Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cytoplasmic collagen XIαI as a prognostic biomarker in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

ABSTRACT Stromal/cytoplasmic collagen XIαI (COL11A1) has been highlighted in the process of neoplastic transformation, including epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis and invasiveness. In this study, we aim to illuminate the clinical significance and biological role of COL11A1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Herein, we investigated COL11A1 expression in 16 pairs of ESCC and adjacent normal tissues by RT-PCR and western blotting analysis. Correlations of COL11A1 expression with clinicopathologic parameters and survival status were then determined by immunohistochemistry in 116 ESCC and 50 normal specimens. Furthermore, bioinformatics was used for mechanisms exploration. And in vitro knockdown experiments were also performed. We found that COL11A1 expression was significantly higher in ESCC than in paired normal tissues at both mRNA and protein level. Immunohistochemistry showed that COL11A1 was predominantly localized to the cytoplasm rather than tumor stroma, patients with high COL11A1 expression had a poorer overall survival (OS) rate than those with low COL11A1 expression. Besides, increased COL11A1 expression was dramatically correlated with advanced clinical stage, invasion depth and lymph node metastases and served as an independent prognostic marker for ESCC. Likewise, COL11A1 dependent nomogram predicted a more precise survival outcome than traditional staging system. Moreover, COL11A1 silencing resulted in impaired cell proliferation and EMT, and subdued EMT inhibited cells aggressiveness. These biological processes (BPs) might be modulated by COL11A1 via the intracellular AKT/ERK/c-Myc cascades.
A Review of Polypropylene and Polypropylene/Inorganic Nanocomposites for HVDC Cable Insulation

Due to its excellent electrical and thermal performance, as well as satisfying the needs for developing the environmentally friendly and recyclable cable insulation material, polypropylene has caused widespread concern. Nanodoping can effectively improve the electrical, thermal and mechanical properties of polypropylene nanocomposites, which provides a new method to solve the problems in its application in HVDC cable insulation. This chapter introduces research achievements on polypropylene and polypropylene/inorganic nanocomposites, which states the effects of nanodoping on the electrical properties, such as space charge behaviors, electrical tree aging, breakdown strength, etc. thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the polypropylene and its multi-blends. The aging mechanism under different conditions is also discussed. The analysis shows that the sur face treatment of nanoparticles can reduce the aggregation of nanoparticles and strengthen the interface effect, thus improving the comprehensive properties of polypropylene nano composites. This chapter also summarized the feasibility and future development of the polypropylene and its nanocomposites application in the insulation of HVDC cables. insulation material under the complex working conditions of high-voltage DC. Nanodoping can effectively improve the overall performance of polypropylene monomer and multicomponent blended composites, such as suppression of space charge accumulation, resistance to aging of electrical branches, improvement of dielectric strength such as breakdown strength, and improvement of thermal conductivity, tensile strength, and elasticity. Modulus and other thermal, mechanical properties, and nanofiller on the electric and thermal aging properties of the polypropylene composite material improvement effect is also very obvious.
Primary Traumatic Axonopathy in Mice Subjected to Impact Acceleration: A Reappraisal of Pathology and Mechanisms with High-Resolution Anatomical Methods

Traumatic axonal injury (TAI) is a common neuropathology in traumatic brain injury and is featured by primary injury to axons. Here, we generated TAI with impact acceleration of the head in male Thy1-eYFP-H transgenic mice in which specific populations of neurons and their axons are labeled with yellow fluorescent protein. This model results in axonal lesions in multiple axonal tracts along with blood–brain barrier disruption and neuroinflammation. The corticospinal tract, a prototypical long tract, is severely affected and is the focus of this study. Using optimized CLARITY at single-axon resolution, we visualized the entire corticospinal tract volume from the pons to the cervical spinal cord in 3D and counted the total number of axonal lesions and their progression over time. Our results divulged the presence of progressive traumatic axonopathy that was maximal at the pyramidal decussation. The perikarya of injured corticospinal neurons atrophied, but there was no evidence of neuronal cell death. We also used CLARITY at single-axon resolution to explore the role of the NMNAT2-SARM1 axonal self-destruction pathway in traumatic axonopathy. When we interfered with this pathway by genetically ablating SARM1 or by pharmacological strategies designed to increase levels of Nicotinamide (Nam), a feedback inhibitor of SARM1, we found a significant reduction in the number of axonal lesions early after injury. Our findings show that high-resolution neuroanatomical strategies reveal important features of TAI with biological implications, especially the progressive axonopathic nature of TAI and the role of the NMNAT2-SARM1 pathway in the early stages of axonopathy. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the first systematic application of novel high-resolution neuroanatomical tools in neuropathology, we combined CLARITY with 2-photon microscopy, optimized for detection of single axonal lesions, to reconstruct the injured mouse brainstem in a model of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) that is a common pathology associated with traumatic brain injury. The 3D reconstruction of the corticospinal tract at single-axon resolution allowed for a more advanced level of qualitative and quantitative understanding of TAI. Using this model, we showed that TAI is an axonopathy with a prominent role of the NMNAT2-SARM1 molecular pathway, that is also implicated in peripheral neuropathy. Our results indicate that high-resolution anatomical models of TAI afford a level of detail and sensitivity that is ideal for testing novel molecular and biomechanical hypotheses.
Informative Energy Metric for Similarity Measure in reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces

In this paper, information energy metric (IEM) is obtained by similarity computing for high-dimensional samples in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). Firstly, similar/dissimilar subsets and their corresponding informative energy functions are defined. Secondly, IEM is proposed for similarity measure of those subsets, which converts the non-metric distances into metric ones. Finally, applications of this metric is introduced, such as classification problems. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Spatiotemporal Pyramid Network for Video Action Recognition

Two-stream convolutional networks have shown strong performance in video action recognition tasks. The key idea is to learn spatiotemporal features by fusing convolutional networks spatially and temporally. However, it remains unclear how to model the correlations between the spatial and temporal structures at multiple abstraction levels. First, the spatial stream tends to fail if two videos share similar backgrounds. Second, the temporal stream may be fooled if two actions resemble in short snippets, though appear to be distinct in the long term. We propose a novel spatiotemporal pyramid network to fuse the spatial and temporal features in a pyramid structure such that they can reinforce each other. From the architecture perspective, our network constitutes hierarchical fusion strategies which can be trained as a whole using a unified spatiotemporal loss. A series of ablation experiments support the importance of each fusion strategy. From the technical perspective, we introduce the spatiotemporal compact bilinear operator into video analysis tasks. This operator enables efficient training of bilinear fusion operations which can capture full interactions between the spatial and temporal features. Our final network achieves state-of-the-art results on standard video datasets.
Low-intensity case management increases contact with primary care in recently released prisoners: a single-blinded, multisite, randomised controlled trial

Background The world prison population is large and growing. Poor health outcomes after release from prison are common, but few programmes to improve health outcomes for ex-prisoners have been rigorously evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of individualised case management on contact with health services during the first 6 months post-release. Methods Single-blinded, randomised, controlled trial. Baseline assessment with N=1325 adult prisoners in Queensland, Australia, within 6 weeks of expected release; follow-up interviews 1, 3 and 6 months post-release. The intervention consisted of provision of a personalised booklet (‘Passport’) at the time of release, plus up to four brief telephone contacts in the first 4 weeks post-release. Results Of 1179 eligible participants, 1003 (85%) completed ≥1 follow-up interview. In intention-to-treat analyses, 53% of the intervention group and 41% of the control group reported contacting a general practitioner (GP) at 1 month post-release (difference=12%, 95% CI 5% to 19%). Similar effects were observed for GP contact at 3 months (difference=9%, 95% CI 2% to 16%) and 6 months (difference=8%, 95% CI 1% to 15%), and for mental health (MH) service contact at 6 months post release (difference=8%, 95% CI 3% to 14%). Conclusions Individualised case management in the month after release from prison increases usage of primary care and MH services in adult ex-prisoners for at least 6 months post-release. Given the poor health profile of ex-prisoners, there remains an urgent need to develop and rigorously evaluate interventions to increase health service contact in this profoundly marginalised population. Trial registration number ACTRN12608000232336.
Static Analysis of Functional Programs with an Application to the Frame Problem in Deductive Verification. (Analyse statique de programmes fonctionnels avec une application au problème du frame dans le domaine de la vérification déductive)

In the field of software verification, the frame problem refers to establishing the boundaries within which program elements operate. It has notoriously tedious consequences on the specification of frame properties, which indicate the parts of the program state that an operation is allowed to modify, as well as on their verification, i.e. proving that operations modify only what is specified by their frame properties. In the context of interactive formal verification of complex systems, such as operating systems, much effort is spent addressing these consequences and proving the preservation of the systems' invariants. However, most operations have a localized effect on the system and impact only a limited number of invariants at the same time. In this thesis we address the issue of identifying those invariants that are unaffected by an operation and we present a solution for automatically inferring their preservation. Our solution is meant to ease the proof burden for the programmer. It is based on static analysis and does not require any additional frame annotations. Our strategy consists in combining a dependency analysis and a correlation analysis. We have designed and implemented both static analyses for a strongly-typed, functional language that handles structures, variants and arrays. The dependency analysis computes a conservative approximation of the input fragments on which functional properties and operations depend. The correlation analysis computes a safe approximation of the parts of an input state to a function that are copied to the output state. It summarizes not only what is modified but also how it is modified and to what extent. By employing these two static analyses and by subsequently reasoning based on their combined results, an interactive theorem prover can automate the discharching of proof obligations for unmodified parts of the state. We have applied both of our static analyses to a functional specification of a micro-kernel and the obtained results demonstrate both their precision and their scalability.
What Is the End of Life Period? Trajectories and Characterization Based on Primary Caregiver Reports

