Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Downstaging and Conversation Strategy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Branch Tumor Thrombus: TACE, 125I Seed Implantation, and RFA for Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Branch Tumor Thrombus

Background and Objectives Trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with 125I seed implantation is an effective treatment modality for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with a portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). However, there are no reports on the effectiveness of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) after downstaging in such patients. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of TACE in combination with 125I seed implantation and RFA for the treatment of HCC complicated by PVTT. Methods 49 patients diagnosed with HCC with PVTT between February 2015 and December 2016 were included. All patients were clinically or pathologically diagnosed with advanced HCC, intrahepatic lesions ≤3, and a single tumor diameter ≤70 mm, total diameter ≤100 mm. PVTT was limited to the unilateral portal vein branches. All the patients were treated with TACE combined with PVTT 125I seed implantation. The size and activity of intrahepatic lesions and PVTT were evaluated using enhanced magnetic resonance imaging 3 months after treatment, and other indicators were combined to determine the success of downstaging. Results A total of 31 patients were successfully downstaged, while 18 patients did not achieve downstaging owing to the progression of intrahepatic lesions or PVTT activity/progression, the success rate of the downstaging was 63.27%. All 31 patients with successful downstaging underwent RFA for intrahepatic lesions. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 90.3%, 80.6%, and 48.4%, respectively. The median overall survival was 36 months (95% CI: 24.7–47.3). Conclusion 125I seed implantation in combination with TACE can effectively inactivate PVTT and achieve downstaging. Furthermore, the addition of RFA can significantly improve patient survival.
The Ketogenic Diet in Colorectal Cancer: A Means to an End

Some diets, such as high lipid and high glucose diets, are known to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. On the other hand, little is known about diets that prevent colonic carcinogenesis. The ketogenic diet, which is characterized by high fat and very low carbohydrate content, is one such diet. The ketogenic diet decreases the amount of available glucose for tumors and shifts to the production of ketone bodies as an alternative energy source for healthy cells. Cancer cells are unable to use the ketone bodies for energy thus depriving them of the energy needed for progression and survival. Many studies reported the beneficial effects of the ketogenic diet in several types of cancers. Recently, the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate has been found to possess anti-tumor potential in colorectal cancer. Despite its beneficial effects, the ketogenic diet also has some drawbacks, some of which are related to gastrointestinal disorders and weight loss. Thus, studies are being directed at this time towards finding alternatives to following a strict ketogenic diet and supplementing patients with the ketone bodies responsible for its beneficial effects in the hope of overcoming some potential setbacks. This article discusses the mechanism by which a ketogenic diet influences growth and proliferation of tumor cells, it sheds the light on the most recent trials regarding its use as an adjunctive measure to chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, and it explains the limitations of its usage in metastatic patients and the promising role of exogenous ketone supplementation in this setting.
Blow-up in semilinear parabolic equations with weak diffusion

Finite time blow-up in the semilinear reactive-diffusive parabolic equation φ1=µφxx+eφ is examined in the limit of weak diffusion μ<<1, for a Cauchy initial-value problem with φ(x, t=0)=φi(x) in which φi(x) possesses a smooth global maximum. An asymptotic description of the evolution of φ is obtained from the initial time through blow-up using singular perturbation techniques. Near blow-up, an exact self-similar focusing structure for φ, identical to that previously associated with non-diffusive thermal runaway, is shown to be appropriate. However, in an exponentially small layer close to the blow-up time, the focusing structure must be modified to ensure a uniformly valid solution. This modification uncovers the asymptotically self-similar focusing structure previously recognized for blow-up in equations of the form φ1=φxx+eφ. In contrast to previous studies, however, the structure arises here as a natural consequence of removing the non-uniformity in the expansions which occurs exponentially close to bl.
LPWAN Cyber Security Risk Analysis: Building a Secure IQRF Solution

Low-power wide area network (LPWAN) technologies such as IQRF are becoming increasingly popular for a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including smart cities, industrial control, and home automation. However, LPWANs are vulnerable to cyber attacks that can disrupt the normal operation of the network or compromise sensitive information. Therefore, analyzing cybersecurity risks before deploying an LPWAN is essential, as it helps identify potential vulnerabilities and threats as well as allowing for proactive measures to be taken to secure the network and protect against potential attacks. In this paper, a security risk analysis of IQRF technology is conducted utilizing the failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) method. The results of this study indicate that the highest risk corresponds to four failure modes, namely compromised end nodes, a compromised coordinator, a compromised gateway and a compromised communication between nodes. Moreover, through this methodology, a qualitative risk evaluation is performed to identify potential security threats in the IQRF network and propose countermeasures to mitigate the risk of cyber attacks on IQRF networks.
Raman spectroscopy of graphene at high pressure: Effects of the substrate and the pressure transmitting media

K. Filintoglou,1 N. Papadopoulos,1 J. Arvanitidis,1,* D. Christofilos,2 O. Frank,3,4 M. Kalbac,3 J. Parthenios,4 G. Kalosakas,4,5 C. Galiotis,4,5 and K. Papagelis4,5 1Physics Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece 2Physics Division, School of Technology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece 3J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.v. i. , Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, 8, 18223 Czech Republic 4Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH/ICE-HT), 26504 Rio Patras, Greece 5Materials Science Department, University of Patras, 26504 Rio Patras, Greece (Received 30 April 2013; published 12 July 2013)
A Novel Bird-Shape Broadband Piezoelectric Energy Harvester for Low Frequency Vibrations

This work presents a novel bird-shaped broadband piezoelectric energy harvester based on a two-DOF crossed beam for low-frequency environmental vibrations. The harvester features a cantilever mounted on a double-hinged beam, whose rotating motions effectively diminish its natural frequencies. Numerical simulation based on the finite element method is conducted to analyze the modal shapes and the harmonic response of the proposed harvester. Prototypes are fabricated and experiments are carried out by a testing system, whose results indicate a good agreement with the simulation. The multi-frequency energy harvesting is achieved at the first-, second-, and fifth-order resonances. In particular, the proposed harvester demonstrates the remarkable output characteristics of 9.53 mW and 1.83 mW at frequencies as low as 19.23 HZ and 45.38 Hz, which are superior to the majority of existing energy harvesters. Besides, the influences of key parameters on the harvesting performance are experimentally investigated to optimize the environmental adaptability of the harvester. This work provides a new perspective for efficiently harvesting the low-frequency vibration energy, which can be utilized for supplying power to electronic devices.
Personality Trait Patterns Moderate the Simple Model of Environmental Citizenship

The current study investigates the Simple Model of Environmental Citizenship (SMEC) in a representative sample of Lithuanian emerging adults. The SMEC is a practical model of assessing environmental citizenship and is intended to be simple to use in interventions and longitudinal research. A total of 700 individuals (50% female) with a mean age of 30.6 years participated in the survey. The participants filled in a questionnaire comprising measures assessing all the components of the SMEC as well as a personality trait measure. Participants were clustered by their personality traits and the resulting profiles were used as a moderator for the SMEC. The results revealed that the SMEC functions differently for individuals possessing different personality trait patterns and that in order to promote environmental citizenship or to engage in education for environmental citizenship, different strategies might be more effective for different individuals.
Exciton Features in 0-, 2-, and 3-Dimensional Networks of [PbI6]4- Octahedra

We have investigated reflection spectra at 4 K for single crystals of (CH 3 NH 3 ) 4 PbI 6 ·2H 2 O which consists of isolated [PbI 6 ] 4- octahedra, (C 10 H 21 NH 3 ) 2 PbI 4 and (CH 3 NH 3 )PbI 3 , which consist 2- and 3-dimensional networks of [PbI 6 ] 4- , respectively. The formation energy of the lowest exciton state increases from 1.633 eV to 3.4 eV with decreasing the dimensionality in the crystal structure, from the transfer energy between the adjacent octahedra is estimated to be about 0.5 eV. The on-site Coulomb energy in the octahedron is estimated to be 2.3 eV. We suggest that the large on-site Coulomb energy enhances the exciton binding energy, especially in the 2-dimensional system.
Evaluating the bioenergy potential of cassava on marginal land using a biogeochemical process model in GuangXi, China

Abstract. Bioenergy is expected to play an important role in future energy systems. Cassava is believed to be one of the most promising energy plants for fuel ethanol production in the tropics and subtropics. In China, plant-based bioenergy has to be developed on marginal land to avoid impacting food security. Cassava yield varies dramatically under different environmental conditions. Therefore, an efficient approach is needed to estimate cassava yield on marginal land. This paper presents a method for assessing the energy potential of cassava using a biogeochemical process model. First, the spatial distribution of marginal land was identified. A geographic information system-based biogeochemical process model, the GIS-based environmental policy integrated climate model, was used to simulate the spatial and temporal dynamics of the major processes of the soil-cassava-atmosphere management system. The model was calibrated and successfully applied to data from GuangXi province, Southwest China. The results indicated that the potential bioenergy of cassava on marginal land under rain-fed conditions in GuangXi province is 1,909,593.96 million MJ, which is equivalent to the energy of 17.0844 million tons of standard coal; the potential energy of irrigated cassava is 2,054,017.73 million MJ, which is equivalent to the energy of 18.3765 million tons of standard coal.
Targeting Transcription Factors ATF5, CEBPB and CEBPD with Cell-Penetrating Peptides to Treat Brain and Other Cancers

Developing novel therapeutics often follows three steps: target identification, design of strategies to suppress target activity and drug development to implement the strategies. In this review, we recount the evidence identifying the basic leucine zipper transcription factors ATF5, CEBPB, and CEBPD as targets for brain and other malignancies. We describe strategies that exploit the structures of the three factors to create inhibitory dominant-negative (DN) mutant forms that selectively suppress growth and survival of cancer cells. We then discuss and compare four peptides (CP-DN-ATF5, Dpep, Bpep and ST101) in which DN sequences are joined with cell-penetrating domains to create drugs that pass through tissue barriers and into cells. The peptide drugs show both efficacy and safety in suppressing growth and in the survival of brain and other cancers in vivo, and ST101 is currently in clinical trials for solid tumors, including GBM. We further consider known mechanisms by which the peptides act and how these have been exploited in rationally designed combination therapies. We additionally discuss lacunae in our knowledge about the peptides that merit further research. Finally, we suggest both short- and long-term directions for creating new generations of drugs targeting ATF5, CEBPB, CEBPD, and other transcription factors for treating brain and other malignancies.
The Influence of Adipokines on Radiographic Damage in Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases

Inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRDs) are complex immune-mediated diseases that are characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA), including axial SpA (ax SpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), are the most common forms of IRD. Both RA and ax SpA are characterized by a chronic course with progressive structural modifications, namely, cartilage damage and bone erosions in RA and osteoproliferative changes with spinal ossifications in ax SpA. The adipose tissue is involved in the pathophysiology of IRDs via the release of several proteins, namely, adipokines. Several adipokines with pro-inflammatory effects have been identified, such as leptin, adiponectin, visfatin and resistin. In this review, we discuss the role that adipokines may play in the structural modifications of the peripheral joints and/or axial skeleton. In RA, the role of leptin in structural damage remains controversial, while adiponectin and its high-molecular-weight isoform are known to have an influence on the development of bone erosions and radiographic progression. Resistin also appears to be a potent detrimental adipokine for the joints in RA. In ax SpA, visfatin seems to be an attractive candidate for radiographic progression, while leptin and adiponectin have negative effects on radiographic progression.
Association between Urinary Creatinine Excretion and Hypothyroidism in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

While hypothyroidism increases serum creatinine (Cr) levels, it is uncertain whether the elevation is mediated via a decline in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or the reflection of enhanced Cr production from the muscles or both. In the present study, we explored an association between urinary Cr excretion rate (CER) and hypothyroidism. A total of 553 patients with chronic kidney disease were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore the association between hypothyroidism and urinary CER. The mean urinary CER was 1.01 ± 0.38 g/day and 121 patients (22%) had hypothyroidism. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed explanatory variables with urinary CER, including age, sex, body mass index, 24 h Cr clearance (24hrCcr), and albumin while hypothyroidism was not considered an independent explanatory variable. In addition, scatter plot analysis with regression fit line representing the association between estimated GFR calculated using s-Cr (eGFRcre) and 24hrCcr revealed that eGFRcre and 24hrCcr had strong correlations with each other in hypothyroid patients as well as euthyroid patients. Collectively, hypothyroidism was not considered an independent explanatory variable for urinary CER in the present study and eGFRcre is a useful marker to evaluate kidney function regardless of the presence of hypothyroidism.
Judging the Intersection of Convex Polygons by Bracket Method

In this paper, we study a basic problem based on bracket manipulations in computational geometry: how to judge if two solid convex polygons intersect or not. A key idea in our criteria is that the signs of some brackets of the homogeneous coordinates of the vertices of the two convex bodies are all we need in carrying out the judgment. Experiments show that the uniformity of representation by bracket is significant and efficient in practical computation. KeywordsBracket, Computer graphics, Convex polygons Intersection
Coherent structures in rotating three-dimensional turbulence

Numerical simulations investigating the formation and stability of quasi-two-dimensional coherent vortices in rotating homogeneous three-dimensional flow are described. In a numerical study of shear flows Lesieur, Yanase & Métais (1991) found that cyclones (respectively anticyclones) with |ω2D| ∼ O(2Ω), where ω2D is the vorticity and Ω is the rotation rate, are stabilized (respectively destabilized) by the rotation. A study of triply periodic pseudo-spectral simulations (643) was undertaken in order to investigate the vorticity asymmetry in homogeneous turbulence. Specifically, we examine (i) the possible three-dimensionalization of initially two-dimensional vortices and (ii) the emergence of quasi-two-dimensional structures in initially-isotropic three-dimensional turbulence. Direct numerical simulations of the Navier—Stokes equations are compared with large-eddy simulations employing a subgridscale model based on the second-order velocity structure function evaluated at the grid separation and with simulations employing hyperviscosity. Isolated coherent two-dimensional vortices, obtained from a two-dimensional decay simulation, were superposed with a low-amplitude three-dimensional perturbation, and used to initialize the first set of simulations. With Ω = 0, a three-dimensionalization of all vortices was observed. This occurred first in the small scales in conjunction with the formation of longitudinal hairpin vortices with vorticity perpendicular to that of the initial quasi-two-dimensional flow. In agreement with centrifugal stability arguments, when 2Ω = [ω2D]rms a rapid destabilization of anticyclones was observed to occur, whereas the initial two-dimensional cyclonic vortices persisted throughout the simulation. At larger Ω, both cyclones and anticyclones remained two-dimensional, consistent with the Taylor—Proudman theorem. A second set of simulations starting from isotropic three-dimensional fields was initialized by allowing a random velocity field to evolve (Ω = 0) until maximum energy dissipation. When the simulations were continued with 2Ω = [ω · Ω]rms/Ω, the three-dimensional flow was observed to organize into two-dimensional cyclonic vortices. At larger Ω, two-dimensional anticyclones also emerged from the initially-isotropic flow. The consequences for a variety of industrial and geophysical applications are clear. For quasi-two-dimensional eddies whose characteristic circulation times are of the order ofder of Ω−1, rotation induces a complete disruption of anticyclonic vortices, while stabilizing cyclonic ones.
Assessing and Testing Interrater Agreement on a Single Target Using Multi-Item Rating Scales

An index for assessing interrater agreement with respect to a single target using a multi-item rating scale is developed. The variance of rater mean scale scores is used as the numerator of the agreement index. Four variants of a disattenuated agreement index that vary in the random response term used as the denominator are examined. A variant of rwg(J)using perfectly collinear, uniformly distributed responses as the baseline is recommended as a useful index of disattenuated agreement. A test of the equality of variances is recommended for deleting items with a level of interrater agreement significantly different from zero but lower than that of the remaining items.
Circulating Biomarkers for the Early Diagnosis and Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Potential Application in Resource-Limited Settings

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the world’s third most lethal cancers. In resource-limited settings (RLS), up to 70% of HCCs are diagnosed with limited curative treatments at an advanced symptomatic stage. Even when HCC is detected early and resection surgery is offered, the post-operative recurrence rate after resection exceeds 70% in five years, of which about 50% occur within two years of surgery. There are no specific biomarkers addressing the surveillance of HCC recurrence due to the limited sensitivity of the available methods. The primary goal in the early diagnosis and management of HCC is to cure disease and improve survival, respectively. Circulating biomarkers can be used as screening, diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers to achieve the primary goal of HCC. In this review, we highlighted key circulating blood- or urine-based HCC biomarkers and considered their potential applications in resource-limited settings, where the unmet medical needs of HCC are disproportionately highly significant.
COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL APPROXIMATIONS OF THE EARLY EXERCISE BOUNDARY OF AMERICAN PUT OPTIONS

Abstract We present qualitative and quantitative comparisons of various analytical and numerical approximation methods for calculating a position of the early exercise boundary of American put options paying zero dividends. We analyse the asymptotic behaviour of these methods close to expiration, and introduce a new numerical scheme for computing the early exercise boundary. Our local iterative numerical scheme is based on a solution to a nonlinear integral equation. We compare numerical results obtained by the new method to those of the projected successive over-relaxation method and the analytical approximation formula recently derived by Zhu [‘A new analytical approximation formula for the optimal exercise boundary of American put options’, Int. J. Theor. Appl. Finance9 (2006) 1141–1177].
Selective Adsorption of Quercetin by the Sol-Gel Surface Molecularly Imprinted Polymer

Quercetin, as one of the most biologically active natural flavonoids, is widely found in various vegetables, fruits and Chinese herbs. In this work, molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized through surface molecular imprinting technology with sol-gel polymerization mechanism on SiO2 at room temperature using quercetin as the template, SiO2 as the supporter, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as the functional monomer, and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as the cross-linker. The prepared MIP was characterized via scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and nitrogen adsorption measurements to validate its surface morphology, structure and functionality. SEM images revealed that the morphology of MIP was rough and spherical with the particle size of 260 nm larger than that of the support SiO2. In the FTIR spectra of MIP, the band around 1499 cm−1 and 2932 cm−1 were assigned to N−H and C-H groups, respectively. The results indicated that the imprinted polymer layers were grafted on the surface of SiO2 and the MIP had been successfully prepared. Since the specific surface area and pore volume of MIP were markedly higher than those of NIP and SiO2 and were 52.10 m2 g−1 and 0.150 cm3 g−1, respectively, it was evident that the imprinting process created corresponding imprinted cavities and porosity. The MIP for adsorbing quercetin was evaluated by static adsorption experiment. The results indicated that the adsorption equilibrium could be reached within 90 min and the maximum adsorption capacity was as high as 35.70 mg/g. The mechanism for adsorption kinetics and isotherm of MIP for quercetin was proved to conform the pseudo-second-order kinetics model (R2 = 0.9930) and the Freundlich isotherm model (R2 = 0.9999), respectively, revealing that chemical adsorption and heterogeneous surface with multilayer adsorption dominated. In contrast to non-imprinted polymer (NIP), the MIP demonstrated high selectivity and specific recognition towards quercetin whose selectivity coefficients for quercetin relative to biochanin A were 1.61. Furthermore, the adsorption capacity of MIP can be maintaining above 90% after five regeneration cycles, indicating brilliant reusability and potential application for selective adsorption of quercetin.