Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oral vinorelbine plus capecitabine (oral vincap) combination in patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC). A phase II study of the GOIM (Gruppo Oncologico dell'Italia Meridionale).

BACKGROUND Vinorelbine i.v. and capecitabine are two of the most effective single agents in previously treated advanced breast cancer (ABC). A number of studies have been reported with the combination of these agents. Actually, the availability of oral formulation for vinorelbine allows a full oral combination of the two agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the activity and toxicity of this novel combination. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty-eight advanced breast cancer patients refractory to anthracyclines and taxanes were included in this study. Treatment consisted of vinorelbine 60 mg/m(2) (days 1 + 8), and capecitabine 2000 mg/m(2) (days 2-7 and 9-16) every 3 weeks. RESULTS A total of 228 courses were given with a mean of three cycles/patient (range 1-12). Five patients (13.1%) had no toxicity at all. Hematologic side-effects were: neutropenia grade 2-3 in seven patients (18.9%) and grade 4 in one patient (2.7%), anemia grade 1 in 11 patients (29.7%), grade 2-3 in five patients (13.5%), thrombocytopenia grade 1 in six patients (16.2%) and grade 3 in one patient (2.7%). Non-hematologic side-effects were: fatigue grade 1 in five patients (13.5%), hand-foot syndrome grade 1 in two patients (5.4%) and grade 2 in two patients (5.4%), nausea/vomiting grade 1 in two patients (5.4%), grade 2 in three patients (8.1%) and grade 3 in one patient (2.7%), constipation grade 1 in two patients (5.4%), peripheral neurotoxicity grade 1 in three patients (8.1%) and grade 2 in one patient (2.7%), gastric pain grade 1 in two patients (5.4%), stomatitis grade 1 in three patients (8.1%) and grade 2 in one patient (2.7%). Out of 38 patients assessable, we observed two (5.4%) CR, 13 (34 %) PR, 14 (37.8%) SD and nine (26.3%) PD. The median time to progression was 4.5 months (range 1-18 months), the median response duration was 7 months (range 2-18 months) and the median survival duration was 10 months (range 2-26+). CONCLUSIONS The oral vincap should be considered as an alternative to single agent capecitabine or vinorelbine in ABC refractory to antra-taxane combination.
Interplay between surface anisotropy and dipolar interactions in an assembly of nanomagnets

We study the interplay between the effects of surface anisotropy and dipolar interactions in monodisperse assemblies of nanomagnets with oriented anisotropy. We derive asymptotic formulas for the assembly magnetization taking account of temperature, applied field, core and surface anisotropy, and dipolar inter-particle interactions. We find that the interplay between surface anisotropy and dipolar interactions is well described by the analytical expression of the assembly magnetization derived here: the overall sign of the product of the two parameters governing the surface and the dipolar contributions determines whether intrinsic and collective terms compete or have synergistic effects on the magnetization. This is illustrated by the magnetization curves of $\gamma-Fe_{2}O_{3}$ nanoparticles assemblies in the low concentration limit.
Advanced heart failure treated with continuous-flow left ventricular assist device.

BACKGROUND Patients with advanced heart failure have improved survival rates and quality of life when treated with implanted pulsatile-flow left ventricular assist devices as compared with medical therapy. New continuous-flow devices are smaller and may be more durable than the pulsatile-flow devices. METHODS In this randomized trial, we enrolled patients with advanced heart failure who were ineligible for transplantation, in a 2:1 ratio, to undergo implantation of a continuous-flow device (134 patients) or the currently approved pulsatile-flow device (66 patients). The primary composite end point was, at 2 years, survival free from disabling stroke and reoperation to repair or replace the device. Secondary end points included survival, frequency of adverse events, the quality of life, and functional capacity. RESULTS Preoperative characteristics were similar in the two treatment groups, with a median age of 64 years (range, 26 to 81), a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 17%, and nearly 80% of patients receiving intravenous inotropic agents. The primary composite end point was achieved in more patients with continuous-flow devices than with pulsatile-flow devices (62 of 134 [46%] vs. 7 of 66 [11%]; P<0.001; hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% confidence interval, 0.27 to 0.54; P<0.001), and patients with continuous-flow devices had superior actuarial survival rates at 2 years (58% vs. 24%, P=0.008). Adverse events and device replacements were less frequent in patients with the continuous-flow device. The quality of life and functional capacity improved significantly in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device in patients with advanced heart failure significantly improved the probability of survival free from stroke and device failure at 2 years as compared with a pulsatile device. Both devices significantly improved the quality of life and functional capacity. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00121485.)
Heuristic Model Checking using a Monte-Carlo Tree Search Algorithm