Background As the population lives longer, end of life (EOL) is emerging as a distinct life phase, about which there is still limited understanding. Characterizing this important period is vital for clarifying issues regarding trajectory and decline at EOL and for health service planning on an institutional, communal, and societal level. In this article, we aim to characterize the EOL period, examining the duration and number of EOL stages, as well as functional, attitudinal, and emotional trajectories. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 70 primary caregivers of deceased persons were interviewed. Standardized rates of functional, attitudinal, and emotional change across the EOL period were calculated. Frequencies were compared using the McNemar statistical test. Results EOL period was found to have a median length of 3.25 years, and an average of approximately three progressive stages. The duration of EOL stages tended to decrease as death approached. Unexpected events (eg new medical diagnosis/accident) served as the precipitating event for the EOL period for approximately half of the deceased persons, and changes in existing conditions (eg health status/cognitive state) were also reported to precipitate EOL for a similar proportion. Reports of functionality across stages found the steepest decline in the "physical" domain and the most moderate decline in the "social" domain. With each stage, positive indicators, such as "will to live," showed a progressive decline, whereas negative indicators, including "suffering" and "dependence level," progressively increased. Conclusions Results help characterize EOL trajectories and should inform care planning and decision making at various levels. In addition, they suggest a methodology for better understanding EOL.
Target Quit Date Timing as a Predictor of Smoking Cessation Outcomes

Evidence is mixed on whether timing of a target quit date (TQD) has an effect on quit success. The purpose of this secondary analysis of data from a prospective longitudinal study was to determine if time to TQD was a predictor of smoking abstinence at follow-up. Between 2011 and 2013, a total of 5,793 adult smokers participated in a 1-hr psychoeducation workshop and received 5 weeks of nicotine patch treatment. All participants were required to indicate a TQD within 1 month of the workshop. Latency to TQD was categorized into quartiles: 0 to 1 day (first quartile: 28.1%); 2 to 6 days (second quartile: 22.4%); 7 to 19 days (third quartile: 25.4%); 20–31 days (fourth quartile: 24.0%). Compared with participants who chose an immediate TQD within 1 day of the workshop, odds of having quit smoking at end-of-treatment and 6-month follow-up did not significantly differ among those who set a TQD within 2–6 days (5-weeks: adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.89, p = .315; 6-months: AOR = 0.89, p = .417), but were significantly lower for those who chose a TQD either 7–19 days (5-weeks: AOR = 0.76, p = .023; 6-months: AOR = 0.70, p = .013) or 20–31 days (5-weeks: AOR = 0.64, p = .001; 6-months: AOR = 0.69, p = .017) after the workshop. TQD timing was an independent predictor of smoking cessation outcomes after controlling for potential confounding variables including confidence in quitting ability, importance of quitting, nicotine dependence, and number of nicotine patches used.
Bilateral ovarian adenocarcinoma in a mare causing haemoperitoneum and colic

Abstract CASE HISTORY: A 13-year-old Thoroughbred mare was presented with a history of mild colic over 3 days. This colic had acutely exacerbated and was unresponsive to analgesic treatment, and was referred to Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. CLINICAL FINDINGS: On examination the heart rate was 100 beats per minute, and mucous membranes were pale and tacky. A large mass was detected on transrectal palpation in the caudal abdomen to the left of midline. Explorative laparotomy revealed severe haemoperitoneum and several masses that were associated with the reproductive tract. The mare was then subject to euthanasia. On post-mortem examination, adjacent and attached to each ovary were soft, lobulated dark red masses up to 200 mm in diameter. Similar masses were present in the omentum and on the peritoneal surface of the diaphragm and the serosa of the spleen and liver. Histopathology revealed that the neoplastic component of the masses comprised proliferating cuboidal to columnar cells forming disorganised acini and cords separated by dense collagenous stroma. Immunohistochemistry showed the neoplastic cells were positive for cytokeratin AE1/AE3 and vimentin, but negative for cytokeratin 7 and inhibin α. DIAGNOSIS: Bilateral ovarian adenocarcinoma with transcoelomic metastasis and terminal decompensation due to rupture of a neoplastic mass and consequent haemoperitoneum. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: To the authors' knowledge, bilateral ovarian adenocarcinoma has not been previously reported in a horse. Ovarian adenocarcinoma should be considered when horses present with haemoperitoneum and colic. Further research is required on the immunohistochemical differentiation of adenocarcinoma of ovarian and intestinal origin in the horse.
A MIMO Receiver With Two-Dimensional Ordering for Maximum Likelihood Detection in FBMC-QAM

