Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hearing improvement after bevacizumab in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2.

BACKGROUND Profound hearing loss is a serious complication of neurofibromatosis type 2, a genetic condition associated with bilateral vestibular schwannomas, benign tumors that arise from the eighth cranial nerve. There is no medical treatment for such tumors. METHODS We determined the expression pattern of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and three of its receptors, VEGFR-2, neuropilin-1, and neuropilin-2, in paraffin-embedded samples from 21 vestibular schwannomas associated with neurofibromatosis type 2 and from 22 sporadic schwannomas. Ten consecutive patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 and progressive vestibular schwannomas who were not candidates for standard treatment were treated with bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody. An imaging response was defined as a decrease of at least 20% in tumor volume, as compared with baseline. A hearing response was defined as a significant increase in the word-recognition score, as compared with baseline. RESULTS VEGF was expressed in 100% of vestibular schwannomas and VEGFR-2 in 32% of tumor vessels on immunohistochemical analysis. Before treatment, the median annual volumetric growth rate for 10 index tumors was 62%. After bevacizumab treatment in the 10 patients, tumors shrank in 9 patients, and 6 patients had an imaging response, which was maintained in 4 patients during 11 to 16 months of follow-up. The median best response to treatment was a volumetric reduction of 26%. Three patients were not eligible for a hearing response; of the remaining seven patients, four had a hearing response, two had stable hearing, and one had progressive hearing loss. There were 21 adverse events of grade 1 or 2. CONCLUSIONS VEGF blockade with bevacizumab improved hearing in some, but not all, patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 and was associated with a reduction in the volume of most growing vestibular schwannomas.
Murine coronavirus nonstructural protein ns2 is not essential for virus replication in transformed cells

Two isolates of the murine hepatitis virus (MHV) strain JHM, which differed in their ability to express the nonstructural gene product ns2, were characterized. The MHV Wb3 isolate encodes a 30,000-molecular-weight ns2 protein that can be readily detected in infected cells by using a specific monoclonal antibody, MAb 2A. The MHV Wb1 isolate is a deletion mutant that lacks a functional ns2 gene and the transcriptional signals required for the synthesis of an ns2 mRNA. However, there are no obviously significant differences in the growth of the MHV Wb1 and MHV Wb3 isolates in continuous cell lines or in the synthesis of viral mRNAs or proteins in infected cells. These results demonstrate that the ns2 gene product is not essential for MHV replication in transformed murine cells and suggests that the function of the ns2 gene may only be manifest in vivo.
A secure graphical authentication system using Watermark Embedding

Nowadays the most popular method for User Authentication is using Textual Password. This method has many drawbacks like dictionary attack, brute force attack etc. A secure text based password must be made using a combination of uppercase, lowercase, and special characters. Users have a tendency to choose weak text-based passwords, which are short and easy to remember. To overcome the drawbacks of text-based passwords, many picture-based passwords have been proposed. Picture based password systems often suffer from several problems, one of them is the shoulder surfing attack, ie, images that users choose as password are both easy for an attacker to watch by snooping over shoulders or by using a camera to record input and also predictable. An authentication system called PassMatrix is used to overcome the shoulder surfing attack. User has to choose images as their password during the registration phase and choose a pass-square per image. To secure the pass-images from the attackers, Generic Visible Watermark Embedding technique is used to blend a cover image and a pass-image. This method can be extended to secure web applications by using QR code.
A New Method of Partial Screw Augmentation in Sheep Vertebrae In Vitro: Biomechanical and Interfacial Evaluation

