Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Leukotriene B4 Levels in Human Atherosclerotic Plaques and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

Background Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) has been associated with the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. However, associations of LTB4 levels with tissue characteristics and adverse clinical outcome of advanced atherosclerosis and AAA are scarcely studied. We hypothesized that LTB4 levels are associated with a vulnerable plaque phenotype and adverse clinical outcome. Furthermore, that LTB4 levels are associated with inflammatory AAA and adverse clinical outcome. Methods Atherosclerotic plaques and AAA specimens were selected from two independent databases for LTB4 measurements. Plaques were isolated during carotid endarterectomy from asymptomatic (n = 58) or symptomatic (n = 317) patients, classified prior to surgery. LTB4 levels were measured without prior lipid extraction and levels were corrected for protein content. LTB4 levels were related to plaque phenotype, baseline patient characteristics and clinical outcome within three years following surgery. Seven non-diseased mammary artery specimens served as controls. AAA specimens were isolated during open repair, classified as elective (n = 189), symptomatic (n = 29) or ruptured (n = 23). LTB4 levels were measured similar to the plaque measurements and were related to tissue characteristics, baseline patient characteristics and clinical outcome. Twenty-six non-diseased aortic specimens served as controls. Results LTB4 levels corrected for protein content were not significantly associated with histological characteristics specific for vulnerable plaques or inflammatory AAA as well as clinical presentation. Moreover, it could not predict secondary manifestations independently investigated in both databases. However, LTB4 levels were significantly lower in controls compared to plaque (p = 0.025) or AAA (p = 0.017). Conclusions LTB4 levels were not associated with a vulnerable plaque phenotype or inflammatory AAA or clinical presentation. This study does not provide supportive evidence for a role of LTB4 in atherosclerotic plaque destabilization or AAA expansion. However, these data should be interpreted with care, since LTB4 measurements were performed without prior lipid extractions.
NF-κB Regulates Mesenchymal Transition for the Induction of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Initiating Cells

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a de-differentiation process that has been implicated in metastasis and the generation of cancer initiating cells (CICs) in solid tumors. To examine EMT in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we utilized a three dimensional (3D) cell culture system in which cells were co-stimulated with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ). NSCLC spheroid cultures display elevated expression of EMT master-switch transcription factors, TWIST1, SNAI1/Snail1, SNAI2/Slug and ZEB2/Sip1, and are highly invasive. Mesenchymal NSCLC cultures show CIC characteristics, displaying elevated expression of transcription factors KLF4, SOX2, POU5F1/Oct4, MYCN, and KIT. As a result, these putative CIC display a cancer “stem-like” phenotype by forming lung metastases under limiting cell dilution. The pleiotropic transcription factor, NF-κB, has been implicated in EMT and metastasis. Thus, we set out to develop a NSCLC model to further characterize the role of NF-κB activation in the development of CICs. Here, we demonstrate that induction of EMT in 3D cultures results in constitutive NF-κB activity. Furthermore, inhibition of NF-κB resulted in the loss of TWIST1, SNAI2, and ZEB2 induction, and a failure of cells to invade and metastasize. Our work indicates that NF-κB is required for NSCLC metastasis, in part, by transcriptionally upregulating master-switch transcription factors required for EMT.
Selecting and Simulating Models for Management of Investment Portfolios Using Cybernetic Approach

The theory of investment portfolios is a well defined component of financial science. While sound in principle, it faces some setbacks in its real-world implementation. The authors state that cybernetics present an unorthodox "new" way of studying the process of portfolio management. First, the known theory is translated in cybernetic terminology. Second, various known models of investors are competed systematically on a unified data track. Third, by heuristic restructuring new models of investors may be assembled, which in turn are to be competed as well.
EDXL-RESCUER Ontology: an Update Based on Faceted Taxonomy Approach

