Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A unified theory of carcinogenesis based on order-disorder transitions in DNA structure as studied in the human ovary and breast.

Fourier transform-infrared/statistics models demonstrate that the malignant transformation of morphologically normal human ovarian and breast tissues involves the creation of a high degree of structural modification (disorder) in DNA, before restoration of order in distant metastases. Order-disorder transitions were revealed by methods including principal components analysis of infrared spectra in which DNA samples were represented by points in two-dimensional space. Differences between the geometric sizes of clusters of points and between their locations revealed the magnitude of the order-disorder transitions. Infrared spectra provided evidence for the types of structural changes involved. Normal ovarian DNAs formed a tight cluster comparable to that of normal human blood leukocytes. The DNAs of ovarian primary carcinomas, including those that had given rise to metastases, had a high degree of disorder, whereas the DNAs of distant metastases from ovarian carcinomas were relatively ordered. However, the spectra of the metastases were more diverse than those of normal ovarian DNAs in regions assigned to base vibrations, implying increased genetic changes. DNAs of normal female breasts were substantially disordered (e.g., compared with the human blood leukocytes) as were those of the primary carcinomas, whether or not they had metastasized. The DNAs of distant breast cancer metastases were relatively ordered. These findings evoke a unified theory of carcinogenesis in which the creation of disorder in the DNA structure is an obligatory process followed by the selection of ordered, mutated DNA forms that ultimately give rise to metastases.
Ensemble learning for credit card fraud detection

Timely detection of fraudulent credit card transactions is a business critical and challenging problem in Financial Industry. Specifically, we must deal with the highly skewed nature of the dataset, that is, the ratio of fraud to normal transactions is very small. In this work, we present an ensemble machine learning approach as a possible solution to this problem. Our observation is that Random Forest is more accurate in detecting normal instances, and Neural Network is for detecting fraud instances. We present an ensemble method - based on a combination of random forest and neural network - which keeps the best of both worlds, and is able to predict with high accuracy and confidence the label of a new sample. We experimentally validate our observations on real world datasets.
Nexrutine inhibits azoxymethane‐induced colonic aberrant crypt formation in rat colon and induced apoptotic cell death in colon adenocarcinoma cells

Colon cancer is the third most common cause of death in the United States. Therefore, new preventive strategies are warranted for preventing colon cancer. Nexrutine (NX), an herbal extract from Phellodendron amurense, has been shown to have anti‐inflammatory, anti‐microbial and anti‐cancer activity for various tissue specific cancers, but its chemopreventive efficacy has not been evaluated against colon cancer. Here, we explored the mechanism of chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic efficacy of NX against colon cancer. We found that dietary exposure of NX significantly reduced the number of azoxymethane (AOM)‐induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in rats. In addition, significant inhibition in AOM‐induced cell proliferation and reduced expression of the inflammatory markers COX‐2, iNOS as well as the proliferative markers PCNA and cyclin D1 were also seen. Moreover, NX exposure significantly enhanced apoptosis in the colon of AOM treated rats. Furthermore, in in vitro studies, NX (2.5, 5, 10 μg/ml, 48 h) decreased cell survival and colony formation while inducing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in colon adenocarcinoma cells COLO205 and HCT‐15. However, NX had minimal cytotoxic effect on IEC‐6 normal rat intestinal cells, suggesting its high therapeutic index. NX treatment also modulates the level of Bax and Bcl‐2 proteins along with cytochrome c release, cleavage and enhanced expression of poly (adenosine diphosphate‐ribose) polymerase as well as the catalytic activity of caspase 3 and caspase 9 in both COLO205 and HCT‐15 cells. Based on these in vivo and in vitro findings, we suggest that NX could be useful candidate agent for colon cancer chemoprevention and treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Study of Energy Loss Mechanisms in AlN-Based Piezoelectric Length Extensional-Mode Resonators

