Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of pretransplantation treatment with rituximab on outcomes of autologous stem-cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PURPOSE To analyze the effects of preautografting treatment with rituximab (R) on stem-cell mobilization, post-transplantation complications, engraftment, disease-free survival, and overall survival in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). PATIENTS AND METHODS Single-institution retrospective comparative outcome analysis in a cohort of 273 relapsed chemosensitive NHL patients of whom 127 (47%) received R pretransplantation. RESULTS R was administered a median of 3 months before autologous transplantation. When compared to the nonrituximab group, R patients were older (56 v 50 years; P < .001), and had delays in post-transplantation platelets recovery (39 v 27 days; P = .001). Pretransplantation R did not affect stem-cell mobilization, post-transplantation early complications, duration of hospitalization, or mortality rates at days 30 and 100. In contrast to patients with low-grade NHL, both disease-free and overall survival rates were significantly better when R was included in the pretransplantation salvage therapy for patients with intermediate-grade NHL. CONCLUSION In this large, single-center retrospective analysis, pretransplantation treatment with R was associated with improved survival in patients with intermediate-grade NHL, at the price, however, of a delay in platelet engraftment.
Body density affects stroke patterns in Baikal seals

SUMMARY Buoyancy is one of the primary external forces acting on air-breathing divers and it can affect their swimming energetics. Because the body composition of marine mammals (i.e. the relative amounts of lower-density lipid and higher-density lean tissue) varies individually and seasonally, their buoyancy also fluctuates widely, and individuals would be expected to adjust their stroke patterns during dives accordingly. To test this prediction, we attached acceleration data loggers to four free-ranging Baikal seals Phoca sibirica in Lake Baikal and monitored flipper stroking activity as well as swimming speed, depth and inclination of the body axis (pitch). In addition to the logger, one seal (Individual 4) was equipped with a lead weight that was jettisoned after a predetermined time period so that we had a set of observations on the same individual with different body densities. These four data sets revealed the general diving patterns of Baikal seals and also provided direct insights into the influence of buoyancy on these patterns. Seals repeatedly performed dives of a mean duration of 7.0 min (max. 15.4 min), interrupted by a mean surface duration of 1.2 min. Dive depths were 66 m on average, but varied substantially, with a maximum depth of 324 m. The seals showed different stroke patterns among individuals; some seals stroked at lower rates during descent than ascent, while the others had higher stroke rates during descent than ascent. When the lead weight was detached from Individual 4, the seal increased its stroke rate in descent by shifting swimming mode from prolonged glides to more stroke-and-glide swimming, and decreased its stroke rate in ascent by shifting from continuous stroking to stroke-and-glide swimming. We conclude that seals adopt different stroke patterns according to their individual buoyancies. We also demonstrate that the terminal speed reached by Individual 4 during prolonged glide in descent depended on its total buoyancy and pitch, with higher speeds reached in the weighted condition and at steeper pitch. A simple physical model allowed us to estimate the body density of the seal from the speed and pitch (1027-1046 kg m-3, roughly corresponding to 32-41% lipid content, for the weighted condition; 1014-1022 kg m-3, 43-47% lipid content, for the unweighted condition).
SigMatch

Multi-pattern matching involves matching a data item against a large database of "signature" patterns. Existing algorithms for multi-pattern matching do not scale well as the size of the signature database increases. In this paper, we present sigMatch -- a fast, versatile, and scalable technique for multi-pattern signature matching. At its heart, sigMatch organizes the signature database into a (processor) cache-efficient q-gram index structure, called the sigTree. The sigTree groups patterns based on common sub-patterns, such that signatures that don't match can be quickly eliminated from the matching process. The sigTree also uses parallel Bloom filters and a technique to reduce imbalances across groups, for improved performance. Using extensive empirical evaluation across three diverse domains, we show that sigMatch often outperforms existing methods by an order of magnitude or more.
An ABC supported QoS multicast routing scheme based on beehive algorithm

In this paper, a QoS multicast routing scheme with ABC (Always Best Connected) supported is proposed based on the beehive algorithm. To deal with the inaccurate network status and the imprecise user QoS requirement, the proposed scheme uses the range to describe them, introduces the edge bandwidth pricing, the edge evaluation and the tree evaluation, and tries to find a QoS multicast tree with the Pareto optimum under the Nash equilibrium on both the network provider utility and the user utility achieved or approached. Simulation results have shown that it is both feasible and effective.
Nanoparticles Containing Curcumin Useful for Suppressing Macrophages In Vivo in Mice

