Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survival of tumor cells in stem cell preparations and bone marrow of patients with high-risk or metastatic breast cancer after receiving dose-intensive or high-dose chemotherapy.

PURPOSE We evaluated whether dose-intensive or high-dose chemotherapy can eliminate micrometastases in high-risk breast cancer patients. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We monitored cytokeratin (CK)/17-1A positive cells in the bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) and studied Her-2/neu serum levels of patients with locally advanced (n = 13; group 1) and metastatic breast cancer (n = 30; group 2) using immunomagnetic separation, immunocytochemistry, and ELISA. RESULTS CK+ cells were found in the BM of 3 of 13 (23%) group 1 patients before but not after chemotherapy, resulting in an overall survival (OS) of 92% after a median follow-up of 33 months. Contamination of PBSC in 2 of 9 (22%) patients was not associated with decreased survival. In group 2 patients, the CK+ rate was 60% (18 of 30 patients) before and 40% (4 of 10 patients) after therapy with an OS rate of 43% after 29 months. PBSC samples were positive in 7 of 24 (29%) patients. CK+ BM and PBSC led to a rapid progress and short OS, whereas tumor cell-free BM and PBSC resulted in a mean OS of 30 months. The antigen 17-1A was detected on most CK+ cells in both patient groups before therapy, on all of CK+ PBSC, and on CK+ cells in group 2 patients after therapy. Increased Her-2/neu levels were found in group 2 patients before chemotherapy. CONCLUSION Micrometastatic cells are present in PBSC grafts and can survive even high-dose chemotherapy. The presence of immunotherapeutic target antigens supports the idea that a combined chemoimmunotherapy might be successful in eliminating minimal residual disease.
E5 oncoprotein transmembrane mutants dissociate fibroblast transforming activity from 16-kilodalton protein binding and platelet-derived growth factor receptor binding and phosphorylation

The E5 oncoprotein of bovine papillomavirus type 1 is a 44-amino-acid, hydrophobic polypeptide which localizes predominantly in Golgi membranes and appears to transform cells through the activation of tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors. In fibroblasts, E5 interacts with both the 16-kilodalton vacuolar ATPase subunit and the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGF-R) via its hydrophobic transmembrane domain and induces autophosphorylation of the receptor. To further analyze the correlation between E5 biological activity and its ability to bind these cellular proteins, a series of nine E5 transmembrane mutants was evaluated. In 32D mouse hematopoietic cells, there was an incomplete correlation between the abilities of the E5 mutant proteins to associate the PDGF-R and to transform cells. However, all transforming E5 mutant proteins induced PDGF-R tyrosine phosphorylation. In NIH 3T3 and C127 mouse fibroblasts, both transforming and nontransforming E5 mutant proteins were defective for PDGF-R binding. In addition, while most of the transforming E5 proteins induced PDGF-R phosphorylation, one hypertransforming mutant (serine 17) neither bound nor induced receptor autophosphorylation. These findings support the hypothesis that the transformation of fibroblasts by E5 transmembrane mutants can involve alternative cellular targets or potentially independent activities of the E5 protein. In addition, these results underscore the critical role of the transmembrane domain in mediating E5 biological activities.
At the Border of Acoustics and Linguistics: Bag-of-Audio-Words for the Recognition of Emotions in Speech

Recognition of natural emotion in speech is a challenging task. Different methods have been proposed to tackle this complex task, such as acoustic feature brute-forcing or even endto-end learning. Recently, bag-of-audio-words (BoAW) representations of acoustic low-level descriptors (LLDs) have been employed successfully in the domain of acoustic event classification and other audio recognition tasks. In this approach, feature vectors of acoustic LLDs are quantised according to a learnt codebook of audio words. Then, a histogram of the occurring ‘words’ is built. Despite their massive potential, BoAW have not been thoroughly studied in emotion recognition. Here, we propose a method using BoAW created only of mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs). Support vector regression is then used to predict emotion continuously in time and value, such as in the dimensions arousal and valence. We compare this approach with the computation of functionals based on the MFCCs and perform extensive evaluations on the RECOLA database, which features spontaneous and natural emotions. Results show that, BoAW representation of MFCCs does not only perform significantly better than functionals, but also outperforms by far most of recently published deep learning approaches, including convolutional and recurrent networks.
The prevalence and clinical characteristics of anemia in Korean patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Background/Aims Quality of life is closely related to anemia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Several studies have reported on anemia in patients with IBD in Western countries. This study investigated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of anemia in Korean patients with IBD. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 92 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 76 patients with Crohn's disease (CD) who were followed regularly at a single tertiary medical center in Korea between January 2003 and December 2012. Hemoglobin (Hb) thresholds used to define anemia were <13.0 g/dL in men and <12.0 g/dL in women according to the World Health Organization criteria. We chose the lowest Hb level in each year as a representative value because Hb levels changed at each examination and anemia was associated with disease deterioration. The relationship between clinical variables and lowest Hb level was assessed. Results The prevalence of anemia was 36.3% in patients with UC and 41.6% in patients with CD. Anemia in patients with CD was associated with hospital admission, 5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) and infliximab treatment in men. Anemia in patients with UC was associated with hospital admission, oral steroid use, thiopurine and infliximab treatment in men. Conclusions The prevalence of anemia in Korean patients with IBD was comparable to that of patients in Western countries. Anemia was associated with male patients with CD who were admitted to the hospital and received medications including 5-ASA and infliximab, and men with UC who were admitted to the hospital and received medications including oral steroids, thiopurine and infliximab.
Temperament and Character Profile in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD): A Pre and Post Intervention Analysis

Objective: The present study examines the pattern of changes in temperament and character profiles of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) patients following 8-20 weeks of treatment for obsessive compulsive symptoms (OC symptoms). Methodology: The study also investigated the relationship between the temperament and character pattern and the severity of OC symptoms. A sample of 52 patients who met DSM IV TR criteria was assessed using Temperament Character Inventory, Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Hamilton Depression rating scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. After baseline assessment of 52 OCD patients only 40 OCD patients, who complied with medication for 8-20 weeks were re- assessed using the same measures as a follow-up assessment. Result: Finding indicated that after treatment the patients showed significantly lower score on Harm Avoidance whereas Self Directedness and Cooperativeness was significantly poorer in comparison to normal subjects. Severity of OC symptoms was correlated with Self Directedness, and co morbid anxiety was correlated with high Harm Avoidance and low Cooperativeness. Conclusion: These findings suggest that temperament is more amenable to treatment than character dimensions of OCD patients.
Declining Motivation After the Transition to Middle School: Schools Can Make a Difference.

The present study investigated the effects of the transition from elementary- to middle-level schools on the motivational beliefs of students who attended two substantively different types of middle schools. One of the schools was characterized as utilizing task-focused instructional practices, while the other school utilized more traditional practices. Teachers in the latter school particularly emphasized competition, ability grouping, and students' relative ability. While few differences in the students' motivational beliefs existed when the students were in elementary school, the students' motivational beliefs changed differently, depending on which middle school they attended. Specifically, the students who attended the school that placed a greater emphasis on competition and ability differences exhibited higher mean levels of personal performance goals and personal extrinsic goals after the transition. There was an increase in perceptions of an emphasis on performance goals between the fifth and sixth grades for students who moved into this school. In contrast, students who moved to the school that used more task-focused (and less performance-focused) instructional practices tended to exhibit fewer negative shifts in motivation after the transition.
EFFECT OF ANAESTHETIC AGENTS ON P‐WAVE DISPERSION ON THE ELECTROCARDIOGRAM: COMPARISON OF PROPOFOL AND DESFLURANE

1 Anaesthetics influence cardiac electrical activity by various mechanisms; thus, they may have pro‐arrhythmic or anti‐arrhythmic actions. Increased P‐wave dispersion is associated with a risk of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. The aim of the present study was to analyse the impact of propofol and desflurane on changes in P wave dispersion, which may reflect the anti‐arrhythmic effects of these drugs. 2 Fifty patients undergoing scheduled surgery were included in the study. Patients were divided into two equal groups: a propofol group and a desflurane group. Patients in the propofol group were initially administered 2.5 mg/kg propofol, followed by infusion of 6 mg/kg per h propofol. Anaesthesia in the desflurane group was achieved using inhalation induction, with concentrations up to 8–12.5 vol%. When signs of adequate anaesthesia were observed, the concentration of desflurane was reduced to 6 vol%. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was obtained before induction and then again 1, 3 and 5 min after the initiation of propofol infusion or the induction of anaesthesia in the desflurane group; additional measurements were performed after tracheal intubation. P‐wave dispersion was assessed by differences in maximal and minimal P‐wave duration on a 12‐lead ECG. 3 P‐wave dispersion did not change over time in the desflurane group. In the propofol group, there was a significant decrease in P‐wave dispersion after 3 and 5 min of anaesthesia. Significant differences were observed between study groups after 1, 3 and 5 min of anaesthesia, and disappeared after tracheal intubation. Mean and maximal P‐wave duration did not change in either group. 4 In conlcusion, propofol decreases P‐wave dispersion and this seems to be connected with the anti‐arrhythmic properties of the drug.
Sodium Stibogluconate Is a Potent Inhibitor of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases and Augments Cytokine Responses in Hemopoietic Cell Lines1

Using in vitro protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) assays, we found that sodium stibogluconate, a drug used in treatment of leishmaniasis, is a potent inhibitor of PTPases Src homology PTPase1 (SHP-1), SHP-2, and PTP1B but not the dual-specificity phosphatase mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase 1. Sodium stibogluconate inhibited 99% of SHP-1 activity at 10 μg/ml, a therapeutic concentration of the drug for leishmaniasis. Similar degrees of inhibition of SHP-2 and PTP1B required 100 μg/ml sodium stibogluconate, demonstrating differential sensitivities of PTPases to the inhibitor. The drug appeared to target the SHP-1 domain because it showed similar in vitro inhibition of SHP-1 and a mutant protein containing the SHP-1 PTPase domain alone. Moreover, it forms a stable complex with the PTPase: in vitro inhibition of SHP-1 by the drug was not removed by a washing process effective in relieving the inhibition of SHP-1 by the reversible inhibitor suramin. The inhibition of cellular PTPases by the drug was suggested by its rapid induction of tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins in Baf3 cells and its augmentation of IL-3-induced Janus family kinase 2/Stat5 tyrosine phosphorylation and proliferation of Baf3 cells. The augmentation of the opposite effects of GM-CSF and IFN-α on TF-1 cell growth by the drug indicated its broad activities in the signaling of various cytokines. These data represent the first evidence that sodium stibogluconate inhibits PTPases and augments cytokine responses. Our results provide novel insights into the pharmacological effects of the drug and suggest potential new therapeutic applications.
Perceived Openness-Enclosure of Architectural Space

Experimental investigations of space perception have been largely confined to the study of perceived size, distance, form, and motion. Perceptual psychologists have only recently directed their attention to some of the more complex dimensions that determine our responses to the large-scale environment (Berlyne, 1960; Wohlwill, 1966). While it appears to be generally accepted that architectural variables are important determinants of behavior, systematic investigations of their effects are rather rare. This paper is concerned with the architectural variables that determine the perception of open and enclosed space. Several authors (Lynch, 1971; Simonds, 1961; Spreiregen, 1965) seem to agree that the organization and characteristics of vertical elements (e.g., walls, colonades, trees) distinguish an undifferentiated, open area from a confined, articulated enclosed space. The purpose of this experiment is to examine two alternative interpretations of the effect of boundary elements on the perception of open and enclosed space.
Psychophysiological Correlates of Relaxation Induced by Standard Autogenic Training

Background: The present study aimed to determine the psychophysiological changes induced in subjects by standard autogenic training (AT). Physiological measurements were taken under strict experimental conditions. Methods: Thirty-one healthy students were divided randomly into two groups: the AT group and the control group. In the first session, the physiological variables were measured for all students before and after all were asked to relax in their own way. The AT group were then taught AT for 3 months, after which time the measurements were repeated. In the second session, the AT group practised the standard AT exercise, while the control group repeated their own form of simple relaxation. Electrocardiogram, plethysmogram (PTG) and blood pressure (BP) were measured while the students carried out a breathing rate of 15 cycles/min. The R-R intervals and BP were analysed by an autoregressive model for spectral analysis, and the data were compared by repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: The AT group had a significant increase in the mean R-R interval and a significant decrease in the baseline deflection of the PTG in the second session. There were no significant changes in sympathetic activity except for the change in the PTG, although low frequency amplitude of systolic BP decreased slightly. Conclusions: AT was found to induce significant changes that were independent of respiration in healthy students, although paced breathing might have operated as a mental stress. The increase in mean R-R interval and the decrease in baseline deflection of the PTG were the most robust correlates of AT.
False aneurysm after carotid endarterectomy.

False aneurysm is an infrequent but serious complication of endarterectomy of the carotid bifurcation. From 1958 to 1971, a total of 898 endarterectomies on the carotid bifurcation were performed at the University of California, San Francisco, for atherosclerotic occlusive disease. During this period three false aneurysms developed, and another false aneurysm was treated following a primary operation at another hospital. All four patients, in two of whom local Staphylococcus infection was documented, were successfully reoperated upon by application of autogenous techniques. Blood flow to the internal carotid artery was preserved in each instance, and no new neurologic deficits occurred. This experience plus review of previously reported cases of postoperative false aneurysm of the carotid artery point up the value of the use of autogenous tissue in their repair.
Excessive multi-decade deflections of prestressed concrete bridges: How to avoid them and how to exploit their monitoring to improve creep prediction model

Stimulated by the excessive deflections and collapse of the KB Bridge of world-rercord span, the deflection histories of 56 similar bridges, most of them excessive, have been collected by RILEM TC-MDC. They amount to a wake-up call: The standard creep recommendations of engineering societies have been misleading, and thus their revision is imperative. They also confirm a simple feature: The multi-decade trend of bridge deflection, and by implication also the concrete creep law, is a logarithmic curve in time, which has no final bound, in contrast to the existing standard recommendations. Despite the lack of success in obtaining full information on the highly deflected bridges, it is possible to benefit by statistical analysis from the bridge deflection data for improvements of the concrete creep model. The proceedings paper briefly outlines how to do that, and the full paper presents some more detail and the figures. fib Symposium PRAGUE 2011 Session 3-4: Modelling and Design
Reduction in prostatic concentration of endogenous dihydrotestosterone in rats by hyperprolactinemia

Persistently high levels of circulating prolactin can be achieved in male rats when pituitaries from female donors are grafted under the renal capsule. Enhanced growth of the lateral prostate can be accomplished by an apparent synergistic effect of excess prolactin with subphysiologic doses of testosterone. To define this effect we measured the endogenous dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations in rat prostate lobes. Twenty Sprague‐Dawley male rats (250 g) were castrated and given subcutaneous implants of silastic tubing filled with 1 cm of crystalline testosterone. Ten of these rats simultaneously received two pituitary grafts under the renal capsule. The remaining ten rats received intrarenal skeletal muscle grafts as controls. Four weeks later, the weight (mg ± SE) of the ventral and dorsal lobes were not significantly different between the two groups, while the lateral lobe was significantly (P < 0.01) heavier in rats with pituitary grafts (121.4 ± 7.5) than in controls (81.7 ± 10.4). Endogenous DHT in the tissue extracts was determined by radioimmunoassay following KMnO4 treatment to eliminate testosterone. The concentration of DHT (ng/g tissue ± SE) was significantly (P < 0.01) lower in the lateral prostate of graft‐bearing animals (4.40 ± 0.29) than in the controls (5.98 ± 0.34). These results indicate that, in the rat, hyperprolactinemia induced by pituitary grafts is associated with a heavier lateral prostate and a lower concentration of endogenous DHT in that tissue. These results also suggest that the action of prolactin in the rat prostate is not mediated through the action of androgen.
Are Transporter Genes Other than the Chloroquine Resistance Locus (pfcrt) and Multidrug Resistance Gene (pfmdr) Associated with Antimalarial Drug Resistance?

ABSTRACT Mu et al. (Mu, J., M. T. Ferdig, X. Feng, D. A. Joy, J. Duan, T. Furuya, G. Subramanian, L. Aravind, R. A. Cooper, J. C. Wootton, M. Xiong, and X. Z. Su, Mol. Microbiol. 49:977-989, 2003) recently reported exciting associations between nine new candidate transporter genes and in vitro resistance to chloroquine (CQ) and quinine (QN), with six of these loci showing association with CQ or QN in a southeast Asian population sample. We replicated and extended this work by examining polymorphisms in these genes and in vitro resistance to eight drugs in parasites collected from the Thailand-Burma border. To minimize problems of multiple testing, we used a two-phase study design, while to minimize problems caused by population structure, we analyzed parasite isolates collected from a single clinic. We first examined associations between genotype and drug response in 108 unique single-clone parasite isolates. We found strong associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in pfmdr and mefloquine (MFQ), artesunate (AS), and lumefantrine (LUM) response. We also observed associations between an ABC transporter (G7) and response to QN and AS and between another ABC transporter (G49) and response to dihydro-artemisinin (DHA). We reexamined significant associations in an independent sample of 199 unique single-clone infections from the same location. The significant associations with pfmdr-1042 detected in the first survey remained. However, with the exception of the G7-artesunate association, all other associations observed with the nine new candidate transporters disappeared. We also examined linkage disequilibrium (LD) between markers and phenotypic correlations between drug responses. We found minimal LD between genes. Furthermore, we found no correlation between chloroquine and quinine responses, although we did find expected strong correlations between MFQ, QN, AS, DHA, and LUM. To conclude, we found no evidence for an association between 8/9 candidate genes and response to eight different antimalarial drugs. However, the consistent association observed between a 3-bp indel in G7 and AS response merits further investigation.
Chains of Reasoning over Entities, Relations, and Text using Recurrent Neural Networks

Our goal is to combine the rich multi-step inference of symbolic logical reasoning with the generalization capabilities of neural networks. We are particularly interested in complex reasoning about entities and relations in text and large-scale knowledge bases (KBs). Neelakantan et al. (2015) use RNNs to compose the distributed semantics of multi-hop paths in KBs; however for multiple reasons, the approach lacks accuracy and practicality. This paper proposes three significant modeling advances: (1) we learn to jointly reason about relations, entities, and entity-types; (2) we use neural attention modeling to incorporate multiple paths; (3) we learn to share strength in a single RNN that represents logical composition across all relations. On a large-scale Freebase+ClueWeb prediction task, we achieve 25% error reduction, and a 53% error reduction on sparse relations due to shared strength. On chains of reasoning in WordNet we reduce error in mean quantile by 84% versus previous state-of-the-art.