Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study of the Quantum Evolutionary Algorithm Parameters Applied to Transient Identification

In this work we present a study on the behavior of the Transient Identification System, proposed in our previous work, when modified the main parameters of the optimization tool. The optimization tool used for this study was the Quantum Evolutionary Algorithm (QEA). Besides verifying the influence of the QEA main parameters separately, we propose the modification of these parameters, fixed in canonical form, as a decreasing function in time. Our results for the Transient Identification System are comparable with those present in the current literature, moreover, shown as that these parameters guide the behavior of the algorithm.
EVALUATION OF THE EFFICACY OF A COMMERCIAL HYDRATED SODIUM CALCIUM ALUMINOSILICATE TO REDUCE THE TOXICITY OF AFLATOXIN AND OCHRATOXIN IN BROILER CHICKS

Two experiments were conducted to study the efficacy of a low inclusion commercial HSCAS (Myco-Ad) in preventing the deleterious effects of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB) and Ochratoxin A (OCA) in broiler chicks. Arbor Acres broiler males individually caged were used in both experiments. The feed was experimentally contaminated with synthetic AFB or OCA from Sigma Labs, USA. In Experiment 1, 96 4-day-old chicks were randomly assigned four dietary treatments with 24 replications each. T I was a sorghumsoybean meal control diet, T II control + 2.5 kg/mt Myco-Ad, T III control + 7.5 ppm AFB, and T IV control + 7.5 ppm AFB + 2.5 kg/mt Myco-Ad. At 24 days of age, birds fed 7.5 ppm AFB contaminated diet showed severe macroscopic liver lesions, higher mortality, lower body weight, poorer feed conversion, and higher liver weight than chicks fed the control diet. The addition of Myco-Ad significantly prevented the impaired performance and the gross liver lesions observed in chicks fed AFB. In Experiment 2, 64 7-day-old chicks were randomly divided into four dietary treatments with 16 replications each. T I was a sorghum-soybean meal control diet, T II control + 2.5 kg/mt Myco-Ad, T III control + 2 ppm OCA, and T IV control + 2 ppm OCA + 2.5 kg/mt Myco-Ad. Feeding OCA contaminated diet plus Myco-Ad resulted in statistically significant heavier and more efficient broilers, with markedly reduced macroscopic kidney lesions than those fed 2 ppm OCA at 28 days of age. In both experiments, the addition of 2.5 kg/mt of Myco-Ad to chick diets did not show any statistical difference in performance compared to the control diet, demonstrating its lack of interference with the absorption of nutrients. These results indicated that Myco-Ad at 2.5 kg/mt was effective in preventing the toxic effects of AFB and OCA in broilers chicks.
Walden: or Life in the Woods

In this classic of American literature, Thoreau gives an account of his two years experience of the 'simple life' in the woods, telling how he sought and found material and spiritual sustenance in the solitude of the cabin which he built for himself on the shore of Walden Pond, near Concord, Massachusetts.
Control group improvements in physical activity intervention trials and possible explanatory factors: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND Several recent physical activity intervention trials have reported physical activity improvements in control group participants. Explanations have been proposed, but not systematically investigated. METHODS A systematic review of physical activity intervention trials was conducted to investigate the frequency of meaningful improvements in physical activity among control group participants (increase of ≥60 minutes [4 MET·hours] of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week, or a 10% increase in the proportion of participants meeting physical activity recommendations), and possible explanatory factors. Explanatory factors include aspects of behavioral measurement, participant characteristics, and control group treatment. RESULTS Eight (28%) of 29 studies reviewed reported meaningful improvements in control group physical activity, most of which were of similar magnitude to improvements observed in the intervention group. A number of factors were related to meaningful control group improvements in physical activity, including the number of assessments, mode of measurement administration, screening to exclude active participants, and preexisting health status. CONCLUSIONS Control group improvement in physical activity intervention trials is not uncommon and may be associated with behavioral measurement and participant characteristics. Associations observed in this review should be evaluated empirically in future research. Such studies may inform minimal contact approaches to physical activity promotion.
Seminal vesicle cyst, vas deferens ectopia, pelvic kidney and cryptorchidism

