Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Control of Plants with Unknown Dead-zones

Model reference adaptive controllers are designed for plants with unknown dead-zones. Several control strategies are investigated in which two sets of adjustable parameters, one belonging to a dead-zone inverse and the other to a linear controller, are either kept fixed or adaptively updated. The developed adaptive control schemes ensure boundedness of all closed-loop signals and reduce the tracking error.
Chemical Therapeutics Afatinib Prolongs Survival Compared with Ge fi tinib in an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Driven Lung Cancer Model

An irreversible ErbB family blocker is expected to inhibit tumors with activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations more strongly than reversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and to overcome acquired resistance to the T790M secondary mutation. Eleven-week-old transgenic mice with Egfr exon 19 deletion mutation were treated with afatinib, gefitinib, or vehicle for 4 weeks. All mice were sacrificed at 15 weeks of age, and the number of superficial left lung tumors with a long axis exceeding 1 mm was counted. The afatinib-treated group had significantly fewer tumors than the vehicle group (P < 0.01) and tended to have fewer tumors than the gefitinib-treated group (P 1⁄4 0.06). Pathologically, gefitinib-treated mice had clearer, more nodular tumors than afatinib-treated mice. Immunoblotting showed that afatinib suppressed not only pEGFR but also pHER2, and induced apoptosis for longer periods than gefitinib. Subsequently, when each drug was administered 5 days per week until death, afatinib significantly enhanced mouse survival compared with gefitinib (median survival time: 456 days vs. 376.5 days; log-rank test, P < 0.01). Finally, the combination of afatinib with bevacizumab was found to be superior to either drug alone in exon 19 deletion/T790M and L858R/T790M xenograft tumors. Overall, afatinib was more potent than gefitinib in tumors harboring an exon 19 deletion mutation, and the combination of afatinib with bevacizumab efficiently suppressed tumors harboring the T790M secondary mutation. Mol Cancer Ther; 12(5); 589–97. 2013 AACR.
Specifications and Automatic Proof of Refinement

Software Specifications and Automatic Proof of Refinement ∗ Claire Dross and Yannick Moy AdaCore, 46 rue d’Amsterdam, F-75009 Paris (France) {dross, moy}@adacore.com Abstract. It is common practice in critical software development, and compulsory in railway software developed according to EN 50128 standard, to separate software specification from software implementation. Verification activities should be performed to ensure that the latter is a correct refinement of the former. When the specification is formalized, for example in B method, the refinement relation can even be formally proved. In this article, we present how a similar proof of refinement can be performed at the level of the programming language used for implementation, using the SPARK technology. We describe two techniques to specify abstractly the behavior of a software component in terms of mathematical structures (sequences, sets and maps) and a methodology based on the SPARK tools to prove automatically that an efficient imperative implementation is a correct refinement of the abstract specification. It is common practice in critical software development, and compulsory in railway software developed according to EN 50128 standard, to separate software specification from software implementation. Verification activities should be performed to ensure that the latter is a correct refinement of the former. When the specification is formalized, for example in B method, the refinement relation can even be formally proved. In this article, we present how a similar proof of refinement can be performed at the level of the programming language used for implementation, using the SPARK technology. We describe two techniques to specify abstractly the behavior of a software component in terms of mathematical structures (sequences, sets and maps) and a methodology based on the SPARK tools to prove automatically that an efficient imperative implementation is a correct refinement of the abstract specification.
Drugs and fracture repair

