Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prostate cancer: comparison of tumor visibility on trace diffusion-weighted images and the apparent diffusion coefficient map.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to compare the visibility of prostate cancer on trace diffusion-weighted (DW) images and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this retrospective study, 45 patients with prostate cancer underwent preoperative MRI, including DW imaging (DWI) (b values 0, 500, and 1,000 s/mm(2)). A single observer reviewed the images in conjunction with tumor maps constructed from prostatectomy. For 132 peripheral zone (PZ) tumor foci, the visibility and contrast relative to benign PZ were recorded for T2-weighted imaging, trace DWI b500 images, trace DWI b1,000 images, and ADC maps. Trace DWI b1,000 images and ADC maps were compared in terms of Gleason score, size, normalized T2 signal intensity, ADC, and normalized ADC of visible tumors. RESULTS For each image set, the percentage of visible tumor foci and contrast relative to benign PZ were as follows: T2-weighted imaging, 80.3% and 0.411; trace DWI b500, 26.5% and 0.131; trace DWI b1,000, 46.2% and 0.119; and ADC maps, 62.1% and 0.309. Forty-seven tumor foci were visible on both trace DWI b1,000 images and ADC maps, 14 only on trace DWI b1,000 images, 35 only on ADC maps, and 36 on neither image set. There was no significant difference in Gleason score, size, normalized T2 signal intensity, ADC, or normalized ADC between tumors visible only on trace DWI b1,000 images and those visible only on ADC maps. CONCLUSION Given a greater proportion of tumors visible on the ADC map than trace DWI and greater contrast relative to benign PZ on the ADC map, we suggest that, when performing DWI of the prostate, careful attention be given to the ADC map for tumor identification.
Tick Salivary Gland Extract Inhibits Killing ofBorrelia afzelii Spirochetes by Mouse Macrophages

ABSTRACT Salivary gland extract (SGE) from Ixodes ricinus ticks inhibited the killing of Borrelia afzelii spirochetes by murine macrophages. SGE also reduced the production of two major defense molecules of phagocytes, superoxide and nitric oxide. It is likely that the suppression of macrophage microbicidal mechanisms contributes to the inhibitory effect of tick saliva on the killing ofB. afzelii spirochetes, thus facilitating the transmission of this important pathogen.
MapReduce Functions on GasDay Data Using Hadoop

The GasDay lab at Marquette University forecasts natural gas consumption for 26 Local Distributing Companies around the United States. We have a very large amount of data that has accumulated over the past 19 years, and the lab needs a way to select and process from all of this data to gain insight into our forecasting methods. MapReduce is a pair of functions originally proposed by Jeffrey Dean and Sanjay Ghemawat of Google that allows users to process very large data sets. Hadoop is a software framework created by Doug Cutting in 2004 that allows scientists to distribute vast amounts of data across a cluster of many Linux machines and run MapReduce over the entire data set quickly. The quick turn-around facilitates processing of “Big Data. ” As examples of MapReduce processing, we found the most accurate type of model, most accurate forecast number, forecast accuracy over time, and the total amount of gas forecasted each year. This is important because we are able to explore different High Performance Computing solutions for anyone with “Big Data. ” This allows GasDay to improve our forecasting models and grow continuously as a business. ∗This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant CNS-1063041.
TOWARDS A NEW WEB-BASED SERIOUS GAMES GENERATOR BASED ON FUZZY EXPERT SYSTEM

With the big success that serious games have known in education field a huge need has been created to develop such video games in order to satisfy the demand that does not cease to increase, but the time, the cost, and the interaction of several actors during the creation process of video games can influence on the envisaged result and create several unexpected problems, to avoid such problems we propose in this article a new web-based serious games generator that adapts the process of video game development by replacing game design and game development phases by both programmed game design and gameplays, this new concept will allow the game creators to focus more in pedagogical aspect and pedagogical objectives that the players must acquire during a video game sequence, instead of wasting much time in game design and game development. In addition, the proposed game generator will be equipped with a fuzzy expert system to assist the users during the game generation process; the proposed serious games generator will be able to generate several web based video games that are both educational and fun. An evaluation of how our proposed game generator proved successful along with an outlook on future research concludes this paper.
T Cell-Macrophage Fusion Triggers Multinucleated Giant Cell Formation for HIV-1 Spreading

