Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Early Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Survival of Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients: a Propensity Score-matched Analysis

Purpose Generally, adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) should be initiated as soon as possible after surgery to eradicate microscopic cancer cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of early AC on the survival of stage II/III gastric cancer patients. Materials and Methods Four hundred sixty patients who received AC (S-1 or XELOX) for pathologic stage II/III gastric cancer at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between January 2008 and December 2014 were included. Patients were divided into 2 groups: early AC administration (within 4 weeks) and late AC administration (more than 4 weeks). Patients in the early AC group (n=174) were matched 1:1 with patients in the late AC group (n=174) by propensity scoring to adjust for clinical differences. Three-year relapse-free survival (RFS) was evaluated according to the timing of AC. Results Three-year RFS was 98.1% in stage IIA (n=109), 85.0% in stage IIB (n=83), 87.4% in stage IIIA (n=96), 83.5% in stage IIIB (n=91), and 62.5% in stage IIIC (n=81). After propensity score matching, RFS was similar between early and late AC groups (hazard ratio [HR],1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62–1.74; P=0.889). Pathologic stage and histological type were independent prognostic factors of RFS (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.06–3.96; P=0.033 and HR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.42–4.80; P=0.002, respectively). Conclusions Early initiation of AC within 4 weeks does not affect survival rates in stage II/III gastric cancer.
Data-Driven Policy Transfer With Imprecise Perception Simulation

This letter presents a complete pipeline for learning continuous motion control policies for a mobile robot when only a nondifferentiable physics simulator of robot–terrain interactions is available. The multimodal state estimation of the robot is also complex and difficult to simulate, so we simultaneously learn a generative model which refines simulator outputs. We propose a coarse-to-fine learning paradigm, where the coarse motion planning is alternated with guided learning and policy transfer to the real robot. The policy is jointly optimized with the generative model. We evaluate the method on a real-world platform.
Matching sensors to missions using a knowledge-based approach

Making decisions on how best to utilise limited intelligence, surveillance and reconnaisance (ISR) resources is a key issue in mission planning. This requires judgements about which kinds of available sensors are more or less appropriate for specific ISR tasks in a mission. A methodological approach to addressing this kind of decision problem in the military context is the Missions and Means Framework (MMF), which provides a structured way to analyse a mission in terms of tasks, and assess the effectiveness of various means for accomplishing those tasks. Moreover, the problem can be defined as knowledge-based matchmaking: matching the ISR requirements of tasks to the ISR-providing capabilities of available sensors. In this paper we show how the MMF can be represented formally as an ontology (that is, a specification of a conceptualisation); we also represent knowledge about ISR requirements and sensors, and then use automated reasoning to solve the matchmaking problem. We adopt the Semantic Web approach and the Web Ontology Language (OWL), allowing us to import elements of existing sensor knowledge bases. Our core ontologies use the description logic subset of OWL, providing efficient reasoning. We describe a prototype tool as a proof-of-concept for our approach. We discuss the various kinds of possible sensor-mission matches, both exact and inexact, and how the tool helps mission planners consider alternative choices of sensors.
Local Excitation, Global Inhibition Mechanism for Gradient Sensing: An Interactive Applet

We have proposed a model in which cells detect gradients of chemoattractant by balancing a fast local excitation and a slower global inhibition. To illustrate this general mechanism, we have developed an interactive applet that mimics laboratory experiments in which either spatially homogeneous or heterogeneous stimuli of chemoattractant are applied.
Age-Related Change in 5-HT6 Receptor Availability in Healthy Male Volunteers Measured with 11C-GSK215083 PET

