Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of pulmonary lesions in patients with suspected lung cancer: computed tomography versus [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography

Abstract Pulmonary nodules are of high clinical importance, given they may prove to be an early manifestation of lung cancer. Pulmonary nodules are small, focal, radiographic opacities that may be solitary or multiple. A solitary pulmonary nodule is a single, small (≤30 mm in diameter) opacity. Larger opacities are called masses and are often malignant. As imaging techniques improve and more nodules are detected, the optimal management of pulmonary nodules remains unclear. However, the question of malignancy of any given nodule remains the same. A standard contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan is often the first examination, followed by a number of other examinations. The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical feasibility of CT versus integrated [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (PET)/low-dose CT scan in patients with suspected lung cancer and pulmonary lesions on CT. All results were controlled for reproducibility. We found that when used early in the work-up of the lesions, CT raised the prevalence of lung cancer in the population to the point where further diagnostic imaging examination could be considered futile. We also found that the overall diagnostic accuracy, as well as the classification probabilities and predictive values of the two modalities were not significantly different; the reproducibility of these results was substantial.
Phase I and Clinical Pharmacology Study of Bevacizumab, Sorafenib, and Low-Dose Cyclophosphamide in Children and Young Adults with Refractory/Recurrent Solid Tumors

Purpose: To determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicities (DLT), pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of sorafenib, bevacizumab, and low-dose oral cyclophosphamide in children and young adults with recurrent/refractory solid tumors. Experimental Design: Sorafenib dose was escalated from 90 to 110 mg/m2 twice daily with fixed doses of bevacizumab at 5 mg/kg every 3 weeks and cyclophosphamide at 50 mg/m2 daily. Once sorafenib's MTD was established, bevacizumab dose was escalated. Each course was of 21 days. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies were conducted during the first course. Results: Nineteen patients (11 males; median age, 9.2 years) received a median of four courses (range, 1–23). DLTs during course 1 included grade 3 rash (two), increased lipase (one), anorexia (one), and thrombus (one). With an additional 71 courses of therapy, the most common toxicities ≥ grade 3 included neutropenia (nine), lymphopenia (nine), and rashes (four). Five of 17 evaluable patients had partial tumor responses, and five had disease stabilization (>2 courses). Median day 1 cyclophosphamide apparent oral clearance was 3.13 L/h/m2. Median day 1 sorafenib apparent oral clearance was 44 and 39 mL/min/m2 at the 2 dose levels evaluated, and steady-state concentrations ranged from 1.64 to 4.8 mg/L. Inhibition of serum VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) was inversely correlated with sorafenib steady-state concentrations (P = 0.019). Conclusion: The recommended phase II doses are sorafenib, 90 mg/m2 twice daily; bevacizumab, 15 mg/kg q3 weeks; and cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/m2 once daily. This regimen is feasible with promising evidence of antitumor activity that warrants further investigation. Clin Cancer Res; 19(1); 236–46. ©2012 AACR.
Copenhagen uPAR prostate cancer (CuPCa) database: protocol and early results.

AIM Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) plays a central role during cancer invasion by facilitating pericellular proteolysis. We initiated the prospective 'Copenhagen uPAR Prostate Cancer' study to investigate the significance of uPAR levels in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. METHODS Plasma samples and clinical data from patients with newly diagnosed PCa have been collected prospectively. The uPAR forms have been measured in plasma using time-resolved fluorescence immunoassays. RESULTS The level of intact uPAR(I-III) did not differ. Plasma uPAR(I-III) + uPAR(II-III) levels and uPAR(I) levels were significantly higher in hormone-naive and castrate-resistant patients compared with patients with localized disease (both: p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Our results show that cleaved uPAR forms are significantly increased in patients with advanced PCa.
Probing Irradiated DNA with the Perturbed Angular Correlation Method

Abstract Tsoulou, E. , Kalfas, C. A. and Sideris E. G. Probing Irradiated DNA with the Perturbed Angular Correlation Method. Radiat. Res. 156, 181–185 (2001). The technique of perturbed angular correlations of γ rays has been used to study the effects of radiation on DNA molecules. The samples are buffered solutions of calf thymus DNA exposed to various doses (0–80 Gy) of γ rays. Indium-111 is used as a probe. Rotational correlation times, τc, a parameter measuring the flexibility of a macromolecule, are obtained that show a dependence on radiation dose.
Amphetamine attenuates the stimulated release of dopamine in vivo.