Monte-Carlo Tree Search algorithms have proven extremely effective at playing games that were once thought to be difficult for AI techniques owing to the very large number of possible game states. The key feature of these algorithms is that rather than exhaustively searching game states, the algorithm navigates the tree using information returned from a relatively small number of random game simulations. A practical limitation of software model checking is the very large number of states that a model can take. Motivated by an analogy between exploring game states and checking model states, we propose that Monte-Carlo Tree Search algorithms might also be applied in this domain to efficiently navigate the model state space with the objective of finding counterexamples which correspond to potential software faults. We describe such an approach based on Nested Monte-Carlo Search---a tree search algorithm applicable to single player games---and compare its efficiency to traditional heuristic search algorithms when using Java PathFinder to locate deadlocks in 12 Java programs.
Flood Forecasting Using Artificial Neural Networks in Black-Box and Conceptual Rainfall-Runoff Modelling

The paper presents a comparison of lumped runoff modelling approaches, aimed at the realtime forecasting of flood events, based on or integrating Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). ANNs are used in two ways: (a) as black-box type runoff simulation models or (b) for the real-time improvement of the discharge forecasts issued by a conceptual-type rainfall-runoff model. As far as the coupling of ANNs with a conceptual model is concerned, feed forward neural networks are used as univariate time-series analysis techniques both for forecasting the future rainfall values to be provided as input to the hydrological model and for updating the river discharges issued by the model. A real-world case study is developed on the Sieve River basin (Central Italy) and future river flows are first predicted using artificial neural networks as blackbox models, both with the only use of past flow observations and with the addition of exogenous inputs, that is previous rainfall depths. It is then applied the conceptual model and it is assessed the improvement allowed when integrating it with the ANN rainfall prediction and output updating modules. The results show that the ANN black-box model with exogenous input, when trained on a adequately representative data set, gives the best forecasting performances over the validation set. On the other hand, if the training set does not cover all the variety of events present in the validation set, for example if the major events are subtracted, the flood features were found to be better captured by the conceptual model coupled with pre and postprocessing ANN modules, thus demonstrating a greater generalisation ability of such approach.
Maximum Torque-per-Amp Control for Traction IM Drives: Theory and Experimental Results

A novel maximum torque per Ampere (MTPA) controller for the induction motor (IM) drives is presented. It is shown to be highly suited to applications that do not demand an extremely fast dynamic response, for example, electric vehicle drives. The proposed MTPA field oriented controller guarantees asymptotic torque (speed) tracking of smooth reference trajectories and maximizes the torque per Ampere ratio when the developed torque is constant or slow varying. An output-feedback linearizing concept is employed for the design of torque and flux subsystems to compensate for the torque-dependent flux variations required to satisfy the MTPA condition. As a first step, a linear approximation of the IM magnetic system is considered. Then, based on a standard saturated IM model, the nonlinear MTPA relationship for the rotor flux are derived as a function of the desired torque, and a modified torque–flux controller for the saturated machine is developed. The static and dynamic flux reference calculation methods to achieve simultaneously an asymptotic field orientation, a torque–flux decoupling, and an MTPA optimization in a steady state, is proposed. The method guarantees a singularity free operation and can be used as means to improve stator current transients. Experimental tests prove the accuracy of the control over a full torque range and show successful compensation of the magnetizing inductance variations caused by saturation. The proposed MTPA control algorithm also demonstrates a decoupling of the torque (speed) and flux dynamics to ensure asymptotic torque tracking. In addition, a higher torque per Ampere ratio is achieved together with an improved efficiency of electromechanical energy conversion.
Genetic variability in mitochondrial and nuclear genes of Larus dominicanus (Charadriiformes, Laridae) from the Brazilian coast

Several phylogeographic studies of seabirds have documented low genetic diversity that has been attributed to bottleneck events or individual capacity for dispersal. Few studies have been done in seabirds on the Brazilian coast and all have shown low genetic differentiation on a wide geographic scale. The Kelp Gull is a common species with a wide distribution in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, we used mitochondrial and nuclear markers to examine the genetic variability of Kelp Gull populations on the Brazilian coast and compared this variability with that of sub-Antarctic island populations of this species. Kelp Gulls showed extremely low genetic variability for mitochondrial markers (cytb and ATPase) and high diversity for a nuclear locus (intron 7 of the β-fibrinogen). The intraspecific evolutionary history of Kelp Gulls showed that the variability found in intron 7 of the β-fibrinogen gene was compatible with the variability expected under neutral evolution but suggested an increase in population size during the last 10,000 years. However, none of the markers revealed evidence of a bottleneck population. These findings indicate that the recent origin of Kelp Gulls is the main explanation for their nuclear diversity, although selective pressure on the mtDNA of this species cannot be discarded.
Basal Dendrites of Layer-III Pyramidal Neurons do not Scale with Changes in Cortical Magnification Factor in Macaque Primary Visual Cortex

