Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advanced MR techniques in brain tumor imaging

9 May 2006 The imaging of brain tumors has significantly improved with the use of advanced magnetic resonance (MR) techniques, such as spectroscopy, perfusion, and functional imaging. Conventional MR imaging (MRI) provides mainly anatomic or structural information about the brain. Unlike conventional imaging, advanced MR techniques also provide physiological information concerning metabolism and hemodynamics. These techniques not only aid in the imaging diagnosis of brain tumors, they may also play a role in clinical management of patients with brain tumors. A concise compendium of the physiology, techniques, and clinical applications of MR perfusion imaging, spectroscopy, functional MR imaging (fMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the setting of neuro-oncology is reviewed in this article.
Admittance characteristics of a new waveguide junction

Some of the waveguide junctions are useful to obtain polarization purity. In the case of junctions, the slot in the primary guide couples power to a secondary guide. The coupled guide may have different orientations and geometries. In the present work, a new waveguide junction is analyzed to obtain its admittance characteristics. In this junction, it is possible to design a square grid if the coupled guide is suitably oriented. The variation for few such junctions is obtained numerically. The data presented in this paper is useful for the design of both linear and planar arrays.
Factors A ecting Microbial Degradation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Phenanthrene in the Caribbean Coastal Water 1

Studies were conducted to assess factors that may in ̄uence the rate and extent of biodegradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in waters of Guayanilla Bay (latitude, 18°N; longitude, 66.45°W) Puerto Rico. Phenanthrene was used as a model PAHs compound. Both the rate and extent of phenanthrene degradation by natural microbial ̄ora present in seawater samples from Guayanilla Bay were quite slow. Addition of KNO3 as a source of inorganic nitrogen (N) resulted in a 10-fold increase in the rate of phenanthrene degradation within a 125 h period, whereas, addition of K2HPO4 as a source of inorganic nutrient phosphorus (P) had no eect. Phenanthrene degradation was strongly inhibited when seawater pH was adjusted to 10.0. Phenanthrene in seawater samples degraded rapidly when ®rst pretreated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and then inoculated with a known indigenous phenanthrene degrading bacterium, Alteromonas sp. Pretreatment of phenanthrene with Triton-x-100 had little or no eect on its degradation by the same bacteria, whereas, degradation in samples preheated at 60°C was somewhat inhibited. Ó 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
Process mapping techniques and organisational analysis: Lessons from sociotechnical system theory

Examines the problems, and the limitations, of the use of process mapping techniques in the light of sociotechnical experience in systems analysis. To do this, first, the fundamental characteristics of the various process mapping techniques are illustrated, highlighting how these can be characterised by a conception of business processes based on the notion of “technology” which has been developed within modernist organisation theory. Then, the contribution of sociotechnical theory to office work analysis and design is presented, with particular reference to the work of Calvin Pava on the relationship between the method of analysis and the nature of work. Concludes with some reflections on the residual role attributed to social aspects within process mapping and on the problem of artificial rationality and linearity linked to an acritical use of modelling languages.
Parathyroid Hormone Receptor Trafficking Contributes to the Activation of Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinases but Is Not Required for Regulation of cAMP Signaling*

