Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy on the local recurrence and distant metastasis pattern of locally advanced rectal cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis

Abstract Background: Previous studies have demonstrated different predominant sites of distant metastasis between patients with and without neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT). This study aimed to explore whether NCRT could influence the metastasis pattern of rectal cancer through a propensity score-matched analysis. Methods: In total, 1296 patients with NCRT or post-operative chemoradiotherapy (PCRT) were enrolled in this study between January 2008 and December 2015. Propensity score matching was used to correct for differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. After propensity score matching, the metastasis pattern, including metastasis sites and timing, was compared and analyzed. Results: After propensity score matching, there were 408 patients in the PCRT group and 245 patients in the NCRT group. NCRT significantly reduced local recurrence (4.1% vs. 10.3%, P = 0.004), but not distant metastases (28.2% vs. 27.9%, P = 0.924) compared with PCRT. In both the NCRT and PCRT groups, the most common metastasis site was the lung, followed by the liver. The NCRT group developed local recurrence and distant metastases later than the PCRT group (median time: 29.2 [18.8, 52.0] months vs. 18.7 [13.3, 30.0] months, Z = –2.342, P = 0.019; and 21.2 [12.2, 33.8] vs. 16.4 [9.3, 27.9] months, Z = –1.765, P = 0.035, respectively). The distant metastases occurred mainly in the 2nd year after surgery in both the PCRT group (39/114, 34.2%) and NCRT group (21/69, 30.4%). However, 20.3% (14/69) of the distant metastases appeared in the 3rd year in the NCRT group, while this number was only 13.2% (15/114) in the PCRT group. Conclusions: The predominant site of distant metastases was the lung, followed by the liver, for both the NCRT group and PCRT group. NCRT did not influence the predominant site of distant metastases, but the NCRT group developed local recurrence and distant metastases later than the PCRT group. The follow-up strategy for patients with NCRT should be adjusted and a longer intensive follow-up is needed.
Does Mapping Catheter Geometry and Location Affect AF Driver Detection? A Simulation Study

In atrial fibrillation the correct identification of both presence and location of rotors during the ablation procedure could support the physician to optimize therapy administration. In this study we developed a tool that allows testing the capability of mapping catheters of detecting AF drivers with different shapes and in different acquisition conditions. Wave propagation was obtained using a monodomain implementation and a modified Courtemanche model. Two commercial catheters were simulated (Advisor™ HD Grid and PentaRay®). Our framework allowed the acquisition of the signal in unipolar mode at and to assess the effect of the influence of catheter inter-electrode spacing, coverage and endocardium-LA wall distance for rotor detection. In contact with the wall and within 1 mm distance from the real core all the configurations allowed a correct detection of the rotor, irrespective of geometry, coverage and inter-electrode distance. Increasing the interelectrode distance causes the incapability of rotor detection at a closer distance from the LA wall in the HD grid. The tool was effective in assessing how catheter geometry and specific parameters affect its capability to detect rotors. In the future, other catheter morphologies and different design parameters and acquisition conditions will be investigated.
Evolutionary Aspects of Newborns Under 1500g Treated with Fluoroquinolones in Libreville, Gabon

Introduction: The resistance of germs responsible for neonatal infections sometimes requires the use of fluoroquinolones that are not indicated at this age. Our goal was to assess the shortand medium-term fate of newborns under 1500g treated with fluoroquinolone in Libreville. Methodology: Case control study, over a period of 3 years (January 2015 December 2018). The cases consisted of newborns under 1500g treated for neonatal infection with fluoroquinolones. Controls were newborns under 1500g treated for neonatal infection with other antibiotic families. The parameters studied were urea, creatinine, blood glucose of cases at Day0, Day10 and Day30 posttreatment. We compared anthropometric parameters and motor acquisition at 3, 6 and 12 months of the two groups. Results: In the fluoroquinolones group, sepsis was the most observed localization (60%) and E. coli the most found germ (28%). The average time to the introduction of fluoroquinolones was 15d ± 7d. The most widely used molecule was Ciprofloxacin (68%). The most observed side effect was hypoglycaemia (28%) and an increase in serum creatinine (p = 0.006) and uremia (p = 0.0013) was observed on Day10 post-treatment. We did not observe any musculoskeletal manifestations. The evolution of anthropometric parameters and motor development was comparable in the 2 groups. Conclusion: Fluoroquinolones motivated by the consideration of benefit/risk are well tolerated in newborns under 1500g.
Extreme Outsourcing

As companies are looking at reducing their software development cost, they are increasingly turning to offshore outsourcing to take advantage of lower wages overseas. This paper looks at this and another major trend in software development, agile development methodologies, to determine whether the practices of the most common agile methodology, extreme programming, can support offshore outsourcing. The paper concludes that while some practices are easily implemented, others require a great deal of consideration and may not be feasibly implemented at all. Offshore outsourcing can benefit from extreme programming practices by achieving higher visibility into the development process.
Business Process Re-Engineering and Profitability in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry: The Mediating Influence of Operational Performance

