Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Docetaxel plus ramucirumab with primary prophylactic pegylated-granulocyte-colony stimulating factor for pretreated non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of docetaxel plus ramucirumab with primary prophylactic pegylated (PEG)-granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for pretreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results Sixty-one pretreated NSCLC patients underwent docetaxel plus ramucirumab. Primary prophylactic PEG-G-CSF was performed in 52 (85%) patients (prophylactic group). No febrile neutropenia (FN) (0%) was confirmed in 52 prophylactic group patients, whereas FN was observed in 3 (33%) of 9 non-prophylactic group patients. Among prophylactic group, median lines of prior therapy was 2 (range, 1–9). Median cycles of docetaxel plus ramucirumab was 3 (range, 1–25) (9 and 3 cases moved to ramucirumab and docetaxel monotherapies, respectively). Response rate and disease control rate were 30.8% and 73.1%, respectively. Median progression-free survival was 4.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.0–6.6) months. Median overall survival was 11.4 (95% CI, 8.0–13.9) months. Six (11.5%) patients had grade 3/4 neutropenia. Observed grade 3 (incidence ≥10%) adverse event (AE) was oral mucositis (13.5%). There were no grade 4/5 non-hematological AEs. Conclusions Our study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of docetaxel plus ramucirumab with PEG-G-CSF in clinical practice. Primary prophylactic PEG-G-CSF could markedly reduce incidence of FN. Methods We retrospectively reviewed medical records of pretreated NSCLC cases who had received docetaxel plus ramucirumab in our departments.
An Efficient IR-HARQ Power Allocation for Relay-Aided Cellular Networks

Energy-efficient and reliable data transmission is a challenging task in wireless relay networks (WRNs). Energy efficiency in cellular networks has received significant attention because of the present need for reduced energy consumption, thereby maintaining the profitability of networks, which in turn makes these networks “greener”. The urban cell topography needs more energy to cover the total area of the cell. The base station does not cover the entire area in a given topography and adding more number of base stations is a cost prohibitive one. Energy-efficient relay placement model which calculates the maximum cell coverage is proposed in this work that covers all sectors and also an energy-efficient incremental redundancy-hybrid automatic repeat request (IR-HARQ) power allocation scheme to improve the reliability of the network by improving the overall network throughput is proposed. An IR-HARQ power allocation method maximizes the average incremental mutual information at each round, and its throughput quickly converges to the ergodic channel capacity as the number of retransmissions increases. Simulation results show that the proposed IR-HARQ power allocation achieves full channel capacity with average transmission delay and maintains good throughput under less power consumption. Also the impact of relaying performance on node distances between relay station and base station as well as between user and relay station and relay height for line of sight conditions are analyzed using full decode and forward (FDF) and partial decode and forward (PDF) relaying schemes. Compared to FDF scheme, PDF scheme provides better performance and allows more freedom in the relay placement for an increase in cell coverage.
Glycation affects fibril formation of Aβ peptides

Increasing evidence shows that β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides, which are associated with Alzheimer disease (AD), are heavily glycated in patients, suggesting a role of this irreversible nonenzymatic post-translational modification in pathology. Previous reports have shown that glycation increases the toxicity of the Aβ peptides, although little is known about the mechanism. Here, we used the natural metabolic by-product methylglyoxal as a glycating agent and exploited various spectroscopic methods and atomic force microscopy to study how glycation affects the structures of the Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptides, the aggregation pathway, and the morphologies of the resulting aggregates. We found that glycation significantly slows down but does not prevent β-conversion to mature fibers. We propose that the previously reported higher toxicity of the glycated Aβ peptides could be explained by a longer persistence in an oligomeric form, usually believed to be the toxic species.
Subjective cognitive decline and risk of MCI

Objective We investigated different dimensions of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) to determine which was the best prognostic risk factor for incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among cognitively unimpaired participants. Methods We included 1,167 cognitively unimpaired participants, aged 70 to 95 years, from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging based on 2 concurrent SCD scales (part of the Blessed memory test and the 39-item Everyday Cognition [ECog] scale, which included a validated 12-item derivative) and a single question assessing worry about cognitive decline. We evaluated multiple ways to dichotomize scores. In continuous models, we compared average scores on 4 ECog domains and multidomain (39- and 12-item) ECog scores. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between each measure and risk of MCI in models adjusted for objective memory performance, depression, anxiety, sex, APOE ε4 carriership, and medical comorbidities. Results It was possible to select a substantial group of participants (14%) at increased risk of incident MCI based on combined baseline endorsement of any consistent SCD on the ECog (any item scored ≥3; 12-item ECog hazard ratio [HR] 2.17 [95% confidence interval 1.51–3.13]) and worry (HR 1.79 [1.24–2.58]) in an adjusted model combining these dimensions. In continuous models, all ECog domains and the multidomain scores were associated with risk of MCI with a small advantage for multidomain SCD (12-item ECog HR 2.13 [1.36–3.35] per point increase in average score). Information provided by the informant performed comparable to self-perceived SCD. Conclusion Prognostic value of SCD for incident MCI improves when both consistency of SCD and associated worry are evaluated.
Energy Control of Hamiltonian Systems under Disturbances

The problem of the energy level stabilization for Hamiltonian systems in presence of disturbances is considered. First, it is shown that for 1-DOF systems under su ciently small uniformly bounded force disturbances the speed-gradient control law ensures ultimate boundedness of energy error. As an auxiliary result the new su cient conditions for ultimate boundedness of Lyapunov function along the trajectories of nonlinear nonstationary dynamical system are obtained. Second, for n-DOF systems with dissipation-like disturbances the bounds for achievable energy level are given.
Fear of Mastectomy Associated with Delayed Breast Cancer Presentation Among Ghanaian Women.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among women globally. Most women in Ghana present with advanced stage disease. The aim of this study is to characterize sociocultural factors associated with delayed presentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Qualitative study (grounded theory, constant comparative method) using individual in-depth interviews with breast cancer patients seen at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Interviews were conducted in English and three local languages. We achieved theoretical saturation with 31 participants. RESULTS The mean length of delay reported by patients was approximately 1 year. Five recurrent themes were related to delayed presentation: (a) Women with a confirmed breast cancer diagnosis delay treatment because of the fear of mastectomy due to self and societal stigma; (b) role of the church as a social support system given the societal stigma associated with breast cancer; (c) study participants expressed some awareness of breast cancer, but with varying depths of breast cancer knowledge encompassing both myths and misconceptions about breast cancer; (d) most patients present late because they do not associate a "painless" breast lump with possible breast malignancy; and (e) delayed presentation linked to significant financial burden associated with breast cancer treatment. CONCLUSION Despite current efforts to increase breast cancer awareness, the fear of mastectomy remains one of the main reasons for delayed presentation. Successful breast cancer education programs will need to be framed within the broader sociocultural dimensions of femininity that address some of the stigma associated with mastectomy reported in the Ghanaian context. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Most women in Ghana present with advanced-stage disease. The aim of this study was to characterize sociocultural factors associated with delayed presentation. Although several quantitative studies have been conducted on delays in presentation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), this study is one of the few to identify fear of mastectomy as a reason for delayed presentation. Anecdotal data from current clinical experiences in SSA suggest that this is still an issue that has not been adequately reported and addressed in most SSA countries. The research results presented here will hopefully guide health providers and national organizations in designing breast cancer education programs in Ghana and other parts of SSA.
Comparative Assessment of Facial Asymmetry in Malocclusion using Posteroanterior View.

AIM The study was conducted to assess facial asymmetry in various dental malocclusions and to determine asymmetry in lower, mid, and upper face and jaws using posteroanterior cephalometric analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Overall, 120 posteroanterior cepha-lograms were taken of individuals between 12 and 25 years of both sexes, and were divided into four groups: Angle's class I excellent occlusion, Angle's class I malocclusion, Angle's class II malocclusion, and Angle's class III malocclusion. These cepha-lograms were traced and Grummon's analysis was performed. RESULTS In Angle's class I occlusion and Angle's class II malocclusion, the results obtained showed asymmetry present in the upper face. Correlation was found between occlusion, maloc-clusion, and facial asymmetry. CONCLUSION Facial asymmetry was found in all dental occlusions whether excellent or malocclusion group, with maximum asymmetry having upward trend toward upper face starting from lower. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE For the success of the orthodontic treatments in various types of malocclusion and to determine the facial asymmetry, posteroanterior view can be very helpful, as it gives additional information which can be utilized to augment treatment planning and improve prognosis in terms of relapse prevention.
A concerns report survey of physical activity support needs of people with moderate-to-severe MS disability and family caregivers

Abstract Purpose: To identify the most pressing needs for community resources to support physical activity participation, determinants of perceived need, and barriers to co-participation in physical activity among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have moderate-to-severe disability and the family caregivers providing assistance to such individuals. Methods: Seventy-eight people with MS and 46 family caregivers participated in this cross-sectional survey study, guided by the Concerns Report Methodology. Results: The results show differences between groups in rankings for some need items. However, three need items were prioritized by both people with MS and the family caregivers: (1) information about available resources to support physical activity participation, with Need Indexes of 76.6% and 52.3%, respectively; (2) programs that support joint participation of people with MS together with their caregivers in physical activity, with Need Indexes of 62.0% and 68.9%, respectively; and (3) programs that have affordable total cost of participation, with Need Indexes of 50.7% and 52.3%, respectively. A broad range of factors (i.e., education, living situation, type of community, marital status, employment, and income, as well as comorbidity status) was significantly associated with one or more of these need items. Several modifiable impairment-related, personal and logistical factors were identified by both groups as barriers to co-participation in physical activity. Conclusions: The findings highlight the complexity of developing community resources that target physical activity promotion in MS dyads. Importantly, our findings suggest that resources designed to influence dyadic physical activity participation need to include content that are responsive and tailored to both the needs of the person with MS and the unique needs of the family caregiver. The results also underscore the importance of reinforcing physical activity as a shared behavior and providing information about affordable options for exercising together to the benefit of each individual and the dyad (i.e., partnership). Overall, our findings provide a possible starting point to guide the identification of potential participants that might benefit the most from future intervention development work. Implications for rehabilitation MS has life-altering consequences for people with the disease and the family caregivers who support such individuals. Rehabilitation professionals need to reinforce physical activity as a shared behavior and provide information about affordable options for exercising together to the benefit of each individual and the dyad. A “one-size-fits-all” approach is not appropriate, therefore, clinicians need to identify flexible and pragmatic strategies to increase dyadic participation in the presence of unique caregiver and care-recipients barriers that might impede such an increase.
Management by Apps

If you are currently a manager or might be one soon, you must be wondering what the future holds for the practice of management. So much has changed so rapidly in recent years that you are probably pondering what’s next—just what is being a manager going to be like in two, three, or four years, or for that matter, even next quarter? To begin to answer that question, you need look no further than that smart phone you carry with you all day or the electronic tablet you have recently become so enamored with. The future of management is literally in your hands. Management in both the near future and further out is going to be dominated by mobile apps. These apps will increasingly connect you to your PC or Mac, your organization’s information systems, and to the cloud. They will provide unprecedented creative problem-solving support. In addition, as mobile communication and problem-solving devices become more powerful, many of management’s information gathering and analysis functions will be able to be performed directly using these devices and not on a PC, Mac, mainframe, or in the cloud. Indicators of this future are numerous and a limited number of futuristic apps are already in development. One of the major changes in the management process of the future, if not the major change, is that management is becoming “management by apps. ” Predicting the Future of Management Many, if not most, of the discussions surrounding anticipated changes in the practice of management have focused on the process of management innovation and how individual managers and organizations can create and develop their own new management processes. Gary Hamel’s comprehensive book on this topic, The Future of Management, is a primary example (Hamel 2007). But what of the broader issue—the overall management process itself, rather than an individual’s or an organization’s management innovation efforts? The question that needs addressing is, “How will the overall management process change regardless of the individual or organization? ” By reviewing predictions regarding the future organizational environment and combining these with scans of the existing business environment for potential new drivers of management behavior, one finds that there are sufficient cues to predict future management practices. A number of management consulting firms and futurists have provided detailed descriptions of what the business organization’s future will almost certainly look like in the next few years and for longer time horizons, as well (e.g., Toffler Associates 2011; Murugesan, Rossi, Wilbanks, and Djavanshir 2011; Dye and Stephenson 2010; and Cetron and Davies 2010). Among the key predicted aspects of the future business environment relevant to this Management by Apps
Auditory Distraction During Reading: A Bayesian Meta-Analysis of a Continuing Controversy

