Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognosis and prediction in a Facebook world

Facebook and other social networking sites have revolutionized the manner in which individuals interact with their larger community. Although it remains rare for those of us aged >40 years to maintain and participate in such endeavors, just a simple review of the most recent presidential elections provides some insight into their value. The importance lies not only in the ability for an individual to connect with a far broader number of individuals than ever before but, perhaps most important, in the ability for an individual with his or her own specific values and interests to connect with a wider community that may share some but not necessarily all of their interests. The analogy to personalized medicine and the fitting of personal patient characteristics into the context of broader disease-related factors is not too far fetched. It is in this context that we should review the article by Vickers et al on the utility of a nomogram for selecting patients to receive adjuvant chemotherapy after cystectomy for bladder cancer. Perhaps it will be instructive first to review the principals behind any perioperative (and especially adjuvant) systemic therapy after resection of a primary cancer. For many cancers, including bladder cancer, recurrences are predominantly systemic. In other words, they occur outside of the primary organ site and its immediate lymph node drainage. This suggests that many if not most recurrences are caused by undetectable micrometastases that were present even at the time of the original surgical extirpation. By definition, micrometastases are not detectable with current technologies; thus, various patient and tumor characteristics need to be considered to establish the probability that such microscopic disease is present and will become clinically significant within the patient’s lifetime. These prognostic variables or biomarkers are relevant whether or not patients receive additional therapy after they undergo definitive surgical treatment. One of the most powerful prognostic variables for most cancers is a description of the local extent of the primary tumor. The traditional TNM staging system is an elegant, simple, and highly clinically relevant descriptor of a tumor’s local extent. Although refinements continue to be made, the TNM staging of many cancers, including bladder cancer, correlate very well with the risk of recurrence. Nevertheless, the ability of the staging system to predict outcome in an individual patient is only modest; and, in bladder cancer, the
AES BIOFLUX Advances in Environmental Sciences-International Journal of the Bioflux Society Determination of different heavy metals concentrations in cosmetics purchased from the Palestinian markets by ICP / MS

Cosmetic products are a possible source of heavy metal exposure to human beings. This research investigated the content of heavy metals in various types of cosmetics: lipsticks, Kohl (eyeliner), henna (hair dye or temporary tattoo), eye shadows, cream; freckles, moisturizing and foundation, and face powders. Eighteen products of different brands or misbrands cosmetics (expensive and inexpensive) that are found in the Palestinian markets were analyzed to determine the concentrations of thirteen metals (Ba, Pb, Bi, Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ag and Cd) in these products using Inductive Couple Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results showed that two brands of cosmetics have lead content higher than 10 ppm. 50% of the samples contained nickel by more than 5 ppm while one compact powder contained 214.54 ppm. Furthermore, results showed that the concentrations of Cr, Cd and Co are found to be higher than the allowed regulation limits in 69%, 81% and 12.5% of the analyzed samples, respectively. In general, eleven of examined metals were found in 100% of samples. Two heavy metals (Ba and Cd) were found in 94, and 81% of analyzed samples, respectively. Among the different cosmetics products studied, the highest heavy metal contaminations was found in a very cheap brand of lipstick and in a cheap brand of kohl which is used inside the eyes and also in a brand of compact face powder. Additionally, results revealed that 75% of the cosmetics contained more than five parts per million of at least one of lead, cobalt, nickel, and chromium, and that 100% of the products contained more than one part per million of at least one of those metals. Our findings call for an instant mandatory regular testing program to check lead, cadmium, cobalt and other toxic heavy metals in cosmetic products imported to Palestine in order to limit their overabundance and protect consumer health.
A time-based passive source localization system for narrow-band signal

Time-based indoor localization has been investigated for several years but the accuracy of existing solutions is limited by several factors, e.g., imperfect synchronization, signal bandwidth and indoor environment. In this paper, we compare two time-based localization algorithms for narrow-band signals, i.e., multilateration and fingerprinting. First, we develop a new Linear Least Square (LLS) algorithm for Differential Time Difference Of Arrival (DTDOA). Second, fingerprinting is among the most successful approaches used for indoor localization and typically relies on the collection of measurements on signal strength over the area of interest. We propose an alternative by constructing fingerprints of fine-grained time information of the radio signal. We offer comprehensive analytical discussions on the feasibility of the approaches, which are backed up by evaluations in a software defined radio based IEEE 802.15. 4 testbed. Our work contributes to research on localization with narrow-band signals. The results show that our proposed DTDOA-based LLS algorithm obviously improves the localization accuracy compared to traditional TDOA-based LLS algorithm but the accuracy is still limited because of the complex indoor environment. Furthermore, we show that time-based fingerprinting is a promising alternative to power-based fingerprinting.
Oral microbiome in HIV-associated periodontitis

Abstract HIV-associated periodontal diseases (PD) could serve as a source of chronic inflammation. Here, we sought to characterize the oral microbial signatures of HIV+ and HIV– individuals at different levels of PD severity. This cross-sectional study included both HIV+ and HIV– patients with varying degrees of PD. Two tooth, 2 cheek, and 1 saliva samples were obtained for microbiome analysis. Mothur/SILVADB were used to classify sequences. R/Bioconductor (Vegan, PhyloSeq, and DESeq2) was employed to assess overall microbiome structure differences and differential abundance of bacterial genera between groups. Polychromatic flow cytometry was used to assess immune activation in CD4 and CD8 cell populations. Around 250 cheek, tooth, and saliva samples from 50 participants (40 HIV+ and 10 HIV–) were included. Severity of PD was classified clinically as None/Mild (N), Moderate (M), and Severe (S) with 18 (36%), 16 (32%), and 16 (32%) participants in each category, respectively. Globally, ordination analysis demonstrated clustering by anatomic site (R2 = 0.25, P < 0.001). HIV status and PD severity showed a statistically significant impact on microbiome composition but only accounted for a combined 2% of variation. HIV+ samples were enriched in genera Abiotrophia, Neisseria, Kingella, and unclassified Neisseriaceae and depleted in Leptotrichia and Selenomonas. The Neisseria genus was consistently enriched in HIV+ participants regardless of sampling site and PD level. Immune markers were altered in HIV+ participants but did not show association with the oral microbiome. HIV-associated changes in oral microbiome result in subtle microbial signatures along different stages of PD that are common in independent oral anatomic sites.
Detection of New Malicious Code Using N-grams Signatures

Signature-based malicious code detection is the standard technique in all commercial anti-virus software. This method can detect a virus only after the virus has appeared and caused damage. Signature-based detection performs poorly when attempting to identify new viruses. Motivated by the standard signature-based technique for detecting viruses, and a recent successful text classification method, n-grams analysis, we explore the idea of automatically detecting new malicious code. We employ n-grams analysis to automatically generate signatures from malicious and benign software collections. The n-gramsbased signatures are capable of classifying unseen benign and malicious code. The datasets used are large compared to earlier applications of n-grams analysis.
ANDROINSPECTOR: A System for Comprehensive Analysis of Android Applications

Android is an extensively used mobile platform and with evolution it has also witnessed an increased influx of malicious applications in its market place. The availability of multiple sources for downloading applications has also contributed to users falling prey to malicious applications. A major hindrance in blocking the entry of malicious applications into the Android market place is scarcity of effective mechanisms to identify malicious applications. This paper presents AndroInspector, a system for comprehensive analysis of an Android application using both static and dynamic analysis techniques. AndroInspector derives, extracts and analyses crucial features of Android applications using static analysis and subsequently classifies the application using machine learning techniques. Dynamic analysis includes automated execution of Android application to identify a set of pre-defined malicious actions performed by application at run-time.
Does Anxiety Affect Risk of Dementia? Findings From the Caerphilly Prospective Study

Objective: To examine the association of anxiety with incident dementia and cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND). Methods: We conducted a prospective study of men aged 48 to 67 years at baseline anxiety assessment; we measured cognition 17 years later. We studied 1481 men who were either eligible for examination or were known to have dementia. Trait Anxiety was assessed using the Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Psychological distress was assessed using the 30-item general health questionnaire. Cognitive screening was followed by a clinical examination. Medical notes and death certificates of those not seen were also examined. Outcomes were CIND and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) dementia. Results: Of 1160 men who were cognitively screened, 174 cases of CIND and 69 cases of dementia were identified. A further 21 cases of dementia were identified from medical records. After adjustment for age, vascular risk factors and premorbid cognitive function associations with higher anxiety (31st–95th centile) were for CIND odds ratio (OR) 2.31 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.20–4.44) and for dementia OR 2.37 (95% CI = 0.98–5.71). These associations were slightly stronger for nonvascular (OR = 2.45; 95% CI = 1.28–4.68) than for vascular impairment (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 0.77–4.89). Analyses of change in cognitive performance, assessed by the Cambridge Cognitive Examination of the Elderly subscales found some evidence for decline in learning memory with higher anxiety score (bage adj = −0.291 (−0.551, −0.032), but not for any other subscale. Conclusions: Anxiety is a risk factor for CIND and dementia. The extent to which the association is independent of depression and whether or not it is causal requires further study. BMI = body mass index; CAMCOG = Cambridge Cognitive Examination of the Elderly; CaPS = Caerphilly Prospective Study; CIND = cognitive impairment not dementia; DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition; GHQ30 = 30-item general health questionnaire; GP = general practice; Lowess = locally weighted least squares; NINDS-AIREN = National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l’Enseignement en Neurosciences; STAI = Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory.
The Effect of Irradiance and Temperature on the Performance of Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Module in Kakamega

Solar energy can be harnessed as photovoltaic energy or solar thermal. Photovoltaic modules provide safe, reliable, and maintenance-free, without noise and environmentally friendly source of power This paper evaluates the outdoor performance of a monocrystalline silicon module based on irradiance and temperature in Kakamega region. The outdoor performance characterisation of a 20 W mono-crystalline silicon module was investigated under different values of solar irradiance and module surface temperature in Kakamega, Kenya. Short circuit current of the module increased significantly with increasing irradiance while open circuit voltage was least affected. Both fill factor and efficiency showed a similar trend with irradiance, increasing slightly and then reducing. The response variables; fill factor, efficiency, open circuit voltage and maximum power were found to reduce with increase in surface temperature while short circuit current increased slightly. The average efficiency, fill factor, short circuit current and open circuit voltage for the module was found to be 10.11%, 0.65, 0.65A, and 19.78V respectively. Maximum Voltage, maximum current and maximum power were found to be 16.78V, 0.48A and 8.11W respectively. A good knowledge of the power output of a solar module and how it varies with solar irradiance and temperature would give accurate information which is vital in sizing and design of photovoltaic system. Original Research Article Musanga et al.; PSIJ, 19(4): 1-9, 2018; Article no.PSIJ. 44862 2
Frequency, Risk Factors, Prognosis, and Genetic Polymorphism of the Cyclooxygenase-1 Gene for Aspirin Resistance in Elderly Chinese Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important cause of mortality in elderly patients worldwide. Aspirin resistance has been well reported in CVD. Objective: The frequency, risk factors, prognosis, and genetic polymorphism of the cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) gene for aspirin resistance have not been reported in elderly patients with CVD. We therefore undertook this study to evaluate these associations among elderly Chinese patients with CVD. Methods: Four hundred thirty-one elderly Chinese patients with CVD receiving daily aspirin therapy (≥75 mg) over 1 month were enrolled. Platelet aggregation was measured by light transmission aggregometry (LTA) and thromboelastography platelet mapping assay (TEG) using arachidonic acid (AA) as a stimulus. The median follow-up was 1.8 years. Results: After the median follow-up, aspirin-resistant patients were at an increased risk of the composite endpoint compared to nonresistant patients by LTAAA + TEGAA (23.7 vs. 9.2%, p = 0.025). Additionally, Cox proportional hazards regression modeling demonstrated that aspirin resistance and cerebrovascular disease were associated with major adverse long-term outcomes (HR for aspirin resistance = 2.31, 95% CI 1.11-4.81, p = 0.026). The variant G-allele of COX-1 rs1330344 (-1676 A/G) significantly increased the risk of aspirin resistance defined by LTAAA + TEGAA (OR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.13- 2.92, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Aspirin resistance, evaluated by LTAAA + TEGAA, is associated with an increased risk of adverse clinical events in elderly Chinese patients with CVD. The variant G-allele of COX-1 rs1330344 is significantly associated with aspirin resistance defined by LTAAA + TEGAA.
Sensing Adenovirus Infection: Activation of Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 in RAW 264.7 Cells

ABSTRACT We have used the RAW 264.7 murine macrophage-like cell line as a platform to characterize the recognition and early signaling response to recombinant adenoviral vectors (rAdV). Infection of RAW 264.7 cells triggers an early response (2 to 6 h postinfection) that includes phosphorylation of the interferon (IFN) response factor 3 (IRF3) transcription factor, upregulation of IRF3 primary response genes (interferon-stimulated gene 56 [ISG56], beta IFN [IFN-β]), and subsequent type I IFN secondary signaling (STAT1/2 phosphorylation). Using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) lentiviral vectors, we show an essential role for Tank binding kinase 1 (TBK1) in this pathway. Data also support a role for STING (MITA) as an adaptor functioning in response to rAdV infection. Using UV/psoralen (Ps)-inactivated virus to block viral transcription, Ps-inactivated virus stimulated primary (IRF3) and secondary (STAT1/2) activation events to the same degree as untreated virus. IRF3 phosphorylation was not blocked in RAW 264.7 cells pretreated with the RNA polymerase III inhibitor ML60218. However, they were compromised in the type I IFN-dependent secondary response (phosphorylation of STAT1/STAT2). At 24 h postinfection, ML60218-treated cells were compromised in the overall antiviral response. Therefore, initial sensing of rAdV or viral DNA (vDNA) does not depend on viral template transcription, but ML60218 treatment influences cellular cascades required for an antiviral response to rAdV. Using overexpression or knockdown assays, we examined how four DNA sensors influence the antiviral response. Knockdown of DNA Activator of Interferon (DAI) and p204, the murine ortholog to IFI16, had minimal influence on IRF3 phosphorylation. However, knockdown of absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) and the helicase DDX41 resulted in diminished levels of pser388IRF3 following rAdV infection. Based on these data, multiple DNA sensors contribute to an antiviral DNA recognition response, leading to TBK1-dependent IRF3 phosphorylation in RAW 264.7 cells.
Extracting the RC4 secret key of the Open Smart Grid Protocol

