Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inflammation‐based scores do not predict post‐transplant recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients within milan criteria

Increased preoperative inflammation scores, such as neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and inflammation‐based index (IBI) have been related to post‐transplant HCC recurrence. We evaluated the association between inflammation‐based scores (NLR, PLR, IBI) and post‐LT HCC recurrence as well as tumor necrosis after transarterial embolization. 150 consecutive patients who underwent transplantation for HCC within the Milan criteria between 1996 and 2010 were included; data regarding inflammatory markers, patient and tumor characteristics were analyzed. NLR, PLR, and IBI were not significantly associated with post‐LT HCC recurrence or worse overall survival. Increased NLR and PLR were associated with complete tumor necrosis in the subset of patients who received preoperative transarterial embolization (P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that absence of neoadjuvant transarterial therapy (OR = 4.33, 95% CI = 1.28‐14.64; P = 0.02) and no fulfillment of the Milan criteria in the explanted liver (OR = 3.34, 95% CI = 1.08‐10.35; P = 0.04) were independently associated with post‐LT HCC recurrence inflammation‐based scores did not predict HCC recurrence post‐LT in our group of patients. NLR and PLR were associated with better response to TAE, as this was recorded histologically in the explanted liver. Histological fulfillment of the Milan criteria and absence of neoadjuvant transarterial treatment were significantly associated with post‐LT HCC recurrence. Liver Transpl 20:1327‐1335, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.
Spatiotemporal Cardiac Activation Sites Localization Using ECG Precordial Leads

A method is proposed for the spatiotemporal localization of the sites of strongest cardiac activity, and for the creation of time varying Pericardium Potential Maps (PPM), with the use of patients’ ECG precordial leads. The propossed MATLABbased software uses the single-moving dipole model, optimized in location and magnitude with respect to the measured leads, and of a realistic Finite Elements (FE) torso model. The PPMs are displayed simultaneously with precordial leads to allow a 3D visual synchronization between the time varying color coded potential map and and the ECG waveforms, which may indicate potential cardiac malignancies. The proposed software was implemented for the analysis of 15 normal patients and 15 patients with cardiac abnormalities. For each case, 20 different sites inside the heart were considered as possible origins of cardiac activity at each instant of time during a complete cardiac cycle. Results show that for normal patients, sources of strongest cardiac activity were located in the atrial region for Q-wave, and the in the ventricle region for both QRS complex and T-wave, whereas for abnormal patients there was no consistency in such locations. The software identified potential cardiac malignancies and their location in 93.33% of the abnormal patients ECGs.
The accuracy of the Net Promoter Score under different distributional assumptions

The NPS has gained popularity and is now used by many companies as an indicator of customer loyalty. We claim that the NPS is an inaccurate of customer loyalty and that the conclusions derived from the NPS are heavily influenced by the underlying distribution of the data. In order to give empirical evidence to our claim we have set up a simulation study based on an experimental design. The results of this simulation study shows that the NPS is by far inferior to standard measures of loyalty.
Waist circumference action levels in the identification of cardiovascular risk factors: prevalence study in a random sample

Abstract Objective: To determine the frequency of cardiovascular risk factors in people categorised by previously defined “action g126 levels” of waist circumference. Design: Prevalence study in a random population sample. Setting: Netherlands. Subjects: 2183 men and 2698 women aged 20-59 years selected at random from the civil registry of Amsterdam and Maastricht. Main outcome measures: Waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m2)), total plasma cholesterol concentration, high density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, blood pressure, age, and lifestyle. Results: A waist circumference exceeding 94 cm in men and 80 cm in women correctly identified subjects with body mass index of >/=25 and waist to hip ratios >/=0.95 in men and >/=0.80 in women with a sensitivity and specificity of >/=96%. Men and women with at least one cardiovascular risk factor (total cholesterol >/=6.5 mmol/l, high density lipoprotein cholesterol </=0.9 mmol/l, systolic blood pressure >/=160 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure >/=95 mm Hg) were identified with sensitivities of 57% and 67% and specificities of 72% and 62% respectively. Compared with those with waist measurements below action levels, age and lifestyle adjusted odds ratios for having at least one risk factor were 2.2 (95% confidence interval 1.8 to 2.8) in men with a waist measurement of 94-102 cm and 1.6 (1.3 to 2.1) in women with a waist measurement of 80-88 cm. In men and women with larger waist measurements these age and lifestyle adjusted odds ratios were 4.6 (3.5 to 6.0) and 2.6 (2.0 to 3.2) respectively. Conclusions: Larger waist circumference identifies people at increased cardiovascular risks.
Unsupervised evaluation method using Markov random field for moving object segmentation in infrared videos