This paper describes an ontology created for the RESCUER1 (Reliable and Smart Crowdsourcing Solution for Emergency and Crisis Management), a project funded by the European Union and the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. RESCUER uses crowdsourcing information for supporting Industrial Parks (InPa) and Security Forces during an emergency situation. The proposal, EDXL-RESCUER ontology, is based on EDXL (Emergency Data Exchange Language), and it aims to be the RESCUER conceptual model related to the coordinating and exchanging of information with legacy systems. The ontology was evaluated with end-users during a workshop and the results show that EDXL-RESCUER is adequate for Emergency and Crisis domain in InPa and Security forces contexts. Specifically, this paper presents an update of EDXL-RESCUER ontology based on a faceted taxonomy approach. Resumo. Este artigo descreve uma ontologia criada para o RESCUER (Reliable and Smart Crowdsourcing Solution for Emergency and Crisis Management), um projeto patrocinado pela Uniao Europeia e pelo Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnologia e Inovacao do Brasil. O RESCUER usa informacao do publico para apoiar Parques Industriais e Forcas de Seguranca durante uma emergencia. A ontologia proposta, EDXL-RESCUER, e baseada no EDXL (Emergency Data Exchange Language) e pretende ser o modelo conceitual do RESCUER relacionado a coordenacao e troca de informacao com os sistemas legados. A ontologia foi avaliada com usuarios finais durante um workshop, e os resultados mostram que EDXL-RESCUER e adequada para o dominio de Crises e Emergencias nos contextos de Parques Industrias e Forcas de Seguranca. Especificamente, este artigo apresenta uma atualizacao da EDXL-RESCUER baseada em uma abordagem de taxinomia facetada.
DEX: A high-performance graph database management system

The amount of applications calling for efficient large graph management is dramatically increasing. Social network analysis, Internet or biocomputation are just three examples of such applications. In these cases, the interest focuses on the structural analysis of the relationships between different entities organized in huge networks or graph-like structures. Being able to efficiently handle such graphs becomes essential, placing graph database management systems in the eye of the storm. Among the different challenges posed by graph databases, finding an efficient way to represent and manipulate huge graphs that do not entirely fit in memory is still an unresolved problem. In this work, we present DEX, a high performance graph database management system based on bitmaps and other secondary structures. We show that by using bitmap structures for graph representation it is possible to improve the performance of a graph database system, allowing for the efficient manipulation of very large graphs containing thousands of millions of nodes and edges.
TRMM 2 A 12 Land Precipitation Product – Status and Future Plans

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) 2A12 product consists of unique components configured for land and oceanic precipitation retrievals. This design was based on the vastly different physical characteristics of the retrieval, involving primarily emission over ocean and entirely scattering over land. This paper describes the current status of the TRMM Version 6 (V6) 2A12 product over land and envisioned improvements for TRMM TMI V7 and GPM GMI V1. On a global scale, the 2A12 land algorithm exhibits biases when compared with the TRMM 2A25 (Precipitation Radar (PR) based) and rain gauges. These range from 6 percent for GPCC to 20 percent for 2A25. Closer comparison also reveals regional and seasonal biases, with the largest positive biases found in warm-season convective zones and over semi-arid regions. Some negative biases are found in warm-rain precipitation regimes where scattering at 85 GHz is unable to detect a precipitation signal. On an instantaneous time scale, 2A12 land also produces a positive bias when compared with high-quality radar data from Melbourne, Florida, a TRMM ground validation site. The largest discrepancies occur for rain rates of less than 2 mm h. A number of known “anomalies” are highlighted, including overestimation of rainfall in deep convective systems, underestimation in warm-rain regimes, and a number of features associated with the Corresponding author: Nai-Yu Wang, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA E-mail: Nai-Yu.Wang@noaa.gov ©2009, Meteorological Society of Japan 238 Journal of the Meteorological Society of Japan Vol. 87A
Untangling Genomes of Novel Planctomycetal and Verrucomicrobial Species from Monterey Bay Kelp Forest Metagenomes by Refined Binning

