Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intracystic bleomycin for cystic craniopharyngiomas in children (abridged republication of cochrane systematic review).

BACKGROUND Craniopharyngiomas are the most common benign histological tumors to involve the hypothalamopituitary region in childhood. When the tumor location is unfavorable, a gross total or partial resection followed by radiotherapy is the main treatment option in adults. However, it presents the risk of morbidity, especially for children. Intracystic bleomycin has been used to potentially delay the use of radiotherapy or radical resection to decrease morbidity. OBJECTIVE To determine the benefit and harm of intracystic bleomycin vs other treatments for cystic craniopharyngiomas in children. METHODS We searched the electronic databases of CENTRAL, MEDLINE/PubMed, and EMBASE/Ovid with prespecified terms. In addition, we searched reference lists of relevant articles and reviews, conference proceedings, and ongoing trial databases. RESULTS We could not identify any studies in which the only difference between the treatment groups was the use of intracystic bleomycin. We did identify a randomized, controlled trial comparing intracystic bleomycin with intracystic P (n = 7 children). The trial had a high risk of bias. Survival could not be evaluated. There was no evidence of a significant difference in cyst reduction, neurological status, third nerve paralysis, fever, or total adverse effects between the treatment groups. There was a significant difference in favor of the P group for the occurrence of headache and vomiting. CONCLUSION Based on the currently available evidence, we are not able to give recommendations for the use of intracystic bleomycin in the treatment of cystic craniopharyngiomas in children. High-quality randomized, controlled trials are needed.
Electrical Properties of Carbon Nanotube Via Interconnects Fabricated by Novel Damascene Process

We studied the electrical properties of a carbon nanotube (CNT) via interconnect fabricated by a novel damascene process which is mostly compatible with conventional Cu interconnects. It was found that the resistance of 60-nm-height vias was independent of temperatures as high as 423 K, which suggests that the carrier transport is ballistic. The obtained resistance of 0.05 Omega for 2.8-mum-diameter vias is the lowest value ever reported. From the via height dependence of the resistance, the electron mean free path was estimated to be about 80 nm, which is similar to the via height predicted for 32-nm technology node (year 2013). This indicates that it will be possible to realize CNT vias with ballistic transport for 32-nm technology node and below.
Packet-level iterative detection for SFH communications with Reed-Solomon coding in partial-band interference

A SFH system using Reed-Solomon coding and the parity-bit method is considered with a receiver employing packet-level iterative detection and decoding, and the performance of the system in a channel with partial-band interference is evaluated. It is shown that the packet-level iterative reception technique results in substantially better performance than one-shot detection and decoding at a minimal cost in increased computation at the receiver. The use of an inner differential encoder is also examined, and its inclusion is shown to result in improved performance with packet-level iterative reception. Furthermore, alternative approaches to the parity-bit method are evaluated. Finally, the performance is compared with that of several other choices for coding and either one-shot or iterative decoding in SFH systems
Pour une plus grande transparence sur la méthodologie des sondages électoraux

Si les sondages electoraux pratiques par les Instituts de sondage sontscientifiquement fondes, il est legitime de demander une plus grandetransparence sur la methodologie adoptee. Les deux points de methodologiesur lesquels nous souhaitons insister ici sont la « marge d’erreur » et le« redressement d’echantillon ». Pour mieux comprendre les debats lesconcernant, nous les inserons dans une presentation des ecarts entre latheorie des sondages aleatoires et la pratique des sondages electoraux parquotas.
NCgl2620 Encodes a Class II Polyphosphate Kinase in Corynebacterium glutamicum

ABSTRACT Corynebacterium glutamicum is able to accumulate up to 600 mM cytosolic phosphorus in the form of polyphosphate (poly P). Granular poly P (volutin) can make up to 37% of the internal cell volume. This bacterium lacks the classic enzyme of poly P synthesis, class I polyphosphate kinase (PPK1), but it possesses two genes, ppk2A (corresponds to NCgl0880) and ppk2B (corresponds to NCgl2620), for putative class II (PPK2) PPKs. Deletion of ppk2B decreased PPK activity and cellular poly P content, while overexpression of ppk2B increased both PPK activity and cellular poly P content. Neither deletion nor overexpression of ppk2A changed specific activity of PPK or cellular poly P content significantly. Purified PPK2B of C. glutamicum is active as a homotetramer and formed poly P with an average chain length of about 125, as determined with 31P nuclear magnetic resonance. The catalytic efficiency of C. glutamicum PPK2B was higher in the poly P-forming direction than for nucleoside triphosphate formation from poly P. The ppk2B deletion mutant, which accumulated very little poly P and grew as C. glutamicum wild type under phosphate-sufficient conditions, showed a growth defect under phosphate-limiting conditions.
Reconstructing voices within the multiple-average-voice-model framework

Copyright © 2015 ISCA. Personalisation of voice output communication AIDS (VOCAs) allows to preserve the vocal identity of people suffering from speech disorders. This can be achieved by the adaptation of HMM-based speech synthesis systems using a small amount of adaptation data. When the voice has begun to deteriorate, reconstruction is still possible in the statistical domain by correcting the parameters of the models associated with the speech disorder. This can be done by substituting those with parameters from a donor's voice, at risk of losing part of the identity of the patient. Recently, the Multiple-Average-Voice-Model (Multiple AVM) framework has been proposed for speaker adaptation. Adaptation is performed via interpolation into a speaker eigenspace spanned by the mean vectors of speaker-adapted AVMs which can be tuned to the individual speaker. In this paper, we present the benefits of this framework for voice reconstruction: it requires only a very small amount of adaptation data, interpolation can be performed in a clean speech eigenspace and the resulting voice can be easily fine-tuned by acting on the interpolation weights. We illustrate our points with a subjective assessment of the reconstructed voice.
Pressure-Dependent Polymorphism and Band-Gap Tuning of Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite.

We report the pressure-induced crystallographic transitions and optical behavior of MAPbI3 (MA=methylammonium) using in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction and laser-excited photoluminescence spectroscopy, supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations using the hybrid functional B3PW91 with spin-orbit coupling. The tetragonal polymorph determined at ambient pressure transforms to a ReO3 -type cubic phase at 0.3 GPa. Upon continuous compression to 2.7 GPa this cubic polymorph converts into a putative orthorhombic structure. Beyond 4.7 GPa it separates into crystalline and amorphous fractions. During decompression, this phase-mixed material undergoes distinct restoration pathways depending on the peak pressure. In situ pressure photoluminescence investigation suggests a reduction in band gap with increasing pressure up to ≈0.3 GPa and then an increase in band gap up to a pressure of 2.7 GPa, in excellent agreement with our DFT calculation prediction.
Cross-cultural adaptation of the Child Depression Inventory for use in Tanzania with children affected by HIV

Understanding the impact of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic is critical for developing appropriate interventions to create supportive environments for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). Unfortunately, there are very few studies on the psychosocial wellbeing of children orphaned by AIDS in Africa, and even fewer in Tanzania. It has been difficult to make generalizations across studies and to identify and track children suffering from mental health difficulties, given the lack of culturally sensitive, standardized screening scales and diagnostic procedures. As a contribution to filling that gap, the current study demonstrates the applicability of an existing depression screening instrument (CDI) to evaluate both the needs of OVC as well as the effectiveness of interventions designed to support them.
The transformation of an early post-medieval town into a major modern city: excavation and survey of the Waverley Vaults, New Street, Edinburgh, Scotland

Abstract A programme of building recording and excavation at the Waverley Vaults, Edinburgh, Scotland, examined the development of an urban space from the late 16th century to the end of the 20th. The sequence of archaeological deposits reflected the transformation of the backlands of an affluent post-medieval burgh house by the construction of New Street, one of the first civic improvements of the Scottish Enlightenment period. Lord Monboddo, a prominent figure in the Enlightenment, lived here in the late 18th century. The site was again transformed in the 19th century, when industrial development culminated in the construction of the Waverley Vaults, a major railway monument.
Epigenetic Transcriptional Silencing and 5-Azacytidine-Mediated Reactivation of a Complex Transgene in Rice

