Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chlorambucil – rituximab as first line combination therapy in follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: A clinical and biological analysis

The achievement of a molecular response (marrow blood clearance of BCL-2/IgHþ positive neoplastic cells) seems to be associated with a longer event free survival (EFS) and might prolong overall survival (OS) [1] in patients affected by follicular NHLs. The chimeric monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody, rituximab, has become a well established treatment for newly diagnosed or pre-treated indolent NHL patients; the addition of rituximab to chemotherapy improves the clinical and molecular remission rate and prolongs the time to treatment failure [2]. We previously demonstrated the feasibility and efficacy of chlorambucil plus rituximab combination therapy in the treatment of newly diagnosed and relapsed/ refractory indolent B-cell NHL patients [3]. Here we present our experience evaluating the clinical and biological activity of the combination as first line treatment in follicular NHL patients. Twenty-five consecutive newly diagnosed patients affected by grade 1-2 (WHO classification [4]) follicular lymphoma treated at European Institute of Oncology between November 2001 and June 2004 were retrospectively investigated. BCL-2/IgH translocation on marrow blood was evaluated by quantitative and qualitative PCR at diagnosis and by qualitative PCR after the induction and maintenance therapy and every 3 months during follow-up. Treatment consisted of oral chlorambucil (leukeran) 6 mg/sqm administered daily for 6 consecutive weeks in association with standard 4-weekly rituximab (375 mg/smq i.v) administration schedule. Eight weeks later, patients clinically re-evaluated as responding received a consolidation therapy with chlorambucil 6 mg/sqm daily for 2 weeks every month (4 cycles) plus rituximab (375 mg/smq i.v) once every month. In patients BCL-2/IgH positive at diagnosis, molecular CR was defined as the achievement of a clinical CR and qualitative PCR negativity in marrow blood. Patients’ main clinical characteristics are summarized in Table I. The median time from diagnosis to beginning of therapy was 27 days (range 10 – 48). All patients completed the planned treatment without any delay or dose reduction (either in induction or in maintenance therapy) and were fully assessed for clinical and biological response. Overall response rate was 96% (24/25) with a high rate of CR (88%). Only one patient (BCL-2/IgH negative at baseline) had a SD at revaluation after treatment. With a median follow-up of 36 months (range 19 – 50), three patients relapsed at 6.7, 19.7, and 31 months respectively. Ten patients had a positive PCR BCL-2/IgH translocation in marrow blood at diagnosis; nine out of 10 patients had a low level (5100 pg/ml) of BCL-2/IgHþ cells by quantitative PCR. All treated patients obtained a clearance of BCL-2/IgH translocation in marrow blood; eight out of 10 remain in molecular CR. In terms of DSF, we did not observe any correlation between relapse rate and Ann Arbor stage, FLIPI score, marrow involvement at trephine biopsy, RQ-PCR at diagnosis whereas 2/10
Excess Magnetic Noise in Orthogonal Fluxgates Employing Discontinuous Excitation

The source of the excess magnetic noise caused by discontinuous excitation in a wire core orthogonal fluxgates is described. Discontinuous, or duty cycle, operation allows reducing the inherently high power consumption of orthogonal fluxgates and, therefore, makes possible their employment in mobile equipment. The magnetization process during an excitation cycle is highly nonlinear and inhomogeneous across the wire core. This is because the ac current component of the excitation electrical current causes a skin effect, which is strongly affected by the nonlinearity of the B-H curve. Thus, the magnetization of the domains across the core takes the shape of a spring onion, where each magnetized shell of domains has different level of magnetization, ranging from deep saturation in outer shells to zero magnetization in the innermost ones. Such a domain structure is not stable, especially at the boundary between remnantly magnetized shell and neutral shells. In the idle excitation intervals, there is an occasion for the domains to relax. The domains relaxation is a stochastic process and therefore incurs excess magnetic noise. We investigate the excess noise by measuring the sensitivity and noise in the excitation cycles using a digital selective bandpass sampling processing technique. The attained equivalent magnetic noise is <;2.5 pT/√(Hz) at 1 Hz. We correlate the coupling between the domain shells using the time dependent portion of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation. A close relationship between the noise model and experimental data is achieved.
Achieving a "Therapeutic Dose" of IT