The aim of this study was to operationalize and test a conceptual model to measure the effect of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) implementation on profitability in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Based on a framework from Al-Mashari and Zairi, these objectives were achieved using the following procedures: reliability and validity analysis, factor analyses (exploratory factor analysis-EFA and confirmatory factor analysis-CFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The model contrived therefore confirmed the positive influence of BPR on profitability, as well as the mediating influence of operational performance in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry. Specifically, the structural model shows the positive effect of organizational structure and IT Infrastructures on both profitability and operational performance. However, SEM failed to establish the relationship between management competence and support and profitability. The study is expected to enhance the adoption and successful implementation of BPR programmes in the oil and gas industry.
Nimble: Scalable TCP-Friendly Programmable In-Network Rate-Limiting

There is an emerging need for scalable high-performance in-networkrate-limiting because rate-limiters can be used to provide performance isolation. However, existing approaches to in-network rate-limiting are not scalable or TCP-friendly. This paper presents the design of Nimble, a new approach to in-network rate-limiting that is scalable, high performance, and TCP-friendly. Nimble uses meters to scalably provide hardware rate-limiting without any dedicated queuing or buffering resources, and Nimble uses ECN-Shaping for TCP-friendly rate-limit enforcement. Nimble also introduces the first algorithm for configuring in-network rate-limiters to enforce network-wide isolation policies. Through a P4 implementation and experiments with a 100Gbps Barefoot Tofino switch, we find that Nimble is immediately usable and can operate even with high bandwidth rate-limits without needing to recirculate packets or rely on hardware packet generators to generate token refill packets. This overcomes the scalability limitations of prior approaches. Experiments with Apache and Redis show that Nimble can reduce application-level latency by an order of magnitude when compared to not using in-network rate-limiting, and ns-3 simulations demonstrate that Nimble behaves well in larger clusters. We find that Nimble can scale to 100K rate-limiters perswitch when implemented on a Barefoot Tofino switch, and our new rate allocation algorithm reduces rate-limiter updates by a factor of 10x-24x and improves network utilization by 24%.
EVALUATION OF SOME TRADITIONAL THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES OF USNEA LONGISSIMA (ASCOMYCOTA, LICHENIZED FUNGI): ANTIMICROBIAL, ANTIQUORUM AND ANTIOXIDANT

Usnea longissima, fruticose lichen growing in the temperate region, is well known traditional medicinal herb and a reservoir of some unique secondary metabolites. Traditionally it has been commonly used as an antimicrobial agent for the treatment of ailments like tuberculosis, ulcers and skin diseases, etc. In our study, we evaluate antimicrobial, antiquorum sensing (QS) and antioxidant activity of Usnea longissima secondary metabolites extracted in acetone, methanol, and 70% hydroalcoholic solvents. Antimicrobial activity of extracts was evaluated against fungus (Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans) and six bacterial (Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aerogenosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans) strains. Whereas anti-QS activity was tested against biosensor strain Chromobacterium violaceum (CV) MCC 2290 and antibiofilm activity was checked in two gram-negative bacteria (P. aeruginosa and E. coli), two gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and fungus (Candida albicans). Results of experimental data indicated that methanolic extract exhibited maximum activity against A. tumefaciens (24±0.2 mm) and C. albicans (30±0.3 mm) with the minimum inhibitory concentration of 300µg/mL and 200µg/mL respectively. Interestingly, we also observed that all extracts effectively inhibited quorum sensing in C. violaceum and biofilm formation in Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aerogenosa, Staphylococcus aureus, at the concentration (100-300 µg/mL), for Candida albicans (50-150 µg/mL). Usnea longissima extract showed strong reducing power and hydroxyl radical activity and low DPPH scavenging activity. The present study suggested that U. longissima possesses potential antimicrobial and antiquorum sensing activity. These biological properties could be attributed to its significant antioxidant potential which validates its traditional use as an antimicrobial herbal source.
COPD_A_245982 939..948

