394 research outputs found

    A Case Study in Matching Service Descriptions to Implementations in an Existing System

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    A number of companies are trying to migrate large monolithic software systems to Service Oriented Architectures. A common approach to do this is to first identify and describe desired services (i.e., create a model), and then to locate portions of code within the existing system that implement the described services. In this paper we describe a detailed case study we undertook to match a model to an open-source business application. We describe the systematic methodology we used, the results of the exercise, as well as several observations that throw light on the nature of this problem. We also suggest and validate heuristics that are likely to be useful in partially automating the process of matching service descriptions to implementations.Comment: 20 pages, 19 pdf figure

    Making User-Generated Content Available When a Device is Offline

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    Some applications such as digital maps support offline use, including download of certain types of data, e.g., map data of a region for navigation. However, the downloaded information does not include user-generated content (UGC), reviews, external feeds, problem reports, geo-tagged news, etc. Such content can include timely and topical information which is unavailable to users if their device is offline. This disclosure describes techniques to make curated UGC and third-party feeds of specific types available when a device is offline. UGC is curated by topic and location using a multimodal large language model or other suitable technique. With user permission, a map annotated with recent, relevant UGC is downloaded or pushed to a mobile app on the user device prior to the loss of wireless connectivity. Summarized UGC content is provided to enable offline operation. Key pieces of information that can enhance safety and improve user experience are thus made available even in the absence of a network. The described techniques can also be of value to users on low-bandwidth networks or in remote areas

    Unilateral testicular metastasis of prostate cancer

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    Prostatic adenocarcinoma is the most common type of cancer in men, with subsequent lesions most commonly occurring in the lymph nodes, bones, and lungs.1,2 We discuss the clinical case of a 59-year-old man who presented after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer with a unilateral metastasis in the right testis. Metastases to the testis are uncommon, occurring in less than 4% of cases.2,3 This kind of metastasis is usually unilateral, manifesting as a palpable testicular mass, and rarely involves both the testis and the epididymis.1,2 Secondary neoplasms of the testis are found in around 2.5% of autopsies, including nonneoplastic fatalities.2 Most secondary testicular metastases develop from distant primary locations, the most prevalent of which are the lung, prostate, and gastrointestinal tract.2 Testicular metastases can occur in up to 4% of all prostate cancer cases and are frequently discovered by chance following orchiectomy therapy for advanced disease.4 In general, advanced prostate cancer metastases to the pelvic lymph nodes, bones, lungs, and liver are common; however, few of these patients have clinically evident testicular metastasis.4,5 Secondary neoplasms of the testis are uncommon, with a reported rate of 0.02-2.5%, except leukemia and lymphoma infiltration.2,3 The prostate is the most common site of testicular metastases (15%), followed by the lung, melanomas, skin, colon, and kidney.1,2 However, most testicular metastases of prostate cancer were discovered after examining a significant number of testes from patients who had tumors removed during therapeutic orchiectomies.2,4 Lung cancer (43%), malignant melanoma (20%), pancreatic cancer (10%), and prostate cancer (10%) are among cancers that can spread to the testes.4,5 However, the great majority of metastases are lesions detected by chance following an autopsy or bilateral orchiectomy for Prostatic Cancer hormonal treatment.3 A testicular tumor revealing clinical recurrence is highly unusual. Bubendorf et al.1 discovered testicular metastases in just 0.5% of 1,589 prostate carcinoma autopsy reports. He also suggests a backward metastatic channel through prostate veins in addition to the typical hematogenous tumor spread via the vena cava. Overall, four routes have been hypothesized for the propagation of the lesions to the testis: retrograde venous extension, retrograde lymphatic extension, arterial embolism, and through the lumen of the vas deferens.1 Patients with symptomatic isolated post-prostatectomy testicular metastases can live for a surprisingly long time after orchidectomy without further development. This phenomenon may be linked to cytoreduction.1,2 The ability to manage the malignant process locally is an undeniable clinical benefit for patients undergoing orchiectomy. Given that this method of treatment is easy, safe, and associated with few problems, all patients with isolated prostatic cancer testicular metastases should be considered candidates for metastasectomy.4,5 The histological features of prostate cancer testicular metastases are similar to those of original prostate tumors; however, histology may show a more aggressive phenotype with a significant probability of future disease spreading and, thus, worse survival.3,4 Weitzner4 found that patients with newly diagnosed testicular metastases from prostate cancer had a median survival of roughly 12 months.1,2 Other studies, on the other hand, have documented survival of more than two years without biochemical relapses. As a result, the predictive impact of testicular metastases from prostate cancer is yet unknown, owing to the rarity of the incidence.2 Testicular metastasis from prostate carcinoma is an uncommon manifestation of advanced disease.2 It often presents with testicular pain, swelling, or a palpable mass and can mimic primary testicular neoplasms. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion, especially in patients with a history of prostate carcinoma. Prompt diagnosis through imaging studies and histopathological confirmation is essential for appropriate management and prognosis.3,4 This case underscores the importance of considering testicular metastasis in the differential diagnosis of testicular masses, particularly in patients with a history of prostate carcinoma. A multidisciplinary approach is crucial for optimal management and improving patient outcomes. Early recognition and timely intervention are paramount in managing metastatic disease and improving quality of life. Figure 1 refers to a 59-year-old male patient presented to our hospital with an elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of >100 ng/ml. He had been on regular follow-up with urology for surveillance of prostate cancer recurrence. He had undergone a radical prostatectomy two years ago with Gleason grade group 5. Scrotal ultrasound showed a hypoechoic mass involving the right testicle with increased vascularity, suggesting a neoplastic lesion. Hence, the patient was planned for a bilateral orchidectomy. The patient underwent bilateral inguinal orchiectomy without any complications. Macroscopic examination of the right resected testis revealed a solid yellowish-white tumor of 0.5 × 0.5 cm. Histopathological analysis showed that the right testis was infiltrated by metastatic adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that tumor cells were diffusely positive for PSA and Alpha (α)-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR). The patient was diagnosed with right testicular metastasis of Prostatic Carcinoma. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery. The patient was scheduled for regular follow-up appointments to monitor disease progression. Serial PSA levels and imaging studies were planned to look for disease status. Figure 1 A – Gross view of the right orchidectomy showing a small nodular metastatic deposit in tunica albuginea from the prostate cancer; B, C and D are photomicrographs of the tumor and testicle parenchyma; B – shows normal testicular seminiferous tubules along with presence of metastatic tumor deposit in the wall of testis (Tunica albuginea) (H&E x100); C – These tumor cells are immunopositive for prostate specific antigen (PSA 40X); D – The tumor cells are also positive for Alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR 200X).

