Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reactive oxygen species modulator 1 (Romo1) as a novel diagnostic marker for lung cancer-related malignant effusion

Abstract Reactive oxygen species modulator 1 (Romo1) is a novel protein that plays an important role in intracellular reactive oxygen species generation. Recently, Romo1 has been suggested to have diagnostic and prognostic potential in lung cancer. However, there is no data on the diagnostic value of Romo1 level in malignant pleural effusion. We evaluated the clinical usefulness of Romo1 in pleural fluid for the diagnosis of malignant effusion in lung cancer patients. Pleural fluid Romo1 level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared between lung cancer-associated malignant effusion (n = 53; 29 adenocarcinomas and 24 squamous cell carcinomas) and benign pleural effusions (n = 91; 31 tuberculous pleurisy, 30 parapneumonic effusion, and 30 transudate). The discriminative power of Romo1 for lung cancer-associated malignant effusion was determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and compared with those of other tumor markers. Median Romo1 level in lung cancer-associated malignant effusion was 99.3 ng/mL, which was significantly higher than that in benign pleural effusions (P < 0.001). The optimal cutoff value of Romo1 to discriminate lung cancer-associated malignant effusion from benign effusions was 67.0 ng/mL with a sensitivity of 73.8% and a specificity of 84.1%. The area under the curve was 0.837 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.750–0.886), which was significantly better than that of cytokeratin 19 fragments (P < 0.001). Pleural fluid Romo1 could discriminate lung cancer from benign diseases with considerable sensitivity and specificity. Our findings suggest a diagnostic potential of Romo1 for lung cancer-associated malignant effusion.
Improved Phone Posterior Estimation Through k-NN and MLP-Based Similarity

In this work, we investigate the possible use of k-nearest neighbour (kNN) classifiers to perform frame-based acoustic phonetic classification, hence replacing Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) or MultiLayer Perceptrons (MLP) used in standard Hidden Markov Models (HMMs). The driving motivation behind this idea is the fact that kNN is known to be an "optimal" classifier if a very large amount of training data is available (replacing the training of functional parameters by plain memorization of the training examples) and the correct distance metric is found. Nowadays, amount of training data is no longer an issue. In the current work, we thus specifically focused on the "correct" distance metric, mainly using an MLP to compute the probability that two input feature vectors are part of the same phonetic class or not. This MLP output can thus be used as a distance metric for kNN. While providing a "universal" distance metric, this work also enabled us to consider the speech recognition problem under a different angle, simply formulated in terms of hypothesis tests: "Given two feature vectors, what is the probability that these belong to the same (phonetic) class or not? ". Actually, one of the main goals of the present thesis finally boils down to one interesting question: “Is it easier to classify feature vectors into C phonetic classes or to tell whether or not two feature vectors belong to the same class? ”. This work was done with standard acoustic features as inputs (PLP) and with posterior features (resulting of another pre-training MLP). Both feature sets indeed exhibit different properties and metric spaces. For example, while the use of posteriors as input is motivated by the fact that they are speaker and environment independent (so they capture much of the phonetic information contained in the signal), they are also no longer Gaussian distributed. When showing mathematically that using the MLP as a similarity measure makes sense, we discovered that this measure was equivalent to a very simple metric that can be analytically computed without needing the use of an MLP. This new type of measure is in fact the scalar product between two posterior feature vectors. Experiments have been conducted on hypothesis tests and on kNN classification. Results of the hypothesis tests show that posterior feature vectors achieve better performance than acoustic feature vectors. Moreover, the use of the scalar product leads to better performance than the use of all other metrics (including the MLP-based distance metric), whatever the input features.
Reduction of Lower Palpebral Bulge by Plicating Attenuated Orbital Septa: A Technical Modification in Cosmetic Blepharoplasty

Bulging of the lower eyelid is regarded as a sign of aging. “Herniation” of the periorbital fat pads is traditionally regarded as the factor responsible for the change. Excision of fat pads, therefore, has been the mainstay of treatment in reducing the palpebral bulge in cosmetic blepharoplasty. The surgical excision of “excess” and “herniated” fat pads, however, causes problems such as lid ecchymosis, chemosis, lid contour irregularity, ectropion, and retrobulbar hematoma formation. The author proposes that the loss of fat pad support caused by the attenuation of the orbital septa, not herniation of the excess fat pads, is the major factor responsible for the bulge. The author further proposes that the functional integrity of the orbital septum can be restored by plicating the attenuated orbital septa with 5-0 absorbable sutures. This technique of invaginating the protruded fat pad was performed in 138 individuals (276 lower eyelids). The operation was technically simple, and the approach was “tissue friendly. ” The results obtained, with the exception of a mild degree of puffiness encountered soon after the surgery, were satisfactory. Morbidity was minimal.
The parkinson's complex: Parkinsonism is just the tip of the iceberg