This paper reports on the investigation of anomalous low quality factors (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}\text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) in AlN thin film-based length extensional (LE)-mode resonators using finite element method (FEM), analytical modeling, and experimental techniques. Different heterostructures of LE resonators having Al/AlN/Si, Al/AlN, AlN/Si, and Si are designed and fabricated using standard MEMS processes. Experimental <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}\text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> along with resonances are obtained using electrical and optical readout and are compared with the modeled and analytically obtained <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${Q}\text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The results show that the thermoelastic damping (TED) in metal electrode, anchor loss, and charge redistribution loss are not the dominant loss mechanisms. With the help of Mason’s network modeling, we investigated the dielectric loss, which is also observed to be negligible for these resonators. An internal mechanical loss, originating from the columnar growth of AlN and observed using Mason’s model, is proved to be the dominant loss mechanism. This observation is confirmed and reinforced by the COMOSL’s FEM analysis of TED in AlN, having columnar growth effect and by experimental results. [2018-0258]
Diagnose like a Radiologist: Attention Guided Convolutional Neural Network for Thorax Disease Classification

This paper considers the task of thorax disease classification on chest X-ray images. Existing methods generally use the global image as input for network learning. Such a strategy is limited in two aspects. 1) A thorax disease usually happens in (small) localized areas which are disease specific. Training CNNs using global image may be affected by the (excessive) irrelevant noisy areas. 2) Due to the poor alignment of some CXR images, the existence of irregular borders hinders the network performance. In this paper, we address the above problems by proposing a three-branch attention guided convolution neural network (AG-CNN). AG-CNN 1) learns from disease-specific regions to avoid noise and improve alignment, 2) also integrates a global branch to compensate the lost discriminative cues by local branch. Specifically, we first learn a global CNN branch using global images. Then, guided by the attention heat map generated from the global branch, we inference a mask to crop a discriminative region from the global image. The local region is used for training a local CNN branch. Lastly, we concatenate the last pooling layers of both the global and local branches for fine-tuning the fusion branch. The Comprehensive experiment is conducted on the ChestX-ray14 dataset. We first report a strong global baseline producing an average AUC of 0.841 with ResNet-50 as backbone. After combining the local cues with the global information, AG-CNN improves the average AUC to 0.868. While DenseNet-121 is used, the average AUC achieves 0.871, which is a new state of the art in the community.
Middle Managers' Contribution to Implemented Information Technology Innovation

This research investigated whether implemented information technology (IT) innovation could best be explained by a general tendency among middle managers to create implemented business innovation or by experience with IT. The results indicated that middle managers responsible for implemented business innovation also generated IT innovation while managers' practical (hands-on or delegated) use of IT was not shown to result in more implemented IT innovation. Middle managers who actively used support functions (secretaries, staff, or IT experts) for help and discussion of IT-related issues created and implemented a greater amount of IT innovation. Implemented business and IT innovations related to the variables of attitude toward change and peer recognition for their implemented innovations but not to internal and external networking. Peers recognized their fellow managers for their implemented business innovation but not for their IT-related achievements.
Invasive cancers detected after breast cancer screening yielded a negative result: relationship of mammographic density to tumor prognostic factors.