Copyright© Taylor & Francis 2005. ISSN 1745–3674. Printed in Sweden – all rights reserved. DOI 10.1080/17453670510045318 The repair of long bones has not been optimized by Mother Nature. One would think that such a complicated process, leading to replacement of damaged tissue and restoration of function, would be the final result of millions of years of evolution. However, if our hairy and four-legged ancestors were to survive a fracture, they would have needed restoration of long bone function within days. Otherwise, without being able to run, jump or climb perfectly, they would have starved to death or been eaten up by carnivores. Because long bone fracture led to almost certain death, even a mutation that could shorten healing time by half would still not save the animal. Thus, there can hardly have been any evolutionary pressure towards optimized long bone repair. Still, long bones do repair remarkably well: if the animal is helped to survive, the fracture gap will be replaced by newly developed bone with a complex architecture. This is a kind of regeneration rather than repair—quite different from scar formation, which is seen at most other locations. It seems paradoxical that we have a truly regenerative process in the absence of any evolutionary pressure. The explanation is probably that long bone repair uses the same genes as repair of trabecular microfractures. Such fractures often occur with minimal symptoms, and require a repair system for the animal to survive.
Some New Evidence for Concept Stability

It is generally assumed that concepts are stored as relatively invariant chunks in long term memory. This is the default assumption in most linguistic, psychological, and philosophical work on concepts. But contrary to this assumption is the recent suggestion that both the structure and content of concepts is highly flexible and unstable. I critically review the evidence behind this assertion, then present some new experimental evidence that supports the traditional view.
Microbial responses to zinc in soil microcosms with and without a natural assemblage of enchytraeids

The presence of higher trophic levels in studies on the toxicity on soil contaminants to microbial processes increases ecological realism. This study assessed the toxicity of zinc to soil microbial processes in the presence and absence of enchytraeids (Oligochaeta, Annelida). We incubated microcosms under standard conditions without or inoculated with a natural assemblage of enchytraeid species. Total zinc concentrations of 365 to 1,360 mg/kg caused no mortality of enchytraeids during six weeks' incubation. Soil nitrate concentrations showed a negative trend under zinc addition and soil ammonium concentrations were the highest at zinc concentrations of 1,360 mg/kg, indicating impairment of ammonium oxidation. Zinc decreased bacterial carbon biomass and caused a dose‐response decrease of the respiration, but this was not observed in the presence of enchytraeids. Respiration, ammonium concentrations, and soil moisture contents were increased by enchytraeids. We observed no interaction between the addition of zinc and the presence of enchytraeids. The effect of enchytraeids on soil‐moisture contents and microbial processes, and the importance of enchytraeid‐microbial interactions are discussed.
CT Screening for Lung Cancer: Part-Solid Nodules in Baseline and Annual Repeat Rounds.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the frequencies of identifying participants with part-solid nodules, of diagnostic pursuit, of diagnoses of lung cancer, and long-term lung cancer survival in baseline and annual repeat rounds of CT screening in the International Early Lung Cancer Action Project. MATERIALS AND METHODS Screenings were performed under a common protocol. Participants with solid, nonsolid, and part-solid nodules and the diagnoses of lung cancer were documented. RESULTS Part-solid nodules were identified in 2892 of 57,496 (5.0%) baseline screening studies; 567 (19.6%) of these nodules resolved or decreased in size. Diagnostic pursuit led to the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma in 79 cases, all clinical stage I. At resection, one nodule (12-mm solid component) had a single N2 metastasis. A new part-solid nodule was identified in 541 of 64,677 (0.8%) annual repeat screenings; 377 (69.7%) of these nodules resolved or decreased in size. In eight cases among the 541, the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma manifesting as a part solid nodule was made; on retrospective review the nodule originally had been a nonsolid nodule. In another 20 cases, the cancer originally had manifested as a nonsolid nodule but had progressed to become part-solid at annual repeat screening before any diagnosis was pursued. These 28 annual repeat cases of lung cancer were all pathologic stage IA. Of the 107 cases of lung cancer (79 baseline cases and 28 annual repeat cases), 106 were surgically resected, and one baseline case was followed up with imaging for 4 years. The lung cancer survival rate was 100% with a median follow-up period from diagnosis of 89 months (interquartile range, 52-134 months). CONCLUSION Lung cancers manifesting as part-solid nodules at repeat screening studies all started as nonsolid nodules. Among 107 cases of adenocarcinoma manifesting as a part-solid nodule, a single lymph node metastasis was found in a single case (solid component, 12 mm).
Severity of hippocampal atrophy correlates with the prolongation of MRI T sub 2 relaxation time in temporal lobe epilepsy but not in Alzheimer's disease

