Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suppression of serum luteinizing hormone in postmenopausal women by an orally administered nonpeptide antagonist of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (NBI-42902).

CONTEXT Parenteral administration of peptide GnRH analogs is widely used in clinical practice for the suppression of pituitary gonadotropins. NBI-42902 is an orally available, high-affinity nonpeptide antagonist of the human GnRH receptor. OBJECTIVE The objective was to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and inhibitory effects on gonadotropin secretion of NBI-42902 in postmenopausal women. DESIGN This was a phase I, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose study with sequential dose escalation. PARTICIPANTS Fifty-six healthy, postmenopausal women were included. FSH levels were greater than 40 IU/liter, and body mass index was within 20% of ideal values for all subjects. INTERVENTIONS Subjects were administered 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, or 200 mg NBI-42902 as an oral solution. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Safety, tolerability, and serum LH and FSH concentrations were evaluated. RESULTS NBI-42902 was well tolerated. Serum LH concentrations rapidly declined, and dose-dependent suppression was observed. Maximal change from baseline LH concentrations ranged from -19 +/- 5% in the 5-mg group to -55 +/- 2% in the 150-mg group. Suppression of FSH was less pronounced (-15 to -22% of baseline). NBI-42902 was rapidly absorbed after oral administration with a terminal elimination half-life ranging from 2.7 +/- 0.3 to 4.8 +/- 0.8 h. A clear relationship between plasma NBI-42902 concentrations and LH suppression was evident. CONCLUSIONS Dose-dependent LH suppression was achieved by oral administration of a nonpeptide GnRH antagonist suggesting that compounds such as NBI-42902 may enable adjustable gonadotropin suppression as part of novel treatment strategies for benign gynecological conditions.
Role of lipocalin 2 and its complex with matrix metalloproteinase-9 in oral cancer.

OBJECTIVES Recent evidence demonstrated that lipocalin (LCN)2 is induced in many types of human cancer, while the detection of its complex with matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 is correlated with the cancer disease status. We attempted to evaluate plasma expressions of LCN2, MMP-9, and their complex (LCN2/MMP-9) during the diagnostic work-up of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and investigated their correlations with disease progression. METHODS In total, 195 patients with OSCC and 81 healthy controls were recruited. Expression levels of LCN2, MMP-9, and LCN2/MMP-9 were determined with immunoenzymatic assays. RESULTS Patients with OSCC exhibited significantly higher levels of LCN2, MMP-9, and LCN2/MMP-9 compared with healthy controls (LCN2: P < 0.001; MMP-9: P < 0.001; LCN2/MMP-9: P < 0.01). Plasma levels of LCN2, MMP-9, and LCN2/MMP-9 in patients with OSCC were significantly correlated with each other and were associated with more-advanced clinical stages (P < 0.05) and/or a larger tumor size (P < 0.05), but were not associated with positive lymph-node metastasis or distal metastasis. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that plasma levels of LCN2 and the LCN2/MMP-9 complex may be useful in non-invasively monitoring OSCC progression, while supporting their potential role as biomarkers of oral cancer disease status.
THE AMOUNT OF OVERLAPPING IN PARTIAL COVERINGS OF SPACE BY EQUAL SPHERES

has the limit 8 as the side of the cube C tends to infinity . We confine our attention to systems E for which both limits exist . It is clear that 8 = 0, if no two spheres of the system overlap, i . e . if we have a. packing ; and that, in general, the difference 8-0 is a measure of the amount of overlapping . By well-known results of H . Minkowski [1] and H . F. Blichfeldt [2], the maximum density On of a packing of equal spheres into n-dimensional Euclidean space satisfies
Efficacy of Single Dose of a Bivalent Vaccine Containing Inactivated Newcastle Disease Virus and Reassortant Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus against Lethal HPAI and NDV Infection in Chickens

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and Newcastle disease (ND) are 2 devastating diseases of poultry, which cause great economic losses to the poultry industry. In the present study, we developed a bivalent vaccine containing antigens of inactivated ND and reassortant HPAI H5N1 viruses as a candidate poultry vaccine, and we evaluated its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in specific pathogen-free chickens. The 6∶2 reassortant H5N1 vaccine strain containing the surface genes of the A/Chicken/Korea/ES/2003(H5N1) virus was successfully generated by reverse genetics. A polybasic cleavage site of the hemagglutinin segment was replaced by a monobasic cleavage site. We characterized the reverse genetics-derived reassortant HPAI H5N1 clade 2.5 vaccine strain by evaluating its growth kinetics in eggs, minimum effective dose in chickens, and cross-clade immunogenicity against HPAI clade 1 and 2. The bivalent vaccine was prepared by emulsifying inactivated ND (La Sota strain) and reassortant HPAI viruses with Montanide ISA 70 adjuvant. A single immunization with this vaccine induced high levels of hemagglutination-inhibiting antibody titers and protected chickens against a lethal challenge with the wild-type HPAI and ND viruses. Our results demonstrate that the bivalent, inactivated vaccine developed in this study is a promising approach for the control of both HPAI H5N1 and ND viral infections.
Highlights from the XMM-Newton Extended Survey of the Taurus Molecular Cloud (XEST)

(abridged:) The XMM-Newton Extended Survey of the Taurus Molecular Cloud (XEST) surveys the most populated ~5 square degrees of the Taurus star formation region, using the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory to study the thermal structure, variability, and long-term evolution of hot plasma, to investigate the magnetic dynamo, and to search for new potential members of the association. Many targets are also studied in the optical, and high-resolution X-ray grating spectroscopy has been obtained for selected bright sources. The X-ray spectra have been coherently analyzed with two different thermal models (2-component thermal model, and a continuous emission measure distribution model). We present overall correlations with fundamental stellar parameters that were derived from the previous literature. A few detections from Chandra observations have been added. The present overview paper introduces the project and provides the basic results from the X-ray analysis of all sources detected in the XEST survey.Comprehensive tables summarize the stellar properties of all targets surveyed. The survey goes deeper than previous X-ray surveys of Taurus by about an order of magnitude and for the first time systematically accesses very faint and strongly absorbed TMC objects. We find a detection rate of 85% and 98% for classical and weak-line T Tau stars (CTTS resp. WTTS), and identify about half of the surveyed protostars and brown dwarfs. Overall, 136 out of 169 surveyed stellar systems are detected. We describe an X-ray luminosity vs. mass correlation, discuss the distribution of X-ray-to-bolometric luminosity ratios, and show evidence for lower X-ray luminosities in CTTS compared to WTTS. Detailed analysis (e.g., variability, rotation-activity relations, influence of accretion on X-rays) will be discussed in a series of accompanying papers.
Explaining Corruption in the Developed World: The Potential of Sociological Approaches

Corruption, in both the developing and the developed world, has been studied in many disciplines, especially economics and politics, but there is considerable scope for a sociological contribution. There has been a large body of cross-national research using indices of perceived corruption, but the clandestine nature of corruption makes it difficult to validate these indices. More fruitful are recent surveys, similar to crime victimization surveys, of respondents' experiences of being asked for a bribe. This research has found many regularities, but understanding of the causal mechanisms involved remains sketchy. Sociological concepts derived from exchange theory, and sociological variables such as Protestantism, generalized and particularistic trust, and educational level appear to be important predictors of national rates of corruption in the developed world, but the mechanisms are not well understood. We argue that more focused and disaggregated research focusing on different forms and contexts, rather.
To Lock, Swap, or Elide: On the Interplay of Hardware Transactional Memory and Lock-Free Indexing

The release of hardware transactional memory (HTM) in commodity CPUs has major implications on the design and implementation of main-memory databases, especially on the architecture of high-performance lock-free indexing methods at the core of several of these systems. This paper studies the interplay of HTM and lock-free indexing methods. First, we evaluate whether HTM will obviate the need for crafty lock-free index designs by integrating it in a traditional B-tree architecture. HTM performs well for simple data sets with small fixed-length keys and payloads, but its benefits disappear for more complex scenarios (e.g., larger variable-length keys and payloads), making it unattractive as a general solution for achieving high performance. Second, we explore fundamental differences between HTM-based and lock-free B-tree designs. While lock-freedom entails design complexity and extra mechanism, it has performance advantages in several scenarios, especially high-contention cases where readers proceed uncontested (whereas HTM aborts readers). Finally, we explore the use of HTM as a method to simplify lock-free design. We find that using HTM to implement a multi-word compare-and-swap greatly reduces lock-free programming complexity at the cost of only a 10-15% performance degradation. Our study uses two state-of-the-art index implementations: a memory-optimized B-tree extended with HTM to provide multi-threaded concurrency and the Bw-tree lock-free B-tree used in several Microsoft production environments.
Hyperspectral Image Classification via Low-Rank and Sparse Representation With Spectral Consistency Constraint

In this letter, a low-rank and sparse representation classifier with a spectral consistency constraint (LRSRC-SCC) is proposed. Different from the SRC that represents samples individually, LRSRC-SCC reconstructs samples jointly and is able to capture the local and global structures simultaneously. In this proposed classifier, an adaptive spectral constraint is imposed on both the low-rank and sparse terms so as to better reveal the data structure and enhance its discriminative power. In addition, the alternating direction method is introduced to solve the underlying minimization problem, in which, more importantly, the subobjective function associated with the low-rank term is optimized based on the rank equivalence between a matrix and its Gram matrix, resulting in a closed-form solution. Finally, LRSRC-SCC is extended to LRSRC-SCCE for fully exploiting the spatial information. Experimental results on two hyperspectral data sets demonstrate that the proposed LRSRC-SCC and LRSRC-SCCE methods outperform some state-of-the-art methods.
Poincare Duality and Commutative Differential Graded Algebras

We prove that every Commutative differential graded algebra whose cohomology is a simply-connected Poincare duality algebra is quasi-isomorphic to one whose underlying algebra is simply-connected and satisfies Poincare duality in the same dimension. This has applications in rational homotopy, giving Poincare duality at the cochain level, which is of interest in particular in the study of configuration spaces and in string topology.
Computing nearest-neighbor fields via Propagation-Assisted KD-Trees

Matching patches between two images, also known as computing nearest-neighbor fields, has been proven a useful technique in various computer vision/graphics algorithms. But this is a computationally challenging nearest-neighbor search task, because both the query set and the candidate set are of image size. In this paper, we propose Propagation-Assisted KD-Trees to quickly compute an approximate solution. We develop a novel propagation search method for kd-trees. In this method the tree nodes checked by each query are propagated from the nearby queries. This method not only avoids the time-consuming backtracking in traditional tree methods, but is more accurate. Experiments on public data show that our method is 10-20 times faster than the PatchMatch method [4] at the same accuracy, or reduces its error by 70% at the same running time. Our method is also 2-5 times faster and is more accurate than Coherency Sensitive Hashing [22], a latest state-of-the-art method.
Xylan deposition and lignification in the multi-layered cell walls of phloem fibres in Mallotus japonicus (Euphorbiaceae).

Phloem fibres in Mallotus japonicus Müll. Arg. were found to have a multi-layered structure that is S1 + S2 + n(G + L), where a non-lignified gelatinous layer (G) and a lignified layer (L) are formed alternately and n indicates the number of repetitions of these two layers. The aim of this study was to determine the process of xylan deposition and lignification in the multi-layered cell walls of phloem fibres. The formation process of the multi-layered structure of secondary phloem fibres was examined by light microscopy, ultraviolet microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The distribution of glucuronoxylan was examined by immunoelectron microscopy. The activity of peroxidase was also determined using metal-enhanced diaminobenzidine substrates. Immunolabelling of glucuronoxylan occurred in lignified cell wall layers, except in the compound middle lamella (CML), i.e., the S1, S2 and L layers but not the G layers. Change in immunolabelling density suggests that xylan deposition in these lignified layers occurs appositionally, i.e., xylan is deposited into the lignified layers directly and not by a penetrative mechanism, and deposition does not occur after the layers are fully deposited. Peroxidase activity was found in CML including cell corners during S2 layer formation, then in developing G layers during G layer formation. Peroxidase activity was also found in the thin L layers that formed recently and was not found in the L layers already present. Xylan labelling was not found in the thin L layers that formed recently but did occur in L layers that developed earlier. Lignification of the S1 and S2 layers continued during the formation of the G layers, whereas in the L layers it finished just after deposition of the L layer.
Alternate media usage in education as a socialization tool: Movies