PURPOSE To evaluate common breast tumor prognostic characteristics, including estrogen receptor (ER) status, grade, size, and method of detection, in relationship to mammographic density. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study involved 121 women who had negative results at both screening mammography and breast physical examination within 17 months before a diagnosis of breast cancer. Mammographic density was classified according to Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System patterns 1 through 4 (where 1 indicates a fatty breast and 4 indicates a dense breast). Axillary nodal status and tumor histologic ER status, histologic grade, size, stage, and method of detection (mammography alone, palpation alone, or both palpation and mammography) were analyzed by density category and tested for statistically significant differences across categories by using analysis of variance. RESULTS Statistically significant differences (P <.05) by density category were found for the following variables: ER positivity (15 of 15 tumors in category 1 breasts, 32 of 41 tumors in category 2 breasts, 37 of 49 tumors in category 3 breasts, and eight of 16 tumors in category 4 breasts were ER positive), occurrence of grade 1 tumors (eight, 11, 19, and four tumors in category 1, category 2, category 3, and category 4 breasts, respectively, were grade 1), mean tumor size (11.3, 13.0, 14.7, and 19.7 mm for category 1, category 2, category 3, and category 4 breasts, respectively), detection with mammography alone (13, 31, 36, and four tumors in category 1, category 2, category 3, and category 4 breasts, respectively, were detected with mammography alone), and occurrence of stage I tumors (10, 25, 28, and five tumors in category 1, category 2, category 3, and category 4 breasts, respectively, were stage I). CONCLUSION In women with negative results at clinical and mammographic screening within 17 months before breast tumor detection, subsequently diagnosed cancers tend to be ER negative, of higher grade, and larger in size in those with dense tissue patterns than in those with fat patterns.
Caracterización y correlación clínica de la linfopenia en la enfermedad renal en estadio terminal

Los pacientes con insuficiencia renal cronica en etapa terminal (ERET), presentan alteraciones inmunologicas diversas que los hacen mas susceptibles a infecciones. Entre las alteraciones reportadas se encuentra la linfopenia. Se han realizado pocos estudios en nuestro medio que muestren la frecuencia y caracteristicas de esta alteracion asi como su trascendencia clinica, relacionada con las infecciones que afectan a estos pacientes. Metodos: se analizo una serie de variables, incluyendo los valores de linfocitos y la presencia de infecciones, en un grupo de 190 pacientes con ERET de febrero 2008 a noviembre 2012. Se correlacionan y comparan los valores obtenidos entre ellos en dos momentos de su evolucion: antes y durante su tratamiento dialitico. Resultados: en los pacientes con ERET, se obtuvo un perfil hematologico caracteristico, caracterizado por anemia cronica severa, leucocitos totales normales o por arriba de lo normal y linfocitos normales o por debajo de lo normal (linfopenia). El grado de alteracion hematologica correlaciono con el grado de afeccion renal y se corrigio en la medida que se corrigieron las alteraciones bioquimicas relacionadas con la ERET mediante dialisis peritoneal. Conclusiones: la linfopenia se encontro en cerca de la mitad de los pacientes con ERET y se asocio con el incremento de infecciones; el tipo de infecciones fue similar a lo observado en pacientes sin linfopenia y diferente al observado en pacientes con inmunodeficiencias primarias o adquiridas que afectan a los linfocitos
Carbon-13 enrichment in benthic compared to planktonic algae : foodweb implications

Previous work has shown freshwater macrophytes from lake littoral zones to be "C-enriched compared to the same species collected from fast movlng nvers It is thought that carbon fixation In aquatic plants having thicker, stagnant boundary layers, such as that w h ~ c h occurs withln low turbulence lentic systems, will result in more positive F' 'C values due to greater d~ffusion resistance and subsequent assimilation of otherwise normally d~sc~iminated "C The present study confirms t h ~ s hypothesis by examining 876 algal 6I3c values collected from the l~terature The average 6I3C value for benthic algae in lakes was -26%,), whereas that for nvenne benthlc algae was -29x0 The gieater water tur bulence to which planktonic algae are exposed is known to dramatically reduce boundary layer thickness and was found to cause even more severe 13C depletion resulting in a n average value of -32% T h ~ s ame effect also operates in coastal environments where the average 613C value for marine phytoplankton was -22%0 compared to -17%" for marine benth~c algae When comparisons were made on an individual study basis, differences of 10%0 or greater in F13C were observed between plankton~c and benthic algae in both oceans and lakes These algal differences In S1'C were found to be substant~al enough to be reflected in the 613C values of consumers in manne coastal environments
The effects of treadmill running on aging laryngeal muscle structure

Age‐related changes in laryngeal muscle structure and function may contribute to deficits in voice and swallowing observed in elderly people. We hypothesized that treadmill running, an exercise that increases respiratory drive to upper airway muscles, would induce changes in thyroarytenoid muscle myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms that are consistent with a fast‐to‐slow transformation in muscle fiber type.
Dual-task assessment of reorganization of postural control in persons with lower limb amputation.

