Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards Achieving the Full Clinical Potential of Proton Therapy by Inclusion of LET and RBE Models

Despite increasing use of proton therapy (PBT), several systematic literature reviews show limited gains in clinical outcomes, with publications mostly devoted to recent technical developments. The lack of randomised control studies has also hampered progress in the acceptance of PBT by many oncologists and policy makers. There remain two important uncertainties associated with PBT, namely: (1) accuracy and reproducibility of Bragg peak position (BPP); and (2) imprecise knowledge of the relative biological effect (RBE) for different tissues and tumours, and at different doses. Incorrect BPP will change dose, linear energy transfer (LET) and RBE, with risks of reduced tumour control and enhanced toxicity. These interrelationships are discussed qualitatively with respect to the ICRU target volume definitions. The internationally accepted proton RBE of 1.1 was based on assays and dose ranges unlikely to reveal the complete range of RBE in the human body. RBE values are not known for human (or animal) brain, spine, kidney, liver, intestine, etc. A simple efficiency model for estimating proton RBE values is described, based on data of Belli et al. and other authors, which allows linear increases in α and β with LET, with a gradient estimated using a saturation model from the low LET α and β radiosensitivity parameter input values, and decreasing RBE with increasing dose. To improve outcomes, 3-D dose-LET-RBE and bio-effectiveness maps are required. Validation experiments are indicated in relevant tissues. Randomised clinical studies that test the invariant 1.1 RBE allocation against higher values in late reacting tissues, and lower tumour RBE values in the case of radiosensitive tumours, are also indicated.
A large organic aerosol source in the free troposphere missing from current models

Aircraft measurements of organic carbon (OC) aerosol by two independent methods over the NW Pacific during the ACE‐Asia campaign reveal unexpectedly high concentrations in the free troposphere (FT). Concentrations average 4 μg sm−3 in the 2–6.5 km column with little vertical gradient. These values are 10–100 times higher than computed with a global chemical transport model (CTM) including a standard 2‐product simulation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation based on empirical fits to smog chamber data. The same CTM reproduces the observed vertical profiles of sulfate and elemental carbon aerosols, which indicate sharp decreases from the boundary layer to the FT due to wet scavenging. Our results suggest a large, sustained source of SOA in the FT from oxidation of long‐lived volatile organic compounds. We find that this SOA is the dominant component of aerosol mass in the FT, with implications for intercontinental pollution transport and radiative forcing of climate.
Ieee Ipas'14: International Image Processing Applications and Systems Conference 2014 Features Selection in Video Fall Detection

— Falls are a common problem for old people. They can result in dangerous consequences even death. Therefore, automatic tools for fall detection using camera vision can be very useful for helping the elderly. These methods are based on analyzing extracted features. Different features are used such as vertical and horizontal gradient, motion history of image, shape analysis and posture. In this paper, we try to do an investigation of many proposed methods for the fall detection and compare their performances.
Return on Investment in Electronic Health Records in Primary Care Practices: A Mixed-Methods Study

Background The use of electronic health records (EHR) in clinical settings is considered pivotal to a patient-centered health care delivery system. However, uncertainty in cost recovery from EHR investments remains a significant concern in primary care practices. Objective Guided by the question of “When implemented in primary care practices, what will be the return on investment (ROI) from an EHR implementation? ”, the objectives of this study are two-fold: (1) to assess ROI from EHR in primary care practices and (2) to identify principal factors affecting the realization of positive ROI from EHR. We used a break-even point, that is, the time required to achieve cost recovery from an EHR investment, as an ROI indicator of an EHR investment. Methods Given the complexity exhibited by most EHR implementation projects, this study adopted a retrospective mixed-method research approach, particularly a multiphase study design approach. For this study, data were collected from community-based primary care clinics using EHR systems. Results We collected data from 17 primary care clinics using EHR systems. Our data show that the sampled primary care clinics recovered their EHR investments within an average period of 10 months (95% CI 6.2-17.4 months), seeing more patients with an average increase of 27% in the active-patients-to-clinician-FTE (full time equivalent) ratio and an average increase of 10% in the active-patients-to-clinical-support-staff-FTE ratio after an EHR implementation. Our analysis suggests, with a 95% confidence level, that the increase in the number of active patients (P=.006), the increase in the active-patients-to-clinician-FTE ratio (P<.001), and the increase in the clinic net revenue (P<.001) are positively associated with the EHR implementation, likely contributing substantially to an average break-even point of 10 months. Conclusions We found that primary care clinics can realize a positive ROI with EHR. Our analysis of the variances in the time required to achieve cost recovery from EHR investments suggests that a positive ROI does not appear automatically upon implementing an EHR and that a clinic’s ability to leverage EHR for process changes seems to play a role. Policies that provide support to help primary care practices successfully make EHR-enabled changes, such as support of clinic workflow optimization with an EHR system, could facilitate the realization of positive ROI from EHR in primary care practices.
Social Security and Households' Saving

