Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Combination of conventional ultrasound and tissue quantification using acoustic radiation force impulse technology for differential diagnosis of small thyroid nodules

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI)-imaging is a novel ultrasound-based elastography method enabling quantitative measurement of tissue stiffness. This study aimed to evaluate diagnostic value of conventional ultrasound and tissue quantification by using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technology for differentiation of small thyroid solid lesions. Ninety thyroid masses were examined by using the conventional ultrasound and Virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) of ARFI. The shear wave velocity (SWV) (m/s) was also examined. Combined traditional ultrasound diagnosis criteria (CTUDC) of thyroid nodules were also evaluated. Receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic performance. The final diagnosis was obtained from clinical histology findings. In conventional ultrasound patterns, A/T ≥ 1 had the highest area under curve, which could achieve to 0.6547. The mean value of SWV of thyroid microcarcinoma differed significantly from those of benign nodules (3.92±2.01 m/s vs. 2.52±1.09 m/s, P < 0.01). For differentiating between benign and malignant nodules, the sensitivity, specificity were 80.56% and 74.07%, respectively, which were based on the standard SWV (2.57 m/s). Meanwhile, the sensitivity and specificity could achieve 77.78% and 77.22%, respectively, which were based on CTUDC. The Area under ROC curve (AUC) of VTQ and CTUDC were 0.825 and 0.8226 respectively. Among the ninety thyroid masses, only five benign lesions were misdiagnosis as malignant ones if combination application of VTQ and CTUDC. In conclusion, the VTQ of ARFI technology can be applied in diagnosis of small thyroid nodules, which may be complement B-mode ultrasound and plays an important role in clinical applications.
Esophageal reflux after total or proximal gastrectomy in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia.

OBJECTIVES To demonstrate gastroesophageal reflux induced by proximal gastrectomy and to report preventive measures, such as total gastrectomy followed by Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy. METHODS Thirteen patients underwent proximal gastrectomy (PG), and six patients underwent total gastrectomy (TG). Two of the 13 patients who received PG later underwent completion total gastrectomy. All patients were followed with endoscopy, radionuclide scintigraphy, and 24-h pH monitoring. RESULTS Endoscopic examination revealed evidence of esophagitis in all PG group patients; however, none of the TG group had esophagitis. Prolonged esophageal transit was observed in 11 patients (10 in the PG group, one in the TG group). Increased residual fraction was found in 10 patients (nine in the PG group, one in the TG group). An increase in the retrograde index was found in 14 cases (11 in the PG group, three in the TG group). Positive enterogastroesophageal reflux was identified in 11 patients (eight in the PG group, three in the TG group). Twenty-four hour pH monitoring resulted in 10 positives (10 in the PG group, none in the TG group). CONCLUSIONS Frequently, proximal gastrectomy will lead to significant gastroesophageal reflux and, subsequently, to varying degrees of esophagitis. The clinical symptoms are usually characteristic. However, the severity of esophagitis and the mechanism of reflux can be determined only by integrated interpretation of a reflux study. The study should include endoscopy, radionuclide scintigraphy, and 24-h pH monitoring. Although a total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y diversion can reduce the incidence of acid reflux, neutral enteroesophageal reflux may be observed during a radioactive isotope study. Fortunately, neutral refluxes rarely cause esophagitis. A proximal gastrectomy should be avoided in adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia, except in early cancer. Symptomatic palliation can be relieved by medication. However, completion total gastrectomy is the only effective method for eradicating unrelenting symptoms.
Repeated Aerosolized-Boosting with Gamma-Irradiated Mycobacterium bovis BCG Confers Improved Pulmonary Protection against the Hypervirulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis Strain HN878 in Mice

Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), the only licensed vaccine, shows limited protection efficacy against pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), particularly hypervirulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains, suggesting that a logistical and practical vaccination strategy is urgently required. Boosting the BCG-induced immunity may offer a potentially advantageous strategy for advancing TB vaccine development, instead of replacing BCG completely. Despite the improved protection of the airway immunization by using live BCG, the use of live BCG as an airway boosting agent may evoke safety concerns. Here, we analyzed the protective efficacy of γ-irradiated BCG as a BCG-prime boosting agent for airway immunization against a hypervirulent clinical strain challenge with Mycobacterium tuberculosis HN878 in a mouse TB model. After the aerosol challenge with the HN878 strain, the mice vaccinated with BCG via the parenteral route exhibited only mild and transient protection, whereas BCG vaccination followed by multiple aerosolized boosting with γ-irradiated BCG efficiently maintained long-lasting control of Mtb in terms of bacterial reduction and pathological findings. Further immunological investigation revealed that this approach resulted in a significant increase in the cellular responses in terms of a robust expansion of antigen (PPD and Ag85A)-specific CD4+ T cells concomitantly producing IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2, as well as a high level of IFN-γ-producing recall response via both the local and systemic immune systems upon further boosting. Collectively, aerosolized boosting of γ-irradiated BCG is able to elicit strong Th1-biased immune responses and confer enhanced protection against a hypervirulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis HN878 infection in a boosting number-dependent manner.
Sulfolipid Deficiency Does Not Affect the Virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv in Mice and Guinea Pigs

ABSTRACT Lipids that are found only in the cell envelope of pathogenic mycobacteria, such as those containing multiple methyl-branched fatty acids, have long been thought to play a role in pathogenesis. Among these complex lipids, sulfolipids have been the most extensively studied over the last 50 years. The numerous biological effects exhibited by purified sulfolipids on phagocytic cells led to the idea that these molecules are probably important virulence factors facilitating the intracellular survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, definitive evidence to support this concept has been lacking. The recent construction of an isogenic sulfolipid-deficient mutant of M. tuberculosis H37Rv (Sirakova et al., J. Biol. Chem. 276:16833-16839, 2001) has for the first time provided the opportunity to directly assess the contribution of these complex lipids to pathogenesis. In the present study, we show that against all expectations, sulfolipid deficiency does not significantly affect the replication, persistence, and pathogenicity of M. tuberculosis H37Rv in mice and guinea pigs or in cultured macrophages.
Passive Proton Conductance Is the Major Reason for Membrane Depolarization and Conductance Increase in Chara buckellii in High-Salt Conditions

Chara buckellii G.O. A. , a salt-tolerant alga, has a less negative membrane potential (Em) when cultured in saline medium (artificial Waldsea water) than when cultured in freshwater. The cell hyperpolarizes and membrane conductance (Gm) decreases when the external medium is changed from Waldsea control solution (WCS), a high-salt medium, to low-salt medium containing sufficient sorbitol to generate the same osmotic potential as WCS. Banding pattern and proton flux experiments show that C. buckellii has higher passive proton influx in the alkaline band in high-salt medium than in low-salt medium. Decrease of the passive proton influx by darkness or low external pH dramatically hyperpolarizes the membrane and decreases the conductance. The pH dependence curves of Em and Gm also indicate the existence of high passive proton conductance (GH) in C. buckellii. Ion substitution experiments show that Em and Gm of saltwater cells are not dependent on K+, Na+, Cl-, or SO42+. Mg2+ also affects Em and Gm, but its effect is probably on GH. We conclude that GH is the most important cause of the membrane depolarization and conductance increase in the saltwater alga C. buckellii.
Early Round Upsets and Championship Blowouts

In equilibrium play of a two-round tournament we find that underdogs exert more effort in the opening round while favorites save more effort for the final. Ability differences between players are therefore compressed in the opening round so upsets are more likely, and amplified in the final so blowouts are more likely. Measures that reduce the need to strategically allocate effort across games make for a more exciting final but a less exciting opening round. Consistent with the model, introduction of a one-day rest period between regional semi-final and final matches in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament was found to increase the favorite’s victory margin in the semi-finals by about five points. Non-sports applications of the model include the allocation of resources across primaries and general elections by candidates and the allocation of resources across a career ladder by managers.
Fast Slip Link Model for Bidisperse Linear Polymer Melts

A simple and fast slip link model called ecoSLM is presented and applied to mixtures of short and long linear polymers. It explicitly models binary entanglements between chains as slip links and offers a natural and powerful representation of constraint release. A multichain Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is developed to simulate stress relaxation following a step shear in the linear viscoelastic regime. The time required for accumulated slack to equilibrate along the chain contour is subsumed into the definition of the time step. The parameters of the ecoSLM are determined from data on monodisperse linears by mapping the time and modulus scales and specifying a parameter γ that is related to the variation of the zero-shear viscosity with molar mass. Predictions of viscosity and dynamic moduli obtained using the ecoSLM are in remarkably good agreement with experimental data on 1,4-polybutadienes. Thus, ecoSLM fills a valuable niche in describing the long and intermediate timescale dynamics of bidisper.
CYP2D6 genetic polymorphism and genetic ancestry on extrapyramidal side-effects of long-term treatment with classical antipsychotics in cuban patients with schizophrenia