ABSTRACT HIV-1-infected macrophages participate in virus dissemination and establishment of virus reservoirs in host tissues, but the mechanisms for virus cell-to-cell transfer to macrophages remain unknown. Here, we reveal the mechanisms for cell-to-cell transfer from infected T cells to macrophages and virus spreading between macrophages. We show that contacts between infected T lymphocytes and macrophages lead to cell fusion for the fast and massive transfer of CCR5-tropic viruses to macrophages. Through the merge of viral material between T cells and macrophages, these newly formed lymphocyte-macrophage fused cells acquire the ability to fuse with neighboring noninfected macrophages. Together, these two-step envelope-dependent cell fusion processes lead to the formation of highly virus-productive multinucleated giant cells reminiscent of the infected multinucleated giant macrophages detected in HIV-1-infected patients and simian immunodeficiency virus-infected macaques. These mechanisms represent an original mode of virus transmission for viral spreading and a new model for the formation of macrophage virus reservoirs during infection. IMPORTANCE We reveal a very efficient mechanism involved in cell-to-cell transfer from infected T cells to macrophages and subsequent virus spreading between macrophages by a two-step cell fusion process. Infected T cells first establish contacts and fuse with macrophage targets. The newly formed lymphocyte-macrophage fused cells then acquire the ability to fuse with surrounding uninfected macrophages, leading to the formation of infected multinucleated giant cells that can survive for a long time, as evidenced in vivo in lymphoid organs and the central nervous system. This route of infection may be a major determinant for virus dissemination and the formation of macrophage virus reservoirs in host tissues during HIV-1 infection.
Effects of Bone Cement Volume and Distribution on Vertebral Stiffness After Vertebroplasty

Study Design. The biomechanical behavior of a single lumbar vertebral body after various surgical treatments with acrylic vertebroplasty was parametrically studied using finite-element analysis. Objectives. To provide a theoretical framework for understanding and optimizing the biomechanics of vertebroplasty. Specifically, to investigate the effects of volume and distribution of bone cement on stiffness recovery of the vertebral body. Summary of Background Data. Vertebroplasty is a treatment that stabilizes a fractured vertebra by addition of bone cement. However, there is currently no information available on the optimal volume and distribution of the filler material in terms of stiffness recovery of the damaged vertebral body. Methods. An experimentally calibrated, anatomically accurate finite-element model of an elderly L1 vertebral body was developed. Damage was simulated in each element based on empirical measurements in response to a uniform compressive load. After virtual vertebroplasty (bone cement filling range of 1–7 cm3) on the damaged model, the resulting compressive stiffness of the vertebral body was computed for various spatial distributions of the filling material and different loading conditions. Results. Vertebral stiffness recovery after vertebroplasty was strongly influenced by the volume fraction of the implanted cement. Only a small amount of bone cement (14% fill or 3.5 cm3) was necessary to restore stiffness of the damaged vertebral body to the predamaged value. Use of a 30% fill increased stiffness by more than 50% compared with the predamaged value. Whereas the unipedicular distributions exhibited a comparative stiffness to the bipedicular or posterolateral cases, it showed a medial–lateral bending motion (“toggle”) toward the untreated side when a uniform compressive pressure load was applied. Conclusion. Only a small amount of bone cement (∼15% volume fraction) is needed to restore stiffness to predamage levels, and greater filling can result in substantial increase in stiffness well beyond the intact level. Such overfilling also renders the system more sensitive to the placement of the cement because asymmetric distributions with large fills can promote single-sided load transfer and thus toggle. These results suggest that large fill volumes may not be the most biomechanically optimal configuration, and an improvement might be achieved by use of lower cement volume with symmetric placement.
Developmental immunotoxicity of chemicals in rodents and its possible regulatory impact

Abstract Around 25% of the children in developed countries are affected with immune-based diseases. Juvenile onset diseases such as allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases have shown increasing prevalences in the last decades. The role of chemical exposures in these phenomena is unclear. It is thought that the developmental immune system is more susceptible to toxicants than the mature situation. Developmental immunotoxicity (DIT) testing is nowadays not or minimally included in regulatory toxicology requirements. We reviewed whether developmental immune parameters in rodents would provide relatively sensitive endpoints of toxicity, whose inclusion in regulatory toxicity testing might improve hazard identification and risk assessment of chemicals. For each of the nine reviewed toxicants, the developing immune system was found to be at least as sensitive or more sensitive than the general (developmental) toxicity parameters. Functional immune (antigen-challenged) parameters appear more affected than structural (non-challenged) immune parameters. Especially, antibody responses to immune challenges with keyhole limpet hemocyanine or sheep red blood cells and delayed-type hypersensitivity responses appear to provide sensitive parameters of developmental immune toxicity. Comparison with current tolerable daily intakes (TDI) and their underlying overall no observed adverse effect levels showed that for some of the compounds reviewed, the TDI may need reconsideration based on developmental immune parameters. From these data, it can be concluded that the developing immune system is very sensitive to the disruption of toxicants independent of study design. Consideration of including functional DIT parameters in current hazard identification guidelines and wider application of relevant study protocols is warranted.
Primordial black hole evolution in tensor scalar cosmology