Serotonin receptor 6 (5-hydroxytrypamine-6, or 5-HT6) is a potential therapeutic target given its distribution in brain regions that are important in depression, anxiety, and cognition. This study sought to investigate the effects of age on 5-HT6 receptor availability using 11C-GSK215083, a PET ligand with affinity for 5-HT6 in the striatum and 5-HT2A in the cortex. Methods: Twenty-eight healthy male volunteers (age range, 23–52 y) were scanned with 11C-GSK215083 PET. Time–activity curves in regions of interest were fitted using a multilinear analysis method. Nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND) was calculated using the cerebellum as the reference region and corrected for partial-volume effects. Results: In 5-HT6–rich areas, regional 11C-GSK215083 showed a negative correlation between BPND and age in the caudate (r = −0.41, P = 0.03) (14% change per decade) and putamen (r = −0.30, P = 0.04) (11% change per decade) but not in the ventral striatum or pallidum. A negative correlation with age was also seen in cortical regions (r = −0.41, P = 0.03) (7% change per decade), consistent with the literature on 5-HT2A availability. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this was the first in vivo study on humans to examine the effect of age on 5-HT6 receptor availability. The study demonstrated a significant age-related decline in 5-HT6 availability (BPND) in the caudate and putamen.
Simultaneous nonparametric regression analysis of sparse longitudinal data

Longitudinal data arise frequently in many scientific inquiries. To capture the dynamic relationship between longitudinal covariates and response, varying coefficient models have been proposed with point-wise inference procedures. This paper considers the challenging problem of asymptotically accurate simultaneous inference of varying coefficient models for sparse and irregularly observed longitudinal data via the local linear kernel method. The error and covariate processes are modeled as very general classes of non-Gaussian and non-stationary processes and are allowed to be statistically dependent. Simultaneous confidence bands (SCBs) with asymptotically correct coverage probabilities are constructed to assess the overall pattern and magnitude of the dynamic association between the response and covariates. A simulation based method is proposed to overcome the problem of slow convergence of the asymptotic results. Simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed inference procedure performs well in realistic settings and is favored over the existing point-wise and Bonferroni methods. A longitudinal dataset from the Chicago Health and Aging Project is used to illustrate our methodology.
Computational Study of the Mechanism of the Oxidation of Hydrazine / Hydrazinium Ion by Iodine in the Gas Phase

The reaction mechanisms of the oxidation of hydrazine / hydrazinium ion by iodine have been studied using 6311+G** basis set of the density functional theory (DFT) method at the B3LYP level of computation. The study shows that the oxidation reactions can proceed via four independent routes or pathways that can be separately monitored. Two of the proposed pathways involved a two-step reaction mechanism each, in which two transition states were produced while each of the other two routes involved three-step reaction mechanism in which three activated complexes were produced. The results obtained were based on the analyses of the computational energetics of the optimized reactants, intermediates, transition states and products of the reaction of iodine with hydrazine / hydrazinium ion. The study showed that all the four proposed routes were possible by comparing the enthalpies of reactions of the four proposed pathways as well as the activation barriers of the respective rate determining steps which were found to be reasonably acceptable. Rate laws, which were consistent with the written mechanisms, were also derived for each of the proposed mechanisms.
Geographic Information Systems and Genotyping in Identification of Rotavirus G12 Infections in Residents of an Urban Slum with Subsequent Detection in Hospitalized Children: Emergence of G12 Genotype in South India

ABSTRACT Rotavirus infections by G12 strains in several countries have recently been described. In this study, we report the emergence of G12 strains in south India. Fourteen cases of G12 infection were identified between June and September 2005. G12 was seen in combination with P[6], P[8], or nontypeable P type. Nine cases, including five symptomatic infections and four asymptomatic infections, were identified as part of routine surveillance for rotavirus infections in a birth cohort in the community between June and July 2005. Significant temporal and time-space clustering of eight of these cases represents a possible recent introduction of a new rotavirus VP7 genotype. Previous rotavirus infections had been documented for six of the nine children in the community. In the following 2 months, five cases of G12 infection were identified among children presenting to a referral hospital with diarrhea. This is the first description of symptomatic and asymptomatic G12 infections in children in the community. The detection of G12 strains from different parts of the world in recent years suggests the possibility of its emergence as an important global genotype. Monitoring of cocirculating rotavirus strains and detection of emerging strains is important in the context of the availability of rotavirus vaccines.
Multicriteria Optimization of Antennas in Time-Domain

