Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of WHO Classifications (2004, 2010), the Hochwald Grading System, and AJCC and ENETS Staging Systems in Predicting Prognosis in Locoregional Well-differentiated Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors

It is difficult to predict prognosis in patients with locoregional well-differentiated (WD) pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNET). We aimed to examine commonly used stratification systems [World Health organization (WHO) 2004 and 2010 classifications, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) staging, and the Hochwald grading system] for their power in predicting recurrence-free survival (RFS) in these patients. Seventy-five such patients (mean age 56 y, mean follow-up 79 mo) who underwent resection with sufficient tissue material and follow-up data were studied. RFS was correlated with variable clinicopathologic features and stratified with above-mentioned systems. Concordance index (CI) was then calculated. With the WHO 2004 classification, 16, 35, and 24 PanNETs were classified as benign behavior, uncertain behavior, and WD endocrine carcinoma, respectively. By the WHO 2010 classification, 26, 41, and 8 tumors were grade 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Using the Hochwald system, 47 were low grade, and 28 were intermediate grade. The AJCC staging information was complete for 62 patients (13 had the lymph node status Nx) and included: stages IA (19/62), IB (10/62), IIA (10/62), and IIB (23/62). The ENETS staging information was stages I (16/62), IIa (8/62), IIb (14/62), IIIa (0/62), and IIIb (24/62). The average Ki-67 proliferation index (PI) was 8.1%. Factors that predicted RFS included tumor size, nodal metastasis, vascular invasion, perineural invasion, necrosis, mitosis, and Ki-67 PI (all P<0.01). The CI for each system was: 0.6361 for WHO 2004, 0.6735 for WHO 2010, 0.6495 for AJCC staging, 0.6642 for ENETS staging, and 0.6851 for the Hochwald grading system. When these systems were analyzed in conjunction with various additional important pathologic features, combination of the Hochwald grading system and Ki-67 PI achieved the highest CI (0.7946). Therefore, although all these systems predict RFS well in locoregional WD PanNETs, the Hochwald grading system achieves the highest predictive ability. Further predictive power can be achieved by combining the Hochwald grading system and Ki-67 PI.
Prominence-Based Prosody Prediction for Unit Selection Speech Synthesis

This paper describes the development and evaluation of a prosody prediction module for unit selection speech synthesis that is based on the notion of perceptual prominence. We outline the design principles of the module and describe its implementation in the Bonn Open Synthesis System (BOSS). Moreover, we report results of perception experiments that have been conducted in order to evaluate prominence prediction. The paper is concluded by a general discussion of the approach and a sketch of perspectives for further work. Index Terms: speech synthesis, unit selection, perceptual prominence, prosody modeling, metrical phonology
Successful carboxypeptidase G2 rescue of a high-risk elderly Hodgkin lymphoma patient with methotrexate intoxication and renal failure