Neurons in the mammalian primary visual cortex (V1) are systematically arranged across the cortical surface according to the location of their receptive fields (RFs), forming a visuotopic (or retinotopic) map. Within this map, the foveal visual field is represented by a large cortical surface area, with increasingly peripheral visual fields gradually occupying smaller cortical areas. Although cellular organization in the retina, such as the spatial distribution of ganglion cells, can partially account for the eccentricity-dependent differences in the size of cortical representation, whether morphological differences exist across V1 neurons representing different eccentricities is unclear. In particular, morphological differences in dendritic field diameter might contribute to the magnified representation of the central visual field. Here, we addressed this question by measuring the basal dendritic arbors of pyramidal neurons of layer-IIIC and adjoining layer III sublayers (in the Hassler’s nomenclature) in macaque V1. We labeled layer-III pyramidal neurons at various retinotopic positions in V1 by injecting lightly fixed brain tissue with intracellular dye, and then compared dendritic morphology across regions in the retinotopic map representing 0–20° of eccentricity. The dendritic field area, total dendritic length, number of principal dendrites, branching complexity, spine density and total number of spines were all consistent across different retinotopic regions of V1. These results indicate that dendrites in layer-III pyramidal neurons are relatively homogeneous according to these morphometric parameters irrespective of their locations in this portion of the retinotopic map. The homogeneity of dendritic morphology in these neurons suggests that the emphasis of central visual field representation is not attributable to changes in the basal dendritic arbors of pyramidal neurons in layer III, but is likely the result of successive processes earlier in the retino-geniculo-striate pathway.
simFI: From single to simultaneous software fault injections

Software-implemented fault injection (SWIFI) is an established experimental technique to evaluate the robustness of software systems. While a large number of SWIFI frameworks exist, virtually all are based on a single-fault assumption, i.e., interactions of simultaneously occurring independent faults are not investigated. As software systems containing more than a single fault often are the norm than an exception [1] and current safety standards require the consideration of “multi-point faults” [2], the validity of this single-fault assumption is at question for contemporary software systems. To address the issue and support simultaneous SWIFI (simFI), we analyze how independent faults can manifest in a generic software composition model and extend an existing SWIFI tool to support some characteristic simultaneous fault types. We implement three simultaneous fault models and demonstrate their utility in evaluating the robustness of the Windows CE kernel. Our findings indicate that simultaneous fault injections prove highly efficient in triggering robustness vulnerabilities.
Image Restoration in Noisy Free Images Using Fuzzy Based Median Filtering and Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization - Richardson-Lucy Algorithm

In this paper, we have proposed adaptive methods for image restoration in which the input images are affected by noise which is removed by fuzzy based median filter (FMF). The noise removed images from the FMF is appears to be so there is a need to restore the images with high quality. To restore the images an APSO (Adaptive particle swarm optimization) based Richardson-Lucy (R-L) algorithm is utilized. By both FMF and APSO-RL methods the denoising and restoration of the image is performed efficiently. The performance of the image denoising and restoration technique is evaluated by comparing the result of proposed technique with the existing denoising filter and GA, PSO methods. The comparison result shows a high-quality denoising and restoration ratio for the noisy images than the existing methods, in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and second-derivative-like measure of enhancement (SDME).
An Overview of Data-Driven Part-of-Speech Tagging

Over the last twenty years or so, the approaches to partof-speech tagging based on machine learning techniques have been developed or ported to provide high-accuracy morpho-lexical annotation for an increasing number of languages. Given the large number of morpho-lexical descriptors for a morphologically complex language, one has to consider ways to avoid the data sparseness threat in standard statistical tagging, yet to ensure that the full lexicon information is available for each wordform in the output. The paper overviews some of the major approaches to part-of-speech tagging and touches upon the tagset design, which is of crucial importance for the accuracy of the process. Key-words: ambiguity class, data sparseness, lexical ambiguity, machine learning, multilinguality, part-of-speech tagging, tagset design.
The Fixed Age Rule: Young People, Consent and Research Ethics

Australia is in the process of producing new national guidelines for ethical conduct in research involving humans; however, the draft guidelines do little to remove the restrictions on young people participating in research without parental consent. Judith Bessant argues that young people are being denied their right to participate in research, and researchers are missing out on opportunities to conduct important research on young people, because of outdated conventions concerning the capability of young people to make decisions regarding their participation in research.
Palaver Tree Online: A Community of Oral History

A container for shipment of a laboratory-type animal, the container including a base formed of animal restraining material, disposed thereabove a load-bearing element formed of air-passing, animal restraining material. Protective means cover sharp protuberances on the external surface of the base and load bearing element, and further have a smooth external surface lacking sharp protuberances. In a first embodiment, the material of the base is liquid impermeable; in a second embodiment, the base includes liquid-passing material. Also disclosed is a method for assembly of the container.
Outdoor Temperature, Climate Control, and Criminal Assault

