Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surveillance imaging during remission identifies a group of patients with more favorable aggressive NHL at time of relapse: a retrospective analysis of a uniformly-treated patient population.

BACKGROUND Approximately one-third of the patients with relapsed aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) are cured by second-line chemotherapy followed by high-dose consolidation. The age-adjusted international prognostic index determined at the time of relapse (sAAIPI) predicts outcome in relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, suggesting that the success of salvage therapy could be enhanced by early relapse detection. This study evaluated the role of surveillance imaging in detection of relapsed disease and its impact on outcome of salvage treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred and eight patients with relapsed aggressive NHL were treated with ICE-based second-line chemotherapy. Relapses were categorized as detected by imaging, examination, or patient-reported symptoms. RESULTS Twenty per cent of relapses were detected by routine imaging while 80% were identified by reported symptoms or abnormalities on exam. Patients were 4.1 times (95% CI: 1.7-10.2) more likely to have low risk disease if relapse was diagnosed by routine imaging (group 1) compared with those diagnosed by reported symptoms or physical findings (group 2). Median overall 5-year survival for group 1 versus group 2 was 54% and 43% respectively (P = 0.13). CONCLUSION These results suggest that routine surveillance imaging can identify a population of patients with a more favorable outcome based on the sAAIPI.
Ferritin ferroxidase activity: A potent inhibitor of osteogenesis

Hemochromatosis is a known cause of osteoporosis, and iron overload has deleterious effects on bone. Although iron overload and its association with osteoporosis has long been recognized, the pathogenesis and exact role of iron have been undefined. Bone is an active tissue with constant remodeling capacity. Osteoblast (OB) development and maturation are under the influence of core binding factor α‐1 (CBF‐α1), which induces expression of OB‐specific genes, including alkaline phosphatase, an important enzyme in early osteogenesis, and osteocalcin, a noncollagenous protein deposited within the osteoid. This study investigates the mechanism by which iron inhibits human OB activity, which in vivo may lead to decreased mineralization, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. We demonstrate that iron‐provoked inhibition of OB activity is mediated by ferritin and its ferroxidase activity. We confirm this notion by using purified ferritin H‐chain and ceruloplasmin, both known to possess ferroxidase activity that inhibited calcification, whereas a site‐directed mutant of ferritin H‐chain lacking ferroxidase activity failed to provide any inhibition. Furthermore, we are reporting that such suppression is not restricted to inhibition of calcification, but OB‐specific genes such as alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and CBF‐α1 are all downregulated by ferritin in a dose‐responsive manner. This study corroborates that iron decreases mineralization and demonstrates that this suppression is provided by iron‐induced upregulation of ferritin. In addition, we conclude that inhibition of OB activity, mineralization, and specific gene expression is attributed to the ferroxidase activity of ferritin. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Prognostic Impact of Number of Resected and Involved Lymph Nodes at Complete Resection on Survival in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background: Lymph node (LN) status is a major determinant of stage and survival in patients with lung cancer. In the 7th edition of the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors, the number of involved LNs is included in the definition of pN factors in breast, stomach, esophageal, and colorectal cancer, and the pN status significantly correlates with prognosis. Methods: We retrospectively investigated the prognostic impact of the number of resected LNs (RLNs) and involved LNs in the context of other established clinical prognostic factors, in a series of 928 consecutive patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent complete resection at our institution between 2000 and 2007. Results: The mean number of RLNs was 15. There was a significant difference in the total number of RLNs categorized between less than 10 and ≥10 (p = 0.0129). Although the incidence of LN involvement was statistically associated with poor prognosis, the largest statistically significant increase in overall survival was observed between 0 to 3 and ≥4 involved LNs (hazard ratio = 7.680; 95% confidence interval = 5.051–11.655, p < 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, we used the ratio between the number of involved LNs and RLNs. The number of RLNs was found to be a strong independent prognostic factor for NSCLC (hazard ratio = 6.803; 95% confidence interval = 4.137–11.186, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Complete resection including 10 or more LNs influenced survival at complete NSCLC resection. Four involved LNs seemed to be a benchmark for NSCLC prognosis. The number of involved LNs is a strong independent prognostic factor in NSCLC, and the results of this study may provide new information for determining the N category in the next tumor, node, metastasis classification.
The relationships between stress, health, and physically active leisure as a function of life‐cycle