Despite a growing number of reports indicating non-Mendelian inheritance of transgene expression in monocots, no detailed description of the structure and stability of the transgene exists for transformants generated by direct DNA-transfer techniques, making the cause for these observations difficult to determine. In this paper we describe the complex organization of Btt cryIIIA and bar transgenes in rice (Oryza sativa L.) that displayed aberrant segregation in R1 progeny. Silencing rather than rearrangement of the bar gene was implicated because the herbicide-sensitive R1 plants had a DNA hybridization profile identical to that of the resistant R0 parent and R1 siblings. Genomic DNA analysis revealed substantial methylation of the Ubi1/bar sequences in silenced plants and, to a lesser degree, in herbicide-resistant plants, suggesting that the transgene locus was potentiated for silencing. Nuclease protection and nuclear run-on assays confirmed that silencing was due to transcriptional inactivation. Treatment of R2 progeny of silenced plants with 5-azacytidine resulted in demethylation of the Ubi1 promoter and reactivation of bar gene expression, demonstrating a functional relationship for methylation in gene silencing. These findings indicate that methylation-based silencing may be frequent in cereals transformed by direct DNA protocols that insert multiple, often rearranged sequences.
Behaviour of silver nanoparticles and silver ions in an in vitro human gastrointestinal digestion model

Abstract Oral ingestion is an important exposure route for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), but their fate during gastrointestinal digestion is unknown. This was studied for 60 nm AgNPs and silver ions (AgNO3) using in vitro human digestion model. Samples after saliva, gastric and intestinal digestion were analysed with SP-ICPMS, DLS and SEM-EDX. In presence of proteins, after gastric digestion the number of particles dropped significantly, to rise back to original values after the intestinal digestion. SEM-EDX revealed that reduction in number of particles was caused by their clustering. These clusters were composed of AgNPs and chlorine. During intestinal digestion, these clusters disintegrated back into single 60 nm AgNPs. The authors conclude that these AgNPs under physiological conditions can reach the intestinal wall in their initial size and composition. Importantly, intestinal digestion of AgNO3 in presence of proteins resulted in particle formation. These nanoparticles (of 20–30 nm) were composed of silver, sulphur and chlorine.
ARCADE IMPLOSION CAUSED BY A FILAMENT ERUPTION IN A FLARE

Coronal implosions—the convergence motion of plasmas and entrained magnetic field in the corona due to a reduction in magnetic pressure—can help to locate and track sites of magnetic energy release or redistribution during solar flares and eruptions. We report here on the analysis of a well-observed implosion in the form of an arcade contraction associated with a filament eruption, during the C3.5 flare SOL2013-06-19T07:29. A sequence of events including the magnetic flux-rope instability and distortion, followed by a filament eruption and arcade implosion, lead us to conclude that the implosion arises from the transfer of magnetic energy from beneath the arcade as part of the global magnetic instability, rather than due to local magnetic energy dissipation in the flare. The observed net contraction of the imploding loops, which is found also in nonlinear force-free field extrapolations, reflects a permanent reduction of magnetic energy underneath the arcade. This event shows that, in addition to resulting in the expansion or eruption of an overlying field, flux-rope instability can also simultaneously implode an unopened field due to magnetic energy transfer. It demonstrates the “partial opening of the field” scenario, which is one of the ways in 3D to produce a magnetic eruption without violating the Aly–Sturrock hypothesis. In the framework of this observation, we also propose a unification of three main concepts for active region magnetic evolution, namely the metastable eruption model, the implosion conjecture, and the standard “CSHKP” flare model.
Determination of Glucose and Fructose from Glucose Isomerization Process by High performance Liquid Chromatography with UV Detection

