Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Present Status of Tumor Immunology in Clinical Gynecology

ABSTRACT: The function of the immune system is to protect the body from damage caused by invading microorganisms, that is, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The humoral mechanism functions through plasma cells producing antibodies that control bacterial infections. Viruses, fungi and parasites are controlled through the thymus dependent T lymphocytes. It is now clear that cancers also invoke immunologic reactions in their hosts. Cancer cells, like bacteria and viruses have their own characteristic antigens. An antigen is defined as a substance, usually a protein or polysaccharide, that the body recognizes as foreign, and to whose presence it reacts by forming antibodies. Antigenic differences represent the first known qualitative distinction between cancer cells and their normal counterparts. These qualitative differences between normal and cancer cells had escaped other methods of investigation, but were revealed by immunological techniques that take advantage of the extraordinary power of discrimination of the immune defense mechanism itself. This mechanism is capable of distinguishing even minute differences between protein molecules, probably one different amino acid in a chain of several thousand.
Choosing an Appropriate Length of Loop Type Ureteral Stent Using Direct Ureteral Length Measurement

Purpose: The ureteral stent is now a fundamental part of many urological procedures. To decrease ureteral stent-related symptoms, loop type ureteral stent was developed. However the most important factor to decrease urinary symptoms is choosing the optimal length of a ureteral stent. We investigated the relationship between the actual ureteral length and the loop type ureteral stent position. Materials and Methods: A total of 226 loop type polyurethane ureteral stents (156 patients) were inserted with four options for stent length (20, 22, 24 and 26 cm). The ureteral length was measured using a ruled 5-Fr ureteral catheter. The appropriateness of stent position was defined into three groups based on kidney-ureter-bladder films. Results: Nine stents (3.9%) migrated, 171 stents (75.7%) were in the appropriate position and 46 stents (19.5%) were overlong. The rate of migration rate and overlong stents closely correlated with the ureteral length when the proximal end of the stent was in the renal pelvis. Conclusions: It is appropriate to choose a loop type ureteral stent that is the same or 1 cm less than the length of the ureter when the proximal end of the stent will be in the renal pelvis.
Étude comparative de deux modalités de reconstruction 3D du rachis à partir de deux radiographies face profil en position debout : BIOMODTM3S et sterEOS®

Introduction : Cette etude propose d’evaluer la repetabilite et la reproductibilite des outils de reconstruction 3D du rachis sterEOS® et BIOMODTM3S. Materiels et methodes : Trois evaluateurs ont realise les reconstructions en trois dimensions (3D) du rachis de 62 patients qui passaient un examen EOS a l’Hopital Pellegrin de Bordeaux. Chaque rachis a ete reconstruit deux fois par le meme evaluateur afin d’evaluer la repetabilite. Les evaluateurs ont realise ces reconstructions avec chaque modalite : sterEOS® et BIOMODTM3S afin d’obtenir la reproductibilite inter-observateur. La variabilite intra et inter-observateur est evaluee par l’etude des coefficients de correlation intra-classe (CCI). Le recueil des donnees s’est fait par tableur EXCEL. Les ecarts entre les deux modalites ont ete evalues par l’erreur standard de mesure (ESM) absolue et relative pour la determination des vertebres sommets et la rotation axiale des vertebres sommets. Resultats : Nous avons mis en evidence que la reproductibilite de la rotation axiale de la vertebre sommet avec BIOMODTM3S etait faible. L’erreur standard de mesure absolue est de 7,4°. Quant a sterEOS®, nous avons note un niveau de repetabilite correct et de reproductibilite faible pour la determination des niveaux de vertebres sommets, vertebres jonctionnelles superieures et inferieures. L’etude des autres parametres rachidiens montre que les deux modalites ont une bonne repetabilite et reproductibilite (CCI > 0,75). Conclusion : Le niveau de repetabilite et de reproductibilite est globalement bon hormis la rotation axiale de la vertebre sommet determinee par BIOMODTM3S et la determination du niveau de vertebre sommet, jonctionnelle superieure et inferieure par sterEOS® qui sont imprecises. Si l’on compare ces resultats aux techniques traditionnelles de mesure sur la radiographie de face, ces deux logiciels gardent un avantage notable.
The Evolution of Human Speech

Human speech involves species‐specific anatomy deriving from the descent of the tongue into the pharynx. The human tongue’s shape and position yields the 1:1 oral‐to‐pharyngeal proportions of the supralaryngeal vocal tract. Speech also requires a brain that can “reiterate”—freely reorder a finite set of motor gestures to form a potentially infinite number of words and sentences. The end points of the evolutionary process are clear. The chimpanzee lacks a supralaryngeal vocal tract capable of producing the “quantal” sounds which facilitate both speech production and perception and a brain that can reiterate the phonetic contrasts apparent in its fixed vocalizations. The traditional Broca‐Wernicke brain‐language theory is incorrect; neural circuits linking regions of the cortex with the basal ganglia and other subcortical structures regulate motor control, including speech production, as well as cognitive processes including syntax. The dating of the FOXP2 gene, which governs the embryonic development of these subcortical structures, provides an insight on the evolution of speech and language. The starting points for human speech and language were perhaps walking and running. However, fully human speech anatomy first appears in the fossil record in the Upper Paleolithic (about 50,000 years ago) and is absent in both Neanderthals and earlier humans.
Pricing and Capacity Allocation Strategies of Suppliers in an Electronic Market

We analyze a problem where a market maker on behalf of buyers allocates a given amount of order among N suppliers each with finite capacity. Specifically, we analyze a situation in which suppliers have the option of going to open market and selling their capacity at a market price. However, the supplier will incur search costs. Moreover, the demand for the supplier capacity in the open market is stochastic. Based on these, we derive the capacity-price curve (supply curve for capacity) for each supplier. The capacity-price curve of the suppliers provides a basis for the market maker to allocate the order among the suppliers so as to minimize his cost. We also identify the key parameters that will influence the overall performance of the electronic market place.
Pancreatic tumor cells with mutant K-ras suppress ERK activity by MEK-dependent induction of MAP kinase phosphatase-2.

Activating mutations within the K-ras gene occur in a high percentage of human pancreatic carcinomas. We reported previously that the presence of oncogenic, activated K-ras in human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines did not result in constitutive activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1 and ERK2). In the present study, we further characterized the ERK signaling pathway in pancreatic tumor cell lines in order to determine whether the ERK pathway is subject to a compensatory downregulation. We found that the attenuation of serum-induced ERK activation was not due to a delay in the kinetics of ERK phosphorylation. Treatment with the tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor orthovanadate increased the level of ERK phosphorylation, implicating a vanadate-sensitive tyrosine phosphatase in the negative regulation of ERK. Furthermore, expression of a dual specificity phosphatase capable of inactivating ERK known as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatase-2 (MKP-2) was elevated in most of the pancreatic tumor cell lines and correlated with the presence of active MAP kinase kinase (MEK). Taken together, these results suggest that pancreatic tumor cells expressing oncogenic K-ras compensate, in part, by upregulating the expression of MKP-2 to repress the ERK signaling pathway.
State-of-the-art of electricity price forecasting

Since the deregulation of the electricity power industry, many methods and techniques have been developed to forecast the electricity prices in the competitive environment. This paper classifies and compares different techniques in the literature of electricity price forecasting. The information is summarized based on the technical objectives, scope, time horizon, input data and the level of accuracy. The methods and techniques for electricity price forecasting are categorized into equilibrium analysis, simulation methods, time series, econometric methods, intelligent systems, and volatility analysis
Review of signal processing techniques for detection of transient disturbances in voltage supply systems

This paper presents a review of some of the most commonly used signal processing techniques for detection and extraction of transient disturbances in voltage supply systems. The performances of different time-domain and frequency-domain methods are compared using different test signals. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed highlighting the potential of each method according to the application.
Single-RF Multi-Antenna Transmission With Peak Power Constraint

Electronically steerable parasitic array radiator (ESPAR) technology enables the implementation of antenna arrays of a number of elements with a single radio frequency (RF) source. Two approaches to achieve stable transmission using an ESPAR antenna (EA) are to increase the self-resistance of an EA or to transmit signals closely approximating the actual signals that keep the EA stable. Both approaches did not take into account the impact of limited power on an EA transmission, which is a practical constraint on power amplifier design. We propose a new transmission scheme to enable an EA to provide stable multiple antenna functionality taking into account the instantaneous total power requirement. This problem is formulated as a non-convex optimization problem and it is solved analytically by coordinate transformation and geometric analysis. The optimal approximate signals are obtained using root finding and interior-point algorithms. Moreover, it is shown through simulations that our proposed scheme achieves similar symbol error rate performance to that of the standard multiple antenna transmitter with multiple RF chains under power limited single-user and multi-user transmission scenarios. Furthermore, it is shown that increasing the self-resistance of an EA to achieve stability is highly power inefficient.
Contrast Maximizing and Brightness Preserving Color to Grayscale Image Conversion

This paper presents a novel variance (contrast) maximizing and brightness preserving color to grayscale image transformation method. We formulate the problem of converting color to grayscale image as a constrained optimization problem where we maximize the variance (contrast) of the grayscale image subject to the constraint that it preserves the brightness of the color image. Our algorithm has no free parameter and has a closed-form solution. We present experimental results to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new technique and compare it with other recent methods.
Researchers size up nanotechnology risks.

N ANOTECHNOLOGY, A BURGEONing field featuring tiny materials , may be poised to transform medicine with potential uses spanning all aspects of disease diagnosis , prevention, and treatment. In oncology alone, researchers envision using nanomaterials (which by definition have at least one dimension ranging from 1 nm [one billionth of a meter] to 100 times that) to detect early cancers , pinpoint tumors within the body, deliver toxic drugs specifically to malignant cells, and determine a thera-py's effectiveness. Similar medical uses may exist for arthritis, heart disease, and many other conditions. But even if these advances are achievable , little is known about the safety of nanomaterials in medicine or in other applications, such as environmental re-mediation or energy production. Researchers are now working to assess the potential risks of nanotechnology to help avoid unwanted surprises. Some limited research findings on the safety of nanomaterials, including animal and in vitro studies, are available, but epidemiologic data on the health effects of nanotechnology exposure are lacking. " There really isn't any comprehensive or conclusive information, " explained Andrew Maynard, PhD, an expert on nanotechnology from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, in Washington, DC. Maynard is making policy recommendations to the government based on analyses of the long-term environmental , health, and safety issues of nano-technology and nanomaterials. Scientists do have a good idea of how nanoparticles can enter the body and how they might behave once there. For example, studies have shown that when some nanoparticles are inhaled, they can penetrate the epithelial cells in the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and deposit in other organs in the body (Oberdorster et al. Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113: 823-839). Experiments with rodents have demonstrated that if nanopar-ticles deposit in the nasal region, they can travel up the olfactory nerves and into the brain, circumventing the blood-brain barrier (Oberdorster et al. Studies have also revealed that nano-particles' increased ratio of surface area to volume is important to consider. As the surface area of a particle increases, the percentage of its atoms at the surface increases, creating more sites for bonding or reaction with surrounding materials. This results in properties such as improved strength or heat resistance. But mounting evidence suggests that the large surface area of insoluble nanoparticles that are inhaled also leads to an inflammatory response in the lungs (Brown et al. " What these studies are showing is that as the …
The action of triethylenemelamine on the fertility of male rats.

Small doses of triethylenemelamine (TEM) had a selective action on the fertility of male rats. One dose (0.2 mg./kg., i.p.) produced effects ranging from subfertility to sterility during the next 3 weeks. In the fourth week sterility was the rule, but normal fertility was restored in the fifth week. A short course of the drug (5 daily doses, 0.2 mg./kg., i.p.) resulted in sterility lasting about 5 weeks, after which fertility was rapidly regained. Daily doses (0.05 mg./kg., i.p.) caused infertility in about a week which was maintained throughout treatment (7 weeks), and persisted for several weeks after the drug was discontinued. Sexual activity of infertile animals seemed normal and sperm production appeared to continue. Spermatozoa from infertile animals were able to reach and penetrate ova. The results suggest that TEM acts directly on the germinal epithelium. An attempt has been made to provide some explanation for these results and correlate them with the time required for spermatogenesis.
Sleep Apnea as a Possible Factor Contributing to Aggression in Sex Offenders *

ABSTRACT: Sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), are often unrecognized and undertreated. A disruption in normal sleep may be associated with increased irritability and aggression. To elucidate further the impact of OSA on hostility of forensic patients, we performed a retrospective chart review of 10 consecutive outpatient sex offenders who were diagnosed with OSA and treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire was compared pre‐ and posttreatment. Following treatment, the total Buss–Perry score was significantly lower, with lower scores on the anger, physical aggression, hostility, and verbal aggression subscales. These results suggest that in sex offenders suffering from OSA, aggression and hostility may be significantly reduced through CPAP treatment. Further investigation is required to investigate if reducing aggression and hostility in this manner impacts recidivism and overall functioning.
A reappraisal of W.R.D. Fairbairn.

W.R. D. Fairbairn was a noted Scottish psychoanalyst who helped launch the "object-relations revolution. " While working within the traditional Freudian and Kleinian framework, he developed ideas of importance that have hitherto been eclipsed but that are now resurfacing, thanks to current awareness of primitive mental disorders, child abuse, and infant development research. Fundamentally, he challenged the primacy of the drives and the pleasure principle and stated that the infant is object-seeking from the beginning. Furthermore, he established the dissociative nature of the schizoid personality in particular and the schizoid aspects of all psychopathology in general. The author summarizes Fairbairn's work from historical, theoretical, and clinical perspectives.
Analyse des relations phylogéniques entre trois Suaeda par culture en milieux diversement salés

ResumeL'etude de la morphogenese, de l'hydratation des tissus, de l'intensite de la synthese de matiere vegetale et de l'accumulation des ions Na + et K+ chez.S. sp. , recoltee en Iran, chez Suaeda maritima flexilis et chez Suaeda maritima salsa montre qu'il existe de nombreuses ressemblances entre ces deux dernieres varietes alors que Suaeda sp. se singularise par une croissance rapide peu sensible a la salinite, des axes importants (sauf au niveau des cotyledons) et un rapport Na +/K+ eleve. Cette conclusion confirme celles apportees par l'etude caryologique et chimique.
Brain estrogen signaling effects acute modulation of acoustic communication behaviors: A working hypothesis

Although estrogens are widely considered circulating “sex steroid hormones” typically associated with female reproduction, recent evidence suggests that estrogens can act as local modulators of brain circuits in both males and females. The functional implications of this newly characterized estrogen signaling system have begun to emerge. This essay summarizes evidence in support of the hypothesis that the rapid production of estrogens in brain circuits can drive acute changes in both the production and perception of acoustic communication behaviors. These studies have revealed two fundamental neurobiological concepts: (1) estrogens can be locally produced in brain circuits, independent of levels in nearby circuits and in the circulation and (2) estrogens can have very rapid effects within these brain circuits to modulate social vocalizations, acoustic processing, and sensorimotor integration. This vertebrate‐wide span of research, including vocalizing fishes, amphibians, and birds, emphasizes the importance of comparative model systems in understanding principles of neurobiology.
Safety of parecoxib when used for more than 3 days for the management of postoperative pain.

AIM To assess parecoxib safety when used for >3 days for postoperative pain management. METHODS Treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) occurrence after day 3 was examined in a pooled analysis of three placebo-controlled trials of parecoxib following general or gynecologic surgery, or total hip arthroplasty. A total of 358 patients received parecoxib, and 318 placebo. RESULTS Mean treatment duration was similar between treatment groups. The overall frequency of all TEAEs after day 3 was also similar between treatment groups. Most TEAEs occurred in <1% of patients after day 3; frequencies were similar between treatment groups. Most TEAEs were considered mild or moderate in severity. CONCLUSION TEAE occurrence in patients receiving parecoxib for >3 days was low and similar to placebo after treatment day 3.
Outage Probability Analysis in Generalized Fading Channels with Co-Channel Interference and Background Noise: η-μ/η-μ, η-μ/κ-μ, and κ-μ/η-μ Scenarios

In this paper, we present expressions for the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of a specially constructed random variable (RV) represented by the ratio of two generalized RVs. The obtained theoretical results are used to evaluate the outage probability in scenarios with η-μ-faded signals of interest (SoI), η-μ- or κ-μ-faded co-channel interference (CCI), and background white Gaussian noise. Our results are applicable also to scenarios where the SoI passes through the κ-μ fading channel, and the interfering signals are η-μ-faded. The derived results can be used if all parameters μ<sub>i</sub> of the η-μ models representing the statistical distributions of either the SoI components or CCI components are integers. We prove, in particular, that in the former case, the CDF is expressed in terms of elementary functions.
Technological Advances in Peritoneal Dialysis Research Peritoneal Cell Culture: Fibroblasts

Fibroblasts have been traditionally viewed as providing little more than a structural lattice for other cell types. However, recent data indicate that fibroblasts play a key and early role in many pathophysiological processes, including inflammation, fibrosis, and neoplasia. Moreover, depending on the anatomical location, fibroblasts display significant functional heterogeneity. Therefore, it is important to study the subpopulation of fibroblasts derived exactly from the organ of interest rather than to extrapolate the observations made in other fibroblast subsets. Cell culture provides a powerful tool for studying the role of fibroblasts in various contexts. In this review, we describe procedures for establishing and identifying primary cultures of human peritoneal fibroblasts. We also briefly discuss the potential involvement of peritoneal fibroblasts in peritoneal pathology.
Novel ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter with a notched band using defected ground structure

A novel ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter (BPF) with a notched band is presented, using a pair of triangle ring resonators with four open-stubs and defected ground structures (DGS). The double triangle ring resonators with four open-stubs which feed by a pair of interdigital coupled structure can obtain a UWB band with three modes. Then the medial circle ring DGS is added to create a notched band at 8.3 GHz to avoid Bande X signals. Moreover, the pairs of paracentral circular arc DGSs are used to create transmission zeros in upper stopband thus high modes are suppressed greatly. Another pairs of circular arc DGSs are used to improve the passband performance. Finally, simulated results show that the proposed BPF has a passband from 2.6 to 10.2 GHz and a wide stopband bandwidth with 20dB attenuation up to 21.3GHz.
Data-Driven Curriculum Design: Mining the Web to Make Better Teaching Decisions

University professors of conventional offline classes are often experts in their research fields, but have little training on educational sciences. Current educational data mining techniques offer little support to them. In this paper we propose a novel algorithm, Analyzing CurrIculum Decisions (ACID), that leverages collective intelligence to model student opinions in order to help instructors of traditional classes. ACID mines publicly available educational websites, such as student ratings of professors and course information, and learns student opinions within a statistical framework. We demonstrate ACID to discover patterns in learner feedback and factors that affect Computer Science instruction. We investigate the choice of a programming language for introductory courses and the grading criteria for all courses.