This article examines relationships between stress, health, and participation in physically active leisure using data collected as part of the 1985 and 1990 U.S. National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS). In particular, the article analyzes: (a) the effects of life‐cycle progression (controlled for gender) on subjectively perceived stress and self‐reported health; (b) the role of physically active leisure in enhancing health or buffering adverse health outcomes of stress; and (c) the effects of selected social‐economic factors, such as education and income, on the relationships between life‐cycle, stress, health, and physically active leisure. According to our analyses: (1) stress is unevenly distributed across the life span; (2) stress‐reducing effects of physically active leisure are present among retired older people more so than in the middle‐aged life‐cycle groups; and (3) direct health‐enhancing effects of participation in physically active leisure are more evident than the buffering effects of leisu.
On the Performance of SWORD in Detecting Zero-Day-Worm-Infected Hosts

Once a host is infected by an Internet worm, prompt action must be taken before that host does more harm to its local network and the rest of the Internet. It is therefore critica l to quickly detect that a worm has infected a host. In this paper, we enhance our SWORD system to allow for the detection of infected hosts and evaluate its performance. This enhanced version of SWORD inherits the advantages of the original SWORD—it does not rely on inspecting traffic payloads to search for worm byte patterns or setting up a honeypot to lure worm traffic. Furthermore, while acting as a host-level dete ction system, it runs at a network’s gateway and stays transpa rent to individual hosts. We show that our enhanced SWORD system is able to quickly and accurately detect if a host is infected by a zero-day worm. Furthermore, the detection is shown to be effective against worms of different types and speeds, including polymorphic worms.
Efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin compared with pravastatin and simvastatin in patients with hypercholesterolemia: a randomized, double-blind, 52-week trial.

OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this trial was to compare the efficacy of rosuvastatin with that of pravastatin and simvastatin for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. METHODS In this randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial, lipid levels were measured in 477 patients (baseline LDL-C > or =160 and <250 mg/dL) who received fixed doses of 5 mg of rosuvastatin, 10 mg of rosuvastatin, 20 mg of pravastatin, or 20 mg of simvastatin for 12 weeks. For an additional 40 weeks, individual daily doses were sequentially doubled to a maximum of 80 mg of rosuvastatin, 40 mg of pravastatin, and 80 mg of simvastatin, according to investigator discretion and if National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel II (ATP II) LDL-C goals were not achieved. RESULTS At 12 weeks, percent LDL-C reductions after both 5-mg and 10-mg rosuvastatin treatment, which were 39.1% and 47.4%, respectively, were significantly different (P <.05) from LDL-C reductions after 20-mg pravastatin (26.5%) and 20-mg simvastatin (34.6%) treatment. After 52 weeks, more rosuvastatin-treated patients remained at their starting dose than did simvastatin or pravastatin patients. After dose titration, 88% and 87.5% of the rosuvastatin 5-mg and 10-mg groups, respectively, achieved their ATP II LDL-C goals, compared with 60% for pravastatin and 72.5% for simvastatin. All study treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSION Rosuvastatin reduced LDL-C levels more than pravastatin or simvastatin in patients with hypercholesterolemia in a 52-week dose-titration study.
Intrapulmonary percussive ventilation vs incentive spirometry for children with neuromuscular disease.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary infections can be life threatening for children with neuromuscular diseases who have impaired ability to clear secretions. Intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV) is a pneumatic device that delivers air and aerosol to the lungs at frequencies of 200 to 300 cycles per minute at peak pressures from 20 to 40 cm H(2)O. Anecdotal reports and pilot studies show its safety and effectiveness in mobilizing secretions in patients with cystic fibrosis. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that IPV used in a pulmonary program for adolescents with neuromuscular disease would reduce the number of days of antibiotic use for pulmonary infection. METHODS A randomized, controlled study was conducted to compare efficacy of IPV with incentive spirometry (IS) in reducing number of days of antibiotic use in adolescents with neuromuscular disease. The secondary endpoints were the number of respiratory infections, hospitalizations, and school days missed. RESULTS A total of 18 patients were enrolled (9 IPV, 9 IS). Antibiotic use was significantly higher with IS (24/1000 patient-days) compared with IPV (0/1000 patient-days), (incidence rate ratio, 43; 95% confidence interval, 6-333). The IS group spent more days hospitalized (4.4/1000 patient-days vs 0/1000 patient-days) than the IPV group (incidence rate ratio, 8.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-67). The IPV group had 0 episodes of pneumonia or bacterial bronchitis compared with 3 events in the IS group, although this did not meet statistical significance. CONCLUSION Intrapulmonary percussive ventilation as part of a preventive pulmonary regimen reduced days of antibiotic use and hospitalization for respiratory illness in adolescents with neuromuscular disease.
The effects of temperature, age and sex on presentations of renal colic in Melbourne, Australia

