Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aberrant Crypt Foci in the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib Trial

Abstract Aberrant crypt foci (ACF) are the earliest visible neoplastic lesions in the colorectum. The natural history of these lesions and their role in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence are unknown. We studied ACF in a subset of patients randomized to placebo (n = 17), celecoxib (200 mg twice daily; n = 15), or celecoxib (400 mg twice daily; n = 13) in the Adenoma Prevention with Celecoxib (APC) trial. Magnification chromoendoscopy was done to identify, count, and biopsy ACF within the rectum at baseline and after 8 to 12 months of treatment. A total of 655 ACF were identified in 45 patients. We examined 70 of these ACF histologically, and all 70 were nondysplastic. Cohort characteristics and APC trial treatment results for substudy patients were similar to those of the overall APC trial. There was no significant modulation of ACF by celecoxib (versus placebo; P = 0.77). Immunohistochemical comparison of ACF with adjacent normal mucosa showed that ACF had an increased proliferative index as determined by Ki-67 (P < 0.0001), but lacked other features of neoplasia such as increased cyclooxygenase-2 expression and microvessel density, nuclear localization of β-catenin, or decreased expression of the tumor suppressors SMAD4, Estrogen Receptor α, or MGMT. Only baseline SMAD4 expression in ACF correlated with posttreatment adenoma recurrence (independent of treatment arm; P = 0.01). The presence or number of nondysplastic ACF did not correlate with a higher risk of synchronous advanced or recurrent adenomas. Our overall results indicated that nondysplastic ACF were not accurate surrogate endpoint biomarkers of recurrent colorectal adenomas in the APC trial.
Improving energy efficiency and classification accuracy of neuromorphic chips by learning binary synaptic crossbars

Deep Neural Networks (DNN) have achieved human level performance in many image analytics tasks but DNNs are mostly deployed to GPU platforms that consume a considerable amount of power. Brain-inspired spiking neuromorphic chips consume low power and can be highly parallelized. However, for deploying DNNs to energy efficient neuromorphic chips the incompatibility between continuous neurons and synaptic weights of traditional DNNs, discrete spiking neurons and synapses of neuromorphic chips has to be overcome. Previous work has achieved this by training a network to learn continuous probabilities and deployment to a neuromorphic architecture by random sampling these probabilities. An ensemble of sampled networks is needed to approximate the performance of the trained network. In the work presented in this paper, we have extended previous research by directly learning binary synaptic crossbars. Results on MNIST show that better performance can be achieved with a small network in one time step (92.7% maximum observed accuracy vs 95.98% accuracy in our work). Top results on a larger network are similar to previously published results (99.42% maximum observed accuracy vs 99.45% accuracy in our work). More importantly, in our work a smaller ensemble is needed to achieve similar or better accuracy than previous work, which translates into significantly decreased energy consumption for both networks. Results of our work are stable since they do not require random sampling.
Quality of life in peritoneal dialysis patients: decline over time and association with clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND Quality of life (QoL) is increasingly well recognized as an important measure of treatment outcome. The aim of this study was to determine which key factors affect QoL, which aspects of QoL change over time, and if measurements of QoL were associated with clinical outcome in our peritoneal dialysis (PD) population. METHODS The results of 88 patients (70% of our PD population) enrolled in longitudinal studies of dialysis adequacy, nutrition, and quality of life were reviewed. The sample comprised Indo-Asian [N=35 (diabetic N=18)], and white Europeans [N=53 (diabetic N=18)] heritage. At enrollment (>3 months on PD) demographic data was recorded. At enrollment, and six-month intervals, the dialysis adequacy, nutritional status, QoL (using the KDQOL-SF instrument), hospital admissions, PD infections, and changes in treatment modality were recorded. RESULTS Male gender, Asian ethnicity, and poor nutritional status as measured by Subjective Global Assessment were the most significant characteristics independently associated with worse overall QoL dimension scores (physical health, mental health, kidney disease issues, patient satisfaction). Comorbidity, months of renal replacement, social deprivation and serum albumin were related to some of the 19 health domains measured. QoL declined steadily during the two-year study period. The most significant changes were for the items general health symptoms/problems, burden of kidney disease, emotional well-being, and patient satisfaction. Increased hospital admissions were associated with a worse QoL. CONCLUSIONS Quality of life declines in patients on PD over time. Certain aspects of QoL are especially poor in Asian and male patients. This study suggests that further research is necessary to determine the effects of interventions directed at enhancing emotional and social support.
Fine-grain task aggregation and coordination on GPUs