This paper provides new evidence on the substitutability between private and pension wealth by exploiting the Italian pension reform of 1992. We use a difference-in-difference estimator that exploits the differential effects of the reform on individuals belonging to several year-of-birth cohorts and different occupational groups. We find convincing evidence that saving rates increase as a result of a reduction in pension wealth. By allowing for the possibility that substitutability changes with age, we find that substitutability is particularly high (and precisely estimated) for workers between 35 and 45.
AN OLD‐NEW CONCEPT OF CONVEX RISK MEASURES: THE OPTIMIZED CERTAINTY EQUIVALENT

The optimized certainty equivalent (OCE) is a decision theoretic criterion based on a utility function, that was first introduced by the authors in 1986. This paper re‐examines this fundamental concept, studies and extends its main properties, and puts it in perspective to recent concepts of risk measures. We show that the negative of the OCE naturally provides a wide family of risk measures that fits the axiomatic formalism of convex risk measures. Duality theory is used to reveal the link between the OCE and the ϕ‐divergence functional (a generalization of relative entropy), and allows for deriving various variational formulas for risk measures. Within this interpretation of the OCE, we prove that several risk measures recently analyzed and proposed in the literature (e.g., conditional value of risk, bounded shortfall risk) can be derived as special cases of the OCE by using particular utility functions. We further study the relations between the OCE and other certainty equivalents, providing general conditions under which these can be viewed as coherent/convex risk measures. Throughout the paper several examples illustrate the flexibility and adequacy of the OCE for building risk measures.
Effects of aclidinium on determinants of COPD severity: symptoms and quality of life

The pathophysiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) includes persistent airflow limitation, altered gas exchange, and enhanced chronic inflammatory response. According to disease severity in individual patients, exacerbations and comorbidities frequently occur. The overall nocturnal and daily symptoms have a strong impact on patient quality of life and clinical outcomes. Bronchodilators, by targeting two important aspects of COPD pathophysiology, ie, bronchoconstriction and lung hyperinflation, are the mainstay of therapy for COPD. Aclidinium bromide in particular is an anticholinergic molecule, approved for maintenance bronchodilator treatment of stable COPD, that combines high antimuscarinic activity with strong kinetic selectivity for the M3 receptor subtype. Moreover, the elevated plasma clearance of aclidinium has been related to low systemic bioavailability and low incidence of anticholinergic adverse events, whereas the reduced residence time at M2 receptors provides good cardiovascular safety. Altogether, these characteristics result in a high safety and tolerability profile. This review aims to reappraise the contribution of symptoms and of the level of quality of life determinants on COPD severity and to evaluate how therapeutic strategies with aclidinium may positively impact on these specific determinants of disease severity.
Are There Unstable Planetary Systems around White Dwarfs?

The presence of planets around solar-type stars suggests that many white dwarfs should have relic planetary systems. While planets closer than ~5 AU will most likely not survive the post-main-sequence lifetime of their parent star, any planet with semimajor axis greater than 5 AU will survive, and its semimajor axis will increase as the central star loses mass. Since the stability of adjacent orbits to mutual planet-planet perturbations depends on the ratio of the planet mass to the central star's mass, some planets in previously stable orbits around a star undergoing mass loss will become unstable. We show that when mass loss is slow, systems of two planets that are marginally stable can become unstable to close encounters, while for three planets the timescale for close approaches decreases significantly with increasing mass ratio. These processes could explain the presence of anomalous IR excesses around white dwarfs that cannot be explained by close companions, such as G29-38, and may also be an important factor in explaining the existence of DAZ white dwarfs. The onset of instability through changing mass ratios will also be a significant effect for planetary embryos gaining mass in protoplanetary disks.
INTEGRAL and XMM–Newton observations of LSI +61° 303

LSI +61 ◦ 303 is one of the few X-ray binaries with Be star companion from which both radio and high-energy gamma-ray emission have been observed. We present XMM-Newton and INTEGRAL observations which reveal variability of the X-ray spectra l index of the system. The X-ray spectrum is hard (photon index ≃ 1.5) during the orbital phases of both high and low X-ray flux. However, the spectrum softens at the moment of transition from high to low X-ray state. The spectrum of the system in the hard X-ray band does not reveal the presence of a cut-off (or, at least a spectral break) at 10-60 keV energies, expect ed if the compact object is an accreting neutron star. The observed spectrum and spectral variability can be explained if the compact object in the system is a rotation powered pulsar.
Pure luminosity evolution models: too few massive galaxies at intermediate and high redshift

