Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk of postoperative complications in chronic obstructive lung diseases patients considered fit for lung cancer surgery: beyond oxygen consumption.

OBJECTIVES Patients with poor lung function usually undergo cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) and those with a predicted postoperative maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) of >10 ml/kg/min undergo lung resection surgery and still some complications are observed. We aimed to determine other parameters beyond VO2 able to predict postoperative complications in patients undergoing lung resection surgery. METHODS This is an observational study with longitudinal follow-up. Patients with forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) or diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide of <40% underwent CPET and those with VO2 max of >10 ml/kg/min were considered fit for surgery. Patients were followed up prospectively for 12 months and postoperative complications and survival were recorded. Physiological parameters obtained during CPET and pulmonary function tests were analysed. RESULTS Eighty-three chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients were evaluated for surgery between 2010 and 2015. Twenty-four patients were considered unfit for surgery and received an alternative therapy. Fifty-five patients had a VO2 max of >10 ml/kg/min and underwent lung surgery. Among them, 4% died and 41% developed complications postoperatively. Baseline minute ventilation to carbon dioxide output (VE/VCO2) slope was significantly higher among those who developed postoperative complications or died (P = 0.047). Furthermore, VE/VCO2 slope of >35 (at maximal exercise) was the single parameter most strongly associated with the probability of mortality and postoperative complications (hazard ratio 5.14) with a survival probability of 40% after 1 year of follow-up. In a multivariable model, VO2, VE/VCO2 slope of >35 and work load were independently associated with the probability of having an event. CONCLUSIONS VO2 is not the unique parameter to consider when CPET is performed to evaluate the postoperative risk of lung cancer surgery in COPD patients. The signs of ventilatory inefficiency such as VE/VCO2 slope predict complications better than VO2 does.
A Framework for Adaptive Crowd Query Processing

Search engines can yield poor results for information retrieval tasks when they cannot interpret query predicates. Such predicates are better left for humans to evaluate. We propose an adaptive processing framework for deciding (a) which parts of a query should be processed by machines and (b) the order the crowd should process the remaining parts, optimizing for result quality and processing cost. We describe an algorithm and experimental results for the first framework component.
Diode Laser Measurements of HF Concentrations From Heptane/Air Pan Fires Extinguished by FE-36 and FE-36 Plus APP

Abstract : Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is used to measure the time evolution of hydrogen fluoride (HF) concentrations produced from a series of enclosed heptane/air pan fires extinguished by FE-36 or FE-36 plus ammonium polyphosphate (APP). Recent advances in room temperature fiber coupled near infrared (NIR) diode lasers provide isolation of the laser and signal processing electronics from the hostile sampling site. For the fires studied, the change in HF gas concentration with time is dependent upon the fire fighting chemical used to extinguish the fire. The presence of APP is observed to accelerate the dissipation of HF from the fire enclosure. Visible attenuation spectroscopy is also used to measure the amount of light attenuation (obscuration) that occurs as a hand held fire extinguisher containing powder fire fighting agent is released in the crew space of a M1 Abrams land combat vehicle. Obscuration tests demonstrate that release of APP from extinguishers in an occupied space does not present a visibility challenge to the vehicle personnel.
Effect of p95HER2/611CTF on the response to trastuzumab and chemotherapy.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancers are currently treated with trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 antibody. About 30% of these tumors express a group of HER2 fragments collectively known as p95HER2. Our previous work indicated that p95HER2-positive tumors are resistant to trastuzumab monotherapy. However, recent results showed that tumors expressing the most active of these fragments, p95HER2/611CTF, respond to trastuzumab plus chemotherapy. To clarify this discrepancy, we analyzed the response to chemotherapy of cell lines transfected with p95HER2/611CTF and patient-derived xenografts (n = 7 mice per group) with different levels of the fragment. All statistical tests were two-sided. p95HER2/611CTF-negative and positive tumors showed different responses to various chemotherapeutic agents, which are particularly effective on p95HER2/611CTF-positive cells. Furthermore, chemotherapy sensitizes p95HER2/611CTF-positive patient-derived xenograft tumors to trastuzumab (mean tumor volume, trastuzumab alone: 906 mm(3), 95% confidence interval = 1274 to 538 mm(3); trastuzumab+doxorubicin: 259 mm(3), 95% confidence interval = 387 to 131 mm(3); P < . 001). This sensitization may be related to HER2 stabilization induced by chemotherapy in p95HER2/611CTF-positive cells.
Ocean acidification impairs olfactory discrimination and homing ability of a marine fish