The subject of the article is to evaluate some of the important functions of cinema movies as a socialization tool. The article is aimed to show that some regulations must be accomplished in order to utilize movies in education more efficiently. Content analysis and observations are two methodological techniques that used preparing in this work. Two important issues are remarked. First, movies are most effective tools that are able to transfer any kind of knowledge from complex scientific subjects to social attitudes and behaviors. Second, the reading comprehensiveness of the students decreases gradually. The reason is that the dominance of the visual media is estimated. In this study, some representable examples of movies as educational tool are examined and commented from the point of socialization. Ozet Calisma konusu bir toplumsallastirma araci olarak sinema filmlerinin egitimdeki islevlerini degerlendirmektir. Daha yararli kullanilabilmesi icin sistematik duzenlemeler yapilmasina dikkat cekmek amaclanmaktadir. Icerik analizi ve gozlem tekniklerinin birlikte kullanildigi bir yontem izlenmistir. Elde edilen bilgiler isiginda iki onemli unsura dikkat cekmek gerekmektedir. Bunlardan ilki, sinema filmlerinin karmasik bilimsel konulardan davranis bicimlerine kadar her tur ve nitelikte bilgiyi en etkin bicimde aktarabilecek bir arac oldugudur. Ikincisi ise, okudugunu anlama becerisinin giderek azalmasidir. Bu problemin nedeni olarak gorsel iletisimin hakim olmasi tahmin edilmektedir. Calismada sinema filmlerinin egitim araci olarak kullanilmasinin cesitli ornekleri incelenmekte toplumsallasma acisindan degerlendirilmektedir.
Drug combinations for visceral leishmaniasis

Purpose of review Several attempts have been made to combine drugs for treating visceral leishmaniasis, but only recently have effective drugs become available and combinations been tested systematically. Recent findings Sequential treatments with liposomal amphotericin B followed by miltefosine or paromomycin (as short as 7 days), as well as the concomitant administration of miltefosine and paromomycin (for 10 days) are very effective in India (>95%). Sodium stibogluconate plus paromomycin for 17 days is more than 90% effective in East Africa. The shortened combination regimens are cost-effective in India. No combination has been tested so far in Brazil, Nepal and Bangladesh, although studies may be expected in the near future. No cost-effectiveness analysis has been done as yet outside India. Summary There is evidence of high efficacy and benefits with sequential and co-administration treatments in India. More studies are needed in other endemic areas. Introducing combinations and scaling up their use will be challenging. Experience acquired with malaria may be useful. Proper monitoring of use and effects (efficacy and safety) will be required. Currently there are no options for fixed-dose combination treatments for leishmaniasis.
Possible orographic and solar controls of Late Holocene centennial‐scale moisture oscillations in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau

We present a record of lake‐level changes from Hurleg Lake, a freshwater lake in the arid Qaidam Basin on the NE Tibetan Plateau, an area with few high‐resolution paleoclimate records. The carbonate percentage and ostracode abundance show a consistent pattern with ∼200‐year moisture oscillations during the last 1000 years. The moisture pattern in the Qaidam Basin is in opposite relation to tree‐ring‐based monsoon precipitations in the surrounding mountains, suggesting that topography may be important in controlling regional moisture patterns as mediated by rising and subsiding air masses in this topographically‐complex region. Cross‐spectral analysis between our moisture proxies and solar activity proxy shows high coherence at the ∼200‐year periodicity which is similar to Chinese monsoon intensity records, implying the possible solar forcing of moisture oscillations in the NE Tibetan Plateau.
Cannabidiol inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis via intercellular adhesion molecule‐1

Cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell invasion via increasing tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases‐1 (TIMP‐1). This study investigates the role of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) within this action. In the lung cancer cell lines A549, H358, and H460, cannabidiol (CBD; 0.001‐3 μM) elicited concentration‐dependent ICAM‐1 up‐regulation compared to vehicle via cannabinoid receptors, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1, and p42/44 mitogen‐activated protein kinase. Up‐regulation of ICAM‐1 mRNA by CBD in A549 was 4‐fold at 3 μM, with significant effects already evident at 0.01 μM. ICAM‐1 induction became significant after 2 h, whereas significant TIMP‐1 mRNA increases were observed only after 48 h. Inhibition of ICAM‐1 by antibody or siRNA approaches reversed the anti‐invasive and TIMP‐1‐up‐regulating action of CBD and the likewise ICAM‐1‐inducing cannabinoids Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol and R(+)‐methanandamide when compared to isotype or nonsilencing siRNA controls. ICAM‐1‐dependent anti‐invasive cannabinoid effects were confirmed in primary tumor cells from a lung cancer patient. In athymic nude mice, CBD elicited a 2.6‐ and 3.0‐fold increase of ICAM‐1 and TIMP‐1 protein in A549 xenografts, as compared to vehicle‐treated animals, and an antimetastatic effect that was fully reversed by a neutralizing antibody against ICAM‐1 [% metastatic lung nodules vs. isotype control (100%): 47.7% for CBD + isotype antibody and 106.6% for CBD + ICAM‐1 antibody]. Overall, our data indicate that cannabinoids induce ICAM‐1, thereby conferring TIMP‐1 induction and subsequent decreased cancer cell invasiveness. —Ramer, R. , Bublitz, K. , Freimuth, N. , Merkord, J., Rohde, H. , Haustein, M. , Borchert, P., Schmuhl, E. , Linnebacher, M. , Hinz, B. Cannabidiol inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and metastasis via intercellular adhesion molecule‐1. FASEB J. 26, 1535‐1548 (2012). www.fasebj. org
Mediating Effects of Self-esteem in the Relationship between Body Image and Depression of Female University Students

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the mediation of self-esteem between body image and depression among female university students. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey design. We collected 193 female university students. They was completed a self reported questionnaire including demographic characteristics, body image, self-esteem and depression. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires and analyzed with the SPSS 20.0 Program. Results: The mean age was 21.3 years old. Over 58% of subjects hoped for plastic surgery, and 78.8% had experienced weight loss control. There were a positive correlation between body image and self-esteem (r=.60, p<.001), and negative correlations between body image and depression (r=-.47, p<.001), self-esteem and depression (r=-.50, p<.001). Self-esteem had a partial mediating effect in the relationship between body image and depression of female university students. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, depression management program focusing on body image management and self-esteem improvement are recommended to control depression in female university students.
Theory Confrontation: Testing the Categorical-Motivation Model

Following the demise of Berlyne's model, experimental aesthetics has lacked a unifying theory. The field now is characterized by a set of proximate and overlapping theories. In the main they are evolutionary, process-driven, distinguish between wired-in predispositions and acquired preferences, and reject a simple stimulus-driven approach and formulaic laws (e.g., color harmony, the golden section). They recognize aesthetic appraisal as a staged process from stimulus onset to response, and incorporate emotion as fundamental. On the deficit side, they are unclear as to the staged process, the role of processing components (e.g., fluency, appraisal, categorization), and their interaction. This article focuses upon one such theory, and seeks to further articulate it. Importantly, it advances testable hypotheses that would support or undermine it. It is suggested that greater emphases upon refutation would benefit theory construction in this field.