We consider the multi-dimensional residual interference problem for a multiple-input multiple-output filter bank-based multicarrier system with quadrature amplitude modulation (MIMO-FBMC/QAM). For efficient interference cancellation, we propose a two-step MIMO maximum likelihood detection receiver with a 2-D ordering algorithm. Simulation results show the validity of the proposed receiver by comparing its bit error rate performance and computational complexity with that of other receivers.
Prognostic significance of adjuvant radiation therapy in adenocarcinoma of the cecum

Purpose Local recurrence is a common failure pattern in adenocarcinoma of the cecum. This study aimed to investigate the potential role of adjuvant radiation therapy on oncologic outcomes of patients with adenocarcinoma of the cecum. Materials and Methods This retrospective study was carried out at three large tertiary university hospitals. We analyzed the characteristics, prognostic factors, and survival of 162 patients with adenocarcinoma of the cecum that were treated and followed up between 2000 and 2013. All the patients had undergone a right hemicolectomy and received chemotherapy with (n = 48) or without (n = 114) adjuvant radiation therapy. Results The subjects were 65 females and 97 males with a median age of 56 years (range, 17 to 90 years) at diagnosis. The 5-year local control (LC), disease free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 72.7%, 57.2%, and 62.6% respectively. In a multivariate analysis, age, tumor stage, node stage, and adjuvant radiation therapy were determined to be independent prognostic factors. Age more than 55 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06–0.32; p = 0.003], T4 stage (HR = 6.8; 95% CI, 3.07–15.36; p < 0.001), node positive disease (HR = 4.2; 95% CI, 1.94–9.13; p < 0.001), and the absence of adjuvant radiation therapy (HR = 3.0; 95% CI, 1.39–6.46; p = 0.005) had a negative influence on OS. Conclusion Adjuvant radiation therapy significantly improves DFS and OS in patients with adenocarcinoma of the cecum.
Approach for power allocation in two-tier femtocell networks based on robust non-cooperative game

In this study, a power allocation scheme for two-tier femtocell networks is proposed to maximise the user utilities constrained with satisfactory quality of service, where femtocell users share the same frequency with macrocell users (MUEs). Since the environment changes and the channel gains cannot be assumed to be constants, a worst-case method is used to address the uncertainty of the power allocation problem. A non-cooperative game model is developed to maximise the utilities of femtocell users by letting the users competing the utilities with others. As the robustness can be affected by the changing gains of communication links, the robust Stackelberg game is proposed to model this hierarchical competition where the MUEs and femtocell users act as leaders and followers, respectively. Two effective pricing schemes are applied to maximise the utilities, when different user demands are required, where the uniqueness of Nash equilibrium is proved in the two schemes. Numerical results show the convergence of the Stackelberg game with uncertainty and also the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the power allocation algorithm.
A longitudinal study investigating cervical changes during labor using a wireless ultrasound device

Abstract Purpose: Cervical assessment during digital vaginal examination (DVE) includes assessing cervical dilatation, effacement, position and consistency. Only cervical dilatation during labor has been previously researched. We investigated cervical changes, including cervical dilatation and effacement, using a wireless ultrasound (US) device. Materials and methods: This was a longitudinal study investigating cervical changes during labor using a wireless US device. Twenty-five women in labor participated in a serial comparison of cervical dilatation, length and thickness measured during intrapartum transperineal sonography using a wireless mobile US device (SONON) with measurements of cervical dilatation and effacement obtained during serial DVEs. Results: Intrapartum sonography showed strong correlation with DVE in assessing cervical changes during labor including the measurement of cervical dilatation and thickness (p < .001). The failure rate of cervical length image collection was high; therefore, we could not determine the correlation between cervical length and effacement. Conclusions: We developed a new technique for evaluating effacement with cervical thickness. Cervical dilation and thickness using a transperineal intrapartum US demonstrated significant correlation with DVE findings. The use of a wireless US device is convenient and may be advantageous in the labor ward; however, further research is needed to define the role of this wireless device.