Agonist-mediated activation of the type 1 parathyroid hormone receptor (PTH1R) results in several signaling events and receptor endocytosis. It is well documented that arrestins contribute to desensitization of both Gs- and Gq-mediated signaling and mediate PTH1R internalization. However, whether PTH1R trafficking directly contributes to signaling remains unclear. To address this question, we investigated the role of PTH1R trafficking in cAMP signaling and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1/2 in HEK-293 cells. Dominant negative forms of dynamin (K44A-dynamin) and β-arrestin1 (β-arrestin1-(319–418)) abrogated PTH1R internalization but had no effect on cAMP signaling; neither acute cAMP production by PTH nor desensitization and resensitization of cAMP signaling were affected. Therefore, PTH1R trafficking is not necessary for regulation of cAMP signaling. PTH-(1–34) induced rapid and robust activation of ERK1/2. A PTHrP-based analog ([p-benzoylphenylalanine1, Ile5,Arg11,13,Tyr36]PTHrP-(1–36)NH2), which selectively activates the Gs/cAMP pathway without inducing PTH1R endocytosis, failed to stimulate ERK1/2 activity. Inhibition of PTH1R endocytosis by K44A-dynamin dampened ERK1/2 activation in response to PTH-(1–34) by 69%. Incubation with the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor AG1478 reduced ERK1/2 phosphorylation further. In addition, ERK1/2 phosphorylation occurred following internalization of a PTH1R mutant induced by PTH-(7–34) in the absence of G protein signaling. Collectively, these data indicate that PTH1R trafficking and Gq (but not Gs) signaling independently contribute to ERK1/2 activation, predominantly via transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor.
Rab 5 Is Required for the Cellular Entry of Dengue and West Nile Viruses

ABSTRACT The mechanisms of cellular entry of dengue and West Nile viruses are not well characterized. We show that both these viruses enter HeLa cells by clathrin-dependent endocytosis and require vacuolar acidic pH. Inhibition of the GTPase Rab 5 or 7, which regulates transport to early or late endosomes, respectively, demonstrated that Rab 5 was essential for survival of both dengue and West Nile virus. These data broaden our understanding of the pathways required for productive dengue and West Nile virus infection and may facilitate new strategies for combating disease.
Differential gene hypermethylation in genital lichen sclerosus and cancer: a comparative study

Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the genital skin of unknown aetiology. The role of LS in penile squamous cell carcinogenesis is not well characterized. HPV has been implicated in both, as have epigenetic changes. The presence of HPV and hypermethylation of the MGMT, p16, RASSF1, RASSF2, TSLC1 and TSP1 genes were studied in penile LS; MGMT, RASSF2 and TSLC1 hypermethylation in penile cancer and TSLC1 hypermethylation in vulvar LS and cancer extends previous results reported by our group.
Distributed generation producers’ reserve management

Sustainable development concerns are being addressed with increasing attention, in general, and in the scope of power industry, in particular. The use of distributed generation (DG), mainly based on renewable sources, has been seen as an interesting approach to this problem. However, the increasing of DG in power systems raises some complex technical and economic issues. This paper presents ViProd, a simulation tool that allows modeling and simulating DG operation and participation in electricity markets. This paper mainly focuses on the operation of virtual power producers (VPP) which are producers' aggregations, being these producers mainly of DG type. The paper presents several reserve management strategies implemented in the scope of ViProd and the results of a case study, based on real data.
Hypoxia-induced hypomyelination in the developing brain is mammalian target of rapamycin-4E-binding protein-1 signaling dependent

We hypothesized that changes in the expression levels of genes in the mammalian target of rapamycin are involved in the hypoxia-induced growth retardation in the brain including hypomyelination. Microarray and proteomic studies showed a 2.3-fold increase in the expression levels of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein-1 and a 3-fold decrease in the levels of FK506-binding protein-1 in a neonatal model of hypoxia, indicating a signal transduction impairment through mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Analysis of hypoxic brain showed a marked decrease in the phosphorylation levels of 4E-binding protein-1, suggesting a reduction of mTOR activity. These data suggest that suppression of mTOR may be the mechanism underlying hypoxia-induced hypomyelination observed in the developing brain.
The relationship of consumer personality trait, brand personality and brand loyalty: an empirical study of toys and video games buyers

