Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FDG PET/CT Demonstrates Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma in a Patient with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma after Radiation Therapy

A 25-year-old young male is a victim of undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) s/p an 8,200 cGy external radiation therapy about 5 years ago, who was referred to our positron emission tomography (PET) center for evaluating a protruding mass in his nasal cavity. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) imaging incidentally demonstrated a hypermetabolic lesion in the right nasal cavity and right maxillary sinus, which was suggestive of tumor recurrence. However, the surgical pathology report showed a picture of moderately differentiated sarcoma characterized by bizarre tumor giant cells, abnormal mitotic figure and intermixed with inflammatory cells. The immunohistochemical stains of the tumor cells showed positive for vimentin, which was compatible with malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MHF). Since radiation therapy is a well-known risk factor of MFH, which remind us that MFH should be ruled out in a NPC patient post radiotherapy and PET/CT scan is a valuable modality in detecting a second cancer, such as MFH. Furthermore, MFH usually happen to aged subgroup at limbs and retroperitoneum, our report presented rare case of a young male with MFH involving maxillary sinus and nasal cavity.
3-( Iodoacetamido )-benzoyIurea : A Novel Cancericidal Tubulin Ligand that Inhibits Microtubule Polymerization , Phosphorylates bcl-2 , and Induces Apoptosis in Tumor Cells 1

3-(Iodoacetamido)-benzoylurea (3-IAABU) is a newly synthesized antitubulin compound with a molecular weight of 347. 3-IAABU exhibited anticancer activity in a variety of tumor cell lines with II),,,, in the range of 0.015-0.29 f*M for leukemic cells and 0.06-0.92 /UMfor solid tumors. Higher selectivity against malignant cells was observed with 3-IAABU than that with vinblastine and paclitaxel. It inhibits microtubule assembly in tubulin systems either with or without microtubule-associated proteins (ID50 was 0.1 Â¡MI and 1.2 Â¡IM, respectively) and microtubule depolymerization was not affected, indicating an inhibition of polymerization by binding of 3-IAABU to the heterodimeric subunit of tubulin. 3-IAABU was shown to inhibit the binding of colchicine, a subunit binding com pound, but did not inhibit binding of vinblastine and guanosine 5'triphosphate/guanosine 5'-diphosphate, indicating that colchicine site cor responds to the site that 3-IAABU locates. Tumor cells treated with 3-IAABU showed scattered chromosomes in metaphase. Normal microtu bule architecture or spindle apparatus was absent in these cells; instead, punctuated aggregates of tubulin were found by an immunofluorescent staining. Cell cycle analyses showed an accumulation of tumor cells at M phase after a 4-h treatment with 3-IAABU. The phosphorylated bcl-2 representative of an inactivated form of the oncoprotein was found in the cells 12 h after treatment with 3-IAABU. These cells progressed to apoptosis within 16 h. As a new tubulin ligand, 3-IAABU could be a promising agent in cancer chemotherapy.
Measuring International Business Cycles by Saving for a Rainy Day

Macroeconomics inevitably begins with a trend-cycle decomposition of a nation's output. We propose a decomposition in which consumption is the trend component and savings is the cycle component. Using data from the G-7 plus Australia, we show that this decomposition identifies international business cycles that are: (i) more volatile, (ii) of longer mean duration and (iii) less correlated across countries than the cycle component from the Hodrick-Prescott filter. We argue that this difference stems from the fact that our method imposes a basic theoretical restriction arising from the permanent income hypothesis similar to the restriction used in Cochrane's ( ) decomposition.
Intestinal Intraepithelial Lymphocyte-Enterocyte Crosstalk Regulates Production of Bactericidal Angiogenin 4 by Paneth Cells upon Microbial Challenge

Antimicrobial proteins influence intestinal microbial ecology and limit proliferation of pathogens, yet the regulation of their expression has only been partially elucidated. Here, we have identified a putative pathway involving epithelial cells and intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (iIELs) that leads to antimicrobial protein (AMP) production by Paneth cells. Mice lacking γδ iIELs (TCRδ-/-) express significantly reduced levels of the AMP angiogenin 4 (Ang4). These mice were also unable to up-regulate Ang4 production following oral challenge by Salmonella, leading to higher levels of mucosal invasion compared to their wild type counterparts during the first 2 hours post-challenge. The transfer of γδ iIELs from wild type (WT) mice to TCRδ-/- mice restored Ang4 production and Salmonella invasion levels were reduced to those obtained in WT mice. The ability to restore Ang4 production in TCRδ-/- mice was shown to be restricted to γδ iIELs expressing Vγ7-encoded TCRs. Using a novel intestinal crypt co-culture system we identified a putative pathway of Ang4 production initiated by exposure to Salmonella, intestinal commensals or microbial antigens that induced intestinal epithelial cells to produce cytokines including IL‑23 in a TLR-mediated manner. Exposure of TCR-Vγ7+ γδ iIELs to IL-23 promoted IL‑22 production, which triggered Paneth cells to secrete Ang4. These findings identify a novel role for γδ iIELs in mucosal defence through sensing immediate epithelial cell cytokine responses and influencing AMP production. This in turn can contribute to the maintenance of intestinal microbial homeostasis and epithelial barrier function, and limit pathogen invasion.
The Influence of Human Aspects in Software Process Improvement : a Brazilian Public Company Study

