Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of heterogeneity and shape on optical properties of urban dust based on three‐dimensional modeling of individual particles

We show the effect of composition heterogeneity and shape on the optical properties of urban dust particles based on the three‐dimensional spatial and optical modeling of individual particles. Using scanning electron microscopy/energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and focused ion beam (FIB) tomography, spatial models of particles collected in Los Angeles and Seattle accounted for surface features, inclusions, and voids, as well as overall composition and shape. Using voxel data from the spatial models and the discrete dipole approximation method, we report extinction efficiency, asymmetry parameter, and single‐scattering albedo (SSA). Test models of the particles involved (1) the particle's actual morphology as a single homogeneous phase and (2) simple geometric shapes (spheres, cubes, and tetrahedra) depicting composition homogeneity or heterogeneity (with multiple spheres). Test models were compared with a reference model, which included the particle's actual morphology and heterogeneity based on SEM/EDX and FIB tomography. Results show particle shape to be a more important factor for determining extinction efficiency than accounting for individual phases in a particle, regardless of whether absorption or scattering dominated. In addition to homogeneous models with the particles' actual morphology, tetrahedral geometric models provided better extinction accuracy than spherical or cubic models. For iron‐containing heterogeneous particles, the asymmetry parameter and SSA varied with the composition of the iron‐containing phase, even if the phase was <10% of the particle volume. For particles containing loosely held phases with widely varying refractive indexes (i.e., exhibiting “severe” heterogeneity), only models that account for heterogeneity may sufficiently determine SSA.
Mining Periodic-Frequent Itemsets with Approximate Periodicity Using Interval Transaction-Ids List Tree

Temporal periodicity of itemset appearance can be regarded as an important criterion for measuring the interestingness of itemsets in several application. A frequent itemset can be said periodic-frequent in a database if it appears at a regular interval given by the user. In this paper, we propose a concept of the approximate periodicity of each itemset. Moreover, a new tree-based data structure, called ITL-tree (Interval Transaction-ids List tree), is proposed. Our tree structure maintains an approximation of the occurrence information in a highly compact manner for the periodic-frequent itemsets mining. A pattern-growth mining is used to generate all of periodic-frequent itemsets by a bottom-up traversal of the ITL-tree for user-given periodicity and support thresholds. The performance study shows that our data structure is very efficient for mining periodic-frequent itemsets with approximate periodicity results.
EGF Potentiation of VEGF Production Is Cell Density Dependent in H292 EGFR Wild Type NSCLC Cell Line

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) affects millions of patients each year worldwide. Existing therapies include epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibition using small molecules or antibodies with good efficacy. Unfortunately, intrinsic and acquired resistance to EGFR therapy remains a persistent complication for disease treatment. A greater understanding of the role of EGFR in NSCLC etiology is crucial to improving patient outcomes. In this study, the role of EGFR in tumor angiogenesis was examined in H292 NSCLC cells under the pretense that confluent cells would exhibit a more angiogenic and growth-centered phenotype. Indeed, confluent H292 cells potentiated endothelial cell angiogenesis in co-culture models in an EGFR-dependent manner. While confluent H292 cells did not exhibit any change in EGFR protein expression, EGFR localization to the extracellular membrane was increased. EGFR membrane localization coincided with a comparable potentiation of maximal EGFR phosphorylation and was followed by a 3-fold increase in vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) production as compared to subconfluent cells. EGFR-mediated VEGF-A production was determined to be dependent on signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation and not phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling. These results identify unique cell density dependent phenotypes within a monoclonal NSCLC cell line and provide a potential mechanism of resistance to anti-EGFR therapy in metastatic NSCLC.
A 3D user interface for visualisation of Web-based data-sets

1. ABSTRACT The evolution of the Internet and the pronounced increase in spatial data supply means that new interfaces are required to improve access to geographical information. A 3D user-interface provides a powerful and intuitive mechanism to enable this by bringing the enhanced data exploration and multidimensional visualization capabilities of virtual environments to the desktop. Development of such interactive tools is enabled by linking scene content produced by the Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) with program code from JAVA, thereby allowing dynamic 3D content to be accessed through a Web browser. A prototype system has been developed which integrates a wide variety of terrain-based geoscience data-sets for scientific visualization and education. By developing a more flexible user interface, large diverse spatio-temporal data-sets can be explored for multi-disciplinary research and public information made more accessible across the InterneL
Correction: Estimating the Global Burden of Endemic Canine Rabies

There are a number of errors in Table 3. The table legend should read: Breakdown of economic costs of rabies by cluster in millions of USD. The headings for columns six, seven, and eight are incorrect. They should be in the following order: Dog vaccination, Dog population management, Livestock losses. Please see the correct Table 3 below. Table 3 Breakdown of economic costs of rabies by cluster in millions of USD.
3D spatial analysis of fMRI data: a comparison of ICA and GLM analysis on a word perception task

