Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pre‐transplant cardiac testing for kidney–pancreas transplant candidates and association with cardiac outcomes

Background: Coronary artery disease is a major cause of mortality following renal transplantation, especially in those patients with diabetes. The accurate prediction of cardiac risk is therefore a major focus of the pre‐transplant evaluation. The objective of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the ability of non‐invasive cardiac testing (standard echocardiography, stress echocardiography, exercise tolerance testing, and nuclear myocardial perfusion) performed within 1 yr of kidney–pancreas transplant to predict post‐transplant myocardial infarction. Methods: Clinical history and pre‐transplant cardiac testing performed within 1 yr prior to transplantation were reviewed in a non‐blinded fashion for 165 kidney–pancreas transplantation patients receiving allografts between June 1990 and May 1998. The predictive values of clinical symptoms and cardiac testing for cardiac events (fatal and non‐fatal myocardial infarctions) up to 1 yr post‐transplant were calculated. Results: Clinical history had a negative predictive value of 98% for cardiac events occurring within 1 yr following testing and 97% within 1 yr post‐transplant. Collectively, non‐invasive testing had a negative predictive value of 97% for 1 yr post‐testing and 1 yr post‐transplant. Conclusion: Clinical history alone is highly suggestive but not sufficient for the prediction of post‐kidney–pancreas transplant myocardial infarction. Although a useful supplement, cardiac testing does not predict all cardiac events out to 1 yr post‐testing. In this high‐risk patient population with diabetes and renal failure, other methods of risk assessment are needed to more accurately predict long‐term cardiac outcome for patients awaiting transplantation.
PROP1, HESX1, POU1F1, LHX3 and LHX4 Mutation and Deletion Screening and GH1 P89L and IVS3+1/+2 Mutation Screening in a Dutch Nationwide Cohort of Patients with Combined Pituitary Hormone Deficiency

Background/Aims: Mutation frequencies of genes involved in combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) vary substantially between populations. The HYPOPIT study aims to obtain an overall picture of known and new genetic defects and variations in a nationwide cohort of Dutch (mostly) sporadic CPHD patients. Methods: We screened 79 CPHD patients from 78 families (regardless of MRI and hormonal phenotype) for mutations and deletions in PROP1, HESX1, POU1F1, LHX3 and LHX4, as well as the P89L and IVS3+1/+2 mutations in GH1, recently described to cause pituitary hormone impairment in addition to GH deficiency. Results: We did not find any mutation or deletion in PROP1, HESX1, LHX3 or LHX4, nor GH1 P89L and GH1 IVS3+1/+2 mutations. Among 12 patients with a typical ‘POU1F1 phenotype’, 1 patient was formerly known to have a POU1F1 mutation. This results in a POU1F1 mutation frequency in these patients of 8.3%. Conclusion: Thorough screening for mutations and deletions in PROP1, HESX1, POU1F1, LHX3, LHX4, as well as screening for GH1 P89L or GH1 IVS3+1/+2 mutations, did not reveal any genetic defect in our cohort of CPHD patients except for one formerly known POU1F1 mutation in 1 patient. Future research should focus on alternative explanations for CPHD, like other genes or environmental factors.
Mapeo sistemático de la literatura sobre la Adopción de Inspecciones de Software

In Software Engineering technical literature the references about the benefits of software inspections are abundant. In contrast, some authors raise the problem of low adoption of this process. From this issue a literature review is made to produce a map on most researched topics in the area, factors causing low adoption and possible solutions. Results showed a list of 64 articles selected using a search protocol, which were classified according to a defined taxonomy. The founded factors were codified and a list of solutions founded in the reviewed papers was made. The main conclusion was that most of the factors causing low adoption are related to developers perceptions about the process, lack of training and some characteristics of the process as the rigidity, complexity and the difficulty of connecting the effort made with the final product quality. These factors should be studied in future works.
Automatic localization of the optic disc in retinal fundus images using multiple features