Analysis of fructose and glucose from glucose isomerization process using immobilised glucose isomerase (IGI), {Sweetzyme from Novozymes} are often performed by HPLC methods with refractive index (RI) detector. This study is focused on developing new methods of measuring glucose and fructose using a specific carbohydrate column. The importance of this research, primarily based on the performance of the HPLC with ultra-violet (UV) detection as another alternative of detector rather than using RI . The method was carried out under the following condition; UV detection was made at 195 nm with column temperature of 30 0 C , flow rate of 0.6 ml/min and injections of 20μL . The ratio of acetonitrile and the deionised water used was 80% to 20%. From the results, the detection of fructose and glucose by HPLC with acetonitrile and water as solvents can be obtained using UV detection (195nm) instead of the commonly used detector of RI.
A Comparison of Heuristics for Scheduling Spatial Clusters to Reduce I/O Cost in Spatial Join Processing

In spatial join processing, a common method to minimize the I/O cost is to partition the spatial objects into clusters, and then to schedule the processing of the clusters in the spatial join processing such that the number of times the same objects to be fetched into memory can be minimized. A key issue of this clustering-and-scheduling approach is how to produce a better sequence of clusters to guide the cluster scheduling thus to reduce the total I/O cost of spatial join processing. This paper describes three cluster sequencing heuristics. An extensive comparison among them has been conducted, and simulation results have shown that, while using the cluster sequences generated to guide the cluster scheduling can significant reduce the I/O cost in fetching spatial objects in spatial join processing, their performance differs
Cytometric DNA analysis in the management of cancer. Clinical and laboratory considerations

Clinically, cytometric DNA (ploidy and proliferative fraction) analysis is primarily used in the determination of tumor prognosis. This determination has a clinical impact primarily in low stage tumors where therapeutic options are available, rather than in higher stage tumors that will be treated the same independent of their ploidy or proliferative fraction. In general, the best available data indicate that for most tumors aneuploidy is an indicator of more aggressiveness. Ploidy analysis is independent of other prognostic indicators in many tumors and is the most significant prognostic indicator in some. More recent data suggest that proliferative fraction, the percentage of tumor cells in the S‐phase of the cell cycle, may be as important an indicator of tumor prognosis as simple presence of aneuploidy. However, the poor inter‐laboratory reproducibility of S‐phase measurements as currently performed limits the general applicability of this measurement in the management of patients. Cancer 1992; 69:1553‐1556.
Bi-directional Static Load Testing – State of the Art

The use of static load testing in optimising design and providing verification of suitability and constructability continues to be unsurpassed in the foundation industry. The utilisation of top load reaction testing appears to be that with which most European engineers are familiar, but a variation on this, which has become just as conventional in some parts of the world, is the use of bi-directional testing allowing tests to near ultimate capacity to be performed more conveniently, economically and safer. A purpose build jack, (such as an Osterberg Cell) is cast within the pile at a chosen location typically half way down the “capacity length” of the pile in a manner in which the upper and lower portions of the pile are tested against each other. Techniques for computer controlled loading and remote control by GSM links can readily be applied and the quality of data recorded and reliability is excellent. The numerous applications and methods of analysis are described. Where the confidence in prediction of capacity is not high, a technique using O-cellsTM arranged at two different levels maximises the information that can be retrieved from a single test pile by sequentially loading from one level and subsequently loading at the other. A review of the advantages and disadvantages is presented and how some of the perceived shortcomings have been overcome together with an appraisal of current usage around the world.
Structuration des génomes par sélection indirecte de la variabilité mutationnelle : une approche de modélisation et de simulation. (Evolution of genome structure by indirect selection of the mutational variability: a computational approach)

A long terme, le succes evolutif d'une lignee ne depend pas seulement de la valeur adaptative de ses fondateurs. Il depend egalement de la capacite des descendants a transmettre le genotype ancestral sans mutation deletere, tout en decouvrant parfois des mutations favorables. Un niveau intermediaire de variabilite mutationnelle peut donc etre, de fait, indirectement selectionne. En simulant, a l'aide d'un modele individu-centre, l'evolution de genomes soumis a la fois a des mutations locales et a des rearrangements chromosomiques, nous montrons que la structure du genome est un levier d'ajustement du degre de variabilite : le nombre de genes et, de facon plus surprenante, la quantite de non codant s'ajustent en fonction du taux de mutation et de l'impact moyen des mutations geniques, maintenant ainsi un niveau constant de variabilite mutationnelle. L'emergence de ces couplages surprenants suggere que les genomes ne sont pas seulement faconnes par les biais mutationnels et les couts selectifs directs, mais aussi, a plus long terme, par des pressions plus indirectes.
Using Treasury Strips to Measure the Yield Curve