In general-purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) computing, data is processed by concurrent threads executing the same function. This model, dubbed single-instruction/multiple-thread (SIMT), requires programmers to coordinate the synchronous execution of similar operations across thousands of data elements. To alleviate this programmer burden, Gaster and Howes outlined the channel abstraction, which facilitates dynamically aggregating asynchronously produced fine-grain work into coarser-grain tasks. However, no practical implementation has been proposed. To this end, we propose and evaluate the first channel implementation. To demonstrate the utility of channels, we present a case study that maps the fine-grain, recursive task spawning in the Cilk programming language to channels by representing it as a flow graph. To support data-parallel recursion in bounded memory, we propose a hardware mechanism that allows wavefronts to yield their execution resources. Through channels and wavefront yield, we implement four Cilk benchmarks. We show that Cilk can scale with the GPU architecture, achieving speedups of as much as 4.3x on eight compute units.
Real time object tracking using fused color and edge cues

In this paper, we present an intelligent fusion framework to combine two complementary features for visual tracking. Color histogram has attracted much attention in recent years due to its simplicity and robustness. The capability of color histogram to deal with partial occlusion and non-rigidity has been demonstrated. In practice, however, relying on color information only is not sufficient in cases like scene illumination variations and background clutter. In order to perform tracking more reliably, edge orientation histogram (EOH), a feature that is invariant to illumination changes, discriminative against a background with confusing colors, and simple and fast to compute, is also employed. The proposed fusion framework is intelligent in that it adaptively combines the results from the two representation modules, where the more reliable cue always provides more weight on the final decision. The algorithm is tested on extensive real-world sequences and shown to achieve robust and reliable real-time tracking.
POST herbicide programme for effective weed control in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Field experiments were conducted during two winter wheat-growing seasons to evaluate the efficacy of some new POST herbicides and herbicide combinations for those effective controls of weeds in winter wheat crops in the Republic of Macedonia. The weed population consisted mainly of annual winter and spring and some perennial weeds. Weediness comprised 116 and 208 plants m-2 in 2012 2013 and 2013 2014, respectively, in the Skopje region, and 93 and 114 plants m-2 in 2012 2013 and 2013 2014, respectively, i region. All POST herbicides effectively reduced dominant weeds density (> 93%) in the Skopje 2013, but not in 2013 2014. In this year, lower temperature directly following application decreased efficacy of POST applied herbicides, which provided control of Lolium perenne that was between 76 and 84%; control of A. ludoviciana was less than 85%; control of B. radians was no more than 83% and no one treatment controlled P. convolvulus more than 82%. Wheat yields in the Skopje region were not significant among years for the different POST herbicide applications and ranged between 3,580 and 3,720 kg ha-1 in 2012 2013, and between 3,760 and 3,910 kg ha-1 in 2013 2014. A significant treatment by year interaction resulted in two distinct years for wheat yields in the In 2012 2013, wheat yields were between 3,230 and 3,390 kg ha-1, but in 2013 2014, wheat yields ranged from 3,060 to 3,490 kg ha-1 and weed-free control showed a significant higher wheat yield compared to all evaluated herbicides.
First record of the Cat snake Telescopus fallax Fleischmann, 1831) (Reptilia: Serpentes) in the Eastern Rhodopes Mt., Bulgaria

