Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Phase II Study of Cetuximab (Erbitux®) plus FOLFIRI for Irinotecan and Oxaliplatin-refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

We have evaluated the efficacy and safety of cetuximab plus FOLFIRI for irinotecan and oxaliplatin-refractory colorectal cancers. From September 2004 to February 2006, 31 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were treated with cetuximab (400 mg/m2 intravenously [IV] over 2 hr on day 1 followed by weekly 1-hr infusions of 250 mg/m2) plus bi-weekly FOLFIRI (irinotecan 150 mg/m2 IV over 90 min, and leucovorin 100 mg/m2 IV over 2 hr, followed by 5-FU 400 mg/m2 IV bolus on day 1, and followed by 5-FU 2,400 mg/m2 by continuous IV over 46 hrs). Patients received a median of four cycles (range: 1-23). Eight (25.8%) patients had confirmed partial responses and 10 (32.2%) had stable disease. After a median follow-up of 13.2 months for surviving patients, the median time to progression was 2.9 months, the median duration of response was 5.4 months, and the median overall survival was 10.9 months. Skin toxicity was observed in 25 patients (80.4%) including grade 3 in 6 patients (19.4%). Other common non-hematologic toxicities of all grades were mucositis (32.3%), asthenia (22.6%), diarrhea (12.9%), and paronychial cracking (12.9%). The combination of cetuximab with FOLFIRI was effective and tolerable in colorectal cancer patients heavily pretreated with a number of chemotherapy regimens.
MLH 1 Polymorphisms and Cancer risk : a Meta-analysis Based on 33 Case-control Studies

Exogenous carcinogens and endogenous oxygen species can induce DNA damage and genomic instability that may lead to carcinogenesis (Barnes, 2002). In humans, there are several major DNA repair pathways which are expected to play a role in maintaining genomic stability (Bernstein et al., 2002), including nucleotide excision repair (NER), base excision repair (BER) and DNA double strand breaks (DSBs). The mismatch repair (MMR) pathway, first described in bacteria, is a highly conserved process which is responsible for recognizing and correcting DNA base pairing errors in newly replicated DNA (Harfe and Jinks-Robertson, 2000). It has been confirmed that double-strand break repair is also modulated by MMR (Jacob and Praz, 2002). MMR defective cell lines display various forms of genomic instability (Surtees et al., 2004). Animal experiments in mice indicate that MMR gene deficiencies lead to an increased level of microsatellite instability (MSI) and susceptibility to cancer (Ellison et al., 2004). In humans, loss of MMR function has been implicated in several
Predicting News Values from Headline Text and Emotions

We present a preliminary study on predicting news values from headline text and emotions. We perform a multivariate analysis on a dataset manually annotated with news values and emotions, discovering interesting correlations among them. We then train two competitive machine learning models – an SVM and a CNN – to predict news values from headline text and emotions as features. We find that, while both models yield a satisfactory performance, some news values are more difficult to detect than others, while some profit more from including emotion information.
Unbalanced Neonatal CD4+ T-Cell Immunity

In comparison to adults, newborns display a heightened susceptibility to pathogens and a propensity to develop allergic diseases. Particular properties of the neonatal immune system can account for this sensitivity. Indeed, a defect in developing protective Th1-type responses and a skewing toward Th2 immunity characterize today the neonatal T-cell immunity. Recently, new findings concerning Th17, regulatory helper T-cell, and follicular helper T-cell subsets in newborns have emerged. In some circumstances, development of effector inflammatory Th17-type responses can be induced in neonates, while differentiation in regulatory T-cells appears to be a default program of neonatal CD4+ T-cells. Poor antibody production, affinity maturation, and germinal center reaction in vaccinated neonates are correlated with a limiting expansion of TFH lymphocytes. We review herein the factors accounting for and the implications of the unbalanced neonatal helper T-cell immunity.
Accumulation of SOD1 Mutants in Postnatal Motoneurons Does Not Cause Motoneuron Pathology or Motoneuron Disease

