Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Addition of bevacizumab to bolus fluorouracil and leucovorin in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer: results of a randomized phase II trial.

PURPOSE Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor, increases survival when combined with irinotecan-based chemotherapy in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). This randomized, phase II trial compared bevacizumab plus fluorouracil and leucovorin (FU/LV) versus placebo plus FU/LV as first-line therapy in patients considered nonoptimal candidates for first-line irinotecan. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients had metastatic CRC and one of the following characteristics: age > or = 65 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 1 or 2, serum albumin < or = 3.5 g/dL, or prior abdominal/pelvic radiotherapy. Patients were randomly assigned to FU/LV/placebo (n = 105) or FU/LV/bevacizumab (n = 104). The primary end point was overall survival. Secondary end points were progression-free survival, response rate, response duration, and quality of life. Safety was also assessed. RESULTS Median survival was 16.6 months for the FU/LV/bevacizumab group and 12.9 months for the FU/LV/placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.79; P = .16). Median progression-free survival was 9.2 months (FU/LV/bevacizumab) and 5.5 months (FU/LV/placebo); hazard ratio was 0.50; P = . 0002. Response rates were 26.0% (FU/LV/bevacizumab) and 15.2% (FU/LV/placebo) (P = .055); duration of response was 9.2 months (FU/LV/bevacizumab) and 6.8 months (FU/LV/placebo); hazard ratio was 0.42; P = . 088. Grade 3 hypertension was more common with bevacizumab treatment (16% v 3%) but was controlled with oral medication and did not cause study drug discontinuation. CONCLUSION Addition of bevacizumab to FU/LV as first-line therapy in CRC patients who were not considered optimal candidates for first-line irinotecan treatment provided clinically significant patient benefit, including statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival.
Egocentric storylines for visual analysis of large dynamic graphs

Large dynamic graphs occur in many fields. While overviews are often used to provide summaries of the overall structure of the graph, they become less useful as data size increases. Often analysts want to focus on a specific part of the data according to domain knowledge, which is best suited by a bottom-up approach. This paper presents an egocentric, bottom-up method to exploring a large dynamic network using a storyline representation to summarise localized behavior of the network over time.
The LOST Algorithm: Finding Lines and Separating Speech Mixtures

Robust clustering of data into linear subspaces is a frequently encountered problem. Here, we treat clustering of one-dimensional subspaces that cross the origin. This problem arises in blind source separation, where the subspaces correspond directly to columns of a mixing matrix. We propose the LOST algorithm, which identifies such subspaces using a procedure similar in spirit to EM. This line finding procedure combined with a transformation into a sparse domain and an L1-norm minimisation constitutes a blind source separation algorithm for the separation of instantaneous mixtures with an arbitrary number of mixtures and sources. We perform an extensive investigation on the general separation performance of the LOST algorithm using randomly generated mixtures, and empirically estimate the performance of the algorithm in the presence of noise. Furthermore, we implement a simple scheme whereby the number of sources present in the mixtures can be detected automatically.
Accounts in the Classroom: Discourse and the Coconstruction of Meaning

Our general aim is to study the construction of meaning in the classroom through the analysis of classroom activities and discourse. We adopt a qualitative methodology to study educational practices. Our results describe how teachers create an account to narrate certain events, how teacher and students use what they consider to be the culturally valid sources of knowledge, and how students appropriate collective constructions of meanings. Our work contributes to the understanding and description of how meaning is coconstructed in educational activities.
Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) changes intestinal microbial profile

