Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response : ‘ ‘ We Still in an Update Process of the BCLC System

6. Bruix J, Reig M, Sherman M. Evidence-based diagnosis, staging, and treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Gastroenterology. 2016;150:835–853. 7. Zhong JH, Rodriguez AC, Ke Y, et al. Hepatic resection as a safe and effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma involving a single large tumor, multiple tumors, or macrovascular invasion. Medicine (Baltimore). 2015;94:e396. 8. Qi X, Wang D, Su C, et al. Hepatic resection versus transarterial chemoembolization for the initial treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Oncotarget. 2015;6:18715–18733. 9. Cucchetti A, Cescon M, Golfieri R, et al. Hepatic venous pressure gradient in the preoperative assessment of patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol. 2016;64:79–86. 10. Zhong JH, Ke Y, Wang YY, et al. Liver resection for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and macrovascular invasion, multiple tumours, or portal hypertension. Gut. 2015;64:520–521. 11. Zhong JH, You XM, Ma L, et al. Tumor stage and primary treatment selection among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma from 2003 to 2013. Chin J of Oncol Prev and Treat. 2015;7: 403–407.
Optical regulation of endogenous RhoA reveals switching of cellul ar responses by signal amplitude

Precise control of the timing and amplitude of protein activity in living cells can explain how cells compute responses to complex biochemical stimuli. The small GTPase RhoA can promote either focal adhesion (FA) growth or cell edge retraction, but how a cell chooses between these opposite outcomes is poorly understood. Here, we developed a photoswitchable RhoA guanine exchange factor (psRhoGEF) to obtain precise optical control of endogenous RhoA activity. We find that low levels of RhoA activation by psRhoGEF induces edge retraction and FA disassembly, while high levels of RhoA activation induces both FA growth and disassembly. We observed that mDiainduced Src activation at FAs occurs preferentially at lower levels of RhoA activation. Strikingly, inhibition of Src causes a switch from FA disassembly to growth. Thus, rheostatic control of RhoA activation reveals how cells use signal amplitude and biochemical context to select between alternative responses to a single biochemical signal.
Wood and Plant-use in 17th–19th Century Iceland: Archaeobotanical Analysis of Reykholt, Western Iceland

Abstract As part of a multidisciplinary investigation of post-medieval Icelandic land and plant use practices, archaeobotanical samples were collected from Reykholt, west Iceland in 1988 and 1989. Analyses included plant macrofossils (seeds and leaves) and wood identification from excavated rooms in a 17th century farm house. In conjunction with earlier palaeoentomological studies, the functions of three different excavated rooms are inferred. Archaeobotanical results suggest that the farm was a prosperous one, with imported foodstuffs and wood implements from continental Europe.
Paramagnetic rim lesions are associated with pathogenic CSF profiles and worse clinical status in multiple sclerosis: A retrospective cross-sectional study

Background: Paramagnetic rims have been observed as a feature of some multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions on susceptibility-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and indicate compartmentalized inflammation. Objective: To investigate clinical, MRI, and intrathecal (cerebrospinal fluid, CSF) associations of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) using 3T MRI in MS. Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis. All patients underwent 3T MRI using a T2*-weighted sequence with susceptibility postprocessing (susceptibility-weighted angiography (SWAN) protocol, GE). SWAN-derived filtered-phase maps and corresponding T2-FLAIR images were manually reviewed to determine PRL. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression determined demographic, clinical, MRI, and CSF associations with PRL. Results: A total of 147 MS patients were included; 79 of whom had available CSF. Forty-three percent had at least one PRL. PRL status (presence/absence) did not vary by sex or Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) but was associated with younger age, shorter disease duration, worse disease severity, high-efficacy therapy use, and poorer dexterity, as well as lower age-adjusted brain volumes and cognitive processing speeds. PRL status was moreover associated with blood–brain barrier disruption as determined by pathologically elevated albumin quotient. Sensitivity analyses remained supportive of these findings. Conclusion: PRLs, an emerging noninvasive biomarker of chronic neuroinflammation, are confirmed to be associated with greater disease severity and newly shown to be preliminarily associated with blood–brain barrier disruption.
Real-time Visualization of Streaming Text with Force-Based Dynamic System