The kelp forest of the Pacific temperate rocky marine coastline of Monterey Bay in California is a dominant habitat for large brown macro-algae in the order of Laminariales. It is probably one of the most species-rich, structurally complex and productive ecosystems in temperate waters and well-studied in terms of trophic ecology. However, still little is known about the microorganisms thriving in this habitat. A growing body of evidence suggests that bacteria associated with macro-algae represent a huge and largely untapped resource of natural products with chemical structures that have been optimized by evolution for biological and ecological purposes. Those microorganisms are most likely attracted by algae through secretion of specific carbohydrates and proteins that trigger them to attach to the algal surface and to form biofilms. The algae might then employ those bacteria as biofouling control, using their antimicrobial secondary metabolites to defeat other bacteria or eukaryotes. We here analyzed biofilm samples from the brown macro-algae Macrocystis pyrifera sampled in November 2014 in the kelp forest of Monterey Bay by a metagenomic shotgun and amplicon sequencing approach, focusing on Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia from the PVC superphylum. Although not very abundant, we were able to find novel Planctomycetal and Verrucomicrobial species by an innovative binning approach. All identified species harbor secondary metabolite related gene clusters, contributing to our hypothesis that through inter-species interaction, microorganisms might have a substantial effect on kelp forest wellbeing and/or disease-development.
Assessment of Cloud Screening With Apparent Surface Reflectance in Support of the ICESat-2 Mission

Cloud detection/screening is a fundamental step in satellite data analysis. For the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) and its successor ICESat-2, clouds can significantly affect the accuracy of the surface elevation retrievals. This paper proposes a new method for cloud screening in support of the ICESat-2 mission with focus on the polar ice sheet regions. The method utilizes the apparent surface reflectance (ASR) at the backscattering direction as the cloud screening test. The basis of this method is that clouds produce a strong signal by significantly decreasing the ASR. We show that depending on the height and microphysics of the cloud, the ASR decreases 8%-17% for clouds with an optical depth of 0.1 and 57%-85% for clouds with an optical depth 1.0. Data from ICESat's 1064-nm channel is used to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. It is shown that cloud detectability is a function of surface reflectance variability. Generally, the smaller the surface reflectance variability, the more accurate is cloud detection. Unlike ICESat, which used a 1064-nm laser, ICESat-2 adopts a 532-nm photon counting system for its laser altimeter. With both modeling studies and results from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), we demonstrate that the ASR variability is much smaller for the 532-nm channel than that for the 1064-nm channel. Hence, the 532-nm channel is better suited for cloud screening than the 1064-nm channel.
A KRAS mutation status-stratified randomized phase II trial of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin alone or in combination with cetuximab in advanced biliary tract cancer.

BACKGROUND Previous clinical trials have not proved that adding epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors to chemotherapy confers a survival benefit for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (ABTC). Whether the KRAS mutation status of tumor cells confounded the results of past studies is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS ABTC patients stratified by KRAS status, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and primary tumor location were randomized 1 : 1 to receive GEMOX (800 mg/m(2) gemcitabine and 85 mg/m(2) oxaliplatin) or C-GEMOX (500 mg/m(2) cetuximab plus GEMOX) every 2 weeks. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR). RESULTS The study enrolled 122 patients between December 2010 and May 2012 (62 treated with C-GEMOX and 60 with GEMOX). Compared with GEMOX alone, C-GEMOX was associated with trend to better ORR (27% versus 15%; P = 0.12) and progression-free survival (PFS, 6.7 versus 4.1 months; P = 0.05), but not overall survival (OS, 10.6 versus 9.8 months; P = 0.91). KRAS mutations, which were detected in 36% of tumor samples, did not affect the trends of difference in ORR and PFS between C-GEMOX and GEMOX. The two treatment arms had similar adverse events, except that more patients had skin rashes, allergic reactions, and neutropenia in the C-GEMOX arm. Of patients with C-GEMOX, the presence of a grade 2 or 3 skin rash was associated with significantly better ORR, PFS, and OS. CONCLUSIONS Addition of cetuximab did not significantly improve the ORR of GEMOX chemotherapy in ABTC, although a trend of PFS improvement was observed. The trend of improvement did not correlate with KRAS mutation status. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01267344). All patients gave written informed consent.
Bacillus licheniformis Bearing a High Cellulose-Degrading Activity, which was Isolated as a Heat-Resistant and Micro-Aerophilic Microorganism from Bovine Rumen