We compare recent galaxy data at low and high redshift to pure luminosity evolution (PLE) models, which assume that massive galaxies were assembled and formed most of their stars at high redshift (z > 3) and have evolved without merging or substantial dust obscuration since then. Previous studies, typically comparing to only one or a few different PLE parametrizations, painted a diverse picture of whether or not the evolution of bright early-type galaxies is consistent with such models. Here we attempt to gain further insight by exploring a wider parameter space. Our models span the full range of plausible metallicities, initial mass functions (IMFs) and star formation histories. We require them to reproduce the abundance of galaxies by colour and luminosity in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and we investigate whether they can simultaneously fit (i) the observed galaxy counts as a function of redshift in magnitude-limited surveys with K < 20, and (ii) the colour and M/L ratio evolution of red-sequence galaxies in clusters. All models that are consistent with (ii) predict galaxy counts at 1.5 < z < 3 that lie above the observations. This finding does not change with the incorporation of moderate dust extinction, confirming previous studies, which concluded that, for an IMF slope similar to the Salpeter value, such models lie far above the data. The progenitors of most present-day massive galaxies must be much more heavily extincted than currently known galaxies at z ≥ 1.5 to match the observed counts at these redshifts. Alternatively, the majority of massive galaxies may have assembled at later redshifts as suggested by some hierarchical formation models.
Effects of copper, cadmium, and zinc on the production and exudation of thiols by Emiliania huxleyi

Cultures of the ubiquitous coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi grown at field‐relevant fixed free ion concentrations of Cu, Cd, and Zn exude a broad array of thiols, some of which increase with increasing metal ion concentration. The primary thiols released are contingent on the particular metal or combination of metals added to the culture media. Exposure to Cu results in the release of arginine‐cysteine, glutamine‐cysteine, and cysteine; Cd causes these thiols and glutathione to be released; and high Zn results in the synthesis and exudation of predominantly γ‐glutamate‐ cysteine (γ‐Glu‐Cys). Because the free ion concentrations of Cu and Cd used in these experiments are similar to those observed in the field, active exudation could be an important source of thiols to surface seawater and thus might affect trace metal speciation in the open ocean. Intracellular thiol concentrations were also clearly affected by metal concentrations, with γ‐Glu‐Cys being particularly dynamic. Additionally, the shift from exponential to stationary growth in batch cultures caused approximately two‐ to fourfold declines in the concentrations of nearly all intracellular thiols.
Activation of Prefrontal Cortex by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Reduces Appetite for Risk during Ambiguous Decision Making

As adult humans, we are continuously faced with decisions in which proper weighing of the risk involved is critical. Excessively risky or overly cautious decision making can both have disastrous real-world consequences. Weighing of risks and benefits toward decision making involves a complex neural network that includes the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), but its role remains unclear. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation studies have shown that disruption of the DLPFC increases risk-taking behavior. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) allows upregulation of activity in the DLPFC, and we predicted that it might promote more cautious decision making. Healthy participants received one of the following treatments while they performed the Balloon Analog Risk Task: (1) right anodal/left cathodal DLPFC tDCS, (2) left anodal/ right cathodal DLPFC tDCS, or (3) sham tDCS. This experiment revealed that participants receiving either one of the bilateral DLPFC tDCS strategies adopted a risk-averse response style. In a control experiment, we tested whether unilateral DLPFC stimulation (anodal tDCS over the right or left DLPFC with the cathodal electrode over the contralateral supraorbital area) was sufficient to decrease risk-taking behaviors. This experiment showed no difference in decision-making behaviors between the groups of unilateral DLPFC stimulation and sham stimulation. These findings extend the notion that DLPFC activity is critical for adaptive decision making, possibly by suppressing riskier responses. Anodal tDCS over DLPFC by itself did not significantly change risk-taking behaviors; however, when the contralateral DLPFC was modulated with cathodal tCDS, an important decrease in risk taking was observed. Also, the induced cautious decision-making behavior was observed only when activity of both DLPFCs was modulated. The ability to modify risk-taking behavior may be translated into therapeutic interventions for disorders such as drug abuse, overeating, or pathological gambling.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition of Maternal Diet and Erythrocyte Phospholipid Status in Chilean Pregnant Women

