Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Trends and Controversies

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Depending on the extent of disease and competing comorbidities for mortality, multiple liver-directed therapy options exist for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Advancements in radiation oncology have led to the emergence of stereotactic body radiation therapy as a promising liver-directed therapy, which delivers high doses of radiation with a steep dose gradient to maximize local tumor control and minimize radiation-induced treatment toxicity. In this study, we review the current clinical data as well as the unresolved issues and controversies regarding stereotactic body radiation therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: (1) Is there a radiation dose–response relationship with hepatocellular carcinoma? (2) What are the optimal dosimetric predictors of radiation-induced liver disease, and do they differ for patients with varying liver function? (3) How do we assess treatment response on imaging? (4) How does stereotactic body radiation therapy compare to other liver-directed therapy modalities, including proton beam therapy? Based on the current literature discussed, this review highlights future possible research and clinical directions.
The Efficacy of Tenofivir to Prevent Perinatal Transmission in Chronic Hepatitis B Mothers. A Clinical Perspective

With great satisfaction, we read The April, 2018 AASLD guidelines for the management of chronic hepatitis B propose that pregnant women with hepatitis B receive tenofovir in the third trimester, for viral loads greater than 200,000 International Units/ milliliter This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
An epigenetic pathway approach to investigating associations between prenatal exposure to maternal mood disorder and newborn neurobehavior

Abstract Following recent advances in behavioral and psychiatric epigenetics, researchers are increasingly using epigenetic methods to study prenatal exposure to maternal mood disorder and its effects on fetal and newborn neurobehavior. Despite notable progress, various methodological limitations continue to obscure our understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms underpinning prenatal exposure to maternal mood disorder on newborn neurobehavioral development. Here we detail this problem, discussing limitations of the currently dominant analytical approaches (i.e., candidate epigenetic and epigenome-wide association studies), then present a solution that retains many benefits of existing methods while minimizing their shortcomings: epigenetic pathway analysis. We argue that the application of pathway-based epigenetic approaches that target DNA methylation at transcription factor binding sites could substantially deepen our mechanistic understanding of how prenatal exposures influence newborn neurobehavior.
Patch-Based Convolutional Neural Network for the Writer Classification Problem in Music Score Images

The Writer Identification Problem has been largely studied in the field of image processing. Music score writer identification is a particular type of the problem that requires identifying the writer of a music score, which is a complex task even for musicologists. Addressing this issue, this paper presents a novel Deep Learning approach based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for classifying music score images according to their writer. The classification is accomplished by dividing a music score image into patches that are fed to the CNN, which provides classification results for each patch. A voting system is then applied to obtain the final prediction of the model. This approach allows to learn local features of each music score in order to improve the final classification result. Results show that the proposed approach allows to obtain satisfactory results for the dataset used in this work, reaching 84%, 94% and 98% for the top-1, top-3 and top-5 accuracies,
Effects of fattening period on growth performance, carcass characteristics and lipogenic gene expression in Hanwoo steers.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different fattening periods i.e. 25, 27 and 29 months of age (25 mo, 27 mo and 29 mo), on feed consumption, body weight gain, carcass parameters, and lipogenic gene expression in 45 Korean native steers (Hanwoo). Daily DM intake was higher in steers on 29 mo compared with those on 25 mo or 27 mo. Daily body weight gain was higher in steers on 25 mo compared with those on 27 mo or 29 mo during fattening and overall experimental periods. Therefore, feed conversion ratio was lower in 25 mo compared with 27 mo or 29 mo during the fattening and whole experimental periods. As expected, slaughter and carcass weights were higher in the order of 29 mo>27 mo>25 mo. Carcass yield grade was relatively lower in 29 mo reflecting higher back fat thickness compared with other treatments, while carcass quality grade was not largely influenced by the treatments. By investigation with an ultra-sound scanning technique, the marbling score was significantly and numerically higher in 25 mo compared with 27 mo or 29 mo. The mRNA levels of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene were gradually increased in the late fattening stages (p<0.01) and mRNA of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), ATP citrate lyase (ACL) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) gene were highly expressed in 29 mo compared with 25 mo and 27 mo (p<0.05). However, gene expressions of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were not significantly different among the treatments. Thus the present results indicated that different fattening period has no major effect on carcass characteristics, although 25 mo had a lower carcass weight compared with 27 mo or 29 mo. (Key Words : Hanwoo, Steers, Fattening, Growth, Carcass Characteristics, Lipogenic Gene)
Numerical Study on the Formation of Typhoon Ketsana (2003). Part I: Roles of the Mesoscale Convective Systems

AbstractThe effects of multiple mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) on the formation of Typhoon Ketsana (2003) are analyzed in this study. Numerical simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model with assimilation of Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) and Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) oceanic winds and total precipitable water are performed. The WRF model simulates well the large-scale features, the convective episodes associated with the MCSs and their periods of development, and the formation time and location of Ketsana. With the successive occurrence of MCSs, midlevel average relative vorticity is strengthened through generation of mesoscale convective vortices (MCVs) mainly via the vertical stretching mechanism. Scale separation shows that the activity of the vortical hot tower (VHT)-type meso-γ-scale vortices correlated well with the development of the MCSs. These VHTs have large values of positive relative vorticity induced by intense low-level convergence, and thus play a.
A prospective analysis of mechanical properties of different Ti-Nb alloy compositions : A review

Powder metallurgy is emerging day by day as a concrete solution to the new age scientific problem. Every metal has its own characteristics and limitations. Powder metallurgy confluences the good characteristics of different metals into one product, but requires a correct combination of various sub-processes associated with main process. Powder metallurgy conquers the power of 4 P,s i.e. Precision as producing near net shape, Performance as fast and consistent , Productivity as higher output and Price as low considering lesser secondary operation needed. Some important mechanical properties of the different Ti-Nb alloys are analyzed in relation to the human implants. This paper reviews different sub processes of powder metallurgy and their combination for the biomedical application of different power metallurgy products. Papers also describe some advancement in manufacturing techniques and powder metallurgy sub processes that enhance the behavior of materials for human implants.
Chapter 7 Discrete differences in brain perfusion between migraineurs and controls : a voxelwise comparison of interictal dynamic susceptibility contrast MrI measurements

the increased cerebroand cardiovascular risk in migraineurs may be the consequence of a basal systemic vascular susceptibility, reflected by the presence of interictal global or regional cerebral perfusion abnormalities. Whether focal perfusion changes occur during interictal migraine has not been convincingly demonstrated. In this study, we measured brain perfusion with dynamic susceptibility-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MrI) in 30 interictal female migraineurs (13 migraine with aura (MA), 17 migraine without aura (MO)) and 17 female controls to improve our understanding of migraine pathophysiology and its potential cerebrovascular consequences. In voxelwise analyses (p<0.001, uncorrected, minimum cluster size 20 voxels), interictal hyperperfusion was observed in the left medial frontal gyrus in migraineurs and in the inferior and middle temporal gyrus in MO patients, in comparison to controls. Hypoperfusion was seen in the postcentral gyrus and in the inferior temporal gyrus in MA patients and in the inferior frontal gyrus in MO patients. region-of-interest analyses of the pons, hypothalamus, occipital lobe and cerebellum did not show significant interictal perfusion differences between migraineurs and controls. We conclude that interictal migraine is characterized by discrete areas of hyperand hypoperfusion unspecific for migraine pathophysiology and not explaining the increased vulnerability of particular brain regions for cerebrovascular damage.
Method analysis of accelerometers and gyroscopes in running gait: A systematic review

To review articles utilising accelerometers and gyroscopes to measure running gait and assess various methodology utilised when doing so. To identify research- and coaching-orientated parameters which have been previously investigated and offer evidence based recommendations as to future methodology employed when investigating these parameters. Electronic databases were searched using key-related terminology such as accelerometer(s) and gyroscope(s) and/or running gait. Articles returned were then visually inspected and subjected to an inclusion and exclusion criteria after which citations were inspected for further relevance. A total of 38 articles were then included in the review. Accelerometers, gyroscopes plus combined units have been successfully utilised in the generation of research-orientated parameters such as head/tibial acceleration, vertical parameters and angular velocity and also coach-orientated parameters such as stride parameters and gait pattern. Placement of sensors closest to the area of interest along with the use of bi/tri- axial accelerometers appear to provide the most accurate results. Accelerometers and gyroscopes have proven to provide accurate and reliable results in running gait measurement. The temporal and spatial running parameters require sensor placement close to the area of interest and the use of bi/triaxial sensors. Post data analysis is critical for generating valid results.
Detection of arrhythmic events by means of trend prediction of physiological time series in pHealth systems

