Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extranodal marginal zone B‐cell lymphoma of the lung: experience with fludarabine and mitoxantrone‐containing regimens

Bronchial‐associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) lymphoma is an extranodal primary pulmonary lymphoma. The optimal therapy for this rare disease is still debated, and few heterogeneous data are available in literature. The aim of our study was to critically review data of patients with BALT lymphoma treated in first‐line therapy with fludarabine and mitoxantrone‐containing regimens (with or without rituximab) to investigate the effectiveness and the safety of this approach and patients' survival. An observational retrospective study was performed on homogenous clinical data from 17 patients with biopsy‐proven diagnosis of BALT. All the patients were treated with fludarabine and mitoxantrone‐containing regimen therapy. Radiological findings were also reviewed to assess the role of 18fluoro‐deoxyglucose positron emission tomography in the initial assessment and in the monitoring of this extranodal lymphoma. A high percentage of response was observed: 82.3% of patients achieved a complete response, 11.8% a partial response. Furthermore, a very remarkable progression‐free survival (71%) and overall survival (100%) were estimated at 14 years. No relevant toxicities were registered. Our results support the use of fludarabine and mitoxantrone‐containing regimens as first‐line therapy in the treatment of BALT lymphoma even if further data are necessary to consolidate our findings. Positron emission tomography scanning may provide additional valuable information in the assessment of BALT lymphoma. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Complexity Reduction of Iterative Receivers Using Low-Rank Equalization

This paper covers the consideration of an iterative or turbo receiver where the nonlinear trellis-based detection of the interleaved and coded data bits is replaced by linear detection using the Wiener filter (WF), i.e., the optimal linear filter based on the mean-square error (MSE) criterion. The equalization of channels with multiple antennas at the receiver as well as frequency-selective transfer functions requires high-dimensional observation vectors which involve computationally intense detectors. We extend an optimal but computationally efficient algorithm, originally derived for single receive antenna systems, to single-input multiple-output (SIMO) channels. To further reduce computational complexity, we apply the suboptimal low-rank multistage WF (MSWF), i.e., the WF approximation in the low-dimensional Krylov subspace, and replace additionally second-order statistics of nonstationary random processes by their time-invariant averages. Complexity investigations reveal the enormous capability of the proposed algorithms to decrease computational effort. Moreover, the analysis based on extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts as well as Monte Carlo simulations show that compared with reduced-rank detection methods based on eigensubspaces, the reduced-rank MSWF behaves near optimum although the rank is drastically reduced to two or even one
Treatment Interruption and Variation in Tablet Taking Behaviour Result in Viral Failure: A Case-Control Study from Cape Town, South Africa

Background Understanding of the impact of non-structured treatment interruption (TI) and variation in tablet-taking on failure of first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) is limited in a resource-poor setting. Methods A retrospective matched case-control analysis. Individuals failing ART were matched by time on ART with 4 controls. Viral load (VL) and CD4 count were completed 4-monthly. Adherence percentages, from tablet returns, were calculated 4-monthly (interval) and from ART start (cumulative). Variation between intervals and TI (>27 days off ART) were recorded. Conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the effect of cumulative adherence <90%, at least one episode of adherence variation >10% and TI on virological failure. Age, gender, baseline log VL and CD4 were included as possible confounders in the multivariate model. Results 244 patients (44 cases, 200 controls) were included. Median age was 32 years (IQR28–37), baseline CD4 108 cells/mm3 (IQR56–151), VL 4.82 log (IQR4.48–5.23). 94% (96% controls, 86% failures) had cumulative adherence >90%. The odds of failure increased 3 times (aOR 3.01, 95%CI 0.81–11.21) in individuals with cumulative adherence <90%, 2.2 times (aOR 2.20, 95%CI 1.04–4.64) in individuals with at least one episode of fluctuating adherence of >10% and 4.01 times (aOR 4.01, 95%CI 1.45–11.10) in individuals with TIs. For individuals with TI and cumulative adherence >95%, the odds of failing were 5.65 (CI 1.40–22.85). Conclusion It is well known that poor cumulative adherence increases risk of virological failure, but less well understood that TI and variations in tablet-taking also play a key role, despite otherwise excellent adherence.
Pathogenesis of Bacterial Exacerbations of COPD

