Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human intestinal epithelial and smooth muscle cells are potent producers of IL-6.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pluripotent cytokine, has traditionally been considered the product of proinflammatory cells. However, many other cell types have been shown to produce IL-6. Since intestinal inflammation is commonly associated with a vigorous systemic inflammatory response, we hypothesized that intestinal epithelial and smooth muscle cells might contribute to that response by producing IL-6. We therefore studied the capacity of differentiated human intestinal epithelial and smooth muscle cell lines to produce IL-6 in response to various proinflammatory stimuli. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CCL-241, a human intestinal epithelial cell line, and HISM, a human intestinal muscle cell line, were grown to confluency and then treated for 24 h with various concentrations of lipopolysaccharide, Clostridium difficile culture extract containing both toxin A and toxin B, recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), or recombinant human interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta). Supernatants were then collected for IL-6 determination using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cell numbers were determined using a Coulter counter. For comparison, parallel studies were performed using phorbol ester-primed U-937 and THP-1 human macrophage cell lines. RESULTS: Both human intestinal epithelial and smooth muscle cells produced IL-6 under basal conditions. In HISM cells, but not in CCL-241 cells, IL-6 release was increased slightly by treatment with C. difficile culture extract containing both toxin A and toxin B and with lipopolysaccharide. In both cell lines, IL-6 production was profoundly stimulated by treatment with IL-1beta and less so with TNF-alpha. Combinations of high-dose TNF-alpha and IL-1beta may have a slightly additive, but not synergistic, effect on IL-6 release. The amount of IL-6 produced by IL-1-stimulated intestinal cell lines was 70-fold higher than that produced by stimulated macrophage cell lines. CONCLUSIONS; Both intestinal epithelial and smooth muscle cells demonstrate the ability to release significant amounts of IL-6. The profound response to IL-1beta and TNF-alpha stimulation by both cell lines suggests that human intestinal parenchymal cells, influenced by paracrine mediators liberated from proinflammatory cells, might significantly contribute to the overall systemic inflammatory response by producing IL-6.
The segmentation of nonsolid pulmonary nodules in CT images

Nonsolid nodules are a common radiographical finding in high resolution CT images of the lung. A main factor in determining a nodules malignancy status is the change in the nodule size over time. A method for automatically segmenting a nonsolid nodule from CT images is presented in this thesis. Precise image segmentation is a prerequisite for determining the volumetric growth rate from multiple image scans and the corresponding nodule malignancy status. There has been limited previous work on a segmentation technique for nonsolid nodules. The methods that have been proposed have lacked clinical validation with a radiologist ground truth and often include smaller datasets. The method in this thesis directly compares radiologist ground truth with our automated method and examines the consistency of growth measurement for further validation. The segmentation method consists of three stages; bilateral noise reduction, a probability based voxel classifier and geometric vessel removal. Parameter optimization and validation of the segmentation algorithm is facilitated with a dataset of 20 nonsolid nodule images in which a radiologist has established ground truth by outlining the boundary of the nodule in each image that it is visible. The optimal parameters were determined using the overlap metric and a training/testing methodology. The automated method achieved an average overlap of 0.43 with the radiologist ground truth. An experiment was conducted to determine whether the radiologist manual boundaries or the automated segmentations were more consistent at measuring the volumetric growth between three time scans of the same nodule. Results were determined for two different growth models (exponential and linear) on a dataset of 25 nonsolid nodules. The growth variation of the automated method was found to be 1.87 compared to the radiologist growth variation of 3.00. This suggests that, if the assumption of consistent nodule growth holds for nonsolid nodules, then the automated method provides a more precise growth rate estimate than the radiologist markings.
PROARTIS: Probabilistically Analyzable Real-Time Systems

Static timing analysis is the state-of-the-art practice of ascertaining the timing behavior of current-generation real-time embedded systems. The adoption of more complex hardware to respond to the increasing demand for computing power in next-generation systems exacerbates some of the limitations of static timing analysis. In particular, the effort of acquiring (1) detailed information on the hardware to develop an accurate model of its execution latency as well as (2) knowledge of the timing behavior of the program in the presence of varying hardware conditions, such as those dependent on the history of previously executed instructions. We call these problems the timing analysis walls. In this vision-statement article, we present probabilistic timing analysis, a novel approach to the analysis of the timing behavior of next-generation real-time embedded systems. We show how probabilistic timing analysis attacks the timing analysis walls; we then illustrate the mathematical foundations on which this method is based and the challenges we face in the effort of efficiently implementing it. We also present experimental evidence that shows how probabilistic timing analysis reduces the extent of knowledge about the execution platform required to produce probabilistically accurate WCET estimations.
Valuing the Economic Consequences of Work Injury and Illness: A Comparison of Methods and Findings