Transgenic mice expressing high levels of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS)-associated mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) under the control of a human SOD1 minigene (hMg) accumulate mutant protein ubiquitously and develop motoneuron disease. However, restricted expression of SOD1 mutants in neurons apparently does not cause motor impairments in mice. Here, we investigated the possible pathogenic roles of mutant SOD1 accumulation in motoneurons. First, we used a Thy1 expression cassette to drive high constitutive expression of transgene in postnatal mouse neurons, including upper and lower motoneurons. Second, we expressed human (h) SOD1(G93A) and hSOD1(G85R) as transgenes (i.e., two SOD1 mutants with aggressive pathogenic properties in inducing FALS). Third, in addition to clinical signs of disease, we monitored early signs of disease onset and pathogenesis, including muscle innervation, astrogliosis in the spinal cord, and accumulation of ubiquitinated deposits in motoneurons and astrocytes. We report that high-level expression and accumulation of the mutant proteins in neurons failed to produce any detectable sign of pathology or disease in these transgenic mice. Crossing hMg-SOD1(G93A) mice (Gurney et al., 1994) with Thy1-SOD1(G93A) mice produced double-transgenic mice with spinal cord SOD1(G93A) levels that were approximately twofold higher than in the hMg-SOD1(G93A) single transgenics but did not affect the onset or progression of pathology or motoneuron disease. The accumulation of mutant SOD1 in postnatal motoneurons is thus not sufficient and probably also not critical to induce or accelerate motoneuron disease in FALS mice. The pathogenic process in FALS may involve non-neuronal cells, and selective vulnerability of motoneurons to this process may lead to motoneuron pathology and disease.
Familial clustering of symptoms and disruptive behaviors in multiplex families with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE To examine familial clustering of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), ADHD subtypes, symptoms, and oppositional behaviors in affected sibling pairs (ASPs) and their parents. METHOD One hundred thirty-two ASPs, ranging in age from 5 to 25 years and ascertained through clinic and volunteer referrals, were examined for DSM-IV ADHD subtypes, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL). Two hundred fifty-six parents in these families were assessed by means of the SADS-Lifetime version, Modified for the Study of Anxiety Disorders, Updated for DSM-IV (SADS-LA-IV), and the Behavioral Disorders supplement of the K-SADS-PL to determine ADHD, ODD, and CD. RESULTS Fifty-five percent of families ascertained through an ASP have at least one parent with a lifetime diagnosis of ADHD. The frequency of ADHD in at least one parent was higher in families with at least one affected girl (63%) than in families with only affected boys (45%) (p = .02). There was no evidence that affected siblings or parents within ASP families showed similar patterns of ADHD symptoms, such as ADHD subtype classification. In contrast, CD significantly clustered in ASP families. CONCLUSIONS The sex difference in prevalence of ADHD among ASPs is consistent with a model of inheritance in which girls require a greater loading of familial influences to develop ADHD. The lack of familial clustering of ADHD symptoms within ASP families suggests that hyperactive and inattentive symptoms reflect common familial underpinnings and not unique familial effects. In contrast, CD seems to reflect unique familial underpinnings distinct from those underlying ADHD.
Stationary behavior of a chain of interacting spasers

E. S. Andrianov,1,2 A. A. Pukhov,1,2 A. V. Dorofeenko,1,2 A. P. Vinogradov,1,2 and A. A. Lisyansky3,* 1Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 9 Institutskiy Pereulok, Dolgoprudniy 141700, Moscow Region, Russia 2Institute for Theoretical and Applied Electromagnetics, 13 Izhorskaya, Moscow 125412, Russia 3Department of Physics, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367, USA (Received 23 December 2011; published 9 April 2012)
Effect of Perturbation of Fibre Architecture on Permeability Inside Fibre Tows