Objective To determine whether renal colic incidence in the temperate environment of Melbourne, Australia, varies with ambient temperature and season. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of patients with renal colic who presented, between 1999 and 2005 inclusive, to a Victorian inner city emergency department. The emergency department database was interrogated to identify patients with an International Classification of Diseases 10th revision diagnostic code of renal colic. All weather data were obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology (Melbourne, Australia). The primary study endpoints were renal colic incidence and mean monthly temperature and humidity. Data were analysed using Spearman's correlation coefficient and the normal Z-test. Results About 3070 cases were identified. Mean age was 45.0 (SD 14.0) years. Males predominated with 2374 (77.3%) cases. For both sexes, renal colic incidence was lower amongst younger and older patients. The summer rate was significantly greater than the winter rate (1.53 vs. 1.24 presentations/day, rate difference 0.29, 95% confidence interval 0.15–0.43, P<0.001). There were significant positive correlations between the mean monthly maximum temperature and the absolute number (R = 0.34, P = 0.002) and rate (presentations/day, R = 0.26, P = 0.017) of presentations. The summer/winter ratio of renal colic incidence was not affected by age or sex. Conclusion The incidence of renal colic in the temperate environment increases with sustained increases in ambient temperature and is unaffected by age or sex. Patients at risk of renal colic should increase their fluid intake over the whole of the summer period not just during periods of extreme heat.
EyeSwipe: Dwell-free Text Entry Using Gaze Paths

Text entry using gaze-based interaction is a vital communication tool for people with motor impairments. Most solutions require the user to fixate on a key for a given dwell time to select it, thus limiting the typing speed. In this paper we introduce EyeSwipe, a dwell-time-free gaze-typing method. With EyeSwipe, the user gaze-types the first and last characters of a word using the novel selection mechanism "reverse crossing. " To gaze-type the characters in the middle of the word, the user only needs to glance at the vicinity of the respective keys. We compared the performance of EyeSwipe with that of a dwell-time-based virtual keyboard. EyeSwipe afforded statistically significantly higher typing rates and more comfortable interaction in experiments with ten participants who reached 11.7 words per minute (wpm) after 30 min typing with EyeSwipe.
Critical thinking and learning styles of students in conventional and accelerated programmes.