Chilean diets are characterized by a low supply of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), which are critical nutrients during pregnancy and lactation, because of their role in brain and visual development. DHA is the most relevant n-3 PUFA in this period. We evaluated the dietary n-3 PUFA intake and erythrocyte phospholipids n-3 PUFA in Chilean pregnant women. Eighty healthy pregnant women (20–36 years old) in the 3rd–6th month of pregnancy were included in the study. Dietary assessment was done applying a food frequency questionnaire, and data were analyzed through the Food Processor SQL® software. Fatty acids of erythrocyte phospholipids were assessed by gas-liquid chromatography. Diet composition was high in saturated fat, low in mono- and PUFA, high in n-6 PUFA (linoleic acid) and low in n-3 PUFA (alpha-linolenic acid and DHA), with imbalance in the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio. Similar results were observed for fatty acids from erythrocyte phospholipids. The sample of Chilean pregnant women showed high consumption of saturated fat and low consumption of n-3 PUFA, which is reflected in the low DHA content of erythrocyte phospholipids. Imbalance between n-6/n-3 PUFA could negatively affect fetal development. New strategies are necessary to improve n-3 PUFA intake throughout pregnancy and breast feeding periods. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop dietary interventions to improve the quality of consumed foods with particular emphasis on n-3 PUFA.
- 3-1997 Feature Subset Selection Using a Genetic Algorithm

Practical pattern classi cation and knowledge discovery problems require selection of a subset of attributes or features (from a much larger set) to represent the patterns to be classi ed. This paper presents an approach to the multi-criteria optimization problem of feature subset selection using a genetic algorithm. Our experiments demonstrate the feasibility of this approach for feature subset selection in the automated design of neural networks for pattern classi cation and knowledge discovery.
ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL SUCCESS SUB-FACTORS FOR PUBLIC–PRIVATE-PARTNERSHIPS IN NIGERIA

In Nigeria, there has been an increasing campaign for and the use of the public-private-partnership (PPP) procurement strategy. This research sought to assess a number of critical success sub-factors (SSFs), identified in an earlier study, on some selected PPP projects from the perspectives of both the public and private sectors. The study also sought to test whether there is agreement between the two sectors in their rankings and perceptions of the SSFs. A questionnaire survey was conducted to elicit the perceptions of the respondents on success factors for PPP projects. A set of 120 questionnaires was administered on respondents who were directly responsible for managing and administering construction related PPP projects. Fifty-nine (59) questionnaires were retrieved. The questionnaire used some identified success sub-factors (SSFs) to elicit the rankings of respondents on the SSFs. The retrieved questionnaires were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The obtained rankings were investigated to test their agreement. The findings of the study suggest that there are significant differences in the perceptions of both the public and private sectors on the rankings of the SSFs on PPP projects in Nigeria. One major implication of the findings of the research is the perception gap between the private sector and public sector on the critical success sub-factors. This perception gap has the potential of affecting the acceptability and performance of PPP projects in the country. It is thus recommended that relevant stakeholders take measures to close this perception gap while formulating and/or implementing policies for PPP projects in Nigeria.
Evidence supporting a role for Nε-(3-formyl-3,4-dehydropiperidino)lysine accumulation in Müller glia dysfunction and death in diabetic retinopathy

Purpose Recent evidence suggests that neuroglial dysfunction and degeneration contributes to the etiology and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Advanced lipoxidation end products (ALEs) have been implicated in the pathology of various diseases, including diabetes and several neurodegenerative disorders. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the possible link between the accumulation of ALEs and neuroretinal changes in diabetic retinopathy. Methods Retinal sections obtained from diabetic rats and age-matched controls were processed for immunohistochemistry using antibodies against several well defined ALEs. In vitro experiments were also performed using a human Müller (Moorfields/Institute of Ophthalmology-Müller 1 [MIO-M1]) glia cell line. Western blot analysis was used to measure the accumulation of the acrolein-derived ALE adduct Nε-(3-formyl-3,4-dehydropiperidino)lysine (FDP-lysine) in Müller cells preincubated with FDP-lysine-modified human serum albumin (FDP-lysine-HSA). Responses of Müller cells to FDP-lysine accumulation were investigated by analyzing changes in the protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and the inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir4.1. In addition, mRNA expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) were determined by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT–PCR). Apoptotic cell death was evaluated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis after staining with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled annexin V and propidium iodide. Results No significant differences in the levels of malondialdehyde-, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-, and 4-hydroxyhexenal-derived ALEs were evident between control and diabetic retinas after 4 months of diabetes. By contrast, FDP-lysine immunoreactivity was markedly increased in the Müller glia of diabetic rats. Time-course studies revealed that FDP-lysine initially accumulated within Müller glial end feet after only a few months of diabetes and thereafter spread distally throughout their inner radial processes. Exposure of human Müller glia to FDP-lysine-HSA led to a concentration-dependent accumulation of FDP-lysine-modified proteins across a broad molecular mass range. FDP-lysine accumulation was associated with the induction of HO-1, no change in GFAP, a decrease in protein levels of the potassium channel subunit Kir4.1, and upregulation of transcripts for VEGF, IL-6, and TNF-α. Incubation of Müller glia with FDP-lysine-HSA also caused apoptosis at high concentrations. Conclusions Collectively, these data strongly suggest that FDP-lysine accumulation could be a major factor contributing to the Müller glial abnormalities occurring in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy.