Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dielectric Properties of Fluid-Saturated Bone - The Effect of Variation in Conductivity of Immersion Fluid

The dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity of fluid-saturated rat femoral bone were determined as a function of the conductivity of the immersion fluid over a frequency range of 10-100 Hz to 8 MHz. The specimens were equilibrated in various solutions of Hank's balanced salt solution modified to contain various sodium chloride concentrations, with conductivities ranging from 0.13 to 3.55 s/m. The results of these measurements show that the dc conductivity of the tissue is about 1 percent of the conductivity of the immersion solution. Similar conductivity values were predicted from a simple model of the tissue, in which it is assumed that the only significant contribution to the conductivity arises from the capillaries that pass through the tissue. The permittivity of the tissue exhibits a dispersion whose mean relaxation frequency is proportional to the conductivity of the immersion fluid. The permittivity ranges from about 1000 at low frequencies to 10-20 in the high frequency limit. The dielectric data could be fitted to a Cole-Cole function having a distribution parameter of about 0.5-0.6, which suggests the presence of a diffusion-controlled ionic polarization mechanism, although other relaxation processes could also be present.
Classifying technological innovation attributes for hotels: an application of the Kano model

ABSTRACT Technological facilities and services have become attractive features in hotel selection. However, limited research has been conducted on how technological innovation attributes are perceived by hotel tourists. This paper aims to highlight and categorize the technological innovation attributes of hotels based on the Kano model. Empirical testing shows four technological innovation factors: Internet and app usage, smartphone usage as a room key and for payment, E-housekeeping, and the use of electronic self-service systems. Findings provide practical implications for hotel operators planning to introduce technologies into their hotels.
Analysis of simulated annealing for optimization

Simulated annealing is a popular Monte Carlo algorithm for combinatorial optimization. The annealing algorithm simulates a nonstationary finite state Markov chain whose state space Ω is the domain of the cost function to be minimized. We analyze this chain focusing on those issues most important for optimization. In all of our results we consider an arbitrary partition optimization {I, J} of Ω; important special cases are when I is the set of minimum cost states or a set of all states with sufficiently small cost. We give a lower bound on the probability that the chain visits I at some time less than or equal to k, for k = 1,2, . This bound may be useful even when the algorithm does not converge. We give conditions under which the chain converges to I in probability and obtain an estimate of the rate of convergence as well. We also give conditions under which the chain visits I infinitely often, visits I almost always, or does not converge to I, with probability 1.
Ascertaining cause of death among men in the Prostate Cancer Intervention Versus Observation Trial

Background The Prostate Cancer Intervention Versus Observation Trial (PIVOT) randomized 731 men with localized prostate cancer to radical prostatectomy or observation. Purpose We describe the methods and results for cause-of-death assignments in PIVOT, and compare them to alternative strategies for ascertaining prostate cancer–specific mortality, as well as to the methods and results in the similar Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group Study 4 (SPCG-4) trial. Methods Three PIVOT Endpoints Committee members, blinded to randomized treatment assignments, reviewed medical records and death certificates when available to assign a cause of death using a primary and a secondary adjudication question. Initial disagreements were resolved through discussion. The level of initial agreement among committee members was examined, as well as guesses at randomized treatment assignments for a convenience sample of cases. Final cause of death determinations were compared to death certificates. Results Complete agreement on cause of death by all three committee members before any discussion was achieved in 200/354 (56%) cases on the primary and 209/354 (59%) cases on the secondary. However, complete agreement on the primary rose to 306/354 (86%) when ‘definite’ and ‘probably’ categories were collapsed, as planned a priori. The three committee members’ proportions of correct guesses of randomized treatment assignment were 82/121 (68%), 113/148 (76%), and 99/134 (74%). Using the committee’s final adjudications as a gold standard, death certificates had suboptimal sensitivities, specificities, or predictive values depending on how they were used to determine cause of death. Limitations There was no separate ‘gold standard’ by which to judge the accuracy of the final endpoints committee adjudications, and useful death certificates could not be obtained on about a third of PIVOT participants who died. Conclusions The low level of initial agreement on cause of death among endpoint committee members and the potential for biased determinations due to partial unblinding to treatment assignment raise methodologic concerns about using prostate cancer mortality as an endpoint in clinical trials like PIVOT.
A high-precision tunable millimeter-wave photonic LO reference for the ALMA telescope

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array is a radio telescope array of 66 antennas designed for high performance scientific imaging, covering a frequency range of 27-950 GHz. Each antenna has a front end with ten receiving bands, and each band has a local oscillator which is synchronized between all antennas. We describe a high precision tunable millimeter-wave photonic local oscillator reference system, which is used as the synchronizing reference for all ten bands on each receiver.
Chemotherapy in Retinoblastoma: Current Status and Future Directions

In the past, chemotherapy has had only a minor role in the treatment of retinoblastoma. There are three clinical settings in which chemotherapy may be useful, namely, in intraocular retinoblastoma, in cases of micrometastatic spread, and where there are overt extraocular metastases. Clinical trials in all three settings have been impeded by biological, statistical, and ethical limitations. Extensive review of the literature, including case reports, small retrospective series, and occasional prospective studies, does not lead to any clear conclusions. However, responsiveness of retinoblastoma to chemotherapy in each of the above categories has been documented, and cyclophosphamide is consistently the most effective single agent. For small intraocular tumors, there may be a role for a combination of nonoperative treatment modalities. Whether decreased occurrence of extraocular relapse is produced by the use of adjuvant chemotherapy for presumed micrometastatic disease remains controversial. A prospective randomized study of stratified high-risk categories of patients needs to be done on an international level. The most widely accepted regimen in this setting is the combination of cyclophosphamide and vincristine. Improving the survival of patients with overt metastases is a major challenge, which is especially relevant to the less developed parts of the world. Several multi-agent regimens, particularly in combination with bone marrow transplantation, offer some promise. Experimental models are being used to overcome some of the limitations of clinical studies. Evaluations of responsiveness to chemotherapy, both in cell culture and animal models, are being conducted. Other areas being investigated include pharmacologic enhancement of radiotherapy and hematoporphyrin photodynamic therapy, use of tumor cell targeting techniques, differentiating agents, vitamin D, and immunotherapy. The nude mouse intraocular xenograft model appears to confirm clinical observations for responsiveness to conventional therapeutic agents.
Oil Prices and Stock Market Anomalies

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between oil prices and stock market anomalies in China, the largest oil importer country in the world. Prior literature documents both a positive and negative relationship between oil prices and the stock market. The explanation of a positive relationship is supported by the argument that rising oil prices are interpreted as a positive signal by investors, especially when the rise in oil prices is associated with a higher demand for oil. Consequently, rising oil prices lead stock prices above their fundamental values and that they subsequently correct. Therefore, we hypothesize that stock market anomalies are stronger following rising oil prices when the rise in oil prices is due to the higher demand for oil since returns associated with anomalies reflect mispricing. The results, consistent with the hypothesis, show stronger return predictability for individual anomalies following an increase in oil prices than for a decrease in oil prices. The results are even stronger once we construct a mispricing score based on composite mispricing of all the anomalies.
Effects of dietary levels of selenium-enriched yeast and sodium selenite as selenium sources fed to growing-finishing pigs on performance, tissue selenium, serum glutathione peroxidase activity, carcass characteristics, and loin quality.