We analyzed hippocampal volumes and T sub 2 relaxation times by MRI from 78 control subjects, 24 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, and 55 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the epilepsy group, the hippocampal volumes were 27% smaller than in control subjects (p < 0.001). The T2 relaxation times were prolonged (8 to 20 ms compared with control subjects) in the head, body, and tail portions of the hippocampus on the focal side (p < 0.01) and also on the contralateral side (p < 0.05) compared with control subjects. In the epilepsy group, the prolongation of T2 relaxation time correlated inversely with the hippocampal volume (p < 0.05). In the AD group, the hippocampal volumes were 35% smaller than in control subjects (p < 0.01). The T2 relaxation times were slightly prolonged (5 to 6 ms) in the head and tail portions of the right hippocampus (p < 0.01), but the T2 relaxation times did not correlate with the hippocampal volumes. These data show that the degree of prolongation of T2 relaxation time is associated with severity of hippocampal atrophy in temporal lobe epilepsy but not in AD. NEUROLOGY 1996;46: 1724-1730
Recombinant soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (p80) fusion protein: toxicity and dose finding trial in refractory rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the safety and pharmacokinetics of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor receptor (p80) fusion protein (rhTNFR:Fc) administered as a single intravenous (iv) loading dose followed by subcutaneous (sc) maintenance injections twice weekly for one month in patients with refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS Four dose groups were evaluated with 4 patients with RA per group: 3 received active drug and one received placebo injection. After each dose group completed 4 weeks of treatment, the patient who received placebo was allowed to receive the active drug for one month. After these 16 patients completed the study, 3 additional patients received the highest dose and 3 additional patients received the lowest dose in an open label study to obtain more safety data (total of 22 patients treated). RESULTS There were no serious adverse effects. Drug related events include mild injection site reactions in 4 patients that did not necessitate discontinuation of the drug. There was no clearcut dose response among the treatment groups. At Week 4, there was 45% mean improvement in total pain and total joint scores in patients receiving active drug (n = 12), compared to 22% mean improvement in patients receiving placebo (n = 4). C-reactive protein (CRP) levels decreased substantially in patients treated with drug compared to placebo, 30 vs 13%, respectively. The decrease in CRP was most pronounced in the highest dose group. CONCLUSION This initial experience with rhTNFR:Fc fusion protein in RA justifies further evaluation of this agent in a larger placebo controlled trial.
Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (Haberland syndrome) with bilateral cutaneous and visceral involvement

Summary Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis, or Haberland syndrome, is a rare congenital neurocutaneous disease. It is characterized clinically by unilateral lipomatous hamartomata of the scalp, eyelid, and outer globe of the eye, ipsilateral porencephalic cysts with cortical atrophy, cranial asymmetry, marked developmental delay and mental retardation. This syndrome should be distinguished from other mosaic neurocutaneous phenotypes such as as Delleman syndrome, Schimmelpenning syndrome, Goltz syndrome, Goldenhar syndrome and Proteus syndrome. Here we report a case of Haberland syndrome with bilateral involvement which underscores the extreme heterogeneity of clinical presentation of this and related syndromes.
The phosphatase Ppt 1 is a dedicated regulator of the molecular chaperone Hsp 90

Ppt1 is the yeast member of a novel family of protein phosphatases, which is characterized by the presence of a tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain. Ppt1 is known to bind to Hsp90, a molecular chaperone that performs essential functions in the folding and activation of a large number of client proteins. The function of Ppt1 in the Hsp90 chaperone cycle remained unknown. Here, we analyzed the function of Ppt1 in vivo and in vitro. We show that purified Ppt1 specifically dephosphorylates Hsp90. This activity requires Hsp90 to be directly attached to Ppt1 via its TPR domain. Deletion of the ppt1 gene leads to hyperphosphorylation of Hsp90 in vivo and an apparent decrease in the efficiency of the Hsp90 chaperone system. Interestingly, several Hsp90 client proteins were affected in a distinct manner. Our findings indicate that the Hsp90 multichaperone cycle is more complex than was previously thought. Besides its regulation via the Hsp90 ATPase activity and the sequential binding and release of cochaperones, with Ppt1, a specific phosphatase exists, which positively modulates the maturation of Hsp90 client proteins. The EMBO Journal (2006) 25, 367–376. doi:10.1038/ sj.emboj. 7600930; Published online 12 January 2006 Subject Categories: proteins
A comparison of cemented and cementless titanium femoral components used for primary total hip arthroplasty: a radiographic and survivorship study.