– The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of consumer personality trait, brand personality and brand loyalty. , – The convenience sampling method was used to collect primary data. A total of 400 adult consumers were interviewed who looked round or bought toys and video games in Taipei City Mall, and 387 effective questionnaires were collected; the effective response rate was 96.75 per cent. Regression analysis was adopted to test hypotheses. , – The major findings were: a significantly positive relationship between extroversion personality trait and excitement brand personality; a significantly positive relationship between agreeableness personality trait and excitement brand personality, sincerity brand personality and competence brand personality; competence and sophistication brand personality have a significantly positive influence on affective loyalty; competence, peacefulness and sophistication brand personality have a significantly positive influence on action loyalty; agreeableness and openness personality trait have a significantly positive influence on affective loyalty; agreeableness and openness personality trait have a significantly positive influence on action loyalty. , – The restriction on selecting countries and brands, and the restraint of the sampling coverage present limitations. The paper verifies that consumers with different personality traits will have different cognizance towards brand personality, which can also be applied to the toy and video game industries. The paper proves that a distinct brand personality can appeal to more brand loyalty. It shows that agreeableness and openness of personality traits have a positive influence on brand loyalty. , – The paper highlights the value of brand personality that benefits a company. It emphasizes the importance of brand loyalty for a company. Consumers who register in agreeableness and openness are the target audience for BANDAI. , – The extra value of the paper is to link the theory and practice, and explore the relationship of consumer personality trait, brand personality and brand loyalty.
Water diffusion in the giant axon of the squid: Implications for diffusion‐weighted MRI of the nervous system

To clarify the result that marked diffusional anisotropy had been found in nonmyelinated nerve, and in completion of an evaluation of the role of all longitudinal axonal structures, we report NMR measurements of water diffusion in the giant axon of the squid, where diffusional anisotropy is determined by the neurofilamentary structure. The diffusion coefficients of water parallel and perpendicular to the long axis of the squid giant axon at 20°C are (1.61 ± 0.06) × 10−5 cm2 s−1 and (1.33 ± 0.09) × 10−5 cm2 s−1, respectively, which yield an anisotropic diffusion ratio of 1.2 2 0.1. Water diffusion in the squid giant axon is therefore quite rapid and nearly isotropic, thus eliminating the possibility of a significant role for the longitudinally oriented neurofilaments in producing diffusional anisotropy within the axoplasm. In conjunction with our work on garfish nerves therefore, only membranes, either as numerous axonal membranes or as myelin (if present), remain to fulfill the role of the primary determinant of anisotropic water diffusion in nerve and in white matter.
Clinical optical coherence tomography in head and neck oncology: overview and outlook

Objective Optical coherence tomography is a high-resolution and minimally invasive optical imaging method, which provides in vivo cross-sectional images of living tissue in real-time. Our intention is to present a contemporary and comprehensive review on the role of optical coherence tomography in head and neck oncology. Recent fi ndings Promising results have been published in small, single-centre studies applying optical coherence tomography in clinical settings for the diagnostic workup of superficial pathologies of the upper aerodigestive tract, showing that it can be a helpful adjunct to standard white light endoscopy. Using optical coherence tomography, microanatomical structures of healthy and diseased mucosa can easily be identified, allowing for a differentiation between benign, premalignant and early malignant lesions with high sensitivity and specificity. Also, it may be helpful in the evaluation of neoplastic thyroid disease and in the preclinical diagnosis of (chemo) radiation therapyrelated mucositis. Summary Optical coherence tomography enables in vivo, real-time visualisation and diagnosis of healthy and diseased mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract, and might be useful for other indications. Larger, multicentre trials are needed to validate the current findings and further define the method’s clinical role. With the expected technical advances in acquisition speed and resolution, as well as a wider public acceptance of the method, optical coherence tomography seems to have a bright future in head and neck oncology.
Phenotypic, antimicrobial susceptibility profile and virulence factors of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from buffalo and cow mastitic milk