We report the occurrence of the Cat snake {Telescopus fallax) from the central parts of the Eastern Rhodopes (Madjarovo). The region was intensively herpetologically studied in the recent years but this species of snake was overlooked. Almost no data, beside a single juvenile specimen, is available in order to assess its local range and relative density. Although the new locality does not extend considerably the species range it has zoogeographic and conservation importance.
Silica nanoparticles induce reversible damage of spermatogenic cells via RIPK1 signal pathways in C57 mice

The reproductive toxicity of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) is well known, but the underlying mechanism is still not clear. To investigate the toxic mechanism of SiNPs on spermatogenic cells, 60 C57 male mice were randomly and equally divided into three groups (the control group, the saline control group, and the SiNPs group) with two observed time points (45 days and 75 days). The mice in the SiNPs group were administered with SiNPs 2 mg/kg diluted in normal saline, and the mice of the saline control group were given equivoluminal normal saline by tracheal perfusion every 3 days for 45 days (in total 15 times). The control group mice were bred without treatment. In each group, a half number of the mice were sacrificed on the 45th day after the first dose, and the remaining half were sacrificed on the 75th day. The results showed that SiNPs increased the malformation of sperms and decreased the motility and concentration of sperms in epididymis on the 45th day after the first dose. SiNPs induced oxidative stress in testis and led to apoptosis and necroptosis of the spermatogenic cells. Furthermore, SiNPs increased the expression of Fas/FasL/RIPK1/FADD/caspase-8/caspase-3 and RIPK3/MLKL on the 45th day after the first dose. However, compared with the saline control group, the index of sperms and the expression of Fas/FasL/RIPK1/FADD/caspase-8/caspase-3/RIPK3/MLKL showed no significant changes in the SiNPs group on the 75th day after the first dose. These data suggested that SiNPs could induce apoptosis and necroptosis in the spermatogenic cells by activating the RIPK1 pathway resulting from oxidative stress in male mice. SiNPs-induced damage recovered on the 75th day after the first dose, which suggested that SiNPs-induced toxicity is reversible.
Spiritual and religious beliefs and practices of family physicians: a national survey.

BACKGROUND The current movement in American medicine toward patient-centered or relationship-centered care highlights the importance of assessing physician core beliefs and personal philosophies. Religious and spiritual beliefs are often entwined within this domain. The purpose of this study was to identify the personal religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of family physicians and to test a valid and reliable measure of religiosity that would be useful in physician populations. METHODS An anonymous survey was mailed to a random sample of active members of the American Academy of Family Physicians who had the self-designated professional activity of direct patient care. Physicians reported their religious and spiritual beliefs and practices, including frequency of religious service attendance and private prayer or spiritual practice, and self-reported intrinsic or subjective religiosity. RESULTS Seventy-four percent of the surveyed physicians reported at least weekly or monthly service attendance, and 79% reported a strong religious or spiritual orientation. A small percentage (4.5%) of physicians stated they do not believe in God. A 3-dimensional religiosity scale that assessed organized religious activity, nonorganized religious activity, and intrinsic religiosity was determined to be a valid and reliable measure (alpha = .87) of physician religious and spiritual beliefs and practices. CONCLUSIONS Family physicians report religious and spiritual beliefs and practices at rates that are comparable with the general population.
Consensus analysis and algorithm design based on RLC networks

In this paper, we discuss the relationship between consensus on node voltage in electric networks and consensus on node value in graphs. According to the topology of a graph, we construct two kinds of networks: an RC network and an RLC network, corresponding to single-integrator dynamics and double-integrator dynamics respectively. Then we investigate three classic problems: leader following, consensus tracking, formation maintaining using RC networks and discuss consensus of networks with switching topology. An upper bound of convergence speed was given in view of energy, and we found that the energy decrease of average consensus is proportional to the variance of the initial voltages of capacitors. The energy analysis in electric networks is similar to the Lyapunov function. Simulations are provided at last to demonstrate the theoretical results.
PhoP: A Missing Piece in the Intricate Puzzle of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Virulence

