful eating profile and increasing daily walking is one of the healthful ways to decrease the metabolic syndrome and its risk components.
Estimates of Driver Mental Workload: A Long-Term Field Trial of Two Subsidiary Tasks

Two auditory subsidiary task measures of driver mental workload---delayed digit recall and random digit generation---were evaluated in a four-year field trial. Van pool members performed the tasks for 2-min periods while driving a mix of rural secondary roads, limited access expressways, high-density, limited-access urban drives, and downtown city streets on a daily commute from upstate New York to New York City. Data collected included the roadway being traveled, time of day, traffic conditions, vehicle density, speed, weather, brake applications, and driver's subjective difficulty rating. Subsidiary task degradation was a function of traffic density, average speed, and uncertainty (estimated by the number of brake depressions). Weather conditions moderated these variables. Unpredictability of traffic appeared to be the major determinant of perceived difficulty. The digit recall task correlated (r = 0.784) with driver ratings of task difficulty and (r = 0.808) with a calculated driver workload index based on brake actuations per minute plus the log2 of vehicle speed. Although subjective difficulty ratings correlated with subsidiary task performance and with objective criteria of traffic density and speed, some dissociation was noted. Indications of workload homeostasis were evident, as drivers appeared to modify their performance to keep workload within a comfortable range.
Evidence for powerful AGN winds at high redshift: dynamics of galactic outflows in radio galaxies during the “Quasar Era”

AGN feedback now appears as an attractive mechanism to resolve some of the outstanding problems with the “standard” cosmological models, in particular those related to massive galaxies. At low redshift, evidence is growing that gas cooling and star formation may be efficiently suppressed by mechanical energy input from radio sources. To directly constrain how this may influence the formation of massive galaxies near the peak in the redshift distribution of powerful quasars, z ∼ 2, we present an analysis of the emission-line kinematics of 3 powerful radio galaxies at z ∼ 2−3 (HzRGs) based on rest-frame optical integral-field spectroscopy obtained with SINFONI on the VLT. The host galaxies of powerful radio-loud AGN are among the most massive galaxies, and thus AGN feedback may have a particularly clear signature in these galaxies. We find evidence for bipolar outflows in all HzRGs, with kinetic energies that are equivalent to 0.2% of the rest-mass of the supermassive black hole. Observed total velocity offsets in the outflows are ∼800−1000 km s −1 between the blueshifted and redshifted line emission, and FWHMs ∼ 1000 km s −1 suggest strong turbulence. Line ratios allow to measure electron temperatures, ∼10 4 K from [OIII]λλλ4363, 4959, 5007 at z ∼ 2, electron densities (∼500 cm −3 ) and extinction (AV ∼ 1−4 mag). Ionized gas masses estimated from the Hα luminosity are of order 10 10 M� , similar to the molecular gas content of HzRGs, underlining that these outflows may indicate a significant phase in the evolution of the host galaxy. The total energy release of ∼10 60 erg during a dynamical time of ∼10 7 yrs corresponds to about the binding energy of a massive galaxy, similar to the prescriptions adopted in galaxy evolution models. Geometry, timescales and energy injection rates of order 10% of the kinetic energy flux of the jet suggest that the outflows are most likely driven by the radio source. The global energy density release of ∼10 57 erg s −1 Mpc −3 may also influence the subsequent evolution of the HzRG by enhancing the entropy and pressure in the surrounding halo and facilitating ram-pressure stripping of gas in satellite galaxies that may contribute to the subsequent mass assembly of the HzRG through low-dissipation “dry” mergers.
LONG-TERM VALIDATION OF GOMOS, MIPAS AND SCIAMACHY OZONE AND TEMPERATURE PROFILES BY THE ENVISAT QUALITY ASSESSMENT WITH LIDAR (EQUAL) PROJECT

The latest analysis results of new processing algorithms and new data are presented in this paper and are part of the Envisat Quality Assessment with Lidar (EQUAL) project. New ozone profiles retrieved from measurement of MIPAS in RR-mode (IPF v5.00) were analyzed and they show good agreement with lidar data, especially some high vertical structures in the data are well represented. GOMOS ozone profiles (IPF v5.00), measured in the second half of 2006 and operationally processed by ESA, are in very good agreement with lidar data, which is in line with previous results (1). Sciamachy ozone profiles (IPF v3.00), measured in the second half of 2006 and operationally processed by ESA, show a negative bias of 10-20% compared to lidar data, which is also in line with previous results (2). We also show that limb measurements, processed with the current processor version of MIPAS and Sciamachy, still result in data with an altitude shift of about 1000 m with an opposite sign for each instrument owing their viewing direction.
Long-term changes of the anterior corneal topography after photorefractive keratectomy for myopia and myopic astigmatism.

