Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glioma grading using structural magnetic resonance imaging and molecular data

Abstract. A glioma grading method using conventional structural magnetic resonance image (MRI) and molecular data from patients is proposed. The noninvasive grading of glioma tumors is obtained using multiple radiomic texture features including dynamic texture analysis, multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis, and multiresolution fractal Brownian motion in structural MRI. The proposed method is evaluated using two multicenter MRI datasets: (1) the brain tumor segmentation (BRATS-2017) challenge for high-grade versus low-grade (LG) and (2) the cancer imaging archive (TCIA) repository for glioblastoma (GBM) versus LG glioma grading. The grading performance using MRI is compared with that of digital pathology (DP) images in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) data repository. The results show that the mean area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) is 0.88 for the BRATS dataset. The classification of tumor grades using MRI and DP images in TCIA/TCGA yields mean AUC of 0.90 and 0.93, respectively. This work further proposes and compares tumor grading performance using molecular alterations (IDH1/2 mutations) along with MRI and DP data, following the most recent World Health Organization grading criteria, respectively. The overall grading performance demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed noninvasive glioma grading approach using structural MRI.
Preclinical Evaluation of Oncolytic Δγ 134.5 Herpes Simplex Virus Expressing Interleukin-12 for Therapy of Breast Cancer Brain Metastases

The metastasis of breast cancer to the brain and central nervous system (CNS) is a problem of increasing importance. As improving treatments continue to extend patient survival, the incidence of CNS metastases from breast cancer is on the rise. New treatments are needed, as current treatments are limited by deleterious side effects and are generally palliative. We have previously described an oncolytic herpes simplex virus (HSV), designated M002, which lacks both copies of the γ 134.5 neurovirulence gene and carries a murine interleukin 12 (IL-12) expression cassette, and have validated its antitumor efficacy in a variety of preclinical models of primary brain tumors. However, M002 has not been yet evaluated for use against metastatic brain tumors. Here, we demonstrate the following: both human breast cancer and murine mammary carcinoma cells support viral replication and IL-12 expression from M002; M002 replicates in and destroys breast cancer cells from a variety of histological subtypes, including “triple-negative” and HER2 overexpressing; M002 improves survival in an immunocompetent model more effectively than does a non-cytokine control virus. Thus, we conclude from this proof-of-principle study that a γ 134.5-deleted IL-12 expressing oncolytic HSV may be a potential new therapy for breast cancer brain metastases.
Bones as biofuel: a review of whale bone composition with implications for deep-sea biology and palaeoanthropology

Whales are unique among vertebrates because of the enormous oil reserves held in their soft tissue and bone. These ‘biofuel’ stores have been used by humans from prehistoric times to more recent industrial-scale whaling. Deep-sea biologists have now discovered that the oily bones of dead whales on the seabed are also used by specialist and generalist scavenging communities, including many unique organisms recently described as new to science. In the context of both cetacean and deep-sea invertebrate biology, we review scientific knowledge on the oil content of bone from several of the great whale species: Balaenoptera musculus, Balaenoptera physalus, Balaenoptera borealis, Megaptera novaeangliae, Eschrichtius robustus, Physeter macrocephalus and the striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba. We show that data collected by scientists over 50 years ago during the heyday of industrial whaling explain several interesting phenomena with regard to the decay of whale remains. Variations in the lipid content of bones from different parts of a whale correspond closely with recently observed differences in the taphonomy of deep-sea whale carcasses and observed biases in the frequency of whale bones at archaeological sites.
A feedback model of attentional effects in the visual cortex

Attention plays an important role in natural vision. Implementing realistic attentional processes in artificial vision systems could greatly improve their performance. However, existing models of attention do not adequately capture all of its complex effects on neural activity. In particular, existing models cannot reproduce recently reported effects such as shifting and scaling of receptive fields. Here we suggest that many of these effects arise naturally from feedback connections between visual areas (which redistribute top-down attentional modulation) and local, nonspecific short-range inhibition (which produce competition between stimuli that is automatically scaled to receptive field size). We show that a simple model with two reciprocally connected layers and short-range inhibition can generate many known effects of attention, including receptive field shift and resizing. Due to its conceptual simplicity, the model may be easily integrated into a broad range of computer vision systems.
Teaching Basic Life Support to Students of Public and Private High Schools

