Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optically Guided High-Frequency Ultrasound Shows Superior Efficacy for Preoperative Estimation of Breslow Thickness in Comparison with Multispectral Imaging: A Single-Center Prospective Validation Study

Simple Summary In this study, we focused on melanoma, a highly aggressive form of skin cancer with a rising global incidence. Melanoma’s staging and treatment depend on Breslow thickness, which is usually unavailable at the initial diagnosis. We aimed to compare two novel imaging techniques, optically guided high-frequency ultrasound (OG-HFUS) and multispectral imaging (MSI), to estimate Breslow thickness and improve preoperative staging. We enrolled 101 patients with confirmed primary melanoma, categorized by tumor thickness, and utilized these imaging methods. Our findings revealed that OG-HFUS was superior compared to MSI in estimating Breslow thickness, making it a valuable tool for melanoma diagnosis and patient care. This research may enhance preoperative staging and treatment decisions in the field of melanoma, offering promising implications for patient outcomes. Abstract Melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer that is known for its metastatic potential and has an increasing incidence worldwide. Breslow thickness, which determines the staging and surgical margin of the tumor, is unavailable at initial diagnosis. Novel imaging techniques for assessing Breslow thickness lack comparative data. This study evaluates optically guided high-frequency ultrasound (OG-HFUS) and multispectral imaging (MSI) for preoperative estimation of Breslow thickness and staging. We enrolled 101 patients with histologically confirmed primary melanoma and categorized them based on tumor thickness. Optically guided 33 MHz HFUS and MSI were utilized for the assessment. Our MSI-based algorithm categorized melanomas into three subgroups with a sensitivity of 62.6%, specificity of 81.3%, and fair agreement (κ = 0.440, CI: 0.298–0.583). In contrast, OG-HFUS demonstrated a sensitivity of 91.8%, specificity of 96.0%, and almost perfect agreement (κ = 0.858, CI: 0.763–0.952). OG-HFUS performed better than MSI in estimating Breslow thickness, emphasizing its potential as a valuable tool for melanoma diagnosis and patient management. OG-HFUS holds promise for enhancing preoperative staging and treatment decision-making in melanoma.
Identity-building after conflict: the east-west divide and nation-building in Timor-Leste

There is a growing consensus that the international community’s nation-building efforts have disproportionately focused on state-building – developing the capacity of the state and its institutions. Peace and security have been inextricably linked to state-building, in particular to the construction of a liberal democratic state and institutions. However, identity-building – developing a unifying national political community – is also a fundamental process of nation-building. Identity-building legitimises and consolidates the nation-state, guarding it against further fragmentation. The thesis critically assesses nation-building in Timor-Leste. Peace and stability in Timor-Leste were under threat from internal forces and not external ones, as had been the case during periods of Portuguese colonialism and Indonesian occupation, only a few years after achieveing independence on 20 May 2002. The emergence of the so-called east-west divide between Timorese from the eastern region, lorosa’e, and those from the western region, loromonu, during the 2006 crisis in Timor-Leste indicates that identity-building in Timor-Leste is fragile or even failing. In the post-independence period, contemporary lorosa’e and loromonu identities have become politicised in a divisive national discourse about the competing roles played by both groups during the resistance movement. The developing national political community in Timor-Leste appears to be weak and unable to contain strong regional identities. The thesis examines the political significance of the east-west divide in the post-crisis period, exploring the implications of its ongoing significance for nation-building in Timor-Leste, in particular for identitybuilding. The thesis argues that the divide poses a critical challenge to the emergence of new narratives of nationalism which support reconciliation in the post-independence period and consequently, to the development of a cohesive national political community.
Improvement grants as an indicator of gentrification in

Summary. The pattern of improvement grants in London can be explained in terms of housing quality, social class and location. The majority of grant applications are for privately rented houses. The phenomenon of 'gentrification', or the invasion of traditionally working class areas by middle and upper income groups, has become increasingly well known over the last five years whilst the names of Barnsbury and Cannonbury in Islington have become by-words. The results presented here represent the initial findings from a much larger study embracing analysis of social changes in inner London as revealed by the 1961, '66 and '71 censuses and by extensive survey work focusing on residential preferences and values. Gentrification and improvement The areas in which gentrification is occurring are, by and large, characterized by Georgian or Victorian terraced housing,1 most commonly of three stories. This rules out most of the East End of London where housing tends to be smaller and where much of it has been the subject of urban renewal. In addition, the most desirable areas have tended in the past to be both easily accessible to the centre of London and relatively near, if not adjacent to, areas of higher social status within the inner city, such as Hampstead, St John's Wood or Kensington. Given the type of property and the type of area in which gentrification is occurring, much of the housing stock is in need of substantial repair and improvement even if structurally sound. Indeed, one of the main reasons behind the colonization of such areas is the very scope for internal re-design and renovation they offer, and the potential environmental and aesthetic appeal of the areas once large-scale renovations get under way. It should be noted in this context that many of these areas were originally builtfor the middle classes,2' 3 though they subsequently underwent invasion and succession in an almost classic ecological fashion. Renovation, then, is almost always associated with gentrification. It is the physical expression of a social process and it is helped in this to a very large degree by the provisions of the 1969 Housing Act, the purpose of which legislation was to supplement the moribund level of new housing construction,4 by raising the standard of the existing housing stock. In this it has been notably successful. Where it has been far less successful has been in the improvement of conditions for the original residents who are often displaced in the process of improvement. One of the provisions of the Act was for improvement grants. These, as opposed to the standard grants for the provision of basic facilities-toilet, bath, hot water etc.-were discretionary and were related to full-scale improve ment. For improvement per se they rise to ? 1000, and for conversion up to
Unlocking Bevacizumab’s Potential: rCBVmax as a Predictive Biomarker for Enhanced Survival in Glioblastoma IDH-Wildtype Patients