Our health systems face a number of critical challenges over the next several decades, not the least of which is the aging of our baby boomers. Many have suggested that information technologies will be an essential tool, which will increase health system productivity and in so doing will help us manage our way through these challenging times. Unfortunately, little evidence exists supporting the hypothesis that IT creates productivity gains in any sector, let alone health. This paper reviews the "Productivity Paradox" and the challenges associated with measuring the effects that IT may have on health system productivity, and proposes potential directions for new work
Taxonomic Revision of Pinus fujiii (Yasui) Miki (Pinaceae) and Its Implications for the Phytogeography of the Section Trifoliae in East Asia

Pinus trifolia Miki 1939 (Pinaceae) was originally proposed based on seed cones from the upper Miocene of Aichi and Gifu Prefectures, central Japan. However, before the publication of P. trifolia, a different name (Pinus fujiii (Yasui) Miki) was given to a female cone with the same morphology. On the other hand, P. fujiii auct. non (Yasui) Miki has been used for seed cones with different morphologies from Yasui’s holotype, i.e., apophyses arranged in 5:8 parastichies and a perexcentromucronate slightly-pointed umbo. As a result of re-examination on the Miki and Yasui specimens, we concluded that P. trifolia was a synonym for P. fujiii and proposed here Pinus mikii sp. nov. for cones assigned to P. fujiii auct. non (Yasui) Miki. We also emended the diagnosis of P. fujiii based on these specimens. Pinus fujiii is characterized by a large female cone in which the apophyses with a centromucronate prickle-like umbo are arranged in 8:13 parastichies, and deciduous seed wings. These characters suggest that P. fujiii belongs to the section Trifoliae of the subgenus Pinus, which is now restricted to North and Central America and the Caribbean islands. Fossil data suggest that the P. fujiii lineage firstly appeared in Japan around the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. We speculate that the P. fujiii lineage might have moved southward to Japan from a refugium located elsewhere in high-latitude areas in response to the late Eocene cooling event, as occurred with other Trifoliae species in North America.
IDENTIFICATION OF BANDLIMITED NONLINEAR CHANNELS IN THEPRESENCE OF UPLINK AND DOWNLINK

This paper addresses the problem of identiication of a class of nonlinear channels which are structured as a cascade of a Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) lter, a Zero-Memoryless Non-Linearity (ZMNL) and a LTI lter. Such models are appropriate to describe satellite communication channels, where the nonlinear distortions are due to on-board satellite ampliiers and the linear lters model multipath eeects in the uplink and downlink paths.
Century-scale Methylome Stability in a Recently Diverged Arabidopsis thaliana Lineage

There has been much excitement about the possibility that exposure to specific environments can induce an ecological memory in the form of whole-sale, genome-wide epigenetic changes that are maintained over many generations. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, numerous heritable DNA methylation differences have been identified in greenhouse-grown isogenic lines, but it remains unknown how natural, highly variable environments affect the rate and spectrum of such changes. Here we present detailed methylome analyses in a geographically dispersed A. thaliana population that constitutes a collection of near-isogenic lines, diverged for at least a century from a common ancestor. We observed little DNA methylation divergence whole-genome wide. Nonetheless, methylome variation largely reflected genetic distance, and was in many aspects similar to that of lines raised in uniform conditions. Thus, even when plants are grown in varying and diverse natural sites, genome-wide epigenetic variation accumulates in a clock-like manner, and epigenetic divergence thus parallels the pattern of genome-wide DNA sequence divergence.
A facilitated tracking and transcription mechanism of long-range enhancer function