An original approach to the time-domain multi- criteria optimization of antennas is presented. For a given excitation pulse, the time-domain objective function takes the "time-domain impedance matching", distortion of responses at the feeding point and in a desired radiating direction (with respect to the excitation pulse), and the radiated energy in the desired direction into account. The objective function is tested on the optimization of a bow-tie antenna using the particle swarm optimization. The proposed approach is suitable for the design of broadband antennas.
SVM-based obstacle classification in visible and infrared images

This paper describes a Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based obstacle recognition system that can recognize both vehicles and pedestrians using bimodal vision. Different techniques were investigated in order to recognize the detected obstacles by the extraction of a compact and pertinent numeric signature from visible and infrared spectrum. A bi-objective optimization (using error classification rate and classification time) is employed to assure the SVM-parameters selection. A comparative study of individual visual obstacle recognizers versus fusion-based (at the feature, kernel and matching-score level) systems is performed. An important advantage of the fusion-based systems is their possibility to adapt to the environmental conditions due to a weighting parameter which establishes the importance of each sensor in a specific situation.
Ethical aspects in bioengineering research

This paper presents the ethical standards for carrying out bioengineering research in correlation with human subjects and according to the Declaration of Helsinki, the CIOMS International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects, and the WHO and ICH Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice. Knowing and developing the ethical standards in this field is connected with the assurance of the dignity, rights, safety, and well-being and with the scientific progress. Developing the research in bioengineering must be predominantly motivated by the concern for the community benefit, for all people without any discrimination of age, gender, economic status, cultural or ethnic considerations.
Bilateral visual loss due to a giant olfactory meningioma

Olfactory groove meningiomas can present as large and insidious masses in the anterior cranial base. Due to their location and minimal clinical symptoms, these tumors can go undetected until they have grown extremely large. We present a clinical case and discuss the surgical management of a 63-year-old man who presented for an initial eye examination with bilateral visual loss for over 2 years due to a giant olfactory meningioma encompassing his entire frontal lobe and compressing on his optic nerves.
Statistical Binarization Techniques for Document Image Analysis

Binarization is an important process in image enhancement and analysis. Currently, numerous binarization techniques have been reported in the literature. These binarization methods produce binary images from color or gray-level images. This article highlights an extensive review on various binarization approaches which are also referred to as thresholding methods. These methods are grouped into seven categories according to the employed features and techniques: histogram shape-based, clustering-based, entropy-based, object-attribute-based, spatial, local and hybrid methods. Most active binarization researchers exploit several initial information from the source image such as histogram shape, measurement space clustering, entropy, object attributes, spatial correlation and local gray level surface with a special attention to statistical information description features of image used in recent thresholding techniques.
Importance of Proteasome Gene Expression during Model Dough Fermentation after Preservation of Baker's Yeast Cells by Freezing