We discuss a comparative 3D spatial analysis of fMRI data taken during a combined word perception and motor task. We show that a classical GLM analysis using SPM does not yield reasonable results. Only with BSS techniques using the fastICA algorithm can we get meaningful and interesting results. The event-based experiment was part of a study to investigate the network of neurons involved in the perception of speech and the decoding of auditory speech stimuli. Corresponding to 4 different stimuli different independent components (IC) could be identified in the auditory cortex and, most interesting, an IC representing a network of 3 simultaneously active areas in the inferior frontal gyrus could be detected.
A variable instruction stream extension to the VLIW architecture

A Variable Instruction Stream processor architecture called XIMD is proposed. The XIMD structurally resembles a VLIW and shares many of the be@icial characteristics of VLIW; however, the XIMD architecture can dynamically partition its resources to support the concurrent execution of multiple instruction streams. The number of streams can vary from cycle to cyck to best suit each portion of the application. The XIMD concept and a comparison with other traditional architectures based on state machine models of control paths are presented. Several program examples further illustrate the capabilities of XIMD. A brief description of an XIMD prototype machine is included; details of this implementation are presented in another paper.
Clinical management of asthma in 1999: the Asthma Insights and Reality in Europe (AIRE) study.

To the Editor: We read with interest the article by Rabe et al . 1 and the editorial by Kips and Pauwels 2 in which the current level of asthma control in Europe, which has fallen far short of the goals for long term asthma management, was discussed. Kips and Pauwels 2 point out some important factors as to why asthma management is not …
Contextualizing Kuruçay Höyük: Assessing the Unexplored Late Chalcolithic Landscape Near the Beginning of Early Social Complexity in SW Turkey

ABSTRACT Kuruçay Höyük can be considered a key site for our understanding of Late Prehistory in southwest Turkey and above all, the poorly known Late Chalcolithic (4200–3100 b.c.). Until now, limited research has been conducted on the relationship between the excavated site and its surrounding. This article discusses the Late Chalcolithic results of an integrated survey in the vicinity of Kuruçay Höyük in the Burdur Plain. Drawing upon these results, this paper illustrates that the site was far from an isolated feature during the 4th millennium b.c. The picture that emerges is one of a differentiated settlement system consisting of both larger höyük/tell settlements (like Kuruçay Höyük) and smaller sized, possibly short-lived, flat settlements. These results are further contextualized within the developments that took place in the region during the Chalcolithic, which seem to have opened the door for communities to become more complex during the Early Bronze Age.
Sevoflurane Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Mediated Apoptosis in Hippocampal Neurons of Aging Rats

Elderly patients are more likely to suffer from postoperative memory impairment for volatile anesthetics could induce aging neurons degeneration and apoptosis while the mechanism was still elusive. Therefore we hypothesized that ER stress mediated hippocampal neurons apoptosis might play an important role in the mechanism of sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment in aged rats. Thirty 18-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups: the sham anesthesia group (exposure to simply humidified 30–50% O2 balanced by N2 in an acrylic anesthetizing chamber for 5 hours) and the sevoflurane anesthesia group (received 2% sevoflurane in the same humidified mixed air in an identical chamber for the same time). Spatial memory of rats was assayed by the Morris water maze test. The ultrastructure of the hippocampus was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expressions of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) and caspase-12 in the hippocampus were observed by immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR analysis. The apoptosis neurons were also assessed by TUNEL assay. The Morris water maze test showed that sevoflurane anesthesia induced spatial memory impairment in aging rats (P<0.05). The apoptotic neurons were condensed and had clumped chromatin with fragmentation of the nuclear membrane, verifying apoptotic degeneration in the sevoflurane group rats by TEM observation. The expressions of CHOP and caspase-12 increased, and the number of TUNEL positive cells of the hippocampus also increased in the sevoflurane group rats (P<0.05). The present results suggested that the long time exposure of sevoflurane could induce neuronal degeneration and cognitive impairment in aging rats. The ER stress mediated neurons apoptosis may play a role in the sevoflurane-induced memory impairment in aging rats.
Carcinoma of the Skin in Machine Tool Setters

Two cases of extensive squamous carcinoma of the scrotum are described in men who were working together as capstan lathe setters in the same workshop. The incidence of cancer of the skin is discussed with special reference to workers outside the cotton industry, and the importance of periodic medical examination of persons in contact with mineral oil is emphasized.
Theoretical study on time delay and Doppler stretch estimation of Chirp signal based on Wavelet-Cumulants

The algorithm of wavelet analysis can be used to estimate the time delay (TD) and Doppler stretch (DS) of Chirp signals, but it cannot suppress the effect of Gaussian noises. In this paper, a definition of fourth-order Wavelet-Cumulants is given by combining the wavelet and the forth-order cumulant. This method can be used in unknown Gaussian noise environment. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of this novel approach.
Shattered Health for Women: How Gender Roles Affect Health Socio-Economic Status Nexus Over Life Cycle?