This study discusses issues related to factors that can influence the success of Software Process Improvement (SPI) initiatives and seeks to contribute to the understanding of these factors, focusing especially on human aspects in the adoption of these initiatives. The study is quantitative, based on a survey approach, and was conducted at a public information technology (IT) company that aims at reaching Maturity Level G of the MRMPS-SW Model (Reference Model for Brazilian Software Process Improvement). The results are analyzed taking into account four basic hypotheses, organized based on four human factor categories: inertia and resistance to negative experiences; lack of evidence of benefits; imposition; and, restricted resources.
Virtual-Holonomic-Constraints-Based Design of Stable Oscillations of Furuta Pendulum: Theory and Experiments

The Furuta pendulum consists of an arm rotating in the horizontal plane and a pendulum attached to its end. Rotation of the arm is controlled by a DC motor, while the pendulum is moving freely in the plane, orthogonal to the arm. Motivated, in particular, by possible applications for walking/running/balancing robots, we consider the Furuta pendulum as a system for which synchronized periodic motions of all the generalized coordinates are to be created and stabilized. The goal is to achieve, via appropriate feedback control action, orbitally exponentially stable oscillations of the pendulum of various shapes around its upright and downward positions, accompanied with oscillations of the arm. Our approach is based on the idea of stabilization of a particular virtual holonomic constraint imposed on the configuration coordinates, which has been theoretically developed recently. Here, we elaborate on the complete design procedure. The results are illustrated not only through numerical simulations but also through successful experimental tests.
Performance analysis of RLC/MAC and LLC Layers in a GPRS protocol stack

In this paper, we analyze the performance of various layers of the general packet radio service (GPRS) protocol stack, including radio link control/medium-access control (RLC/MAC) layer and logical link-control (LLC) layer on the uplink. In the GPRS MAC protocol, several time-slotted uplink radio-frequency channels are shared by the mobiles on a request-reservation-based multiple-access scheme. Using the theory of Markov chains, we derive expressions for the average throughput and delay performance of the GPRS MAC protocol. We evaluate the performance of the RLC layer (in acknowledged mode) using block-level retransmission (BLR), as defined in the current GPRS standard, and compare it with that of using slot-level retransmission (SLR). We show that SLR at the RLC layer performs significantly better than the BLR, particularly when the channel-error rates are moderate to high. We further investigate the choice of parameters (e.g., number of retransmission attempts) for the automatic repeat request schemes at the RLC and LLC layers. Our results show that it is more beneficial to do error recovery by allowing more retransmission attempts at the RLC layer than at the LLC layer. We also evaluate the performance of transmission-control protocol with BLR and SLR at the RLC layer.
Hardware Accelerated Visibility Preprocessing using Adaptive Sampling

We present a novel aggressive visibility preprocessing technique for general 3D scenes. Our technique exploits commodity graphics hardware and is faster than most conservative solutions, while simultaneously not overestimating the set of visible polygons. The cost of this benefit is that of potential image error. In order to reduce image error, we have developed an effective error minimization heuristic. We present results showing the application of our technique to highly complex scenes, consisting of many small polygons. We give performance results, an in depth error analysis using various metrics, and an empirical analysis showing a high degree of scalability. We show that our technique can rapidly compute from-region visibility (1hr 19min for a 5 million polygon forest), with minimal error (0.3% of image). On average 91.3% of the scene is culled.
Profiling Literature in Healthcare Simulation

The publications that relate to the application of simulation to healthcare have steadily increased over the years. These publications are scattered amongst various journals that belong to several subject categories, including operational research, health economics and pharmacokinetics. The simulation techniques that are applied to the study of healthcare problems are also various. The aim of this study, therefore, is to review healthcare simulation literature that have been published between 1970 and 2007 in high-quality journals belonging to various subject categories and that report on the application of four simulation techniques, namely, Monte Carlo simulation, discrete-event simulation, system dynamics and agent-based simulation. Arguably, journal impact factor is fundamental in assessing the quality of publications. Thus, the 201 publications selected for review have been queried from the ISI Web of Science® bibliographic database of high-impact research journals. Through a review of healthcare simulation literature the following three objectives have been realized: (a) papers have been categorized under the different simulation techniques, and the healthcare problems that each technique is employed to investigate are identified; (b) variables such as authors, article citations, etc., within our dataset of healthcare papers have been profiled; (c) turning point (strategically important) papers and authors have been identified through co-citation analysis of references cited by the papers in our dataset. The above objectives have been realized by devising and then employing a methodology for profiling literature. It is expected that this review paper will help the readers gain a broader understanding of research in healthcare simulation.
A New Algorithm of Mobile Node Localization Based on RSSI