This research evaluated the efficacy of inorganic and organic Se sources for growing-finishing pigs, as measured by performance and various tissue, serum, carcass, and loin quality traits. A total of 351 crossbred pigs were allotted at an average BW of 20.4 kg to six replicates of a 2x4 factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design. Pigs were fed diets containing Se-enriched yeast (organic) or sodium selenite (inorganic), each at . 05, . 10, . 20, or . 30 mg Se/kg diet. A non-Se-fortified basal diet was a ninth treatment group. Five pigs per pen were bled initially and at 30-d intervals with serum analyzed for Se and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. At 55 kg BW, one pig per pen from each of three replicates was killed, and tissues were collected for Se analysis. At 105 kg BW, the remaining pigs in the three replicates were killed, carcass measurements were collected, tissues were analyzed for Se, and loin quality was evaluated for pH, drip loss, and lightness. No performance or carcass measurement benefit resulted from either Se source or dietary Se levels. Pigs had a lower serum Se concentration and GSH-Px activity when the basal diet was fed, but both increased as dietary Se level increased (P<.01). Serum GSH-Px activities were increased by pig age and reached a plateau when the diet contained approximately . 10 mg Se/kg (P<.01) at d 30, and 60 of the trial, and at . 05 mg Se/kg diet at d 90 of the trial. The organic Se group fed . 05 and . 10 mg Se/kg had serum GSH-Px activities that tended to be lower than those of pigs fed the inorganic Se source, but GSH-Px activities in both groups were similar at higher Se levels. Tissue Se contents increased linearly as the dietary Se level increased, but the increase was markedly higher when organic Se was fed, resulting in an interaction (P<.01) response. Loin drip loss, pH, and lightness were unaffected (P>.15) by organic Se source or level, but there was a trend for a higher drip loss (P = .11) and a linear (P<.01) increase in loin paleness when the inorganic Se level increased. These results indicate that neither Se source nor Se level had an effect on pig performance or carcass measurements, but organic Se source increased tissue Se concentrations. Inorganic Se may, however, have a detrimental effect on loin quality, as reflected by higher drip loss and a paler color. Using serum GSH-Px activity as the measurement criterion, the supplemental dietary Se requirement did not seem to exceed . 10 and . 05 mg Se/kg diet for the growing and finishing phases, respectively, when added to a basal diet containing . 06 mg Se/kg.
Increased Foxp3+ Regulatory T Cells in Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 Deficiency

Growing evidence is unveiling a role for poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 in the regulation of inflammatory/immune responses. In the current study, we investigated the effects of PARP-1 deficiency on regulatory T cell differentiation. Increased numbers of regulatory CD4+CD25+/Foxp3+ T cells were found in thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes of PARP-1 knockout (KO) mice compared with wild-type (WT) controls. The increased frequency of regulatory T cells in the periphery resulted in impaired CD4 cell proliferation and IL-2 production, which could be restored by CD25+ cell depletion. Phenotype and inhibitory functions of PARP-1 KO regulatory T cells were similar to WT cells, indicating that PARP-1 affects regulatory T cell differentiation rather than function. Purified naive CD4 cells from PARP-1 KO mice stimulated in vitro expressed forkhead box p3 mRNA at higher levels and generated a greater number of Foxp3+ cells (inducible regulatory T [iTreg] cells) than the WT counterpart. This finding was due to a higher rate of naive CD4 cell to Foxp3+ iTreg cell conversion rather than to higher resistance to apoptosis induction. Interestingly, PARP-1 deficiency did not affect retinoid-related orphan receptor-γt mRNA expression and differentiation of purified naive CD4 cells to Th17 cells. PARP-1 KO iTreg cells showed features similar to WT regulatory T cells, suggesting that modulation of PARP-1 during the immune response might be used to induce greater numbers of functional regulatory T cells. In conclusion, our findings represent the first evidence that PARP-1 can affect regulatory T cell differentiation and open new perspectives on potential targets for modulating immune responses.
Early Detection of Chemoradioresponse in Esophageal Carcinoma by 3′-Deoxy-3′-3H-Fluorothymidine Using Preclinical Tumor Models