Titanium has a low modulus of elasticity that makes it an attractive metal for femoral hip components. We directly compared 2 similar titanium stems, one cemented (n = 102 hips) and the other cementless (n = 78 hips), controlling for the most important surgical variables. The average radiographic follow-up was 6.7 and 7.0 years. Osteolysis below the joint line, zones 2 through 6, was 12.7% (13 of 102) in the cemented group and 0% in the cementless group (P<.001). There were 17 acetabular revisions in each study group. The cementless group had no femoral revisions, whereas 9 acetabular revisions in the cemented group had a simultaneous femoral revision (P=.005). Survivorship, defined as revision of the femur, was 84% for the cemented group and 100% for the cementless group at 10 years. Cementless titanium stems are more resistant to osteolysis and mechanical failure compared with similar cemented titanium stems.
Novel radio resource allocation strategy in CDMA cellular networks

Radio resource allocation strategy is one of the key issues in wireless CDMA cellular networks, which not only has to ensure that the system guarantees potentially different QoS requirements from diverse applications, but also fully utilizes the scarce wireless resources. Meanwhile, in CDMA cellular networks, successive interference cancellation (SIC) technique can be employed to reduce multiple access interference and improve system capacity. The possible implementation of radio resource allocation strategies in CDMA cellular networks with SIC, such as Rate Allocation (RA) algorithm, has not yet been extensively investigated. In this paper, we address the issue of the Rate Allocation (RA) algorithm in a DS-CDMA system with the constraint of the received power on the base station. As the problem of rate allocation to maximize the total utilities is a NP problem in the system with variable rate services, we develop two suboptimal Greedy Rate Allocation algorithms, namely upward greedy algorithm (UPGA) and downward greedy algorithm (DNGR). These two greedy algorithms have very low computational complexities. Extensive numerical results show that the proposed RA algorithms have better system performance than other ones with other decoding orders.
The impact of the modified budgeting systems (MBS) on performance measurement in Malaysian central government organisations

The introduction of the Modified Budgeting System (MBS) as one of the New Public Financial Management (NPFM) tools to bring the efficiency of private sector into Malaysian government organisations had its implication on these organisations' performance measurement systems. Therefore, by obtaining perceptions of the senior managers in the civil services who experienced the reform, this study examines the impact of the Modified Budgeting System (MBS) had on performance measurement practice in Malaysian central government organisations. Specifically, the respondents were asked about the impact of the MBS on improving output based performance measurement, linkage between inputs and outputs, and developing own output measures. This study also examines who are the stakeholders consulted to develop performance measures and the level of importance that civil service’ managers attach to different types of performance indicators covering both financial and non financial indicators. The study found that generally the respondents agreed that the MBS had improved performance measurement in their organisations, and civil service managers attached more importance on customer related measures than efficiency indicators. Despite of these, weaknesses in implementation was mainly related to resistance to change by managers, thus, this might impede the effective development of the performance measures.
Elderly Suicide and Attempted Suicide: One Syndrome