Simple Summary This study seeks to assess the efficacy of bevacizumab (BVZ) in the context of glioblastoma treatment, with a particular focus on the identification of a predictive biomarker, rCBVmax. The findings indicate that BVZ demonstrates marked benefits for patients with moderately vascularized tumors, resulting in a substantially extended median survival after tumor progression compared to those who do not receive second-line treatment. The proposed utilization of rCBVmax as a biomarker has the potential to enable personalized treatment decisions, enhancing patient outcomes by guiding the selection of optimal therapy. Additionally, the establishment of a threshold at 7.5 for categorizing patients based on tumor vascularity presents a more refined approach to the selection of second-line treatments. This research holds promise for improving the management of glioblastoma and optimizing treatment strategies for individual patients. Abstract Background: Aberrant vascular architecture and angiogenesis are hallmarks of glioblastoma IDH-wildtype, suggesting that these tumors are suitable for antiangiogenic therapy. Bevacizumab was FDA-approved in 2009 following promising results in two clinical trials. However, its use for recurrent glioblastomas remains a subject of debate, as it does not universally improve patient survival. Purposes: In this study, we aimed to analyze the influence of tumor vascularity on the benefit provided by BVZ and propose preoperative rCBVmax at the high angiogenic tumor habitat as a predictive biomarker to select patients who can benefit the most. Methods: Clinical and MRI data from 106 patients with glioblastoma IDH-wildtype have been analyzed. Thirty-nine of them received BVZ, and the remaining sixty-seven did not receive a second-line treatment. The ONCOhabitats method was used to automatically calculate rCBV. Results: We found a median survival from progression of 305 days longer for patients with moderate vascular tumors who received BVZ than those who did not receive any second-line treatment. This contrasts with patients with high-vascular tumors who only presented a median survival of 173 days longer when receiving BVZ. Furthermore, better responses to BVZ were found for the moderate-vascular group with a higher proportion of patients alive at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after progression. Conclusions: We propose rCBVmax as a potential biomarker to select patients who can benefit more from BVZ after tumor progression. In addition, we propose a threshold of 7.5 to stratify patients into moderate- and high-vascular groups to select the optimal second-line treatment.
Modeling, synthesis and in vitro screening of unusual amino acids and peptides as protease inhibitors

Currently non-proteinogenic amino acids and synthetic peptides are widely used as building blocks in the drugs design. Many of these compounds are enzyme inhibitors or antimicrobials. Secreted Clostridium histolyticum collagenase is considered as a virulence factor and thus is an attractive target for fighting microbial infection. Trypsin is a target for the treatment of digestive disorders. This study was aimed to find new inhibitors of collagenase and trypsin. The interaction of non-proteinogenic amino acids and peptides with C. histolyticum collagenase and trypsin has been evaluated by Molecular Docking followed by the measurement of enzyme inhibition by selected compounds. According to the Docking analysis, N-tert-butoxycarbonylglycyl-(S)-2-amino-3-(4-((4-fluorophenyl)-ethynyl)-phenyl )- α-alanine has to demonstrate the most effective interaction with collagenase. Thus, the synthesis of this dipeptide was carried out. Measurement of enzymes activity revealed that both the dipeptide and the amino acid included in its structure inhibit collagenase and trypsin. The amino acid inhibited collagenase with IC 50 = 0.32 mM and trypsin with IC 50 = 0.57 mM. The dipeptide inhibited collagenase with IC 50 = 0.62 mM and trypsin with IC 50 = 89 uM.
Nematicidal Activity of the Essential Oils from Pilocarpus microphyllus (Rutaceae) Samples