High-dose methotrexate (MTX) is often used in the treatment of malignant diseases. Despite careful management, acute MTX-associated toxicity due to renal failure can occur. Treatment of these side effects is often difficult with high mortality rates and, in particular, the elderly patients are at high-risk [1]. Carboxypeptidase G2 (CPDG2), an enzyme capable of breaking down MTX, is a new agent available for the treatment of acute methotrexate intoxication. There are numerous publications documenting successful CPDG2 rescue in MTX-induced renal dysfunction, but there is still little known about the usage of CPDG2 in elderly patients. We report an elderly man who was successfully treated with CPDG2 after developing renal failure and MTX-associated toxicity refractory to leucovorin rescue. A 61-year-old man was treated with the German Hodgkin Study Group salvage protocol for relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. This treatment consisted of two cycles of conventional salvage chemotherapy (DHAP: dexamethasone, cisplatin and cytarabine) followed by high-dose sequential chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate with vincristine, as well as etoposide) and a final myeloablative course (BEAM: carmustine, melphalan, etoposide and cytarabine) with autologous stem cell transplantation. Before the administration of MTX, the required diagnostic procedures including liver, kidney and cardiac function tests were performed. Regarding kidney function, the serum creatinine level was 93 mmol/l (reference values 60 – 117 mmol/l), the urea serum level was 5.3 mmol/l (reference values 3.4 – 8.7 mmol/l) and potassium serum level was 3.8 mmol/l (reference values 3.7 – 4.7 mmol/l). There was no evidence of ascites or pericardial fluid as assessed using ultrasonography. MTX (8000 mg/m) was intravenously administered over 8 h. Adequate hydration with 3000 ml of 0.9% NaCl was maintained throughout the treatment. Urine alkalinization (pH 47.5) was achieved with 8.4% sodium bicarbonate and all other drugs were stopped. The next day, a rapid increase of serum creatinine level from 90 to 200 mmol/l was observed and MTX-level measured 24 h after the end of the infusion was elevated: 286 mmol/l (normal value from study protocol: 510 mmol/l). The patient was diagnosed with acute renal failure caused by MTX intoxication. On admission to intensive care unit, he was somnolent, disoriented with tenderness over the liver and urine bladder. He was also pyrexial with a temperature of 408C. Full blood count revealed a white cell count of 7.2610/l, platelets of 28610/l, and Hb of 7.4 g/dl. Serum creatinine level was 265 mmol/l, liver transaminases were elevated (ALAT, 392 U/l and ASPAT, 395 U/l), C-reactive protein was 119 mg/l. Adequate hydration in accordance to the fluid balance measurements and the alkalinization with 8.4% solution of sodium bicarbonate (urine pH was 8.0) were continued. The daily dosage of leukovorine was increased from 240 to 2200 mg and a single dose of vancomycin was
Phylogenetics of Tribe Collabieae (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae) Based on Four Chloroplast Genes with Morphological Appraisal

Collabieae (Orchidaceae) is a long neglected tribe with confusing tribal and generic delimitation and little-understood phylogenetic relationships. Using plastid matK, psaB, rbcL, and trnH-psbA DNA sequences and morphological evidence, the phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Collabieae were assessed as a basis for revising their tribal and generic delimitation. Collabieae (including the previously misplaced mycoheterotrophic Risleya) is supported as monophyletic and nested within a superclade that also includes Epidendreae, Podochileae, Cymbidieae and Vandeae. Risleya is nested in Collabiinae and sister to Chrysoglossum, a relationship which, despite their great vegetative differences, is supported by floral characters. Ania is a distinct genus supported by both morphological and molecular evidence, while redefined Tainia includes Nephelaphyllum and Mischobulbum. Calanthe is paraphyletic and consists four clades; the genera Gastrorchis, Phaius and Cephalantheropsis should be subsumed within Calanthe. Calanthe sect. Ghiesbreghtia is nested within sect. Calanthe, to which the disputed Calanthe delavayi belongs as well. Our results indicate that, in Collabieae, habit evolved from being epiphytic to terrestrial.
A Structural Equation Modeling Approach of the Toll-Like Receptor Signaling Pathway in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Gene pathway identification is an open and active research area that has attracted the interest not only of biomedical scientists but also of a large number of researchers from disciplines related to knowledge discovery from biological data. In this paper, we used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in order to statistically investigate the Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) signaling pathway in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Specifically, we used Path Analysis, a special case of SEM which is a statistical technique for testing and confirming causal relations based on data and qualitative assumptions. The dataset consists of Real Time PCR data for 84 genes relevant to the TLR signaling pathway, that were obtained from 192 patients with CLL that have been classified based on the mutational status of their clonotypic antigen receptors as mutated CLL (M-CLL) or unmutated CLL (U-CLL). The causal effects among genes were estimated through regression weights. In each case, the initially assumed model was based on the KEGG pathway database which provides reference pathways. The initial models were tested with respect to the M-CLL and U-CLL datasets. Modifications were made according to the statistical results (statistically significant regression weights, modification indices), concluding to models with good fit. Models were consistent to the reference pathway mostly for M-CLL and much less for U-CLL. These results go along with the well-described differences in immune signaling between the two subgroups, and may indicate that signaling in U-CLL is more impaired and/or modulated by complex regulatory networks that remain to be elucidated.
Low-Grade Dysplastic Nodules Revealed as the Tipping Point during Multistep Hepatocarcinogenesis by Dynamic Network Biomarkers