1Preventive Medicine Unit, Ourense University Teaching Hospital Complex, Ourense, Spain; 2Pneumology Unit, Vigo University Teaching Hospital Complex, Vigo, Spain; 3Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 4Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; 5Preventive Medicine Unit, Santiago de Compostela University Teaching Hospital Complex, Santiago de Compostela, Spain Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between exposure to residential radon and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by means of a systematic review. Material and Methods: A search was conducted in PubMed and OVID for papers making reference to the radon–COPD relationship. No search filters were applied, whether by date of publication, study type or sample size. All studies not written in English or Spanish were discarded. Results: A total of 174 and 57 papers were found in PubMed and OVID, respectively: of these, 13 (11 on miners and 2 on the general population) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Only four of the studies on cohorts of miners analysed COPD as a specific disease, and only one reported statistically significant results. In addition, many of these studies lacked information on tobacco use among miners. In contrast, studies conducted on the general public showed an association between mortality and hospital admissions, on the one hand, and residential radon on the other. Conclusion: There are not enough studies to provide a basis for confirming or ruling out an association between radon exposure and COPD. Nonetheless, the most recent general population studies point to evidence of a possible association. In view of the heterogeneity of available studies, it is impossible to say whether this gas may or may not affect COPD morbidity and mortality, until such a time as further studies are carried out.
THE CASE OF POLAND [1]

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to present the phenomenon of transnational entrepreneurship on the example of Poland. The paper also presents studies addressing this topic. Methodology/approach: This exploratory paper offers a general review of the phenomenon of transnational entrepreneurship in the Polish context. Available statistical data (GEM), as well as examples of existing studies are used to present the growing importance of transnational activities of immigrant entrepreneurs. The studies presented include Polish immigrants living in the US and several European countries, and immigrants from selected European and Asian countries who have moved to Poland. Findings and implications: The authors point out the symptoms of growing practical and theoretical importance of transnational immigrant entrepreneurship. Despite such symptoms, studies on the phenomenon are quite scarce in Poland, as well as other CEE countries (e.g. Hungary). Directions for further studies are outlined. Originality/value of the paper: The paper focus on the phenomenon of growing importance, which is currently understudied in the realm of Central and Eastern Europe. Research on migration in Poland does have a long tradition, but the popularity of research on immigrant entrepreneurship (including transnational activities) goes back no more than a few years.
Control Method for Continuous Non-Invasive Arterial Pressure Monitoring using the Non-Pulsatile Component of the PPG Signal

We propose a new technique enabling continuous control of transmural pressure using the non-pulsatile (DC) component in the PPG signal as feedback. Photoplethysmograph (PPG) contact pressure has a noticeable effect on blood pressure (BP) tracking, pulse wave analysis and pulse propagation measurements. BP changes alter the difference between intra-arterial and contact pressure, called transmural pressure. Our method is based on keeping the PPG DC component constant by altering the external pressure applied. This way the pressure read from the pressure sensor equals intra-arterial BP. The technology was verified by comparing: (i) measured pressure variation induced by hydrostatic changes with theoretical values, (ii) pulse morphology with and without feedback control during hydrostatic changes, and (iii) continuous MAP readings measured with the reference device (CNSystems CNAP 500) and our device. The proposed technology performed well compared to traditional volume clamp technique while requiring significantly less complex control logic and no fast-switching pneumatics.
WR-Hand

This paper presents WR-Hand, a wearable-based system tracking 3D hand pose of 14 hand skeleton points over time using Electromyography (EMG) and gyroscope sensor data from commercial armband. This system provides a significant leap in wearable sensing and enables new application potentials in medical care, human-computer interaction, etc. A challenge is the armband EMG sensors inevitably collect mixed EMG signals from multiple forearm muscles because of the fixed sensor positions on the device, while prior bio-medical models for hand pose tracking are built on isolated EMG signal inputs from isolated forearm spots for different muscles. In this paper, we leverage the recent success of neural networks to enhance the existing bio-medical model using the armband's EMG data and visualize our design to understand why our solution is effective. Moreover, we propose solutions to place the constructed hand pose reliably in a global coordinate system, and address two practical issues by providing a general plug-and-play version for new users without training and compensating for the position difference in how users wear their armbands. We implement a prototype using different commercial armbands, which is lightweight to execute on user's phone in real-time. Extensive evaluation shows the efficacy of the WR-Hand design.
Coding Schemes in 5G Networks for Error-free Communication

—The fifth-generation mobile communication network (5G) technology is a significant topic in today`s mobile communication industry. However, due to difficulties in the wireless channel generally, error-free communication is a big challenge. Thus, channel coding is a technology incorporated in the 5G mobile systems for achieving reliable and error-free two-way connections. In terms of data rate, capacity, coverage, latency, energy consumption, and cost, the fifth-generation (5G) communication systems must outperform previous fourth-generation (4G) systems. In this paper, we attempt to compare and evaluate the main characteristics of 5G channel and the performance of channel coding candidates. Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and polar are two capacity-achieving channel coding schemes that we concentrated on here. Block error rate (BLER), bit error rate (BER), computational complexity, and flexibility are all considered while analyzing the system. The results indicate that polar codes outperform the LDPC code systems, although LDPC is reasonable compared to other code systems.
A Mathematical Introduction to Spectral Expansion