A perturbative analysis shows that black holes do not remember the value of the scalar field $\phi$ at the time they formed if $\phi$ changes in tensor-scalar cosmology. Moreover, even when the black hole mass in the Einstein frame is approximately unaffected by the changing of $\phi$, in the Jordan-Fierz frame the mass increases. This mass increase requires a reanalysis of the evaporation of primordial black holes in tensor-scalar cosmology. It also implies that there could have been a significant magnification of the (Jordan-Fierz frame) mass of primordial black holes.
Study of specificity for noninvasive glucose measurements based on two-dimensional correlation mid-infrared spectroscopy

Glucose specificity is the premise of spectroscopic measurements for blood glucose concentration, and it is also paramount for feasibility study of a spectral measurement method. Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy technology is widely used in many fields such as inter-/intra-molecular reaction, material phase transition and information extraction because of its high resolution and the effective "sequential order" rules (Noda's rule). By using 2D correlation spectroscopy analysis, we aim at exploring glucose specificity for noninvasive glucose measurements from mid-infrared spectra collected from human beings. The study is mainly divided into two parts. The first part is to prove the realizability of the method by 2D correlation analysis of in vitro solutions which all contain glucose. And the second part is validating characteristic information of glucose from mid-infrared ATR spectra of human fingers by use of the 2D correlation spectroscopy technology. The conclusion is that glucose specific spectral information is really present in noninvasive mid-infrared in vivo spectra. So the feasibility of mid-infrared spectroscopy in noninvasive measurements of blood glucose concentration is demonstrated fundamentally.
Major depressive disorder in hepatitis C: an open-label trial of escitalopram.

BACKGROUND Depression is a common condition associated with hepatitis C and may be induced by interferon alfa, the primary treatment for hepatitis C. Depression is also a major barrier to the initiation of such treatment. This study examined the effect of escitalopram on measures of depression, quality of life, and tests of liver function in subjects with comorbid hepatitis C and depression. METHOD Subjects with DSM-IV major depressive disorder and hepatitis C were included in this open-label study. The recruitment period was from October 2002 through February 2004. Treatment status with regard to interferon therapy was neither an inclusion nor an exclusion criterion. Subjects received escitalopram for 8 weeks starting at 10 mg/day. Dosage adjustments up to 20 mg/day were made after week 4, as deemed clinically necessary. Scores on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17) and the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale (CGI-S) and results of liver function tests (AST, ALT, GGT) were obtained at baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) ratings and Hopkins Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) scores were obtained at baseline and week 8. RESULTS Eighteen subjects (12 female, 6 male) participated in this study. The mean daily dose of escitalopram at endpoint was 12.78 mg. Mean HAM-D-17 scores decreased significantly with treatment (t = 8.535, df = 17, p < .0001). Statistically significant improvement was also demonstrated on many subscales of the SF-36, the SCL-90-R, and the CGI-S. Tests of liver function showed no significant changes. CONCLUSION These results suggest that depression in patients with hepatitis C may be effectively and safely treated with escitalopram.
Nuclear insertion sequences of mitochondrial DNA predominate in hair but not in blood of elephants

Hair has become a widely used source of DNA in population genetics, forensics, and conservation biology. Here we report that PCR primers that amplify a segment of the mitochondrial control region from blood DNA amplify primarily integrated nuclear copies of mitochondrial DNA from hair DNA. Thus, in some species, and under some circumstances, DNA from hair may yield unreliable results.
Cardiac Platypnea‐Orthodeoxia Syndrome: An Often Unrecognized Malady

Platypnea‐orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) is a rare but clinically important form of dyspnea. The syndrome is characterized by dyspnea and arterial oxygen desaturation that occurs in the upright position and improves with recumbency. In cardiac POS, an atrial septal defect or patent foramen ovale allows communication between the right‐ and left‐sided circulations. A second defect, such as a dilated aorta, prominent eustachian valve, or pneumonectomy, then contributes to right‐to‐left shunting through the interatrial connection. Diagnosis is made through pulse oximetry to confirm orthodeoxia and through transesophageal echocardiography with bubble study to visualize the shunt. Although data are limited for this rare syndrome, percutaneous closure has thus far proven safe and effective.
Examining the relationship between soda consumption and eating disorder pathology

Objective: This study aimed to compare diet soda drinkers, regular soda drinkers, and individuals who do not regularly consume soda on clinically significant eating disorder psychopathology, including binge eating, overeating, and purging. Method: Participants (n = 2077) were adult community volunteers who completed an online survey that included the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and questions regarding binge-eating behaviors, purging, current weight status, and the type and frequency of soda beverages consumed. Results: Diet soda drinkers (34%, n = 706) reported significantly higher levels of eating, shape, and weight concerns than regular soda drinkers (22%, n = 465), who in turn reported higher levels on these variables than non-soda drinkers (44%, n = 906). Diet soda drinkers were more likely to report binge eating and purging than regular soda drinkers, who were more likely to report these behaviors than non-soda drinkers. Consumption of any soda was positively associated with higher BMI, though individuals who consumed regular soda reported significantly higher BMI than diet soda drinkers, who in turn reported higher weight than those who do not consume soda regularly. Conclusions: Individuals who consume soda regularly reported higher BMI and more eating psychopathology than those who do not consume soda. These findings extend previous research demonstrating positive associations between soda consumption and weight.
Family functioning and binge drinking among Italian adolescents