Abstract Studies on the prevalence and virulence genes of Klebsiella mastitis pathogens in a buffalo population are undocumented. Also, the association of rmpA kfu, uge, magA, Aerobactin, K1 and K2 virulent factors with K. pneumoniae buffalo, and cow mastitis is unreported. The virulence of K. pneumoniae was evaluated through both phenotypic and molecular assays. In vivo virulence was assessed by the Vero cell cytotoxicity, suckling mouse assay and mice lethality test. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by disk diffusion method. The 45 K. pneumoniae isolates from buffalo (n = 10/232) and cow (n = 35/293) milk were isolated (45/525; 8·6%) and screened via PCR for seven virulence genes encoding uridine diphosphate galactose 4 epimerase encoding gene responsible for capsule and smooth lipopolysaccharide synthesis (uge), siderophores (kfu and aerobactin), protectines or invasins (rmpA and magA), and the capsule and hypermucoviscosity (K1 and K2). The most common virulence genes were rmpA, kfu, uge, and magA (77·8% each). Aerobactin and K1 genes were found at medium rates of 66·7% each and K2 (55·6%). The Vero cell cytotoxicity and LD (50) in mice were found in 100% of isolates. A multidrug resistance pattern was observed for 40% of the antimicrobials. The distribution of virulence profiles indicate a role of rmpA, kfu, uge, magA, Aerobactin, and K1 and K2 in pathogenicity of K. pneumoniae in udder infections and invasiveness, and constitutes a threat for vulnerable animals, even more if they are in combination with antibiotic resistance.
Review: A critical overview of limitations of cfd modeling in nasal airflow

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of nasal airflow has been carried out by several researchers. Virtual surgical treatment and aerosol deposition studies have also been conducted. However, the appropriateness of such modeling practices with regards to modeling and medical constraints needs careful consideration. The current numerical models for the study of nasal airflow, developed from the scanned images obtained from computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, are influenced by postural changes. These models neglect the mucous layer, other vital anatomical features, and nasal cycle effects, CFD studies make numerous assumptions that seriously limit their usefulness. Unless these constraints can be addressed, the interpretation of results from a CFD output cannot be considered as an appropriate definition of the flow behavior. This review provides a critical overview of the limit actions of the CFD mode ling of nasal air-low. Some of the limitations and constraints associated with CFD modeling are reviewed and possible studies that could be carried out in the future to ascertain the effect of neglecting these parameters are discussed. This study also proposes a standard station of the computational modeling procedure, which is necessary for studying airflow inside the nasal cavity.
The efficacy of anti-TNF in rheumatoid arthritis, a comparison between randomised controlled trials and clinical practice

Background: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of antagonists to tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) showed high response percentages in the groups treated with active drugs. Objective: To compare the efficacy of anti-TNF treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in RCTs and in daily clinical practice, with an emphasis on the efficacy for patients eligible and not eligible for RCTs of anti-TNF treatments. Methods: First, randomised placebo-controlled trials written in English for etanercept, infliximab and adalimumab for patients with RA were selected by a systematic review. Second, the DREAM (Dutch Rheumatoid Arthritis Monitoring) register with patients starting for the first time on one of the TNF-blocking agents was used. Patient characteristics, doses of medication and co-medication as well as the ACR20 response percentages were compared between RCTs and DREAM data, stratified for trial eligibility. Results: In 10 of 11 comparisons, the ACR20 response percentages were lower in daily clinical practice than in the RCT active drug group, which was significant in five of 11 comparisons. Only 34–79% of DREAM patients fulfilled the selection criteria for disease activity in the several RCTs examined. DREAM patients eligible for RCTs had higher response percentages than ineligible DREAM patients. ACR20 response percentages of eligible DREAM patients were comparable with the ACR20 response percentages of the RCT active drug group in 10 of 11 comparisons. Conclusion: The efficacy of TNF-blocking agents in RCTs exceeded the efficacy of these drugs in clinical practice. However, in clinical practice more patients with lower disease activity were treated with TNF-blocking agents compared with those treated in RCTs. For daily practice patients who were eligible for RCTs, responses were more similar to responses reached in RCTs.
Is intraoperative real-time dosimetry in prostate seed brachytherapy predictive of biochemical outcome?