Background Despite being recommended as a compulsory part of the school curriculum, the teaching of basic life support (BLS) has yet to be implemented in high schools in most countries. Objectives To compare prior knowledge and degree of immediate and delayed learning between students of one public and one private high school after these students received BLS training. Methods Thirty students from each school initially answered a questionnaire on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of the automated external defibrillator (AED). They then received theoretical-practical BLS training, after which they were given two theory assessments: one immediately after the course and the other six months later. Results The overall success rates in the prior, immediate, and delayed assessments were significantly different between groups, with better performance shown overall by private school students than by public school students: 42% ± 14% vs. 30.2% ± 12.2%, p = 0.001; 86% ± 7.8% vs. 62.4% ± 19.6%, p < 0.001; and 65% ± 12.4% vs. 45.6% ± 16%, p < 0.001, respectively. The total odds ratio of the questions showed that the private school students performed the best on all three assessments, respectively: 1.66 (CI95% 1.26-2.18), p < 0.001; 3.56 (CI95% 2.57-4.93), p < 0.001; and 2.21 (CI95% 1.69-2.89), p < 0.001. Conclusions Before training, most students had insufficient knowledge about CPR and AED; after BLS training a significant immediate and delayed improvement in learning was observed in students, especially in private school students.
Experience of famine and bone health in post-menopausal women.

BACKGROUND Famines have occurred in all areas of the world in every period of history. Many studies have shown that poor growth and development and adverse environmental conditions in childhood are associated with osteoporosis in later life. However, little information is available on the relation between famine and bone health. METHODS This study examines the hypothesis that past experience of famine has an adverse impact on bone health, using data from Ms Os (Hong Kong), a large cohort study on osteoporosis in Asian women. There were 1,826 Hong Kong women aged 65 years or older recruited from the community. A standardized, structured interview and DXA were performed. Subjects who had experienced famine tended to have lower levels of education, social status and current daily calcium intake. They also have higher rates of cigarette consumption, depression and coronary heart disease. RESULTS After adjustment for confounders, we found that subjects who had experienced famine have a significantly higher rate of developing osteoporosis than those who had not. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that past exposure to famine, especially in childhood, is associated with osteoporosis.
Axonal trajectories between mouse somatosensory thalamus and cortex

An in vitro brain slice preparation has been used to label fibers connecting the somatosensory thalamus and cortex of the mouse. In 400–800‐μm brain slices, the pathway between the ventrobasal complex and somatosensory cortex was labeled under direct vision with horseradish peroxidase crystals (HRP), HRP‐Nonidet P‐40 (NP40) detergent chips, or a solution of HRP/dimethylsulfoxide.
Universal mosaicing using pipe projection

Video mosaicing is commonly used to increase the visual field by pasting together many video frames. Existing mosaicing methods are effective only in very limited cases where the image motion is almost a uniform translation or the camera performs a pure pan. Forward camera motion or camera zoom are very problematic for traditional mosaicing. A mosaicing methodology to allow image mosaicing in the most general cases is presented, where frames in the video sequence are transformed such that the optical flow becomes parallel. This transformation is an oblique projection of the image into a "viewing pipe" whose central axis is the trajectory of the camera. The "pipe projection" enables to define high quality mosaicing even for the most challenging cases of forward motion and of zoom. In addition view interpolation, generating dense intermediate views is used to overcome parallax effects.
Competition between auction houses : a shill bidding perspective

We analyze the competition between auction houses to organize an English auction in the independent private value model with participation costs when the seller is unable to commit not to participate in the same way as any potential buyer through a shill bidding activity. The seller may prefer to contract with auction houses with higher fees since they make the shill bidding activity more costly and thus enlarge the set of implementable participation cuto s.
Effect of pool confinement on pressures around a block impacted by plunging aerated jets

The erosion caused by jets issued from hydraulic structures progressively develops a confined scour-hole on the riverbed. A realistic scour assessment must consider both the influence of the air entrained when the jet plunges into the pool and the flow patterns induced by bottom geometry. This experimental study systematically analyzes the combined influence of jet aeration and pool confinement on the dynamic pressures affecting the water–rock interface and inside 3D fissures around a block. The results show that confinement reduces mean pressures and pressure fluctuations when the pool is relatively deep, but almost no influence is found when the pool is shallow, while air entrainment has an opposite effect. Three mechanisms are identified, two of them depend on the pool depth. Furthermore, when a block is mobile, pressures are attenuated inside the surrounding joints. The consequent block vibrations and the presence of air reduce pressure waves celerity inside the fissures.
Characterization of 3D spatial wireless channels

In this paper a novel three dimensional spatial channels model is developed to provide insight into spatial aspects of multiple antenna communication systems. The spherical harmonic representation of wavefields is used to decompose the spatial channel matrix into a product of known and random matrices where the known portion shows the effects of the physical configuration of antenna elements. The model supports any arbitrary antenna array configurations as well as any distribution of scatterers. Possible applications of the model and its usefulness are outlined.
Flaring X-Ray Emission from HST-1, a Knot in the M87 Jet