Acute exacerbations are significant events in the course of COPD. The pathogenesis of exacerbations was poorly understood, specifically, the role of bacteria was highly controversial. Recent observations have demonstrated that bacterial infection is involved in about half of the exacerbations. The predominant mechanism of bacterial exacerbation in COPD appears to be acquisition of new strains of bacterial pathogens from the environment that are able to establish infection in the tracheobronchial tree in COPD because of compromised innate lung defenses. These pathogens interact with airway cells, elicit an inflammatory response, which underlies the pathophysiology and symptoms characteristic of exacerbation. An immune response that can be mucosal, systemic or both develops to the infecting bacterial strain. This immune response contains the infectious process, could eradicate the infecting pathogen and prevent re-infection with the same strain. However, because of antigenic diversity among bacterial strains, this immunity tends to be strain-specific rather than widely protective. Other mechanisms, including increase in bacterial load and interaction with other etiologies such as viruses, also could contribute to bacterial exacerbations. Improved understanding of the host-pathogen interaction in the airways in COPD will lead to novel approaches to prevention and treatment of exacerbations.
Effect of exercise on cerebral perfusion in humans at high altitude.

The effects of submaximal and maximal exercise on cerebral perfusion were assessed using a portable, recumbent cycle ergometer in nine unacclimatized subjects ascending to 5,260 m. At 150 m, mean (SD) cerebral oxygenation (rSO2%) increased during submaximal exercise from 68.4 (SD 2.1) to 70.9 (SD 3.8) (P < 0.0001) and at maximal oxygen uptake (.VO2(max)) to 69.8 (SD 3.1) (P < 0.02). In contrast, at each of the high altitudes studied, rSO2 was reduced during submaximal exercise from 66.2 (SD 2.5) to 62.6 (SD 2.1) at 3,610 m (P < 0.0001), 63.0 (SD 2.1) to 58.9 (SD 2.1) at 4,750 m (P < 0.0001), and 62.4 (SD 3.6) to 61.2 (SD 3.9) at 5,260 m (P < 0.01), and at . VO2(max) to 61.2 (SD 3.3) at 3,610 m (P < 0.0001), to 59.4 (SD 2.6) at 4,750 m (P < 0.0001), and to 58.0 (SD 3.0) at 5,260 m (P < 0.0001). Cerebrovascular resistance tended to fall during submaximal exercise (P = not significant) and rise at . VO2(max), following the changes in arterial oxygen saturation and end-tidal CO(2). Cerebral oxygen delivery was maintained during submaximal exercise at 150 m with a nonsignificant fall at . VO2(max), but at high altitude peaked at 30% of . VO2(max) and then fell progressively at higher levels of exercise. The fall in rSO2 and oxygen delivery during exercise may limit exercise at altitude and is likely to contribute to the problems of acute mountain sickness and high-altitude cerebral edema.
Clustering and sharing incentives in BitTorrent systems

Peer-to-peer protocols play an increasingly instrumental role in Internet content distribution. It is therefore important to gain a complete understanding of how these protocols behave in practice and how their operating parameters affect overall system performance. This paper presents the first detailed experimental investigation of the peer selection strategy in the popular BitTorrent protocol. By observing more than 40 nodes in instrumented private torrents, we validate three protocol properties that, though believed to hold, have not been previously demonstrated experimentally: the clustering of similar-bandwidth peers, the effectiveness of BitTorrent's sharing incentives, and the peers' high uplink utilization. In addition, we observe that BitTorrent's modified choking algorithmin seed state provides uniform service to all peers, and that an underprovisioned initial seed leads to absence of peer clustering and less effective sharing incentives. Based on our results, we provide guidelines for seed provisioning by content providers, and discuss a tracker protocol extension that addresses an identified limitation of the protocol.
Gadolinium-containing magnetic resonance contrast media: investigation on the possible transchelation of Gd³⁺ to the glycosaminoglycan heparin.