ABSTRACT Freeze-thaw stress causes various types of cellular damage, survival and/or proliferation defects, and metabolic alterations. However, the mechanisms underlying how cells cope with freeze-thaw stress are poorly understood. Here, model dough fermentations using two baker's yeast strains, 45 and YF, of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were compared after 2 weeks of cell preservation in a refrigerator or freezer. YF exhibited slow fermentation after exposure to freeze-thaw stress due to low cell viability. A DNA microarray analysis of the YF cells during fermentation revealed that the genes involved in oxidative phosphorylation were relatively strongly expressed, suggesting a decrease in the glycolytic capacity. Furthermore, we found that mRNA levels of the genes that encode the components of the proteasome complex were commonly low, and ubiquitinated proteins were accumulated by freeze-thaw stress in the YF strain. In the cells with a laboratory strain background, treatment with the proteasome inhibitor MG132 or the deletion of each transcriptional activator gene for the proteasome genes (RPN4, PDR1, or PDR3) led to marked impairment of model dough fermentation using the frozen cells. Based on these data, proteasomal degradation of freeze-thaw-damaged proteins may guarantee high cell viability and fermentation performance. We also found that the freeze-thaw stress-sensitive YF strain was heterozygous at the PDR3 locus, and one of the alleles (A148T/A229V/H336R/L541P) was shown to possess a dominant negative phenotype of slow fermentation. Removal of such responsible mutations could improve the freeze-thaw stress tolerance and the fermentation performance of baker's yeast strains, as well as other industrial S. cerevisiae strains. IMPORTANCE The development of freezing technology has enabled the long-term preservation and long-distance transport of foods and other agricultural products. Fresh yeast, however, is usually not frozen because the fermentation performance and/or the viability of individual cells is severely affected after thawing. Here, we demonstrate that proteasomal degradation of ubiquitinated proteins is an essential process in the freeze-thaw stress responses of S. cerevisiae. Upstream transcriptional activator genes for the proteasome components are responsible for the fermentation performance after freezing preservation. Thus, this study provides a potential linkage between freeze-thaw stress inputs and the transcriptional regulatory network that might be functionally conserved in higher eukaryotes. Elucidation of the molecular targets of freeze-thaw stress will contribute to advances in cryobiology, such as freezing preservation of human cells, tissues, and embryos for medical purposes and breeding of industrial microorganisms and agricultural crops that adapt well to low temperatures.
Shear wave elastography parameters of normal soft tissues of the neck.

BACKGROUND Shear wave elastography is a relatively new method of quantitative measurement of tissue elasticity. Assuming that malignant lesions are stiffer than benign ones, elastography may provide supplementary information for their discrimination. However, potential confounding factors impacting tissue stiffness should be investigated first. AIMS The objective of this study was to measure the stiffness of selected tissues of the head and neck in a normal population and to evaluate its relationship to age, sex, and body mass index. METHODS Stiffness of the thyroid, submandibular and parotid glands, masseter and sternocleidomastoid muscles, and cervical lymph nodes was measured bilaterally in 128 healthy volunteers (83 female and 45 male). At least 20 subjects in each decade of life (20-29, 30-39‥, 70+) were enrolled. Shear wave elastography was performed by a single radiologist in all the subjects. The stiffnesses obtained were correlated with age, sex, and body mass index. RESULTS The mean stiffness was 9.5 ± 3.6 kPa for the thyroid, 9.5 ± 4.6 kPa for the lymph node, 11.0 ± 3.4 kPa for the submandibular gland, 9.0 ± 3.5 kPa for the parotid gland, 9.9 ± 4.1 kPa for the sternocleidomastoid, and 10.0 ± 4.3 kPa for the masseter muscle. A slight general decrease in stiffness with increasing age was found. BMI and weight had a small impact on the minimum and maximum stiffness values. The sex of the subject did not affect elasticity. CONCLUSION The mean stiffness of healthy head and neck organs has a relatively narrow distribution around 11 kPa. The changes of stiffness with age, BMI, and weight that were identified are too small to have clinical impact.
Elaborating security requirements by construction of intentional anti-models

Caring for security at requirements engineering time is a message that has finally received some attention recently. However, it is not yet very clear how to achieve this systematically through the various stages of the requirements engineering process. The paper presents a constructive approach to the modeling, specification and analysis of application-specific security requirements. The method is based on a goal-oriented framework for generating and resolving obstacles to goal satisfaction. The extended framework addresses malicious obstacles (called anti-goals) set up by attackers to threaten security goals. Threat trees are built systematically through anti-goal refinement until leaf nodes are derived that are either software vulnerabilities observable by the attacker or anti-requirements implementable by this attacker. New security requirements are then obtained as countermeasures by application of threat resolution operators to the specification of the anti-requirements and vulnerabilities revealed by the analysis. The paper also introduces formal epistemic specification constructs and patterns that may be used to support a formal derivation and analysis process. The method is illustrated on a Web-based banking system for which subtle attacks have been reported recently.
Comparative study on induction and effects of surgical menopause in a female rat model: a prospective case control study.