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex disease with a multi-step carcinogenic process from preneoplastic lesions, including cirrhosis, low-grade dysplastic nodules (LGDNs), and high-grade dysplastic nodules (HGDNs) to HCC. There is only an elemental understanding of its molecular pathogenesis, for which a key problem is to identify when and how the critical transition happens during the HCC initiation period at a molecular level. In this work, for the first time, we revealed that LGDNs is the tipping point (i.e., pre-HCC state rather than HCC state) of hepatocarcinogenesis based on a series of gene expression profiles by a new mathematical model termed dynamic network biomarkers (DNB)—a group of dominant genes or molecules for the transition. Different from the conventional biomarkers based on the differential expressions of the observed genes (or molecules) for diagnosing a disease state, the DNB model exploits collective fluctuations and correlations of the observed genes, thereby predicting the imminent disease state or diagnosing the critical state. Our results show that DNB composed of 59 genes signals the tipping point of HCC (i.e., LGDNs). On the other hand, there are a large number of differentially expressed genes between cirrhosis and HGDNs, which highlighted the stark differences or drastic changes before and after the tipping point or LGDNs, implying the 59 DNB members serving as the early-warning signals of the upcoming drastic deterioration for HCC. We further identified the biological pathways responsible for this transition, such as the type I interferon signaling pathway, Janus kinase–signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK–STAT) signaling pathway, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway, retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptor signaling pathway, cell adhesion molecules, and cell cycle. In particular, pathways related to immune system reactions and cell adhesion were downregulated, and pathways related to cell growth and death were upregulated. Furthermore, DNB was validated as an effective predictor of prognosis for HCV-induced HCC patients by survival analysis on independent data, suggesting a potential clinical application of DNB. This work provides biological insights into the dynamic regulations of the critical transitions during multistep hepatocarcinogenesis.
Improving Test-Taking Skills of LD Adolescents

More and more learning-disabled adolescents are now being served at the high school level. Usually these students have access to the services of a resource room and attend classes with their nonhandicapped peers. Once integrated in math, English, or civics courses, however, they are then faced with the difficult problem of taking tests, for which many do not have the necessary skills. To increase their test-taking skills they must learn systematic procedures through a team effort, including special education consultants, regular education teachers, and supportive personnel. Recent findings in behavioral psychology provide a basis for a multicomponent model to improve the test-taking skills of adolescents with learning disabilities. As with other complex activities, such efforts require first an analysis of the problems that present barriers to effective test taking and then a specification of procedures to alleviate the problems.
Strong Clustering of Faint Galaxies at Small Angular Scales

The two-point angular correlation function of galaxies, ω(θ), has been computed on equatorial fields observed with the Cerro Telolo Inter-American Observatory 4 m prime focus, within a total area of 2.31 deg2. In the magnitude range 19 ≤ mR ≤ 21.5, corresponding to ⟨z⟩ ≈ 0.35, we find an excess of power in ω(θ) at scales 2'' ≤ θ ≤ 6'' over what would be expected from an extrapolation of ω(θ) measured at larger θ. The significance of this excess is ≈ 5 σ. At larger scales, 6'' < θ ≤ 24'', the amplitude of ω(θ) is 1.6 times smaller than the standard nonevolutionary model. At these scales there is remarkable agreement between the present data and Infante & Pritchet (1995). At large angular scales (6'' < θ ≤ 24'') the data are best described by a model where clustering evolution in ξ(r, z) has taken place. Strong luminosity evolution cannot be ruled out with the present data. At smaller scales, 2'' ≤ θ ≤ 6'', our data are formally fitted by models where ϵ = -2.4(Ω = 0.2, r0 = 5.1 h-1 Mpc) or r0 = 7.3 h-1 Mpc (Ω = 0.2, ϵ = 0). If the mean redshift of our sample is 0.35, then our data show a clear detection of the scale (≈ 19 h-1 kpc) where the clustering evolution approaches a highly nonlinear regime, i.e., ϵ ≤ 0. The rate at which galaxies merge has been computed. If this rate is proportional to (1 + z)m, then m = 2.2 ± 0.5.
The Software Engineering of Domain-Specific Modeling Languages : A Survey Through Examples