Study Design Partial screw augmentation was carried out by the injection of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) through the novel tap into the bone tissue in sheep vertebrae in vitro. Biomechanical tests and microcomputerized tomography analysis were done. Objective To evaluate the stability of the screw and the interface between the bone and the screw in partial screw augmentation. Summary of Background Data Augmentation of the pedicle screw with PMMA improves screw stability significantly. However, it results in the full envelopment of the screw by PMMA and the formation of a full “screw-PMMA-bone” interface, which may increase the difficulties in screw removal. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a novel method to augment screw fixation, which avoids full wrapping of PMMA around the screw and facilitates screw removal. We designed a novel tap with an inner hollow and the multiple lateral apertures. Methods A total of 78 fresh adult sheep lumbar vertebrae were randomly divided into 3 groups. No screw augmentation was performed in the control group. The pilot hole was filled with PMMA in the full screw augmentation group, whereas PMMA was injected through the tap into the bone tissue in the partial screw augmentation group. Pedicle screws were ultimately inserted into all the holes. Axial pullout tests, cyclic bending tests, and microcomputerized tomography analysis were carried out 24 hours after screw fixation. Results Both partial screw augmentation and full screw augmentation caused significant increase in pedicle screw stability compared with the control group in both the axial pullout tests and the cyclic bending resistance tests. Partial screw augmentation resulted in the formation of a partial “screw-bone” interface and a partial screw-PMMA-bone interface, which seems like 3 anchors or roots extending and fixing in the bone tissue in a cross section of the interface. It was obviously different from the complete screw-PMMA-bone interface with a complete PMMA mantle around the screw in the full screw augmentation group. Conclusions Our proof-of-concept study showed that partial screw augmentation could enhance pedicle screw fixation strength, avoided the full surrounding of the PMMA around the screw, and generated a partial screw-PMMA-bone and a partial screw-bone interface. Partial screw augmentation may be a potential method to augment pedicle screw stability.
A Functional Implementation Approach for Web Services-Based Context-Aware Systems

In a largely scalable Web services-based environment, context-awareness is concerned with reasoning about the surrounding well-defined context and adapting the interpreted services accordingly (almost) on the server-side, and finally distributing the services to clients in a reliable way through trustworthy network protocols. Most of Web services-based context-aware applications are either partially or fully implemented within object-oriented programming paradigm based on their middleware or frameworks. To facilitate handling of run-time requirements for the said services systems, in this paper we present a functional programming approach along with context-oriented programming techniques for services development. A case study will be carried out to evaluate the overall approach.
Precise Statements of Convergence for AdaBoost and arc-gv

We present two main results, the first concerning Freund and Schapire’s AdaBoost algorithm, and the second concerning Breiman’s arc-gv algorithm. Our discussion of AdaBoost revolves around a circumstance called the case of “bounded edges”, in which AdaBoost’s convergence properties can be completely understood. Specifically, our first main result is that if AdaBoost’s “edge” values fall into a small interval, a corresponding interval can be found for the asymptotic margin. A special case of this result closes an open theoretical question of Rätsch and Warmuth. Our main result concerning arc-gv is a convergence rate to a maximum margin solution. Both of these results are derived from an important tool called the “smooth margin”, which is a differentiable approximation of the true margin for boosting algorithms.
The difficulty in implementing TQM in higher education instruction: The duality of instructor/student roles

Purpose – The applicability of total quality management (TQM) to higher education instruction is controversial. The purpose of this paper is to help clarify the application of TQM to higher education instruction by identifying and analyzing the dual roles played by both students and instructors. The authors also offer an improvement to the instructor evaluation process designed to eliminate some of the negative effects of the duality of roles.Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper discussing some of the shortcomings in previous discussions of the applicability of TQM to higher education instruction. In addition, it introduces the concept of the dual roles of students (customers/grade‐seekers) and faculty (suppliers/retention‐seekers), and analyzes their relationship to, and effect on, the evaluation of the educational process through the interaction of these dual roles.Practical implications – This paper helps understand more fully the student/instructor roles and will contribute to a be.
Attitudes des Français à l'égard de l'immigration étrangère. Enquête d'opinion publique