We present Chandra X-ray monitoring of the M87 jet in 2002, which shows that the intensity of HST-1, an optical knot 0. ″8 from the core, increased by a factor of 2 in 116 days and a factor of 4 in 2 yr. There was also a significant flux decrease over 2 months, with suggestive evidence for a softening of the spectrum. From this variability behavior, we argue that the bulk of the X-ray emission of HST-1 comes from synchrotron emission. None of the other conceivable emission processes can match the range of observed characteristics. By estimating synchrotron model parameters for various bulk relativistic velocities, we demonstrate that a model with a Doppler factor δ in the range 2-5 fits our preliminary estimates of light-travel time and synchrotron loss timescales.
Macular Retinal and Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Early Glaucoma: Clinical Correlations

Purpose: Previous studies have evaluated macular retinal thickness (RT) and nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) changes in early glaucoma using elaborate optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanning protocols. Materials and Methods: This study examines RT and RNFLT using standard scanning protocols in early glaucoma. In this prospective, nonrandomized case series, 95 eyes of 95 patients were evaluated, including 29 nonglaucomatous subjects (control group), 34 glaucoma suspects, and 32 early manifest glaucoma patients. RT and RNFLT were measured using scanning fast macular thickness map and Fast RNFLT (3.4) protocols on a 1.70 mm radius around the macular center (respectively) in all four quadrants. The fast RNFLT (3.4) protocol was transposed on the macula from the peri-papillary area. Data were statistically analyzed for differences between groups, and for correlations between parameters. P<0.5 was statistically significant. Results: Both early manifest glaucoma patients and glaucoma suspects had significantly lower RT than controls in all quadrants. RNFLT differences in all quadrants were not statistically significant (P>0.05). RT was significantly inversely correlated with axial length in early manifest glaucoma patients and glaucoma suspects but not in controls. Conclusions: The finding that RT was significantly lower in early manifest glaucoma patients and glaucoma suspects indicates that the transposition of the OCT fast RNFL thickness (3.4) protocol from the peri-papillary area to the peri-macular area can be used for early glaucoma diagnosis. Intraretinal changes in early glaucoma, likely precede nerve fiber changes.
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for rheumatoid arthritis: a way to specify functioning

Today, patients’ functioning is a central issue in medicine. Concepts, classifications, and measurements of functioning and health, such as the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) are of prime importance in clinical practice, teaching, and research. This report compares the contents of three of the most widely used health status measures in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), namely the Health Assessment Questionnaire disability index (HAQ), the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 (AIMS2), and the Short Form health survey (SF-36) based on the ICF. In addition, their content is compared to the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for RA. The comparisons illustrate that the different health status measures cover different components, and that they cover the different components with different level of precision. Using the ICF as a reference framework allows a researcher or a recommending instance to see which domains are covered in a specific instrument and, therefore, whether it is necessary to complement the study with other measures. Nevertheless, which specific health status measures to recommend still remains a challenge. If enough care is taken to define “what should be measured”, it could form the basis for a solid and stable recommendation, adhered to for many years.
Nesting Behavior and Prey Use in Two Geographically Separated Populations of the Specialist Wasp Symmorphus cristatus (Vespidae: Eumeninae)

Abstract The food web of Symmorphus cristatus wasps, leaf beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and willow (Salix spp.) trees is a model system for studying the chemical ecology of plant, herbivore and predator interactions. However, little is known about the natural history and prey use of the predatory wasps. We conducted detailed observations of nesting behavior and quantified time allocation to nest building activities in Big Pine Creek in the eastern Sierra of California. Symmorphus cristatus exhibits aggressive territorial behavior over nesting and mating sites, but does not respond aggressively to kleptoparasitism by cuckoo wasps Chrysis nitidula. We also compared prey use, nest provisioning and nest architecture of wasps at Big Pine Creek and at Sebastopol, near the central California coast. Using trap-nests we identified two new prey species for S. cristatus at Sebastopol: Plagiodera californica and Chrysomela schaefferi (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). There were significant differences in nest architecture for the two allopatric wasp populations and, although they do not use the same prey species, populations did not differ in the mean mass of prey provided for each offspring. Five other cavity-dwelling insect species pre-empted nest sites in Sebastopol. Prey species in Sebastopol differ in the chemistry of their larval secretion. The main component of C. schaefferi secretion is salicylaldehyde, which is derived from the willow host plants. Plagiodera californica secretion contains (epi)plagiolactone, an autogenously produced monoterpene-based defensive secretion. This is the first evidence that S. cristatus uses prey larvae that possess a monoterpene-based secretion.
The importance of gamma‐glutamyl transferase in lung glutathione homeostasis and antioxidant defense

