Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metastatic Tumors of the Spine: Diagnosis and Treatment

&NA; Metastatic disease of the spine occurs in as many as 70% of patients with disseminated cancer and may result in vertebral collapse, spinal instability, and progressive neurologic compromise. Today, magnetic resonance imaging is the most effective means of differentiating benign from malignant causation of vertebral collapse, based on the imaging patterns and extent of marrow ablation. The more rapid the onset of the neurologic deficit, the worse the prognosis for recovery, no matter what treatment is instituted. The majority of vertebral lesions requiring decompression and stabilization emanate from the vertebral body and are best managed by anterior decompression and stabilization alone. With posterior element destruction, spinal subluxation through the involved segment, or involvement of the lumbar spine, a combination of both anterior and posterior stabilization is required. The author's preference is to perform anterior vertebral replacement with methylmethacrylate incorporating a Knodt distraction rod. This construct affords instantaneous stability that is not adversely affected by postoperative irradiation. Many devices can provide adequate posterior stabilization, but the author prefers to use Luque rods with sublaminar wire fixation. In a series of 77 patients with major neurologic compromise treated with this technique, 62% showed improvement by at least two Frankel grades, compared with fewer than 5% who improved after laminectomy decompression with or without irradiation. Nineteen of the 77 patients remained alive more than 4 years postoperatively.
Bewertung von Mess- und Abschätzverfahren zur Unterstützung dienstgüteorientierter Verkehrslenkung in verbindungslosen Datennetzen

Evaluation of measurement and estimation algorithms to support quality of service oriented routing in connectionless data networks Summary Circuit switching and connection-oriented packet switching both offer the user a high degree of quality of service for his data transmission. The explicit reservation of resources guarantees a limited delay for circuit switching, a negligible delay variation for packet switching and a low packet loss rate. The connection setup before the data transmission allows a uniformly distributed data traffic within the network. The prerequisite is a reasonable path selection. Networks with connectionless packet switching do not offer such guarantees easily. Packets of different communication relationships compete against each other for the shared resources. As a consequence the delay variation and the packet loss probability increases. If dynamic routing — based on the available capacity of the links — is used, a different path could possibly be calculated for each packet. This leads to sequence errors if packets on one path are transmitted faster than on the other. Besides, alternative paths are usually longer than the shortest path and therefore introduce additional delay. These effects prevent the optimal utilisation of network resources and the users will not experience the quality of service that is necessary for their applications. But dynamic and load-dependent routing has its advantages, too: a uniformly distributed traffic helps to better utilise the network. Costly over-dimensioning of the network is not necessary. At the same time, overload is avoided and the packet loss probability will be reduced. Eventually, the shorter queue length has a positive impact on the load-dependent part of the delay. Whether the advantages of load-dependent routing outweigh its disadvantages, highly depends on the usability of the information on the current status of the network with respect to the routing algorithm. If the link load is calculated as the mean value over a long interval, the result will be stable but does not necessarily correspond to the real situation. As a consequence wrong routing can vii viii consequentially lead to an overload situation on certain links. If the link load calculation is based on short intervals, the information will be more precise, but the values could oscillate much more. As a consequence the paths might change rapidly and this leads to packet sequence errors and usually to a worse throughput. This thesis addresses the question whether the precise but unstable short interval-based measurement of link utilisation could be …
A Basis for Selecting Light Spectral Distribution for Evaluating Leaf Photosynthetic Rates of Plants Grown under Different Light Spectral Distributions