OBJECTIVE To compare induced surgical menopause in rat models following hysterectomy with ovarian preservation, unilateral or bilateral oophorectomy, versus control. Secondary objective was evaluation of certain physiological changes in the animal following the induced menopause. DESIGN A prospective case control study. SETTING University Research Centre. METHODOLOGY 80 female rats were divided into four groups (n=20). HG: hysterectomy with ovarian preservation, UOG: unilateral oophorectomy, BOG: bilateral oophorectomy and CG: control rats. Blood tests were done at day 0, one week and one month post-procedure for hormonal profile including FSH and E2, and lipid profile including cholesterol, LDL and HDL. Behavioral tests (Learning and memory tests) were also done. RESULTS Menopause was successfully induced by the three used surgical methods. After one week, no significant difference in FSH level between CG and HG. But its level was significantly increased in BOG and UOG. E2 level was significantly decreased in HG, UOG and BOG in comparison to CG. Its level in BOG was significantly lower than that of UOG and HG. Cholesterol level was significantly higher in HG, UOG and BOG in comparison to CG, also its level was significantly increased in UOG and BOG in comparison to HG (P<0.001). Long term memory was affected in BOG and UOG, one week and one month post-menopausal induction in comparison to the control. CONCLUSION surgical menopause, induced by hysterectomy alone, unilateral, or bilateral oophorectomy has a negative impact on reproductive hormonal function, as well as cognitive & cardiovascular integrity. We suggest a possibility of early ovarian failure after hysterectomy alone or with unilateral oophorectomy.
FIRST TEST RESULTS OF THE BERLINPRO 2-CELL BOOSTER CAVITIES

The bERLinPro Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) is currently being built at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin in order to study the physics of operating a high current, 100 mA, 50 MeV ERL utilizing all SRF cavity technology. This machine will utilize three unique SRF cryomodules for the photoinjector, booster and linac cryomodules respectively. The focus of this paper will be on the cavities contained within the booster cryomodule. Here there will be three 2-cell SRF cavities, based on the original design by Cornell University, but optimized to meet the needs of the project. All of the cavity fabrication, processing and testing was carried out at Jefferson Laboratory where 4 cavities were produced and the 3 cavities with the best RF performance will be fitted with helium vessels for installation in the cryomodule. This paper will report on the test results of the cavities as measured in the vertical testing dewar at JLab after fabrication and again after outfitting with the helium vessels.
Fast dimension reduction through random permutation

This paper studies permutation-based dimension reduction, which can be implemented by first scrambling the input data, then applying the FFT, DCT or Walsh-Hadamard transform and finally using either uniformly random sampling or sparse random projection. By exploiting concentration inequalities of random permutation, we show that this sublcass of operators can offer (near) optimal theoretical guarantee. Besides, as random permutation of N elements can be implemented in O(N) time, the proposed algorithm has very low complexity. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the validity of our theoretical development and their promising applications in image processing.
5G-Crosshaul: An SDN/NFV Integrated Fronthaul/Backhaul Transport Network Architecture

This article proposes an innovative architecture design for a 5G transport solution (dubbed 5G-Crosshaul) targeting the integration of existing and new fronthaul and backhaul technologies and interfaces. At the heart of the proposed design lie an SDN/NFV-based management and orchestration entity (XCI), and an Ethernet-based packet forwarding entity (XFE) supporting various fronthaul and backhaul traffic QoS profiles. The XCI leverages widespread architectural frameworks for NFV (ETSI NFV) and SDN (Open Daylight and ONOS). It opens the 5G transport network as a service for innovative network applications on top (e.g., multi-tenancy, resource management), provisioning the required network and IT resources in a flexible, cost-effective, and abstract manner. The proposed design supports the concept of network slicing pushed by the industry for realizing a truly flexible, sharable, and cost-effective future 5G system.