Abstract This work addresses the research and implementation of methodologies for time series prediction, mainly to support the early detection of critical events. To this aim, a wavelet decomposition based scheme is proposed to estimate the evolution trend of physiological signals. The scheme does not involve the explicit development of a model and is essentially supported on the hypothesis that future evolution of a biosignal can be estimated from similar historic patterns. The strategy considers an a-trous wavelet decomposition, where the most representative trends are extracted from the historic similar patterns. Then, a set of distance-based measures able to assess the prediction likelihood of each representative trend is introduced. From these measures and through an optimization process, a subset of these trends is selected and aggregated to derive the required time series evolution trend. The performance of the scheme was, in a first phase, compared with other typical prediction strategies, namely the autoregressive integral moving average model and the generalized regression neural network. Then, in a second phase, the effectiveness of the methodology was tested in the assessment of arrhythmic episodes using heart rate measurements computed from ECG signals collected in the context of TEN-HMS telemonitoring study.
The importance of having a say: labour hire employees workplace voice

The importance of having a say: Labour hire employees’ workplace voice Elsa Underhill Deakin University Labour hire employment is an increasingly important segment of the labour market. The conditions under which labour hire employees work, however, appears especially degraded relative to direct hire employees. This paper explores the extent to which labour hire employees’ ability to effectively voice concerns about workplace issues is associated with degraded employment outcomes. The analysis draws upon a survey and focus groups of labour hire employees in Victoria, and identifi es a number of constraints upon the effective exercise of voice: discrimination and harassment, threat of job loss, and the failure of host employees to support labour hire employees. The outcomes on a number of workplace issues, beyond regulatory minimums, are then assessed. Whilst labour hire employers have primary responsibility for the employment conditions of their employees, the host is also identifi ed as playing a critical role.
Feasibility Assessment of Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems for Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is defined as the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder that has been characterized with a loss of dopaminergic neurons severely in cytoplasmic inclusions and substantia nigra. To treat both early and advanced stages of PD several therapeutic agents are available. However, the transport of therapeutic actives in to the brain has been a consistent challenge for researchers, because of the presence of blood-brain barrier (BBB). Various novel delivery carriers have been designed to deliver the drugs across BBB and the systems have been designed with an object to effectively target the drugs and overcoming the BBB. In some last decades, transdermal delivery carriers have gained extensive deliberations across the globe. These transdermal systems are depicted to be the most recent modalities in treating PD as they offer constant drug delivery, immediate effect as intestinal absorption in unneeded, and ease of application being a non-invasive technique. The present review explores the potential of transdermal delivery systems in order to deliver numerous therapeutic actives researched for PD therapy via transdermal route. Various trans-carriers such as patches, oil-based nanocarriers, nanoemulsions have been observed for the treatment of PD. The write up traces the reports on transdermal delivery carriers in PD and clinical study data to define the feasibility transdermal carriers.
Iterative Model-Fitting and Local Controller Optimization - Towards a Better Understanding of Convergence Properties

An intuitive strategy in model-based reinforcement learning (RL) is the following: We always execute the controller which is locally optimal with respect to the current model, while the model is updated continuously with the newly collected data. This strategy seems to be quite widely used, but to the best of our knowledge, a theoretical analysis does not exist yet. Herein we take ﬁrst steps to correct this deﬁciency. We believe that such an analysis will help us understand when this strategy is applicable, and how the different components (e.g. the model ﬁtting) have to be designed in order to guarantee convergence.
Yoga Reduces Prenatal Depression Symptoms

This research assessed the effects of yoga on prenatal depression symptoms using archival data. Depressed pregnant women were randomly assigned to either a yoga treatment group (n = 12) or a parenting education control group (n = 12). Women in the yoga group participated in classes two times a week for a period of 12 weeks. The attention control group received 12 parenting education sessions on the same schedule. The yoga versus control group showed greater decreases on the depressed affect and somatic/ vegetative subscales and the summary score of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Thus, yoga appears to reduce depression symptoms in pregnant women.
The Effect of Propofol Anaesthesia on Haematological and Biochemical Blood Profile of European Whitefish

Propofol (2’6-diizopropylofenol) effectively induced general anaesthesia in whitefish in the preliminary test. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of propofol on European whitefish by hematological and biochemical indices of blood plasma. A total of 60 specimens of whitefish from experimental hatchery of Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn were used. Fish were exposed to the water solution of 0.5 cm 3 dm -3 of Diprivan (Astra Zeneca Ltd., UK) (5 mg dm -3 of propofol) for 10 min. Hematological and biochemical indices were analyzed immediately after anaesthesia and 24h after exposure to the anaesthetic, and compared to respective control groups. Propofol did not affect significantly red blood cells indices. Reactive granulocytosis was observed 24 h after anaesthesia. The level of stress indices like: white blood cell count, glucose, albumin and globulin concentration was recovered 24 h after propofol anaesthesia. However, elevated value of alkaline phosphatase suggested some liver disturbance.
THE EFFECT OF FUNCTIONALIZED REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE ON THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY AND THERMAL STABILITY OF EPOXY

In our study, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was prepared by three typical reduction methods: N2H4·H2O, solvothermal, and high-temperature methods, and then functionalized by cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS). The surface morphology, structural changes of the functionalized reduced graphene oxide (FRGO) were studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. These results illustrated that the FRGO were prepared successfully. Subsequently, pristine and functionalized reduced graphene oxide composite films were fabricated by solution casting method. Thermal stability of composites was measured by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicated that electrical conductivity and thermal stability of composites were closely related to the RGO obtained by different reduced methods. Furthermore, composites added with functionalized graphene showed different electrical conductivity and thermal stability compared with the neat epoxy. Jianqiang Liu, Jing Ma, Weihuia Ren, Xi Nan, Weihui Zhu, and Wen Qin
Design N92-23367

As currently planned, future Earth remote sensing platforms (i.e., Earth Observing System [EOS]) will be capable of generating data at a rate of over fifty Megabits per second. To address this issue the Intelligent Data Management (IDM) project at NASA/GSFC has prototyped an Intelligent Information Fusion System (IIFS) that uses backpropagation neural networks for the classification of remotely sensed imagery. This is part of the IDM strategy of providing archived data to a researcher through a variety of discipline-specific indices. In this paper we discuss classification accuracies of a backpropagation neural network and compare it with a maximum likelihood classifier (MLC) with multivariate normal class models. We have found that, because of its nonparametric nature, the neural network outperforms the MLC in this area. In addition, we discuss techniques for constructing optimal neural nets on parallel hardware like the MasPar MP-1 currently at NASA/GSFC. Other important discussions are centered around training and classification times of the two methods, and sensitivity to the training data. Finally we discuss future work in the area of classification and neural nets.
A Rare Case of ADEM after Japanese Encephalitis

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a monophasic demyelinating disease of central nervous system (CNS) which is most frequently associated with an antecedent infection (identified in ~ 50-77%). 5% of ADEM cases follow immunization. Post infectious autoimmune events associated with Japanese encephalitis (JE) have been limited to Guillian Barre Syndrome (GBS) and JE virus vaccine related ADEM. We hereby report a case of 18 year boy who presented to us with fever, urinary retention, bilateral diminution of vision and acute onset paraparesis. Japanese encephalitis was diagnosed by elevated IgM titres against JE virus in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). ADEM was confirmed by MRI brain and spinal cord. Our patient also developed bilateral eye optic neuritis presenting clinically as sudden onset blurring of vision in both eye one day after admission and confirmed by visual evoked potential (VEP) study. His symptoms improved after giving high dose intravenous methylprednisolone.