Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer and metastases: preliminary report.

PURPOSE To assess technical feasibility, efficacy, and complications of percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic radiofrequency (RF) ablation for treating inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and lung metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-six patients with 27 NSCLCs and four patients with five lung metastases underwent RF ablation with cooled-tip electrodes with CT guidance. Patients were not candidates for surgery because of either advanced-stage disease (n = 20) and/or comorbid processes (n = 4) or refusal to undergo surgery (n = 6). The procedure was performed with the intent to cure in 10 (33%) patients with stage I tumors and as palliative therapy in 20 (67%) patients. Contrast material-enhanced CT was performed immediately, 1 month, and then every 3 months after RF ablation to evaluate the response to therapy. Time to death for each patient was calculated with Kaplan-Meier analysis, and the effect of tumor size and the extent of coagulation necrosis on time to death were determined. RESULTS Complete necrosis was attained in 12 (38%) of 32 lesions; partial (>50%) necrosis, in the remaining 20 (62%) lesions. Tumor size was a major discriminator in achieving complete necrosis. Complete necrosis was attained in all six (100%) tumors smaller than 3 cm but only in six (23%) of 26 larger tumors (P <.05). Mean survival of patients with complete necrosis (19.7 months) was significantly better than that of patients with partial necrosis (8.7 months) (P <.01). There were three (in 30 patients, 10%) major complications, which included acute respiratory distress syndrome, and two pneumothoraces that required thoracostomy. CONCLUSION RF ablation appears to be a safe and promising procedure for the treatment of inoperable NSCLC and metastases.
An Experimental Evaluation of Regret-Based Econometrics

Using data obtained in a controlled ad-auction experiment that we ran, we evaluate the regret-based approach to econometrics that was recently suggested by Nekipelov, Syrgkanis, and Tardos (EC 2015). We found that despite the weak regret-based assumptions, the results were (at least) as accurate as those obtained using classic equilibrium-based assumptions. En route we studied to what extent humans actually minimize regret in our ad auction, and found a significant difference between the ``high types'' (players with a high valuation) who indeed rationally minimized regret and the ``low types'' who significantly overbid. We suggest that correcting for these biases and adjusting the regret-based econometric method may improve the accuracy of estimated values.
Responses of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, and cytokines during and after upper abdominal surgery.

There is currently accumulating evidence for bidirectional communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems. Various cytokines have been suggested to be involved in the stimulation of stress hormone secretion during the times of infection and inflammation. To assess the possible involvement and pathophysiologic significance of cytokines in the mechanisms responsible for the perioperative stress response of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, we observed the changes of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol levels together with those of plasma endotoxin and cytokine levels. In patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy, perioperative stimulation of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol secretion was accompanied by a significant elevation of plasma cytokine levels. Application of epidural block up to the upper thoracic levels failed to suppress this stress response effectively. In patients undergoing unilateral total hip replacement, the response of plasma hormone levels was smaller and briefer with no significant increase of plasma cytokine levels. Application of epidural block up to the lower thoracic levels suppressed this hormonal response almost completely. In patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy, a significant elevation of plasma endotoxin level was followed by a gradual but significant elevation of plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-6 levels. It seems likely that the stimulatory effects of these cytokines on the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol might be involved in the development of the greater and more prolonged stress response of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. Our present study suggests that not only neural input from the surgical wound but also stimulation of cytokine production were responsible for the development of the stress response of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis during and after upper abdominal surgery. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Enzyme Activation by Autocrine IL-10-Converting b Lipopolysaccharide-Induced IL-1 Janus Kinase 3 Down-Regulates

2 § ProIL-1 (cid:1) processing by IL-1 (cid:1) -converting enzyme (ICE) and the subsequent release of mature IL-1 (cid:1) are highly regulated events in the monocyte/macrophage response to pathogens. This process occurs in a controlled way through the activation of the con-stitutively expressed 45-kDa ICE precursor (proICE). To characterize the signaling pathways involved in ICE regulation in human monocytes/macrophages, we analyzed ICE activation in the presence of speciﬁc inhibitors of classic signaling pathways. Although LPS-induced ICE activity was not signiﬁcantly affected by interruption of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, p38 kinase, or phosphoinositol 3-kinase, Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) inhibition produced a signiﬁcant dose-dependent enhancement of LPS-induced ICE activity. Support for the inhibitory role of JAK3 was shown by the fact that IL-4 (which uses JAK1 and JAK3 signaling) suppressed LPS-induced ICE activity and by the ﬁnding that JAK3 knockout macrophages have increased LPS-induced ICE activation. To understand how JAK3 down-regulates LPS-induced ICE activity in monocytes, we hypothesized that JAK3 signaling enhances IL-10 production. In support of this model we show that LPS-induced IL-10 expression was synchronous with ICE deactivation, IL-4 induced the release of IL-10, exogenous IL-10 suppressed LPS-induced ICE activity, a neutralizing IL-10 Ab increased LPS-induced ICE activity, and, ﬁnally, JAK3 knockout macrophages displayed signiﬁcantly reduced LPS-induced IL-10 production. These ﬁndings support a model in which JAK3 signaling enhances IL-10 production leading to down-regulation of ICE activation and suppression of IL-1 (cid:1)
Red clover (Trifolium pratense).