The persistence of most coastal marine species depends on larvae finding suitable adult habitat at the end of an offshore dispersive stage that can last weeks or months. We tested the effects that ocean acidification from elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) could have on the ability of larvae to detect olfactory cues from adult habitats. Larval clownfish reared in control seawater (pH 8.15) discriminated between a range of cues that could help them locate reef habitat and suitable settlement sites. This discriminatory ability was disrupted when larvae were reared in conditions simulating CO2-induced ocean acidification. Larvae became strongly attracted to olfactory stimuli they normally avoided when reared at levels of ocean pH that could occur ca. 2100 (pH 7.8) and they no longer responded to any olfactory cues when reared at pH levels (pH 7.6) that might be attained later next century on a business-as-usual carbon-dioxide emissions trajectory. If acidification continues unabated, the impairment of sensory ability will reduce population sustainability of many marine species, with potentially profound consequences for marine diversity.
Serum levels of IL-6 type cytokines and soluble IL-6 receptors in active B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and in cladribine induced remission.

We have investigated the serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and two IL-6 family cytokines-oncostatin M (OSM) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)-in 63 patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and 17 healthy controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Simultaneously, we measured the serum levels of the soluble forms of two subunits of the IL-6 receptor complex-ligand binding glycoprotein 80 (sIL-6R) and glycoprotein 130 (sgp130). The cytokines and receptors were evaluated in 25 untreated patients and 38 patients treated with cladribine (2-CdA), as well as in 17 healthy controls. We have correlated the serum levels of these proteins with Rai's clinical stage of the disease, the response to 2-CdA treatment and some hematological parameters. We have also evaluated the correlation of the IL-6 serum level with the concentration of OSM and IL-6 soluble receptors. IL-6 was measurable in 62/63 (98.4%), OSM in 20/25 (80%) of untreated and 14/38 (37.8%) of the treated patients. sIL-6R and sgp130 were detectable in all 63 patients and LIF in none of the CLL patients. IL-6 serum level in untreated patients was not significantly different as compared to its concentration in the control group (P>0.05). However, in the patients treated with 2-CdA the IL-6 level was significantly lower (P<0.02), and the lowest concentration was found in the patients with complete remission (CR; median 1.4pg/ml; P<0.02). The concentration of sIL-6R was significantly higher in untreated (median 61.8 ng/ml) and treated (median 50.1 ng/ml) CLL patients when compared to normal persons (median 41.2 ng/ml; P=0.04; P<0.001, respectively). There was no difference between the sIL-6R levels in the patients with CR and the healthy controls. In non-responders sIL-6R concentration was the highest and similar to its level in the untreated patients. OSM level was higher in the untreated patients (median 1.8pg/ml) than in the normal controls (median 0.0pg/ml; P<0.001) and in the CR patients (median 0.0pg/ml; P<0.03). The serum concentration of sgp130 was similar in the untreated (median 480 pg/ml) and treated (median 470 pg/ml) patients, as well as in the healthy persons (median 420 pg/ml; P>0.05). We have found significant positive correlation between the levels of sIL-6R and the lymphocytes count in CLL patients (p=0.423; P<0.001). In addition, sIL-6R and OSM serum concentrations correlated also with CLL Rai stage. In conclusion, the serum level of IL-6, OSM and sIL-6R, but not LIF and sgp130, are useful indicators of CLL activity.
α2 Subunit Specificity of Cyclothiazide Inhibition on Glycine Receptors

In the mammalian cortex, α2 subunit-containing glycine receptors (GlyRs) mediate tonic inhibition, but the precise functional role of this type of GlyRs is difficult to establish because of the lack of subtype-selective antagonist. In this study, we found that cyclothiazide (CTZ), an epileptogenic agent, potently inhibited GlyR-mediated current (IGly) in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. The inhibition was glycine concentration-dependent, suggesting a competitive mechanism. Note that GlyRs containing the α2 but not α1 or α3 subunits, when being heterologously expressed in human embryonic kidney 293T cells, were inhibited by CTZ, indicating subunit specificity of CTZ action. In addition, the degree of CTZ inhibition on IGly in rat spinal neurons declined with time in culture, in parallel with a decline of α2 subunit expression, which is known to occur during spinal cord development. Furthermore, site-directed mutagenesis indicates that a single-amino acid threonine at position 59 near the N terminus of the α2 subunit confers the specificity of CTZ action. Thus, CTZ is a potent and selective inhibitor of α2-GlyRs, and threonine at position 59 plays a critical role in the susceptibility of GlyR to CTZ inhibition.
Site-specific water quality analysis of sediments and surface waters in Fredericton