Postural control in persons with lower limb amputation was studied using a cognitive approach to motor learning. The aim of this study was to show that an important characteristic of the central reorganization process after a lower limb amputation is the gradually decreasing need of attentional resources to perform a motor task. A dual-task procedure was developed to estimate the level of automaticity of a quiet, upright standing task. The effect of a concurrent attention-demanding task (Stroop task) on the efficiency of balance control was determined using force-platform measurements at the start and the end of the rehabilitation process. In contrast with a control group, the amputation group showed interference effects on body sway caused by the concurrent task both at the start (p less than .05) and, less severe, at the end of rehabilitation (p less than .05). Improvement of balance control was significant only for the dual-task condition (p less than .05). The results corroborated the hypothesis that dual tasks give information about the restoration of automaticity of postural control as an essential characteristic of the central reorganization process in persons with lower limb amputation. The role of dual-task procedures as a useful approach to skill assessment is discussed.
Parkinson's Disease Dementia and Potential Therapeutic Strategies

Dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD‐D) has only been acknowledged in the recent three decades, but research in this field has accelerated. The purpose of this review was to discuss advances in PD‐D regarding biomarker correlates and potential therapeutic targets. Attention and executive dysfunction, memory deficits that improve with cueing, and visual hallucinations are characteristic in PD‐D. PD‐D dramatically increases the disability and misery of the disease. Current treatment for PD‐D is symptomatic, modest, and only transiently effective. There is wide agreement that more effective treatment is needed, but this will require more knowledge about PD‐D pathophysiology. Advances in the pathogenesis of PD have focused on the substantia nigra, which is the location from where the pathophysiology of motor symptoms primarily arises in initial stages. In contradistinction, pathology studies have suggested that cognitive decline correlates with cortical and subcortical–cortical projection pathway abnormalities. There is evidence that substantia nigra mechanisms, including protein aggregation of α‐synuclein (e.g., Lewy bodies) may also play a role in cortical neuron degeneration. Other different mechanisms, such as Alzheimer's disease pathology (e.g., Aβ aggregation) may be operant for PD‐D. Biomarkers of various types are being proposed for the study of PD‐D as well as for objective measures of PD‐D prediction and progression. Therapeutic targets are currently derived mostly from general PD neurodegeneration research rather than cortical PD neurodegeneration per se. Protein aggregation, genes that are associated with PD, oxidative stress, inflammation, and trophic factors constitute the major classes of therapeutic targets for PD‐D. More research is needed on the specific aspects of cortical dysfunction and degeneration that create PD‐D.
A Phenological Approach to Spectral Differentiation of Low-Arctic Tundra Vegetation Communities, North Slope, Alaska