An interactive visualization system, STREAMIT, enables users to explore text streams on-the-fly without prior knowledge of the data. It incorporates incoming documents from a continuous source into existing visualization context with automatic grouping and separation based on document similarities. STREAMIT supports interactive exploration with good scalability: First, keyword importance is adjustable on-the-fly for preferred clustering effects from varying interests. Second, topic modeling is used to represent the documents with higher level semantic meanings. Third, document clusters are generated to promote better understanding. The system performance is optimized to achieve instantaneous animated visualization even for a very large data collection. STREAMIT provides a powerful user interface for in-depth data analysis. Case studies are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of STREAMIT.
The urban pattern

Partial table of contents: KNOWLEDGE--THE BASIS FOR PLANNING. Ecosphere. Resources. URBANISM IS BORN. The Dawn of Urbanization. The Classic City. The Medieval Town. The Neoclassic City. THE CITY IN TRANSITION. The Industrial Revolution. The City of Contrasts. Improvements in Housing. MODERN TRENDS. Twenties and Thirties Looking to the Future. World War II and After. THE PLANNING PROCESS. Public Planning. Private Planning. The Legal Foundation. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE. Land Use Element. Housing Element. Seismic Safety Element. Noise Element. Conservation Element. IMPLEMENTATION--PUTTING PLANS TO WORK: TURNING IDEAS INTO REALITY. The Zoning Plan. The Specific Plan. Subdivision of Land. The Financial Plans. REBUILDING OUR CITIES. Development Processes. Planning With Minorities. Urban Design. Art in the City. METAMORPHOSIS. Symbols of Purpose. Epilogue. Bibliography. Index.
Gelatinous Drop–Like Corneal Dystrophy

Abstract: Gelatinous drop–like corneal dystrophy (GDLD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, clinically characterized by grayish corneal deposits of amyloid and by severely impaired visual acuity. Most patients require corneal transplantation. We identified the gene responsible for GDLD, tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 2 (TACSTD2), by positional cloning and detected 4 disease-causing mutations in Japanese patients with GDLD. During the positional cloning process, strong linkage disequilibrium was observed between GDLD and some markers in the critical region. More than 90% of GDLD patients possessed the same haplotype with a Q118X mutation in TACSTD2. This may be the result of a founder effect and reflects that most GDLD patients are Japanese. TACSTD2 deleterious mutations resulted in destabilized tight junction proteins, including claudins, ZO-1, and occludin. These findings may explain why the corneal epithelium barrier function is impaired in GDLD patients.
Soil Nutrient Dynamics after Harvesting and Slash Treatments in Boreal Aspen Stands

The effects of harvesting and slash treatments on soil nutrient dynamics were assessed in boreal aspen stands growing on mesic clayey sites. Stem-only harvested stands were compared with unharvested controls according to a complete block design with three replications. Within harvested areas, four slash treatments (stem-only harvesting [SOH], whole-tree harvesting [WHT], wood chip application, and slash burns) were compared. Treatments created a gradient of slash that ranged from 52.3 Mg ha -1 in stem-only to 13.8 Mg ha -1 in control stands. The amount of slash had no effect on wood decomposition rates but was strongly associated with higher forest floor organic C, Kjeldahl N and base cation concentrations (Ca e and Mg e ), base saturation, pH, and effective cation exchange capacity (CEC) and lower microbial C/N when control stands were compared with stem-only harvested stands. Slash burn severity was too low to significantly reduce slash loads and induce base cation release but severe enough to reduce forest floor microbial C and N concentrations (-48 and -55%, respectively) for at least one complete growing season. Slash burn also induced increases in forest floor available P (54%) concentration compared with other slash treatments. Chipping reduced forest floor microbial N concentration by 25% and increased microbial C/N by 28% but had no impact on nutrient availability. Differences between WTH and SOH were linked to the abundance of slash. Finally, the results illustrate that whatever the treatment, the amount of slash left on the ground is the main factor found to affect soil microbial community characteristics and soil nutrient availability.
HSV activates Akt to trigger calcium release and promote viral entry: novel candidate target for treatment and suppression

HSV triggers intracellular calcium release to promote viral entry. We hypothesized that Akt signaling induces the calcium responses and contributes to HSV entry. Exposure of human cervical and primary genital tract epithelial, neuronal, or keratinocyte cells to HSV serotype 2 resulted in rapid phosphorylation of Akt. Silencing of Akt with small interfering RNA prevented the calcium responses, blocked viral entry, and inhibited plaque formation by 90% compared to control siRNA. Susceptibility to infection was partially restored if Akt was reintroduced into silenced cells with an Akt‐expressing plasmid. HSV‐2 variants deleted in glycoproteins B or D failed to induce Akt phosphorylation, and coimmunoprecipitation studies indicated that Akt interacts with glycoprotein B. Cell‐surface expression of Akt was rapidly induced in response to HSV exposure. Miltefosine (50 μM), a licensed drug that blocks Akt phosphorylation, inhibited HSV‐induced calcium release, viral entry, and plaque formation following infection with acyclovir‐sensitive and resistant clinical isolates. Miltefosine blocked amplification of HSV from explanted ganglia to epithelial cells; viral yields were significantly less in miltefosine compared to control‐treated cocultures (P<0.01). Together, these findings identify a novel role for Akt in viral entry, link Akt and calcium signaling, and suggest a new target for HSV treatment and suppression. — Cheshenko, N. , Trepanier, J. B. , Stefanidou, M. , Buckley, N. , Gonzalez, P., Jacobs, W. , and Herold, B. C. HSV activates Akt to trigger calcium release and promote viral entry: novel candidate target for treatment and suppression. FASEB J. 27, 2584–2599 (2013). www.fasebj. org
Use of synthetic bands derived from mixing models in the multispectral classification of remote sensing images

An analysis of the use of features derived from class proportions in a pixel for the multispectral classification of reforested areas in Landsat images is performed. Through a linear mixing model, synthetic bands derived from those proportions are obtained either using the constrained or the weighted least squares procedures. The method indicates that the synthetic bands offer an alternative to well-known dimensionality reduction techniques such as principal components or canonical analysis. Furthermore, those bands provide a useful tool for visual interpretation, since they contain information that is related to physical concepts (proportions) more easily assimilated than class spectral signatures.
Voids and Granulometry: Effects on Shear Modulus of Unsaturated Sands

This paper describes the results of an experimental investigation of capillary effects on the low strain shear modulus of sands in a partially saturated condition. It studies: (1) Void ratio; (2) confining pressure; (3) grain shape; and (4) grain size distribution on shear modulus. The results of resonant column tests show that capillary stresses significantly increase the shear modulus of partially saturated sands. These effects are more pronounced for soils with low void ratios and confining pressures. The optimum degree of saturation increases with increasing void ratio and a linear relationship exists between the maximum shear modulus ratio and void ratio. The slope of this relationship is not affected by confining pressure and grain size distribution, and instead depends on the soil grain shape. If the smallest grains of a sand are larger than the 400 sieve size, the grain size distribution does not affect the optimum degree of saturation, but only affects the maximum shear modulus in a partially saturated condition. The content of the minus 400 sieve size fraction can affect both the maximum shear modulus and the optimum degree of saturation for unsaturated sands. Soil grain shape also affects both the maximum shear modulus and the optimum degree of saturation.
Spatial Correction Improves Accuracy of Catheter Positioning During Ablation of Premature Ventricular Contractions: Differences Between Ventricular Out�ow Tracts And Other Localizations.