Retention of gadolinium (Gd) in biological tissues is considered an important cofactor in the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Research on this issue has so far focused on the stability of Gd-based contrast media (GdCM) and a possible release of Gd³⁺ from the complex. No studies have investigated competing chelators that may occur in vivo. We performed proton T(1) -relaxometry in solutions of nine approved GdCM and the macromolecular chelator heparin (250 000 IU per 10 ml) without and with addition of ZnCl₂. For the three linear, nonspecific GdCM complexes, Omniscan®, OptiMARK® and Magnevist®, 2 h of incubation in heparin at 37 °C in the presence of 2.0 mm ZnCl₂ led to an increase in T₁-relaxivity by a factor of 7.7, 5.6 and 5.1, respectively. For the three macrocyclic complexes, Gadovist®, Dotarem® and Prohance®, only a minor increase in T₁-relaxivity by a factor of 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7 was found, respectively. Without addition of ZnCl₂, no difference between the two GdCM groups was observed (factors of 1.4, 1.2, 1.1, 1.3, 1.5 and 1.4, respectively). The increase in T₁-relaxivities observed for linear GdCM complexes may be attributable to partial transchelation with formation of a macromolecular Gd-heparin complex. For comparison, mixing of GdCl₃ and heparin results in a 8.7-fold higher T₁-relaxivity compared with a solution of GdCl₃ in water. Heparin is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and as such occurs in the human body as a component of the extracellular matrix. GAGs generally are known to be strong chelators. Gd³⁺ released from chelates of GdCM might be complexed by GAGs in vivo, which would explain their retention in biological tissues. Plasma GAG levels are elevated in end-stage renal disease; hence, our results might contribute to the elucidation of NSF.
[Phonological sensitivity to rhyme and alliteration in preschoolers with phonological disorder].

PURPOSE To characterize the performance of a group of preschool children with phonological disorder in metaphonological tasks of identification and production of rhyme and alliteration. METHODS Participants were 56 preschool children of both genders, with ages between 4 years and 0 months and 6 years and 11 months, distributed into: Research Group, comprising 28 preschoolers with phonological disorder, and Comparison Group, comprising 28 preschool children with normal speech and no complaints related to oral communication. The following testes were applied: Child Language Test ABFW - Phonology, tasks of identification and product ion of rhymes and alliteration of the Phonological Awareness Test: Instrument of Sequential Assessment - CONFIAS. Data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS Preschoolers with phonological disorder had worse overall phonological sensitivity performance. In both groups, children had better scores with the segment of alliteration, and there was no difference in performance between the tasks of identification and production. With rhyme segments, preschoolers showed better performance in the identification task, while with alliteration segments they showed better performance in the production task. Rhyme production was the most difficult task, and alliteration production was the easiest. CONCLUSION Preschoolers with phonological disorder showed worse performance in phonological sensitivity than children with normal speech. However, both groups showed better performance with the alliteration segment, and showed no differences between identification and production tasks.
Write Field Dynamics in the Presence of Antiferromagnetic Coupling of Writer Pole

A micromagnetic simulation is conducted to study the write field dynamics in the presence of antiferromagnetic exchange coupling (AFC) of writer pole for a perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) writer head. It is found that, depending on the actual configuration of the AFC coupling in the yoke and the pole tip, there could be an intermediate transient state near zero write field during the magnetization reversal, compared to the normal writer design without AFC coupling. This transient state may cause recording performance degradation. We further investigated the AFC coupling effect on the remanent field in the degauss process. For different performance aspects, i.e., field dynamics, maximum field, and remanent field, the AFC in the yoke and in the pole tip plays different roles.
Nevirapine or efavirenz for tuberculosis and HIV coinfected patients: exposure and virological failure relationship

Objectives We describe nevirapine and efavirenz exposure on and off tuberculosis treatment and consequences for virological efficacy and tolerance in patients included in the ANRS 12146/12214-CARINEMO trial. Methods Participants were randomly selected to receive either nevirapine at 200 mg twice daily (n = 256) or efavirenz at 600 mg daily (n = 270), both combined with two nucleoside analogues. Blood samples were drawn 12 h after nevirapine or efavirenz administration, while on tuberculosis treatment and after tuberculosis treatment discontinuation. In 62 participants, samples taken 12 h after drug administration were drawn weekly for the first month of ART. Sixteen participants participated in an extensive pharmacokinetic study of nevirapine. Concentrations were compared with the therapeutic ranges of 3000–8000 ng/mL for nevirapine and 1000–4000 ng/mL for efavirenz. Results Nevirapine concentrations at the end of the first week of treatment (on antituberculosis drugs) did not differ from concentrations off tuberculosis treatment, but declined thereafter. Concentrations at steady-state were 4111 ng/mL at week 12 versus 6095 ng/mL at week 48 (P < 0.0001). Nevirapine concentrations <3000 ng/mL were found to be a risk factor for virological failure. Efavirenz concentrations were higher on than off tuberculosis treatment (2700 versus 2450 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). Conclusions The omission of the 2 week lead-in dose of nevirapine prevented low concentrations at treatment initiation but did not prevent the risk of virological failure. Results support the WHO recommendation to use efavirenz at 600 mg daily in patients on rifampicin-based antituberculosis therapy.
MOBILE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION: AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT OF A NEW EDUCATIONAL TOOL

Mobile Learning, or M-learning as it is often called, is a relatively new tool in the pedagogical arsenal to assist students and teachers as they navigate the options available in the expanding distance learning world. This article assesses some of the possible methods, challenges and future potential of using this approach in a college classroom and describes an empirical evaluation of the effectiveness of M-learning in a college classroom. One hundred twelve students in an introductory survey course in sociology were given the opportunity to use an MLearning product developed by HotLava Software for the purpose of assisting them in preparation for two scheduled exams. Both practice and review questions were made available on Smart Phones, Web enabled phones, PDAs and other Internet capable mobile devices via Learning Mobile Author. Forty-two of the 112 students in the class chose to access these data via their personal devices and their responses were collected and recorded. The results of their performance, as indicated by a final grade in the course, were compared to the outcomes for those students who chose not to use the M-Learning tool. Students using the software demonstrated a higher level of knowledge of the subject matter covered in the course when compared to students choosing not to use the tools (p<.01). Conclusions and a discussion of these outcomes are offered as well as some inferences and speculation regarding the future of M-Learning in the classroom and beyond. An earlier version of this paper was presented to the Society for Applied Learning Technology’s
Fumarate Regulation of Gene Expression in Escherichia coli by the DcuSR (dcuSR Genes) Two-Component Regulatory System

ABSTRACT In Escherichia coli the genes encoding the anaerobic fumarate respiratory system are transcriptionally regulated by C4-dicarboxylates. The regulation is effected by a two-component regulatory system, DcuSR, consisting of a sensory histidine kinase (DcuS) and a response regulator (DcuR). DcuS and DcuR are encoded by the dcuSR genes (previouslyyjdHG) at 93.7 min on the calculated E. coli map. Inactivation of the dcuR anddcuS genes caused the loss of C4-dicarboxylate-stimulated synthesis of fumarate reductase (frdABCD genes) and of the anaerobic fumarate-succinate antiporter DcuB (dcuB gene). DcuS is predicted to contain a large periplasmic domain as the supposed site for C4-dicarboxylate sensing. Regulation by DcuR and DcuS responded to the presence of the C4-dicarboxylates fumarate, succinate, malate, aspartate, tartrate, and maleate. Since maleate is not taken up by the bacteria under these conditions, the carboxylates presumably act from without. Genes of the aerobic C4-dicarboxylate pathway encoding succinate dehydrogenase (sdhCDAB) and the aerobic succinate carrier (dctA) are only marginally or negatively regulated by the DcuSR system. The CitAB two-component regulatory system, which is highly similar to DcuSR, had no effect on C4-dicarboxylate regulation of any of the genes.
Traditional and virtual microscopy compared experimentally in a classroom setting