PURPOSE To analyze the anterior corneal topography changes after 8 years after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) for the correction of myopia and myopic astigmatism. METHODS Sixty-six eyes (33 patients) underwent PRK using an excimer laser platform. Patients were subdivided into three groups: the low myopia (13 patients; range, -1.25 to -4.40 diopters [D]), the high myopia (13 patients; -4.50 to -9.00 D), and astigmatism (7 patients; cylinder component between -2.00 and -5.00 D) groups. The preoperative and 1-, 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-year postoperative average corneal maps were computed for each study group. Changes inside and outside the optical zone, which was 6.00 mm in diameter for all eyes, during follow-up were further investigated. RESULTS The topographic central region, 2.00-mm diameter, was almost stable in all study groups, with changes < 0.39 D between 1 and 8 years. The postoperative variations at the peripheral region, 6.00- to 8.00-mm diameter, were related to the type and amount of refractive correction: a higher flattening (P < 0.05) has been assessed in the high-myopia group (-0.85 D) in comparison with the low-myopia group (-0.42 D) between 1 and 8 years. On the contrary, corneal periphery steepened (+2.22 D; P < 0.05) in the astigmatism group during follow-up, mainly at the superior and inferior emimeridians. CONCLUSIONS The anterior corneal topography continues to change configuration even long term after PRK. Changes are confined outside the functional optical zone of the cornea. PRK for the correction of myopia was shown not to influence the mechanical stability of the corneal tissue at 8 years after surgery.
Attention Allocation and Task Representation during Joint Action Planning

We investigated whether people take into account an interaction partner's attentional focus and whether they represent in advance their partner's part of the task when planning to engage in a synchronous joint action. The experiment involved two participants planning and performing joint actions (i.e., synchronously lifting and clinking glasses), unimanual individual actions (i.e., lifting and moving a glass as if clinking with another person), and bimanual individual actions. EEG was recorded from one of the participants. We employed a choice reaction paradigm where a visual cue indicated the type of action to be planned, followed 1.5 sec later by a visual go stimulus, prompting the participants to act. We studied attention allocation processes by examining two lateralized EEG components, namely the anterior directing attention negativity and the late directing attention positivity. Action planning processes were examined using the late contingent negative variation and the movement-related potential. The results show that early stages of joint action planning involve dividing attention between locations in space relevant for one's own part of the joint action and locations relevant for one's partner's part of the joint action. At later stages of joint action planning, participants represented in advance their partner's upcoming action in addition to their own action, although not at an effector-specific level. Our study provides electrophysiological evidence supporting the operation of attention sharing processes and predictive self/other action representation during the planning phase of a synchronous joint task.
Integration of 3D Imaging Data in the Assessment of Aortic Stenosis: Impact on Classification of Disease Severity

Background— In patients with aortic stenosis (AS), precise assessment of severity is critical for treatment decisions. Estimation of aortic valve area (AVA) with transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE)-continuity equation (CE) assumes a circular left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT). We evaluated incremental utility of 3D multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) over TTE assessment of AS severity. Methods and Results— We included 51 patients (age, 81±8 years; 61% men; mean gradient, 42±12 mm Hg) with calcific AS who underwent evaluation for treatment options. TTE parameters included systolic LVOT diameter (D) and continuous and pulsed wave (CW and PW) velocity-time integrals (VTI) through the LVOT and mean transaortic gradient. MDCT parameters included systolic LVOT area, ratio of maximal to minimal LVOT diameter (eccentricity index), and aortic planimetry (AVAp). TTE-CE AVA [(D2×0.786×VTIpw)/VTIcw] and dimensionless index (DI) [VTIpw/VTIcw] were calculated. Corrected AVA was calculated by substituting MDCT LVOT area into CE. The majority (96%) of patients had eccentric LVOT. LVOT area, measured on MDCT, was higher than on TTE (3.84±0.8 cm2 versus 3.03±0.5 cm2, P<0.01). TTE-AVA was smaller than AVAp and corrected AVA (0.67±0.1cm2, 0.82±0.3 cm2, and 0.86±0.3 cm2, P<0.01). Using TTE measurements alone, 73% of patients had congruence for severe AS (DI ⩽0.25 and CE AVA <0.8 cm2), which increased to 92% using corrected CE. Conclusions— In patients with suspected severe AS, incorporation of MDCT-LVOT area into CE improves congruence for AS severity.
MMP-7 and fcDNA Serum Levels in Early NSCLC and Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia: Preliminary Study