Position mobile node coordinate is a key component to determine the accuracy and efficiency of positioning in wireless sensor networks. Flexible location algorithm admits to adjust the accuracy and time cost of positioning based on the users references. This paper develops a location algorithm named Signal Strengthening Dynamic Value (SSDV) based on the database of RSSI to position the mobile node in terms of the value of beacon nodes RSSI. The proposed algorithm has successfully improved the accuracy of mobile nodes positioning and real-time, and simulation results show high performance in effectiveness of the algorithm.
High volume geospatial mapping for internet-of-vehicle solutions with in-memory map-reduce processing

With the flourishing of IoV(Internet of Vehicles) technology, location based services need to handle the positional coordinates streaming in continuously from large numbers of vehicles. Across the hundreds of thousands of kilometers of roads, with tens of millions of vehicles on them, it is a significant performance challenge to determine in real time where vehicles are; how quickly and where they are headed; and when, where, and how much congestion can be expected to build as a result. The high volume of data and the rate at which the mappings must be performed require high computational efficiency and avoidance of storage accesses where possible. This paper introduces a Hadoop based approach for handling such large volumes of information. The paper describes a couple of simple adjustments to methods available in JTS and Java AWT that provide efficient mapping between vehicle positions and road segments, shows the importance of secondary sort in achieving the needed computational throughput, and establishes the significant performance benefit to be achieved from in-memory processing. An evaluation using RAF, a lightweight in-memory computing framework, shows the mapping is 20X+ faster than Hadoop approach to achieve results for real-time operation.
Guy's Stone Score (GSS) Based on Intravenous Pyelogram (IVP) Findings Predicting Upper Pole Access Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL) Outcomes

Objective. To predict the success rate and complications following percutaneous nephrolithotomy via the upper pole using the Guy's Stone Score (GSS) based on the findings of a preoperative intravenous pyelogram (IVP). Patients and Methods. Two hundred and twenty-seven renal operations, which were carried out using PCNL via the upper pole, were classified according to the GSS assigned. Any complications were classified according to the Clavien classification. The success rates and incidence of any complications were compared between each GSS. Results. The immediate success rates were 87.50% of GSS1, 71.43% of GSS2, 53.62% of GSS3, and 38.46% of GSS4, P < 0.01. There were statistically significant differences between the groups in stone size, overall immediate success rate, operative time, number of access tracts, and frequency of tubeless PCNL. Major complications (a Clavien score of 3–5) were significantly higher in the cases with a higher GSS. Conclusion. A GSS based on an IVP is a simple and reliable tool in predicting the success rate and possible complications following upper pole access PCNL.
Problem difficulty analysis for enhanced application of editing and condensing

The Nearest Neighbor classifier constitutes one of the most popular supervised classification methods. It is very simple, intuitive and accurate in a great variety of real-world applications. Despite its simplicity and effectiveness, practical use of this rule has been historically limited due to its high storage requirements and the computational costs involved, as well as the presence of outliers. In order to overcome these drawbacks, it is possible to employ a suitable prototype selection scheme, as a way of storage and computing time reduction and it usually provides some increase in classification accuracy. Nevertheless, in some practical cases prototype selection may even produce a degradation of the classifier effectiveness. From an empirical point of view, it is still difficult to know a priori when this method will provide an appropriate behavior. The present paper tries to predict how appropriate a prototype selection algorithm will result when applied to a particular problem, by characterizing data with a set of complexity measures.
Pulmonary rehabilitation and the BODE index in COPD

The BODE index, which integrates body mass index, airflow limitation (forced expiratory volume in one second), dyspnoea and 6-min walk distance, predicts mortality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves some components of BODE. It was hypothesised that changes in BODE may reflect the effects of PR. To test this, participation in PR was offered to 246 patients (BODE quartiles 2–4). The patients were divided as follows: no PR (130 who declined rehabilitation or who dropped out from PR), and PR (116 who completed PR). BODE was determined at entry, after PR, and at 1 and 2 yrs. Other outcomes were: length of stay (LOS) for respiratory-related hospitalisations and mortality. At entry, the two groups had similar age and comorbidity but different BODE. After PR, the BODE improved by 19% and returned to baseline after 2 yrs. The BODE worsened in the no PR group by 4% at 12 months and 18% at 2 yrs. Respiratory mortality at 2 yrs for PR was 7%, compared with 39% for no PR. LOS at 1 yr for COPD decreased 20% in PR, while it increased 25% in no PR. In conclusion, pulmonary rehabilitation participation improves BODE and is associated with better outcomes. The BODE index change after pulmonary rehabilitation provides valuable prognostic information.
Sensitive dependence on initial conditions in transition to turbulence in pipe flow