The technology known as virtual microscopy is now widely available to medical students. A number of medical school histology and pathology course directors, including those at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, are exploring the question of how best to make use of this new tool. The current study compared the efficacy of teaching and testing one unit of histology, bone and cartilage, using two technologies, namely, virtual microscopy and traditional microscopy. Additionally, the study examined whether low, moderate, high moderate, or high achieving students perform more effectively in any of the learning/testing formats. In a completely randomized block design, 96 first semester, first‐year medical students were grouped by previous exam quartiles then subsequently randomly assigned to one of four groups. Using identical laboratory exercises with highly comparable slides for each experimental group, half of the subjects learned the exercise with traditional microscopy and half learned with virtual microscopy. Subjects were further randomly subdivided into virtual or actual testing groups. The authors found no significant differences in test scores when they examined effects by learning group or by testing group, nor were there significant interaction effects. Student performance evaluated by previous exam quartile was significant (P < 0.001). That is, students who had scored in a particular quartile on a previous test tended to score in the same quartile on the bone and cartilage test regardless of learning or testing method. In a short opinion survey, students were polled to evaluate their experience. Student preferences for both learning and testing method varied widely. Clin. Anat. 20:565–570, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
MC-CDMA via carrier interferometry Codes in an Underwater Acoustic Channel

This paper proposes a basic MC-CMDA. via carrier interferometry Codes(CI codes) in an Underwater Acoustic(UWA) Channel. Compared with OFDM in UWAC, it can allow a number of users simultaneously and asynchronously accessing the UWA channel. A trade off relation exists between diversity gain and user capacity as well as between spread spectrum gain and system efficiency. Then diversity combining scheme is discussed. Both simulation and initial tank experiment have proved that the proposed scheme is feasible in UWA channel in a downlink CI/MC-CDMA system.
Closed Reduction and Percutaneous Pinning of Displaced Supracondylar Humerus Fractures in Children: Description of a New Closed Reduction Technique for Fractures with Brachialis Muscle Entrapment

Summary: A retrospective review of 43 displaced extension-type supracondylar humerus fractures in children was performed. Thirty-four fractures were completely displaced (type III). Ninety-one percent (39 of 43) of the fractures were managed by immediate closed reduction and percutaneous pinning. Ten type III fractures exhibited clinical or radiographic evidence of brachialis muscle penetration. A closed reduction maneuver designed to “milk” the entrapped brachialis muscle off of the proximal fracture spike was developed and was successful in all eight cases in which it was attempted. At mean follow-up of 35 months, 97% (38 of 39 patients) achieved a good or excellent result based on the Flynn grading scale.
The Circuit Party Men's Health Survey: findings and implications for gay and bisexual men.

OBJECTIVES This study examined characteristics of gay and bisexual men who attend circuit parties, frequency of and motivations for attending parties, drug use and sexual behavior during circuit party weekends, and use of risk reduction materials available at parties. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 295 gay and bisexual men from the San Francisco Bay Area who had attended a circuit party in the previous year. RESULTS One fourth of the men reported a drug "overuse" incident in the previous year. Nearly all respondents reported use of drugs during circuit party weekends, including ecstasy (75%), ketamine (58%), crystal methamphetamine (36%), gamma hydroxybutyrate or gamma butyrolactone (25%), and Viagra (12%). Two thirds of the men reported having sex (oral or anal), 49% reported having anal sex, and 28% reported having unprotected anal sex during the 3-day period. An association was found between use of drugs and sexual risk behavior. Prevention materials were observed at party events by some men; however, relatively few men used the materials. Common motivations for attending the parties were "to listen to music and dance" and "to be with friends. " CONCLUSIONS Intensive, targeted health promotion efforts are needed for gay and bisexual men who attend circuit parties.