Arctic tundra ecosystems exhibit small-scale variations in species composition, micro-topography as well as significant spatial and temporal variations in moisture. These attributes result in similar spectral characteristics between distinct vegetation communities. In this study we examine spectral variability at three phenological phases of leaf-out, maximum canopy, and senescence of ground-based spectroscopy, as well as a simulated Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) and simulated Sentinel-2 reflectance spectra, from five dominant low-Arctic tundra vegetation communities in the Toolik Lake Research Area, Alaska, in order to inform spectral differentiation and subsequent vegetation classification at both the ground and satellite scale. We used the InStability Index (ISI), a ratio of between endmember and within endmember variability, to determine the most discriminative phenophase and wavelength regions for identification of each vegetation community. Our results show that the senescent phase was the most discriminative phenophase for the identification of the majority of communities when using both ground-based and simulated EnMAP reflectance spectra. Maximum canopy was the most discriminative phenophase for the majority of simulated Sentinel-2 reflectance data. As with previous ground-based spectral characterization of Alaskan low-Arctic tundra, the blue, red, and red-edge parts of the spectrum were most discriminative for all three reflectance datasets. Differences in vegetation colour driven by pigment dynamics appear to be the optimal areas of the spectrum for differentiation using high spectral resolution field spectroscopy and simulated hyperspectral EnMAP and multispectral Sentinel-2 reflectance spectra. The phenological aspect of this study highlights the potential exploitation of more extreme colour differences in vegetation observed during senescence when hyperspectral data is available. The results provide insight into both the community and seasonal dynamics of spectral variability to better understand and interpret currently used broadband vegetation indices and also for improved spectral unmixing of hyperspectral aerial and satellite data which is useful for a wide range of applications from fine-scale monitoring of shifting vegetation composition to the identification of vegetation vigor.
Alcohol habits in a suburban male cohort

Objective: Using data from a prospective birth-to-maturity project, the study presents normally occurring variations in alcohol involvement of alcohol-related problems among a representative cohort of Swedish males in young middle age, born in a Swedish metropolitan area (n=106). Methods: Description and classification were based on an analysis of self-reported information (collected at about 36 years of age) about frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption (four-week timeline), self-reported alcohol-related symptoms, and registry data. Results: According to a broad, operationally defined classification of ``harmful drinking'' (at least three alcohol-related symptoms, including alcohol-related crimes), 43 subjects (41%) had experienced a substantial drinking problem during their lifetime, to an extent that might warrant labels such as ``alcoholism'' or ``hazardous drinking''. About one-third of these misusers were currently using other drugs. Of the 106 subjects, 80 (75%) reported having had at least one alcohol-related symptom or problem at some time during their life. Taking various life events into account, including sociomedical circumstances and heavy consumption at 18 and 25 years, 23 subjects (22%) were classified as having a lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence according to DSM-III criteria. Conclusion: Problem drinking was largely unknown to the healthcare system and only a few subjects had received treatment. The results are discussed in the light of data from other national and international epidemiological surveys.
Therapy satisfaction and adherence in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: the THEPA-MS survey

Background: Improved clinical effectiveness and therefore positive modification of multiple sclerosis (MS) with basic therapy can be achieved by long-term regular intake of drugs as prescribed but investigations have shown that a high percentage of patients do not take their medications as prescribed. Objectives: We assessed the satisfaction and adherence of patients with MS with their current disease-modifying treatment under clinical practice conditions. We compared different facets of satisfaction as well as their internal relationship and identified predictors in an exploratory manner. Methods: Therapy satisfaction in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (THEPA-MS) was a noninterventional, prospective cross-sectional study performed throughout Germany in 2013 and 2014, and included patients with clinically isolated syndrome or relapsing–remitting MS. We applied a standardized approach to document satisfaction and adherence by patient-reported outcomes (Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication) as well as by physician ratings. Results: Of 3312 patients with a mean age of 43.7 years, 73.3% were women and the mean level of disability according to the Expanded Disability Status Scale was 2.29; 13.3% did not receive any medication at the time of documentation, 21.3% received interferon β1a intramuscularly, 20.7% had interferon β1a subcutaneously, 17.0% had interferon β1b subcutaneously and 23.7% had glatiramer acetate. Adherence rates varied between 60% (lifetime) and 96.5% (current medication). Differences between current medications were found for side effects and convenience scores but not for effectiveness, satisfaction and adherence. Higher global satisfaction and effectiveness were associated with fewer relapses, longer duration of medication, lower disability score and the absence of several side effects. Conclusion: In a connected model of patient satisfaction, effectiveness, side effects, convenience and adherence, patients’ individual needs and concerns have to be addressed. Most differences were found with respect to side effects and convenience of treatment. Therefore, an improvement in these two domains seems to be the most promising proximate approach to elevate adherence levels.