1. Bisgaard T, Bay-Nielsen M, Kehlet H. Re-recurrence after operation for recurrent inguinal hernia. A nationwide 8-year follow-up study on the role of type of repair. Ann. Surg. 2008; 248: 347–8. 2. Memon MA, Feliu X, Sallent EF et al. Laparoscopic repair of recurrent hernias. Surg. Endosc. 1999; 13: 807–10. 3. Douek M, Smith G, Oshowo A et al. (2003) Prospective randomised controlled trial of laparoscopic versus open inguinal hernia mesh repair: five year follow up. BMJ 2003; 326: 1012–3.
Adenosine-diphosphate-induced platelet adhesiveness in patients with ischaemic heart disease.

Adenosine-diphosphate-induced platelet adhesiveness to glass beads has been estimated in 50 patients with previous myocardial infarction and 50 matched controls. Similar degrees of adhesiveness were found in both groups. No correlation was found between platelet adhesiveness and glucose tolerance as estimated by the intravenous glucose tolerance test, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Platelet adhesiveness did not change after an intravenous glucose load. Platelet adhesiveness in a group of 20 insulin-treated diabetics was significantly higher than in the healthy controls, but did not differ from the group with ischaemic heart disease. The mean cholesterol levels of patients and controls were similar, but the triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the patients.
Conventional pituitary irradiation is effective in lowering serum growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I in patients with acromegaly.

BACKGROUND There has been recent controversy as to the effectiveness of conventional pituitary irradiation in reducing circulating GH levels to less than 2.5 ng/ml and/or normalization of serum IGF-I. OBJECTIVES Our objectives were to determine the effects of conventional pituitary irradiation on 1) lowering of serum GH and IGF-I levels, 2) the proportion of patients who achieve a GH level less than 2.5 ng/ml and a normal age-corrected IGF-I and the time taken to achieve this, and 3) the incidence of hypopituitarism and other adverse effects. DESIGN We conducted retrospective data collection from 14 centers throughout the United Kingdom. PATIENTS We studied 1840 patients with acromegaly, of whom 884 had received conventional pituitary irradiation. MEASUREMENTS We assessed circulating GH and IGF-I levels and pituitary function at intervals after irradiation. RESULTS Mean GH levels declined from 13.5 to 5.3 ng/ml at 2 yr after irradiation, to 2.0 ng/ml by 10 yr, and to 1.1 ng/ml at 20 yr. Twenty-two percent of patients achieved a level less than 2.5 ng/ml by 2 yr, 60% by 10 yr, and 77% by 20 yr. The interval to achieve this depended on the preirradiation GH level. IGF-I levels fell in parallel to those of GH with 63% of patients having a normal level by 10 yr. The proportions of patients with new pituitary hormone deficiencies 10 yr after irradiation were 18% for LH/FSH, 15% for ACTH, and 27% for TSH. No other side effects were noted. CONCLUSIONS In this, the largest series reported, conventional pituitary irradiation is shown to be an effective and safe means of reducing both serum GH and IGF-I concentrations in patients with acromegaly.
SJL/J Mice Are Highly Susceptible to Infection by Mouse Adenovirus Type 1

ABSTRACT Mouse adenovirus type 1 (MAV-1) targets endothelial and monocyte/macrophage cells throughout the mouse. Depending on the strain of mouse and dose or strain of virus, infected mice may survive, become persistently infected, or die. We surveyed inbred mouse strains and found that for the majority tested the 50% lethal doses (LD50s) were >104.4 PFU. However, SJL/J mice were highly susceptible to MAV-1, with a mean LD50 of 10−0.32 PFU. Infected C3H/HeJ (resistant) and SJL/J (susceptible) mice showed only modest differences in histopathology. Susceptible mice had significantly higher viral loads in the brain and spleen at 8 days postinfection than resistant mice. Infection of primary macrophages or mouse embryo fibroblasts from SJL/J and C3H/HeJ mice gave equivalent yields of virus, suggesting that a receptor difference between strains is not responsible for the susceptibility difference. When C3H/HeJ mice were subjected to sublethal doses of gamma irradiation, they became susceptible to MAV-1, with an LD50 like that of SJL/J mice. Antiviral immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were measured in susceptible and resistant mice infected by an early region 1A null mutant virus that is less virulent that wild-type virus. The antiviral IgG levels were high and similar in the two strains of mice. Taken together, these results suggest that immune response differences may in part account for differences in susceptibility to MAV-1 infection.
Smart scheduling and feedback allocation over non-stationary wireless channels