An unsupervised method is proposed for performance evaluation of the moving object segmentation using Markov random field (MRF) in infrared videos. This method focuses on the edge features and takes spatio-temporal information into account. The authors consider an MRF model for each edge point of a segmentation mask in spatial and temporal directions. This problem is then formulated using maximum a posteriori estimation principle to form a criterion of evaluation. Subjective evaluation is applied to measure the performance of the evaluation methods. The results show that the proposed method is superior to other unsupervised measures.
Refraction-angle resolution of diffraction enhanced imaging

As a new method, x-ray diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) has extremely high sensitivity for weakly absorbing low-Z samples in medical and biological fields. Conventional performance parameters, such as spatial resolution and low-contrast resolution, are not enough to describe the characteristics of a DEI system. This paper focuses on refraction-angle resolution which describes the ability of a DEI system to differentiate the x-rays refracted by the sample. The analysis of refraction-angle resolution is composed of two parts: the analysis of the single DEI image measured in a certain position of the rocking curve and the analysis of the refraction-angle image calculated by extraction methods. A 2D computer simulation experiment is performed to prove the results of the analyses. The limitations and conclusions of refraction-angle resolution are described in the end.
Some aspects of a study of the gifted child.

Summary. This paper reports on selected aspects of a study of fifty 8 to 10-year-old pupils all of whom obtained a WISC Verbal Score of 140 or more. Four issues are dealt with in connection with these gifted pupils: personality, mathematical attainment, logical thought, and the relationship between scores obtained on creativity tests and those obtained on the WISC Scales and on tests of logical thinking. The findings suggest that their teachers rated their personalities very much as American teachers had rated Terman's comparable sample, and although performance on tests of mathematical attainment was high, these gifted pupils had the greatest difficulty with certain kinds of series and numerical analogies. Only 10 per cent, of the responses were at the level of formal thought on tasks of logical thinking, while a principal components analysis showed that tests of creativity do not measure intellectual functions entirely independent of those measured by the WISC Scales and tests of logical thought.
Intricate structural coordination and domain plasticity regulate activity of serine protease HtrA2

HtrA2, a complex trimeric pyramidal mitochondrial serine protease that regulates critical biological functions and diseases, including apoptosis and cancer, is a promising therapeutic target. It promotes apoptosis through multiple pathways, complex mechanisms of which are still elusive. The existing model of activation that emphasizes relative intramolecular movements between C‐terminal PDZ and protease domains (PDZ‐protease collapse in inactive and resting states) has not been able to unambiguously demonstrate dynamics of its actions. Using structure‐guided design, molecular biology and protein biochemistry, we obtained various combinations of HtrA2 domains and mutants. Conformational changes and stability were characterized using molecular dynamics simulation and spectroscopic tools while functional enzymology delineated their roles in regulating enzyme catalysis. Quantitative Förster resonance energy transfer showed lesser intramolecular PDZ‐protease distance in trimeric HtrA2 compared to its inactive monomeric counterpart (~21 and ~22.3 Å, respectively, at 37°C). Our findings highlight importance of N‐terminal region, oligomerization, and intricate intermolecular PDZ‐protease interaction in proper active‐site formation, enzyme‐substrate complex stabilization, and hence HtrA2 functions. These observations redefine the existing activation model and showcase a unique example of how precise interdomain coordination, plasticity, and intermolecular contacts lead to distinct functional properties and hence provide new insights into HtrA2 structure, function, and dynamics. —Chaganti, L. K. , Kuppili, R. R. , Bose, K. , Intricate structural coordination and domain plasticity regulate activity of serine protease HtrA2. FASEB J. 27, 3054–3066 (2013). www.fasebj. org
Advancing the Field of Synthesis Scholarship: A Response to Nicky Britten and Colleagues