Water is the source of life, covering 71% of the earth's surface. Water is an important part of the external environment, involving life, production and other aspects. Because of water pollution, available water resources become contaminated. This report provides information on year and seasonal changes in water-affecting variables at 11 locations within the Fredericton area, New Brunswick, from river water to small streams, and upslope basin areas and water-affecting inputs, the variables refer to pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC) in stream and river water and sediments. Through box plotting and regression analysis, it was found that the sediment and water quality parameters varied by location, year, and season. In general, sediment DO < water DO, sediment pH < water pH, and sediment EC ≈ water EC. Locations downstream from a road salt storage and road application had much higher sediment EC values than elsewhere. Dissolved DO was particularly low in sediments during spring, summer and fall, and highly variable in water, likely due to continuing changes in water flow rates, and the presence of photosynthesizing and respiring plants in water. Water and sediment pH values were on average lowest in winter. Possible reasons for these variations are discussed by location, season and year in terms of general expectations.
The Emerging Role of Cell Phone Technology in Ambulatory Care

Three factors are coinciding to reshape the ambulatory care market: chronic disease prevalence, workforce shortages, and the availability of cell phone technology with very high consumer penetration. These factors will disproportionately drive the business strategies and practices of ambulatory care providers, payers, and delivery systems this decade. Market dynamics are driving the healthcare industry to adopt new strategies to deal with the swelling prevalence of chronic disease. Healthcare organizations are constrained by money and inadequate tools to systematically manage chronic care patients. As a result, traditional notions of ambulatory care are changing from being provider-centered to becoming more patient-centric. A host of new remote monitoring and communication technologies are available so that providers can now interact with patients “anywhere, anytime. ” The traditional care setting is shifting to where the patient is rather than where the physician is located.Patients are the most underutilized resource in healthcare, and patient engagement is the key to managing chronic illness. Cell phones are particularly suited for leveraging the time and expertise of providers while engaging patients in their own self-care. To demonstrate this concept, data are presented that illustrate how cell phone applications significantly reduced the cost of treating severely asthmatic children and teens in 2 ways: through more frequent communication between patients and their medical teams, and by motivating patients to become more engaged and knowledgeable about their care.The healthcare industry can support consumer choice by making available as many options as possible for engaging patients in their care. Consumers like having choices and patients are no different: they are not all one type. This suggests an emerging role for cell phone applications and platforms that enable both Internet and medical device connectivity where appropriate for managing chronic conditions.As a management tool, cell phones have the potential to become a standard of care in the field. If so, cell phones may materially offset the cost of chronicity by helping patients avoid preventable events of care in licensed health facilities, something much more economically powerful than attempting to reduce the costs of producing care in those settings.
Estimating Global “Blue Carbon” Emissions from Conversion and Degradation of Vegetated Coastal Ecosystems

Recent attention has focused on the high rates of annual carbon sequestration in vegetated coastal ecosystems—marshes, mangroves, and seagrasses—that may be lost with habitat destruction (‘conversion’). Relatively unappreciated, however, is that conversion of these coastal ecosystems also impacts very large pools of previously-sequestered carbon. Residing mostly in sediments, this ‘blue carbon’ can be released to the atmosphere when these ecosystems are converted or degraded. Here we provide the first global estimates of this impact and evaluate its economic implications. Combining the best available data on global area, land-use conversion rates, and near-surface carbon stocks in each of the three ecosystems, using an uncertainty-propagation approach, we estimate that 0.15–1.02 Pg (billion tons) of carbon dioxide are being released annually, several times higher than previous estimates that account only for lost sequestration. These emissions are equivalent to 3–19% of those from deforestation globally, and result in economic damages of $US 6–42 billion annually. The largest sources of uncertainty in these estimates stems from limited certitude in global area and rates of land-use conversion, but research is also needed on the fates of ecosystem carbon upon conversion. Currently, carbon emissions from the conversion of vegetated coastal ecosystems are not included in emissions accounting or carbon market protocols, but this analysis suggests they may be disproportionally important to both. Although the relevant science supporting these initial estimates will need to be refined in coming years, it is clear that policies encouraging the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems could significantly reduce carbon emissions from the land-use sector, in addition to sustaining the well-recognized ecosystem services of coastal habitats.
Beyond data: from user information to business value through personalized recommendations and consumer science

Since the Netflix $1 million Prize, announced in 2006, Netflix has been known for having personalization at the core of our product. Our current product offering is nowadays focused around instant video streaming, and our data is now many orders of magnitude larger. Not only do we have many more users in many more countries, but we also receive many more streams of data. Besides the ratings, we now also use information such as what our members play, browse, or search. In this paper I will discuss the different approaches we follow to deal with these large streams of user data in order to extract information for personalizing our service. I will describe some of the machine learning models used, and their application in the service. I will also describe our data-driven approach to innovation that combines rapid offline explorations as well as online A/B testing. This approach enables us to convert user information into real and measurable business value.
The aromatic rice of Laos