Carbon-fiber voltammetric electrodes have been used to measure the release of dopamine in the caudate nucleus of an anesthetized rat. Release is induced by electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle. The amplitude of the observed release is attenuated by i.p. injection of amphetamine. A similar attenuation is induced by reserpine; however, at a slower rate. The combined regimen of amphetamine (1 or 10 mg/kg) and electrical stimulation does not deplete striatal dopamine levels and thus the decreased release of dopamine is not a result of depleted dopamine stores. Benztropine (25 mg kg-1) is able to cause a short term inhibition of the action of amphetamine (1 mg kg-1). The dopamine agonist pergolide (0.5 mg kg-1) does not affect the stimulated release. Haloperidol (1.0 mg kg-1) increases the amount of DA release, but is unable to attenuate the inhibition caused by amphetamine. Thus, it appears that the actions induced by amphetamine are a result of interaction with the neuronal uptake carrier and subsequent transport of dopamine from a functional to nonfunctional pool. In isolated striatal synaptic vesicles, amphetamine is found to block dopamine uptake and induce its release. This in vitro evidence provides a possible mechanism for the observed in vivo actions of amphetamine.
Inapproximability of the Asymmetric Facility Location and k-Median Problems

In the asymmetric versions of the uncapacitated facility location and k -median problems, distances satisfy the triangle inequality but the distances from point i to point j and from j to i may diﬀer. For the facility location problem there is an O (log N ) approximation algorithm due to Hochbaum. For the k -median problem, Lin and Vitter gave a bicriterion approximation algorithm that blows up the service cost by a constant while blowing up the number of centers by an O (log N ) factor. Both of these algorithms are based on the greedy algorithm for the set cover problem. In this note, we present inapproximability results for the asymmetric versions of the uncapacitated facility location and k -median problems, based on the hardness of approximating set cover. Up to a constant, the above approximation algorithms are the best possible, unless NP ⊆ DTIME( n O (loglog n ) ).
Phytochemical Profiling and Evaluation of Pharmacological Activities of Hypericum scabrum L.

Phytochemical investigations of ethyl acetate-soluble part of the aerial part of Hypericum scabrum L. delivered eight pure phenolic compounds 1–8. The pure compounds were identified through physico-chemical, NMR (1D, 2D) and mass spectrometric studies as: 3-8′′-bisapigenin (1), quercetin (2), quercetin-3-O-α-l-arabinofuranoside (3), quercetin-3-O-α-l-rhamnoside (4), quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (5), quercetin-3-O-β-d-galactopyranoside (6), (−)-epicatechin (7), (+)-catechin (8). Total polyphenolic compounds and total flavonoids contents were determined in the extract as 0.107 mg∙mg−1 and 0.023 mg∙mg−1 of the dried extract, respectively. Antioxidant activity using DPPH free radical scavenging assay delivered very strong activity for compounds 2 and 5, 6 and crude extract 10. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B) inhibition experiment of isolated compounds and crude extracts resulted in significant inhibition activity for samples 2, 7a, 8a, 11 and 12 with IC50 values ranging from 1.57 to 2.91 µM. Antimicrobial activity of the pure compounds and extracts produced average results against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans strains. From our literature survey, it appears that all pure compounds except 2 were isolated and reported for the first time in H. scabrum.
WatchdogLite: Hardware-Accelerated Compiler-Based Pointer Checking

Lack of memory safety in C is the root cause of a multitude of serious bugs and security vulnerabilities. Numerous software-only and hardware-based schemes have been proposed to enforce memory safety. Among these approaches, pointer-based checking, which maintains per-pointer metadata in a disjoint metadata space, has been recognized as providing comprehensive memory safety. Software approaches for pointer-based checking have high performance overheads. In contrast, hardware approaches introduce a myriad of hardware structures and widgets to mitigate those performance overheads. This paper proposes WatchdogLite, an ISA extension that provides hardware acceleration for a compiler implementation of pointer-based checking. This division of labor between the compiler and the hardware allows for hardware acceleration while using only preexisting architectural registers. By leveraging the compiler to identify pointers, perform check elimination, and insert the new instructions, this approach attains performance similar to prior hardware-intensive approaches without adding any hardware structures for tracking metadata.
Barriers to Cure for Children with Cancer in India and Strategies to Improve Outcomes: A Report by the Indian Pediatric Hematology Oncology Group