Continuing the dialogue and debate on the relevance and value of qualitative metasynthesis research for the health fields, Thorne comments on some of the ideas raised by Britten and colleagues in response to her January 2017 Qualitative Health Research editorial on Metasynthetic Madness. Here she extends the debate on the terminology with which we refer to this kind of scholarly work and the kinds of research synthesis that hold potential for adding value to existing knowledge about matters of health and illness. In the spirit of engaging an ongoing critical conversation, she proposes that the kinds of metasynthesis products that get published ought to be those capable of demonstrating actual relevance. She reminds us that the procedural steps that have come to be associated with metasynthesis in many of the recently published reports are merely the stage-setting one does in order to prepare the way for the actual intellectual work of synthesis. By whatever name it is known, if qualitative synthesis is to make a meaningful scholarly contribution in the health domain, Thorne argues that it must demonstrate the kind of thoughtfully critical and interpretive intellectual engagement that takes our understanding of phenomena significantly beyond what we could have known on the basis of an ordinary kind of literature review, offering us an original form of insight that would not have been otherwise accessible.
An application of genetic algorithm for university course timetabling problem

Timetabling problems are a process of assigning a given set of events and resources to the limited space and time under hard constraints which are rigidly enforced and soft constraints which are satisfied as nearly as possible. As a kind of timetabling problems, university course timetabling is a very important administrative activity for a wide variety of schools. Genetic algorithm is an advanced heuristic method which is very effective in many fields. In this paper, genetic algorithm is used to solve university course timetabling problem. At first, a model of problem to be solved is defined. Then, the genetic representation is determined and a fitness function is established according to the constraints. Finally, a case of university course timetabling from real-world is discussed and solved. It is demonstrated that the method proposed in this paper is feasible and efficient.
The blood groups and other hereditary blood factors of the Icelanders.

Bjarnason, Bjarnason, Edwards, Fridriksson, Magnusson, Mourant and Tills (1973) published preliminary data on a study of Iceland. The present paper gives the complete data of the study and extends the sample size for most of the genetic systems to over 1500 individuals, approximately 1/130 of the population. The sample was divided into seven subpopulations and these were compared using a genetic distance matrix. Considerable internal variation was revealed with two groups appearing very different. The seven regions were then compared with possible founding populations and no close relationships were found. The possible mechanism for the internal variation and the differences between Icelandic gene frequencies and those from other N.W. European populations are discussed.
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy Study of Electric Field Homogeneity in Epitaxial Silicon Solar Cells Cross-Section

Using Kelvin probe force microscopy, cross-section measurements along the PIN junction of an epitaxial silicon solar cell were performed under operating conditions (illumination, voltage bias). Surface potential profiles show coherent behaviors with theoretical expectations when the device is under increasing illumination intensity, increasing voltage bias, or under illumination at different wavelengths. Using measurements under voltage bias, we propose a methodology to investigate the electric field homogeneity along the PIN junction. It is shown that the electric field is not homogeneous for the cell measured and it is suggested that this might be due either to preparation steps or to inhomogeneous defective layer along the PIN junction.
Design of small antennas based on DNG metamaterials

Two double negative (DNG) metamaterial antennas are presented. The design of the unit cell of each one of the two antennas is based on the composite right/left-handed (CRLH) transmission line (TL) model. Two designs are introduced using single and double layer structures. The dispersion diagrams of the proposed antennas are evaluated and the resonant frequencies of the different modes in the RH and the LH ranges are determined from the dispersion diagrams. Field animations of the near field below the patches and near the vias for different modes will be presented.
Hand-eye coordination in weightlessness.