Accurate optic disc localization is an essential step for a reliable retinal screening system. Existing methods for the optic disc localization may fail when encountering distractors such as imprecise boundaries, deceptive edge features and inconsistent contrast in retinal images. This paper presents an algorithm (Multi-Scheme method) for localization of the optic disc. The algorithm involves prior domain knowledge such as the optic disc size, cup-to-disc ratio (CDR) and vessel convergence feature to evaluate the confidence level for the candidate region(s) at each thresholding level. Based on the confidence level, the algorithm heuristically decides whether or not to opt for multi-scheme policy for a given image. For optimization, the Computed Response (CR) from variant versions of the same image is calculated in parallel and fits a contour to the optic disc through an iterative process of updating the location of the centre of the contour. The proposed approach has been validated using dataset ONHSD [3] and diaretdb0 [16]; and the results show the robustness and reliability of the proposed method even in the presence of distractors.
Structural Defects in the Regulatory Particle-Core Particle Interface of the Proteasome Induce a Novel Proteasome Stress Response*

Background: Ecm29, a proteasome component, has the unusual property of binding both the regulatory particle (RP) and core particle (CP). Results: Ecm29 loads onto proteasomes in response to various mutational perturbations at the RP-CP interface. Conclusion: Ecm29 is a regulator of RP assembly and CP gating. Significance: These studies reveal significant new aspects of the cellular response to proteasome stress. Proteasomes consist of a 19-subunit regulatory particle (RP) and 28-subunit core particle (CP), an α7β7β7α7 structure. The RP recognizes substrates and translocates them into the CP for degradation. At the RP-CP interface, a heterohexameric Rpt ring joins to a heteroheptameric CP α ring. Rpt C termini insert individually into the α ring pockets to form a salt bridge with a pocket lysine residue. We report that substitutions of α pocket lysine residues produce an unexpected block to CP assembly, arising from a late stage defect in β ring assembly. Substitutions α5K66A and α6K62A resulted in abundant incorporation of immature CP β subunits, associated with a complete β ring, into proteasome holoenzymes. Incorporation of immature CP into the proteasome depended on a proteasome-associated protein, Ecm29. Using ump1 mutants, we identified Ecm29 as a potent negative regulator of RP assembly and confirmed our previous findings that proper RP assembly requires the CP. Ecm29 was enriched on proteasomes of pocket lysine mutants, as well as those of rpt4-Δ1 and rpt6-Δ1 mutants, in which the C-terminal residue, thought to contact the pocket lysine, is deleted. In both rpt6-Δ1 and α6K62A proteasomes, Ecm29 suppressed opening of the CP substrate translocation channel, which is gated through interactions between Rpt C termini and the α pockets. The ubiquitin ligase Hul5 was recruited to these proteasomes together with Ecm29. Proteasome remodeling through the addition of Ecm29 and Hul5 suggests a new layer of the proteasome stress response and may be a common response to structurally aberrant proteasomes or deficient proteasome function.
A Compact Strip Dipole Coupled Split-Ring Resonator Antenna for RFID Tags

A compact strip dipole coupled split-ring resonator (SRR) antenna is proposed for radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag applications. The antenna has a simple and uniplanar structure and can be designed to conjugate match to the tag chip. Design details are presented and a tag chip of impedance (33-j112) Ω at 915 MHz is used to verify the design. The simulated and measured input impedances of the prototype antenna are (34+j116) Ω and (38+j94) Ω, respectively, which are very close to the conjugate of the chip impedance. Simulated and measured radiation patterns are in good agreement and are nearly omnidirectional, especially in the H-plane. The minimum power transmitted by the reader and reflected back by the tag with detectable signals at the reader is also measured at two distances of about 1. 5λ0 and 3λ0 using a commercially available reader card. The results are satisfactory.
Hierarchical multiobjective routing in Multiprotocol Label Switching networks with two service classes: a heuristic solution

Modern multiservice network routing functionalities have to deal with multiple, heterogeneous and multifaceted Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. A heuristic approach devised to find “good” solutions to a hierarchical multiobjective alternative routing optimization problem in Multiprotocol Label Switching networks with two service classes (and different types of traffic flows in each class), namely QoS and Best Effort services, formulated within a hierarchical network-wide optimization framework, is presented. This heuristic solution is based on a bi-objective constrained shortest path model and is applied to a test network used in a benchmarking case study. An experimental study based on analytic and discrete event simulation results is presented, allowing for an assessment of the quality of results obtained with this new heuristic solution for various traffic matrices. A dynamic version of the routing method is formulated and its performance with the same case study network is analysed.
Cliquewidth III: The Odd Case of Graph Coloring Parameterized by Cliquewidth