The survival of children with cancer in India is inferior to that of children in high-income countries. The Indian Pediatric Hematology Oncology Group (IPHOG) held a series of online meetings via www.Cure4kids. org to identify barriers to cure and develop strategies to improve outcomes. Five major hurdles were identified: delayed diagnosis, abandonment, sepsis, lack of co-operative groups, and relapse. Development of regional networks like IPHOG has allowed rapid identification of local causes of treatment failure for children with cancer in India and identification of strategies likely to improve care and outcomes in the participating centers. Next steps will include interventions to raise community awareness of childhood cancer, promote early diagnosis and referral, and reduce abandonment and toxic death at each center. Starting of fellowship programs in pediatric hemato-oncology, short training programs for pediatricians, publishing outcome data, formation of parent and patient support groups, choosing the right and effective treatment protocol, and setting up of bone marrow transplant services are some of the effective steps taken in the last decade, which needs to be supported further.
Creativity in polyscriptal typographies in the linguistic landscape of Taipei

The creative employment of language scripts and (typo)graphic design in the commercial linguistic landscape (LL) of Taipei often serves as a key social semiotic resource in indexing various frames of identity in Taiwan – including sociocultural, ethnolinguistic, and political identities. As argued by Tam, typography is a visual metalanguage that encodes verbal language and is thus “already bilingual”. Multilingual and polyscriptal typographies, therefore, amplify this interaction between the verbal and the visual. Borrowing from Thurlow's research on “the three P's of creativity” in new media studies, I observe that polyscriptal typographies in Taipei's LL involve a visual “vernacular literacy” that is “often poetic, usually playful and always pragmatic” (Thurlow). Moreover, these practices are ideologically informed by social, economic, and geopolitical hierarchies which have been shaped by Taiwan's long history of migration, colonization, and globalization. Accordingly, the local vernacular literacy of polyscriptal/typographic creativity in Taipei's LL frequently entails “a fourth P,” the negotiating of power relations in Taiwan's ongoing efforts to carve out spaces of identity in the interstices of Asian-Pacific and global geopolitics.
Effect of Integrated Capacity-Building Interventions on Malaria Case Management by Health Professionals in Uganda: A Mixed Design Study with Pre/Post and Cluster Randomized Trial Components

Background The Integrated Infectious Diseases Capacity Building Evaluation (IDCAP) designed two interventions: Integrated Management of Infectious Disease (IMID) training program and On-Site Support (OSS). We evaluated their effects on 23 facility performance indicators, including malaria case management. Methodology IMID, a three-week training with two follow-up booster courses, was for two mid- level practitioners, primarily clinical officers and registered nurses, from 36 primary care facilities. OSS was two days of training and continuous quality improvement activities for nine months at 18 facilities, to which all health workers were invited to participate. Facilities were randomized as clusters 1∶1 to parallel OSS “arm A” or control “arm B”. Outpatient data on four malaria case management indicators were collected for 14 months. Analysis compared changes before and during the interventions within arms (relative risk = RR). The effect of OSS was measured with the difference in changes across arms (ratio of RR = RRR). Findings The proportion of patients with suspected malaria for whom a diagnostic test result for malaria was recorded decreased in arm B (adjusted RR (aRR) = 0.97; 99%CI: 0.82,1.14) during IMID, but increased 25% in arm A (aRR = 1.25; 99%CI:0.94, 1.65) during IMID and OSS relative to baseline; (aRRR = 1.28; 99%CI:0.93, 1.78). The estimated proportion of patients that received an appropriate antimalarial among those prescribed any antimalarial increased in arm B (aRR = 1.09; 99%CI: 0.87, 1.36) and arm A (aRR = 1.50; 99%CI: 1.04, 2.17); (aRRR = 1.38; 99%CI: 0.89, 2.13). The proportion of patients with a negative diagnostic test result for malaria prescribed an antimalarial decreased in arm B (aRR = 0.96; 99%CI: 0.84, 1.10) and arm A (aRR = 0.67; 99%CI: 0.46, 0.97); (aRRR = 0.70; 99%CI: 0.48, 1.00). The proportion of patients with a positive diagnostic test result for malaria prescribed an antibiotic did not change significantly in either arm. Interpretation The combination of IMID and OSS was associated with statistically significant improvements in malaria case management.
Relevance of a scoring system including CD11c expression in the identification of splenic diffuse red pulp small B‐cell lymphoma (SRPL)