Purpose: Early identification of esophageal cancer patients who are responding or resistant to combined chemoradiotherapy may lead to individualized therapeutic approaches and improved clinical outcomes. We assessed the ability of 3′-deoxy-3′-18F-fluorothymidine positron emission tomography (FLT-PET) to detect early changes in tumor proliferation after chemoradiotherapy in experimental models of esophageal carcinoma. Experimental Design: The in vitro and ex vivo tumor uptake of [3H]FLT in SEG-1 human esophageal adenocarcinoma cells were studied at various early time points after docetaxel plus irradiation and validated with conventional assessments of cellular proliferation [thymidine (Thd) and Ki-67] and [18F]FLT micro-PET imaging. Imaging-histologic correlation was determined by comparing spatial Ki-67 and [18F]FLT distribution in autoradiographs. Comparison with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was done in all experiments. Results:In vitro [3H]FLT and [3H]Thd uptake rapidly decreased in SEG-1 cells 24 hours after docetaxel with a maximal reduction of over 5-fold (P = 0.005). The [3H]FLT tumor-to-muscle uptake ratio in xenografts declined by 75% compared with baseline (P < 0.005) by 2 days after chemoradiotherapy, despite the lack of change in tumor size. In contrast, the decline of [3H]FDG uptake was gradual and less pronounced. Tumor uptake of [3H]FLT was more closely correlated with Ki-67 expression (r = 0.89, P < 0.001) than was [3H]FDG (r = 0.39, P = 0.08). Micro-PET images depicted similar trends in reduction of [18F]FLT and [18F]FDG tumor uptake. Autoradiographs displayed spatial correlations between [18F]FLT uptake and histologic Ki-67 distribution in preliminary studies. Conclusions: FLT-PET is suitable and more specific than FDG-PET for depicting early reductions in tumor proliferation that precede tumor size changes after chemoradiotherapy.
Anticipatory cerebellar responses during somatosensory omission in man

The traditional view of cerebellum is a structure that modifies and synchronizes elements of motor performance. Recent evidence indicates that human cerebellum is involved in a wide range of nonmotor sensory and cognitive functions. A common feature in these diverse motor and nonmotor tasks may be the capacity of cerebellar neuronal circuits to process and anticipate sensory input with high temporal acuity. We present evidence supporting this hypothesis from measurements of the magnetic field at the scalp evoked by neuronal population activity in human cerebellum. Intermittent electrical stimulation of the finger and the median nerve elicited stimulus‐locked cerebellar responses with oscillatory components at 6–12 Hz and 25–35 Hz. Sustained oscillatory activity followed random stimulus omissions, with initiation of cerebellar responses prior to the next overt stimulus. These responses indexed processing of temporal features of somatosensory input independent of motor performance or response. The refractory behavior of the responses suggested that a neuronal trace of the temporal pattern of somatosensory stimulation remained in cerebellar circuits for 2–4 s. The cerebellar activity elicited by violation of an established temporal pattern was enhanced when attention was directed to somatosensory stimuli, in concordance with recent imaging studies suggesting participation of cerebellum in attentional networks. The attentional enhancement of the cerebellar responses supports the salience of cerebellar activity in the processing of purely somatosensory input. The short‐term maintenance of cerebellar templates for predictable sensory input may reflect a physiological substrate for fine‐grained temporal tuning and optimization of performance in large‐scale sensory and integrative systems. Hum. Brain Mapping 3:119–142, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Association between angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion genetic polymorphism and hypertension in a sample of Lebanese patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM several studies have looked at the potential link between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and the risk of hypertension and have shown that the DD polymorphism may be associated with a higher prevalence of hypertension. Our objective was to assess for possible association between ACE variants and hypertension in a sample of Lebanese patients. METHODS one hundred ninety-two Lebanese subjects were included. DNA was isolated and amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The products were identified by gel electrophoresis according to their size. RESULTS one hundred fifteen (59.9%) patients were hypertensive and 77 (40.1%) were nonhypertensive with the following genotype frequencies: 43.4% DD, 45.2% ID, and 11.4% II compared with 35.2% DD, 51.9% ID, and 12.9% II, respectively. Age was found to be the most significant risk factor for hypertension. This was more prominent when accounting for ACE genotype; for instance, the DD genotype with age had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR = 11.852; p = 0.001) than the ID genotype with age (OR = 4.599; p = 0.006), II genotype with age (OR = 1.866; p = 0.519), and age alone (OR = 5.558; p = 0.006). CONCLUSION our results show that the ACE I/D polymorphism is common in Lebanon, and the combinations of ACE D allele and age is associated with an increased risk of hypertension.
Morphology and ultrastructure of the somatic cells in Astacus leptodactylus ovary