Résumé La France est, depuis longtemps déjà, un pays d'immigration. Cependant au lendemain de la guerre, la reprise de la natalité pouvait donner à penser que cet apport étranger n'aurait plus la même nécessité. Cependant l'immigration a repris ces dernières années, à un rythme important, selon un mouvement commun à plusieurs pays d'Europe occidentale, qui résulte, pour une large part, de la difficulté de trouver des travailleurs nationaux, pour certaines tâches ou professions. Cette immigration soulève divers problèmes juridiques, économiques, sociaux, démographiques. L'I.N. E.D. a toujours suivi ces questions et des études ont paru régulièrement, soit dans Population {articles divers, notes, chronique de l'immigration), soit dans ses Travaux et documents. La section de psycho-sociologie a conduit, en décembre 1970- janvier 1971, une enquête spécifique destinée à observer l'état et l'évolution de l'opinion publique à l'égard de l'immigration étrangère. M. Alain Girard présente et analyse les principaux résultats de cette étude, dont l'exploitation a été assurée par Mme Françoise Vallot.
Ubiquitin‐assisted dissection of protein transport across membranes.

We describe a new way to analyze targeting in protein translocation. A fusion in which ubiquitin (Ub) is positioned between a signal sequence and a reporter domain is cleaved by Ub‐specific proteases (UBPs) in the cytosol unless the fusion can ‘escape’ into a compartment such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The critical step involves rapid folding of the newly formed Ub moiety, which precludes its translocation and makes possible its cleavage by UBPs. However, if a sufficiently long spacer is present between the signal sequence and Ub, then by the time the Ub polypeptide emerges from the ribosome, the latter is already docked at the transmembrane channel, allowing the translocation of both the Ub and reporter domains of the fusion into the ER. We show that Ub fusions can be used as in vivo probes for kinetic and stochastic aspects of targeting in protein translocation, for distinguishing directly between cotranslational and posttranslational translocation, and for comparing the strengths of different signal sequences. This method should also be applicable to non‐ER translocation.
A Level-wise Hierarchical Document Clustering method for Categorization

For document categorization, numerous words appearing in similar documents are divided into stopwords and keywords and to precisely describe documentary characteristics, documents are expressed by keywords without stopwords. For enhanced clustering precision, this paper proposed SHODC algorithm, a seed cluster-based hierarchical document clustering method, and DHODC method through domain stopwrod removal and tree structure expansion for document categorization. Through several experiments, it was found that the deeper the domain levels, the more precise results were produced by the suggested method compared to other algorithm. The suggested algorithm.
How to Conduct Distributed IncompletePattern Matching

In this paper, we first propose a very interesting and practical problem, pattern matching in a distributed mobile environment. Pattern matching is a well-known problem and extensive research has been conducted for performing effective and efficient search. However, previous proposed approaches assume that data are centrally stored, which is not the case in a mobile environment (e.g., mobile phone networks), where one person's pattern could be separately stored in a number of different stations, and such a local pattern is incomplete compared with the global pattern. A simple solution to pattern matching over a mobile environment is to collect all the data distributed in base stations to a data center and conduct pattern matching at the data center afterwards. Clearly, such a simple solution will raise huge amount of communication traffic, which could cause the communication bottleneck brought by the limited wireless bandwidth to be even worse. Therefore, a communication efficient and search effective solution is necessary. In our work, we present a novel solution which is based on our well-designed weighted bloom filter (WBF), called, Distributed Incomplete pattern matching ( DI-matching), to find target patterns over a distributed mobile environment. Specifically, to save communication cost and ensure pattern matching in distributed incomplete patterns, we use WBF to encode a query pattern and disseminate the encoded data to each base station. Each base station conducts a local pattern search according to the received WBF. Only qualified IDs and corresponding weights in each base station are sent to the data center for aggregation and verification. Through non-trivial theoretical analysis and extensive empirical experiments on a real city-scale mobile networks data set, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed solutions.
Knowledge of Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attack and Stroke among Singapore Residents