BACKGROUND Workplace injuries and fatalities in the US create significant economic costs to society. Although economic costs should measure the opportunity cost to society arising from injuries and fatalities, estimating them often proves difficult as a practical matter. This leads to a range of estimates for valuing these costs. METHODS This paper compares methods of economic valuation, focusing in particular on how different methods diverge to varying degrees from measuring the "true" economic costs of injuries and illnesses. In so doing, it surveys the literature that has arisen in the past 25 years to measure different aspects of economic consequences. RESULTS Estimates of the costs of injuries and fatalities tend to understate the true economic costs from a social welfare perspective, particularly in how they account for occupational fatalities and losses arising from work disabilities. CONCLUSION Although data availability often makes estimation of social welfare costs difficult, researchers should attempt to more fully integrate such approaches into estimation procedures and interpretation of their results.
A normalization strategy for the analysis of plasma microRNA qPCR data in colorectal cancer

1 Unit of Medical Statistics, Biometry and Bioinformatics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy 2 Department of Experimental Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy 3 Molecular Genetics of Cancer, Fondazione Istituto FIRC di Oncologia Molecolare, Milan, Italy 4 Department of Pathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy 5 Scientific Directorate, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
Peritoneal Malignant Mesothelioma versus Serous Papillary Adenocarcinoma: A Histochemical and Immunohistochemical Comparison

In order to evaluate adjunctive histologic methods for separating mesothelioma (MM) and serous adenocarcinoma (SC), we studied 28 and 46 respective cases histochemically and immunohistochemically. Ten serous adenocarcinomas arose primarily in extraovarian sites within the abdomen. Diagnoses in each case were established retrospectively by a combination of electron microscopy and clinicopathologic correlation. A panel of antibodies to cytokeratin (CK), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), B72.3, placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), S-100 protein, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), Leu M1, CA-125, and amylase (AM) was applied to paraffin sections of each case. Serous carcinoma was reactive for neutral mucins whereas mesothelioma was not; however, only 50% of adenocarcinoma cases stained in this manner. Peritoneal mesothelioma showed reactivity for CK (28 of 28 cases), EMA (24 of 28 cases), AM (five of 28 cases), CA-125 (four of 28 cases), and S-100 protein (three of 28 cases), but lacked B72.3, PLAP, and CEA. Three mesotheliomas expressed Leu M1, but in an extremely focal distribution. Serous carcinoma reacted for CK (46 of 46 cases), EMA (46 of 46 cases), CA-125 (42 of 46 cases), S-100 protein (40 of 46 cases), Leu M1 (34 of 46 cases; with diffuse staining), B72.3 (33 of 46 cases), PLAP (29 of 46 cases), AM (15 of 46 cases), and CEA (six of 46 cases). Two profiles (S-100 + B72.3; S-100 + PLAP) were seen in 41 of 46 serous adenocarcinoma cases but were absent in all mesotheliomas. Hence, these combinations of determinants are effective in separating such neoplasms diagnostically. Moreover, diffuse reactivity for Leu M1, B72.3, PLAP, or CEA in papillary peritoneal neoplasms appears to exclude the possibility of mesothelioma; however, focal Leu M1 reactivity may indeed be seen in mesothelioma. Although CA-125 is a sensitive marker for serous carcinoma, it is not effective in distinguishing it from mesothelioma.
Big data in memory: Benchimarking in memory database using the distributed key-value store for machine to machine communication

The Universal Communication Research Institute (UCRI), NICT conducts research and development on universal communication technologies: multi-lingual machine translation, spoken dialogue, information analysis and ultra-realistic interaction technologies, through which people can truly interconnect, anytime, anywhere, about any topic, and by any method, transcending the boundaries of language, culture, ability and distance. To enhance the universal communication technology, we are trying to develop a large-scale information infrastructure which collects and stores diverse information including huge volumes of web pages from the networks. The one of most important key technologies to realize a large-scaled information infrastructure is a distributed in memory database system. In this paper, we introduced a large-scale information infrastructure, mainly explaining a distributed in-memory database system “okuyama” which is a key technology on our project. We examined the I/O performance of the in memory storage, which verified whether if “okuyama” meet requirements for the infrastructure. Furthermore we give a blueprint of cluster systems on which the infrastructure will be constructed.
A Vancomycin-Heparin Lock Solution for Prevention of Nosocomial Bloodstream Infection in Critically Ill Neonates With Peripherally Inserted Central Venous Catheters: A Prospective, Randomized Trial