The composition and nematicidal activity of the essential oils from the leaves of native and six cultivated varieties of P. microphyllus are reported. Twenty-nine compounds were identified (86.2% sesquiterpenes and 13.8% aliphatic ketones) of which (E)-caryophyllene, germacrene-D, caryophyllene oxide, 2-tridecanone, and 1-hydroxy-2-tridecanone were found in all of the analyzed oils. The nematicidal activity of all the oils was evaluated against the second-stage juvenile nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Essential oils from native P. microphyllus and varieties Xingu and Linha V showed high nematicidal activity, while no activity was found for the other oils. This result was associated with the high concentrations of both 2-tridecanone and 1-hydroxy-2-tridecanone in the active oils. Both ketones were isolated from one of the active oils and showed 100% activity at 1000 ppm concentration.
Department of Economics Athens University of Economics and Business W ORKING P APER no. 24-2023 Limit Theory for Martingale Transforms with Heavy-Tailed Noise

A limit theorem for partial sums of martingale transforms with multiplicative noise and ergodic transform processes is established, resulting to regularly varying rates and stable limits. Its’ establishment is facilitated by the derivation of an extension to empirical distributions of Breiman’s Theorem along with the Principle of Conditioning. The theorem is applied for the derivation of the limit theory OLSE in regressions with heavy tailed noise, as well as of the limit theory of the Gaussian QMLE in GARCH-type models. Depending on the index of stability, regularly varying rates and asymptotic stable distributions or inconsistency, are obtained. MSC2020
Mediastinal ectopic thyroid tissue: a rare but important diagnosis

MRI). All patients underwent surgical resection with approaches varying by location. Two superior mediastinal lesions were resected through cervical approach, and the third through a sternotomy with concomitant valve replacement. The final four mediastinal ETTs were resected through the chest with robotic assistance or via posterolateral thoracotomy. None of the masses were contiguous with the cervical thyroid gland. On pathology, each mass was consistent with thyroid epithelium.
Ethanol Extract of Centipeda minima Exerts Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects via Activation of the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration and other aging-related diseases. Previous studies have found that the whole herb of Centipeda minima has remarkable antioxidant activities. However, there have been no reports on the neuroprotective effects of C. minima, and the underlying mechanism of its antioxidant properties is unclear. Here, we examined the underlying mechanism of the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract of C. minima (ECM) both in vivo and in vitro and found that ECM treatment attenuated glutamate and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBHP)-induced neuronal death, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondria dysfunction. tBHP-induced phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) was reduced by ECM, and ECM sustained phosphorylation level of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) in SH-SY5Y and PC12 cells. Moreover, ECM induced the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and the upregulation of phase II detoxification enzymes, including heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), superoxide dismutase-2 (SOD2), and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1) in both two cell types. In a D-galactose (D-gal) and aluminum muriate (AlCl3)-induced neurodegenerative mouse model, administration of ECM improved the learning and memory of mice in the Morris water maze test and ameliorated the effects of neurodegenerative disorders. ECM sustained the expression level of postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95) and synaptophysin (SYN), activated the Nrf2 signaling pathway, and restored the levels of cellular antioxidants in the hippocampus of mice. In addition, four sesquiterpenoids were isolated from C. minima to identify the bioactive components responsible for the antioxidant activity of C. minima; 6-O-angeloylplenolin and arnicolide D were found to be the active compounds responsible for the activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway and inhibition of ROS production. Our study examined the mechanism of C. minima and its active components in the amelioration of oxidative stress, which holds the promise for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.
IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS FOR FOUR TYPES OF MINERAL WATER AND AQUADES USING ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY (EIS) AT FREQUENCIES OF 1 Hz - 50 kHz

The Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) method can be used to identify minerals in mineral water. The EIS method measures the impedance of a material by injecting alternating current in a certain frequency range, which is non-invasive and non-destructive. This study aims to analyze the impedance of mineral water and aquades based on the influence of the dissolved content using EIS equipment that provides flexibility in adjusting the desired frequency spectrum. The study used a frequency range from 1 Hz to 50 kHz with a four-electrode configuration. The measurement graph results were analyzed using Bode graph with impedance plot and phase shift angle to determine the impedance characteristics of mineral water. Equivalent circuit modeling helped to identify the electrochemical properties of materials such as the Warburg circuit, Constant Phase Element (CPE), and Randles circuit. The results show that the aquades has a higher impedance compared to the four mineral waters. Additionally, the four mineral waters exhibit varying impedances, attributed to their respective mineral content. Mineral water is characterized by an impedance that is dominated by Warburg impedance (Zw) at low frequencies, charge transfer resistance (Rct) and double layer capacitance (Cdl) at middle frequencies, and electrolyte resistance at high frequencies. However, the impedance of aquades dominated by electrolyte resistance (Re) at low frequency and Re+Rct at high frequency.
Impact Assessment of Hillside Rainwater Harvesting Ponds on Agriculture Income: Case Study of Ntarama Sector in Rwanda

