Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Arterial Spin-Labeling and MR Spectroscopy in the Differentiation of Gliomas

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Noninvasive grading of gliomas remains a challenge despite its important role in the prognosis and management of patients with intracranial neoplasms. In this study, we evaluated the ability of cerebral blood flow (CBF)-guided voxel-by-voxel analysis of multivoxel proton MR spectroscopic imaging (1H-MRSI) to differentiate low-grade from high-grade gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 35 patients with primary gliomas (22 high grade and 13 low grade) underwent continuous arterial spin-labeling perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) and 1H-MRSI. Different regions of the gliomas were categorized as “hypoperfused,” “isoperfused,” and “hyperperfused” on the basis of the average CBF obtained from contralateral healthy white matter. 1H-MRSI indices were computed from these regions and compared between low- and high-grade gliomas. Using a similar approach, we applied a subgroup analysis to differentiate low- from high-grade oligodendrogliomas because they show different physiologic and genetic characteristics. RESULTS: Choglioma (G)/white matter (WM), GlxG/WM, and Lip+LacG/CrWM were significantly higher in the “hyperperfused” regions of high-grade gliomas compared with low-grade gliomas. ChoG/WM and Lip+LacG/CrWM were also significantly higher in the “hyperperfused” regions of high-grade oligodendrogliomas. However, metabolite ratios from the “hypoperfused” or “isoperfused” regions did not exhibit any significant differences between high-grade and low-grade gliomas. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that 1H-MRSI indices from the “hyperperfused” regions of gliomas, on the basis of PWI, may be helpful in distinguishing high-grade from low-grade gliomas including oligodendrogliomas.
Extracellular matrix regulates expression of the TGF-beta 1 gene

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is a potent regulator of cell proliferation and modulates the interactions of cells with their extracellular matrix (ECM), in part by inducing the synthesis of various ECM proteins. Three different isoforms of TGF-beta are synthesized in a defined pattern in specific cell populations in vivo. In the specific case of TGF-beta 1, this well-defined and limited expression stands in sharp contrast to its synthesis by virtually all cells in culture. Using mammary epithelial cells as a model system, we evaluated the substratum dependence of the expression of TGF-beta 1. The level of TGF-beta 1 expression is high in cells on plastic, but is strongly downregulated when cells are cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane matrix. In contrast, TGF-beta 2 mRNA levels in cells on either substratum remain unchanged. Using the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene as reporter gene under the control of the TGF-beta 1 promoter, we show that transcription from this promoter is suppressed when the cells are in contact with either endogenously synthesized or exogenously administered basement membrane. TGF-beta 1 promoter activity is strongly induced by the absence of basement membrane, i.e., by direct contact of the cells with plastic. This modulation of transcription from the TGF-beta 1 promoter occurs in the absence of lactogenic hormones which allow full differentiation. Our results thus indicate that basement membrane is an important regulator of TGF-beta 1 synthesis, and explain why most cells in culture on plastic express TGF- beta 1 in contrast with the more restricted TGF-beta 1 synthesis in vivo. We propose that there is a feedback loop whereby TGF-beta 1- induced synthesis of basement membrane components is repressed once a functional basement membrane is present. Finally, these results together with our current knowledge of regulation of TGF-beta 1 and TGF- beta 2 synthesis, suggest that, in vivo, TGF-beta 1 may play a major role in regulating the ECM synthesis and the cell-ECM interactions, whereas TGF-beta 2 may be more important in morphogenetic processes.
Efficient Algorithms for Morphisms over Omega-Regular Languages

Morphisms to finite semigroups can be used for recognizing omega-regular languages. The so-called strongly recognizing morphisms can be seen as a deterministic computation model which provides minimal objects (known as the syntactic morphism) and a trivial complementation procedure. We give a quadratic-time algorithm for computing the syntactic morphism from any given strongly recognizing morphism, thereby showing that minimization is easy as well. In addition, we give algorithms for efficiently solving various decision problems for weakly recognizing morphisms. Weakly recognizing morphism are often smaller than their strongly recognizing counterparts. Finally, we describe the language operations needed for converting formulas in monadic second-order logic (MSO) into strongly recognizing morphisms, and we give some experimental results.
Optimal resource allocation in distributed broadband wireless communication systems

This paper is concerned with optimization of distributed broadband wireless communication (BWC) systems. BWC systems contain a distributed antenna system (DAS) connected to a base station with optical fiber. BWC systems have been proposed as a solution to the power constraint problem in traditional cellular networks. So far, the research on BWC systems have advanced on two separate tracks, design of the system to meet the quality of service requirements (QoS) and optimization of location of the DAS. In this paper, we consider a combined optimization of BWC systems. We consider uplink communications with multiple levels of priority traffic having any renewal arrival and departure processes. We develop an analysis that determines packet delay violation probability for each priority level as a function of the outage probability of the distributed antenna system through the application of results from renewal theory. Then, we determine the optimal locations of the antennas that minimize the antenna outage probability. We also study the trade off between the packet delay violation probability and packet loss probability.
A Robust-Equitable Measure for Feature Ranking and Selection

In many applications, not all the features used to represent data samples are important. Often only a few features are relevant for the prediction task. The choice of dependence measures often affect the final result of many feature selection methods. To select features that have complex nonlinear relationships with the response variable, the dependence measure should be equitable, a concept proposed by Reshef et al. (2011); that is, the dependence measure treats linear and nonlinear relationships equally. Recently, Kinney and Atwal (2014) gave a mathematical definition of self-equitability. In this paper, we introduce a new concept of robust-equitability and identify a robust-equitable copula dependence measure, the robust copula dependence (RCD) measure. RCD is based on the L1-distance of the copula density from uniform and we show that it is equitable under both equitability definitions. We also prove theoretically that RCD is much easier to estimate than mutual information. Because of these theoretical properties, the RCD measure has the following advantages compared to existing dependence measures: it is robust to different relationship forms and robust to unequal sample sizes of different features. Experiments on both synthetic and real-world data sets confirm the theoretical analysis, and illustrate the advantage of using the dependence measure RCD for feature selection.
Cost Based Satisficing Search Considered Harmful

Recently, several researchers have found that cost-based satisficing search with A* often runs into problems. Although some "work arounds" have been proposed to ameliorate the problem, there has not been any concerted effort to pinpoint its origin. In this paper, we argue that the origins can be traced back to the wide variance in action costs that is observed in most planning domains. We show that such cost variance misleads A* search, and that this is no trifling detail or accidental phenomenon, but a systemic weakness of the very concept of "cost-based evaluation functions + systematic search + combinatorial graphs". We show that satisficing search with sized-based evaluation functions is largely immune to this problem.
Uncertain Nearest Neighbor Classification

This work deals with the problem of classifying uncertain data. With this aim the Uncertain Nearest Neighbor (UNN) rule is here introduced, which represents the generalization of the deterministic nearest neighbor rule to the case in which uncertain objects are available. The UNN rule relies on the concept of nearest neighbor class, rather than on that of nearest neighbor object. The nearest neighbor class of a test object is the class that maximizes the probability of providing its nearest neighbor. It is provided evidence that the former concept is much more powerful than the latter one in the presence of uncertainty, in that it correctly models the right semantics of the nearest neighbor decision rule when applied to the uncertain scenario. An effective and efficient algorithm to perform uncertain nearest neighbor classification of a generic (un)certain test object is designed, based on properties that greatly reduce the temporal cost associated with nearest neighbor class probability computation. Experimental results are presented, showing that the UNN rule is effective and efficient in classifying uncertain data.
Micro fabrication of biodegradable polymer drug delivery devices

The pharmaceutical industry is presently facing several obstacles in developing oral drug delivery systems. This is primarily due to the nature of the discovered drug candidates. The discovered drugs often have poor solubility and low permeability across the gastro intestinal epithelium. Furthermore, they are often degraded before they can be absorbed. The result is low bioavailability of the drugs. To overcome these challenges, better drug delivery systems need to be developed. Recently, micro systems have emerged as promising candidates to solve the challenges of poor solubility, low permeability and degradation. These systems are for the majority based on traditional materials used in micro technology, such as SU-8, silicon, poly(methyl methacrylate). The next step in developing these new drug delivery systems is to replace classical micro fabrication materials with biodegradable polymers. In order to successfully do this, methods for fabricating micro structures in biodegradable polymers need to be developed. The goal of this project has been to develop methods for micro fabrication in biodegradable polymers and to use these methods to produce micro systems for oral drug delivery. This has successfully been achieved by fabrication of micro container systems made of poly(Llactic acid) and polycaprolactone. To achieve this, polymer solutions have been developed using the theory of Hansen’s solubility parameters. The solutions are used to fabricate polymer films by spin coating, which are used in the fabrication of micro devices for oral drug delivery. Films consisting of both polymer and pharmaceuticals have also been developed by spin coating. A deep reactive ion etch producing sloped sidewalls for stamp production has been developed. The sloped sidewalls ensure a successful separation of stamp and film after patterning. Large scale methods for filling of micro reservoirs based on embossing, screen printing and solvent casting have been developed. In vitro drug release experiments on both type of micro devices have been performed. The experiments show that most of the drug is released from the developed devices. Additionally, it has been shown that it is possible to control the release of drug by adding polymeric coatings.
Nano-magnesium phosphate hydrogels: efficiency of an injectable and biodegradable gel formulation towards bone regeneration