H A N D E Y E C O O R D I N A T I O N is a skill which is learned from infancy and in which one is dependent on intact pathways of vision t kinaesthetic sense from the limb, and muscle control. If the aiming point is observed and the eyes are then closed, a normal individual can still touch the target accurately. This is still hand-eye coordination but the hand movement is now coordinated with the memory of the target--a visual memory which is stabilized by labyrinthine reflexes so that, although the head may be moved after the eyes have closed, it is still possible to locate the target. Where this task does differ from that performed with the eyes open, is in the visual information on performance. Since this is absent when the eyes are closed, monitoring of performance has to be carried out by kinaesthetic information alone. The technique of performing hand-eye coordination tests with eyes open and eyes closed is therefore employed by the clinician as one method of differentiating between ataxias of sensory and of cerebellar origin. In an ataxia associated with sensory loss~ inaccuracies in pointing may be manifest when the eyes are closed. With adequate visual information, however, the patient may correct his performance so well that no abnormality may be evident. On the other hand in cerebellar ataxiar the performance of a test of hand-eye coordination is little better with eyes open than it is with eyes closed because it is the coordination of muscle activity which is affected. Typical tests employed clinically are the heel to knee and the finger-nose tests. An aiming test such as that employed by yon Beckh 6 falls into the same category as those clinical tests. He employed his test to determine the ability of subjects to point at a target under
Development of a Robust Identifier for NPPs Transients Combining ARIMA Model and EBP Algorithm

This study introduces a novel identification method for recognition of nuclear power plants (NPPs) transients by combining the autoregressive integrated moving-average (ARIMA) model and the neural network with error backpropagation (EBP) learning algorithm. The proposed method consists of three steps. First, an EBP based identifier is adopted to distinguish the plant normal states from the faulty ones. In the second step, ARIMA models use integrated (I) process to convert non-stationary data of the selected variables into stationary ones. Subsequently, ARIMA processes, including autoregressive (AR), moving-average (MA), or autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) are used to forecast time series of the selected plant variables. In the third step, for identification the type of transients, the forecasted time series are fed to the modular identifier which has been developed using the latest advances of EBP learning algorithm. Bushehr nuclear power plant (BNPP) transients are probed to analyze the ability of the proposed identifier. Recognition of transient is based on similarity of its statistical properties to the reference one, rather than the values of input patterns. More robustness against noisy data and improvement balance between memorization and generalization are salient advantages of the proposed identifier. Reduction of false identification, sole dependency of identification on the sign of each output signal, selection of the plant variables for transients training independent of each other, and extendibility for identification of more transients without unfavorable effects are other merits of the proposed identifier.
Comparison of respiratory sensations induced by J receptor stimulation with lobeline in left handers & right handers.

We examined the hypothesis that right handers and left handers may differ in sensory perceptions and respiratory responses to J receptor stimulation with intravenous injections of lobeline HCl in incremental doses. The comparison was made between 6 right handers and 9 left handers (all males) for (i) the dose of lobeline required to produce sensory threshold (viz., first appearance of respiratory sensations) and cough threshold (first appearance of cough); and (ii) latency and duration of sensations for sensory and cough threshold. All these comparisons were not found to be significant statistically. The sensation of breathlessness, and feelings of drowsiness, giddiness and headache were perceived in 3 of the 9 left handers, and in none of the right handers, but the difference was not significant. Reflex bradycardia was recorded only in left handers (5 of 9). The time (sec) for cough threshold was negatively correlated to threshold dose of lobeline (r = -0.5, and P < 0.05). The left handers perceived cough at the threshold as more distressing as compared with right handers (VAS P < 0.05). In conclusion, handedness did not influence J receptor responses to i.v. lobeline.
Cancer risk with alemtuzumab following kidney transplantation

