Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Folate-Based Radiotracers for PET Imaging—Update and Perspectives

The folate receptor (FR) is expressed in many tumor types, among those ovarian and lung cancer. Due to the high FR affinity of folic acid, it has been used for targeting of FR-positive tumors, allowing specific delivery of attached probes to the malignant tissue. Therefore, nuclear imaging of FR-positive cancer is of clinical interest for selecting patients who could benefit from innovative therapy concepts based on FR-targeting. Positron emission computed tomography (PET) has become an established technique in clinical routine because it provides an increased spatial resolution and higher sensitivity compared to single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Therefore, it is of critical importance to develop folate radiotracers suitable for PET imaging. This review article updates on the design, preparation and pre-clinical investigation of folate derivatives for radiolabeling with radioisotopes for PET. Among those the most relevant radionuclides so far are fluorine-18 (t1/2: 110 min, Eavβ+: 250 keV) and gallium-68 (t1/2: 68 min, Eav β+: 830 keV). Recent results obtained with new PET isotopes such as terbium-152 (t1/2: 17.5 h, Eβ+: 470 keV) or scandium-44 (t1/2: 3.97 h, Eav β+: 632 keV) are also presented and discussed. Current endeavors for clinical implementation of PET agents open new perspectives for identification of FR-positive malignancies in patients.
Estimating DSGE Models with

This paper is markedly incomplete, but we will show how relatively new Bayesian software called Stan can be used to efficiently draw from the posterior distribution of challenging Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) models and similarly challenging posterior distributions in economics and other fields. Most attempts to estimate the parameters of a DSGE model have used a random-walk Metropolis-Hastings approach, which we strongly believe is inadequate in the sense that the Markov Chain does not mix well enough to confidently obtain reliable inferences.
FeH Absorption in the Near-Infrared Spectra of Late M and L Dwarfs

We present medium-resolution z-, J-, and H-band spectra of four late-type dwarfs with spectral types ranging from M8 to L7.5. In an attempt to determine the origin of numerous weak absorption features throughout their near-infrared spectra, and motivated by the recent tentative identification of the E 4Π-A 4Π system of FeH near 1.6 μm in umbral and cool star spectra, we have compared the dwarf spectra to a laboratory FeH emission spectrum. We have identified nearly 100 FeH absorption features in the z-, J-, and H-band spectra of the dwarfs. In particular, we have identified 34 features that dominate the appearance of the H-band spectra of the dwarfs and that appear in the laboratory FeH spectrum. Finally, all of the features are either weaker or absent in the spectrum of the L7.5 dwarf, which is consistent with the weakening of the known FeH bandheads in the spectra of the latest L dwarfs.
Islet Cholesterol Accumulation Due to Loss of ABCA1 Leads to Impaired Exocytosis of Insulin Granules

OBJECTIVE The ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is essential for normal insulin secretion from β-cells. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the impaired insulin secretion in islets lacking β-cell ABCA1. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Calcium imaging, patch clamp, and membrane capacitance were used to assess the effect of ABCA1 deficiency on calcium flux, ion channel function, and exocytosis in islet cells. Electron microscopy was used to analyze β-cell ultrastructure. The quantity and distribution of proteins involved in insulin-granule exocytosis were also investigated. RESULTS We show that a lack of β-cell ABCA1 results in impaired depolarization-induced exocytotic fusion of insulin granules. We observed disturbances in membrane microdomain organization and Golgi and insulin granule morphology in β-cells as well as elevated fasting plasma proinsulin levels in mice in the absence of β-cell ABCA1. Acute cholesterol depletion rescued the exocytotic defect in β-cells lacking ABCA1, indicating that elevated islet cholesterol accumulation directly impairs granule fusion and insulin secretion. CONCLUSIONS Our data highlight a crucial role of ABCA1 and cellular cholesterol in β-cells that is necessary for regulated insulin granule fusion events. These data suggest that abnormalities of cholesterol metabolism may contribute to the impaired β-cell function in diabetes.
CHOC’LATE: a CHOiCe reLATion framEwork for specification-based testing

In spite of its importance in software reliability, testing is labor intensive and expensive. It has been found that software testing without a good strategy may not be more effective than testing the system with random data. Obviously, the effectiveness of testing relies heavily on how well the test suite — the set of test cases actually used — is generated. This is because the comprehensiveness of the test suite will affect the scope of testing and, hence, the chance of revealing software faults. There are two main approaches to generating test suites: specification-based and code-based. The former generates a test suite from information derived from the specification, without requiring the knowledge of the internal structure of the program [9, 10, 11]. The latter approach, on the other hand, generates a test suite based on the source code of the program [4, 8]. Neither of these approaches is sufficient; they are complementary to one another [1]. In software development, the requirements have to be established before implementation, and the specification should exist prior to coding. In this respect, the specification-based approach to test suite generation is particularly useful because test cases can be generated before coding has been completed. This facilitates software development phases to be performed in parallel,
Malignant astrocytomas of elderly patients lack favorable molecular markers: an analysis of the NOA-08 study collective.