Screening of bovine rumen contents for heat-resistant and micro-aerophilic cellulose-degrading microorgan- isms was performed on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) plates at 37 °C-45 °C, and many isolates were found to produce reducing sugars under a static condition. Of those isolates, R8 and R15, which efficiently produced reducing sugars from CMC at a high temperature, were further examined. Taxonomic analysis classified both strains into Bacillus licheniformis. Comparison with B. licheniformis NBRC12200 and Trichoderma reesei NBRC31329 as a type strain under various condi- tions revealed that R8 and R15 had filter paper- and CMC-degrading abilities, which are absent in the B. licheniformis type strain, and that both isolates produced reducing sugars from CMC more efficiently than did T. reesei type strain at a high temperature under a static condition. These results suggest that R8 and R15 have a strong cellulose-degrading ability at a relatively high temperature under a micro-aerophilic condition.
Fatal outbreak of human toxoplasmosis along the Maroni River: epidemiological, clinical, and parasitological aspects.

BACKGROUND Well-documented outbreaks of human toxoplasmosis infection are infrequently reported. Here, we describe a community outbreak of multivisceral toxoplasmosis that occurred in Patam, a Surinamese village near the French Guianan border. METHODS From the end of December 2003 through the middle of January 2004, 5 adult patients in Patam, including 2 pregnant women, were initially hospitalized for multivisceral toxoplasmosis. A French-Surinamese epidemiological investigation was conducted in the village; inquiries and clinical examinations were performed, and blood and environmental samples were obtained. For all serologically confirmed cases of toxoplasmosis, molecular analysis and mouse inoculations were performed for diagnosis and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii. RESULTS The hospitalized patients, who did not have any immunodeficiencies, presented with an infectious disease with multivisceral involvement. Serological examination confirmed acute toxoplasmosis. One adult died, and a neonate and a fetus with congenital toxoplasmosis also died. During the investigation, 4 additional acute cases of toxoplasmosis were diagnosed among the 33 villagers. Only 3 inhabitants had serological evidence of previous T. gondii infection. In total, we reported 11 cases of toxoplasmosis: 8 multivisceral cases in immunocompetent adults, resulting in 1 death; 2 cases of lethal congenital toxoplasmosis in a neonate and a fetus; and 1 symptomatic case in a child. Molecular analysis demonstrated that identical isolates of only 1 atypical strain were responsible for at least 5 of the 11 cases of toxoplasmosis in the outbreak. No epidemiological sources could be linked to this severe community-wide outbreak of toxoplasmosis. CONCLUSION This report is in agreement with the particular features of toxoplasmosis involving atypical strains that were recently described in French Guiana.
Accurate analysis of a rib waveguide by pseudospectral modal method

For optical waveguides with high index-contrast and sharp corners, the mode matching method can be used when the interfaces are only in vertical and horizontal directions. As an efficient alternative to the classical mode matching method, the pseudospectral modal method (PSMM) for diffraction gratings has recently been reformulated as a full-vectorial waveguide mode solver. In this paper, we apply the PSMM mode solver to a classical rib waveguide benchmark problem. The results show that the PSMM can give extremely high accuracy.
Structured-Light Sensor Using Two Laser Stripes for 3D Reconstruction without Vibrations

3D reconstruction based on laser light projection is a well-known method that generally provides accurate results. However, when this method is used for inspection in uncontrolled environments, it is greatly affected by vibrations. This paper presents a structured-light sensor based on two laser stripes that provides a 3D reconstruction without vibrations. Using more than one laser stripe provides redundant information than is used to compensate for the vibrations. This work also proposes an accurate calibration process for the sensor based on standard calibration plates. A series of experiments are performed to evaluate the proposed method using a mechanical device that simulates vibrations. Results show excellent performance, with very good accuracy.
A clinical investigation of piritramide in the treatment of postoperative pain.