Background: Different factors alter a patient’s susceptibility to adverse neuroleptic reactions. The CYP2D6 gene codes for a human cytochrome P450 2D6 enzyme, which is responsible for the metabolism of many psychiatric drugs. Ethnicity may also influence the susceptibility to adverse effects of long-term treatment with classical Antipsychotics (AP) because allele frequencies differ in correspondence with interethnic differences. Objective: To evaluate whether the CYP2D6 allelic variants/predicted metabolic capacity status and the genetic ancestry are associated with classical antipsychotic-induced extrapyramidal side-effects (EPS) in Cuban patients with schizophrenia. Methods and findings: A cross-sectional study was carried out. 209 patients were included: 61 of them with EPS at present and 148 patients without EPS. DNA samples were genotyped to estimate of admixture proportions and CYP2D6 genotype. Homozygous patients with non-functional alleles have a higher risk of developing EPS (RR=3.418). These patients have a higher proportion of European genes (0.82). Conclusion: The Poor Metabolizer (PM) genotype may be a predisposing factor for EPS. The study did not find evidence that ethnic differences played a large part in the risk of EPS.
Phase Transition of Tractability in Constraint Satisfaction and Bayesian Network Inference

There has been great interest in identifying tractable subclasses of NP complete problems and designing efficient algorithms for these tractable classes. Constraint satisfaction and Bayesian network inference are two examples of such problems that are of great importance in AI and algorithms. In this paper we study, under the frameworks of random constraint satisfaction problems and random Bayesian networks, a typical tractable subclass characterized by the treewidth of the problems. We show that the property of having a bounded treewidth for CSPs and Bayesian network inference problem has a phase transition that occurs while the underlying structures of problems are still sparse. This implies that algorithms making use of treewidth based structural knowledge only work efficiently in a limited range of random instance.
High levels of homocysteine downregulate apolipoprotein E expression via nuclear factor kappa B.

AIM To investigate the effect of high homocysteine (Hcy) levels on apolipoprotein E (apoE) expression and the signaling pathways involved in this gene regulation. METHODS Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to assess apoE expression in cells treated with various concentrations (50-500 μmol/L) of Hcy. Calcium phosphate-transient transfections were performed in HEK-293 and RAW 264.7 cells to evaluate the effect of Hcy on apoE regulatory elements [promoter and distal multienhancer 2 (ME2)]. To this aim, plasmids containing the proximal apoE promoter [(-500/+73)apoE construct] alone or in the presence of ME2 [ME2/(-500/+73)apoE construct] to drive the expression of the reporter luciferase gene were used. Co-transfection experiments were carried out to investigate the downstream effectors of Hcy-mediated regulation of apoE promoter by using specific inhibitors or a dominant negative form of IKβ. In other co-transfections, the luciferase reporter was under the control of synthetic promoters containing multiple specific binding sites for nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), activator protein-1 (AP-1) or nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was accomplished to detect the binding of NF-κB p65 subunit to the apoE promoter in HEK-293 treated with 500 μmol/L Hcy. As control, cells were incubated with similar concentration of cysteine. NF-κB p65 proteins bound to DNA were immunoprecipitated with anti-p65 antibodies and DNA was identified by PCR using primers amplifying the region -100/+4 of the apoE gene. RESULTS RT-PCR revealed that high levels of Hcy (250-750 μmol/L) induced a 2-3 fold decrease in apoE mRNA levels in HEK-293 cells, while apoE gene expression was not significantly affected by treatment with lower concentrations of Hcy (100 μmol/L). Immunoblotting data provided additional evidence for the negative role of Hcy in apoE expression. Hcy decreased apoE promoter activity, in the presence or absence of ME2, in a dose dependent manner, in both RAW 264.7 and HEK-293 cells, as revealed by transient transfection experiments. The downstream effectors of the signaling pathways of Hcy were also investigated. The inhibitory effect of Hcy on the apoE promoter activity was counteracted by MAPK/ERK kinase 1/2 (MEK1/2) inhibitor U0126, suggesting that MEK1/2 is involved in the downregulation of apoE promoter activity by Hcy. Our data demonstrated that Hcy-induced inhibition of apoE took place through activation of NF-κB. Moreover, we demonstrated that Hcy activated a synthetic promoter containing three NF-κB binding sites, but did not affect promoters containing AP-1 or NFAT binding sites. ChIP experiments revealed that NF-κB p65 subunit is recruited to the apoE promoter following Hcy treatment of cells. CONCLUSION Hcy-induced stress negatively modulates apoE expression via MEK1/2 and NF-κB activation. The decreased apoE expression in peripheral tissues may aggravate atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases and renal dysfunctions.
Creatine in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