Background: Kiwifruit is high in pectic polysaccharides and dietary fiber. This study aimed to find out how the ingestion of kiwifruit will affect intestinal microbiota populations, namely Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Bifidobacterium, and Enterococcus. Methods: Freeze dried kiwifruit (equivalent of two fresh kiwifruits) was given to each of the six subjects daily for four days. Faecal samples were collected before, during and after kiwifruit consumption. The faecal bacteria were enumerated by qPCR and RT qPCR methods. Results: The effect of the kiwifruit on intestinal microbiota profile varied between individuals; in general, the kiwifruit demonstrated a prebiotic effect of promoting the content of faecal lactobacilli and bifidobacteria (as compared to the baselines of the same individual before consumption) for as long as the fruit was consumed. The effect was however transient, the levels of the two bacteria returned near to that of the baselines upon cessation of consumption. Conclusion: Kiwifruit is a prebiotic in selectively enhancing the growth of intestinal lactic acid bacteria.
Community‐based early intervention for children with behavioural, emotional and social problems: evaluation of the Scallywags Scheme

Scallywags is a community‐based, early intervention programme for young children (aged 3–7) with behavioural, emotional and social problems, which integrates work in the home and school with a parenting curriculum and direct work with children. A pre‐post intervention study across multi‐sites of 340 participants is reported. Using standardised measures, the study found statistically significant reductions in problems at home and school experienced by children who completed the programme, and in parental stress levels. Participation was found to be high and the project acceptable to parents, many of whom would be described as hard to reach. The rigorous evaluation of this real‐life service and its positive outcomes highlight the potential of such programmes to tackle the needs of these children and families, and help prevent longer‐term problems associated with early onset behavioural problems, including social exclusion, antisocial behaviour and educational failure.
Integrated Use of Time-Frequency Wavelet Decompositions for Fault Location in Distribution Networks: Theory and Experimental Validation

The paper presents a procedure for fault location in distribution networks, based on the use of the integrated time-frequency wavelet decompositions of the voltage transients associated with the fault-originated travelling waves. The proposed analysis of time-frequency wavelet decompositions has been found to improve the identification accuracy of the frequencies associated to the characteristic patterns of a fault location with respect to a sole frequency-domain wavelet analysis. Several laboratory fault tests, carried out by means of a reduced-scale model of a distribution feeder, are used to illustrate the characteristics and assess the performances of the proposed improved procedure. The paper also illustrates the application of the proposed procedure to a transient, originated by a permanent phase-to-phase fault, measured in a real distribution network in which a post-test analysis has identified the faulted branch.
DEVD‐NucView488: a novel class of enzyme substrates for real‐time detection of caspase‐3 activity in live cells

Live‐cell detection of intracellular enzyme activity requires that substrates are cell‐permeable and that the generated products are easily detected and retained in cells. Our objective was to create a novel fluorogenic substrate that could be used for real‐time detection of apoptosis in living cells. We have synthesized a highly cell‐permeable caspase‐3 substrate, DEVD‐NucView488, by linking a fluorogenic DNA‐binding dye to the caspase‐3 recognition sequence that renders the dye nonfunctional. On substrate cleavage, the dye is released and becomes highly fluorescent on binding to DNA. DEVD‐NucView488 detected caspase‐3 activation within a live‐cell population much earlier and with higher sensitivity compared with other apoptosis reagents that are currently available. Furthermore, cells incubated with DEVD‐NucView488 exhibited no toxicity and normal apoptotic progression. DEVD‐NucView488 is an ideal substrate for kinetic studies of caspase‐3 activation because it detects caspase‐3 activity in real‐time and also efficiently labels DNA in nuclei of caspase‐3‐activated cells for real‐time fluorescent visualization of apoptotic morphology. The strategy utilized in the design of this fluorogenic substrate can be applied in future endeavors to develop substrates for detecting real‐time intracellular enzyme activity. —Cen, H. , Mao, F. , Aronchik, I. , Fuentes, R. J., Firestone, G. L. DEVD‐NucView488: a novel class of enzyme substrates for real‐time detection of caspase‐3 activity in live cells. FASEB J. 22, 2243–2252 (2008)
Binary Subspace Coding for Query-by-Image Video Retrieval