A non-invasive test to facilitate the diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is still not available and represents an important goal. Forty-eight patients with stage I NSCLC, 45 with IPF, 30 with other idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) including idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), 35 with diffuse non-malignant disease and 30 healthy donors were enrolled onto the study. Free circulating (fc)DNA and MMP-7 levels were evaluated by Real Time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Median fcDNA levels were similar in NSCLC (127 ng/mL, range 23.6–345 ng/mL) and IPF (106 ng/mL, range 22–224 ng/mL) patients, and significantly lower in IIPs patients, in individuals with other diseases and in healthy donors (p < 0.05). Conversely, median MMP-7 values were significantly higher in IPF patients (9.10 ng/mL, range 3.88–19.72 ng/mL) than in those with NSCLC (6.31 ng/mL, range 3.38–16.36 ng/mL; p < 0.0001), NSIP (6.50 ng/mL, range 1.50–22.47 ng/mL; p = 0.007), other diseases (5.41 ng/mL, range 1.78–15.91, p < 0.0001) or healthy donors (4.35 ng/mL, range 2.45–7.23; p < 0.0001). Serum MMP-7 levels seem to be capable of distinguishing IPF patients from those with any other lung disease. fcDNA levels were similar in NSCLC and IPF patients, confirming its potential role as a biomarker, albeit non-specific, for the differential diagnosis of NSCLC.
New Insight for the Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a curative therapy for different life-threatening malignant and nonmalignant hematologic disorders. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a major source of morbidity and mortality following allo-SCT, which limits the use of this treatment in a broader spectrum of patients. Early diagnostic of GVHD is essential to initiate treatment as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of GVHD may be difficult to establish, because of the nonspecific nature of the associated symptoms and of the numerous differential diagnosis. This is particularly true regarding gastrointestinal (GI) acute GVHD. In the recent years many progress has been made in medical imaging test and endoscopic techniques. The interest of these different techniques in the diagnosis of GI acute GVHD has been evaluated in several studies. With this background we review the contributions, limitations, and future prospect of these techniques in the diagnosis of GI acute GVHD.
Estrogen Receptors α and β in Rat Decidua Cells: Cell-Specific Expression and Differential Regulation by Steroid Hormones and Prolactin.

Estradiol is known to play an important role in the growth and differentiation of rat uterine stromal cells into decidual cells. In particular, this hormone with progesterone is necessary for blastocyst implantation and subsequent decidualization in the rat. Although binding experiments have demonstrated the presence of estrogenbinding sites, no evidence exists as to whether the rat decidua expresses both isoforms of the estrogen receptor (ER), a and b. In this investigation, we analyzed the expression of decidual ERa and ERb, studied their regulation by PRL and steroid hormones and examined the ability of decidual ERb to transduce the estradiol signal to the progesterone receptor. Immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, and Northern blot analysis showed that both ER species are coexpressed in the decidua during pseudopregnancy. Interestingly, these genes were preferentially found in a cell population localized in the antimesometrial site of the uterus where blastocyst implantation takes place. Using decidual cells in primary culture obtained from pseudopregnant rats and a decidua-derived cell line (GG-AD), we show a differential regulation of ERa and ERb by PRL and ovarian steroid hormones. Whereas PRL, estradiol, and progesterone all increased ERb messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in a dose-dependent manner, only PRL up-regulated the mRNA levels of ERa. Estradiol had no effect on ERa expression, whereas progesterone markedly decreased its mRNA levels. Interestingly, progesterone, which up-regulates the ability of PRL to signal to a PRL-regulated gene in mammary-gland derived cells, prevented PRL stimulation of decidual ERa and had no synergistic effect on ERb expression. The use of GG-AD cells, which express only ERb, allowed us to demonstrate that this receptor subtype is functional and transduces estradiol signal to the progesterone receptor. In summary, the results of this investigation have revealed that ERb is expressed in addition to ERa in the rat decidua, and that the expression of both ERs are cell specific and differentially regulated by PRL and steroids. One salient finding of this investigation is that progesterone down-regulates ERa, but concomitantly increases the expression of a functional ERb that mediates estradiol up-regulation of the decidual progesterone receptor. (Endocrinology 141: 3842‐3851, 2000)