The use of autografts is considered as gold standard for the treatment of bone tissue defects caused by tumor, disease or trauma. The second surgery for autologous bone harvesting is often linked to donor site morbidity, pain, blood loss and infections (1). To circumvent these issues, synthetic bone grafts made of either organic biopolymers such as poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) or collagen (2) and inorganic replacement materials like calcium orthophosphate (CaP) bioceramics are commercially available and frequently used in the clinic (3). The variety of such materials in terms of composition and application form (e.g., pastes, blocks, granules) is huge but most of them do not fulfill all main criteria for adequate bone substitutes: osteogenesis, osteoinductivity, osteoconductivity and osseointegration. Only autologous bone seems to comply with those demands (4).
Robust Energy-Constrained Frequency Reserves From Aggregations of Commercial Buildings

It has been shown that the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems of commercial buildings can offer ancillary services to power systems without loss of comfort. In this paper, we propose a new control framework for reliable scheduling and provision of frequency reserves by aggregations of commercial buildings. The framework incorporates energy-constrained frequency signals, which are adopted by several transmission system operators for loads and storage devices. We use a hierarchical approach with three levels: 1) reserve capacities are allocated among buildings (e.g., on a daily basis) using techniques from robust optimization; 2) a robust model predictive controller optimizes the HVAC system consumption typically every 30 minutes; and 3) a feedback controller adjusts the consumption to provide reserves in real time. We demonstrate how the framework can be used to estimate the reserve capacities in simulations with typical Swiss office buildings and different reserve product characteristics. Our results show that an aggregation of approximately 100 buildings suffices to meet the 5-MW minimum bid size of the Swiss reserve market.
EIGENVALUES OF ASYMPTOTICALLY FLAT TRIANGLES T

This paper is devoted to the study of the eigenpairs of the Dirichlet Laplacian on a family of triangles where two vertices are fixed and the altitude associated with the third vertex goes to zero. We investigate the dependence of the eigenvalues on this altitude. For the first eigenvalues and eigenfunctions, we obtain an asymptotic expansion at any order at the scale cube root of this altitude due to the influence of the Airy operator. Asymptotic expansions of the eigenpairs are provided, exhibiting two distinct scales when the altitude tends to zero. In addition, we generalize our analysis to the case of a shrinking polygon.
Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis) are independent of their alkaloid content.

Cat's claw is an herbal medicine from the Amazon that is used widely to treat inflammatory disorders. The purpose of this study was to characterize the antioxidative and antiinflammatory properties of cat's claw, Uncaria tomentosa (UT) and Uncaria guianensis (UG). Alkaloids and flavanols were determined using reversed-phase HPLC; scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrilhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radicals, and lipid peroxidation by spectrophotometry; and TNFalpha production by ELISA. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed in vitro by inhibition of TNFalpha and nitrite production from RAW 264.7 cells exposed to LPS (50 ng/ml) and in vivo using the indomethacin-induced gastritis model. Apoptosis was assessed using the TUNEL technique and TNFalpha mRNA by in situ RT-PCR. In each of the antioxidant assays tested, UG was more potent than UT (P < 0.01). The total oxindole and pentacyclic alkaloid content of UT was 35-fold > UG. The IC50 value for inhibition of TNFalpha production was significantly (P < 0.01) higher for UT (14.1 ng/ml) vs UG (9.5 ng/ml), yet at concentrations that were considerable lower than that required for antioxidant activity. Non-alkaloid HPLC fractions from UT decreased LPS-induced TNFalpha and nitrite production in RAW 264.7 cells (P < 0.01) at a concentration range comparable to the parent botanical. Oral pretreatment for 3 d with UT protected against indomethacin-induced gastritis, and prevented TNFalpha mRNA expression and apoptosis. These results indicate that while both species of cat's claw provide effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, U. guianensis is more potent. In conclusion, the presence of oxindole or pentacyclic alkaloids did not influence the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of cat's claw.
Printed PEDOT layers as transparent emitter electrodes for application in flexible inorganic photovoltaic structures