Inactivation of the transcriptional regulator PhoP results in Mycobacterium tuberculosis attenuation. Preclinical testing has shown that attenuated M. tuberculosis phoP mutants hold promise as safe and effective live vaccine candidates. We focused this study to decipher the virulence networks regulated by PhoP. A combined transcriptomic and proteomic analysis revealed that PhoP controls a variety of functions including: hypoxia response through DosR crosstalking, respiratory metabolism, secretion of the major T-cell antigen ESAT-6, stress response, synthesis of pathogenic lipids and the M. tuberculosis persistence through transcriptional regulation of the enzyme isocitrate lyase. We also demonstrate that the M. tuberculosis phoP mutant SO2 exhibits an antigenic capacity similar to that of the BCG vaccine. Finally, we provide evidence that the SO2 mutant persists better in mouse organs than BCG. Altogether, these findings indicate that PhoP orchestrates a variety of functions implicated in M. tuberculosis virulence and persistence, making phoP mutants promising vaccine candidates.
Paraoxonase 1 Polymorphism and Prenatal Pesticide Exposure Associated with Adverse Cardiovascular Risk Profiles at School Age

Background Prenatal environmental factors might influence the risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. The HDL-associated enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) has anti-oxidative functions that may protect against atherosclerosis. It also hydrolyzes many substrates, including organophosphate pesticides. A common polymorphism, PON1 Q192R, affects both properties, but a potential interaction between PON1 genotype and pesticide exposure on cardiovascular risk factors has not been investigated. We explored if the PON1 Q192R genotype affects cardiovascular risk factors in school-age children prenatally exposed to pesticides. Methods Pregnant greenhouse-workers were categorized as high, medium, or not exposed to pesticides. Their children underwent a standardized examination at age 6-to-11 years, where blood pressure, skin folds, and other anthropometric parameters were measured. PON1-genotype was determined for 141 children (88 pesticide exposed and 53 unexposed). Serum was analyzed for insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), insulin and leptin. Body fat percentage was calculated from skin fold thicknesses. BMI results were converted to age and sex specific Z-scores. Results Prenatally pesticide exposed children carrying the PON1 192R-allele had higher abdominal circumference, body fat content, BMI Z-scores, blood pressure, and serum concentrations of leptin and IGF-I at school age than unexposed children. The effects were related to the prenatal exposure level. For children with the PON1 192QQ genotype, none of the variables was affected by prenatal pesticide exposure. Conclusion Our results indicate a gene-environment interaction between prenatal pesticide exposure and the PON1 gene. Only exposed children with the R-allele developed adverse cardiovascular risk profiles thought to be associated with the R-allele.
Charge transport gap in graphene antidot lattices

Graphene antidot lattices (GALs) offer an attractive approach to band-gap engineering in graphene. Theoretical studies indicate that the size of the opened gap is sensitive to the shape, size, and architecture of the nanoholes introduced into the graphene sheet. We have investigated the temperature-dependent electrical conductivity of GALs comprising 50-nm-diameter nanoholes with a pitch of 80, 100, and 200 nm, respectively. The data reveal the presence of localized states within a transport gap, whose interactions lead to a soft Coulomb gap and associated Efros-Shklovskii variable range hopping (ES-VRH). This conduction type is preserved upon application of magnetic fields up to 1 Tesla, above which a transition to Mott variable range hopping occurs. Such a crossover can alternatively be introduced at zero magnetic fields by increasing either the nanohole spacing or the gate-controlled carrier concentration. Furthermore, at intermediate magnetic fields, the hopping exponent assumes a value of 2/3, as predicted by percolation theory for ES-VRH under this condition.
The Case for a Signal-Oriented Data Stream Management System