‘Splenic red pulp lymphoma with numerous basophilic villous lymphocytes’ (SRPL), recently described, is characterized by clinical, morphologic, immunologic, cytogenetic and molecular features distinct from SMZL/SLVL and HCL. In particular, the intensity of CD11c staining (expressed as fluorescence intensity ‐RFI‐) in SRPL is significantly different from the RFI in SMZL/SLVL and HCL. Moreover the use of a scoring system based on the expression of CD11c, CD22, CD76, CD38 and CD27 appears to improve the differential diagnosis between SRPL and SMZL/SLVL and emphasizes that SRPL is an entity closed to but distinct from SMZL/SLVL. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Notch1 signaling stimulates proliferation of immature cardiomyocytes

The identification of the molecular mechanisms controlling cardiomyocyte proliferation during the embryonic, fetal, and early neonatal life appears of paramount interest in regard to exploiting this information to promote cardiac regeneration. Here, we show that the proliferative potential of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes is powerfully stimulated by the sustained activation of the Notch pathway. We found that Notch1 is expressed in proliferating ventricular immature cardiac myocytes (ICMs) both in vitro and in vivo, and that the number of Notch1-positive cells in the heart declines with age. Notch1 expression in ICMs paralleled the expression of its Jagged1 ligand on non-myocyte supporting cells. The inhibition of Notch signaling in ICMs blocked their proliferation and induced apoptosis; in contrast, its activation by Jagged1 or by the constitutive expression of its activated form using an adeno-associated virus markedly stimulated proliferative signaling and promoted ICM expansion. Maintenance or reactivation of Notch signaling in cardiac myocytes might represent an interesting target for innovative regenerative therapy.
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) Induces Calcium Influx Through T-type Calcium Channel and Enhances Lysosomal Exocytosis and Insulin Secretion in INS-1 Cells

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has been associated with diabetes in several epidemiological studies. However, the diabetogenic action of TCDD on pancreatic cells is unclear. Here, we investigated the direct toxic effects of TCDD on a rat insulin-secreting beta cell line. We found that TCDD enhances exocytosis of MTT formazan and lysosomal proteins such as β-hexosaminindase and Lamp-1. This TCDD-induced exocytosis was abrogated by T-type calcium channel blockers (mibefradil, flunarizine) but not by an aryl hydrocarbon receptor antagonist (α-naphtoflavone). Indeed, cytosolic calcium levels were increased by TCDD. Furthermore, TCDD stimulated insulin secretion, which was inhibited by flunarizine. Taken together, our results suggest that TCDD-induced calcium influx via T-type channels regulates vesicular trafficking, such as lysosomal and secretory granule exocytosis, and that TCDD might exert adverse effects on beta cells by continuous insulin release followed by beta cell exhaustion. This could contribute to the link between TCDD exposure and the risk of developing diabetes.
Analysis of Italian Word Embeddings

In this work we analyze the performances of two of the most used word embeddings algorithms, skip-gram and continuous bag of words on Italian language. These algorithms have many hyper-parameter that have to be carefully tuned in order to obtain accurate word representation in vectorial space. We provide an accurate analysis and an evaluation, showing what are the best configuration of parameters for specific tasks.
Study and Comparison of Emotional Intelligence among High- School Blind and Deaf Students