Alemtuzumab has been employed for induction therapy in kidney transplantation with low rates of acute rejection and excellent graft and patient survival. Antibody induction therapy has been linked to increased vulnerability to cancer. Data regarding malignancy rates with alemtuzumab are limited. We studied 1350 kidney transplant recipients (between 2001 and 2009) at the University of Pittsburgh Starzl Transplant Institute, for post‐transplant de novo and recurrent malignancy, excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer, among patients receiving alemtuzumab, thymoglobulin, and no induction therapies. Of the 1350 patients, 1002 (74.2%) received alemtuzumab, 205 (15.2%) received thymoglobulin, and 122 (9%) received no induction therapy. After excluding cancers occurring within 60 d post‐transplantation, 43 (3.25%) malignancies were observed during a median follow‐up time of 4.0 yr. The incidence of malignancy was 5.4% (1.09 per 100 patient‐years [PY]) with thymoglobulin, 2.8% (0.74 per 100 PY) with alemtuzumab, and 3.3% (0.66 per 100 PY) with no induction (across all groups; p = 0.2342, thymoglobulin vs. alemtuzumab; p = 0.008). Thus, with the exception of non‐melanoma skin cancer which we did not evaluate, alemtuzumab induction was not associated with increased cancer incidence post‐kidney transplantation when compared to no induction therapy and was associated with lower cancer incidence when compared to thymoglobulin.
Activation of hepatocyte growth factor/activin A/follistatin system during hemodialysis: role of heparin.

BACKGROUND Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), activin A, and follistatin compose an organotrophic system that may be modulated by heparin. We prospectively studied the effects of unfractionated heparin (UFH) versus low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) enoxaparin-anticoagulated hemodialysis on plasma levels of the cytokines. METHODS The factors were measured by immunoassays in 25 chronic hemodialysis patients at the start and at 10 and 180 minutes of the hemodialysis procedure anticoagulated with bolus enoxaparin. Then, the patients were randomized to either receive a bolus and infusion of UFH or to continue LMWH, and were reexamined after 12 weeks. RESULTS Predialysis HGF and follistatin were increased (both P < 0.0001), while activin A was normal in hemodialysis patients. Baseline HGF directly correlated with activin A in hemodialysis subjects (P=0.004). In healthy controls, it was positively associated with follistatin (P=0.001). Both HGF and activin A were markedly increased at each interval of enoxaparin-anticoagulated hemodialysis, and follistatin was increased at 10 minutes (all P < 0.0001). The early increments in HGF and follistatin directly depended on the dose of enoxaparin (both P < 0.030). Remarkably, the rise in activin A was inversely associated with the predialysis level of the cytokine (P < 0.0001). The actions of UFH resembled those of LMWH, although the releasing effects on the growth factors were not dose-dependent. The switch from LMWH to UFH resulted in a significant increase in over-dialysis HGF, a fall in follistatin, and no change in activin A. CONCLUSION HGF/activin A/follistatin system is activated and disturbed in chronic hemodialysis patients, including depletion of tissue stores of activin A. Type and dose of heparin used during hemodialysis procedures profoundly influence this pleiotropic system, and may thus modulate vital body functions and course of critical diseases.
Performance enhancement of partially- and fully-depleted strained-SOI MOSFETs and characterization of strained-Si device parameters

This paper demonstrates the successful fabrication of strained-SOI MOSFETs using SiGe on insulator (SGOI) substrates. 200mm SGOI wafer with Ge content of 30% is fabricated by Ge condensation technique. The performance enhancement over 14% is obtained in gate length of 70 nm. Furthermore, fully-depleted strained-SOI MOSFETs with back gate is demonstrated. Thin strained-Si layer can suppress the abnormal off leakage current due to the enhancement impurity diffusion.