Purpose To analyze intraoperative (IO) dosimetry using transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), performed before and after prostate low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-BT), and compare it to dosimetry performed 30 days following the LDR-BT implant (Day 30). Material and methods A total of 236 patients underwent prostate LDR-BT using 125I that was performed with a three-dimensional TRUS-guided interactive inverse preplanning system (preimplant dosimetry). After the implant procedure, the TRUS was repeated in the operating room, and the dosimetry was recalculated (postimplant dosimetry) and compared to dosimetry on Day 30 computed tomography (CT) scans. Area under curve (AUC) statistics was used for models predictive of dosimetric parameters at Day 30. Results The median follow-up for patients without BF was 96 months, the 5-year and 8-year biochemical recurrence (BR)-free rate was 96% and 90%, respectively. The postimplant median D90 was 3.8 Gy lower (interquartile range [IQR], 12.4-0.9), and the V100 only 1% less (IQR, 2.9-0.2%) than the preimplant dosimetry. When comparing the postimplant and the Day 30 dosimetries, the postimplant median D90 was 9.6 Gy higher (IQR [–] 9.5-30.3 Gy), and the V100 was 3.2% greater (0.2-8.9%) than Day 30 postimplant dosimetry. The variables that best predicted the D90 of Day 30 was the postimplant D90 (AUC = 0.62, p = 0.038). None of the analyzed values for IO or Day 30 dosimetry showed any predictive value for BR. Conclusions Although improving the IO preimplant and postimplant dosimetry improved dosimetry on Day 30, the BR-free rate was not dependent on any dosimetric parameter. Unpredictable factors such as intraprostatic seed migration and IO factors, prevented the accurate prediction of Day 30 dosimetry.
A 1.2V 2-bit phase interpolator for 65nm CMOS

We present a digital phase interpolator (PI) design for 65nm CMOS that avoids conventional analog structures, accurately achieves 2-bits phase resolution across a range of rise time and input delays from t<sub>rise</sub>: 48ps → 200ps using a ratio t<sub>rise</sub>/t<sub>delay</sub> of at least 1 or greater. Increased accuracy is available for certain rise times using ratios increasing between 1 and 10 as verified by simulations across process corners using extracted parasitic capacitances but ignoring MOSFET mismatch effects. Power consumption was estimated at 30nW/MHz → 38nW/MHz across a range of process variation corners in these operating conditions. Monte Carlo simulations across process and MOSFET mismatch conditions show large variations in estimated accuracy. Monte Carlo trials show the PI achieves a worst case DNL error (mean±3σ) of 1.06 LSB using t<sub>rise</sub>/t<sub>delay</sub> ratio of 5.3 and 48ps rise time, and a worst case DNL error (mean ±2σ) of 0.49 LSB for t<sub>rise</sub>/t<sub>delay</sub> ratio of 4 and 84ps rise time.
Visualizing and Understanding Atari Agents

While deep reinforcement learning (deep RL) agents are effective at maximizing rewards, it is often unclear what strategies they use to do so. In this paper, we take a step toward explaining deep RL agents through a case study using Atari 2600 environments. In particular, we focus on using saliency maps to understand how an agent learns and executes a policy. We introduce a method for generating useful saliency maps and use it to show 1) what strong agents attend to, 2) whether agents are making decisions for the right or wrong reasons, and 3) how agents evolve during learning. We also test our method on non-expert human subjects and find that it improves their ability to reason about these agents. Overall, our results show that saliency information can provide significant insight into an RL agent's decisions and learning behavior.
An analytical blind multiuser detection for CDMA signals in multipath channels

The detection of CDMA signals in multipath channels can be easily done with the aid of training sequences. In the absence of training sequences, a number of blind adaptive and subspace-based multiuser receivers has been proposed for equalization of dispersive CDMA channels. We propose an analytical solution to direct equalization of CDMA signals. The method does not require training sequences or knowledge of interfering user signature waveforms and channel parameters. The method exploits the constant modulus property of CDMA signals and Toeplitz filtering matrix constructed from the desired user's spreading code. It requires less data samples than the blind adaptive multiuser receivers to converge. Thus, it is suitable for estimating initial receiver parameters before switching to decision directed mode. As a byproduct, the method estimates the channel parameters for the user of interest. It also provides an exact linear zero-forcing solution in the absence of noise.