An extensive literature now supports a fundamental role for glutathione in the antioxidant protection of the lung and its gas exchange surface [1]. However, the physiological significance of lung glutathione turnover by the extracellular catabolic enzyme gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) has remained controversial. The function of GGT in the lung has been a major research focus in my laboratory. Our studies initially focused on normal rat lung both at different stages of development [2–4] and in different conditions of oxidant stress [5]. More recently, these studies have been complemented by experiments with a newly defined model of GGT deficiency, the GGTenu1 mutant mouse [6,7]. The cumulative information we have generated from this work in rat and mouse, that correlates the cellular sites of GGT gene expression with that of GGT protein and enzyme activity, supports a critical biological role for GGT in lung glutathione homeostasis and epithelial cell antioxidant defense. Our initial studies in rat lung revealed key insights into epithelial cell biology, surfactant function, intercellular glutathione transport, the role of GGT in the lung response to oxidant stress, and the role of oxygen as a regulator of gene expression in the lung. The GGT enu1 mutant mouse provided a model in which to test some of these observations and to more specifically define the role of GGT in the lung. In particular, we find that the absence of GGT expression in the mutant mouse lung severely limits glutathione availability and induces oxidant stress in normal oxygen conditions in both a subset of epithelial cells and in the surfactant that bathes cells at epithelial surfaces. Injury in these GGT-deficient lung epithelial cells is accelerated in the presence of hyperoxia with GGTenu1 mutants dying more rapidly compared to normal mice [8]. Our study of the GGTenu1 mouse also led us to identify novel truncated GGT protein isoforms that are generated by alternative splicing of GGT mRNA. While the intact GGT protein is expressed on the plasma membrane, these truncated isoforms are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Surprisingly, both the native GGT and one of its ER isoforms can mediate
Artificial Noise Aided Secure Multicasting Design under the Secrecy Outage Probability Constraint

This paper studies the artificial noise (AN) aided secure transmission design in a multiple-input- single-output multicast channel where a common message is transmitted to multiple receivers and only statistical channel state information of the eavesdropper is available. In this scenario, there may be no valid null space which allows the AN not to affect the legitimate receivers, and the traditional null-space AN scheme may not be applicable. To find the optimal design, we formulate a secrecy outage probability (SOP) constrained secrecy rate maximization problem which applies to an arbitrary number of the receivers. We adopt a novel approximation of the intractable SOP constraint and establish an efficient algorithm which solves the approximated problem to global optimality. The effectiveness of AN as well as the proposed solution is confirmed by simulation results. It is shown that the AN aided approach performs much better than pure beamforming even when there is no valid null space.
Angiogenesis in the Placenta: The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species Signaling

Proper placental development and function are central to the health of both the mother and the fetus during pregnancy. A critical component of healthy placental function is the proper development of its vascular network. Poor vascularization of the placenta can lead to fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, and in some cases fetal death. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which uterine stressors influence the development of the placental vasculature and contribute to placental dysfunction is of central importance to ensuring a healthy pregnancy. In this review we discuss how oxidative stress observed in maternal smoking, maternal obesity, and preeclampsia has been associated with aberrant angiogenesis and placental dysfunction resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes. We also highlight that oxidative stress can influence the expression of a number of transcription factors important in mediating angiogenesis. Therefore, understanding how oxidative stress affects redox-sensitive transcription factors within the placenta may elucidate potential therapeutic targets for correcting abnormal placental angiogenesis and function.
Bond Strength—Coordination Number Fluctuation Model of Viscosity: An Alternative Model for the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann Equation and an Application to Bulk Metallic Glass Forming Liquids

The Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) equation has been used extensively in the analysis of the experimental data of temperature dependence of the viscosity or of the relaxation time in various types of supercooled liquids including metallic glass forming materials. In this article, it is shown that our model of viscosity, the Bond Strength—Coordination Number Fluctuation (BSCNF) model, can be used as an alternative model for the VFT equation. Using the BSCNF model, it was found that when the normalized bond strength and coordination number fluctuations of the structural units are equal, the viscosity behaviors described by both become identical. From this finding, an analytical expression that connects the parameters of the BSCNF model to the ideal glass transition temperature T0 of the VFT equation is obtained. The physical picture of the Kohlrausch-Williams-Watts relaxation function in the glass forming liquids is also discussed in terms of the cooperativity of the structural units that form the melt. An example of the application of the model is shown for metallic glass forming liquids.