Aim. To determine the level of knowledge of signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke in Singapore resident population, in comparison to the global community. Methods. A population based, random sample of 7,840 household addresses was selected from a validated national sampling frame. Each participant was asked eight questions on signs and symptoms of heart attack and 10 questions on stroke. Results. The response rate was 65.2% with 4,192 respondents. The level of knowledge for preselected, common signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke was 57.8% and 57.1%, respectively. The respondents scored a mean of 5.0 (SD 2.4) out of 8 for heart attack, while they scored a mean of 6.8 (SD 2.9) out of 10 for stroke. Respondents who were ≥50 years, with lower educational level, and unemployed/retired had the least knowledge about both conditions. The level of knowledge of signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke in Singapore is comparable to USA and Canada. Conclusion. We found a comparable knowledge of stroke and heart attack signs and symptoms in the community to countries within the same economic, educational, and healthcare strata. However older persons, those with lower educational level and those who are unemployed/retired, require more public health education efforts.
Activated platelets present high mobility group box 1 to neutrophils, inducing autophagy and promoting the extrusion of neutrophil extracellular traps

Increasing evidence implicates both platelets and neutrophils in the formation, stabilization, and growth of peripheral and coronary thrombi. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a key role. The early events in the deregulated cross‐talk between platelets and neutrophils are poorly characterized.
Tree water status and growth of saplings and mature Norway spruce (Picea abies) at a dry distribution limit

We evaluated the size effect on stem water status and growth in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ) occurring at the edge of its natural range in a dry inner Alpine environment (750 m asl, Tyrol, Austria). Intra-annual dynamics of stem water deficit (ΔW), maximum daily shrinkage (MDS), and radial growth (RG) were compared among saplings (stem diameter/height: 2.2 cm/93 cm; n = 7) and mature adult trees (25 cm/12.7 m; n = 6) during 2014. ΔW, MDS, and RG were extracted from stem diameter variations, which were continuously recorded by automatic dendrometers and the influence of environmental drivers was evaluated by applying moving correlation analysis (MCA). Additionally, we used Morlet wavelet analysis to assess the differences in cyclic radial stem variations between saplings and mature trees. Results indicate that saplings and mature trees were experiencing water limitation throughout the growing season. However, saplings exhibited a more strained stem water status and higher sensitivity to environmental conditions than mature trees. Hence, the significantly lower radial increments in saplings (0.16 ± 0.03 mm) compared to mature trees (0.54 ± 0.14 mm) is related to more constrained water status in the former, affecting the rate and duration of RG. The wavelet analysis consistently revealed more distinct diurnal stem variations in saplings compared to mature trees. Intra-annual RG was most closely related to climate variables that influence transpiration, i.e., vapor pressure deficit, relative air humidity, and air temperature. MCA, however, showed pronounced instability of climate–growth relationships, which masked missing temporal or significant correlations when the entire study period (April–October) was considered. We conclude that an increase in evaporative demand will impair regeneration and long-term stability of drought-prone inner Alpine Norway spruce forests.
Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract induced mitochondria-associated apoptosis in human acute myeloid leukaemia 14.3D10 cells.

在癌症治疗的重要目的是没有损坏健康房间的癌症房间的选择杀死，大多数通常使用化疗因为消除癌症被激活 mitochondrial apoptotic 小径完成。 因此，能有选择地杀死癌症房间的新代理人的鉴定在癌症变得关键临床的治疗。
Catechol Siderophore Transport by Vibrio cholerae