A unique feature of many of the traditional glutinous and nonglutinous rice varieties from Laos is their aromatic character. For centuries, there has been conscious selection for this aromatic character within varieties grown and consumed by many of the 48 ethnic groups that constitute the population of Laos. The leading aromatic fine-quality rice of international markets, the basmati rice of the north and northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent and the jasmine rice (Khao dok mali) of Thailand, is very well known. The internationally known aromatic rice is generally all nonglutinous. The aromatic rice varieties of Laos are little known outside the country, despite a diversity that is probably unsurpassed for any single country. The Lao aromatic varieties have both glutinous and nonglutinous endosperm and can be found in both upland and lowland environments. From 1995 to 2000, a program of rice germplasm collecting was undertaken jointly between the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). From this program, 13,193 samples of cultivated rice were collected throughout the country (Appa Rao et al 2002a), and one of the characters recorded was the aromatic character in some of the traditional varieties. This chapter describes the diversity that was recorded for the Lao aromatic rice varieties collected during that program.
Ovenized high frequency oscillators based on aluminum nitride contour-mode MEMS resonators

This paper reports on the design, simulation, fabrication and characterization of the first micro-ovenized Aluminum Nitride (AlN) Lateral Field Excited - Floating (LFE-F) Contour-Mode Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) resonators (CMR) operating between 250 MHz and 1.11 GHz. The ovenized devices exhibited high quality factors (Q up to 1,550 @ 1.1 GHz) and kt2 (up to 0.6% @ 1.1 GHz). A heater power consumption lower than 5 mW for a 100 °C temperature increase and a thermal time constant in the hundreds of µs range were recorded for these devices. As a proof of concept, an ovenized 590 MHz oscillator with good phase noise performance was also demonstrated.
Flash Flooding in Arid/Semiarid Regions: Dissecting the Hydrometeorology and Hydrology of the 19 August 2014 Storm and Flood Hydroclimatology in Arizona

AbstractThe hydroclimatology, hydrometeorology, and hydrology of flash floods in the arid/semiarid southwestern United States are examined through empirical analyses of long-term, high-resolution rainfall and stream gauging observations, together with hydrological modeling analyses of the 19 August 2014 storm based on the Kinematic Runoff and Erosion Model (KINEROS2). The analyses presented here are centered on identifying the structure and evolution of flood-producing storms, as well as the interactions of space–time rainfall variability and basin characteristics in determining the upper-tail properties of rainfall and flood magnitudes over this region. This study focuses on four watersheds in Maricopa County, Arizona, with contrasting geomorphological properties. Flash floods over central Arizona are concentrated in both time and space, reflecting controls of the North American monsoon and complex terrain. Thunderstorm systems during the North American monsoon, as represented by the 19 August 2014 storm.
Impact of image appeal on visual attention during photo triaging

Image appeal is determined by factors such as exposure, white balance, motion blur, scene perspective, and semantics. All these factors influence the selection of the best image(s) in a typical photo triaging task. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study on how image appeal affected selection behavior and visual attention patterns of 11 users, who were assigned the task of selecting the best photo from each of 40 groups. Images with low appeal were rejected, while highly appealing images were selected by a majority. Images with higher appeal attracted more visual attention, and users spent more time exploring them. A comparison of user eye fixation maps with three state-of-the-art saliency models revealed that these differences are not captured by the models.
Characterization of Interactions Between and Among Components of the Meiotic Silencing by Unpaired DNA Machinery in Neurospora crassa Using Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation

Bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) is based on the complementation between two nonfluorescent fragments of the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) when they are united by interactions between proteins covalently linked to them. We have successfully applied BiFC in Neurospora crassa using two genes involved in meiotic silencing by unpaired DNA (MSUD) and observed macromolecular complex formation involving only SAD-1 proteins, only SAD-2 proteins, and mixtures of SAD-1 and SAD-2 proteins.
On Approximate Non-submodular Minimization via Tree-Structured Supermodularity

We address the problem of minimizing nonsubmodular functions where the supermodularity is restricted to tree-structured pairwise terms. We are motivated by several real world applications, which require submodularity along with structured supermodularity, and this forms a rich class of expressive models, where the non-submodularity is restricted to a tree. While this problem is NP hard (as we show), we develop several practical algorithms to nd approximate and near-optimal solutions for this problem, some of which provide lower and others of which provide upper bounds thereby allowing us to compute a tightness gap. We also show that some of our algorithms can be extended to handle more general forms of supermodularity restricted to arbitrary pairwise terms. We compare our algorithms on synthetic data, and also demonstrate the advantage of the formulation on the real world application of image segmentation, where we incorporate structured supermodularity into higher-order submodular energy minimization.