Limited studies have sought to describe binge drinking among adolescents and even fewer studies have attempted to examine whether family functioning, family communication and satisfaction could be associated with alcohol abuse. Our sample was made up of 726 Italian adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18. According to previous research, adolescents were categorized into non-drinkers, social, binge and heavy drinkers. Results showed that social, binge and heavy drinkers differ in terms of some drinking variables, family functioning, family communication and satisfaction.
GMAC ® Differential Impact as an Item Bias Indicator in CAT and Other IRT-based Tests

Differential item functioning methods are widely used in linear tests for detecting potentially biased items, based on pair-wise comparisons between focal and reference groups. In this paper, the authors redefine item bias for computer adaptive tests (CAT) using the perspective of adverse impact. In item response theory (IRT)-based CAT tests, pre-calibrated and scaled operational item parameters are used for selecting items and then scoring the tests. Item bias has been defined as the difference between the Item Characteristic Curves (ICC) across subpopulation groups. The focus in this paper is whether the use of the operational item parameters is fair to a subpopulation group. Impact is defined as the difference between the ICC of a group and the ICC defined by the operational item parameters. More specifically, an item is biased if examinees in a subpopulation group with a given ability do not have the same conditional probability of correct answers as those with the same ability in the population (all groups combined in calibrating the operational item parameters). If this is not true, the group will be impacted more positively or negatively. Test fairness might be established if none of the items administered has differential impact on the subpopulation groups. Statistics for flagging differential item impact (DII) are discussed with an example from a U.S.-based CAT test, the Graduate Management Admission Test®. This method also applies to other IRT-based tests.
Topological Dependence and Fault Tolerance in TDMA Based Power Conservation for WSNs

Energy conservation is a very critical issue in energy-constrained wireless sensor networks that introduces sleep-mode related delay. Since a long time delay can be harmful for either large or small wireless sensor networks, a TDMA-based scheduling scheme has been proposed, that achieves the reduction of the end-toend delay caused by the sleep mode operation while at the same time it maximizes the energy savings. However, the performance of this system has not been studied with respect to the topology of the network, and taking into consideration node failures. In this paper, we evaluate the TDMA-based energy conservation scheme, and compare it to the S-MAC and the adaptive listening schemes, on various random topologies. In addition, we examine the performance when node failures occur, and introduce a schedule update criterion.
A novel testis-specific metallothionein-like protein, tesmin, is an early marker of male germ cell differentiation.

We have cloned a novel cDNA encoding testis-specific metallothionein-like protein, tesmin, by randomized RT-PCR on RNA from mouse tissues. Two tesmin-related transcripts (2.2 and 1.8 kb) in mouse and one (2.1 kb) in human were detected and cloned. These encode a cysteine-rich 32-kDa protein that contained a metallothionein-like motif. In situ hybridization analysis in adult mouse testis showed that tesmin is specifically expressed in spermatocytes. Quantitative RT-PCR at different stages of mouse postnatal development (days 4, 8, 12, 18, and 42) revealed that tesmin is expressed as early as day 8 and coincides with the entry of germ cells into meiosis. Furthermore, adult W/Wv sterile mice that harbor the c-kit mutation lacked tesmin expression. The gene is assigned to mouse chromosome 19B, which has been reported to translocate (11;19) in male sterile mice.
Providing aged care services for the gay and lesbian community.

The failure to acknowledge gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex (GLBTI) people within aged care serves to render them silent and invisible. Older GLBTI people are not all the same; there are generational differences within this diverse group. Many older GLBTI people fear experiencing discrimination, homophobia and elder abuse in disclosing their identity to service providers. Aged care services need to do more to create an environment that promotes inclusiveness, recognises the role of sexuality in cultural diversity and, in doing so, facilitate identity disclosure for those who wish to. (non-author abstract)
Continuous-wave Terahertz Spectroscopy System Based on Photodiodes

Photodiodes have been commonly used for generation of continuous terahertz (THz) waves. In this paper, we proposed the use of photodiodes also for detection of THz waves in order to realize CW THz spectroscopy system based on 1.55-"m flber-optics. We experimentally demonstrated two detection schemes based on the square-law detection and downconversion, and compared them with respect to sensitivity and dynamic range at 260{420GHz.