The main objective of this paper is to assess the relationship between health and socio-economic status (SES) across ages by including gender roles for men and women. Although life expectancy of women is greater than men, women's average subjective health measure is worse and morbidity rates are higher. Gender roles in society would be one of the causes of this distinction. Gender roles are proxied by time spent in household work, childcare, active & passive leisure and employment. Mean comparison tests show that women spend more time in household work and childcare and less time in employment and leisure. By using the Time Use Survey for Turkey, the focus of the study is twofold; i) assessing the relationship between SES and subjective health status ii) determining the impact of gender roles along with SES on health status across ages. Results show that the bottom of the SES hierarchy in Turkey are in much worse health than those at the top and average health among men is better than women. A health gradient exists whether income, education or work status is used as indicators of SES. We observe relatively wide SES gradients in health in middle age and the narrowing of it in old ages implying some mixture of cumulative advantage hypothesis and age-as-leveler hypothesis operates through life cycles. When we depict health gradients according to gender roles, we observe that both men and women in the bottom quartile of time spent on household work and childcare and those in the top quartile of time spent on leisure have better health. Marginal effects of the probit estimation present that health and the SES relationship varies across life cycle. After correcting for endogeneity and introducing gender roles into the model, the effect of being male is still positive, but decreases. When the estimation is repeated separately for men and women, the impact of age and education on health is greater for women, household work has a negative impact on health of both men and women and time spent on childcare effect the health of men negatively. Active leisure increases the probability of good health of women whereas passive leisure does the same for men. Time spent on employment has a positive effect for men and is insignificant for women. The results suggest that if gender roles were to be more equal, the gap in health status between men and women would diminish.
[Effects of maternal folate deficiency on the methylation of insulin-like growth factor system in the offspring rats].

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of maternal folate deficiency on fetal growth and development and the methylation profiles of insulin-like growth factor system in the offspring rats. METHODS Twenty-two Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly assigned to two groups: a folate deficient group (n=12) and a control group (n=10). They were fed with folate deficient and normal diet respectively. Dams were mated after 2 weeks of feeding. Eight female rats from each group were pregnant. On the 20th day of gestation, the fetuses were delivered by caesarean section. Thirty-two fetal rats from each group were randomly selected and the body length and weight were measured. Eight fetal rats from each group were randomly selected and ELISA was used to measure the level of folate content, IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the fetal brain and liver. Three fetal rats from each group were randomly selected and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeDIP-Seq) was used to detect the methylation level of insulin-like growth factor system in the fetal brain and liver. ELISA was used to measure the level of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the maternal serum from both groups. RESULTS The mean fetal length and weight were lower in the folate deficient group than in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the maternal serum, as well as folate content and IGFBP-3 in the fetal brain and liver were significantly lower in the folate deficient group than in the control group (P<0.05). The methylation levels of IGF-1R, IGF-2R, IGFBP-2, IGFBP-5, IGFBP-6 and IGFBP-7 in the fetal brain were higher in the folate deficient group than in the control group (P<0.05). The methylation levels of IGF-1R, IGF-2R, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-5 in the fetal liver were higher in the folate deficient group than in the control group. The methylation of IGF-2 gene showed a significant reduction in the folate deficient group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Maternal folate deficiency may cause retardation of growth and development of the offspring, which is possibly associated with the changes of methylation profiles of insulin-like growth factors.
Serum tumor markers in bile duct cancer – a review