Brief Background: Red clover is a legume, which like soy contains "phytoestrogens" (plant-based compounds structurally similar to estradiol, capable of binding to estrogen receptors as an agonist or antagonist). Red clover was traditionally used to treat asthma, pertussis, cancer, and gout. In modern times, isoflavone extracts of red clover are most often used to treat menopausal symptoms, as an alternative hormone replacement therapy, for hyperlipidemia, or to prevent osteoporosis. At this time, there are no high-quality human trials supporting the efficacy of red clover for any indication (1). Soy protein, another source of isoflavones, has been reported to significantly reduce serum lipid levels, but this benefit has not been demonstrated for red clover, and may be due to the presence of other constituents in soy (saponins, pectins, essential fatty acids).
Naturally Occurring Adrenocortical Insufficiency – An Epidemiological Study Based on a Swedish‐Insured Dog Population of 525,028 Dogs

Background Naturally occurring adrenocortical insufficiency (NOAI) in dogs is considered an uncommon disease with good prognosis with hormonal replacement treatment. However, there are no epidemiological studies with estimates for the general dog population. Objectives To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of NOAI in a large population of insured dogs. Animals Data were derived from 525,028 client‐owned dogs insured by a Swedish insurance company representing 2,364,652 dog‐years at risk (DYAR) during the period between 1995–2006. Methods Retrospective cohort study. Incidence rates, prevalences, and relative risks for dogs with NOAI (AI with no previous claim for hypercortisolism), were calculated for the whole dog population, and for subgroups divided by breed and sex. Mortality rates were calculated and compared in dogs with NOAI and the remaining dogs overall. Results In total 534 dogs were identified with NOAI. The overall incidence was 2.3 cases per 10,000 DYAR. The relative risk of disease was significantly higher in the Portuguese Water Dog, Standard Poodle, Bearded Collie, Cairn Terrier, and Cocker Spaniel compared with other breeds combined. Female dogs overall were at higher risk of developing AI than male dogs (RR 1.85; 95% CI, 1.55–2.22; P < .001). The relative risk of death was 1.9 times higher in dogs with NOAI than in dogs overall. Conclusion and Clinical Importance The data supports the existence of breed‐specific differences in incidence rates of NOAI in dogs.
Outpatient, sequential, parenteral‐oral antibiotic therapy for lower risk febrile neutropenia in children with malignant disease

Recent reports and previous randomized trials conducted at the authors' institution suggested that children with lower risk febrile neutropenic (LRFN) may benefit from substitution of oral antibiotic therapy for parenteral therapy. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of parenteral‐oral outpatient therapy in the management of children with LRFN who were receiving treatment for malignant disease.
Clinical Diagnosis of Achilles Tendinopathy With Tendinosis

ObjectiveTo evaluate sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and predictive value of palpation of the painful arc sign and of the Royal London Hospital test in 10 patients with Achilles tendinopathy and in 14 asymptomatic subjects. DesignTest-retest study. SettingUniversity teaching hospital. ParticipantsTen male athletes on the waiting list for exploration of one of their Achilles tendons for tendinopathy of the main body of the tendon attended a special clinic. Each was invited to bring at least one athlete of the same sex in the same discipline aged within 2 years of themselves with no history and no symptoms of Achilles tendinopathy. A total of 14 controls were thus recruited. Main Outcome MeasuresPain and tenderness following performance of palpation, the painful arc sign, and the Royal London Hospital test. ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences at the 5% level among the effects of investigator or between morning and afternoon measurements for any of the three measurement methods. There was no evidence of a difference of the three assessment methods (p > 0.05). When the three methods were combined, the overall sensitivity was 0.586 (confidence interval [CI], 0.469–0.741), and the overall specificity was 0.833 (CI, 0.758–0.889). ConclusionsIn patients with tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon with a tender area of intratendinous swelling that moves with the tendon and whose tenderness significantly decreases or disappears when the tendon is put under tension, a clinical diagnosis of tendinopathy can be formulated, with a high positive predictive chance that the tendon will show ultrasonographic and histologic features of tendinopathy.
Eecient Learning of Typical Finite Automata from Random Walks Extended Abstract