چ :هدیک :هنیمز شناد یناجیه شوه هسیاقم و یسررب روظنم هب رضاح شهوژپ . دراد اونشان و انیبان نازومآ شناد رد يدمآراکدوخ اب ینشور هطبار یناجیه شوه . دش ماجنا ناجنز ناتسا ناتسریبد هرود ياونشان و انیبان نازومآ :شور پ شور ژ یفیصوت شهو شهوژپ هعماج . دشاب یم یشیامیپ مامت ی شناد يراـمآ هـعماج دارـفا همه . دریگ یمربرد ار ناتسا ياونشان و انیبان نازومآ ) 18 و انیبان رفن 32 هداد . دنتفرگرارق هعلاطم دروم يرامشرس شور هب ( اونشان رفن ،یتخانـش تیعمج تاعلاطا و گنیرش یناجیه شوه همانشسرپ زا هدافتسا اب اه عمج شور قیرطزا و يروآ يرامآ بسانم ياه . دندش لیلحت هتفای :اه شناد هک داد ناشن شهوژپ جیاتن هـک دوـب نآ هدنهد ناشن مه اه هورگ هسیاقم . دنرادروخرب یناجیه شوه طسوتم حطس زا اونشان و انیبان نازومآ شناد یناجیه شوه شناد و انیبان نازومآ شناد زا بیترت هب رتخد نازومآ ر نینچمه . دوب رتشیب رسپ و اونشان نازومآ نس و یناجیه شوه نیب رادانعم و یفنم هطبا شناد رد . دش هدهاشم انیبان نازومآ :يریگ هجیتن نیا هب هجوت اب تیدودحم لیلد هب دارفا هک یـم هجاوم يرایسب ددعتم تلاکشم و لئاسم اب زور ره دوخ ینامسج ياه یناـجیه شوـه دنوـش نآ يارب یبوخ تیعضو طسوتم زا و تسین اه اجنآ جیه شوه هک فاطعنا ینا ریذپ هدوب مادقا دوجوم تیعضو دوبهب تهجرد دیاب تسا شیازفا لباق شزومآ اب و شناد رد نس و یناجیه شوه یفنم هطبار رگید يوس زا . دوش انیبان نازومآ ، نآ يارب طسوتم یناجیه شوه ندوب یفاکان رب لاد رگید يدهاش اـب هک ارچ تساه لاکشم شیازفا ،نآ لابند هب و نس شیازفا یگدنز ت ، . دشاب اه نآ رگیرای یعامتجا تاطابترا و تلاکشم اب هلباقم رد دناوت یمن یناجیه شوه طسوتم حطس هژاو ياه يدیلک : اونشان ، انیبان ، یناجیه شوه
High Serum Uric Acid Increases the Risk for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Prospective Observational Study

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common form of chronic liver disease, and serum uric acid is observed to be significantly elevated in NAFLD patients. However, whether this elevation is causal, a bystander, or a consequence of NAFLD remains unclear. We performed a population-based prospective study among the employees of Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Company Ltd., Ningbo, China to investigate whether the elevation of serum uric acid has a casual role for NAFLD. A total of 6890 initially NAFLD-free subjects were followed up for 3 years. Overall, 11.80% (813/6890) subjects developed NAFLD over 3 years of follow-up. The cumulative incidence of NAFLD increased with progressively higher baseline serum uric acid levels (the cumulative incidence was 7.2%, 9.5%, 11.5%, 13.8%, and 17.2% in quintile 1, quintile 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively; P value for trend <0.001). Cox proportional hazards regression analyses showed that serum uric acid levels were independently and positively associated with the risk for incident NAFLD; the age-, gender- and metabolic syndrome adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) for the subjects in quintile 2, 3, 4 and 5 versus quintile 1 was 1.18 (0.91–1.54), 1.32 (1.03–1.70), 1.39 (1.09–1.78) and 1.50 (1.18–1.92), respectively. Taken together, our prospective observational study showed that elevation of serum uric acid levels independently predicts increase risk for incident NAFLD.
The potential of nitric oxide therapeutics in stroke

The therapeutic modulation of the nitric oxide (NO) system has generated considerable interest as a new way for managing many disease processes. In stroke, a useful strategy is to increase NO availability and thereby exploit its beneficial antiplatelet, antiatherosclerotic, haemodynamic and neuroprotective properties. Pharmacologically, this can be achieved by providing NO substrate, using NO donors or by upregulating nitric oxide synthase. Alternatively, one can reduce NO availability by inhibiting NO synthase and thereby limiting its pro-inflammatory and neurotoxic properties. This article reviews developments in NO-related therapeutics for treatment of stroke, with a particular emphasis on compounds that are in the clinical research and development pipeline. Although the routine use of NO therapeutics for the prevention or treatment of stroke cannot currently be recommended, we are evidently at an exciting stage in their pharmacological development. Definitive randomised controlled trials in stroke patients are required as a matter of urgency.
The stereotyping of tourism management students in a business school setting

ABSTRACT Previous research has shown that students in business schools hold stereotypes concerning their peers who are undertaking different specializations. Yet, to the authors’ knowledge, no research to date has investigated the stereotyping of tourism management students by other business students. The present study seeks to fill this research gap. The insights are important because negative perceptions exacerbate the challenge of attracting high-quality prospects for tourism degree programs and of producing graduates who enjoy favorable recognition by their peers and by industry. Tourism management students are future leaders who are critical to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the tourism sector. In-depth interviews revealed three stereotyping themes: personality attribution, legitimacy, and professionalism. The study concludes by discussing potential stereotype-reducing strategies.