Objective.Critically ill neonates are at high risk for vascular catheter–related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), most often caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci. Most CRBSIs with long-term devices derive from intraluminal contaminants. The objective of this study was to ascertain the safety and the efficacy of a vancomycin-heparin lock solution for prevention of CRBSI. Methods.A prospective, randomized double-blind trial was conducted during 2000–2001 at a community hospital level III NICU. Very low birth weight and other critically ill neonates with a newly placed peripherally inserted central venous catheter were randomized to have the catheter locked 2 or 3 times daily for 20 or 60 minutes with heparinized normal saline (n = 43) or heparinized saline that contained vancomycin 25 μg/mL (n = 42). The origin of each nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI) was studied by culturing skin, catheter hubs, and implanted catheter segments and blood cultures, demonstrating concordance by restriction-fragment DNA subtyping. Surveillance axillary and rectal cultures were performed to detect colonization by vancomycin-resistant organisms. The main outcome measures were (1) CRBSIs and (2) colonization or infection by vancomycin-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. Results.Two (5%) of 42 infants in the vancomycin-lock group developed a CRBSI as compared with 13 (30%) of 43 in the control group (2.3 vs 17.8 per 1000 catheter days; relative risk: 0.13; 95% confidence interval: 0.01–0.57). No vancomycin-resistant enterococci or staphylococci were recovered from any cultures. Vancomycin could not be detected in the blood of infants who did not receive systemic vancomycin therapy. Twenty-six neonates (8 vancomycin-lock group, 18 control group) had at the end of a catheter-lock period asymptomatic hypoglycemia that resolved promptly when glucose-containing intravenous fluids were restarted. Conclusions.Prophylactic use of a vancomycin-heparin lock solution markedly reduced the incidence of CRBSI in high-risk neonates with long-term central catheters and did not promote vancomycin resistance but was associated with asymptomatic hypoglycemia. The use of an anti-infective lock solution for prevention of CRBSI with long-term intravascular devices has achieved proof of principle and warrants selective application in clinical practice.
Saving-Enhanced Memory

With the continued integration of technology into people’s lives, saving digital information has become an everyday facet of human behavior. In the present research, we examined the consequences of saving certain information on the ability to learn and remember other information. Results from three experiments showed that saving one file before studying a new file significantly improved memory for the contents of the new file. Notably, this effect was not observed when the saving process was deemed unreliable or when the contents of the to-be-saved file were not substantial enough to interfere with memory for the new file. These results suggest that saving provides a means to strategically off-load memory onto the environment in order to reduce the extent to which currently unneeded to-be-remembered information interferes with the learning and remembering of other information.
Extraction of spatial association rules based on binary mining algorithm in mobile computing

In mobile computing there are many spatial data correlative with locations, which are very important for mobile intelligent system to extract spatial association among locations that can provide potential and useful information for mobile clients. Hence, aiming to simple transverse association describing spatial association among different spatial objects under the same pattern of association, this paper proposes an approach of extracting spatial association rules based on binary mining algorithm, which firstly uses the method of Circle contained by spatial analysis to extract the values of spatial predicate based on the definitive spatial predicate, specific objective and other given objects around the objective, and then aiming to each objective, transforms them into digital transaction database by binary, finally extracts these spatial association rules from the spatial database with binary mining algorithm introduced by this paper. In mobile computing the mining algorithm uses the method of increasing value to generate candidate frequent item sets and uses binary logical ldquoandrdquo operation to calculate support of item sets in order to reduce running time of mobile intelligent system, which can fast respond to requirement of client. The experiment indicates that efficiency of binary mining algorithm is faster and more efficient than Apriori used in mobile intelligent system.
Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle layer thickness of knee extensor muscles in intensive care unit patients: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE It is known that patients in the intensive care unit show an enormous loss of muscle mass. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is effective in enhancing strength and endurance in immobilized patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle layer thickness of knee extensor muscles in intensive care unit patients. DESIGN Randomized, controlled, double-blind, pilot trial. PATIENTS Thirty-three patients, male to female ratio 26:7, mean age 55 years (standard deviation 15). METHODS After enrolment in the study, intensive care unit patients (main diagnoses: polytrauma, cardiovascular diseases, transplantation, pneumonia, cancer) were stratified (based on the length of their stay in hospital) into 2 groups: 17 acute patients (< 7 days) and 16 long-term patients (> 14 days). Both groups were randomized to a stimulation group or a sham-stimulation group. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation was applied to knee extensor muscles for a period of 4 weeks (session time 30-60 minutes, 5 days/week). Ultrasound measurements were performed before and after the stimulation period to quantify muscle layer thickness of knee extensor muscles. RESULTS Only stimulated long-term patients (+4.9%) showed a significant (p = 0.013) increase in muscle layer thickness compared with sham-stimulated patients (-3.2%). CONCLUSION Neuromuscular electrical stimulation appears to be a useful adjunct to revert muscle wasting in intensive care unit long-term patients; however, larger studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm these promising, but preliminary, results.
Learning high-level tasks through imitation