In the human ε−globin gene locus, the HS2 enhancer in the Locus Control Region regulates transcription of the embryonic ε-globin gene located over 10 kb away. The mechanism of long-range HS2 enhancer function was not fully established. Here we show that the HS2 enhancer complex containing the enhancer DNA together with RNA polymerase II (pol II) and TBP tracks along the intervening DNA, synthesizing short, polyadenylated, intergenic RNAs to ultimately loop with the ε-globin promoter. Guided by this facilitated tracking and transcription mechanism, the HS2 enhancer delivers pol II and TBP to the cis-linked globin promoter to activate mRNA synthesis from the target gene. An insulator inserted in the intervening DNA between the enhancer and the promoter traps the enhancer DNA and the associated pol II and TBP at the insulator site, blocking mid-stream the facilitated tracking and transcription mechanism of the enhancer complex, thereby blocking long-range enhancer function.
A Prospective Randomized Study Comparing Short- and Intermediate-Term Perioperative Outcome Variables After Spinal or General Anesthesia for Lumbar Disk and Laminectomy Surgery

General or regional anesthesia may be used for lumbar laminectomy.To determine whether one method is superior, 122 patients were randomly assigned to receive either a standard general anesthetic (GA) or spinal anesthesia (SA) supplemented with intravenous (IV) propofol sedation. Data from the intraoperative period through hospital discharge were collected and compared. Demographically, both groups were similar. Total anesthesia (131.0 +/- 4.3 vs 106.6 +/- 3.2 min) and surgical times (81.5 +/- 3.6 vs 67.1 +/- 2.8 min) were longer in the GA group. Intraoperative hemodynamics were similar between groups except that the incidence of increased blood pressure was more frequent with GA (26.2% vs 3.3%). Blood loss was less during SA (133 +/- 18 mL vs 221 +/- 32 mL). Postanesthesia care unit (PACU) heart rates and mean arterial pressures were higher in the GA group. Peak pain scores in the PACU were higher after GA compared with SA (58 +/- 4 vs 22 +/- 3) as were the number of patients who required analgesics. Severe nausea was more common in the GA group both in the PACU and during the 24 h after surgery. Analgesic requirements after discharge from the PACU, urinary retention, and days in the hospital did not differ between groups. This study suggests that SA may be superior to GA both intraoperatively and postoperatively for lumbar spine procedures lasting less than 2 h. (Anesth Analg 1996;83:559-64)
The biochemistry of runners in a 1600 km ultramarathon.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate biochemical changes related to muscle breakdown, hepatic damage, hyponatraemia, and a number of other variables in the serum of participants in a 1600 km ultramarathon run. METHODS: Blood samples were obtained from nine participants (seven men, two women) in a 1600 km foot race before, after 4 and 11 days of running, and at the conclusion of the event. Samples were analysed by standard methods and results corrected, where appropriate, for changes in plasma volume. RESULTS: Significant (p < 0.05) increases in the following variables were found during or at the conclusion of the event: plasma volume, sodium, chloride, urea, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, bilirubin, total protein, albumin, glucose, calcium, and phosphate. Significant (p < 0.05) decreases in the following variables were found during or at the conclusion of the event: globulin, uric acid, and cholesterol. No change occurred in serum potassium, bicarbonate, creatinine, and triglycerides. CONCLUSION: A wide range of biochemical perturbations occur during ultramarathon running but a number of variables remain within normal limits despite severe physical stress. Large increases in plasma volume occur, and hyponatraemia is rare in events of this duration. The time course of increases in enzymic indicators of muscle damage indicates that duration of running is not the sole determinant of such increases. This study provides indirect evidence of possible hepatic damage during prolonged exercise and an increase in serum calcium both of which warrant further investigation.
Colored Coded Aperture Design by Concentration of Measure in Compressive Spectral Imaging