    QSAR Studies of 6-Amino Uracil Base Analogues: A Thymidine Phosphorylase Inhibitor in Cancer Therapy

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    A novel series of 6-amino uracil base analogue were synthesized. QSAR study was used to relate the selective nonsubstrate inhibitory activity of 6-amino uracil base analogue with various physicochemical descriptors. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to find out the correlation between various physicochemical descriptors and biological activity of the compounds by using Openstat 2 version 6.5.1 and valstat statistical software. Out of the several equations developed, the best equation having the highest significance was selected for further study. The equation is able to explain 60% of total variance and are more than 95% significant as revealed by the F value

    Visualizing calcium flux in freely moving nematode embryos

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    Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2017. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Cell Press for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Biophysical Journal 112 (2017): 1975-1983, doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2017.02.035.The lack of physiological recordings from Caenorhabditis elegans embryos stands in stark contrast to the comprehensive anatomical and gene expression datasets already available. Using light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) to address the challenges associated with functional imaging at this developmental stage, we recorded calcium dynamics in muscles and neurons and developed analysis strategies to relate activity and movement. In muscles, we found that the initiation of twitching was associated with a spreading calcium wave in a dorsal muscle bundle. Correlated activity in muscle bundles was linked with early twitching and eventual coordinated movement. To identify neuronal correlates of behavior, we monitored brain-wide activity with subcellular resolution and identified a particularly active cell associated with muscle contractions. Finally, imaging neurons of a well-defined adult motor circuit, we found that reversals in the eggshell correlated with calcium transients in AVA interneurons.E.A. and A.K. acknowledge support from the Grass Fellowship Program and D. C-R. and H.S. acknowledge the Whitman Fellowship program at MBL. This work was supported by the intramural research program of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and NIH grants U01 HD075602 and R24OD016474 to D.C-R and A.K.2018-05-0

    Enhanced Auto Language Prediction with Dictionary Capsule -- A Novel Approach

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    The paper presents a novel Auto Language Prediction Dictionary Capsule (ALPDC) framework for language prediction and machine translation. The model uses a combination of neural networks and symbolic representations to predict the language of a given input text and then translate it to a target language using pre-built dictionaries. This research work also aims to translate the text of various languages to its literal meaning in English. The proposed model achieves state-of-the-art results on several benchmark datasets and significantly improves translation accuracy compared to existing methods. The results show the potential of the proposed method for practical use in multilingual communication and natural language processing tasks.Comment: 21 Page

    Solidification behavior of intensively sheared hypoeutectic Al-Si alloy liquid

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    The official published version of this article can be found at the link below.The effect of the processing temperature on the microstructural and mechanical properties of Al-Si (hypoeutectic) alloy solidified from intensively sheared liquid metal has been investigated systematically. Intensive shearing gives a significant refinement in grain size and intermetallic particle size. It also is observed that the morphology of intermetallics, defect bands, and microscopic defects in high-pressure die cast components are affected by intensive shearing the liquid metal. We attempt to discuss the possible mechanism for these effects.Funded by the EPSRC

    Podoplanin expression in fibroblasts determines lymph node architecture and adaptive immune function

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    Lymph nodes are uniquely organised to form specialised niches for immune interactions. Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) are an essential stromal component of lymph nodes – forming intricate 3-dimensional networks to facilitate communication between immune cells and depositing and ensheathing extracellular matrix on the conduit network. However, beyond these structural roles, FRCs regulate immune function through the production of growth factors, chemokines and inflammatory cues. Here we sought to determine how the immunoregulatory properties of FRCs are determined. Since PDPN has been implicated in lymph node development, we directly tested how the PDPN/CLEC-2 signalling axis impacted the immunoregulatory properties of FRCs in vitro and in vivo. We find that FRCs use the PDPN/CLEC-2 signalling axis to switch transcriptional states and alter the expression of immune related genes. In vivo, genetic deletion of PDPN from fibroblastic stroma in PDGFRαmGFPΔPDPN mice downregulated key immunoregulatory molecules CCL21, VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 and attenuated the activation, proliferation and differentiation of lymphocyte populations. Further, PDGFRαmGFPΔPDPN mice exhibited severe disruption of the FRC network structure, leading to a failure to separate B and T lymphocytes and misdistribution of myeloid cells through the tissue. We conclude that PDPN expression controls signalling pathways beyond cytoskeletal regulation and cell mechanics and that PDPN expression is required for FRC phenotype and function in lymph nodes
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