BACKGROUND The number of patients age >65 years with malignant gliomas is increasing. Prognosis of these patients is worse compared with younger patients. To determine biological differences among malignant gliomas of different age groups and help to explain the survival heterogeneity seen in the NOA-08 trial, the prevalence and impact of recently established biomarkers for outcome in younger patients were characterized in elderly patients. METHODS Prevalences of mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and histone H3.3 (H3F3A), the glioma cytosine-phosphate-guanine island methylator phenotype (G-CIMP), and methylation of alkylpurine DNA N-glycosylase (APNG) and peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1) promoters were determined in a representative biomarker subset (n = 126 patients with anaplastic astrocytoma or glioblastoma) from the NOA-08 trial. RESULTS IDH1 mutations (R132H) were detected in only 3/126 patients, precluding determination of an association between IDH mutation and outcome. These 3 patients also displayed the G-CIMP phenotype. None of the IDH1 wild-type tumors were G-CIMP positive. Mutations in H3F3A were absent in all 103 patients sequenced for H3F3A. MassARRAY analysis of the APNG promoter revealed generally low methylation levels and failed to confirm any predictive properties for benefit from alkylating chemotherapy. Neither did PRDX1 promoter methylation show differential methylation or association with outcome in this cohort. In a 170-patient cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas database matched for relevant prognostic factors, age ≥65 years was strongly associated with shorter survival. CONCLUSIONS Despite an age-independent stable frequency of O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter hypermethylation, tumors in this age group largely lack prognostically favorable markers established in younger glioblastoma patients, which likely contributes to the overall worse prognosis of elderly patients. However, the survival differences hint at fundamental further differences among malignant gliomas of different age groups.
Parental History and Lifestyle Behaviors in Relation to Mortality From Stroke Among Japanese Men and Women: The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study

Background We assessed the impact of parental history of stroke on stroke mortality, as well as the effect modification between lifestyle and stroke mortality, among Japanese. Methods In this community-based, prospective cohort study, 22 763 men and 30 928 women aged 40 to 79 years with no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline (1988–1990) were followed through 2008. We examined the association between parental history of stroke and stroke mortality and estimated the impact of the combination of lifestyle and parental history on stroke mortality in offspring. Results During a mean follow-up period of 15.9 years, there were 1502 stroke deaths. In both sexes, participants with a parental history of stroke had a higher risk of stroke mortality as compared with those without such a history. The respective multivariable hazard ratio (95% CI) and population attributable fraction were 1.28 (1.10–1.49) and 5.4% in men, 1.22 (1.04–1.43) and 4.3% in women, and 1.25 (1.12–1.40) and 4.8% in all participants, for offspring with a maternal and/or paternal history of stroke. There was an inverse association between healthy-lifestyle score and stroke mortality, irrespective of parental history of stroke. The overall multivariable hazard ratio for the highest (6–8) versus the lowest (0–3) score categories was 0.56 (95% CI, 0.43–0.72) for participants with a maternal and/or paternal history of stroke and 0.44 (0.36–0.53) for those without such a history. Conclusions Parental history of stroke was associated with stroke mortality in offspring. The inverse association between healthy lifestyle behaviors and stroke mortality, regardless of parental history, suggests that lifestyle modification is beneficial, even among individuals with a parental history of stroke.
The Chandra view of galaxy mergers

From a Chandra survey of nine interacting galaxy systems the evolution of X-ray emission during the merger process has been investigated. It is found that the X-ray luminosity peaks �300 Myr before nuclear coalescence, and then dips, even though we know that rapid and increasing activity is still taking place at this time. It is likely that this drop in X-ray luminosity is a consequence of outflows breaking out of the galactic discs of these systems. In this work it is also shown that, for the systems close to the point of nuclear coalescence, LFIR becomes massively enhanced compared to the X-ray luminosity of these systems. We suggest that this enhancement may indicate a ‘top heavy’ IMF, with an enhanced fraction of massive stars. At a time �1 Gyr after coalescence, the merger-remnants in our sample are Xray faint when compared to typical mature elliptical galaxies. However, we do see evidence that these systems will start to resemble typical elliptical galaxies at a greater dynamical age, given the properties of the 3 Gyr system within our sample, supporting the idea that halo regeneration will take place within low LX merger-remnants. As a part of this survey, detailed Chandra observations for the double nucleus merger system Mkn 266 and the merger-remnant Arp 222 are presented for the first time. With the Mkn 266 observation, in contrast to previous studies, we now have good spectral information of the individual components part-seen with the ROSAT HRI. Additionally, the structure of the emission to the north of the system can clearly be distinguished and there is also a suggestion of some extension of X-ray emission to the south east of the nuclear region, indicating that this galaxy could just be on the verge of large-scale galactic winds breaking out. Within Arp 222 an X-ray luminosity of 1.46 ×10 40 erg s 1 has been detected, this is the lowest value of LX within our sample. The diffuse gas of Arp 222 has been modelled with a temperature of 0.6 keV and, from CO observations it has been found to host very little molecular gas, indicating that, from current observations, Arp 222 does not resemble a mature elliptical.
The structure and chemistry of the massive shell around AFGL 2343 : 29SiO and HCN as tracers of high-excitation regions