The photosynthetic rate is one of the most important and fundamental aspects for plant growth. In many studies this rate is measured, evaluated, and compared among the leaves of plants cultivated under different conditions. The measured rates are also used to calculate other photosynthesis-related indices, such as photosynthetic light-, water-, and nitrogen-use efficiencies. In agricultural and horticultural researches, the effectiveness of treatments is sometimes discussed based on the measured photosynthetic rates and calculated indices. A number of researches have reported that the relative spectral photon flux density (PFD) distribution (i.e. the spectral distribution normalized to the peak or mean value) of light used for measurement (i.e. measuring light or actinic light) affects leaf net photosynthetic rates (Pn) (e.g. McCree, 1972; Inada, 1976). To eliminate this direct effect from the comparison, Pn is usually measured under a common spectral distribution of measuring light irrespective of growth conditions in agricultural and horticultural studies. One of the most widely-used measuring lights is a mixture of blue and red light (BR-light) provided by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) installed in commercial photosynthesis analysis systems (e.g. LI-6400, LI-COR Inc., Lincoln, NE, USA; GFS-3000, Heinz Walz GmbH, Effeltrich, Germany). The use of artificial light sources enables precise control of the spectral distribution of measuring light on the leaf, and therefore, ensures reproducibility and reliability among experiments. Walters (2005) noted that photosynthetic rates measured with a relative spectral distribution of light different from that of the growth light do not necessarily reflect the functioning of photosynthesis under the actual growth conditions. Indeed, we have demonstrated this problem in Pn measurements in our recent experiment (Murakami et al., 2016). In that experiment, cucumber seedlings were grown under white LED (300 mol m 2 s ) without and with supplemental far-red (FR) LED light (70 mol m 2 s ) (W and WFR, respectively), and the Pn of the leaves was subsequently compared under BR-light and under light with a relative spectral distribution approximating to that of sunlight (‘artificial’ sunlight) at a photosynthetic PFD (PPFD) of 300 mol m 2 s . The mean Pn of W-grown-leaves (mean ± SE: 12.2 ± 0.5 mol m 2 s ) was 36% greater than that of WFR-grown-leaves (8.9 ± 0.7 mol m 2 s ) under BR-light (95% confident interval: +0.6 to +5.9, P = 0.027), while the mean value of W-grown-leaves (10.1 ± 0.5 mol m 2 s 1 ) were comparable to or 3% smaller than that of WFR-grown-leaves (10.4 ± 0.3 mol m 2 s ) under the artificial sunlight (95% confident interval: –1.9 to +1.3, P = 0.65) (Murakami et al., 2016). Based on the results obtained from measurement under BR-light, the prospective leaf photosynthetic rate (i.e. leaf photosynthetic rates after the measurements) of WFR-grown-plants may
Hypoxia Enhances Stemness of Cancer Stem Cells in Glioblastoma: An In Vitro Study

Objective: To investigate the relationship between hypoxia and in vitro “stemness” of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Methods: U87 cells, U251 cells and primary glioma cells (n=3) experienced hypoxia. Transmission electron microscopy was done to detect the ultrastructure of these cancer cells; MTT assay to detect the cell growth; flow cytometry to detect cell cycle and CD133 expression; Transwell chamber assay was carried out to detect the cell migration; colony-forming assay to detect the colony-forming efficiency; real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were carried out to detect the mRNA and protein expression of markers of stem cells and their differentiation, respectively. Results: Hypoxia maintained the undifferentiated state of primary glioma cells, slowed down the growth of glioma cells which were in a relatively quiescent stage, increased the colony forming efficiency and migration of glioma cells, and elevated the expression of markers of stem cells, but the expression of markers for stem cell differentiation was reduced after hypoxia treatment. Conclusion: Hypoxia may induce the "dedifferentiation" of differentiated glioma cells which then acquire the stemness.
Predominant melody extraction from vocal polyphonic music signal by combined spectro-temporal method

A combined spectro-temporal based method is proposed to derive the predominant melody from vocal polyphonic music signals. In the proposed method, vocal (voiced) and non-vocal (unvoiced) segments are determined by strength of excitation. The vocal segments are further divided into voiced notes by detecting their onsets using transition cues present in spectral domain. The melody contour present in each of the voiced note segments is obtained by using an adaptive zero frequency filtering (ZFF) in time domain. The process of melody extraction is provided in more detail and the initial results showed the potential use of the proposed method for vocal melody extraction.
Modelling regulatory pathways in E. coli from time series expression profiles

MOTIVATION Cells continuously reprogram their gene expression network as they move through the cell cycle or sense changes in their environment. In order to understand the regulation of cells, time series expression profiles provide a more complete picture than single time point expression profiles. Few analysis techniques, however, are well suited to modelling such time series data. RESULTS We describe an approach that naturally handles time series data with the capabilities of modelling causality, feedback loops, and environmental or hidden variables using a Dynamic Bayesian network. We also present a novel way of combining prior biological knowledge and current observations to improve the quality of analysis and to model interactions between sets of genes rather than individual genes. Our approach is evaluated on time series expression data measured in response to physiological changes that affect tryptophan metabolism in E. coli. Results indicate that this approach is capable of finding correlations between sets of related genes.
Merging Neural Network Material Rheological Behaviour Modelling with FEM Simulation of Orthogonal Metal Cutting

The fully integrated use of a neural network (NN) paradigm for material rheological behaviour modelling and a FEM code for the simulation of orthogonal metal cutting is illustrated. A NN is trained to reconstruct the stress‐strain curve of the work material on the basis of experimental tensile tests in a wide range of temperature and strain rate values. The learned NN is capable of predicting work material properties in the whole range of temperature and strain rate values utilized for training. The material rheological behaviour, modelled by the NN, is used in the FEM simulation to provide the work material properties to the FEM code for each node of the workpiece mesh during the simulation. To achieve this result, a continuous information exchange between the learned NN and the FEM code during each iteration is devised.
Information processing capacity while wearing personal protective eyewear