The Open Smart Grid Protocol (OSGP) is a widely used industry standard for exchanging sensitive data between devices inside of smart grids. For message confidentiality, OSGP implements a customised form of the RC4 stream cipher. In this work, we show how already known weaknesses of RC4 can be exploited to successfully attack the OSGP implementation as well. The attack modification is able to effectively derive the secret OSGP encryption and decryption key, given that an attacker can accumulate the cipher streams of approximately 90,000 messages. The possession of this key allows the attacker to decrypt all data intercepted on the OSGP smart grid and thereby obtain privacy critical information of its participants.
Reduced parahippocampal volume and psychosis symptoms in Alzheimer's disease

Establishing structural imaging correlates of psychosis symptoms in Alzheimer's disease (AD) could localise pathology and target symptomatic treatment. This study investigated whether psychosis symptoms are associated with visuoperceptual or frontal networks, and whether regional brain volume differences could be linked with the paranoid (persecutory delusions) or misidentification (misidentification phenomena and/or hallucinations) subtypes.
Component primer

S oftware component technology has emerged as a key element in the development of complex software systems. As systems have grown larger, more complex and more interdependent, the characteristics of cohesion and coupling have become important drivers in the design and deployment of these systems. While the concept of software components has been well known virtually since the beginning of software, the practical aspects and challenges have been more fully evolved over time. For the purposes of this overview, the following definition of component will be used: " A software component is a physical packaging of executable software with a well-defined and published interface. " This abbreviated definition is formed from several other published definitions. For example, D'Souza and Wills define component as " A coherent package of software artifacts that can be independently developed and delivered as a unit and that can be composed, unchanged, with other components to build something larger " [1]. Similarly, Szyperski provides the following definition: " A software component is a unit of composition with contractually specified interfaces and explicit context dependencies only. A software component can be deployed independently and is subject to composition by third parties " [3]. Other authors form similar definitions , with the focus on the interface and physical packaging. Previously, the definition of component was broad to include virtually any artifact of the software development process, such as documents, tests, source code, and parameter files. The definitions given here focus on the deployment aspect of components and their ability to be combined to form larger systems. In particular, the emphasis on well-defined interfaces, separate from their implementation, is critical to the success of components in loosely coupled systems. Software developers have long held the belief that complex systems can be built from smaller components , bound together by software that creates the unique behavior and forms of the system. Ideally, a new system can be built using mostly pre-defined parts, with only a small component Primer Jon Hopkins Laying the foundation.
Global prevalence of chronic migraine: A systematic review

The aim of this review was to summarize population-based studies reporting prevalence and/or incidence of chronic migraine (CM) and to explore variation across studies. A systematic literature search was conducted. Relevant data were abstracted and estimates were subdivided based on the criteria used in each study. Sixteen publications representing 12 studies were accepted. None presented data on CM incidence. The prevalence of CM was 0–5.1%, with estimates typically in the range of 1.4–2.2%. Seven studies used Silberstein–Lipton criteria (or equivalent), with prevalence ranging from 0.9% to 5.1%. Three estimates used migraine that occurred ≥ 15 days per month, with prevalence ranging from 0 to 0.7%. Prevalence varied by World Health Organization region and gender. This review identified population-based studies of CM prevalence, although heterogeneity across studies and lack of data from certain regions leaves an incomplete picture. Future studies on CM would benefit from an International Classification of Headache Disorders consensus diagnosis that is clinically appropriate and operational in epidemiological studies.
Rates and predictors of psychotherapy utilization after psychosocial evaluation for stem cell transplant

Although standard of care prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) includes a psychosocial evaluation, little is known about the rate and predictors of psychotherapy utilization among patients presenting for pre‐HSCT evaluations. This study aimed to examine the proportion of patients undergoing pre‐HSCT evaluations who subsequently utilize psychotherapy services and to explore predictive factors, including distress, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL).
Active Perception and Reinforcement Learning

This paper considers adaptive control architectures that integrate active sensorimotor systems with decision systems based on reinforcement learning. One unavoidable consequence of active perception is that the agent's internal representation often confounds external world states. We call this phenomenon perceptual aliasing and show that it destabilizes existing reinforcement learning algorithms with respect to the optimal decision policy. A new decision system that overcomes these difficulties is described. The system incorporates a perceptual subcycle within the overall decision cycle and uses a modified learning algorithm to suppress the effects of perceptual aliasing. The result is a control architecture that learns not only how to solve a task but also where to focus its attention in order to collect necessary sensory information.