The influence on the permeability inside fibre tows from fibre packing arrangement and non-uniform fibre diameter is investigated. The analysis mainly consider flow transverse to the fibres and is based on the fibre geometry. Perturbations from perfect quadratic and hexagonal arrangements of fibres at constant fibre volume fraction are considered. The importance of microgeometry on permeability is pointed out and it is indicated how to deal with this problem. The analysis shows that the fibre transverse permeability is strongly dependent on the fibre size distribution. When an arrangement of equally sized fibres is continuously changed from quadratic to hexagonal it is furthermore found that the transverse permeability is highest just before the packing gets hexagonal. The analysis is also applied to a simple FORTRAN code to simulate removal of fibers from a quadratic arrangement. The simulations shows that the transverse permeability decreases with increased number of removed fibres under constant fibre volume fraction.
3D Human Body Measurement by Multiple Range Images

A compact and high-speed 3D human body measurement system is proposed. Whole human body data which we can take from systems that have been developed with a few viewpoints is not successfully acquired due to occlusion. It is proposed a method that can obtain successful data by allocating multiple rangefinders correctly. Four compact rangefinders are installed in a pole. Those four pole units with 16 rangefinders are assigned around a human. Multiple viewpoint range images allow the 3D shape reconstruction for a human body. The measurement time is 2 seconds and the average error is found to be 1.88 mm. In this paper, system configuration, calibration and experimental results are described
Simultaneous Structure Factor and ContrastTransfer Function Parameter Determination inTransmission Electron

We present a new method that allows a fully automated simultaneous determination of the structure factor and the parameters of the Contrast Transfer Function (CTF) and noise function. No previous knowledge of the structure factor or of the CTF parameters is assumed. Our approach is based on the new precise mathematical formulations of the problem as constrained nonlinear least squares that treats the structure factor as a set of undetermined variables, as well as the CTF parameters, and on the interior-point algorithm that satisses the inequality constraints on the bounds.
Comparative Review of Outcomes in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease Requiring Cardiopulmonary Support for Failure to Wean From Cardiopulmonary Bypass or for Refractory Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Background: We reviewed the outcomes of patients who underwent cardiopulmonary support (CPS) for either refractory sudden cardiac arrest or failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Methods: Between January 2005 and July 2013, 37 patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) underwent 39 instances of CPS for sudden cardiac arrest as extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (E-CPR; group I, n = 19) or for failure to wean from CPB (group II, n = 20). Univariate analyses determined which variables differed among the groups and which had significant association with hospital survival. Binary logistic regression determined the significant associations in a multivariable model. Results: Overall 30-day and hospital survival were 76.9% (30) and 69.2% (27), respectively. For groups I and II, hospital survival was 68.4% (13) and 70.0% (14), respectively. Variables associated with mortality in the univariate analysis included hours on CPS (P = .045), initial aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level on CPS (P = .007), and bicarbonate 24 hours on CPS (P = .004). Logistic regression showed single-ventricle physiology (P = .05), initial AST level on CPS (P = .03), and lower bicarbonate 24 hours on CPS (P = .026) to be significantly associated with mortality. Conclusions: Comparable rates of survival to discharge can be obtained when CPS is initiated for E-CPR or for failure to wean from CPB in resuscitating patients with CHD. Hepatic and renal factors indicative of inadequate early tissue perfusion, single-ventricle physiology, and lower bicarbonate level are factors associated with poor outcome.
bZIP transcription factor zip-2 mediates an early response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in Caenorhabditis elegans