The query-by-image video retrieval (QBIVR) task has been attracting considerable research attention recently. However, most existing methods represent a video by either aggregating or projecting all its frames into a single datum point, which may easily cause severe information loss. In this paper, we propose an efficient QBIVR framework to enable an effective and efficient video search with image query. We first define a similarity-preserving distance metric between an image and its orthogonal projection in the subspace of the video, which can be equivalently transformed to a Maximum Inner Product Search (MIPS) problem. Besides, to boost the efficiency of solving the MIPS problem, we propose two asymmetric hashing schemes, which bridge the domain gap of images and videos. The first approach, termed Inner-product Binary Coding (IBC), preserves the inner relationships of images and videos in a common Hamming space. To further improve the retrieval efficiency, we devise a Bilinear Binary Coding (BBC) approach, which employs compact bilinear projections instead of a single large projection matrix. Extensive experiments have been conducted on four real-world video datasets to verify the effectiveness of our proposed approaches as compared to the state-of-the-arts.
Nonlinear I-Vector Transformations for PLDA-Based Speaker Recognition

This paper proposes to estimate parametric nonlinear transformations of i-vectors for speaker recognition systems based on probabilistic linear discriminant analysis (PLDA) classification. The Gaussian PLDA model assumes that the i-vectors are distributed according to the standard normal distribution. However, it has been shown that the i-vectors are better modeled, for example, by Heavy–Tailed distributions, and that significant improvement of the classification performance can be obtained by whitening and length normalizing the i-vectors. In this paper, we propose to transform the i-vectors so that their distribution becomes more suitable to discriminate speakers using the PLDA model. This is performed by means of a sequence of affine and nonlinear transformations whose parameters are obtained by maximum likelihood estimation on the development set. Another contribution of this paper is the reduction of the mismatch between the development and evaluation i-vector length distributions by means of a scaling factor tuned for the estimated i-vector distribution, rather than by means of a blind length normalization. Relative improvement between 7% and 14% of the detection cost function was obtained with the proposed technique on the NIST SRE-2010 and SRE-2012 evaluation datasets, using both the traditional GMM/UBM and the hybrid DNN/GMM-based systems.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Concept Mapping-Based Dimensions of Faith-Based Substance Abuse Treatment

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) techniques are used to evaluate the fit of a seven-dimensional concept mapping–based model of key dimensions of faith-based substance abuse treatment, using data from 310 staff and clients of 12 faith-based Teen Challenge programs. The initial seven-dimensional model fit poorly (fit indices of .62–.64), though, after trimming items with low loadings or redundant item content, model fit was increased substantially (fit indices of .87–.89). Overall, the current analyses provide preliminary support for the meaningfulness of the seven-dimensional model of faith-based treatment programs, despite different statistical approaches.
Effects of Estimation Errors on the Noncoherent Capacity Over Time-Varying Channels

We investigate the channel capacity of noncoherent communications over fiat fading channels. The lower bound of the noncoherent channel capacity as well as the upper bound of the capacity penalty using noncoherent communications are characterized and contrasted with the coherent capacity. Analytical results show that the coherent channel capacity is achievable via noncoherent communications under certain signal to noise ratios (SNRs) and Doppler frequency shifts. The thresholds of SNRs and Doppler frequency shifts are provided, under which noncoherent communications can perform virtually at no capacity penalty.
Using informative Multinomial-Dirichlet prior in a t-mixture with reversible jump estimation of nucleosome positions for genome-wide profiling

Abstract Genome-wide mapping of nucleosomes has revealed a great deal about the relationships between chromatin structure and control of gene expression. Recent next generation CHIP-chip and CHIP-Seq technologies have accelerated our understanding of basic principles of chromatin organization. These technologies have taught us that nucleosomes play a crucial role in gene regulation by allowing physical access to transcription factors. Recent methods and experimental advancements allow the determination of nucleosome positions for a given genome area. However, most of these methods estimate the number of nucleosomes either by an EM algorithm using a BIC criterion or an effective heuristic strategy. Here, we introduce a Bayesian method for identifying nucleosome positions. The proposed model is based on a Multinomial-Dirichlet classification and a hierarchical mixture distributions. The number and the positions of nucleosomes are estimated using a reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation technique. We compare the performance of our method on simulated data and MNase-Seq data from Saccharomyces cerevisiae against PING and NOrMAL methods.
Classification of Damage Signatures in Composite Plates using One-Class SVMs