It is well known that opportunistic scheduling algorithms are throughput optimal under dynamic channel and network conditions. However, these algorithms achieve a hypothetical rate region which does not take into account the overhead associated with channel probing and feedback required to obtain the full channel state information at every slot. In this work, we design a joint scheduling and channel probing algorithm by considering the overhead of obtaining the channel state information. We adopt a correlated and non-stationary channel model, which is more realistic than those used in the literature. We use concepts from learning and information theory to accurately track channel variations to minimize the number of channels probed at every slot, while scheduling users to maximize the achievable rate region of the network. Simulation results show that with the proposed algorithm, the network can carry higher user traffic.
Small signal characterization of fluorescent lamps in dimmed operation

In recent bibliography, several small signal models for fluorescent lamps have been presented. These models are focused in the characterization of the lamp small signal dynamic impedance at nominal power level. This impedance can only be used to analyze the lampballast interaction at nominal power. However, in dimming ballasts, the interaction between lamp and ballast can lead to system instability at reduced power operation. In present paper, the small signal model of a compact fluorescent lamp is obtained at different power levels. At each power level, the parameters of the single-pole, single-zero model are obtained. The static gain, pole and zero frequencies of the model are calculated and fitted to a power dependent polynomial expression. Using the generalized multi-frequency averaging technique the stability of a voltage controlled resonant inverter is analyzed. The stability margin of the system is calculated using the proposed model and verified using an experimental prototype.
Oncogenic aberrations in the p53 pathway are associated with a high S phase fraction and poor patient survival in b‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma

The implications of aberrations in the p53 pathway for induction of apoptosis and regulation of S phase entry, and for patient survival, were investigated in 83 B‐cell Non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas. Eight cases had missense mutations in exons 5, 7, 8 and 9 as revealed by constant denaturant gel electrophoresis and sequencing. Fifteen cases had lost 1 TP53 allele as revealed by fluorescent in situ hybridization and comparative genomic hybridization. Ten cases expressed high levels of p53 as assessed by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry. S phase fractions were higher, apoptotic fractions were the same and survival times were shorter in all aberration groups compared with the cases with no TP53/p53 aberrations. Since many tumors had more than one TP53/p53 aberration, the tumors were divided into groups with the following characteristics: no TP53/p53 aberrations; loss of one TP53 allele only (9 cases), TP53 point mutation (8 cases), high‐level p53 expression and no TP53 mutation (3 cases). Tumors from the 3 latter groups had higher median S phase fractions (5%, 7.6%, and 5%, respectively, p<0.02) than the cases without any aberrations (1.1%), and survival time for these patients was much shorter (relative risks of 5.9, 8.9, and 6.6, respectively, p<0.003). Apoptotic fractions were similar in all these groups (p=0.09). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of TP53/p53 aberrations is a strong and independent prognostic parameter in B‐cell Non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. Int. J. Cancer 89:313–324, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fast Multiplication of Polynomials over Arbitrary Rings

An algorithm is presented that allows to multiply two univariate polynomials of degree no more than n with coefficients from an arbitrary (possibly non-commutative) ring in O(n log(n) log(log n)) additions and subtractions and O(n log(n)) multiplications. The arithmetic depth of the algorithm is O(log(n)). This algorithm is a modification of the Schonhage-Strassen procedure to arbitrary radix fast Fourier transforms, and division by the radix is circumvented. By a Kronecker homomorphism the method can be extended to multivariate polynomials. * This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. DCR-85-04391 and CCR-87-0563 and by an IBM Faculty Development Award (second author).
Use of BRAF v600e immunocytochemistry on FNA direct smears of papillary thyroid carcinoma