M ax -C ut (MC), E dge D ominating S et (EDS), G raph C oloring (GC) and H amiltonian P ath (HP) on graphs of bounded cliquewidth have received significant attention as they can be formulated in MSO2 (and therefore have linear-time algorithms on bounded treewidth graphs by the celebrated Courcelle's theorem), but cannot be formulated in MSO1 (which would have yielded linear-time algorithms on bounded cliquewidth graphs by a well-known theorem of Courcelle, Makowsky, and Rotics). Each of these problems can be solved in time g(k)nf(k) on graphs of cliquewidth k. Fomin et al. [Intractability of Clique-Width Parameterizations. SIAM J. Comput. 39(5): 1941--1956 (2010)] showed that the running times cannot be improved to g(k)nO(1) assuming W[1]≠FPT. However, this does not rule out non-trivial improvements to the exponent f(k) in the running times. In a follow-up paper, Fomin et al. [Almost Optimal Lower Bounds for Problems Parameterized by Clique-Width. SIAM J. Comput. 43(5): 1541--1563 (2014)] improved the running times for EDS and MC to nO(k), and proved g(k)no(k) lower bounds for EDS, MC and HP assuming the ETH. Recently, Bergougnoux, Kante and Kwon [WADS 2017] gave an nő(k)-time algorithm for HP. Thus, prior to this work, EDS, MC and HP were known to have tight nΘ(k) algorithmic upper and lower bounds. In contrast, GC has an upper bound of nO(2k) and a lower bound of merely [Equation] (implicit from the W[1]-hardness proof). In this paper, we close the gap for GC by proving a lower bound of n2o(k). This shows that GC behaves qualitatively different from the other three problems. To the best of our knowledge, GC is the first natural problem known to require exponential dependence on the parameter in the exponent of n.
Design, Optimization, and Formal Verification of Circuit Fault-Tolerance Techniques

Technology shrinking and voltage scaling increase the risk of fault occurrences in digital circuits. To address this challenge, engineers use fault-tolerance techniques to mask or, at least, to detect faults. These techniques are especially needed in safety critical domains (e.g., aerospace, medical, nuclear, etc.), where ensuring the circuit functionality and fault-tolerance is crucial. However, the verification of functional and fault-tolerance properties is a complex problem that cannot be solved with simulation-based methodologies due to the need to check a huge number of executions and fault occurrence scenarios. The optimization of the overheads imposed by fault-tolerance techniques also requires the proof that the circuit keeps its fault-tolerance properties after the optimization.In this work, we propose a verification-based optimization of existing fault-tolerance techniques as well as the design of new techniques and their formal verification using theorem proving. We first investigate how some majority voters can be removed from Triple-Modular Redundant (TMR) circuits without violating their fault-tolerance properties. The developed methodology clarifies how to take into account circuit native error-masking capabilities that may exist due to the structure of the combinational part or due to the way the circuit is used and communicates with the surrounding device.Second, we propose a family of time-redundant fault-tolerance techniques as automatic circuit transformations. They require less hardware resources than TMR alternatives and could be easily integrated in EDA tools. The transformations are based on the novel idea of dynamic time redundancy that allows the redundancy level to be changed "on-the-fly" without interrupting the computation. Therefore, time-redundancy can be used only in critical situations (e.g., above Earth poles where the radiation level is increased), during the processing of crucial data (e.g., the encryption of selected data), or during critical processes (e.g., a satellite computer reboot). Third, merging dynamic time redundancy with a micro-checkpointing mechanism, we have created a double-time redundancy transformation capable of masking transient faults. Our technique makes the recovery procedure transparent and the circuit input/output behavior remains unchanged even under faults. Due to the complexity of that method and the need to provide full assurance of its fault-tolerance capabilities, we have formally certified the technique using the Coq proof assistant. The developed proof methodology can be applied to certify other fault-tolerance techniques implemented through circuit transformations at the netlist level.
SÃO TODOS OS TERMOS IGUALMENTE LÓGICOS PERANTE A NOSSA CAPACIDADE DE FAZER INFERÊNCIAS

Consideramos o mundo como objeto quando pensamos e falamos? Tentarei aqui motivar algumas pistas para que possamos responder negativamente a uma certa maneira de entender essa questao sem muito desconforto. Vou tentar explorar alguns temas que emergem de um conjunto de ideias comumente associadas a Rorty e que supoem que o conteudo de nossos pensamentos sao primariamente representacoes. Em particular vou tentar articular uma maneira de entender conceitos considerados como materiaprima para inferencias. Esse inferencialismo sera centralmente inspirado pela posicao que vem sendo recomendada por Brandom e estara em dialogo com algumas concepcoes amplas de inferencias que incluem, por exemplo, a nocao de inferencia lexical de Cabrera & Silva Filho. Tentarei questionar se o inferencialismo tem de engolir alguma pilula amarga capaz de ver o mundo bem perdido. Uma das maneiras de entender o que Quine queria desde os Dois dogmas e refletir sobre a arbitrariedade de qualquer tentativa de separar o que e fixo do que e tentativo em qualquer de nossos esquemas conceptuais. O dualismo que e colocado em xeque e aquele que separa significados e outras crencas, alem de postular que algumas crencas sao especiais porque dao conteudo aos nossos conceitos. Trata-se de apontar para a arbitrariedade de distinguir entre partes de nossa visao de mundo, as quais se articulam do modo como se articulam apenas em funcao da estrutura do esquema conceptual que usamos para exprimir, de um lado, essa visao de
An advanced content delivery scheduling method for block multicast transfer

There is an increasing demand for the technology of content distribution, by which each user can request desired content through a network. Because of the low efficiency of existing systems, we proposed a new block transfer type video distribution system called burstVoD. The burstVoD system aggressively utilizes multicasting, and divides the content data into a mass of block files, which it periodically transmits to a terminal through a high-speed network, using a higher rate than the playback speed. However, by using the scheduling algorithm of the burstVoD system, when users request the same content from different periods, the VoD server repeatedly transmits the same block files in different periods. In this paper, we propose an advanced scheduling algorithm based on the burstVoD system to improve its multicasting efficiency. In addition, we propose a multi-channel burstVoD in order to reduce the interface bandwidth of client.
Dementia and effort test performance

Research on the performance of patients with dementia on tests of effort is particularly limited. We examined archival data from 214 non-litigating patients with dementia on 18 effort indices derived from 12 tests (WAIS-III/WAIS-R Digit Span and Vocabulary, Dot Counting Test, Warrington Recognition Memory Test–Words, WMS-III Logical Memory, Rey Word Recognition Memory Test, Finger Tapping, b-Test, Rey 15-Item, Test of Memory Malingering, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and Rey Complex Figure Test). Results indicated that recommended cut-offs for Digit Span indicators (Vocabulary Minus Digit Span and four-digit forward span time score) provided ≥90% specificity across participants, while the majority of other effort tests displayed specificities in the 30–70% range. Analyses of test specificity as a function of Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score and specific dementia diagnosis are provided, as well as adjustments to cut-offs to maintain specificity where feasible.
TIN2 Stability Is Regulated by the E3 Ligase Siah2

ABSTRACT Telomeres are coated by shelterin, a six-subunit complex that is required for protection and replication of chromosome ends. The central subunit TIN2, with binding sites to three subunits (TRF1, TRF2, and TPP1), is essential for stability and function of the complex. Here we show that TIN2 stability is regulated by the E3 ligase Siah2. We demonstrate that TIN2 binds to Siah2 and is ubiquitylated in vivo. We show using purified proteins that Siah2 acts as an E3 ligase to directly ubiquitylate TIN2 in vitro. Depletion of Siah2 led to stabilization of TIN2 protein, indicating that Siah2 regulates TIN2 protein levels in vivo. Overexpression of Siah2 in human cells led to loss of TIN2 at telomeres that was dependent on the presence of the catalytic RING domain of Siah2. In contrast to RNAi-mediated depletion of TIN2 that led to loss of TRF1 and TRF2 at telomeres, Siah2-mediated depletion of TIN2 allowed TRF1 and TRF2 to remain on telomeres, indicating a different fate for shelterin subunits when TIN2 is depleted posttranslationally. TPP1 was lost from telomeres, although its protein level was not reduced. We speculate that Siah2-mediated removal of TIN2 may allow dynamic remodeling of the shelterin complex and its associated factors during the cell cycle.
Contribuciones al diseño e implementación de un sistema de alta resolución para tomografía por emisión