This paper presents the cognitive architecture Con-SCIS (conceptual space based cognitive imitation system), which tightly links low-level data processing with knowledge representation in the context of imitation learning. We use the word imitate to refer to the paradigm of program-level imitation: we are interested in the final effects of actions on objects, and not on the particular kinematic or dynamic properties of the motion. The same architecture is used both to analyze and represent the task to be imitated, and to perform the imitation by generalizing in novel and different circumstances. The implemented experimental scenario is a simplified two-dimensional world populated with various objects in which observation/imitation takes place. During the observation phase, the user shows her/his hand while performing arbitrary tasks of manipulating objects in front of a single calibrated camera. The task is then segmented into meaningful units and its properties (objects' color and shape, their absolute position and orientation, relations between objects) are represented into high-level symbolic terms. In the imitation phase, the symbolic information is employed to drive the robot's actions. To validate our approach, we report some results concerned with the problem of teaching a humanoid hand/arm robotic system tasks of assembling different workspace objects
Bacterial genes in eukaryotes: Relatively rare but real and important (Comment on DOI 10.1002/bies.201300095)

In an article in this issue of BioEssays, Schönknecht, Weber, and Lercher summarize the evidence of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in eukaryotes, making a strong case for the importance of lineage-specific acquisition of bacterial genes for the adaptation of eukaryotes to specific lifestyles [1]. In prokaryotes, HGT is the dominant mode of evolution; hence a network becomes a more adequate representation of evolution than a tree [2]. Eukaryotes differ, conceivably thanks to the emergence of the nucleus – a barrier to foreign DNA – and the soma-germline separation that further curtailed HGT. Somewhat paradoxically, massive HGT, or more precisely, amalgamation of two distinct gene sets (from the alphaproteobacterial symbiont that became the mitochondrion, and from its Archaea-like host) lies at the very root of the eukaryotic domain. Furthermore, massive HGT of cyanobacterial genes into the genome of the common ancestor of plants and algae accompanied the origin of the chloroplast. However, apart from these ancient cases of massive HGT, attempts to detect acquisition of bacterial genes by individual groups of eukaryotes have, until recently, largely been a frustrating pursuit. Most conspicuous is the report – in the iconic paper on the draft human genome sequence [3] – of approximately 100 genes inferred to have been ac-
Mortality of oral cavity cancer in Iran.

BACKGROUND Oral cavity cancer is the eighth most frequent cancer among men in the world. Its incidence varies widely geographically and two-thirds of the incident cases are diagnosed in developing countries. The aim of this study was to present the mortality trends from this cancer for Iranian population during a period of almost a decade, in order to provide update information regarding time trends for this cancer. METHODS We analyzed National death Statistics reported by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education from 1995 to 2004, stratified by age group, sex, and cause of death. Oral cavity cancer [ICD-10; C00-08] was assessed for annual mortality rates/100,000, overall, by sex and by age group (<15, 15-49 and ≥ 50 years of age) and age standardized rates (ASR) were calculated. RESULTS The age standardized mortality rate of oral cavity cancer increased dramatically during these years from 0.09 per 100,000 in 1995 to 0.59 per 100,000 in 2002. However, a sharp decrease was observed from 2002 to 2004. Moreover the mortality of oral cavity cancer was higher for males except from 2000-2002 during which the rate of female's death was close to male's. Age specific rates for oral cavity cancer indicated higher mortality rate for older age. CONCLUSION In conclusion, this study provides comprehensive projection for burden of death due to oral cavity cancer, indicating that the trend of its mortality was increased in recent decade and then would be leveled off. While the burden of oral cavity cancer in Iran is lower than other Asian countries, further studies are required to establish risk factors or modifiers for this cancer in Iranian population in order to decrease its incidence and mortality.