Context. The yellow hypergiant stars (YHGs) are very massive objects that are expected to pass through periods of intense mass loss during their evolution. Despite this, massive circumstellar envelopes have been found in only two of them, IRC+10420 and AFGL 2343. Aims. The envelopes around these objects and the processes that form them are poorly known. We aim to study the structure, dynamics, and chemistry of the envelope around AFGL 2343. Methods. We obtained interferometric maps of the rotational lines 29 SiO J = 2-1, HCN J = 1-0 and SO JK = 2 2 -1 1 towards AFGL2343. We used an LVG excitation model to analyze the new observations and some previously published line profiles of AFGL2343. Results. The analysis of the observational data and the fitting results show the presence of a thin, hot, and dense component within the previously identified CO shell. This component can be associated with recently shocked gas, but it could also be caused by a phase of extremely copious mass loss. We suggest that this shell is responsible for the whole 29 SiO emission and that it significantly contributes to the HCN emission. The presence of such a dense shell rich in SiO can be related with the one previously found for IRC +10420, which was also suggested to result from a shock. This may be a common feature in the evolution of these stars, as a consequence of the episodic mass loss periods they go through during their evolution. We present new results for the mass loss pattern, the total mass of the circumstellar envelope, and the molecular abundances of some species in AFGL 2343.
Towards Advanced Systems for Abstract Argumentation

Within the last years, and in particular due to the first edition of the International Competition on Computational Models of Argumentation (ICCMA) in 2015, the field of formal argumentation has seen an increasing number of systems for Dung’s abstract argumentation framework. However, the majority of the current approaches rely on reductions to other solving paradigms like SAT-solving and Answer-Set Programming, thus leaving genuine features of abstract argumentation rather unexploited. In this talk, we present a few directions for the development of next-generation argumentation systems that take recent theoretical advances into account and discuss challenges as well as potential pitfalls in this endeavor.
Why z > 1 radio-loud galaxies are commonly located in protoclusters

Distant powerful radio-loud active galactic nuclei (RLAGN) tend to reside in dense environments and are commonly found in protoclusters at z > 1.3. We examine whether this occurs because RLAGN are hosted by massive galaxies, which preferentially reside in rich environments. We compare the environments of powerful RLAGN at 1.3 1014M cluster having experienced powerful radio-loud feedback of duration ~60 Myr during 1.3<z<3.2. This feedback could heat the intracluster medium to the extent of 0.5–1 keV per gas particle, which could limit the amount of gas available for further star formation in the protocluster galaxies.
To 'snitch' or not to 'snitch': using PAR to explore bullying in a private day and boarding school

This study used a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework to explore bullying in a private day and boarding school. Six students from the school were recruited and trained in research; we worked together to answer this question: What do young people in this private day and boarding school view as the core issue of bullying in the school and how do they want to address this? This thesis presents three cycles of PAR through inquiry, action and reflection: Cycle one, initiated by myself, investigated the bullying definition at the school and how this was understood by the school community. Online questionnaires and a focus group were used to collect data. Cycle two was initiated by the research team following analysis of cycle one data. The ‘core bullying issue’ was identified as that of the ‘snitch’ and how participants conceptualised ‘serious’ and ‘not serious’ bullying. Paper questionnaires and student-led interviews were used to collect data. Cycle three focussed on the tangible ‘action’ from the project: the development of a draft anti-bullying strategy for the school. This thesis has two separate contributions. Firstly there is a subject contribution about ‘snitching’; students had to navigate a complex web in their decision to ‘snitch’ or not to ‘snitch’. Deciding whether the bullying was ‘serious’ enough to ‘snitch’ impacted on their initial decision. Furthermore students needed to decide if ‘snitching’ was the right thing to do. Secondly there is a methodological contribution; I further developed an existing framework for evaluating the participation of children in research (Dual-axis Model of Participation, Moules and O’Brien, 2012), through adding the dimensions of ‘ideas’ and ‘knowledge’.
Staphylococcal Biofilm Exopolysaccharide Protects against Caenorhabditis elegans Immune Defenses

Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus are leading causes of hospital-acquired infections that have become increasingly difficult to treat due to the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in these organisms. The ability of staphylococci to produce biofilm is an important virulence mechanism that allows bacteria both to adhere to living and artificial surfaces and to resist host immune factors and antibiotics. Here, we show that the icaADBC locus, which synthesizes the biofilm-associated polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA) in staphylococci, is required for the formation of a lethal S. epidermidis infection in the intestine of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Susceptibility to S. epidermidis infection is influenced by mutation of the C. elegans PMK-1 p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase or DAF-2 insulin-signaling pathways. Loss of PIA production abrogates nematocidal activity and leads to reduced bacterial accumulation in the C. elegans intestine, while overexpression of the icaADBC locus in S. aureus augments virulence towards nematodes. PIA-producing S. epidermidis has a significant survival advantage over ica-deficient S. epidermidis within the intestinal tract of wild-type C. elegans, but not in immunocompromised nematodes harboring a loss-of-function mutation in the p38 MAP kinase pathway gene sek-1. Moreover, sek-1 and pmk-1 mutants are equally sensitive to wild-type and icaADBC-deficient S. epidermidis. These results suggest that biofilm exopolysaccharide enhances virulence by playing an immunoprotective role during colonization of the C. elegans intestine. These studies demonstrate that C. elegans can serve as a simple animal model for studying host–pathogen interactions involving staphylococcal biofilm exopolysaccharide and suggest that the protective activity of biofilm matrix represents an ancient conserved function for resisting predation.
Renal function in patients with β-thalassaemia major: a long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND Little information is available about the kidney's involvement in patients with β-thalassaemia major (TM). In particular, there are no studies reporting the outcome of renal function over time. METHODS In this retrospective study, we evaluated the changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in 81 adult patients with TM followed for 10 years. Only patients who had an eGFR of >90 mL/min/1.73 m(2) at presentation were admitted to the study. All patients were regularly followed for at least 10 years. RESULTS At 10 years, 66 patients showed a mild decline in eGFR that remained, however, within a normal range (from 119.9 to 113.6 mL/min/1.73 m(2), P = 0.636). In the remaining 15 patients (18.5%), eGFR decreased to <90 mL/min (from 98.1 to 78.2 mL/min/1.73 m(2); P = 0.004). The repeated-measures models showed that the decline in eGFR over time was significantly higher (P = 0.0068) in patients with baseline phosphaturia >1000 mg/24 h (P = 0.0068), while eGFR tended to decline more rapidly in patients with baseline uricuria >700 mg/24 h than in those with lower uricuria (P = 0.0783). Univariate Cox's proportional regression models showed that abnormal levels of calcaemia were associated with the risk of kidney damage [hazard ratio (HR) 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.09-0.97 for calcaemia 8.4-10.2 mg/dL versus HR not estimable for calcaemia <8.4 or >10.2 mg/dL]. CONCLUSIONS In most adults with TM, the eGFR tends to remain within a normal range after 10 years. However, patients with elevated phosphaturia, elevated uricuria and/or abnormal levels of calcaemia show a significant decline in eGFR over time, suggesting that tubular damage acquired in childhood caused by either TM or its treatment may eventually result in abnormal eGFR. Further studies in a larger cohort of TM patients are needed to further elucidate the long-term impact of TM on renal function.
What difference could in-service training make? Insights from a public school of Pakistan

In-service courses have been used as a common strategy to build the capacity of teachers to meet the constantly changing demands of modern schooling. But how the teachers implement the ideas and strategies acquired from such in-service training and what conditions influence the implementation process is the least examined area in Pakistan, especially in the rural context. Using a case study approach, the current study explored the possibilities and challenges of implementing strategies, learnt through in-service training, in a public school in rural Pakistan. It was found that in-service courses have a positive impact upon the attitude and practices of the trainee teacher. However, due to various structural and cultural barriers, the teacher is not able to implement many of the strategies and ideas in the school context. The hierarchical structure of schools, teachers’ workload, lack of resources and insufficient support from colleagues and management hinder the process of implementation. The study suggests that in-service training should provide the trainees with ideas and skills to cope with the structural and cultural challenges at school. Moreover, ongoing support and encouragement from colleagues, course facilitators and management is required to sustain the implementation of strategies learnt during training.
A novel method for radio propagation simulation based on automatic 3D environment reconstruction

In this paper, a novel method to simulate radio propagation is presented. The method consists of two steps: automatic 3D scenario reconstruction and propagation modeling. For 3D reconstruction, a machine learning algorithm is adopted and improved to automatically recognize objects in pictures taken from target region, and 3D models are generated based on the recognized objects. The propagation model employs a ray tracing algorithm to compute signal strength for each point on the constructed 3D map. By comparing with other methods, the work presented in this paper makes contributions on reducing human efforts and cost in constructing 3D scene; moreover, the developed propagation model proves its potential in both accuracy and efficiency.