To explore a novel method using liposomes to suppress macrophages, we screened food constituents through cell culture assays. Curcumin was one of the strongest compounds exhibiting suppressive effects on macrophages. We subsequently tried various methods to prepare liposomal curcumin, and eventually succeeded in preparing liposomes with sufficient amounts of curcumin to suppress macrophages by incorporating a complex of curcumin and bovine serum albumin. The diameter of the resultant nanoparticles, the liposomes containing curcumin, ranged from 60 to 100 nm. Flow cytometric analyses revealed that after intraperitoneal administration of the liposomes containing curcumin into mice, these were incorporated mainly by macrophages positive for F4/80, CD36, and CD11b antigens. Peritoneal cells prepared from mice injected in vivo with the liposomes containing curcumin apparently decreased interleukin-6-producing activities. Major changes in body weight and survival rates in the mice were not observed after administrating the liposomes containing curcumin. These results indicate that the liposomes containing curcumin are safe and useful for the selective suppression of macrophages in vivo in mice.
Fonction des comportements parentaux: rvision de la notion de sensibilit maternelle

The role of the mother on child adaptation and maternal care during infancy are central to the theory of attachment. Although, numerous studies have shown an association between security of attachment and child development of competencies, data on the continuity of parental function after infancy are rather scant. For a better understanding of the enduring role of parental protection on child development, I propose a revision of the concept of maternal sensitivity that integrate the notion of empathic, social and personal goal regulation. This revision is based upon Bowlby's attachment theory, Ainsworth's maternal sensitivity concept, and Dix's model of maternal goal regulation.
A Time-Interleaved Ring-VCO with Reduced 1/ $\text {f}^{3}$ Phase Noise Corner, Extended Tuning Range and Inherent Divided Output

This paper describes a time-interleaved (TI) ring-VCO (RVCO) exhibiting an improved phase noise over a wide range of frequency offsets, an extended tuning range and an inherent divided output. Such features are achieved by substantially increasing the number of delay stages in a RVCO, such that the rich multi-phase sub-outputs can be combined through a time-interleaved method, generating a high-frequency output with a significantly lowered 1/f3 phase noise corner (f1/f3). The critical block is the phase combiner, which features a timing window to minimize the delay offset and mismatch. A reconfigurable TI factor extends the tuning range over the same range of supply voltage (VDD). The prototype is a 35-stage dual-mode TI-RVCO occupying 0.003 mm2 in 65 nm CMOS, and has a selectable TI factor of 5 and 7. The measured f1/f3 is 150 kHz at 3.47 GHz, which is 6.2× less than that of a typical 5-stage RVCO. The tuning range covers 1.7 to 3.5 GHz (68.5%) over VDD = 0.7 to 1 V. The multi-phase sub-outputs are the inherent divided output (÷ 5 or ÷ 7) that can be directly utilized in a PLL to save area and power.
TREC-2 Routing and Ad-Hoc Retrieval Evaluation using the INQUERY System

The ARPA TIPSTER project which is the source of the data and funding for TREC, has involved four sites in the area of text retrieval and routing. The TIPSTER project in the information Retrieval of the Computer Science Department, University of Massachussetts, Amherst (which includes MCC as a subcontractor), has focused on the following goals: improving the effectiveness of information retrieval techniques for large, full-text databases; 2: improving the effectiveness of routing techiques appropriate for long-term information needs; 3- Demonstrating the effectiveness of these retrieval and routinq techniques for Japanese full text database. Our general approach to achieve these goals has been to use improved representations of text and information needs in the framework of a new model of retrieval. This model uses Bayesian netwoks to describe how text and queries should be uses to identify relevant document. Retrieval (and routing) is viewed as a probabilistic inference process whic compares text representations based on different forms of linguistic and statistical evidence to representations of information needs. Learnin techniques are uses to modify the initial query both for short-terme and long-term information needs (relevance feedback and routing, respectively)
Temporal and Angular Properties of Gamma-Ray Burst Jets Emerging from Massive Stars

We study the long-term evolution of relativistic jets in collapsars and examine the effects of viewing angle on the subsequent gamma-ray bursts. We carry out a series of high-resolution simulations of a jet propagating through a stellar envelope in 2D cylindrical coordinates using the FLASH relativistic hydrodynamics module. For the first time, simulations are carried out using an adaptive mesh that allows for a large dynamic range inside the star while still being efficient enough to follow the evolution of the jet long after it breaks out from the star. We single out three phases in the jet evolution: a precursor phase in which relativistic material turbulently shed from the head of the jet first emerges from the star, a shocked-jet phase where a fully shocked jet of material is emerging, and an unshocked-jet phase where the jet consists of a free-streaming, unshocked core surrounded by a thin boundary layer of shocked-jet material. The appearance of these phases will be different to observers at different angles. The precursor has a wide opening angle, the shocked phase has a relatively narrow opening angle, and in the unshocked phase the opening angle increases logarithmically with time. As a consequence, some observers see prolonged dead times of emission even for constant properties of the jet injected in the stellar core. We also present an analytic model that is able to reproduce the overall properties of the jet and its evolution. In an appendix, we present 1D and 2D tests of the FLASH relativistic hydrodynamics module.
Securitizing the Virtuality of the Real: A Gramscian Analysis of the Securitization of U.S. Cyberspace Governance.