In this introduction to spectral expander graphs, we broadly cover different aspects of the theory, taking care to formally define and explain the various concepts involved. First, we present classic results such as the Cheeger inequalities and the mixing lemma. Second, applications of random walks on spectral expander graphs are touched upon. Third, we prove a generalisation of the Alon-Boppana bound on spectral expansion. Fourth, the expected second largest eigenvalue in absolute value of the adjacency matrix of a random graph is bounded from above, and we show concentration bounds for the distribution of this quantity around its mean. Fifth, we present a construction of spectral expander graphs of non-constant degree from Abelian Cayley graphs. Sixth, we briefly discuss the construction of constant degree spectral expanders from the zig-zag product. Whereas many introductions to expander graphs are written for an audience with a background in computer science, this material is presented so as to be more broadly of interest to mathematicians.
Thank you to reviewer #1 for a positive and very useful review. The suggestion that we should explore model performance in previous dry years

explore model performance in previous dry years has led to more extensive revisions then we suspect the reviewer anticipated, and we have outlined the resultant change to the model in a separate author comment. Here, ​we have made detailed responses to all these major points raised, specific comments and technical corrections, below each comment. We also outline revisions made to the manuscript where appropriate. Reviewer comments are in normal text, responses are in ​blue​, and text quoted from the main text or SI are in ​italics ​or, for extensive quotes, indented in ​Times New Roman. ​ Line numbers quoted below are for the original text unless otherwise stated.
An Exploration of Practice and Preferences for the Visual Communication of Biomedical Processes

The visual communication of biomedical processes draws from diverse techniques in both visualization and biomedical illustration. However, matching these techniques to their intended audience often relies on practice-based heuristics or narrow-scope evaluations. We present an exploratory study of the criteria that audiences use when evaluating a biomedical process visualization targeted for communication. Designed over a series of expert interviews and focus groups, our study focuses on common communication scenarios of five well-known biomedical processes and their standard visual representations. We framed these scenarios in a survey with participant expertise spanning from minimal to expert knowledge of a given topic. Our results show frequent overlap in abstraction preferences between expert and non-expert audiences, with similar prioritization of clarity and the ability of an asset to meet a given communication objective. We also found that some illustrative conventions are not as clear as we thought, e.g., glows have broadly ambiguous meaning, while other approaches were unexpectedly preferred, e.g., biomedical illustrations in place of data-driven visualizations. Our findings suggest numerous opportunities for the continued convergence of visualization and biomedical illustration techniques for targeted visualization design. CCS Concepts • Human-centered computing → Visualization design and evaluation methods; Scientific visualization; Visualization theory, concepts and paradigms; • Computer Applications → Life and Medical Sciences;
RRU_A_232303 21..27

Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran, General Hospital Hasan Sadikin, Bandung, Indonesia Introduction: The ischemic process in priapism can lead to displacement of normal tissue with fibrotic tissue, due to collagen deposition, and eventually leads to erectile dysfunction. Many studies have identified that the supernatant of adipose tissue–derived stem cells (ADSCs) significantly ameliorates fibrosis of different tissue, but limited attention has been paid to its efficacy on fibrosis of the corpora cavernosa. Methods: A total of 22Wistar rats divided into five groups, with two groups each consisting of five male wistar rats with priapism without human ADSC (hADSC) therapy (group I) and two other groups consisting of five rats with priapism, were given 10 cells' intracorporeal hADSC injection after 12 hours of penile clamping (group II) were euthanized after 2 and 4 weeks of observation. The last group consisted of two rats without any treatment or model (group III). Following euthanasia, penises were harvested for TGFβ1 and collagen type I measurement using ELISA. Statistical analysis using independent-sample t-tests was done with SPSS 21.0. Results: Penile TGFβ1 concentration in the treatment group was significantly lower in the second and fourth weeks of observation (p2=0.004, p4=0.003), and collagen type I was significantly lower in the second and fourth weeks (p2=0.003, p4=0.011). Conclusion: Intracorporeal hADSC injection limited the fibrosis process in a priapism model. Although the mechanism was unclear, it may be related to the potential of hADSCs to produce various growth factors that could limit TGFβ1 and collagen production.
Solid acid additives as recoverable promoters for the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide

The effectiveness of Cs-exchanged phosphotungstic acid as a recoverable solid acid additive for the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using an Au-Pd / TiO2 catalyst is investigated and compared to the promotion effect of common oxides and non-halo acids. A clear improvement in catalytic activity towards H2O2 synthesis is reported when utilising Cs-containing heteropolyacids in addition to a standard H2O2 synthesising catalyst. The effect of Cs content on the promotion of H2O2 formation is investigated and the feasibility of a reusable heterogeneous additive has been explored revealing that the presence of the acid additive not only stabilises the H2O2 that is produced but also increases the H2O2 synthesis rate.