Mutations of v‐Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) are identified in almost half of all papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). These mutations are specific for PTC and may confer a worse prognosis. An immunohistochemical (IHC) stain for BRAF is commercially available and has been validated in surgical specimens. Fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) is frequently used as a diagnostic tool for risk stratification of thyroid nodules. Therefore, the authors evaluated the performance of immunostaining with the anti‐BRAF antibody VE1 on FNA direct smears.
Examining the cost-effectiveness of radiation therapy among older women with favorable-risk breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the cost-effectiveness of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) or newer radiation therapy (RT) modalities such as intensity modulated radiation (IMRT) or brachytherapy among older women with favorable-risk breast cancer. METHODS Using a Markov model, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of no RT, EBRT, and IMRT over 10 years. We estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of IMRT compared with EBRT under different scenarios to determine the necessary improvement in effectiveness for newer modalities to be cost-effective. We estimated model inputs using women in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database fulfilling the Cancer and Leukemia Group B C9343 trial criteria. RESULTS The incremental cost of EBRT compared with no RT was $9500 with an ICER of $44600 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. The ICERs increased with age, ranging from $38300 (age 70-74 years) to $55800 (age 80 to 94 years) per QALY. The ICERs increased to more than $63800 per QALY for women aged 70 to 74 years with an expected 10-year survival of 25%. Reduction in local recurrence by IMRT compared with EBRT did not have a substantial impact on the ICER of IMRT. IMRT would have to increase the utility of baseline state by 20% to be cost-effective (<$100000 per QALY). CONCLUSIONS EBRT is cost-effective for older women with favorable risk breast cancer, but substantially less cost-effective for women with shorter expected survival. Newer RT modalities would have to be substantially more effective than existing therapies in improving quality of life to be cost-effective.
Effectiveness of speaker normalized HMM by projection to speaker subspace

Conventional speaker-independent HMMs ignore the speaker differences and collect speech data in an observation space. This causes a problem that probability distribution of the HMMs becomes flat, and then causes recognition errors. To solve this problem, we construct the speaker subspace for an individual speaker and project his speech data to his own subspace. By this method we can extract speaker independent phonetic information included in the speech data. Speaker-independent HMMs can be constructed using this phonetic information. In this paper, we describe the result of phoneme recognition experiments using the speaker-independent HMMs constructed by the speech data projected to the speaker subspaces.
Live Attenuated Mutants of Francisella tularensis Protect Rabbits against Aerosol Challenge with a Virulent Type A Strain

ABSTRACT Francisella tularensis, a Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of tularemia. No licensed vaccine is currently available for protection against tularemia, although an attenuated strain, dubbed the live vaccine strain (LVS), is given to at-risk laboratory personnel as an investigational new drug (IND). In an effort to develop a vaccine that offers better protection, recombinant attenuated derivatives of a virulent type A strain, SCHU S4, were evaluated in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Rabbits vaccinated via scarification with the three attenuated derivatives (SCHU S4 ΔguaBA, ΔaroD, and ΔfipB strains) or with LVS developed a mild fever, but no weight loss was detected. Twenty-one days after vaccination, all vaccinated rabbits were seropositive for IgG to F. tularensis lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Thirty days after vaccination, all rabbits were challenged with aerosolized SCHU S4 at doses ranging from 50 to 500 50% lethal doses (LD50). All rabbits developed fevers and weight loss after challenge, but the severity was greater for mock-vaccinated rabbits. The ΔguaBA and ΔaroD SCHU S4 derivatives provided partial protection against death (27 to 36%) and a prolonged time to death compared to results for the mock-vaccinated group. In contrast, LVS and the ΔfipB strain both prolonged the time to death, but there were no survivors from the challenge. This is the first demonstration of vaccine efficacy against aerosol challenge with virulent type A F. tularensis in a species other than a rodent since the original work with LVS in the 1960s. The ΔguaBA and ΔaroD SCHU S4 derivatives warrant further evaluation and consideration as potential vaccines for tularemia and for identification of immunological correlates of protection.
Generation of FARIMA(0,α,0) sequences by recursive filtering: Testing for self-similarity