This paper presents the fundamental concepts of model-based design to the broader software engineering community. We examine model-based design from the perspective of domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs). DSMLs capture the structure, behavioral characteristics, and abstractions of complex problem domains. Model transformations defined between language syntaxes serve as high-level specifications of domain-specific compilers. Additionally, transformations are used to change abstraction levels. This paper is example driven and includes examples from a number of tools including ASML [1], Ptolemy II [2], GME [3], and GReAT [4].
Rapid Context-based Identification of Target Sounds in an Auditory Scene

To make sense of our dynamic and complex auditory environment, we must be able to parse the sensory input into usable parts and pick out relevant sounds from all the potentially distracting auditory information. Although it is unclear exactly how we accomplish this difficult task, Gamble and Woldorff [Gamble, M. L. , & Woldorff, M. G. The temporal cascade of neural processes underlying target detection and attentional processing during auditory search. Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y.: 1991), 2014] recently reported an ERP study of an auditory target-search task in a temporally and spatially distributed, rapidly presented, auditory scene. They reported an early, differential, bilateral activation (beginning at 60 msec) between feature-deviating target stimuli and physically equivalent feature-deviating nontargets, reflecting a rapid target detection process. This was followed shortly later (at 130 msec) by the lateralized N2ac ERP activation, that reflects the focusing of auditory spatial attention toward the target sound and parallels the attentional-shifting processes widely studied in vision. Here we directly examined the early, bilateral, target-selective effect to better understand its nature and functional role. Participants listened to midline-presented sounds that included target and nontarget stimuli that were randomly either embedded in a brief rapid stream or presented alone. The results indicate that this early bilateral effect results from a template for the target that utilizes its feature deviancy within a stream to enable rapid identification. Moreover, individual-differences analysis showed that the size of this effect was larger for participants with faster RTs. The findings support the hypothesis that our auditory attentional systems can implement and utilize a context-based relational template for a target sound, making use of additional auditory information in the environment when needing to rapidly detect a relevant sound.
Skin care during the menopause period: noninvasive procedures of beauty studies

Ageing is a resultant of two processes, including genetically encoded changes in an organism and modifications caused by a negative external environment impact. In the histological aspect, the skin ageing, due to endogenous factors and hormonal changes shows: excessive dryness, Malpighian layer thinning, microcirculation disorders, collagenic or elastin fiber degradation and simultaneous glycation, decreased speed of sebum and perspiration secretion. It is said that skin is a functional picture of the organism and endocrinological system. Any hormone concentration ups and downs may improve its appearance or significantly worsen its condition as well as it may lead to occurrence of dermatological changes. In adult women, the ageing process changes its significance step by step. Despite the passage of time, women want to feel good inside their skins. The adult skin is more requiring and it needs special care, often using a cosmetic apparatus. For better effect and permanent revitalization of the ageing skin, it is recommended to apply properly selected home-use cosmetic preparations. A holistic approach makes it possible to reach the skin density and thickness increase, wrinkles shallowing, humidity and resilience improvement and also recovery of the proper face oval.
Fingerprint Matching using A Hybrid Shape and Orientation Descriptor