Based on the negative affect escape (NAE) model of heat and aggression, it was hypothesized that relationships between temperature and aggravated assaultswould be moderated by access to air conditioning. This hypothesis was tested by subjecting calls for service received by police in Dallas, Texas, to multivariate analyses of covariance that employed weather variables as predictors and controlled for the temporal variables of holidays, time of day, day of the week, and season of the year. As the NAE model predicts, assaults in probably climate-controlled settings were a linear function of temperature, whereas assaults in settings that probably lacked climate control declined after peaking at moderately high temperatures. The results are consistent with recent attempts to use the concept of social avoidance to integrate routine activity theory and psychological theories of aggression.
Dynamics of plasma cytokine levels in patients with advanced HIV infection and active tuberculosis: implications for early recognition of patients with poor response to anti-tuberculosis treatment.

OBJECTIVE To examine whether the serial measurement of plasma cytokine levels can assist in the early recognition of AIDS/tuberculosis patients with poor response to anti-tuberculosis treatment. DESIGN Longitudinal, prospective cohort study. SETTING A university hospital, the largest centre for HIV/AIDS patients in Taiwan. METHODS Between January 1997 and September 1998, 25 consecutive patients with advanced HIV infection and suspected tuberculosis were enrolled in the study. Plasma samples were obtained on day 1 (baseline), 3, 7 and 14 of anti-tuberculosis treatment and the levels of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured. Patients were classified as either responders or non-responders according to the results of assessment of symptoms and follow-up cultures during the sixth and eighth week of anti-tuberculosis treatment. Thirty consecutive HIV-negative tuberculosis patients were also enrolled in the study. RESULTS The data of a total of 16 AIDS patients (median CD4 cell count 16 x 10(6)/l; 12 responders and four non-responders) and 21 HIV-negative patients (16 responders and five non-responders), whose tuberculosis was culture-proven, were included for analysis. In responders, TNF-alpha levels declined remarkably within the first week of anti-tuberculosis treatment; however, the decline of TNF-alpha levels in non-responders was significantly less [the median ratio of TNF-alpha level on day 7 to that at baseline was 0.32 versus 0.85 (P < 0.001) in AIDS patients; 0.34 versus 0.80 (P = 0.001) in HIV-negative patients). The lack of a > or = 50% reduction in pre-treatment TNF-alpha levels during the first week of treatment was strongly associated with a poor response to anti-tuberculosis treatment (P = 0.001 in AIDS patients; P < 0.001 in HIV-negative patients). CONCLUSION Serial measurement of plasma TNF-alpha levels may help to assess the response to anti-tuberculosis treatment in AIDS patients, in spite of very low CD4 cell counts. Failure of TNF-alpha levels to decline by > or = 50 % of pre-treatment levels in the first week of treatment may be an early surrogate marker of a poor response.
Lexical stress detection on stress-minimal word pairs

The authors present a study on the use of lexical stress classification to aid in the recognition of phonetically similar words. They use a simple pattern recognition approach to determine which syllable is lexically stressed for phonetically similar word pairs (e.g., PERfect, perFECT) extracted from continuously spoken sentences. They use a combination of two features from the acoustic correlates of lexical stress, and assume multivariate Gaussian distributions to form a Bayesian classifier. The features used are normalized energy and duration of the vowel for each syllable of the word. They evaluate several normalization methods. Two sets of sentences were designed for this study. For the pilot experiment, the classification accuracy on words from the natural sentence set was 89.9% and on words from the control sentence set was 100%. To improve the performance, three-feature classifiers, which included two normalized energy features and one normalized duration feature, were developed. The classification accuracy on words from the natural sentence set was 97.23%.
Flash floods and ripples: The spread of media content through the blogosphere

Blogs are a popular way to share personal journals, discuss matters of public opinion, pursue collaborative conversations, and aggregate content on similar topics. Blogs also disseminate new content and novel ideas to communities of interest. But how does content spread across these communities, what kinds of content spreads, and at what rate? This paper presents an analysis of the network structure and the spreading patterns of media content in the blogosphere. Based on 8.7 million posts in 1.1 million blogs across 15 major blog hosting sites, we show that the network structure of blogs is different from that of other online social networks: most links are unidirectional and the network is sparse. We also find that user generated content, often in the form of videos or photos, is the most common type of content shared in blogs. Focusing on the distribution of 10,000 popularly linked YouTube videos in blogs, we demonstrate how propagation patterns depend on content category. For example, the latest political news video immediately catches the attention of bloggers and fades away after a week, while a music video propagates slowly over a long period of time.