Compressive spectral imaging (CSI) senses the spatio-spectral information of a scene by measuring 2D coded projections on a focal plane array. A ℓ1-norm-based optimization algorithm is then used to recover the underlying discretized spectral image. The coded aperture snapshot spectral imager (CASSI) is an architecture realizing CSI where the reconstruction image quality relies on the design of a 2D set of binary coded apertures which block-unblock the light from the scene. This paper extends the compressive capabilities of CASSI by replacing the traditional blocking-unblocking coded apertures by a set of colored coded apertures. The colored coded apertures are optimized such that the number of projections is minimized while the quality of reconstruction is maximized. The optimal design of the colored coded apertures aims to better satisfy the restricted isometry property in CASSI. The optimal designs are compared with random colored coded aperture patterns and with the traditional blocking-unblocking coded apertures. Extensive simulations show the improvement in reconstruction PSNR attained by the optimal colored coded apertures designs.
Optimal Incremental Sorting

Let A be a set of size m. Obtaining the first k ≤ m elements of A in ascending order can be done in optimal O(m+k log k) time. We present an algorithm (online on k) which incrementally gives the next smallest element of the set, so that the first k elements are obtained in optimal time for any k. We also give a practical version of the algorithm, with the same complexity on average, which performs better in practice than the best existing online algorithm. As a direct application, we use our technique to implement Kruskal's Minimum Spanning Tree algorithm, where our solution is competitive with the best current implementations. We finally show that our technique can be applied to several other problems, such as obtaining an interval of the sorted sequence and implementing heaps.
The use of a mathematical model to describe isothermal stress-strain curves in glassy thermoplastics

A new model is proposed to describe the large recoverable extensions which can be observed with high polymers below their glass transition points. The model consists of a Hookean spring in series with an Eyring dashpot and rubber elasticity spring in parallel. Conventional stress-strain curves for cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate sheet and PVC are compared with those predicted by the model. In this way many of the characteristic features of the stress-strain curves of plastics can be illustrated. Differences between the stress-strain curves of a number of polymers are discussed in terms of the model, and the tendency of a polymer to show necking is related to the ultimate network strain (limiting elongation) under the conditions of the test.
Human Factors in Software Engineering

Software engineering is an effort to reduce the cost of producing software by raising programming productivity and lowering maintenance effort and to increase the benefits of software by extending application areas and improving service. Human factors considerations can have a major impact on the software development process and the quality of the software produced. High-level languages have increased programmer productivity by removing from the programmer the burden of remembering what values are in what register and placing it on a software system which is much more suited to managing detail. Other programming methodologies and tools have been developed to reduce the cost of producing software: design methodologies, structured programming, chief programmer teams, disciplined coding conventions, etc. The efficacy of these software aids has been demonstrated mostly by case studies. The articles in this issue of Computer analyze some of these methodologies and tools from a human factors viewpoint, using the tools of human factors engineering to determine if the use of a particular aid increases programming performance or the quality of the resulting software.
An optimally tuned modified active disturbance rejection controller for power system load frequency control

An optimally tuned Modified Active Disturbance Rejection Control (MADRC) scheme is presented for power system load frequency problem. MADRC has to two gains namely observer gains and controller gains, whose are selected optimally to achieve desired control performance. This paper explores the idea of formulating the tuning problem as a constrained multi-objective optimization problem. To realize this idea a unified objective function which is a weighted sum of problem specific objective functions is formulated and is optimized by Teaching Learning Based Optimization (TLBO). The performance of the proposed approach has been tested on single-area power systems with an aim to regulate frequency. The simulation results validate the effectiveness of the optimally tuned MADRC in comparison with existing strategies in the presence of sudden load disturbances and system parameter variations.
The FBG-based monitor of liquid-solid-phase transitions and its potential sensing applications

We demonstrated the monitoring of the liquid-solid phase transition, including a supercooling process, based on embeded FBGs. A FBG concentration sensing scheme is proposed by observing the embeded-FBGs' response to the phase transition. The freezing of the salt solution and the Glucose solution are measured and the results show the correlation between the solute's concentration and the embeded-FBGs' response.
Thymoquinone Induces Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in Vitro