AIM AND PURPOSE To assess the difference between the predominant critical thinking disposition(s) and learning styles of nursing students in the conventional (Stream I) and the accelerated (Stream II) baccalaureate nursing education programmes. This study will be beneficial to students, faculty and institutions as it will help them to acquire better understanding of critical thinking potentials and learning styles of nurses, as well as the relationship between learning styles and critical thinking dispositions. METHOD This was a descriptive correlational study. The convenience sample consisted of 80 Stream I and 50 Stream II students. The following instruments were used for data collection: The Learning Styles Inventory of Kolb and the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory of Facione and Facione. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. RESULTS Overall, Stream II students were significantly more critical thinkers (P=0.000), inquisitive (P=0.000) and self-confident (P=0.002). The predominant learning styles of Streams I and II were the diverger and the converger, respectively, with no difference except in relation to their learning abilities, namely, concrete experience (P=0.017), in favour of Stream I. Further, the findings indicate a weak (range of r=0.209-0.328) though significant (range of P=0.017-0.000) correlation between learning abilities and various critical thinking dispositions.
Multimass spherical structure models for N-body simulations

We present a simple and efficient method to set up spherical structure models for N-body simulations with a multimass technique. This technique reduces by a substantial factor the computer run time needed in order to resolve a given scale as compared to single-mass models. It therefore allows to resolve smaller scales in N-body simulations for a given computer run time. Here, we present several models with an effective resolution of up to 1.68 x 10 9 particles within their virial radius which are stable over cosmologically relevant time-scales. As an application, we confirm the theoretical prediction by Dehnen that in mergers of collisionless structures like dark matter haloes always the cusp of the steepest progenitor is preserved. We model each merger progenitor with an effective number of particles of approximately 10 8 particles. We also find that in a core-core merger the central density approximately doubles whereas in the cusp-cusp case the central density only increases by approximately 50 per cent. This may suggest that the central regions of flat structures are better protected and get less energy input through the merger process.
Job satisfaction of older workers

Using data for The Netherlands, this paper analyzes the relation between allocation, wages and job satisfaction. Five conclusions emerge from the empirical analysis: satisfaction with the job content is the main factor explaining overall job satisfaction; the effects of individual and job characteristics on job satisfaction differ by the aspect of the job considered; the response to a general question on job satisfaction differs from the response to questions on satisfaction with different aspects of the job; it is relevant to consider the joint relation between wages and job satisfaction; and skill mismatches do not seem to affect job satisfaction.
Multifaceted Effects of Extracellular Adenosine Triphosphate and Adenosine in the Tumor–Host Interaction and Therapeutic Perspectives

Cancer is still one of the world’s most pressing health-care challenges, leading to a high number of deaths worldwide. Immunotherapy is a new developing therapy that boosts patient’s immune system to fight cancer by modifying tumor–immune cells interaction in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP) and adenosine (Ado) are signaling molecules released in the TME that act as modulators of both immune and tumor cell responses. Extracellular adenosine triphosphate and Ado activate purinergic type 2 (P2) and type 1 (P1) receptors, respectively, triggering the so-called purinergic signaling. The concentration of eATP and Ado within the TME is tightly controlled by several cell-surface ectonucleotidases, such as CD39 and CD73, the major ecto-enzymes expressed in cancer cells, immune cells, stromal cells, and vasculature, being CD73 also expressed on tumor-associated fibroblasts. Once accumulated in the TME, eATP boosts antitumor immune response, while Ado attenuates or suppresses immunity against the tumor. In addition, both molecules can mediate growth stimulation or inhibition of the tumor, depending on the specific receptor activated. Therefore, purinergic signaling is able to modulate both tumor and immune cells behavior and, consequently, the tumor–host interaction and disease progression. In this review, we discuss the role of purinergic signaling in the host–tumor interaction detailing the multifaceted effects of eATP and Ado in the inflammatory TME. Moreover, we present recent findings into the application of purinergic-targeting therapy as a potential novel option to boost antitumor immune responses in cancer.
PREDICTING INTERGROUP FAIRNESS AND INGROUP BIAS IN THE MINIMAL GROUP PARADIGM