It is difficult to overemphasize the function vision plays in information processing, specifically in maintaining postural control. Vision appears to be an immediate, effortless event; suggesting that eyes need only to be open to employ the visual information provided by the environment. This study is focused on investigating the effect of Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulated personal protective eyewear (29 CFR 1910.133) on physiological and cognitive factors associated with information processing capabilities. Twenty-one college students between the ages of 19 and 25 years were randomly tested in each of three eyewear conditions (control, new and artificially aged) on an inclined and horizontal support surface for auditory and visual stimulus reaction time. Data collection trials consisted of 50 randomly selected (25 auditory, 25 visual) stimuli over a 10-min surface-eyewear condition trial. Auditory stimulus reaction time was significantly affected by the surface by eyewear interaction (F2,40 = 7.4; p < 0.05). Similarly, analysis revealed a significant surface by eyewear interaction in reaction time following the visual stimulus (F2,40 = 21.7; p < 0.05). The current findings do not trivialize the importance of personal protective eyewear usage in an occupational setting; rather, they suggest the value of future research focused on the effect that personal protective eyewear has on the physiological, cognitive and biomechanical contributions to postural control. These findings suggest that while personal protective eyewear may serve to protect an individual from eye injury, an individual's use of such personal protective eyewear may have deleterious effects on sensory information associated with information processing and postural control.
The fixation of femoral components of condylar knee prostheses.

Although problems with fixation of cemented components have been more common with tibial components than with femoral, there is clinical evidence that femoral loosening may occur but after a longer interval of time. Experimental and theoretical studies were carried out to examine the motions and stresses in the implant-bone assembly. The effect of a central intramedullary stem, and of unbonding the interfaces of the patella flange and the posterior condyles, were particularly examined. Perfect bonding led to severe stress protection of the distal layer of bone. A central stem needed to project considerably above the flange to be effective and was recommended for special indications only.
Systematic Removal of Outliers to Reduce Heterogeneity in Case-Control Association Studies

Background/Aims: In human case-control association studies, population heterogeneity is often present and can lead to increased false-positive results. Various methods have been proposed and are in current use to remedy this situation. Methods: We assume that heterogeneity is due to a relatively small number of individuals whose allele frequencies differ from those of the remainder of the sample. For this situation, we propose a new method of handling heterogeneity by removing outliers in a controlled manner. In a coordinate system of the c largest principal components in multidimensional scaling (MDS), we systematically remove one after another of the most extreme outlying individuals and each time recompute the largest association test statistic. The smallest p value obtained within M removals serves as our test statistic whose significance level is assessed in randomization samples. Results: In power simulations of our method and three methods in current use, averaged over several different scenarios, the best method turned out to be logistic regression analysis (based on all individuals) with MDS components as covariates. Conclusion: Our proposed method ranked closely behind logistic regression analysis with MDS components but ahead of other commonly used approaches. In analyses of real datasets our method performed best.
Evolutionary computing approaches to optimum design of fuzzy logic controller for a flexible robot system

This paper presents the design of a Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) whose parameters are optimized by using Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Bacteria Foraging Optimization (BFO) for tip position control of a single link flexible manipulator. The proposed FLC is designed by minimizing the fitness function, which is defined as a function of tip position error, through GA and BFO optimization algorithms achieving perfect tip position tracking of the single link flexible manipulator. Then the tip position responses obtained by using both the above controllers are compared to suggest the best controller for the tip position tracking.
Image Understanding using Self-similar SIFT Features

In this paper we present a new method to group self-similar SIFT features in images. The aim is to automatically build groups of all SIFT features with the same semantics in an image. To achieve this a new distance between SIFT feature vectors taking into account their orientation and scale is introduced. The methods are presented in the context of recognition of buildings. A first evaluation shows promising results.
Reversion of the Ballantyne Syndrome despite Fetal Hydrops Persistence

Introduction: The Ballantyne syndrome (or mirror syndrome) is a gestational proteinuric hypertension associated with fetal hydrops. This report describes a case in which Ballantyne syndrome reversion occurred despite fetal hydrops persistence. Case Report: A 24-year-old woman showed fetoplacental hydrops at 28 2/7 gestational weeks. Severe Rh(D) alloimmunization and fetal hemolytic anemia (fetal hematocrit 15.4%) were confirmed by cordocentesis, and an intrauterine transfusion was performed. She also revealed hypertension (160/100 mm Hg), edema and proteinuria (845 mg/day). After four intrauterine transfusions, blood pressure was normalized; urinary proteinuria was not significant, and the edema vanished completely. Fetal hydrops persisted until delivery at 32 gestational weeks, but a partial reduction of placental hydrops was noted. Discussion: Total or partial reduction of the placental edema may be responsible for the reversal of the Ballantyne syndrome despite the fetal hydrops persistence.
RESEARCH DIRECTIONS AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN CULTURAL ECONOMICS