Very little is known about how animals discriminate pathogens from innocuous microbes. To address this question, we examined infection-response gene induction in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We focused on genes that are induced in C. elegans by infection with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but are not induced by an isogenic attenuated gacA mutant. Most of these genes are induced independently of known immunity pathways. We generated a GFP reporter for one of these genes, infection response gene 1 (irg-1), which is induced strongly by wild-type P. aeruginosa strain PA14, but not by other C. elegans pathogens or by other wild-type P. aeruginosa strains that are weakly pathogenic to C. elegans. To identify components of the pathway that induces irg-1 in response to infection, we performed an RNA interference screen of C. elegans transcription factors. This screen identified zip-2, a bZIP transcription factor that is required for inducing irg-1, as well as several other genes, and is important for defense against infection by P. aeruginosa. These data indicate that zip-2 is part of a specialized pathogen response pathway that is induced by virulent strains of P. aeruginosa and provides defense against this pathogen.
Cultural Influence in the Practice of Corporate Governance in Emerging Markets

Corporate governance seeks to ensure a fair return on the investment and it also establishes incentives and procedures that meet the interests of shareholders while respecting other stakeholders’ interests in the organization. Corporate governance has become one of the hottest topics of discussion in the circle of regulators, practitioners and academic in the aftermath of recent financial crisis. The financial crisis pint points the lack of corporate governance practice and that many institutions have taken heed to ensure compliance of corporate governance to win back the confidence of investors and regulators. Well-developed theories like agency theory, stewardship theory, hegemony theory and transaction cost theory could be used to understand the concept of corporate governance. The aims of this research are to anlayse the concept of corporate governance and see the level of adherence to corporate governance in emerging economies. The research also endeavors to link the cultural influence in the adoption of corporate governance. As there are only limited researches so far on the corporate governance and related issues in emerging markets, this research would contribute to the existing knowledge by filling the gap on corporate governance in emerging markets.
Extreme-scale computer architecture: Energy efficiency from the ground up‡

As we move to integration levels of 1,000-core processor chips, it is clear that energy and power consumption are the most formidable obstacles. To construct such a chip, we need to rethink the whole compute stack from the ground up for energy efficiency - and attain Extreme-Scale Computing. First of all, we want to operate at low voltage, since this is the point of maximum energy efficiency. Unfortunately, in such an environment, we have to tackle substantial process variation. Hence, it is important to design efficient voltage regulation, so that each region of the chip can operate at the most efficient voltage and frequency point. At the architecture level, we require simple cores organized in a hierarchy of clusters. Moreover, we also need techniques to reduce the leakage of on-chip memories and to lower the voltage guardbands of logic. Finally, data movement should be minimized, through both hardware and software techniques. With a systematic approach that cuts across multiple layers of the computing stack, we can deliver the required energy efficiencies.
Effect of Recycled Concrete Aggregate Replacement Level on the Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams

An experimental investigation was conducted to study the mechanical properties and shear strength of full-scale beams constructed with recycled concrete aggregate (RCA). This study included two RCA mixtures and one conventional concrete (CC) mixture. The two RCA mixtures are different in the amount of RCA replacement, with one mixture replacing 50% of the virgin aggregate with RCA (RAC50) and the other replacing 100% (RAC100). This experimental program consisted of 18 beams with three different longitudinal reinforcement ratios. The experimental shear strengths of the beams were compared with the shear provisions of both U.S. and international design codes. Furthermore, the shear strengths of the beams were evaluated based on fracture mechanics approaches, Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT), and a shear database of CC specimens. In addition, statistical data analyses were performed to evaluate whether there is any statistically significant difference between the shear strength of the recycled-aggregate concrete (RAC) and CC beams. Results of this study show that the RAC100 has 11% lower shear strength, on average, compared with the RAC50 and CC beams; however, the RAC50 and CC beams showed similar shear resistance. The decrease in basic mechanical properties (splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and fracture energy) for the RAC parallels the decrease in full-scale shear behavior and can be used as a predictor in mixtures containing recycled concrete as aggregate.
Near-optimal dynamic task scheduling of precedence constrained coarse-grained tasks onto a computational grid