Hybrid activation mapping is a novel tool to correct for spatial displacement of the mapping catheter due to asymmetrical contraction of myocardium during premature ventricular contractions (PVC). The aim of this study is to describe the extent and cause of spatial displacement during PVC mapping and options for correction using hybrid activation mapping. We analyzed 5798 hybrid mapping points in 40 acquired hybrid maps of 22 consecutive patients (age 63±16 years, 45% female) treated for premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). Median PVC-coupling interval was 552 ms (IQR 83 ms). Spatial displacement was determined by measuring the dislocation of the catheter tip during PVC compared to the preceding sinus beat. Mean spatial displacement was 3.8±1.5 mm for all maps. The displacement was 1.3±0.4 mm larger for PVCs with non-out�ow-tract origin compared to PVCs originating from the ventricular out�ow tracts (RVOT/LVOT; p=0.028). Demographic parameters, PVC-coupling-interval and chamber of origin had no signi�cant in�uence on the extent of spatial displacement. for spatial
River bar vegetation mowing response in the Middle Rio Grande

The Bureau of Reclamation routinely mows vegetation on side bars along the Rio Grande to assist with river flow management. To address the question of how such mowing affects vegetation composition and structure, three bars in the middle Rio Grande near Albuquerque, New Mexico were selected in 1994 for an experimental mowing program. Three 50-foot-wide strips on each bar were left unmowed, with the area between the strips mowed as usual. This mowing pattern was repeated in 1995 and 1996. In August 1996, vegetation composition, abundance and structure were measured under the two conditions of the treated bars and at one additional bar with no history of mowing. Species composition and abundance were compared among sites and treatments using ANOVAs and canonical discriminant analysis. The greatest negative effect was on the native cottonwood where there were significant declines of 70-90 percent on some sites with respect to cover, stems and individuals. Mowing also reduces the exotic Russian olive cover by 50-70 percent on sites where it is dominant. Although cover may decline, Russian olive often responds by resprouting and creating vigorous multiple-stemmed individuals. Coyote willow was affected less by mowing; at the site with the most willow cover (Belen), declines in both cover and the number of individuals were only about 32 percent. This relatively higher mowing tolerance may reflective coyote willow's greater adaptativeness to natural disturbances such as flooding. What is clear however, is that regardless of what shrubs are dominant, cottonwood is always the most negatively affected by mowing.
Corporate Governance, Adaptive Efficiency and Open Society

The U.S. corporate governance system is a "representative" shareholder democracy (director primacy and manager discretion, fiduciary/professional duties and aspirational preferences, reputational- and self-enforcement mechanisms), conceptually similar to Karl Popper's open society. The system is a semi-personal exchange, repeated game that helps to offset the three fundamental conflicts of principal-agency in corporate governance. From an architectural perspective, the U.S. system is a model-reference adaptive control system with three feedback mechanisms (the stock market, the material disclosure system, and the proxy solicitation system) that admit shareholder criticism (exit, voice, and precatory judgment). Constructive shareholder criticism pushes firms to adapt, brings problems to their boards' attention, and prods their managers to solve the problems early on before they fester and grow. The U.S. system relies on fiduciaries (outside directors) and professionals (public auditors). The current crisis of investor confidence can be attributed to their failure to carry out their public responsibilities, which has significantly increased the measurement and enforcement costs of public equity ownership. Representative democracy provides for the economizing of virtue. Restoring investor confidence will require the continual reinforcement of aspirational preferences for virtuous conduct by fiduciaries and professionals. The current crisis can also be attributed to the inability of corporations in economic distress to problem-solve. Representative democracy also facilitates problem-solving through time.
Gracilinanus microtarsus (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) en la provincia de Misiones, Argentina

Gracilinanus microtarsus (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) from Misiones Province, Argentina. The recent distribution of the murine opossum Gracilinanus microtarsus (Wagner, 1842) is restricted to southeastern Brazil. In this note we present the first docu- mented record for this species in Argentina. One specimen of G. microtarsus was caught in an ecotonal area between the perisylvan grasslands of the Northern Campos and the Paranense forests (Santa Ana, Candelaria, Misiones; 27o 36' S, 55o 56' O). This record expands the known distribution of this species about 500 km W. Palabras clave. Comadrejita agil. Distribucion. Marsupialia.
A seismological study of landquakes using a real-time broad-band seismic network