Previous social psychological theory and research based on the Minimal Group Paradigm have stressed the dominance of ingroup bias in intergroup evaluations and allocation behaviour. However, fairness in intergroup allocations has also been observed. Tested here were hypotheses derived from three non-mutually exclusive theories: (1) Social Identity Theory (e.g. Tajfel and Turner, 1986), which predicts ingroup evaluative and allocation biases, (2) Ng's (1981) Fate Control/Equity Paradigm, which predicts that ingroup bias in allocations occurs in relationships of mutual but not unilateral fate control, and (3) Social Value Theory (e.g. McClintock, 1972), which predicts that intergroup evaluations and allocation behaviours will vary as a function of the social value orientations of subjects. Evaluations were consistent with expectations from Social Identity Theory. Subjects, in general, evaluated ingroup members more favourably than the outgroup members. Allocations, however, were generally consistent with expectations from Social Value Theory, with prosocial subjects preferring fair to biased allocations, competitive subjects biased to fair ones. Neither allocation behaviour nor intergroup evaluations varied significantly as a function of the fate control relationship.
Efficacy And Safety Of Administration Of Oral Iron Chelator Deferiprone In Patients With Early Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Forty-eight patients with early myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) without excess of blasts, with average initial serum ferritin levels of 2739.5 μg/L (range 825–11287 μg/L), were treated with deferiprone (L1) in a daily dose of 40–90 mg/kg. Median duration of chelation treatment was 10.9 months (range 4–24 months). Chelation was effective (maintained or decreased iron stores) in 16 out of 22 patients (73%) with serum ferritin levels <2000 μg/L in contrast to only 12 out of 26 patients with serum ferritin levels >2000 μg/L. Combination of L1 with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) (30–40 kU/week) resulted in effective chelation in five additional patients with serum ferritin levels >3000 μg/L. Incidence of adverse effects was comparable to that in thalassemic patients. Gastrointestinal symptoms represented the most frequent adverse effect of L1 therapy (37.5% of patients) that limited an effective escalation of the daily dose of the drug and led to discontinuation of the treatment for six patients. A decreased number of granulocytes was observed in five (13%) patients and agranulocytosis occurred in two patients (4%). Granulocyte counts were restored after cessation of L1 treatment and administration of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in all but one patient. Administration of L1 in a daily dose of at least 75 mg/kg may represent an alternative approach in treatment of mild and moderate iron overload in MDS patients who cannot be treated with deferasirox (DFRA) or deferoxamine (DFO).
Working Paper 9119 ESTIMATING A FIRM ' S AGE-PRODUCTIVITY PROFILE USING THE PRESENT VALUE OF WORKERS ' EARNINGS

In hiring new workers, risk-neutral employers equate the present expected value of each worker's compensation to the present expected value of hisher productivity, Data detailing how present expected compensation varies with the age of hire embed, therefore, information about how productivity varies with age. This paper infers age-productivity profiles using data on the present expected value of earnings of new hires of a Fortune 1000 firm. For each of the five occupation/sex groups considered, productivity falls with age, with productivity exceeding earnings for young workers and vice versa for older workers. www.clevelandfed. org/research/workpaper/index.cfm
Journal of Software Maintenance and Evolution: Research and Practice Modeling History to Analyze Software Evolution

SUMMARY The histories of software systems hold useful information when reasoning about the systems at hand or when reasoning about general laws of software evolution. Over the past 30 years more and more research has been spent on understanding software evolution. However, the approaches developed so far do not rely on an explicit meta-model, and thus, they make it difficult to reuse or compare their results. We argue that there is a need for an explicit meta-model for software evolution analysis. We present a survey of the evolution analyses and deduce a set of requirements that an evolution meta-model should have. We define, Hismo, a meta-model in which history is modeled as an explicit entity. Hismo adds a time layer on top of structural information, and provides a common infrastructure for expressing and combining evolution analyses and structural analyses. We validate the usefulness of our a meta-model by presenting how different analyses are expressed on it.