ABSTRACT Siderophores, small iron-binding molecules secreted by many microbial species, capture environmental iron for transport back into the cell. Vibrio cholerae synthesizes and uses the catechol siderophore vibriobactin and also uses siderophores secreted by other species, including enterobactin produced by Escherichia coli. E. coli secretes both canonical cyclic enterobactin and linear enterobactin derivatives likely derived from its cleavage by the enterobactin esterase Fes. We show here that V. cholerae does not use cyclic enterobactin but instead uses its linear derivatives. V. cholerae lacked both a receptor for efficient transport of cyclic enterobactin and enterobactin esterase to promote removal of iron from the ferrisiderophore complex. To further characterize the transport of catechol siderophores, we show that the linear enterobactin derivatives were transported into V. cholerae by either of the catechol siderophore receptors IrgA and VctA, which also transported the synthetic siderophore MECAM [1,3,5-N,N′,N″-tris-(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)-triaminomethylbenzene]. Vibriobactin is transported via the additional catechol siderophore receptor ViuA, while the Vibrio fluvialis siderophore fluvibactin was transported by all three catechol receptors. ViuB, a putative V. cholerae siderophore-interacting protein (SIP), functionally substituted for the E. coli ferric reductase YqjH, which promotes the release of iron from the siderophore in the bacterial cytoplasm. In V. cholerae, ViuB was required for the use of vibriobactin but was not required for the use of MECAM, fluvibactin, ferrichrome, or the linear derivatives of enterobactin. This suggests the presence of another protein in V. cholerae capable of promoting the release of iron from these siderophores. IMPORTANCE Vibrio cholerae is a major human pathogen and also serves as a model for the Vibrionaceae, which include other serious human and fish pathogens. The ability of these species to persist and acquire essential nutrients, including iron, in the environment is epidemiologically important but not well understood. In this work, we characterize the ability of V. cholerae to acquire iron by using siderophores produced by other organisms. We resolve confusion in the literature regarding its ability to use the Escherichia coli siderophore enterobactin and identify the receptor and TonB system used for the transport of several siderophores. The use of some siderophores did not require the ferric reductase ViuB, suggesting that an uncharacterized ferric reductase is present in V. cholerae.
The cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to multiple hepatitis B virus polymerase epitopes during and after acute viral hepatitis

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are thought to contribute to viral clearance and liver cell injury during hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Using a strategy involving the in vitro stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with HBV-derived synthetic peptides containing HLA-A2.1, -A31, and -Aw68 binding motifs, we have previously described CTL responses to several epitopes within the HBV nucleocapsid and envelope antigens in patients with acute hepatitis. In this study we define six HLA-A2-restricted CTL epitopes located in the highly conserved reverse transcriptase and RNase H domains of the viral polymerase protein, and we show that the CTL response to polymerase is polyclonal, multispecific, and mediated by CD8+ T cells in patients with acute viral hepatitis, but that it is not detectable in patients with chronic HBV infection or uninfected healthy blood donors. Importantly, the peptide-activated CTL recognize target cells that express endogenously synthesized polymerase protein, suggesting that these peptides represent naturally processed viral epitopes. DNA sequence analysis of the viruses in patients who did not respond to peptide stimulation indicated that CTL nonresponsiveness was not due to infection by viral variants that differed in sequences from the synthetic peptides. CTL specific for one of the epitopes were unable to recognize several naturally occurring viral variants, except at high peptide concentration, underlining the HBV subtype specificity of this response. Furthermore, CTL responses against polymerase, core, and envelope epitopes were detectable for more than a year after complete clinical recovery and seroconversion, reflecting either the persistence of trace amounts of virus or the presence of long lived memory CTL in the absence of viral antigen. Finally, we demonstrated that wild type viral DNA and RNA can persist indefinitely, in trace quantities, in the serum and PBMC after complete clinical and serological recovery, despite a concomitant, vigorous, and sustained polyclonal CTL response. Since viral persistence is not due to escape from CTL recognition under these conditions, the data suggest that HBV may retreat into immunologically privileged sites from which it can seed the circulation and reach CTL-inaccessible tissues, thereby maintaining the CTL response in apparently cured individuals and, perhaps, prolonging the liver disease in patients with chronic hepatitis.
The Singularity: a Philosophical Analysis

What happens when machines become more intelligent than humans? One view is that this event will be followed by an explosion to ever-greater levels of intelligence, as each generation of machines creates more intelligent machines in turn. This intelligence explosion is now often known as the “singularity”. The basic argument here was set out by the statistician I. J. Good in his 1965 article “Speculations Concerning the First Ultraintelligent Machine”: