Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian Analysis of a Patient with either Recurrent Metastatic Melanoma or Ipilimumab-Induced Sarcoidosis

A patient with metastatic melanoma received treatment with adjuvant Ipilimumab and subsequently developed signs of sarcoidosis 6 weeks post completion of treatment. 18 F FDG PET CT was completed which described FDG avid hilar and mediastinal adenopathy and bilateral FDG avid lung nodules with low-grade bilateral uptake in the lower limbs. Differential diagnosis was either recurrent melanoma or sarcoidosis arising as an immune related adverse event attributable to Ipilimumab. Prior to initiation of anti- PD-1 treatment we assessed the merit of undertaking a biopsy to confirm a second relapse of metastatic melanoma. We approached a quantitative appraisal of the clinical dilemma arising in this case using Bayes' theorem and a meta-analysis of published literature of the accuracy of PET detection of recurrent cutaneous melanoma. Partly on this rationale a bronchoscopic biopsy of two lymph nodes was undertaken. Results found abundant histiocytic aggregates focally forming granuloma giving a diagnosis of Ipilimumab induced sarcoidosis. Therefore, positive findings on PET imaging in patients with melanoma treated with Ipilimumab can represent other entities including iatrogenic sequelae from immunotherapy. With the emergence immunotherapy. With the emergence of novel immunotherapy treatment for metastatic melanoma and an increase in the popularity of PET imaging as a modality for diagnosing metastatic disease this article highlights two important issues; the traditional role of biopsies in confirming metastatic disease and immune related adverse events associated with novel therapies.
Cell and Molecular Biology of Organic Osmolyte Accumulation in Hypertonic Renal Cells

When the renal medulla becomes hypertonic in association with the formation of concentrated urine, the cells of the medulla avoid the stress of high intracellular salts by accumulating small non-perturbing organic osmolytes. The response has been studied in most detail in cultured kidney-derived cells, and confirmed in studies of the intact kidney. The non-perturbing osmolytes, myo-inositol, betaine, and sorbitol, are accumulated because of stimulation of the transcription of the genes for the proteins that catalyze their accumulation by transport or synthesis. The genes involved have all been cloned and sequenced and contain tonicity responsive regulatory elements (TonEs) in their 5′ region. During hypertonicity, the elements are occupied by TonE-binding protein, a transacting factor that has been cloned and characterized. Current efforts focus on identifying the mechanism by which cells sense hypertonicity and how that leads to activation of TonE-binding protein.
Effect of Nebulized Hypertonic Saline Treatment in Emergency Departments on the Hospitalization Rate for Acute Bronchiolitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Acute bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants. Previous studies, underpowered to examine hospital admission, have found a limited benefit of nebulized hypertonic saline (HS) treatment in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Objective To examine whether HS nebulization treatment would decrease the hospital admission rate among infants with a first episode of acute bronchiolitis. Design, Setting, and Participants The Efficacy of 3% Hypertonic Saline in Acute Viral Bronchiolitis (GUERANDE) study was a multicenter, double-blind randomized clinical trial on 2 parallel groups conducted during 2 bronchiolitis seasons (October through March) from October 15, 2012, through April 15, 2014, at 24 French pediatric EDs. Among the 2445 infants (6 weeks to 12 months of age) assessed for inclusion, 777 with a first episode of acute bronchiolitis with respiratory distress and no chronic medical condition were included. Interventions Two 20-minute nebulization treatments of 4 mL of HS, 3%, or 4 mL of normal saline (NS), 0.9%, given 20 minutes apart. Main Outcomes and Measures Hospital admission rate in the 24 hours after enrollment. Results Of the 777 infants included in the study (median age, 3 months; interquartile range, 2-5 months; 468 [60.2%] male), 385 (49.5%) were randomized to the HS group and 387 (49.8%) to the NS group (5 patients did not receive treatment). By 24 hours, 185 of 385 infants (48.1%) in the HS group were admitted compared with 202 of 387 infants (52.2%) in the NS group. The risk difference for hospitalizations was not significant according to the mixed-effects regression model (adjusted risk difference, –3.2%; 95% CI, –8.7% to 2.2%; P = .25). The mean (SD) Respiratory Distress Assessment Instrument score improvement was greater in the HS group (–3.1 [3.2]) than in the NS group (–2.4 [3.3]) (adjusted difference, –0.7; 95% CI, –1.2 to –0.2; P = .006) and similarly for the Respiratory Assessment Change Score. Mild adverse events, such as worsening of cough, occurred more frequently among children in the HS group (35 of 392 [8.9%]) than among those in the NS group (15 of 384 [3.9%]) (risk difference, 5.0%; 95% CI, 1.6%-8.4%; P = .005), with no serious adverse events. Conclusions and Relevance Nebulized HS treatment did not significantly reduce the rate of hospital admissions among infants with a first episode of acute moderate to severe bronchiolitis who were admitted to the pediatric ED relative to NS, but mild adverse events were more frequent in the HS group. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01777347
Humoral and cellular immune responses of seronegative children vaccinated with a cold-adapted influenza A/HK/123/77 (H1N1) recombinant virus

Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses of young, seronegative children were assessed after intranasal vaccination with a cold-adapted influenza. A/HK/77 (H1N1) CR 35 recombinant virus. Vaccines shedding influenza virus experienced a rise in hemagglutinin-inhibition antibody 15 to 30 days after vaccination. Vaccinees showed low but significant lymphocyte transformation to A/USSR (H1N1) by day 8 after vaccination, which decreased to prevaccination levels at 30 to 34 days. The lymphocyte transformation response occurred before serum antibody rises were detected by hemagglutinin-inhibition assay. No change in lymphocyte responsiveness was observed after vaccination as measured by phytohemagglutinin stimulation. Lymphocytes responded to in vitro incubation with inactivated influenza (H1N1) virus by producing interferon. The interferon produced was of type I and was observed in vaccinees and nonvaccinees both before and after vaccination.
Pediatric Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is a major cause of blindness in adults but is uncommon in children, ranging from 3% to 12% of all patients suffering from RRD. Although the incidence of RRD in children is quite low, this entity merits scrutiny for at least 2 reasons: the high rate of vision-threatening pathology in the fellow eye and the considerable financial and emotional investment incurred when the decision is made to attempt to repair such eyes. The etiologic factors, clinical features, surgical outcomes, and prognosis of pediatric RRD differ from those of adults and the repair of these cases poses a formidable challenge to the vitreoretinal surgeon. Unlike adults with RRD, children more often present with macula-involving RRD, proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), and a longstanding retinal detachment which may be because of late diagnosis and referral. In addition, they often have underlying predisposing conditions with a high frequency of ocular lesions in the fellow eyes. Many of these factors may have an impact on the visual outcome and are important to consider when discussing the prognosis with the patient and/or family. The anatomic success of RRD surgery in pediatric patients is lower than that in adult. Several large series of RRD in pediatric patients were compiled before the availability of modern vitrectomy techniques. Technical advances and a greater understanding of retinal anatomy and pathology have expanded our repertoire of vitreoretinal
Informing learning design with learning analytics to improve teacher inquiry

This paper proposes an analysis of current research in learning design ( LD), a field aiming to improve the quality of educational interventions by supporting their design and fostering the sharing and reuse of innovative practices among educators. This research area, at the moment, focuses on three main strands: the representations that can be used as a common language to communicate about pedagogical plans and other half-fabricates of the design process, the methodological approaches to LD and the tools that support the LD process. For each of the three strands, the current landscape is discussed, pointing at open issues and indicating future research perspectives, with particular attention to the contribution that learning analytics can make to transform LD from a craft, based on experience, intuition and tacit knowledge, into a mature research area, grounded on data concerning the learning process and hence supporting enquiry while teachers design, run and evaluate the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Somatostatin receptor immunohistochemistry in neuroendocrine tumors: comparison between manual and automated evaluation.