Minutiae-based methods have been used in many commercial fingerprint matching systems. Based primarily on a point pattern matching model, these methods rely heavily on the accuracy of minutiae extraction and the detection of landmarks like core and delta for pre-alignment. Spurious and missing minutiae can both introduce errors in minutiae correspondence. Equally problematic is the inability to detect landmarks to guide pre-alignment. Taken together, these problems lead to sub-optimal matching accuracy. Fortunately, the contextual information provided by ridge flow and orientation in the neighborhood of detected minutiae can help eliminate spurious minutiae while compensating for the absence of genuinely missing minutiae both before and during matching. In addition, coupledwith a core detection algorithm that can robustly handlemissing or partially available landmarks for pre-alignment, significant improvement in matching accuracy can be expected. In this chapter, we will firstly review fingerprint feature extraction, minutiae representation, and registration, which are important components of fingerprint matching algorithms. Following this, we will detail a relevant fingerprint matching algorithm based on the Shape Context descriptor found in Kwan et al. (2006). Next, we will introduce a novel hybrid shape and orientation descriptor that is designed to address the above problems. The hybrid descriptor can effectively filter out spurious or unnatural minutiae pairings while simultaneously using the additional ridge orientation cues in improving match score calculation. In addition, the proposed method can handle situations where either the cores are not well defined for detection or the fingerprints have only partial overlapping. Lastly, experiments conducted on two publicly available fingerprint databases confirm that the proposed hybrid method outperforms other methods included in our performance comparison.
Linear Stimulus Encoding and Decoding

Experiments in sensory neurophysiology often record action potential arrival times of nerve cells resulting from spontaneous or stimulus-evoked activity. When all action potentials are taken to be identical and only their localized times of occurrence are considered, one obtains a discrete series of time events, t 1 ; : : : t n ; where t i = time of arrival of the i th spike, characterizing the spike train. It is this series of events that is transmitted down the axon to all of the cell's targets and that contains all of the speciic information that the cell is conveying to its postsynaptic targets. There are two opposing views of neuronal coding, with many intermediate standpoints. At one extreme, one view holds that it is only the average rate, the number of action potentials over some suitable interval usually lasting a fraction of a second or longer, which is relevant for information processing. The rate view, which we will discuss In todays lecture, does not per se impose such a long time scale. As long as the spike train can be characterized by a single number, r(t), even if this changes at the tens of millisecond scale, the coding can be described as rate coding. The opposing view, known as correlation coding, argues that the pattern of spikes, both at the single cell as well as between multiple cells, encodes information. This includes the hypothesis that the exact temporal arrangement of interspike intervals encodes information (Softky, 1995; for a summary, see the excellent treatment in Rieke et al., 1996). Of course, at very low spike rates, rate and correlation coding run into each other. The broad idea of temporal coding is supported by evidence from a variety of sensory systems (locust olfaction, electric sh electrosensation, cat vision and olfaction, monkey vision and audition) pointing towards the role of spike timing, in particular across ensembles of cells, in encoding various aspects of the stimulus The characteristics of the neuronal code are closely linked to the seemingly stochastic or random character of neuronal ring. Because little or no information can be encoded into a stream of regularly spaced action potentials, this raises the question of how variable neuronal ring really is and of the relation between variability and the neural code. It is the mathematical theory of stochastic point processes and the eld of statistical signal processing that ooers us the …
The Adoption of Wikipedia: A Community- and Information Quality-Based View

The Web 2.0 model has aroused vast attention as it alters the traditional role of Internet users as pure information receivers. Wikipedia, as one of the most successful case of the Web 2.0 model, creates an online encyclopedia through the collective efforts of volunteers. Shared freely by all Internet users, it forms an online community platform on which users can seek and share knowledge. This study investigates the factors that affect the adoption of Wikipedia. Based on Davis' (1989) TAM, perceived critical mass, community identification, and information quality were incorporated into the research model for explaining the intentions and usage behavior of Wikipedia users. This research is a work-in-progress and a questionnaire survey will be executed, targeting at Internet users who had prior experiences with Wikipedia. The survey is expected to be conducted over the Internet in March, 2008.