Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic biomarker for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy: data from two randomized phase III trials.

BACKGROUND The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a marker of host inflammation, has been associated with poor outcome in several solid tumors. Here, we investigated associations of the derived NLR (dNLR) and duration of initial androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with survival of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) receiving first-line chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from the multinational randomized phase III studies VENICE and TAX327 included a total of 2230 men with mCRPC randomized to receive first-line chemotherapy, and were used as training and validation sets, respectively. Associations of dNLR and duration of initial ADT with overall survival (OS) were evaluated by multivariable Cox regression analysis in the training set stratified for performance status and treatment arm. The model was then tested in the validation set. Subsequently, we investigated the treatment effect of docetaxel on OS in subgroups according to dNLR and duration of initial ADT. RESULTS In the training set, both dNLR ≥median (2) and duration of initial ADT <median (15 months) were associated with increased risk of death [hazard ratio (HR) 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.50, P < 0.001 and HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.21-1.64, P < 0.001, respectively] after adjustment for age, alkaline phosphatase, hemoglobin, and pain at baseline. In the validation set, dNLR remained an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR 1.43; 95% CI 1.20-1.70, P < 0.001), whereas duration of initial ADT was not (HR 1.16; 95% CI 0.97-1.37, P = 0.10). In subgroup analyses of the TAX327 study, docetaxel improved OS irrespective of dNLR and duration of initial ADT. CONCLUSION The dNLR was prognostic for OS in men with mCRPC receiving first-line chemotherapy in two randomized phase III trials. A high dNLR (≥2) was associated with shorter survival irrespective of the received treatment. This readily available biomarker may serve for risk stratification in future clinical trials and could be incorporated into prognostic nomograms. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER NCT00519285.
Hemoglobin A1c Risk Score for the Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease in Subjects with Angiographically Diagnosed Coronary Atherosclerosis

Objective: To develop a risk score by incorporating Hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c) with traditional risk factors for the prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Chinese subjects. Methods: A total of 196 consecutive subjects (131 males and 65 females) aged 38-89 years who underwent coronary angiography were enrolled in this study. HbA1c risk score sheets for the prediction of CAD were developed using age, gender and HbA1c. A receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the optimum cut-off levels of the HbA1c risk score for predicting CAD. Results: In the ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value of the HbA1c score for predicting CAD was 5.1, with a sensitivity of 72.0% and a specificity of 75.5% (area under the curve 0.781, 95% confidence interval 0.709 to 0.854, p=0.000). Conclusions: The HbA1c score system is a simple and feasible method that can be used for the prediction of CAD. Large-scale studies are needed to further substantiate these results.
Lab sessions in VISIR laboratories

Experimental activities with real components are an essential part of all courses including or devoted to electrical and electronic circuits theory and practice. The knowledge triangle composed of hand-written exercises, simulations and traditional lab experiments has been enriched with the possibility for students to conduct real experiments over the Internet, using remote labs. This tutorial is devoted to one such remote lab named Virtual Instrument Systems in Reality (VISIR). The Global Online Laboratory Consortium (GOLC) elected VISIR as the best remote controlled laboratory in the world, at the first time this distinction was awarded. At the end of this tutorial, attendees are expected to know what is VISIR, what can (not) be done with it, who is currently using it, and how can one integrate it in a given course curriculum.
Proportional Fairness-Based Resource Allocation for LTE-U Coexisting With Wi-Fi

To further boost the performance of LTE to meet the ever-increasing mobile traffic demand in a cost-effective way, applying LTE in unlicensed spectrum, known as LTE-U technology, is considered as a promising complementary solution for achieving the ultra-capacity foreseen in 5G and beyond. In the unlicensed spectrum, LTE-U will share the channel with other unlicensed networks, e.g., Wi-Fi. However, the centralized control architecture of LTE networks is inherently different from the distributed channel access of Wi-Fi network, which poses great challenges to achieve fair coexistence of the two networks. To this end, in this paper, we propose a cross-layer proportional fairness (PF)-based framework to jointly optimize the protocol parameters of the medium access control layer and physical layer of an LTE-U network. Specifically, to achieve throughput-oriented PF between the two heterogeneous networks, the cross-layer optimization framework can be decoupled into a device number weighted time occupation ratio-oriented PF optimization problem and a channel-power allocation-based instantaneous transmission rate-oriented PF optimization problem. Given that LTE-U base stations adopt a listen-before-talk-based channel access scheme, the interactions between the LTE-U and the Wi-Fi networks are modeled by two interactive Markov chains. The effectiveness and the superior performance of the proposed cross-layer PF-based optimization framework are demonstrated and verified by simulations.
Analysis and Design of Coupled Inductive Bridges for Magnetic Sensing Applications

This paper presents the analysis and design of a novel magnetic sensor. We study the underlying physics of inductance shift sensors as a special case of the broader family of magnetic energy deviation sensors. The result is a quantitative definition of performance metrics with all assumptions and approximations explicitly stated. This analysis is then used to design a modified ac Wheatstone bridge that uses two inductor-pairs in a cross-coupled configuration, to half its size and double its transducer gain while maintaining a fully differential structure with a matched frequency response. A proof-of-concept sensor was fabricated with peripheral circuitry in a 65-nm bulk CMOS process to operate between 770 and 1450 MHz with an effective sensing area of 200 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}\,\,\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> 200 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The new bridge sensor is fully characterized at a frequency of 770 MHz and demonstrates a reliable and continuous detection of 4.5-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> iron-oxide magnetic beads over time periods longer than 30 min, appreciably longer than previously reported works.
The Psychosocial Problems of Children With HIV / AIDS on Antiretroviral Treatment in South Africa The second measurement of a longitudinal study

AIDS became a worldwide problem since the first recognition of the disease in the United States of America and Europe in the late seventies and the early eighties. The largest part of people infected with HIV is living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Patients with HIV/AIDS can be treated with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART). The introduction of HAART has led to a reduction in mortality. As a result of HAART people with HIV/AIDS can live longer and the disease becomes chronic instead of terminal. This study concerns children with HIV/AIDS who are on antiretroviral medication. Chronic illnesses can have a significant impact on the child’s development and social and emotional functioning. Very little research has been done on the problems in social and emotional functioning of children infected with HIV/AIDS who are on antiretroviral medication. This research concerns the second measurement of a longitudinal study of the social and emotional development of children with HIV/AIDS entered in the HAART-program. The study is done on behalf of the AIDS office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference that provides ARV medication necessary for HAART. This study will use the data of an earlier study (Van Gelder & Kraakman, 2006) and will include a second measurement nine months later. In the study, the social and emotional functioning of children with HIV/AIDS (experimental group) will be compared with the functioning of children without HIV/AIDS (control group). In addition, the effects of traumatic experiences and age will be studied. Social and emotional functioning has been operationalised in terms of depression/anxiety, withdrawal and social problems. For 113 of the 138 original subjects, questionnaires have been completed by the primary caregivers or teachers (experimental group N=58, 30 male/28 female; control group N=55, 26 male/29 female). The mean age was 10.5 years old (8.5 experimental group, 10.2 control group). These questionnaires contained a compilation of the scales concerning internalising problems from the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). In contrast to results from the first wave, the results of this study reveal that children with HIV/AIDS show significant more depression/anxiety, withdrawal and social problems than children without HIV/AIDS on measurement two. Children with HIV/AIDS have significant more traumatic experiences than children without HIV/AIDS, but in contrast to the expectations these traumatic experiences as well as the age of the participants have no effect on their social and emotional functioning. Concluding, these findings indicate that children with HIV/AIDS develop more problems in social and emotional functioning compared to children
Predicting Self-Fulfilling Financial Crises

This paper studies how self-fulfilling dynamics affect the predictability of financial crises. We build a model in which market participants play an investment coordination game with common economic shocks and private information about their own willingness to cooperate. An observer attempts to predict the occurrence of a financial crisis in the future based on the players’ actions in the present. Under favorable conditions, good market conditions prevent an observer from learning about players’ types by observing their actions. This induces a negative correlation between economic conditions in the present and the variance of players’ types in the following period, which defines the predictability of financial crises. Under more extreme positive market conditions, the observer cannot use present observations of the players to learn about the probability of a financial crisis in the future. We test the implications of the model using a new continuous measure of financial market stress – “FinStress” – developed by Gandrud and Hallerberg (2015). We find support for a key implication of our theory: the variance of financial market stress is larger following periods of good economic conditions than following poor economic conditions. These conclusions have implications for both empirical analyses of the predictors of financial crises and for policymakers seeking to prevent crises. The findings in our paper suggest that regulators should focus on actors’ types (e.g. with stress tests) more than macro-economic conditions. More broadly, our analysis provides a new explanation for why social scientists and area specialists are generally poor at predicting events that require mass coordination, such as financial crises, coups, and revolutions.
Insulin Sensitivity is Impaired in Patients with Migraine

Several studies have shown the presence of a comorbidity between migraine and vascular diseases, like hypertension and stroke. The mechanisms of this comorbidity are unknown. Impaired insulin sensitivity has recently emerged as a risk factor for hypertension and stroke. We evaluated insulin sensitivity in 30 young, nonobese, nondiabetic, normotensive migraine patients and in 15 healthy controls. During the OGTT, glucose plasma concentrations were significantly higher in migraineurs than in controls. Insulin sensitivity, as measured by ISI-stumvoll and OGIS-180 indexes, was significantly altered in migraine. Our data show that insulin sensitivity is impaired in migraine and suggest a role for insulin resistance in the comorbidity between migraine and vascular diseases.
Community residential segregation and the local supply of federally qualified health centers.

OBJECTIVE To examine associations between community residential segregation by income and race/ethnicity, and the supply of federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in urban areas. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING Area Resource File (2000-2007) linked with 2000 U.S. Census on U.S. metropolitan counties (N = 1,786). STUDY DESIGN We used logistic and negative binomial regression models with state-level fixed effects to examine how county-level characteristics in 2000 are associated with the presence of FQHCs in 2000, and with the increase in FQHCs from 2000 to 2007. Income and racial/ethnic residential segregation were measured by poverty and the non-white dissimilarity indices, respectively. Covariates included measures of federal criteria for medically underserved areas/populations. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Counties with a high non-white dissimilarity index and a high percentage of minorities were more likely to have an FQHC in 2000. When we examined the addition of new FQHCs from 2000 to 2007, the effects of both poverty and non-white dissimilarity indices were positive and significant. CONCLUSIONS Residential segregation likely produces geographic segregation of health services, such that provider maldistribution may explain the association between residential segregation and FQHC supply. Metropolitan areas that fail to achieve greater integration of poor and minority communities may require FQHCs to compensate for provider shortages.
A chimeric RNA characteristic of rhabdomyosarcoma in normal myogenesis process.

UNLABELLED Gene fusions and their chimeric products are common features of neoplasia. Given that many cancers arise by the dysregulated recapitulation of processes in normal development, we hypothesized that comparable chimeric gene products may exist in normal cells. Here, we show that a chimeric RNA, PAX3-FOXO1, identical to that found in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, is transiently present in cells undergoing differentiation from pluripotent cells into skeletal muscle. Unlike cells of rhabdomyosarcoma, these cells do not seem to harbor the t(2;13) chromosomal translocation. Importantly, both PAX3-FOXO1 RNA and protein could be detected in the samples of normal fetal muscle. Overexpression of the chimera led to continuous expression of MYOD and MYOG-two myogenic markers that are overexpressed in rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Our results are consistent with a developmental role of a specific chimeric RNA generated in normal cells without the corresponding chromosomal rearrangement at the DNA level seen in neoplastic cells presumably of the same lineage. SIGNIFICANCE A chimeric fusion RNA, PAX3-FOXO1, associated with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, is also present in normal non-cancer cells and tissues. Its transient expression nature and the absence of t(2;13) chromosomal translocation are consistent with a posttranscriptional mechanism. When constantly expressed, PAX3-FOXO1 interfered with the muscle differentiation process, which presumably contributes to tumorigenesis.
Educaţia şi formarea profesională în domeniul managementului de risc

The lasts years has seen an explosion of interest in risk management throughout business, the public sector, and society generally. Textbooks, articles, pamphlets, and other publications on risk management subjects are constantly appearing and the number are beginning to grow significantly throughout the entire world. Meanwhile, the education in the field of risk management has become an international subject. Risk management education is shaped by many variables, including the needs and preferences of consumers of business education; the knowledge, abilities, and skills employers expect graduates to possess; the offer available to those interested in pursuing management degrees and the resources business schools need to serve their customers. These are among the variables that make up the context for risk management education, which is very different today than it was even as recently as the mid-1990s. The marketplace for business schools today is characterized by major change. Increasing competition and globalization of the business education market are among the root causes of the instability and industry wide leadership is needed to sustain business schools in order to respond to emerging priorities and challenges. The article provides an overview of the major items regarding the risk management education and argues the need for a good education in risk management field. The article suggests what business school leaders can do to meet the challenges facing risk management education and presents the conditions of training and knowledge gathering for risk management.
rplC T460C Identified as a Dominant Mutation in Linezolid-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strains

ABSTRACT The ribosomal L3 protein was identified as a novel target in linezolid (LZD)-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. Next-generation sequencing confirmed rplC T460C as the sole mutation in an LZD-resistant M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain selected in vitro. Sequencing analysis revealed the rplC T460C mutation in eight further LZD-resistant isolates (three in vitro-selected mutants and five patient isolates, including isolates from three different patients that developed LZD resistance during treatment) but in none of the susceptible control strains (n = 84).
The Network Packing Problem in Terrestrial Broadcasting

The introduction of digital terrestrial broadcasting all over Europe requires a complete and challenging replanning of in-place analog systems. However, an abrupt migration of resources (transmitters and frequencies) from analog to digital networks cannot be accomplished because the analog services must be preserved temporarily. Hence, a multiobjective problem arises, in which several networks sharing a common set of resources have to be designed. This problem is referred to as the network packing problem. In Italy, this problem is particularly challenging because of a large number of transmitters, orographical features, and strict requirements imposed by Italian law. In this paper, we report our experience in developing solution methods at the major Italian broadcaster Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI S.p.A.). We propose a two-stage heuristic. In the first stage, emission powers are assigned to each network separately. In the second stage, frequencies are assigned to all networks so as to minimize the loss from mutual interference. A software tool incorporating our methodology is currently in use at RAI to help discover and select high-quality alternatives for the deployment of digital equipment.
Car-Following Behavior of Coach Bus Based on Naturalistic Driving Experiments in Urban Roads

In order to study the car-following behavior of coach bus in urban roads, naturalistic driving experiments were carried out in urban roads. The data of the vehicle itself and the surrounding traffic environment were obtained during the car-following state. Vehicle speed, lane position, vehicle type, relative speed, relative distance were collected. The variation of the car-following distance was analyzed. For the coach bus in urban road, the car-following distance was lognormal distribution. With the increase of the self-vehicle speed, the car-following distance gradually increased and the distribution range of the car-following distance gradually increased. When the leading vehicle was a coach bus, the average car-following distance was 20.00 meters. When the leading vehicle was a passage car, the average car-following distance was 25.77 meters. As the lane position of the vehicle was different, the car-following distance also showed a certain difference.
High Device Yield of Resistive Switching Characteristics in Oxygen-Annealed $\hbox{SrZrO}_{3}$ Memory Devices

This paper reports the effects of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) on resistive switching (RS) characteristics and mechanisms of SrZrO<sub>3</sub> (SZO)-based memory devices. SZO thin films were deposited on LaNiO<sub>3</sub> (LNO) (100)/Pt/Ti/SiO<sub>2</sub>/Si using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering and were followed by an RTA process in N<sub>2</sub>, Ar, and O<sub>2</sub> ambients, respectively, at various temperatures for improving RS performance. Experimental results indicate that an SZO device annealed in O<sub>2</sub> at 600°C (O<sub>2</sub>-600) exhibits stable RS properties and has a high device yield ( 90%), a reliable retention characteristic (up to 1 × 10<sup>6</sup> s at 100°C), and steady nondestructive readout properties (over 1.4 × 10<sup>4</sup> s at 100°C). However, by increasing RTA temperature to more than 700°C, random formation of LNO (110) precipitates on the bottom surface of SZO grains might shorten the effective thickness of the SZO thin films. Furthermore, a strong electric field possibly occurs at the region between Al top electrodes and low-resistivity LNO precipitates. It is speculated that an RS phenomenon, which occurs within SZO grains instead of on grain boundaries, easily leads to RS failure, further resulting in severe degradation of device yield in the O<sub>2</sub>-700 and O<sub>2</sub>-800 devices. When compared with other devices, O<sub>2</sub>-600 SZO memory devices exhibit highly reliable RS characteristics.
Pharmacological manipulation of cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 in the inflamed hydronephrotic kidney

1 Bradykinin (BK, 1 μg) caused a small (2 fold at 6 h) increase in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the normal rabbit kidney, perfused ex vivo. This was exaggerated (6 fold at 6 h) in the hydronephrotic kidney (HNK). The exaggerated release of PGE2 was attenuated by cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis or by dexamethasone, a steroid known to inhibit the induction of cyclo‐oxygenase (COX‐2). BK (1 μg) when injected at 6 h of perfusion increased the release of PGE2 from 90±33 pg ml−1 min−1 to 3069±946 pg ml−1 min−1. This was reduced to 200±30 pg ml−1 min−1 in kidneys infused with cycloheximide (1 μm) and to 250±40 pg ml−1 min−1 in kidneys infused with dexamethasone (n = 8). 2 When tested on human and murine recombinant COX‐1 and COX‐2 enzymes, DuP‐697 was at least 50 fold more selective for COX‐2 than for COX‐1. 3 DuP‐697 reduced the exaggerated release of PGE2 elicited by BK in the HNK (e.g., at 6 h of perfusion BK‐evoked PGE2 release decreased from 3069±946 pg ml−1 min−1 to 187±22 pg ml−1 min−1 after perfusion with 1 μm DUP‐697, n = 8). 4 Cycloheximide, dexamethasone or DuP‐697 at doses used to inhibit completely the exaggerated release of PGE2 in the hydronephrotic kidney, failed to inhibit the release of PGE2 elicited by the injection of BK (1 μg) in the normal contralateral kidney. 5 Indomethacin (1 μm), a non‐selective COX‐1 and COX‐2 inhibitor, completely inhibited PGE2 release in the normal contralateral as well as in the hydronephrotic kidney. 6 We suggest that renal prostaglandin production in the normal kidney is driven by the activity of constitutive COX‐1 while at sites of inflammation, such as the hydronephrotic kidney, there is induction of COX‐2 that can be blocked selectively by anti‐inflammatory glucocorticoids or selective COX‐2 inhibitors.