BACKGROUND Manual evaluation of somatostatin receptor (SSTR) immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a time-consuming and cost-intensive procedure. Aim of the study was to compare manual evaluation of SSTR subtype IHC to an automated software-based analysis, and to in-vivo imaging by SSTR-based PET/CT. METHODS We examined 25 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (GEP-NET) patients and correlated their in-vivo SSTR-PET/CT data (determined by the standardized uptake values SUVmax,-mean) with the corresponding ex-vivo IHC data of SSTR subtype (1, 2A, 4, 5) expression. Exactly the same lesions were imaged by PET/CT, resected and analyzed by IHC in each patient. After manual evaluation, the IHC slides were digitized and automatically evaluated for SSTR expression by Definiens XD software. A virtual IHC score "BB1" was created for comparing the manual and automated analysis of SSTR expression. RESULTS BB1 showed a significant correlation with the corresponding conventionally determined Her2/neu score of the SSTR-subtypes 2A (rs: 0.57), 4 (rs: 0.44) and 5 (rs: 0.43). BB1 of SSTR2A also significantly correlated with the SUVmax (rs: 0.41) and the SUVmean (rs: 0.50). Likewise, a significant correlation was seen between the conventionally evaluated SSTR2A status and the SUVmax (rs: 0.42) and SUVmean (rs: 0.62). CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate that the evaluation of the SSTR status by automated analysis (BB1 score), using digitized histopathology slides ("virtual microscopy"), corresponds well with the SSTR2A, 4 and 5 expression as determined by conventional manual histopathology. The BB1 score also exhibited a significant association to the SSTR-PET/CT data in accordance with the high affinity profile of the SSTR analogues used for imaging.
A Symmetry-Based Method for LiDAR Point Registration

LiDAR point registration is a key procedure for the acquisition of complete point cloud datasets. It has great significance for the fusion of multisource LiDAR data. In general, the widely used methods for LiDAR point registration can be categorized into three types: auxiliary methods, direct methods, and feature methods. However, for the registration of complex objects (e.g., stadium and tower), such methods may face varying degrees of technical problems owing to the unavailability of auxiliary data or targets, requirement of sufficient overlapping areas, and difficulty in feature extraction and matching. In the real world, numerous objects with extremely complicated geometric shapes have the characteristic of symmetry. This study focuses on complex objects with symmetry and tries to exploit their intrinsic symmetry characteristic in order to facilitate their point cloud registration. A symmetry-based method for LiDAR point registration is proposed, in which the general idea is to derive 3-D central axes from multisource point clouds, based on the symmetry of objects. The proposed method consists of six main steps: detection of rotational symmetry, adaptive point cloud slicing, central point extraction, central axis fitting, central axis matching, and orientation and positioning. Comparative experiments and quantitative evaluations are conducted. The experimental results indicate that the proposed framework can achieve satisfactory registration of objects with rotational symmetry.
A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION OF MIDDLE SIBLINGS

The following study is a qualitative investigation of the development of personality and relationships within the family constellation as it relates to the birth order of the middle child. The investigation involved triangulation—a written essay, focus group, and individual interview with each participant— employing open ended questions to explore the temporal development of sibling/parent relationships, certain aspects of sibling interaction, and perceived role within the family. Results indicated the involvement of many confounding factors in the development of familial relationships. There was also little support for previously accepted middle child stereotypes. The main conclusion drawn from this study was an understanding of personality and relationship development as a dynamic process.
The Lipopolysaccharide-activated Toll-like Receptor (TLR)-4 Induces Synthesis of the Closely Related Receptor TLR-2 in Adipocytes*