Everyday reading occurs in different settings, such as on the train to work, in a busy cafeteria, or at home while listening to music. In these situations, readers are exposed to external auditory stimulation from nearby noise, speech, or music that may distract them from their task and reduce their comprehension. Although many studies have investigated auditory-distraction effects during reading, the results have proved to be inconsistent and sometimes even contradictory. In addition, the broader theoretical implications of the findings have not always been explicitly considered. We report a Bayesian meta-analysis of 65 studies on auditory-distraction effects during reading and use metaregression models to test predictions derived from existing theories. The results showed that background noise, speech, and music all have a small but reliably detrimental effect on reading performance. The degree of disruption in reading comprehension did not generally differ between adults and children. Intelligible speech and lyrical music resulted in the biggest distraction. Although this last result is consistent with theories of semantic distraction, there was also reliable distraction by noise. It is argued that new theoretical models are needed that can account for distraction by both background speech and noise.
A gossip based information fusion protocol for distributed frequent itemset mining

ABSTRACT The computational complexity, huge memory space requirement, and time-consuming nature of frequent pattern mining process are the most important motivations for distribution and parallelization of this mining process. On the other hand, the emergence of distributed computational and operational environments, which causes the production and maintenance of data on different distributed data sources, makes the parallelization and distribution of the knowledge discovery process inevitable. In this paper, a gossip based distributed itemset mining (GDIM) algorithm is proposed to extract frequent itemsets, which are special types of frequent patterns, in a wireless sensor network environment. In this algorithm, local frequent itemsets of each sensor are extracted using a bit-wise horizontal approach (LHPM) from the nodes which are clustered using a leach-based protocol. Heads of clusters exploit a gossip based protocol in order to communicate each other to find the patterns which their global support is equal to or more than the specified support threshold. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the best existing gossip based algorithm in term of execution time.
Information Technology in an Audit Context: Have the Big 4 Lost Information Technology in an Audit Context: Have the Big 4 Lost Their Advantage? Their Advantage?

Abstract Audit firms use information technology (IT) to improve audit quality, effectiveness, and efficiency. While audit IT has evolved over the past decade, limited guidance is available to assist practitioners in determining how IT can be used. Our research objectives are fourfold. First, we examine to what extent auditors use and assess the perceived importance of IT in their audits. Second, we look at different-sized firms to determine whether IT adoption and implementation decisions differ by firm size. Third, we investigate changes in auditors' use and perceived importance of IT over the past decade. Fourth, we examine whether IT has impacted the communication modes used by auditors when reviewing workpapers and fraud brainstorming. Overall, Big 4 auditors were not significantly more likely to use IT than non-Big 4 auditors, suggesting that the dominance of the Big 4 firms' use of IT has lessened. In fact, there are a few applications where non-Big 4 auditors appear to have taken the lead. In addition, our findings indicate that auditors have increased the use of all the IT applications we examined ten years ago. However, we find evidence that auditors may prefer to use even more IT in their audits than they are currently using.
Edoxaban is non-inferior to low-molecular-weight heparin for treating cancer-associated venous thromboembolism

Commentary on : Raskob GE, van Es N, Verhamme P, et al . Edoxaban for the treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism. N Engl J Med . 2018 Feb 15;378:615–624. Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is the standard of care for treatment of cancer-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE). 1 2 This recommendation is supported largely by a landmark randomised controlled trial (RCT) that showed that patients with cancer who received 6 months of dalteparin instead of warfarin (after an initial 5–7 days of dalteparin) had a 52% risk reduction for recurrent VTE.3 However, LMWH injections can be painful as well as anxiety provoking. A pill would be a welcome alternative for most patients, but only if it is as …
Feature Selection via Swarm Intelligence for Determining Protein Essentiality

Protein essentiality is fundamental to comprehend the function and evolution of genes. The prediction of protein essentiality is pivotal in identifying disease genes and potential drug targets. Since the experimental methods need many investments in time and funds, it is of great value to predict protein essentiality with high accuracy using computational methods. In this study, we present a novel feature selection named Elite Search mechanism-based Flower Pollination Algorithm (ESFPA) to determine protein essentiality. Unlike other protein essentiality prediction methods, ESFPA uses an improved swarm intelligence–based algorithm for feature selection and selects optimal features for protein essentiality prediction. The first step is to collect numerous features with the highly predictive characteristics of essentiality. The second step is to develop a feature selection strategy based on a swarm intelligence algorithm to obtain the optimal feature subset. Furthermore, an elite search mechanism is adopted to further improve the quality of feature subset. Subsequently a hybrid classifier is applied to evaluate the essentiality for each protein. Finally, the experimental results show that our method is competitive to some well-known feature selection methods. The proposed method aims to provide a new perspective for protein essentiality determination.