This paper describes new and e cient algorithms for learning deterministic nite automata. Our approach is primarily distinguished by two features: (1) the adoption of an average-case setting to model the \typical" labeling of a nite automaton, while retaining a worst-case model for the underlying graph of the automaton, along with (2) a learning model in which the learner is not provided with the means to experiment with the machine, but rather must learn solely by observing the automaton's output behavior on a random input sequence. The main contribution of this paper is in presenting the rst e cient algorithms for learning non-trivial classes of automata in an entirely passive learning model. We adopt an on-line learning model in which the learner is asked to predict the output of the next state, given the next symbol of the random input sequence; the goal of the learner is to make as few prediction mistakes as possible. Assuming the learner has a means of resetting the target machine to a xed start state, we rst present an e cient algorithm that makes an expected polynomial number of mistakes in this model. Next, we show how this rst algorithm can be used as a subroutine by a second algorithm that also makes a polynomial number of mistakes even in the absence of a reset. Along the way, we prove a number of combinatorial results for randomly labeled automata. We also show that the labeling of the states and the bits of the input sequence need not be truly random, but merely semi-random. Finally, we discuss an extension of our results to a model in which automata are used to represent distributions over binary strings.
Some results from the biosecure talking face evaluation campaign

The BioSecure Network of Excellence has collected a large multi- biometric publicly available database and organized the BioSecure Multimodal Evaluation Campaigns (BMEC) in 20072. This paper reports on the Talking Faces campaign. Open source reference systems were made available to participants and four laboratories submitted executable code to the organizer who performed tests on sequestered data. Several deliberate impostures were tested. It is demonstrated that forgeries are a real threat for such systems. A technological race is ongoing between deliberate impostors and system developers.
International prevalence of recurrent wheezing during the first year of life: variability, treatment patterns and use of health resources

Background Recurrent wheezing (RW) during the first year of life is a major cause of respiratory morbidity worldwide, yet there are no studies on its prevalence at an international level. A study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of RW in infants during their first year of life in affluent and non-affluent localities. Methods This international population-based study was performed in random samples of infants aged 12–15 months from 17 centres in Latin America and Europe. It uses a validated questionnaire answered by parents at the primary care health clinics where infants attend for growth/development monitoring and/or vaccine administration. Results Among the 30 093 infants surveyed, 45.2% (95% CI 44.7% to 45.8%) had at least one episode of wheezing and 20.3% (95% CI 19.8% to 20.7%) had RW. The mean prevalence of RW in Latin American and European centres was 21.4% (95% CI 20.9% to 21.9%) and 15.0% (95% CI 14.0% to 15.9%), respectively (p<0.001). There was significant morbidity associated with RW in terms of severe episodes (59.4%), visits to the emergency department (71.1%) and hospital admissions (26.8%); 46.1% used inhaled corticosteroids. Conclusions The prevalence of RW in infants during the first year of life is high and varies between localities. A significant proportion of infants progress to a more severe condition which results in high use of health resources (visits to emergency department and hospitalisations). The prevalence of RW is lower and less severe in European than in Latin American centres, suggesting there is a higher risk for the disease in developing areas.
Fabrication of graphene foam supported carbon nanotube/polyaniline hybrids for high-performance supercapacitor applications

A large-scale, high-powered energy storage system is crucial for addressing the energy problem. The development of high-performance materials is a key issue in realizing the grid-scale applications of energy-storage devices. In this work, we describe a simple and scalable method for fabricating hybrids (graphene-pyrrole/carbon nanotube-polyaniline (GPCP)) using graphene foam as the supporting template. Graphene-pyrrole (G-Py) aerogels are prepared via a green hydrothermal route from two-dimensional materials such as graphene sheets, while a carbon nanotube/polyaniline (CNT/PANI) composite dispersion is obtained via the in situ polymerization method. The functional nanohybrid materials of GPCP can be assembled by simply dipping the prepared G-py aerogels into the CNT/PANI dispersion. The morphology of the obtained GPCP is investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which revealed that the CNT/PANI was uniformly deposited onto the surfaces of the graphene. The as-synthesized GPCP maintains its original three-dimensional hierarchical porous architecture, which favors the diffusion of the electrolyte ions into the inner region of the active materials. Such hybrid materials exhibit significant specific capacitance of up to 350 F g−1, making them promising in large-scale energy-storage device applications.
Implementing a Reconciliation and Balancing Model in the U.S. Industry Accounts