A 78-year-old man presented with a 15-year history of chronic constipation. At age 68, he experienced a nearcomplete loss of his sense of smell. Recently, he has developed an unusual sleep disorder, characterized by abrupt and at times combative behavior during the night that has resulted in injury to his spouse on two separate occasions; he is referred to a sleep disorders clinic. For most physicians, this medical history would not immediately bring Parkinson’s disease (PD) to mind. Yet, accumulating clinical and pathological evidence suggests it should. The traditional “textbook” description of PD defines the disease as a progressive disorder characterized by the triad of rigidity, bradykinesia, and rest tremor. A large body of evidence suggests that these features are due to degeneration of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal system. Although these clinical features typically lead a patient to the door of the neurologist, it is now increasingly clear that parkinsonism is only one aspect of a multifaceted and complex disorder. Furthermore, it is increasing clear that at least some of these nonparkinsonian features can precede the onset of parkinsonism by years and perhaps even decades. This essay argues that parkinsonism represents the disease as seen through the somewhat myopic lens of the neurologist, whereas in reality, parkinsonism only represents the tip of the iceberg that makes up this diverse disease (Fig 1). If one accepts this view, then the time has come to radically rethink the complex of features that constitute the disorder, which might be better viewed as a “centrosympathomyenteric neuronopathy. ” The implications of this thesis are of more than academic importance. A failure to reevaluate how we view this disease at a time when our knowledge about its clinical and pathological features is expanding rapidly will adversely affect not only efforts to improve the diagnosis and management of the patients that we care for, but also is likely to impede research into the cause of the disease and attempts to slow or halt its progression.
Bibliometric perspectives on medical innovation using the medical subject Headings of PubMed

Multiple perspectives on the nonlinear processes of medical innovations can be distinguished and combined using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) of the MEDLINE database. Focusing on three main branches—“diseases,” “drugs and chemicals,” and “techniques and equipment”—we use base maps and overlay techniques to investigate the translations and interactions and thus to gain a bibliometric perspective on the dynamics of medical innovations. To this end, we first analyze the MEDLINE database, the MeSH index tree, and the various options for a static mapping from different perspectives and at different levels of aggregation. Following a specific innovation (RNA interference) over time, the notion of a trajectory which leaves a signature in the database is elaborated. Can the detailed index terms describing the dynamics of research be used to predict the diffusion dynamics of research results? Possibilities are specified for further integration between the MEDLINE database on one hand, and the Science Citation Index and Scopus (containing citation information) on the other. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A retro-directive UHF RFID tag on paper substrate

In this paper, a retro-directive RFID topology is proposed, in order to improve the range of passive RFID tags. The use of a paper substrate permits to obtain low-cost, flexible and easy-to-fabricate circuits. First, the single element of the retro-directive array is proposed, consisting of a dipole with an inductive loop that guarantees the desired impedance matching between the antenna and the RFID chip; then, an array of two dipoles in a Van Atta configuration is presented. The two designs were evaluated by measuring the power received by a reader, for different incidence angles of the signal; the two-element approach showed a 7 dB improvement in the radar cross section at broadside, and less degradation of the received signal level as the angle of incidence moves from the broadside direction.
microRNAs and the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism

Over recent years, metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes have finally become recognized as a major challenge to global health. The attention of scientists therefore has to focus on improving our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind these diseases and towards the design of new drug therapy strategies. The pathophysiology of diabetes is undoubtedly complex, oftentimes characterized by varying states of insulin resistance and impaired β‐cell function; however, the identification of new pathways is constantly improving our understanding of the disease. We and others have recently shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) can play a role in insulin secretion and glucose homostasis. Thus, in this review, we will discuss the potential role of miRNAs in type 2 diabetes and related metabolic diseases.
Sandflies of the Phlebotomus perniciosus complex: mitochondrial introgression and a new sibling species of P. longicuspis in the Moroccan Rif