The central regulatory role of the adipocyte in whole body energy homeostasis is well established. However, recent findings suggest that preadipocytes and adipocytes may play an important physiological role in the regulation of both the innate and adaptive immune response. To systematically characterize the molecular machinery of the adipocyte that mediates the recognition of pathogens, we have focused our analysis on the recently identified Toll-like receptors (TLRs). These receptors have been implicated as mediators of the cellular response to bacterial lipopolysacharides (LPSs). Here, we report the cloning and functional characterization of mouse TLR-2 from 3T3-L1 adipocytes. TLR-2 synthesis is strongly induced in the adipocyte by LPS, TNFα, and the yeast cell wall extract zymosan. TLR-2 undergoes a lengthy intracellular maturation process with a half-life of exit from the ER of approximately 3 h. Furthermore, LPS treatment of adipocytes results in dramatic changes at the level of gene expression, including the synthesis of a distinct set of secretory proteins such as interleukin-6. Our studies demonstrate the presence of a fully intact pathway of innate immunity in the adipocyte that can be activated by LPS binding to the cell surface and results in the secretion of immunomodulatory molecules.
Identification of an essential Schizosaccharomyces pombe RNA homologous to the 7SL component of signal recognition particle

We have cloned the gene encoding a novel small cytoplasmic RNA from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Four lines of evidence support the idea that this RNA is a homolog of the 7SL RNA component of mammalian signal recognition particle (SRP), which targets presecretory proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. First, it shares limited but significant primary sequence homology with previously identified 7SL RNAs and can be folded into a similar secondary structure. Second, it possesses the 5' triphosphate characteristic of unprocessed RNA polymerase III transcripts, and moreover, it is the only fission yeast RNA in this size range with such a terminus. Third, its behavior in cell fractionation experiments suggests that it is part of a small ribonucleoprotein which forms salt-labile contacts with larger structures. Fourth, the particle containing S. pombe 7SL RNA resembles mammalian SRP in both size (11S) and affinity for DEAE-Sepharose. Disruption of the single-copy gene, designated slr1+, reveals that the RNA is indispensable for growth in fission yeast. This result is not surprising, since secretion is an essential cellular process.
Voice cloud platform for medical applications

The usability and health of a person's voice has dire impact on the person's quality of life. Pathological issues that may exist on a person's voice often cannot be detected by a regular listener. Medical attention from a professional may be necessary to detect vocal pathologies. Analysis of the patients complaints and a perceptual evaluation performed by a doctor is one of the most common ways to diagnose a vocal condition. This method can be invasive, time consuming and expensive. Features of the voice can be extracted and utilized in a computer environment to make the same diagnosis which may increase the speed and accuracy of the diagnosis and decrease the cost. In this paper, a cloud application which collects vocal data in a database is proposed. With data mining and machine learning methods, a new tool has been developed to detect and diagnose vocal anomalies in patients. The effectiveness of the suggested platform has been demonstrated with a pathological detection and recognition application running in the server.
Does intellectual capital matter for firms’ performance? Some evidence from accounting data

This study aims to analyze the relation between intellectual capital and firms’ performance. It shows that balance sheet intangibles and human capital are positively related to accounting performance. However, we also find that R&D has negative influences on earnings from operations, and both advertising and human capital are negatively associated with sales growth rate. A negative relation between human capital and return volatility is demonstrated. Furthermore, the paper examines the influences of firm size, M/B and industry on the effects of intellectual capital.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Workplace Democracy : Emerging Issues and Perspectives

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is business having responsibility to society, to its stakeholders. If one has to understand CSR from a historical perspective, it evolved from a philanthropic exercise into a strategic activity of the firm. In order to strategic CSR, the firm’s core mission and vision should provide a socially beneficial foundation for enhanced economic growth. CSR represents the direct effort by a company to improve aspects of society by the firm as compared with the integral responsibilities that every firm has with respect to primary stakeholders such as employees, customers, investors and suppliers. Workplace practices are integral part of the firm, and hence it is inevitable aspect of CSR. Workplace practices too have evolved through different stages and became significant from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Later on, with the growth of research policy making, workplace practices became crucial for the growth in productivity and competitiveness of the firm. This paper will examine the emerging issues of CSR and workplace democracy and its impact. This work will examine the point of convergence between CSR and workplace democracy. It will also evaluate the essential dynamics that rule in a workplace democratic practice.
easurement of endolymphatic pressure