La tomografia por emision combina biologia, fisica y computacion para dar lugar a imagenes del organismo que en ultima instancia se relacionan con el comportamiento celular, habiendo demostrado ser una tecnica de gran interes en oncologia, neurologia y radiologia, tanto en investigacion como en rutina clinica. La tecnica se fundamenta en la deteccion de la radiacion gamma generada por un radiofarmaco que previamente se ha inyectado al paciente, para lo cual el equipo de tomografia dispone un conjunto de detectores de radiaccion gamma en torno al objeto bajo estudio, generalmente configurando un anillo. Estos dectectores constan por una parte de un material denso destinado interaccionar con los rayos gamma y de una electronica anexa capaz de detectar y caracterizar las senales resultantes de estas interacciones. En la actualidad una parte significativa de la investigacion con mamiferos hace uso de ratones, los cuales han demostrado ser una excelente plataforma para el estudio multitud de enfermedades humanas. Este hecho explica el desarrollo y comercializacion de multitud de equipos para tomografia por emision especificamente disenados para estudios con animales. La presente tesis doctoral tiene por objetivo explorar una nueva aproximacion para la electronica de cabecera de un sistema de tomografia por emision de positrones para pequenos animales, que incorpore las tecnicas digitales en lo que a deteccion y caracterizacion del pulso de centello se refiere. En primer lugar se desarrolla una metodologia para la validacion funcional de la electronica a disenar. La aproximacion escogida analiza en detalle todo el proceso de adquisicion, desde la interaccion del rayo gamma con el cristal de centelleo hasta su digitalizacion, con el fin de modelar los estimulos que sirven de entrada al sistema electronico. En segundo lugar, se analizan las distintas tecnicas digitales para la caracterizacion del pulso, prestando especial incapie a las alternativas para la temporizacion del pulso de centelleo. Tras una comparacion de cuatro metodos posibles se determinan las codiciones optimas para extraer una marca temporal del pulso con una resolucion proxima al nanosegundo. En tercer lugar, se implementa y caracteriza un prototipo del modulo de adquisicion que incluye las tecnicas digitales anteriores como parte de un sistema empotrado mas complejo basada en logica programable. Finalmente, se emplean los resultados anteriores para estimar mediante simulacion las prestaciones prestaciones de un equipo hibrido que hiciera uso de la electronica desarrollada La investigacion realizada nos ha permitido determinar las condiciones en las que un sistema de adquisicion para tomografia por emision con muestreo continuo puede igualar o superar las prestaciones de un sistema convencional.
8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin Reversed M2 Polarization of Tumor-associated Macrophages Induced by Liver Cancer Stem-like Cells.

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is related to chronic liver inflammation. M2 polarization of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment promotes liver cancer stem-like cell (LCSLC) self-renewal capability and carcinogenicity. Therefore, reversing M2 polarization of TAMs could be an effective approach to cure HCC. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether 8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin (BrMC) has an effect on M2 polarization of TAMs. METHOD LCSLC and conditional medium were obtained by sphere forming assay. Identification of LCSLC were analyzed by sphere forming, wound-healing and invasion assay. TAM and effects of BrMC on it were validated by immunofluorescence staining, ELISA and griess assay. Expressions of cancer stem cell and macrophage marker were analyzed by western blotting. RESULTS Our results showed that BrMC significantly suppressed the expression of the M2 macrophage marker CD163. Furthermore, BrMC influenced the secretion profile of cytokines of TAMs. Mechanistically, BrMC reversed M2 polarization of TAMs due to inhibition of NF-κB activation. CONCLUSION BrMC may be a potentially novel flavonoid agent that can be applied for disrupting the interaction of LCSLCs and TAMs.