In this study we explore whether elderly suicide victims who had a previous history of attempted suicide differ from those with no similar history. A group of the elderly, who ended their lives with fatal self-harm (FSH) and had a history of deliberate self-harm (DSH) was compared to a matching group of the elderly who also ended their lives with FSH, but who were not known to have had any history of DSH. The comparison was in respect of epidemiological, social, psychological characteristics, service input and methods of suicide. The elderly, with a history of DSH, were more likely to have been known to the mental health services than the elderly who did not have such a history (P<.05). The two groups used similar methods in their final FSH act. The elderly victims of FSH with or without a previous history of DSH share the same characteristics. The two groups appear to be part of one syndrome. Deliberate self-harm in the elderly should be taken seriously as an unsuccessful suicide rather than a manipulative act or a cry for help and attention.
Enhancement of the emission of mineral dust aerosols by electric forces

Climate forcing by mineral dust aerosols is one of the most uncertain processes in our current understanding of climate change. The main natural sources of dust aerosols are blowing dust, dust devils, and dust storms. Electric fields larger than 100 kV/m have been measured in these phenomena. Theoretical calculations and laboratory experiments show that these electric fields produce electric forces that can reduce the critical wind speed necessary to initiate dust lifting and can even directly lift mineral particles from the surface. Thus, we conclude that electric forces enhance the natural lifting of mineral dust aerosols.
The Digital Radiology Environment

The problems of implementing a digital radiology environment are addressed, focusing on the role of communications. Because the digital radiology environment is essentially a medical image multimedia system, the medical information industry could take advantage of recent advances in managing multimedia systems that deal with applications, such as prepress formatting and CAE/CAD/CAM. The paper describes the experience of the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University relative to the digital radiology environment. Next, impediments to the implementation of a digital radiology environment are presented. Suggestions to the ACR/NEMA Digital Imaging and Communications (DICOM) Standard, a standard being jointly developed by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the National Electronics Manufacturing Association (NEMA), are examined, and suggestions for its use in the digital radiology environment are given. A digital radiology environment architecture is proposed. >
A Longitudinal Study of the Relationships between Haemostatic, Lipid, and Oestradiol Changes during Normal Human Pregnancy

Summary Increased activation of both blood coagulation and fibrinolysis occurs during normal pregnancy. The responsible mechanisms are unclear, but may include increases in both oestradiol and blood lipids. We, therefore, studied the associations between fasting serum oestradiol, plasma cholesterol and triglyceride, and Factor VII activity, PAI activity, t-PA antigen, fibrin D-dimer, and vWF antigen in 10 women, each sampled on 6 occasions between 10 weeks and 35 weeks during normal pregnancy. Strong and similar individual correlations were observed between increases in FVII, PAI, t-PA and D-dimer (but not vWF) and increases in both oestradiol and triglyceride. Associations between increments in plasma cholesterol and haemostatic factors (except for FVII), were somewhat weaker. We, therefore, suggest that oestradiol-induced hypertriglyceridaemia may be a cause of elevations in plasma Factor VII activity, PAI and t-PA, and fibrin turnover (D-dimer) during normal pregnancy, but is poorly related to the increase in vWF antigen.
Methylene blue prevents pulmonary injury after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of methylene blue, an inhibitor of oxygen radicals, on lung injury caused by reperfusion of ischemic tissue. METHODS Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced in rats by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 1 hour. Thereafter, the experimental group was administered 1% methylene blue intraperitoneally and the control group received saline. After 4 hours, pulmonary histopathologic features were assessed, and lung wet-weight to dry-weight ratios and tissue xanthine oxidase were determined. RESULTS The control group suffered from severe pulmonary parenchymal damage, compared with slight damage in the experimental group. The number of sequestered neutrophils was significantly higher in the control group (319 +/- 60 polymorphonuclear cells per 10 high-power fields) than in the methylene blue-treated group (91 +/- 8 polymorphonuclear cells per 10 high-power fields; p < 0.001). The wet-weight to dry-weight ratio was significantly increased in the saline-treated rats compared with the methylene blue-treated group (6.19 +/- 0.28 vs. 5.07 +/- 0.21; p < 0.001). Xanthine oxidase activity was similar in both groups. CONCLUSION Methylene blue attenuated lung injury after intestinal ischemia-reperfusion. Inhibition of oxygen free radicals may be the protective mechanism.