Abstract Context: Bile duct cancer (BDC) is a disease with a very grave prognosis, often diagnosed too late. Objective: The aim of this review is to evaluate available literature on tumor markers in serum from patients with BDC. Methods: Using the search words “serum markers”, “bile duct cancer”, “cholangiocarcinoma”, “biomarker” and “tumor marker”, a search was carried out. Results: Seventy-five studies were included in the review. Conclusion: CA19-9 is by far the most studied and most promising diagnostic and/or prognostic marker in BDC. But also the different mucins are interesting as new markers of BDC in serum.
Comparison of bevacizumab and ranibizumab in age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM To compare the effectiveness and safety between bevacizumab and ranibizumab in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS We performed a comprehensive search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs, case-control and cohort studies that compared bevacizumab and ranibizumab using PubMed and the Cochrane Library. After the related data were extracted by two investigators independently, pooled weighted mean differences (WMDs) and risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a random-effects or a fixed-effects model. RESULTS A total of four RCTs involving 1927 patients and eleven retrospective case series involving 2296 patients were included. For the primary outcomes, no significant differences were found between ranibizumab group and bevacizumab group in visual acuity (WMD: -0.04; 95%CI: -0.08 to 0.00; P=0.06), best corrected visual acuity (WMD: -0.05; 95%CI: -0.10 to 0.00; P=0.05), retina thickness (WMD: -4.69; 95%CI: -13.15 to 3.76; P=0.86) and foveal thickness (WMD: 10.91; 95%CI: -14.73 to 36.56; P=0.40). The pooled analyses in the evaluation of safety showed that compared to bevacizumab, ranibizumab was associated with decreased risks of ocular inflammation (RR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.89; P=0.02) and venous thrombotic events (RR: 0.27; 95%CI: 0.08 to 0.89; P=0.03). However, there were no significant differences observed in deaths (P=0.69) and arterial thromboembolic events (P=0.71) between the two groups. CONCLUSION With equal clinical efficacy, ranibizumab was found to be associated with less adverse events compared to bevacizumab, indicating that ranibizumab might be a safer management.
Differentiation-related expression of a major 64K corneal keratin in vivo and in culture suggests limbal location of corneal epithelial stem cells

In this paper we present keratin expression data that lend strong support to a model of corneal epithelial maturation in which the stem cells are located in the limbus, the transitional zone between cornea and conjunctiva. Using a new monoclonal antibody, AE5, which is highly specific for a 64,000-mol-wt corneal keratin, designated RK3, we demonstrate that this keratin is localized in all cell layers of rabbit corneal epithelium, but only in the suprabasal layers of the limbal epithelium. Analysis of cultured corneal keratinocytes showed that they express sequentially three major keratin pairs. Early cultures consisting of a monolayer of "basal" cells express mainly the 50/58K keratins, exponentially growing cells synthesize additional 48/56K keratins, and postconfluent, heavily stratified cultures begin to express the 55/64K corneal keratins. Cell separation experiments showed that basal cells isolated from postconfluent cultures contain predominantly the 50/58K pair, whereas suprabasal cells contain additional 55/64K and 48/56K pairs. Basal cells of the older, postconfluent cultures, however, can become AE5 positive, indicating that suprabasal location is not a prerequisite for the expression of the 64K keratin. Taken together, these results suggest that the acidic 55K and basic 64K keratins represent markers for an advanced stage of corneal epithelial differentiation. The fact that epithelial basal cells of central cornea but not those of the limbus possess the 64K keratin therefore indicates that corneal basal cells are in a more differentiated state than limbal basal cells. These findings, coupled with the known centripetal migration of corneal epithelial cells, strongly suggest that corneal epithelial stem cells are located in the limbus, and that corneal basal cells correspond to "transient amplifying cells" in the scheme of "stem cells----transient amplifying cells----terminally differentiated cells. "
Neuronal Group Selection Theory: A Grounding in Robotics

In this paper, we discuss a current attempt at applying the organizational principle Edelman calls Neuronal Group Selection to the control of a real, two-link robotic manipulator. We begin by motivating the need for an alternative to the position-control paradigm of classical robotics, and suggest that a possible avenue is to look at the primitive animal limb 'neurologically ballistic' control mode. We have been considering a selectionist approach to coordinating a simple perception-action task.
Diffuse Abnormality of Low to Moderately Organized White Matter in Schizophrenia

Increasing evidence suggests that abnormal white matter is central to the pathophysiology and, potentially, the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (SCZ). The spatial distribution of observed abnormalities and the type of white matter involved remain to be elucidated. Seventeen chronically ill individuals with SCZ and 17 age- and gender-matched controls were studied using a 3T magnetic resonance imaging diffusion tensor imaging protocol designed to examine the abnormalities of white matter by region and by level of architectural infrastructure as assessed by fractional anisotropy (FA) in native space. After assessing whole-brain FA, FA was divided into quartiles, capturing all brain regions with FA values from 0 to 0.25, 0.25 to 0.5, 0.5 to 0.75, and 0.75 to 1.0. Mean whole-brain FA was 4.6% smaller in the SCZ group than in healthy controls. This difference was largely accounted for by FA values from the second quartile (between 0.25 and 0.5). Second quartile FA was decreased in all 130 brain regions of the template in the SCZ group, with the difference reaching statistical significance in 41 regions. Correspondingly, the amount of brain tissue with an FA of ∼0.4 was significantly reduced in the SCZ group, while the amount of brain tissue falling in the lowest quartile of FA was increased. These findings strongly imply a diffuse loss of white matter integrity in SCZ. Our finding that the loss of integrity disproportionately involves white matter of low to moderate organization suggests an approach to the specificity of white matter abnormalities in SCZ based on microstructure rather than spatial distribution.