This paper describes an approximate method for synthesizing sequences of statistically self-similar processes and analyses its performance to generate sample sequences with long-range dependence. The method is based upon approximating the infinite dimensional difference equation which describes the FARIMA(0,α,0) model by a finite dimensional difference equation. The parameters estimation for parameterizing the binomial coefficients is performed by deterministic signal modeling techniques (Prony, Shanks and Steiglitz MAcBride). In addition to allow considerable savings in memory requirements and great reduction in computation time, the performance analysis results show that the generated sequences are statistically self-similar in the sense that the estimated Hurst parameter is very close to that imposed in the sequences generator.
Hydrogen passivation of multicrystalline silicon

Hydrogen passivation using SiN/sub x/ remains one of the most technologically significant developments of the solar cell industry. However, the nature of hydrogen diffusion through the bulk of the solar cell during high temperature processing and the details of how hydrogen passivates defects is a topic of ongoing investigation and debate. The model for diffusion of hydrogen in single-crystal silicon includes hydrogen trapping at impurities and vacancies and the existence of several charge states. In multicrystalline silicon the presence of dislocations and grain boundaries presents an even more complex situation for modeling the interaction between hydrogen and defects and impurities. In this review, hydrogen passivation of impurities and passivation of extended defects, such as dislocations and grain boundaries, are summarized, as well as diffusion of hydrogen through the solar cell bulk. Finally, implications for current understanding of hydrogen passivation of solar cells using industrial processing is discussed.
Embodied evolution versus cooperative coevolution in multi-robot optimization: a practical comparison

In this paper we show the potentiality of Embodied Evolution in the optimization of general multi-robot systems, as compared to state-of-the-art approaches based on Cooperative Coevolution. The comparison is carried out in a real application problem of coordinating a team of autonomous UAVs for surveillance which, in parallel, must optimize their location accuracy. The results show the advantages of using Embodied Evolution algorithms to notably reduce the number of evolution steps while maintaining the performance level.
Characterization of Chromatin Dysregulation in Cancer Through Analysis of Fresh and Archival Human Samples

Jeremy M. Simon: Characterization of chromatin dysregulation in cancer through analysis of fresh and archival human samples. (Under the direction of Ian J. Davis.) In the past several years, advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing have enabled massive tumor genome sequencing studies to identify recurrent mutations across many different cancer types and thousands of patients. These mutational surveys have reinforced the paradigm that cancer is a “disease of the genome” through the identification of inactivating mutations in well studied tumorsuppressors and activating mutations in well studied oncogenes, particularly in adult cancers. A new class of recurrent mutations has emerged as well, inactivating genes that encode chromatin regulators; these are disproportionately prevalent in pediatric and hematological malignancies. The molecular consequences of chromatin regulator mutations on a genome-wide scale, and moreover, how other genetic insults drive chromatin dysregulation and potentially enhance tumorigenesis, were until now completely unknown. In the chapters that follow, we show that a translocation-derived transcription factor chimera in Ewing Sarcoma acquired chromatin modifying activity such that it acts as a pioneer factor, altering chromatin configuration and inducing transcriptional dysregulation. We also demonstrate how alterations in chromatin link aberrancies in transcript processing with histone methyltransferase loss in clear cell Renal Cell Carcinoma through functional studies of chromatin accessibility and RNA processing in primary human tumors. Lastly, we describe how simple modifications to our experimental assay of chromatin accessibility permit the usage of archival (FFPE) human specimens. Together, in addition to contributing a greater understanding of chromatin biology and dysregulation in human cancers, this work will enable large-scale studies of the causes and roles of chromatin dysregulation in other models of human disease. It has also led to the initiation of high-throughput screens for compounds that