Despite the broad spread of research endeavour in the economics of the arts and the significant achievements of some researchers in the field, there are still many unsolved theoretical and empirical problems in cultural economics awaiting investigation. This is not surprising, in view of the short history of the economics of the arts and the relatively small number of people undertaking serious research in the field. The purpose of this paper is to point to some promising lines for future research development in cultural economics. The coverage here does not pretend to be comprehensive; rather some specific issues are singled out which would appear to warrant further attention. within the conventional economic paradigm of given tastes and rational consumer behaviour. In recent years, however, this paradigm has been broadened considerably. For example, the work of Gary Becker, usefully brought together in his recent book (1996), extends individual preferences to include habit and addiction, parental influences, peer pressure, concern for others, and hopes and fears for the future. It may be that tastes for art may be able to be brought into such a schema, such that cultural goods may be seen to be not as intrinsically different from other goods as has been generally thought.
A statistical model for contours in images

In this paper, we describe a statistical model for the gradient vector field of the gray level in images validated by different experiments. Moreover, we present a global constrained Markov model for contours in images that uses this statistical model for the likelihood. Our model is amenable to an iterative conditional estimation (ICE) procedure for the estimation of the parameters; our model also allows segmentation by means of the simulated annealing (SA) algorithm, the iterated conditional modes (ICM) algorithm, or the modes of posterior marginals (MPM) Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm. This yields an original unsupervised statistical method for edge-detection, with three variants. The estimation and the segmentation procedures have been tested on a total of 160 images. Those tests indicate that the model and its estimation are valid for applications that require an energy term based on the log-likelihood ratio. Besides edge-detection, our model can be used for semiautomatic extraction of contours, localization of shapes, non-photo-realistic rendering; more generally, it might be useful in various problems that require a statistical likelihood for contours.
Widely tunable all-solid-state Cr:LiSAF lasers with prism-controlled coupled-cavities

We report a continuous wave (CW) all-solid-state Cr:LiSAF laser with a prism-controlled coupled-cavity. Broad-band tuning of 198 nm from 784 nm to 982 nm is demonstrated. The output power is always above 14 mW tuned from 825 nm to 975 nm and reaches the maximum value of 21.4 mW at 900 nm. Dual-wavelength operation is observed at the edge of the tuning range. The coupled-cavity passive loss is discussed and calculated to be 18%.
Spatial variability of microbial assemblages associated with a dominant habitat-forming seaweed

Macroalgal surfaces support abundant and diverse microorganisms within biofilms, which are often involved in fundamental functions relating to the health and defense of their seaweed hosts, including algal development, facilitation of spore release, and chemical antifouling. Given these intimate and important interactions, environmental changes have the potential to negatively impact macroalgae by disrupting seaweed–microbe interactions. We used the disappearance of the dominant canopy-forming fucoid Phyllospora comosa from the metropolitan coast of Sydney, NSW, Australia as a model system to study these interactions. We transplanted Phyllospora individuals from nearby, extant populations back onto reefs in Sydney to test whether bacterial assemblages associated with seaweed surfaces would be influenced by (i) the host itself, independently of where it occurs, (ii) the type of habitat where the host occurs, or (iii) site-specific differences. Analyses of bacterial DNA fingerprints (terminal fragment length polymorphisms) indicated that assemblages of bacteria on Phyllospora were not habitat-specific. Rather, they were primarily influenced by local, site-specific conditions with some evidence for host-specificity in some cases. This could suggest a lottery model of host-surface colonization, by which hosts are colonized by ‘suitable’ bacteria available in the local species pool, resulting in high variability in assemblage structure across sites, but where some species in the community are specific to the host and possibly influenced by differences in host traits.
ProbClean: A probabilistic duplicate detection system

One of the most prominent data quality problems is the existence of duplicate records. Current data cleaning systems usually produce one clean instance (repair) of the input data, by carefully choosing the parameters of the duplicate detection algorithms. Finding the right parameter settings can be hard, and in many cases, perfect settings do not exist. We propose ProbClean, a system that treats duplicate detection procedures as data processing tasks with uncertain outcomes. We use a novel uncertainty model that compactly encodes the space of possible repairs corresponding to different parameter settings. ProbClean efficiently supports relational queries and allows new types of queries against a set of possible repairs.