This thesis analyzes the contemporary conformations of governance in the U.S. discourse on cyberspace through a Gramscian theory of International Relations. The thesis primarily focuses upon the question of governance through the analysis of a potentially ongoing securitization process in the realm of cyberspace governance. This process is located by a critical discourse analysis on the Cyberspace Policy Review, a U.S. governmental document that summarizes all of the nearand mid-term policy issues for security in cyberspace. As such, a qualitative research design was utilized in the study. The prevalence of securitization is further explained within the framework of hegemony. Hegemony, as a distinct conformation of governance, argued by this thesis, seems to be especially consanguineous to the phenomenon of securitization. There is a tendency that the subjects of governance is not sought for consent at face value, rather, a securitization process seem to be the very condition for them to enter into the hegemonic order.
DISTINCT ENZYME PROFILES IN PATIENTS WITH CRYPTOGENIC CIRRHOSIS REFLECT HETEROGENEOUS CAUSES WITH DIFFERENT OUTCOMES AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANTATION (OLT): A LONG-TERM DOCUMENTATION BEFORE AND AFTER OLT

Background. Sound information is lacking about the clinical presentation of cryptogenic cirrhosis and its outcome after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods. Among 856 patients who have been transplanted at our center, 40 patients had no evidence of any known etiologies and were therefore defined as suffering from cryptogenic cirrhosis. Their median follow-up period before OLT was 78 months (range, 1–264), and after OLT 97 months (range, 1–132). Laboratory and histological data were evaluated according to features being compatible either with a toxic, hepatitic, or cholestatic condition. Results. The clinical and histological findings differed specifically between these three groups. The toxic-like group (GGT 4–18 × upper limit of normal [ULN]) expressed significantly higher IgA levels, had histologically more often fatty liver changes, and risk factors for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis predominated (56% compared with 3% in the other groups, P =0.01). The hepatitic-like group (ALT 2–18 × ULN) showed histologically features of chronic hepatitis or hepatitic cirrhosis, and only among these patients a median International Autoimmune Hepatitis (IAH) score of 13 was found suggesting autoimmune hepatitis (AiH). In the cholestatic group (AP 2–8 × ULN) histology was compatible with a non-toxic inflammatory process but IAH score excluded AiH in all. After OLT, actuarial graft and patients survival was 90% at 5 years. Mild or moderate graft hepatitis occurred in 9 patients (23%) and was significantly associated with a pre-OLT IAH score ≥ 10 (P =0.008). Conclusions. This study provides arguments that cryptogenic cirrhosis is a heterogeneous disease in which autoimmune mechanisms might be predominately involved and being responsible for recurrence of chronic liver disease observed in some instances after OLT.
Research Resources: Comparative MicroRNA Profiles in Human Corona Radiata Cells and Cumulus Oophorus Cells Detected by Next-Generation Small RNA Sequencing

During folliculogenesis, cumulus cells surrounding the oocyte differentiate into corona radiata cells (CRCs) and cumulus oophorus cells (COCs), which are involved in gonadal steroidogenesis and the development of germ cells. Several studies suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important regulatory role at the post-transcriptional level in cumulus cells. However, comparative miRNA profiles and associated processes in human CRCs and COCs have not been reported before. In this study, miRNA profiles were obtained from CRCs and COCs using next generation sequencing in women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF. A total of 785 and 799 annotated miRNAs were identified in CRCs and COCs, while high expression levels of six novel miRNAs were detected both in CRCs and in COCs. In addition, different expression patterns in CRCs and COCs were detected in 72 annotated miRNAs. To confirm the miRNA profile in COCs and CRCs, quantitative real-time PCR was used to validate the expression of annotated miRNAs, differentially expressed miRNAs, and novel miRNAs. The miRNAs in the let-7 family were found to be involved in the regulation of a broad range of biological processes in both cumulus cell populations, which was accompanied by a large amount of miRNA editing. Bioinformatics analysis showed that amino acid and energy metabolism were targeted significantly by miRNAs that were differentially expressed between CRCs and COCs. Our work extends the current knowledge of the regulatory role of miRNAs and their targeted pathways in folliculogenesis, and provides novel candidates for molecular biomarkers in the research of female infertility.
A Precise Memory Model for Operating System Code Verification