SUMMARY In a double-blind trial three dosage strengths of piritramide, 5, 10 and 20 mg, were compared with morphine 15 mg in the treatment of postoperative pain. Pain intensity was assessed by the patient, and pain relief and side effects by a nurse-assessor. A iog-dose response relationship was established for piritramide. Piritramide 20 mg was shown to be equivalent to morphine 15 mg in analgesic effect. From this and previous studies of piritramide, it appears that piritramide has a greater hypnotic effect than an equi-analgesic dose of morphine, but that it has a lesser incidence of other side effects, particularly nausea and vomiting, and hypotensive effects. Piritramide is indicated as a suitable analgesic for postoperative pain relief.
Modeling and Verification of Priority Assignment in Real-Time Databases Using Uppaal

Real-time database management systems (RTDBMS) are recently subject of an intensive research. Model checking algorithms and verification tools are of great concern as well. In this paper we show some possibilities of using a verification tool Uppaal on some variants of priority assignment algorithms. We present some possible models of such algorithms expressed as nets of timed automata, which are a modeling
Steel and iron output prediction in Hebei Province based on circular economy

At present, the development of steel and iron industry in Hebei Province faces the restriction of resource, energy, water shortage and environment protection pressure. It is the only way to develop circular economy in order to sustainable development. This paper based on circular economy theory. First, determined the influencing factors of steel and iron output; Second, screened factors by correlation analysis and built a prediction model, at the same time, used the stepwise regression law to optimize the model, and made use of a variety of testing methods to ensure the prediction model scientific and accurate; Finally, used the prediction model to predict the future production reasonably. Modeling method used in this paper has good scalability and can be applied to larger scale analogy.
Women's Scores on the Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES): Gender Similarities and Differences

The Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales (SIS/SES) assess individual propensities to become sexually aroused and to inhibit arousal. Prior analyses of men's SIS/SES data (Janssen, Vorst, Finn, & Bancroft, 2002a) yielded one excitation factor (SES) and two inhibitory factors (SIS1/Threat of Performance Failure and SIS2/Threat of Performance Consequences). The current study utilized a dataset of 2,045 undergraduates (1,067 women and 978 men) to examine the psychometric properties of women's SIS/SES scores. Women scored higher on sexual inhibition and lower on sexual excitation compared with men. The convergent/discriminant validity of women's SIS/SES scores globally resembled men's, but showed stronger associations with other sexuality − related measures and less pronounced relationships with measures of general behavioral approach/avoidance. The test–retest reliability of men's and women's SIS/SES scores were similar, but individual items exhibited differential relevance to men's and women's arousal. An exploratory factor analysis of women's scores was utilized to further examine shared and unshared themes.
Discovering Domain Concepts and Hyponymy Relations by Text Relevance Classifying Based Iterative Web Searching

Domain concepts and taxonomic relationships are an essential part of a domain ontology. They are used in a number of applications, including natural language processing, information retrieval, knowledge management and so on. Nowadays, with the continuous permeation of various kinds of Internet knowledge applications, numerous new concepts are emerged and released on to the Internet. So, the Internet has become an invaluable source of new concepts for almost every possible domain of knowledge. In order to ensure the domain ontologies keep pace with fast changing knowledge, we proposed an web searching based concepts and taxonomic relationships discovering approach. By our approach, the potential concepts on the Internet, which are taxonomically related with the give seeds concepts, can be discovered autonomously and iteratively. In this paper, the approach and a corresponding application in Chinese web pages are reported in detail. The experiments show that, our approach can catch the related domain concepts precisely, meanwhile, can reject irrelevant concepts and figure out the domain knowledge border definitely.