The purpose of the work is to find an appropriate flexible material to replace commonly used transparent conductive oxides (TCO) in photovoltaic (PV) emitter electrode applications. Authors show the alternative, potential possibility of using PEDOT conductive polymer as transparent emitter contacts for thin-film, flexible photovoltaic structures. The vast majority of contacts made of TCO layers, dominantly indium tin oxide ITO, are electrically unstable under the influence of mechanical stresses [1,2,3]. This drawback inhibits their usage in flexible devices, such as solar cells. The need of the development in the field of flexible PV structures induces searching for new materials. Investigated transparent conductive layers (TCL) were made of organic compositions based on PEDOT polymer and their parameters were compared with equally measured parameters of carbon nanotube (CNT) layers, commercial ITO and AgHT ultra-thin silver layers. Transparent conductive layers based on PEDOT:PSS compound were deposited on flexible substrates by screen printing technique. The analysis of achieved results shows the broad spectrum of application possibilities for PEDOT layers.
Heart rate and energetics of free-ranging king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus)

SUMMARY The main objective of this study was to determine heart rate (fh) and the energetic costs of specific behaviours of king penguins while ashore and while foraging at sea during their breeding period. In particular, an estimate was made of the energetic cost of diving in order to determine the proportion of dives that may exceed the calculated aerobic dive limit (cADL; estimated usable O2 stores/estimated rate of oxygen consumption during diving). An implanted data logger enabled fh and diving behaviour to be monitored from 10 free-ranging king penguins during their breeding period. Using previously determined calibration equations, it was possible to estimate rate of oxygen consumption (V̇O2) when the birds were ashore and during various phases of their foraging trips. Diving behaviour showed a clear diurnal pattern, with a mixture of deep (>40 m), long (>3 min) and shallow (<40 m), short (<3 min) dives from dawn to dusk and shallow, short dives at night. Heart rate during dive bouts and dive cycles (dive + post-dive interval) was 42% greater than that when the birds were ashore. During diving, fh was similar to the `ashore' value (87±4 beats min–1), but it did decline to 76% of the value recorded from king penguins resting in water. During the first hour after a diving bout, fh was significantly higher than the average value during diving (101±4 beats min–1) and for the remainder of the dive bout. Rates of oxygen consumption estimated from these (and other) values of fh indicate that when at sea, metabolic rate (MR) was 83% greater than that when the birds were ashore [3.15 W kg–1 (–0.71, +0.93), where the values in parentheses are the computed standard errors of the estimate], while during diving bouts and dive cycles, it was 73% greater than the `ashore' value. Although estimated MR during the total period between dive bouts was not significantly different from that during dive bouts [5.44 W kg–1 (–0.30, +0.32)], MR during the first hour following a dive bout was 52% greater than that during a diving bout. It is suggested that this large increase following diving (foraging) activity is, at least in part, the result of rewarming the body, which occurs at the end of a diving bout. From the measured behaviour and estimated values of V̇O2, it was evident that approximately 35% of the dives were in excess of the cADL. Even if V̇O2 during diving was assumed to be the same as when the birds were resting on water, approximately 20% of dives would exceed the cADL. As V̇O2 during diving is, in fact, that estimated for a complete dive cycle, it is quite feasible that V̇O2 during diving itself is less than that measured for birds resting in water. It is suggested that the regional hypothermia that has been recorded in this species during diving bouts may be at least a contributing factor to such hypometabolism.
Modeling Soft Errors at the Device and Logic Levels for Combinational Circuits

Radiation-induced soft errors in combinational logic is expected to become as important as directly induced errors on state elements. Consequently, it has become important to develop techniques to quickly and accurately predict soft-error rates (SERs) in combinational circuits. In this work, we present methodologies to model soft errors in both the device and logic levels. At the device level, a hierarchical methodology to model neutron-induced soft errors is proposed. This model is used to create a transient current library, which will be useful for circuit-level soft-error estimation. The library contains the transient current response to various different factors such as ion energies, operating voltage, substrate bias, angle, and location of impact. At the logic level, we propose a new approach to estimating the SER of logic circuits that attempts to capture electrical, logic, and latch window masking concurrently. The average error of the SER estimates using our approach, compared to the estimates obtained using circuit-level simulations, is 6.5 percent while providing an average speedup of 15,000. We have demonstrated the scalability of our approach using designs from the ISCAS-85 benchmarks.
Maternal complications in women with chronic hypertension: a population‐based cohort study

Background. The aim of the study was to determine if pregnant women with chronic hypertensive disease have an independent risk for preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or placental abruption. To examine if superimposed preeclampsia in this group of women is related to an increased risk of placental abruption.