Nowadays, rainwater harvesting (RWH) technology is increasingly adopted as a strategic pathway for reducing poverty in rural drought prone areas for enhancing agricultural productivity and boosting farm income. The aim of this study is to assess the level of adoption and the impacts of RWH ponds on farm income in Ntarama sector of Bugesera District in Eastern Province of Rwanda. Fifteen farm ponds were visited and the level at which households adopted RWH ponds, their impact on farm income and performance in storing water were assessed. Interviews and questionnaires methods were used to farm ponds beneficiaries and the storage capacity of farm ponds was calculated to ensure that they meet irrigation water demand. Then, Microsoft excel was used as a data analysis tool. The results show that 42.5% of households have adopted RWH ponds and the adoption level of RWH ponds fails due to the lack of training about the role and use of RWH ponds before their implementation. Beside this the low level of public involvement during the site selection for ponds associated with social conflicts among water users was observed. However, it is further revealed that the use of RWH ponds positively impacts on agricultural income on 1/4 hectare per year by about 2,325,000 RWF (3100USD). The studied portion of area can bear 222 ponds of 120 m3 each if all the rain is harvested throughout the year instead of being three ponds. Furthermore, we found that the quantity of rainwater harvested of 328.5 m3 as a total of the 3 ponds was still too less to meet irrigation water demand. As negative impacts, the RWH technology can cause dangerous effects such as social conflicts, breeding site for mosquitoes, water related diseases, accidents and others with a level of severity of 32%, 24%, 20%, 16% and 8%, respectively. This happens when the RWH ponds are not properly managed.
Activation of Young LINE-1 Elements by CRISPRa

Long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1; L1s) are mobile genetic elements that comprise nearly 20% of the human genome. L1s have been shown to have important functions in various biological processes, and their dysfunction is thought to be linked with diseases and cancers. However, the roles of the repetitive elements are largely not understood. While the CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) system based on catalytically deadCas9 (dCas9) is widely used for genome-wide interrogation of gene function and genetic interaction, few studies have been conducted on L1s. Here, we report using the CRISPRa method to efficiently activate L1s in human L02 cells, a derivative of the HeLa cancer cell line. After CRISPRa, the young L1 subfamilies such as L1HS/L1PA1 and L1PA2 are found to be expressed at higher levels than the older L1s. The L1s with high levels of transcription are closer to full-length and are more densely occupied by the YY1 transcription factor. The activated L1s can either be mis-spliced to form chimeric transcripts or act as alternative promoters or enhancers to facilitate the expression of neighboring genes. The method described here can be used for studying the functional roles of young L1s in cultured cells of interest.
Analysis And Comparison of Different Tuning Method of PID Control in Robot Manipulator

This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the background and theory of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control in robot manipulators. It not only compares the different tuning methods, but also offers analysis of the commonly used Metaheuristic algorithms tuning approaches employed by previous researchers. Furthermore, it discusses the challenges encountered and the potentials unlocked when applying PID control to robot manipulators, considering factors such as system complexity, robustness and stability. The insights gained from this research are of utmost significance for the continued development and industrial implementation of PID control in the field of robotics. By improving the understanding of PID control and its performance characteristics, this study contributes to enhancing the precision, stability, and adaptability of robot manipulators in various industries and applications, including manufacturing, automation, and autonomous systems. Overall, this paper sheds light on the future directions and potential advancements in PID control for robot manipulators.
The Respiratory Microbiome in Paediatric Chronic Wet Cough: What Is Known and Future Directions

Chronic wet cough for longer than 4 weeks is a hallmark of chronic suppurative lung diseases (CSLD), including protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB), and bronchiectasis in children. Severe lower respiratory infection early in life is a major risk factor of PBB and paediatric bronchiectasis. In these conditions, failure to clear an underlying endobronchial infection is hypothesised to drive ongoing inflammation and progressive tissue damage that culminates in irreversible bronchiectasis. Historically, the microbiology of paediatric chronic wet cough has been defined by culture-based studies focused on the detection and eradication of specific bacterial pathogens. Various ‘omics technologies now allow for a more nuanced investigation of respiratory pathobiology and are enabling development of endotype-based models of care. Recent years have seen substantial advances in defining respiratory endotypes among adults with CSLD; however, less is understood about diseases affecting children. In this review, we explore the current understanding of the airway microbiome among children with chronic wet cough related to the PBB–bronchiectasis diagnostic continuum. We explore concepts emerging from the gut–lung axis and multi-omic studies that are expected to influence PBB and bronchiectasis endotyping efforts. We also consider how our evolving understanding of the airway microbiome is translating to new approaches in chronic wet cough diagnostics and treatments.