There has been a growing interest in naturally occurring compounds from traditional medicine with anti-cancer potential. Nigella sativa (black seed) is one of the most widely studied plants. This annual herb grows in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and India. Thymoquinone (TQ) is an active ingredient isolated from Nigella sativa. The anti-cancer effect of TQ, via the induction of apoptosis resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction, was assessed in an acute lymphocyte leukemic cell line (CEMss) with an IC50 of 1.5 µg/mL. A significant increase in chromatin condensation in the cell nucleus was observed using fluorescence analysis. The apoptosis was then confirmed by Annexin V and an increased number of cellular DNA breaks in treated cells were observed as a DNA ladder. Treatment of CEMss cells with TQ encouraged apoptosis with cell death-transducing signals by a down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax. Moreover, the significant generation of cellular ROS, HSP70 and activation of caspases 3 and 8 were also observed in the treated cells. The mitochondrial apoptosis was clearly associated with the S phase cell cycle arrest. In conclusion, the results from the current study indicated that TQ could be a promising agent for the treatment of leukemia.
Pretreatment, Psychological, and Behavioral Predictors of Weight Outcomes Among Lifestyle Intervention Participants in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)

OBJECTIVE To identify the most important pretreatment characteristics and changes in psychological and behavioral factors that predict weight outcomes in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Approximately 25% of DPP lifestyle intervention participants (n = 274) completed questionnaires to assess weight history and psychological and behavioral factors at baseline and 6 months after completion of the 16-session core curriculum. The change in variables from baseline to 6 months was assessed with t tests. Multivariate models using hierarchical logistic regression assessed the association of weight outcomes at end of study with each demographic, weight loss history, psychological, and behavioral factor. RESULTS At end of study, 40.5% had achieved the DPP 7% weight loss goal. Several baseline measures (older age, race, older age when first overweight, fewer self-implemented weight loss attempts, greater exercise self-efficacy, greater dietary restraint, fewer fat-related dietary behaviors, more sedentary activity level) were independent predictors of successful end-of-study weight loss with the DPP lifestyle program. The DPP core curriculum resulted in significant improvements in many psychological and behavioral targets. Changes in low-fat diet self-efficacy and dietary restraint skills predicted better long-term weight loss, and the association of low-fat diet self-efficacy with weight outcomes was explained by dietary behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Health care providers who translate the DPP lifestyle intervention should be aware of pretreatment characteristics that may hamper or enhance weight loss, consider prioritizing strategies to improve low-fat diet self-efficacy and dietary restraint skills, and examine whether taking these actions improves weight loss outcomes.
Frequency signature based chipless RFID tag using shorted stub resonators

A chipless RFID tag using shorted stub resonators is discussed in this paper. The tag has a data capacity of 8 bits. The tag identity can be encoded in the spectral domain either using absence/presence encoding technique or Frequency Shift coding technique. Bistatic detection approach is used to decode the tag identity from either the amplitude or group delay information. The tag comprises two cross polarized transmitting and receiving wide band monopole antennas connected to shorted stub resonators. The prototype of the tag is fabricated on a substrate C-MET/LK4.3 of dielectric constant 4.3 and loss tangent 0.0018. Measurement results on realized prototypes are provided to ensure the reliability of the proposed design.
Analyzing the Complex Regulatory Landscape of Hfq – an Integrative, Multi-Omics Approach

The ability of bacteria to respond to environmental change is based on the ability to coordinate, redirect and fine-tune their genetic repertoire as and when required. While we can learn a great deal from reductive analysis of individual pathways and global approaches to gene regulation, a deeper understanding of these complex signaling networks requires the simultaneous consideration of several regulatory layers at the genome scale. To highlight the power of this approach we analyzed the Hfq transcriptional/translational regulatory network in the model bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens. We first used extensive ‘omics’ analyses to assess how hfq deletion affects mRNA abundance, mRNA translation and protein abundance. The subsequent, multi-level integration of these datasets allows us to highlight the discrete contributions by Hfq to gene regulation at different levels. The integrative approach to regulatory analysis we describe here has significant potential, for both dissecting individual signaling pathways and understanding the strategies bacteria use to cope with external challenges.