Recently, safety and security requirements of real-time system received much attention. Several formal approaches have been presented to verify some related properties at the source code level. System's code is almost universally written in the C programming language, where memory is just a sequence of bytes and data can overlap almost arbitrarily. In this paper, we present a two-level formal memory model: abstract level and physical level. The abstract level is used to verify properties at design stage. While at physical level, the memory model captures some low-level features of C's pointers and memory. It is used to prove properties on code level. Then, we provide some well-behaved operations in the memory model and prove the well-formedness conditions of both levels. We use this model to solve the problems we encountered in an ongoing attempt to verify the Software Virtual Machine Kernel (SVMK). It is a real-time operating system kernel based on virtualization technology. The memory model is integrated in our verification environment based on the interactive theorem prover Coq. This verification environment will ultimately be used for the verification of the SVMK.
The Rate of Subsequent Surgery and Predictors After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Background: Subsequent surgeries have a profound effect on patient satisfaction and outcome after primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). There have been no prospective studies to date describing the rate and predictors (surgical and patient variables) of all subsequent knee surgeries at short-term and midterm follow-up along with analyses of surgical and patient variables that are associated with subsequent surgeries. Purpose: To report the rate and predictors of all subsequent surgeries at short-term and midterm follow-up along with associated patient variables. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 980 patients (540 male) were prospectively enrolled in a Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) cohort from January 2002 to December 2003. The 2- and 6-year follow-up information for subsequent procedures was obtained. Operative reports were obtained, and all procedures were categorized. Results: One hundred eighty-five patients underwent a subsequent surgery on the ipsilateral leg (18.9%) and 100 on the contralateral knee (10.2%) at 6-year follow-up. On the ipsilateral knee, there was a 7.7% rate of ACL revisions, a 13.3% rate of cartilage procedures, a 5.4% rate of arthrofibrosis procedures, and a 2.4% rate of procedures related to hardware. For the contralateral knee, there was a 6.4% rate of primary ACL ruptures. Younger age at the index surgery and the use of allografts were predictors (risk factors) for subsequent surgery. Revision ACLR, female sex, body mass index, and surgical exposure were not significant predictors. Conclusion: At 6-year follow-up, 18.9% of patients who had undergone ACLR underwent subsequent surgeries on the ipsilateral knee. The rates between an ipsilateral ACLR graft versus a contralateral normal ACL tear were similar (7.7% vs 6.4%, respectively). Younger age and the use of allografts were risk factors for subsequent surgery.
New syndrome: a digito-reno-cerebral syndrome.

Ce nouveau syndrome semble transmis de maniere autosomique recessive. Il associe l'absence de phalanges distales et d'ongles a tous les doigts et orteils, des anomalies renales (dysplasie kystique) et cerebrale (dilatation du ventricule droit)
Changes in Radiation Dose with Variations in Human Anatomy: Moderately and Severely Obese Adults

The phantoms used in standardized dose assessment are based on a median (i.e., 50th percentile) individual of a large population, for example, adult males or females or children of a particular age. Here we describe phantoms that model instead the influence of obesity on specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) and dose factors in adults. Methods: The literature was reviewed to evaluate how individual organ sizes change with variations in body weight in mildly and severely obese adult men and women. On the basis of the literature evaluation, changes were made to our deformable reference adult male and female total-body models. Monte Carlo simulations of radiation transport were performed. SAFs for photons were generated for mildly and severely obese adults, and comparisons were made to the reference (50th) percentile SAF values. Results: SAFs studied between the obese phantoms and the 50th percentile reference phantoms were not significantly different from the reference 50th percentile individual, with the exception of intestines irradiating some abdominal organs, because of an increase in separation between folds caused by an increase in mesenteric adipose deposits. Some low-energy values for certain organ pairs were different, possibly due only to the statistical variability of the data at these low energies. Conclusion: The effect of obesity on dose calculations for internal emitters is minor and may be neglected in the routine use of standardized dose estimates.
Exergames for the elderly: Towards an embedded Kinect-based clinical test of falls risk

Falls are the leading cause of disability, injuries or even death among older adults. Exercise programmes that include a balance component reduce the risk of falling by 40%. However, such interventions are often perceived as boring and drop-out rates are high. The characteristics of videogames may overcome this weakness and increase exercise adherence. The use of modern input devices, such as the Microsoft Kinect, enables quantification of player performance in terms of motor function while engaging with games. This capability has just started to be explored. The work presented in this paper focuses on the development of a Kinect-based system to deliver step training while simultaneously measuring parameters of stepping performance that have shown to predict falls in older people.
A Two-Stage Dynamic Control Scheme for a Skidsteering Field Mobile Robot

This paper developed a four-wheel-drive skid-steering field robot with high positioning accuracy using an electronic compass, encoder, and a double-hierarchy Fuzzy/PID dynamic motor control system. The proposed mobile robot can realize heading angle and velocity control. The system uses a set of AVR micro-control chips as computation core, which matches one low cost microcomputer inductance component. The electronic compass and a single-point laser ranging device can allow the robot to move straight and turn. The proposed system has experimentally tested. The results showed that for straight-line movement, the robot can maintain the lateral error within ±3 cm.