Abstract. The bloodsucking adult females of Phlebotomus perniciosus Newstead and P. longicuspis Nitzulescu (Diptera: Psychodidae) are important vectors of the protozoan Leishmania infantum Nicolle (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) in western Mediterranean countries. The species status of the two phlebotomine sandflies was assessed, along with the epidemiological implications. Individual sandflies from three Moroccan Rif populations were characterized morphologically, isoenzymatically (by the isoelectrofocusing of alleles at the polymorphic enzyme loci of HK, GPI and PGM), and by comparative DNA sequence analysis of a fragment of mitochondrial Cytochrome b (mtDNA). By reference to the character profiles of specimens from other locations, including southern Spain and the type‐locality countries, the Moroccan flies were placed in three lineages: first, the lineage of P. perniciosus, which contained two mtDNA sublineages, one (pnt) widely distributed and associated with the morphology of the male types from Malta, and the other (pna) associated with a P. longicuspis‐like male morphology; second, the lineage of P. longicuspis sensu stricto, including typical forms from Tunisia; and third, a new sibling species of P. longicuspis. The mtDNA sublineage (pnt) of typical P. perniciosus was also found in some P. longicuspis from Morocco, indicating interspecific hybridization. The typical race of P. perniciosus occurs in Italy as well as in Malta, Tunisia and Morocco. It is replaced in southern Spain by the Iberian race (with the pni mtDNA sublineage). The discovery of interspecific gene introgression and a new sibling species mean that previous records of the two morphospecies do not necessarily reflect their true vectorial roles or geographical and ecological distributions.
Spiritual Practices on College and University Campuses: Understanding the Concepts - Broadening the Context

Abstract In examining the changing landscape of spirituality and spiritual practice on college and university campuses today, questions need to be considered about both the core concept of spirituality and the context in which spirituality relates to education. This article examines both the concept of and context for spirituality in higher education and seeks to describe the broad world of spiritual practices on today’s campuses both in terms of what people are practicing and where these practices are taking place. An example of a week of spiritual practices at Wellesley College during fall 2012 illustrates the dramatic changes that have taken place on many campuses across the country related to the diversity of spiritual practices in the lives of students, faculty, and staff. The concept of spirituality- defined as those humanistic, religious, and spiritual beliefs and practices through which a person seeks to find meaning and purpose as they deepen their understanding of self, other and world-is explored and a case made for the breadth of this definition. Issues of spirituality as a key identity-forming aspect of many students’ experiences are considered together with spiritual practice as an important factor affecting students’ social location and their communication with other students who are members of different groups. Spirituality and spiritual practice on our campuses are increasingly seen as educational issues, important to the lives and learning of our students. Spirituality broadly defined and the associated practices through which students seek meaning and purpose will continue to be woven into the fabric of an excellent, integrated educational experience in the coming decades.
The Epistemic‐Ontic Circular Causation and Continuity Model of Socio‐scientific Reality The Knowledge Premiss

Undertakes an epistemological formulation of ethico‐economics. This formulation challenges the neo‐classical and macroeconomic foundations of mainstream economics and then presents the rigorously analytical depths of ethico‐economics. Traces the developments, the praxis of the rational precept of economic science from its Hellenic roots as this found inroads into the thinking of the classical, Austrian institutionalists and political economists. Shows to be logically flawed several areas of general equilibrium and market equilibrium relations that we face without question in a pedagogical presentation of economic theory. Even the microeconomic and macroeconomic dichotomy is a kind of duality in economic reasoning that has the traces of Kantian dualism in it. Hence, in none of the received economic doctrines the circular cause and effect of the epistemic and the ontic roots of human reasoning are unified together to give a truly interactive view of economic activities embedded within the larger ecological .
Type I intermittency in a dynamical system with dichotomous parameter change

In type I intermittency, simple models known for at least twenty years show that a characteristic u-shaped probability distribution is obtained for the laminar phase length. We have shown elsewhere that, for some cases of pathology, the laminar phase length distribution characteristic for type I intermittency may be obtained in human heart rate variability data. The heart and its regulatory systems are presumed to be both noisy and nonstationary. Although the effect of additive noise on the laminar phase distribution in type I intermittency is well known, neither the effect of multiplicative noise nor of nonstationarity (i.e. changes of the control parameter with the time) have been studied. In this paper, we first discuss the properties of two classes of models of type I intermittency: a) the control parameter of the logistic map is changed dichotomously from a value within the intermittency range to just below the bifurcation point and back; b) the control parameter is changed randomly within the same parameter range as in the model class a). We show that the properties of both models are importantly different from those obtained for type I intermittency in the presence additive noise as obtained by Hirsch twenty years ago. The two models help explain some of the features seen in the intermittency in human heart rate variability.
A Hierarchical Two-Tier Information Management Architecture for Mobile Ad-Hoc Grid Environments

A novel management layer architecture for mobile grid environments and ad-hoc networks is presented. We address a key challenge in dynamic mobile environments with a high degree of fluctuation in the hardware infrastructure: how to store information persistently and at the same time efficiently. Most currently available approaches are based on replication strategies. These strategies achieve persistency even in highly dynamic environments, but have to pay a high price in terms of redundancy. Our proposed architecture is based on the adaptation of fault-tolerant data distribution strategies utilizing erasure codes, such as RAID or Reed-Solomon, and thus combines persistency with high storage efficiency.
Atherosclerotic plaque development and instability: A dual role for VEGF

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent growth factor for endothelial cells and inducer of angiogenesis, is important for endothelial integrity and thus for vascular function. On the other hand, VEGF may enhance the pathophysiologic mechanism of plaque formation and plaque destabilization. In this review we discuss the data available so far for VEGF as angiogenic and/or inflammatory cytokine in the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque.
Mucous membrane grafting.