Sensors capable of sensing phenomena at high data rates—on the order of tens to hundreds of thousands of samples per second—are useful in many industrial, civil engineering, scientific, networking, and medical applications. In these applications, high-rate streams of data produced by sensors must be processed and analyzed using a combination ofbothevent-stream and signal-processing operations. This paper motivates the need for a data management and continuous query processing architecture that integrates these two different desired classes of functions into a single, unified software system. The key goals of such a system include: the ability to treat a sequence of samples that constitute a “signal segment” as a basic data type; ease of writing arbitrary event-stream and signal-processing functions; the ability to process several million samples per second on conventional PC hardware; and the ability to distribute application code across both PCs and sensor nodes.
Identification of Multiple Sources of Groundwater Contamination by Dual Isotopes

Chlorinated solvents are one of the most commonly detected groundwater contaminants in industrial areas. Identification of polluters and allocation of contaminant sources are important concerns in the evaluation of complex subsurface contamination with multiple sources. In recent years, compound‐specific isotope analyses (CSIA) have been employed to discriminate among different contaminant sources and to better understand the fate of contaminants in field‐site studies. In this study, the usefulness of dual isotopes (carbon and chlorine) was shown in assessments of groundwater contamination at an industrial complex in Wonju, Korea, where groundwater contamination with chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene (TCE) and carbon tetrachloride (CT) was observed. In November 2009, the detected TCE concentrations at the study site ranged between nondetected and 10,066 µg/L, and the CT concentrations ranged between nondetected and 985 µg/L. In the upgradient area, TCE and CT metabolites were detected, whereas only TCE metabolites were detected in the downgradient area. The study revealed the presence of separate small but concentrated TCE pockets in the downgradient area, suggesting the possibility of multiple contaminant sources that created multiple comingling plumes. Furthermore, the variation of the isotopic (δ13C and δ37Cl) TCE values between the upgradient and downgradient areas lends support to the idea of multiple contamination sources even in the presence of detectable biodegradation. This case study found it useful to apply a spatial distribution of contaminants coupled with their dual isotopic values for evaluation of the contaminated sites and identification of the presence of multiple sources in the study area.
Finite horizon online packet scheduling with energy and delay constraints

A finite horizon optimal packet scheduling problem with data and energy causality constraints is posed. The slotted structure of the problem makes discrete time stochastic dynamic programming suitable for obtaining its optimal solution. This structure also enables an offline optimal solution that facilitates an online scheduling heuristic. The online heuristic, which does not require prior knowledge of data and energy arrival statistics, is observed (via simulations) to perform closely to the online optimal. The simulations also exhibit that policies designed for longer-term optimal performance can fail in the short term and perform much poorly with respect to the online scheduling heuristic.
The caffeine contracture test for malignant hyperthermia: caffeine citrate, caffeine benzoate or caffeine free base?

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the three different caffeine preparations — caffeine citrate, caffeine benzoate and the free base — used for in vitro diagnosis of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility — produced the same amount of contracture in rat diaphragm. At equimolar caffeine concentrations, the pure base generated more tension in the rat diaphragm muscle than caffeine benzoate or caffeine citrate. The citrate lowers the pH and the free Ca2+ concentration of the test bath and thus suppresses the caffeine contracture. The benzoate is believed to inhibit the caffeine contracture by its carbonyl group in a way similar to the effect of benzocaine.
Measurement of channel and propagation properties at 300 GHz

The constantly growing need for unoccupied and unregulated bandwidth will lead to the extension of operation frequencies of ultrabroadband communication systems into the lower Terahertz frequency range. Here we present first channel measurements at 300 GHz for two simple indoor scenarios, a point-to-point link on a desktop and a connection from a desktop to an access point within an office room. For the first scenario measurements are taken depending on distance, antenna types and transmitter/receiver placement. For the second scenario, measurements are obtained to identify line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight paths with up to two reflections and obstruction due to objects in the transmission path. From the channel transfer function, temporal channel characteristics are derived to estimate maximum achievable symbol rates.