Treasury STRIPS derived from coupon payments of notes and bonds provide an effective reading of the zero-coupon yield curve. Among their advantages, coupon STRIPS are zero-coupon securities, have a complete range of maturities, and are fungible, which appears to make the coupon STRIPS yield curve relatively smooth. Yields on coupon STRIPS are compared to the zero-coupon yield curves derived from notes and bonds under the Nelson-Siegel and the Fisher-Nychka-Zervos methods. The results point to some shortcomings of these approaches and indicate that the zero-coupon yield curve could be estimated more precisely from coupon STRIPS.
Triglyceride Recrystallized Phytosterols in Fat-Free Milk Improve Lipoprotein Profiles More Than Unmodified Free Phytosterols in Hypercholesterolemic Men and Women

Objective: Foods incorporating plant sterols (PS) consistently decrease serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), although results vary depending on the PS form and food matrix. The objective was to study the effect of a novel triglyceride-recrystallized phystosterol (TRP) incorporated into fat-free milk on markers of cardiovascular risk compared to unmodified free sterols alone in the same fat-free milk. Methods: Hypercholesterolemic men and women (n = 13 males/7 females; 56 ±10 years; body mass index 27.3 ±5.9 kg/m2) participated in 3 sequential 4-week phases of 480 mL milk consumption. During phase 1 (control) all subjects consumed 2% milk containing no PS, followed by phase 2 with fat-free milk containing free PS (2 g/d fPS) and phase 3 with fat-free milk with TRP (2 g/d). After each phase, determinations of lipoprotein cholesterol distribution, particle concentration via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), apolipoproteins, inflammatory markers, and fat-soluble dietary antioxidants were made. Results: Body mass, body composition, dietary energy and macronutrients, and physical activity were unaffected throughout the study. Compared to the control 2% milk, LDL-C was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased by fPS (−9.1%) and was further decreased by TRP (−15.4%); reductions with TRP were significantly greater. Total LDL particle concentration was decreased to a greater extent after TRP (−8.8%) than fPS (−4.8%; p < 0.05). Only TRP significantly decreased serum levels of apolipoprotein B (apoB; −6%), interleukin-8 (IL-8; −11%) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1; −19%). Plasma α- and γ-tocopherols and carotenoids, normalized to cholesterol, remained unchanged throughout the study with the exception that β-carotene was lowered by 18%. Conclusion: In summary, TRP in fat-free milk may provide cardiovascular benefits beyond that of fPS by inducing more substantial decreases in LDL cholesterol and particle concentration, associated with declines in markers of vascular inflammation.
Thermal cross-talk evaluation of densely integrated vertical cavity surface emitting laser array

We carried out the evaluation of the thermal cross-talk in a 1. 2µm band densely packed vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array for the first time. The spacing of neighboring elements is as small as 20µm. We measured the wavelength shift for different integrated elements, which gives us the temperature change, as a function of the distance from a heat source. We also carried out three-dimensional thermal modeling for the array, which shows good agreement with the experiment. It is predicted that the lasing wavelength of the array is affected by a thermal cross-talk when adjacent elements are operated at the same time.
The effect of donepezil on increased regional cerebral blood flow in the posterior cingulate cortex of a patient with Parkinson's disease dementia

It has been reported that the cholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil, improves cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). However, this improvement was dominant for frontal lobe dysfunction, and the increase in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was minimal. We report a PDD patient with a decline of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the posterior cingulate cortex, precunei, and bilateral parietotemporal association cortex, as determined by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using the easy Z-scores imaging system (e-ZIS). Upon administration of donepezil, both the rCBF and MMSE score increased. The effectiveness of donepezil may vary based on the rCBF pattern in PDD.