The experiments by Darbyshire & Mullin (1995) on the transition to turbulence in pipe flow show that there is no sharp border between initial conditions that trigger turbulence and those that do not. We here relate this behaviour to the possibility that the transition to turbulence is connected with the formation of a chaotic saddle in the phase space of the system. We quantify a sensitive dependence on initial conditions and find in a statistical analysis that in the transition region the distribution of turbulent lifetimes follows an exponential law. The characteristic mean lifetime of the distribution increases rapidly with Reynolds number and becomes inaccessibly large for Reynolds numbers exceeding about 2250. Suitable experiments to further probe this concept are proposed.
Productivity Growth and the Trade Balance in the 1990s: the Role of Evolving Perceptions

This paper examines the importance of productivity shocks in accounting for salient features of U.S. economic developments during the second half of the 1990s, including the surge in investment spending, the substantial deterioration of the trade balance, and the modest decline in inflation. We calibrate a two-country dynamic general equilibrium model and show that agents' perceptions regarding the permanence of the shocks that occurred in the late 1990s are crucial in accounting for these developments. Within a signal extraction framework, we attempt to match survey data on long-term projected output growth. Our calibrated model can account for about two-thirds of the rise in the investment share of output, and over half of the deterioration in the trade balance over this period
Architecture for Accessing Data Streams on the Grid

Data streams are a prevalent and growing source of timely data. Existing systems that handle streaming data are often explicitly designed to serve the data streams. In the future we expect data streams to be viewed as just another input source to be consulted at will and on demand. These on-demand applications are often distributed, and either have significant computational or data access needs. This paper introduces an architecture for flexible access to real-time streaming data on the grid based on the following fundamental observations: Aggregation of data streams as data resource – for a class of data stream systems, a viable view of the data streams they produce is as a data resource, where the canonical data resource is a database. Stream access through database operations – an intuitive view of stream access operations is in terms of database operations, specifically by means of a database query language. The recent burgeoning interest in the database research community on the topic of streams attests to this viability. Grid service-based access to data streams – access to data streams has a natural realization through the proposed Global Grid Forum Grid Data Service specification, which currently specifies access to databases. The primary contributions of this paper are the definition of a data stream resource, an architecture for a data stream resource on the grid, and an identification of open research issues.
Containing the Cloud: Security Issues in a Large Scale Observational Pharmacovigilance Research Project

The Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) is a public-private partnership designed to help improve the monitoring of drugs for safety. A software model for analysis of disparate data sources must take into account security, repeatability and efficiency in the transmission and communication of results. Each data provider has an individual stake in the ownership of their data and care must be taken to minimize the possibility of data compromise in the use of this data for regulatory purposes. An evaluation of system security must also be taken into account. Since this system will be comprised of several data providers and data consumers, care must be taken to evaluate the critical points of data access privilege and while maintaining the overall goals of sharing knowledge with the community.
Turbo-FLASH Based Arterial Spin Labeled Perfusion MRI at 7 T

Motivations of arterial spin labeling (ASL) at ultrahigh magnetic fields include prolonged blood T1 and greater signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, increased B0 and B1 inhomogeneities and increased specific absorption ratio (SAR) challenge practical ASL implementations. In this study, Turbo-FLASH (Fast Low Angle Shot) based pulsed and pseudo-continuous ASL sequences were performed at 7T, by taking advantage of the relatively low SAR and short TE of Turbo-FLASH that minimizes susceptibility artifacts. Consistent with theoretical predictions, the experimental data showed that Turbo-FLASH based ASL yielded approximately 4 times SNR gain at 7T compared to 3T. High quality perfusion images were obtained with an in-plane spatial resolution of 0.85×1.7 mm2. A further functional MRI study of motor cortex activation precisely located the primary motor cortex to the precentral gyrus, with the same high spatial resolution. Finally, functional connectivity between left and right motor cortices as well as supplemental motor area were demonstrated using resting state perfusion images. Turbo-FLASH based ASL is a promising approach for perfusion imaging at 7T, which could provide novel approaches to high spatiotemporal resolution fMRI and to investigate the functional connectivity of brain networks at ultrahigh field.