As part of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis’ integration initiative (Yuskavage, 2000; Moyer et al., 2004a, 2004b; Lawson et al., 2006), the Industry Accounts Directorate is drawing upon the Stone method (Stone et al., 1942) and Chen (2006) to reconcile the gross operating surplus component of value-added from the 2002 expenditure-based benchmark input-output accounts and the 2002 income-based gross domestic product-by-industry accounts. The objective of the reconciliation is to use information regarding the relative reliabilities of underlying data in both the benchmark input-output use table and the gross domestic product-by-industry accounts in a balanced input-output framework in order to improve intermediate input estimates and gross operating surplus estimates in both accounts. Given a balanced input-output framework, the Stone method also provides a tool for balancing the benchmark use table. This paper presents work by the Industry Accounts Directorate to develop and implement the reconciliation and balancing model. The paper provides overviews of the benchmark use table and gross domestic product-by-industry accounts, including features of external source data and adjustment methodologies that are relevant for the reconciliation. In addition, the paper presents the empirical model that the Industry Accounts Directorate is building and briefly describes the technology used to solve the model. Preliminary work during development of the model shows that reconciling and balancing a large system with disaggregated data is computationally feasible and efficient in pursuit of an economically accurate and reliable benchmark use table and gross domestic product-by-industry accounts.
Loss Aversion and Consumption Choice: Theory and Experimental Evidence

In this paper we analyze a consumer choice model with price uncertainty, loss aversion, and expectation-based reference points. The implications of this model are tested in an experiment in which participants have to make a consumption choice between two sandwiches. We make use of the fact that participants di er in their reported taste di erence between the two sandwiches and the degree of loss aversion which we measure separately. We find that more loss averse participants are more likely to opt for the cheaper sandwich provided that their reported taste di erence is below some threshold, confirming the model s predictions.
Applied Spatial Econometrics: Raising the Bar

Abstract This paper places the key issues and implications of the new ‘introductory’ book on spatial econometrics by James LeSage & Kelley Pace (2009) in a broader perspective: the argument in favour of the spatial Durbin model, the use of indirect effects as a more valid basis for testing whether spatial spillovers are significant, the use of Bayesian posterior model probabilities to determine which spatial weights matrix best describes the data, and the book's contribution to the literature on spatio-temporal models. The main conclusion is that the state of the art of applied spatial econometrics has taken a step change with the publication of this book. Relever le niveau de l'économetrie spatial appliquée RÉSUMÉ La présente communication place les principales questions et implications du nouvel ouvrage d'introduction sur l'économétries spatiale de James LeSage & Kelley Pace (2009) dans un contexte plus général: l'argument favorisant le modèle spatial de Durbin, l'emploi d'effets indirects comme base plus valable pour évaluer l'aspect significatif des déversements spatiaux, l'emploi des probabilités d'un modèle baysien postérieur pour évaluer laquelle des matrices de poids spatiaux décrit le mieux les donnes, et la contribution de l'ouvrage la documentation sur les modèles spatio-temporels. La principale conclusion est qu'avec la publication de cet ouvrage, l'état de l'art de l'économétries spatiale applique a effectué un grand pas en avant. Alzar el nivel de la econometría espacial aplicada RÉSUMÉ Este trabajo plantea las cuestiones e implicaciones clave del nuevo libro introductorio sobre económetra espacial de James LeSage & Kelley Pace (2009) dentro de una perspectiva más amplia: el argumento a favor del modelo espacial Durbin, el uso de efectos indirectos como una base más válida para poner a prueba si los desbordamientos espaciales son significativos, el uso de probabilidades posteriores bayesianas para descubrir que matriz de pesos espaciales describe mejor los datos, y la contribución del libro a la bibliógrafa sobre modelos espaciotemporales. La principal conclusión es que la econometría espacial aplicada más avanzada ha experimentado un cambio radical con la publicación de este libro.
Coupon Tests on z‐Pinned and Unpinned Composite Samples for Damage Resistant Applications

The main objective of the work was to determine the mechanical properties of Z-pinned and unpinned composites samples. Tensile and interlaminar fracture tests under mode I have been carried out on thermoset polymer matrix composite samples composed of CYTEC 977-2 and carbon fibre yarn HTA-12K/35. The presence of the Z-pins has been found to significantly increase the interlaminar fracture toughness. The crack resistance improvement has been found to be accompanied by a small reduction of the in-plane stiffness properties for a Z-pins density of 2%. The results are presented in relation to the size and pinning quality and are rationalised on the basis of the location of Z-pin block within the sample.
Disease Mapping of Stage‐Specific Cancer Incidence Data

Summary. We propose two approaches for the spatial analysis of cancer incidence data with additional information on the stage of the disease at time of diagnosis. The two formulations are extensions of commonly used models for multicategorical response data on an ordinal scale. We include spatial and age‐group effects in both formulations, which we estimate in a nonparametric smooth way. More specifically, we adopt a fully Bayesian approach based on Gaussian pairwise difference priors where additional smoothing parameters are treated as unknown as well. We argue that the methods are useful in monitoring the effectiveness of mass cancer screening and illustrate this through an application to data on cervical cancer in the former German Democratic Republic. The results suggest that there are large spatial differences in the stage proportions, which indicate spatial variability with respect to the introduction and effectiveness of Pap smear screening programs.