The most common objective function of task scheduling problems is makespan. However, on a computational grid, the 2nd optimal makespan may be much longer than the optimal makespan because the speed of each processor of a grid varies over time. So, if the performance measure is makespan, there is no approximation algorithm in general for scheduling onto a grid. In contrast, recently the authors proposed the computing power consumed by a schedule as a criterion of the schedule. For the criterion, this paper gives a (1 + Lcp(n)ċm(loge(m-1)+1)/n)-approximation algorithm for scheduling precedence constrained coarse-grained tasks with the same length onto a grid where n is the number of tasks, m is the number of processors, and Lcp(n) is the length of the critical path of the task graph. The proposed algorithm does not use any prediction information on the performance of underlying resources. Lcp(n) is usually a sublinear function of n. So, the above performance guarantee converges to one as n grows. This result implies a non-trivial result that the computing power consumed by an application on a grid can be limited within (1 + Lcp(n)ċm(loge(m-1)+1)/n) times that required by an optimal schedule in such a case.
Solidification observations and sliding wear behavior of cast TiC particulate-reinforced AlMgSi matrix composites

Al7Mg5Si-based TiC reinforced composites have been produced by casting methods. The microstructures of the monolithic alloy and the composite materials are explained in terms of solidification phenomena. The TiC presence significantly alters the matrix microstructure both by causing extensive grain refinement and by altering the extent and morphology of the Mg2Si phase. The TiC particles serve as potential nucleation sites for the Mg2Si phase. The effect of the TiC reinforcing particles on the sliding wear performance at the composites has also been investigated. TiC additions improve the overall wear rate of the monolithic alloy. A likely wear mechanism is proposed, based on wear rate and friction coefficient data along with wear track and debris examination.
Damage detection based on wavelet transform and artificial intelligence for underwater metallic structures

Health monitoring is investigated for immersed structures. The environment of these structures makes their monitoring and diagnosis very difficult. In this paper, the major challenge is to make easy and efficient the monitoring of this kind of structures. The proposed detection method is based on non contact measurements with acoustic scattering. It uses artificial intelligence, with gaussian neural networks and signal processing with wavelets transformation and principal component analysis. The method is validated with experimental measurements collected from immersed plates including surface cracks with different orientations. Such plates represent a simplified model of underwater turbine blades.
Online Evaluation of Response Obligation Estimation on the HALOGEN Multimodal Interaction Framework

This report describes our ongoing attempt to evaluate the previously proposed method of response obligation estimation [1] in a realtime human-robot interaction with a fully automated conversational robot system based on HALOGEN, which is an infrastructural distributed framework for a multimodal multiparty dialogue system. HALOGEN has a two-stage information fusion strategy and it potentially has merits to implement multiparty human-robot interactions. We discuss interaction-oriented compensatory mechanisms for failures in response obligation estimation.
Perilipin A is essential for the translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase during lipolytic activation

Akey step in lipolytic activation of adipocytes is the translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) from the cytosol to the surface of the lipid storage droplet. Adipocytes from perilipin-null animals have an elevated basal rate of lipolysis compared with adipocytes from wild-type mice, but fail to respond maximally to lipolytic stimuli. This defect is downstream of the β-adrenergic receptor–adenylyl cyclase complex. Now, we show that HSL is basally associated with lipid droplet surfaces at a low level in perilipin nulls, but that stimulated translocation from the cytosol to lipid droplets is absent in adipocytes derived from embryonic fibroblasts of perilipin-null mice. We have also reconstructed the HSL translocation reaction in the nonadipocyte Chinese hamster ovary cell line by introduction of GFP-tagged HSL with and without perilipin A. On activation of protein kinase A, HSL-GFP translocates to lipid droplets only in cells that express fully phosphorylatable perilipin A, confirming that perilipin is required to elicit the HSL translocation reaction. Moreover, in Chinese hamster ovary cells that express both HSL and perilipin A, these two proteins cooperate to produce a more rapidly accelerated lipolysis than do cells that express either of these proteins alone, indicating that lipolysis is a concerted reaction mediated by both protein kinase A–phosphorylated HSL and perilipin A.