Damage characterization through wave propagation and scattering is of considerable interest to many non-destructive evaluation techniques. For fiber-reinforced composites, complex waves can be generated during the tests due to the non-homogeneous and anisotropic nature of the material when compared to isotropic materials. Additional complexities are introduced due to the presence of the damage and thus results in difficulty to characterize these defects. The inability to detect damage in composite structures limits their use in practice. A major task of structural health monitoring is to identify and characterize the existing defects or defect evolution through the interactions between structural features and multidisciplinary physical phenomena. In a wave-based approach to addressing this problem, the presence of damage is characterized by the changes in the signature of the resultant wave that propagates through the structure. In order to measure and characterize the wave propagation, we use the response of the surface-mounted piezoelectric transducers as input to an advanced machine-learning based classifier known as a support vector machine.
Intrusion Detection with Hidden Markov Model and WEKA Tool

ABSTARCT The internet has become a convenient way for people exchanging information and doing business over the internet. Uptil now, intrusion detection technique has been using either anomaly based or signature based detection technique. The hybrid technique gives advantages of both the techniques. Anomaly detection strategy is to suspect of what is considered an unusual activity for the subject (users, processes, etc.) and carry on further investigation. This approach is particularly effective against novel (i.e. previously unknown) attacks. Signature based detection systems detect previously known attack in a timely and efficient way. The Hybrid technique gives better result than signature based or anomaly based technique alone.
Judging History: The Historical Record of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

Scholars and legal officials have argued that courts should not attempt to write definitive historical accounts of mass human rights violations. Even if a court seeks to reconstruct a comprehensive history of a conflict, law and history use such different modes of thinking and inquiry that legal accounts are likely to be partial, deeply flawed, or just plain boring. These criticisms have appeared prominently in discussions of Holocaust trials in the domestic courts of Israel and France. Yet the Tadić and Krstić judgments written by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) are characterized by detailed contextualization of criminal acts and extensive historical interpretation. This Article asserts that the Tribunal's historical record represents a departure from previous courtroom accounts of mass atrocities for two reasons. First, because it is an international tribunal it has been less influenced by distorted narratives on national identity. Second, the ICTY has applied legal categories such as genocide which emphasize the collective nature of crimes against humanity, and this compels the court to situate individual acts within long-term, systematic policies.
Search for Relativistic Curvature Effects in Gamma-Ray Burst Pulses

We analyze the time profiles of individual gamma-ray burst (GRB) pulses that are longer than 2 s by modeling them with analytical functions that are based on physical first principles and well-established empirical descriptions of GRB spectral evolution. These analytical profiles are independent of the emission mechanism and can be used to model both the rise and decay profiles, allowing for the study of the entire pulse light curve. Using this method, we have studied a sample of 77 individual GRB pulses, allowing us to examine the fluence, pulse width, asymmetry, and rise and decay power-law distributions. We find that the rise phase is best modeled with a power law of average index r = 1.48 ± 0.07 and that the average decay phase has an index of d = 2.44 ± 0.12. We also find that the ratio between the rise and decay times (the pulse asymmetry) exhibited by the GRB pulse shape has an average value of 0.47, which varies little from pulse to pulse and is independent of pulse duration or intensity. Although this asymmetry is largely uncorrelated to other pulse properties, a statistically significant trend is observed between the pulse asymmetry and the decay power-law index, possibly hinting at the underlying physics. We compare these parameters with those predicted to occur if individual pulse shapes are created purely by relativistic curvature effects in the context of the fireball model, a process that makes specific predictions about the shape of GRB pulses. The decay index distribution obtained from our sample shows that the average GRB pulse fades faster than the value predicted by curvature effects, with only 39% of our sample being consistent with the curvature model. We discuss several refinements of the relativistic curvature scenario that could naturally account for these observed deviations, such as symmetry breaking and varying relative timescales within individual pulses.
Anti-hyperlipidemic Activity of Thieno - [2, 3-d] - Pyrimidin-4-(3H)-ones

Anti-hyperlipidemic Activity of Thieno - [2, 3-d] - Pyrimidin-4-(3H)-ones Aim: The present study was aimed to evaluate some newly synthesized thieno - [2, 3-d] - pyrimidin-4-(3H)-ones namely SR-C1 to SR-C12 for their anti-hyperlipidemic activity. Materials and Methods: Anti-hyperlipidemic activity was evaluated using Triton 1339-induced hyperlipedemia in rats as an experimental model. Plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, atherogenic index (AI) and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio were determined to assess the anti-hyperlipidemic activity. Results: SR-C1, SR-C4, SR-C5, SR-C6, SR-C7, SR-C11 and SR-C12 have shown significant antihyperlipidemic activity by decreasing the total cholesterol and triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, atherogenic index and LDL/HDL ratio (p < 0.001) and by increasing the HDL-Cholesterol (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings of the present study clearly demonstrates that methyl, methoxy, chloro, dimethylamino, dimethoxy and trimethoxy functional groups possess cholesterol-suppressive capacities and has an ability to attenuate the accelerated development of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic models. However, hydroxyl and nitro derivatives did not show any hypolipidemic activity.
Substrate Integrated Waveguide Triple-Passband Dual-Stopband Filter Using Six Cascaded Singlets

A triple-passband, dual-stopband filter consisting of six cascaded singlets is introduced in substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. Each singlet produces one independent transmission zero (TZ). Four of six TZs are placed within the filter passband, producing three passbands separated by two stopbands. The corresponding coupling matrix is synthesized based on a combination of well-known analytic and optimization methods. The SIW filter is designed for stopbands centered at 10.25 and 11.23 GHz, and passbands at 9.72, 10.76, and 11.76 GHz. The prototype is fabricated and measured. Good agreement between simulated and measured results is achieved.
Screening the Expression of ABCB6 in Erythrocytes Reveals an Unexpectedly High Frequency of Lan Mutations in Healthy Individuals

Lan is a high-incidence blood group antigen expressed in more than 99.9% of the population. Identification of the human ABC transporter ABCB6 as the molecular basis of Lan has opened the way for studies assessing the relation of ABCB6 function and expression to health and disease. To date, 34 ABCB6 sequence variants have been described in association with reduced ABCB6 expression based on the genotyping of stored blood showing weak or no reactivity with anti-Lan antibodies. In the present study we examined the red blood cell (RBC) surface expression of ABCB6 by quantitative flow cytometry in a cohort of 47 healthy individuals. Sequencing of the entire coding region of the ABCB6 gene in low RBC ABCB6 expressors identified a new allele (IVS9+1G>A, affecting a putative splice site at the boundary of exon 9) and two nonsynonymous SNPs listed in the SNP database (R192Q (rs150221689) and G588 S (rs145526996)). The R192Q mutation showed co-segregation with reduced RBC ABCB6 expression in a family, and we found the G588 S mutation in a compound heterozygous individual with undetectable ABCB6 expression, suggesting that both mutations result in weak or no expression of ABCB6 on RBCs. Analysis of the intracellular expression pattern in HeLa cells by confocal microscopy indicated that these mutations do not compromise overall expression or the endolysosomal localization of ABCB6. Genotyping of two large cohorts, containing 235 and 1039 unrelated volunteers, confirmed the high allele frequency of Lan-mutations. Our results suggest that genetic variants linked to lower or absent cell surface expression of ABCB6/Langereis may be more common than previously thought.