INTRODUCTION We review the use of mucous membrane grafting in the clinical management of dry eye-associated ocular surface disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS Literature review of the scientific evidence, presentation of guidelines and surgical details. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION The reformation and maintenance of a conjunctival fornix requires the addition of epithelial tissue, or a basement membrane which can be populated by healthy host epithelial cells. A healthy conjunctival or tarsal autograft, when available, is the ideal material. Oral mucosa does not contain goblet cells and therefore does not supplement the tear film: a full-thickness oral mucous membrane graft is the simplest graft to use if conjunctiva or tarsus is not available. Split-thickness mucosal grafts contract more, but are less bulky and pink than full-thickness grafts, and therefore should be used on the globe. Hard palate grafts are the thickest oral mucosal grafts and contract the least. Nasal mucosal grafts contain goblet cells that may contribute mucous to the tear film. This is maximised in turbinate mucosal grafts, which can relieve discomfort in extreme dry eye situations. Nasal septal cartilage contains fewer goblet cells, but adds rigidity. Amniotic membrane is thin and translucent-like conjunctiva, and possesses antiangiogenic, antiscarring and anti-inflammatory properties. It may become re-epithelialised with normal a conjunctival cell population and prevent postoperative cicatrisation, but requires the presence of healthy conjunctival stem cells to repopulate the graft, adequate lacrimal function to keep the graft moist, and a host site that is free from inflammation, otherwise it rapidly contracts. It can be combined with limbal transplantation and with an adjunctive antimetabolite.
CrebA regulates secretory activity in the Drosophila salivary gland and epidermis

Understanding how organs acquire the capacity to perform their respective functions is important for both cell and developmental biology. Here, we have examined the role of early-expressed transcription factors in activating genes crucial for secretory function in the Drosophila salivary gland. We show that expression of genes encoding proteins required for ER targeting and translocation, and proteins that mediate transport between the ER and Golgi is very high in the early salivary gland. This high level expression requires two early salivary gland transcription factors; CrebA is required throughout embryogenesis and Fkh is required only during late embryonic stages. As Fkh is required to maintain late CrebA expression in the salivary gland, Fkh probably works through CrebA to affect secretory pathway gene expression. In support of these regulatory interactions, we show that CrebA is important for elevated secretion in the salivary gland. Additionally, CrebA is required for the expression of the secretory pathway genes in the embryonic epidermis, where CrebA had previously been shown to be essential for cuticle development. We show that zygotic mutations in several individual secretory pathway genes result in larval cuticle phenotypes nearly identical to those of CrebA mutants. Thus, CrebA activity is linked to secretory function in multiple tissues.
On the Functional Significance of the P1 and N1 Effects to Illusory Figures in the Notch Mode of Presentation

The processing of Kanizsa figures have classically been studied by flashing the full “pacmen” inducers at stimulus onset. A recent study, however, has shown that it is advantageous to present illusory figures in the “notch” mode of presentation, that is by leaving the round inducers on screen at all times and by removing the inward-oriented notches delineating the illusory figure at stimulus onset. Indeed, using the notch mode of presentation, novel P1and N1 effects have been found when comparing visual potentials (VEPs) evoked by an illusory figure and the VEPs to a control figure whose onset corresponds to the removal of outward-oriented notches, which prevents their integration into one delineated form. In Experiment 1, we replicated these findings, the illusory figure was found to evoke a larger P1 and a smaller N1 than its control. In Experiment 2, real grey squares were placed over the notches so that one condition, that with inward-oriented notches, shows a large central grey square and the other condition, that with outward-oriented notches, shows four unconnected smaller grey squares. In response to these “real” figures, no P1 effect was found but a N1 effect comparable to the one obtained with illusory figures was observed. Taken together, these results suggest that the P1 effect observed with illusory figures is likely specific to the processing of the illusory features of the figures. Conversely, the fact that the N1 effect was also obtained with real figures indicates that this effect may be due to more global processes related to depth segmentation or surface/object perception.