Chi-Hsuan Chen,1,3 Wei-An Chao,1 Yih-Min Wu,1 Li Zhao,2 Yue-Gau Chen,1 Wan-Yun Ho,1 Ting-Li Lin,4 Kuan-Hung Kuo5 and Jui-Ming Chang1 1Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan. E-mail: vvnchao@gmail.com 2Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan 3Central Geological Survey, MOEA, Taipei 23568, Taiwan 4Department of Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan 5Central Weather Bureau, Taipei 10048, Taiwan
Lothagam: a record of faunal change in the late Miocene of East Africa

ABSTRACT Lothagam is a richly fossiliferous late Miocene site near the western shore of Lake Turkana, northern Kenya. This site has yielded a diverse fauna documenting a chronological interval poorly known from elsewhere in Africa. Lothagam was first collected by an American research group in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Field studies by the National Museums of Kenya between 1989–1993 have recovered many additional vertebrate fossils, including species previously unknown from Lothagam. This contribution presents a revised, formal stratigraphic framework, initial results of a vertebrate systematic revision, and new interpretations of the paleoenvironmental setting. Analysis of the sedimentary facies and their fossil content indicates the presence of a large, slow moving, well-oxygenated perennial river with abundant backswamps and ponds. Comparisons with faunas from earlier middle to late Miocene Kenyan localities suggest that a major environmental change occurred at the end of the Miocene.
Mental health of Covid-19 risk groups during the �rst Covid-19 lockdown in Germany: a cross-sectional study

Background The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic not only threats physical health, but also affects the mental health of people. Yet, health consequences of the pandemic do not affect all members of society equally. We, therefore, assessed the mental health burden of individuals who are at increased risk of severe illness from Covid-19 compared to individuals who are at low risk of severe illness during the �rst lockdown in Germany. Furthermore, we investigated variables mediating the effect of being an individual at increased risk of serve illness on depression. Adult German residents (n = 2.369) provided responses to a cross-sectional online survey about risk factors for an increased risk of severe illness from Covid-19 and various aspects of mental health during the �rst Covid-19 lockdown in Germany. Standardized and validated self-report measures (e.g. PHQ-9, GAD-7) were used using Mann-Whitney U-tests as well as regression and mediation analyses. The results clearly show that the mental health burden is higher among persons at increased risk of severe illness from Covid-19 compared to persons at low risk of severe illness from Covid-19. Moreover, our �ndings indicate that individuals at increased risk of severe illness are more worried about their health during the pandemic and may therefore respond with social withdrawal to protect themselves and, consequently, experience higher levels of loneliness, which in turn has an impact on depressive symptoms. Individuals at increased risk of severe illness have an increased need for psychosocial support during times of lockdown. Future public health policies should pay special attention to these individuals and support them by targeted offers. More research, however, is needed on possible long-term consequences of social distancing on mental health. the
Do large aftershocks decrease similarly to smaller ones?

It has been considered that the p value in the modified Omori formula does not depend on the cut‐off magnitude [ Utsu et al., 1995 ], and large and small aftershocks decay similarly [ Reasenberg and Jones, 1989a , 1989b ]. Having investigated temporal decrease of aftershock activities of the 1995 Kobe and the 2000 Tottori earthquakes in detail, we found, however, that large aftershocks do not have a stable decay pattern, the p value in early periods is smaller than that obtained by the data in long periods which contain the later stage of the sequence. To say the point in another way or more clearly, number of large aftershocks in later periods is significantly short compared to that expected from the model that is obtained by fitting the decay in early time periods to the modified Omori formula. Preliminary analyses for several other aftershock sequences suggest that this is a common feature observed in all aftershock activities.