Endolymphatic pressure measurement is of interest both to researchers in the physiology and pathophysiology of hearing and ENT physicians dealing with Menière’s disease or similar conditions. It is generally agreed that endolymphatic hydrops is associated with Menière’s disease and is accompanied by increased hydrostatic pressure. Endolymphatic pressure, however, cannot be measured precisely without endangering hearing, making the association between hydrops and increased endolymphatic pressure difficult to demonstrate. Several integrated in vivo models have been developed since the 1960s, but only a few allow measurement of endolymphatic hydrostatic pressure. Models associating measurement of hydrostatic pressure and endolymphatic potential and assessment of cochlear function are of value to elucidate the pathophysiology of endolymphatic hydrops. The present article presents the main types of models and discusses their respective interest. © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
The electrophysiology of the olfactory–hippocampal circuit in the isolated and perfused adult mammalian brain in vitro

The viability and general electrophysiological properties of the limbic system in the adult mammalian brain isolated and maintained in vitro by arterial perfusion are described. The isolated brain preparation combines the advantages of intact synaptic connectivity and accessibility of different areas of the encephalic mass with those of the in vitro approach, i.e., stability and control of the ionic environment. Extracellular field potential as well as intracellular recordings were performed at different levels in the limbic system of isolated adult guinea pig brains. The results demonstrate that in the piriform, entorhinal, and hippocampal cortices, the intrinsic electrical properties of individual cells as well as the spontaneous and evoked electrical activity in the neuronal ensembles they comprise, were virtually identical to those observed in vivo. The properties of the limbic system loop were determined.
Active-Margin Transmission Power Control for Wireless Sensor Networks

An effective transmission power control (TPC) method is proposed and demonstrated, in which an appropriate active margin is directly applied rather than a step-by-step margin as in the conventional TPC method. Active-margin transmission power control (AM-TPC) is based on an algorithm that selects an optimized transmission power by considering the channel conditions in mobile environments. For obtaining the optimal transmission power, effective minimum detectable signal (EMDS) has been introduced which considers the change both in the channel noise and in the path loss (PL) dispersion caused by multipath fading. The transmission power is determined by the EMDS and active margin to improve the efficiency of the communication. The AM-TPC improves the reliability and reduces the power consumption, because it prevents unnecessary retransmission by reducing the number of error packets. By using the AM-TPC in mobile environments, we have experimentally obtained 28.3% reduction in current consumption when compared with using maximum power transmission.
Integrated Framework for Information Security Investment and Cyber Insurance

This paper presents analytical models for optimizing firm's cybersecurity spending and cyber insurance based on the effectiveness of spending in reducing cyber threats, vulnerability and impact, respectively. At the macro-level, the paper shows how private-sector contribution toward countering cybercrimes can reduce the overall cyber loss and create economic value. At the micro level, a firm's effectiveness of security spending in addressing specific cyber threats can be reduced when other co-dependent security measures are not put in place. The paper derives an optimal mix of cybersecurity investments in “knowledge and expertise” versus “deploying mitigation measures”. The paper proposes customizing cyber insurance for firms with itemized threat-specific coverage with a portion of the premium used to help clients with risk knowledge and nudge clients in implementing risk mitigation measures. Small and Mid-sized Enterprises can stand benefit the most from such innovative cyber insurance.
Modelling T-indistinguishability in Game Theory

Game Theory, as a mathematical abstraction for modelling decision problems in competitive and collaborative environments, has proven to be a useful tool in many fields. In cooperative games, players are intended to develop collaborative strategies by forming coalitions in order to maximize their expected return. Concepts like interaction and utility redistribution become pivotal notions of this particular branch of Game Theory. This paper affords new insight in the subject by providing constructive methods for computing the degree of indistinguishability associated to any cooperative game, modelled through the concept of T -indistinguishability operator.