We defined the somatic environment in which female germinal cells develop, and performed ultrastructural analyses of various somatic cell types, with particular reference to muscle cells and follicle cells, that reside within the ovary at different stages of oogenesis. Our findings show that ovarian wall of the crayfish is composed of long muscle cells, blood cells, blood vessels and hemal sinuses. The follicle and germinal cells lie within a common compartment of ovarian follicles that is defined by a continuous basal matrix. The follicle cells form branching cords and migrate to surround the developing oocytes. A thick basal matrix separates the ovarian interstitium from ovarian follicles compartment. Transmission electron microscopy shows that inner layer of basal matrix invaginates deeply into the ovarian compartment. Our results suggest that before being surrounded by follicle cells to form follicles, oogonia and early previtellogenic oocytes reside within a niche surrounded by a basal matrix that separates them from ovarian interstitium. We found coated pits and coated vesicles in the cortical cytoplasm of previtellogenic and vitellogenic oocytes, suggesting the receptor mediated endocytosis for transfer of material from the outside of the oocytes, via follicle cells. The interstitial compartment between the inner muscular layer of the ovarian wall and the basal matrix of the ovarian follicle compartment contains muscle cells, hemal sinuses, blood vessels and blood cells. Granular hemocytes, within and outside the vessels, were the most abundant cell population in the ovarian interstitium of crayfish after spawning and in the immature ovary. J. Morphol. 277:118–127, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fabrication and Performance of Au-Free AlGaN/GaN-on-Silicon Power Devices With ${\rm Al}_{2}{\rm O}_{3}$ and  ${\rm Si}_{3}{\rm N}_{4}/{\rm Al}_{2}{\rm O}_{3}$ Gate Dielectrics

Au-free GaN-based metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron-mobility transistors grown on 150-mm Si substrates are reported. The device characteristics for three different processes are compared: an ohmic-first and a gate-first process with Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-only as gate dielectric and a novel approach with a bilayer gate dielectric stack consisting of Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> and Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>. The Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> layer was deposited in situ in the metal-organic chemical vapor deposition reactor in the same growth sequence as the rest of the epilayer stack and the Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> layer was deposited ex situ by atomic layer deposition. Only the process with the bilayer gate dielectric results in robust devices with a breakdown voltage >600 V. The ohmic contact resistance for Au-free Ti/Al/W metallization scheme is <;1 Ω·mm. The devices show high maximum output current density (>0.4 A/mm); and low gate and drain leakage (<;10<sup>-10</sup> A/mm). The maximum pulsed mode drain-source current of power bars with 20 mm gate width is 8 A. The specific on-state resistance is 2.9 m Ω·cm<sup>2</sup>.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in Macrophages Induces Thymic Neovascularization following Thymocyte Apoptosis

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been implicated in the degradation of the extracellular matrix in a variety of physiological and pathological processes. We found that MMP-9 expression in thymuses of BALB/c mice that had been injected with anti-CD3 Ab to induce thymocyte apoptosis was increased both at mRNA and protein levels. Macrophages are shown to be the principal stromal cells responsible for phagocytosis of dying thymocytes, and macrophages were found to constitutively express MMP-9. The activity of plasmin, which is known as one of the activators for MMP-9, was increased in the thymuses with MMP-9 activation. Binding of Ab HUIV26, which recognizes a cryptic epitope on collagen type IV following proteolytic cleavage, was found to be reduced in MMP-9 knockout mice, suggesting that collagen type IV is a substrate of MMP-9. Although the formation of thymic neovessels was found following thymocyte apoptosis, it was diminished in anti-CD3 Ab-injected MMP-9 knockout mice. In vivo administration of Ab HUIV26 resulted in a reduction of thymic neovascularization. After clearance of apoptotic thymocytes, the number of macrophages in the thymuses was decreased, and this decrease was delayed by blocking of HUIV26 epitope. Taken together, our results suggest that MMP-9 expression in macrophages mediates degradation of collagen type IV and facilitates their migration from the thymus after clearance of apoptotic thymocytes. These studies demonstrate a potential role of macrophage MMP-9 in the remodeling of thymic extracellular matrix following thymocyte apoptosis.