UNLABELLED Creatine supplementation improves glucose tolerance in healthy subjects. PURPOSES The aim was to investigate whether creatine supplementation has a beneficial effect on glycemic control of type 2 diabetic patients undergoing exercise training. METHODS A 12-wk randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed. The patients were allocated to receive either creatine (CR) (5 g·d) or placebo (PL) and were enrolled in an exercise training program. The primary outcome was glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Secondary outcomes included the area under the curve of glucose, insulin, and C-peptide and insulin sensitivity indexes. Physical capacity, lipid profile, and GLUT-4 protein expression and translocation were also assessed. RESULTS Twenty-five subjects were analyzed (CR: n=13; PL: n=12). HbA1c was significantly reduced in the creatine group when compared with the placebo group (CR: PRE=7.4 ± 0.7, POST=6.4 ± 0.4; PL: PRE=7.5 ± 0.6, POST=7.6 ± 0.7; P=0.004; difference=-1.1%, 95% confidence interval=-1.9% to -0.4%). The delta area under the curve of glucose concentration was significantly lower in the CR group than in the PL group (CR=-7790 ± 4600, PL=2008 ± 7614; P=0.05). The CR group also presented decreased glycemia at times 0, 30, and 60 min during a meal tolerance test and increased GLUT-4 translocation. Insulin and C-peptide concentrations, surrogates of insulin sensitivity, physical capacity, lipid profile, and adverse effects were comparable between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Creatine supplementation combined with an exercise program improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients. The underlying mechanism seems to be related to an increase in GLUT-4 recruitment to the sarcolemma.
Experiences and Psychosocial Impact of West Africa Ebola Deployment on US Health Care Volunteers

Background: This qualitative study was designed to assess health care volunteers’ experiences and psychosocial impacts associated with deployment to the West Africa Ebola epidemic. Methods: In 2015, using snowball sampling, 16 US health care volunteers who had recently returned from West Africa were recruited for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect information associated with each phase of deployment (pre, peri, and post). Results: Participants reported that they were motivated to volunteer because of a sense of responsibility and feelings of empathy and altruism. Immediately prior to deployment, most reported fear of contagion and death, as well as doubts regarding the adequacy of their training. Family members and close friends expressed high levels of concern regarding participants’ decisions to volunteer. During the deployment, participants were fearful of exposure and reported feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. They also reported feeling frustrated by extreme resource limitations, poor management of the mission, lack of clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and inability to provide high quality care. Upon return home, participants felt a sense of isolation, depression, stigmatization, interpersonal difficulties, and extreme stress. Conclusion: Preparedness of volunteers was suboptimal at each stage of deployment. All stakeholders, including volunteers, sponsoring organizations, government agencies, and professional organizations have a shared responsibility in ensuring that volunteers to medical missions are adequately prepared. This is especially critical for high risk deployments. Effective policies and practices need to be developed and implemented in order to protect the health and well-being of health care volunteers to the fullest extent possible.
Intratracheal IL-6 Protects against Lung Inflammation in Direct, but Not Indirect, Causes of Acute Lung Injury in Mice

Introduction Serum and bronchoalveolar fluid IL-6 are increased in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and predict prolonged mechanical ventilation and poor outcomes, although the role of intra-alveolar IL-6 in indirect lung injury is unknown. We investigated the role of endogenous and exogenous intra-alveolar IL-6 in AKI-mediated lung injury (indirect lung injury), intraperitoneal (IP) endotoxin administration (indirect lung injury) and, for comparison, intratracheal (IT) endotoxin administration (direct lung injury) with the hypothesis that IL-6 would exert a pro-inflammatory effect in these causes of acute lung inflammation. Methods Bronchoalveolar cytokines (IL-6, CXCL1, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10), BAL fluid neutrophils, lung inflammation (lung cytokines, MPO activity [a biochemical marker of neutrophil infiltration]), and serum cytokines were determined in adult male C57Bl/6 mice with no intervention or 4 hours after ischemic AKI (22 minutes of renal pedicle clamping), IP endotoxin (10 µg), or IT endotoxin (80 µg) with and without intratracheal (IT) IL-6 (25 ng or 200 ng) treatment. Results Lung inflammation was similar after AKI, IP endotoxin, and IT endotoxin. BAL fluid IL-6 was markedly increased after IT endotoxin, and not increased after AKI or IP endotoxin. Unexpectedly, IT IL-6 exerted an anti-inflammatory effect in healthy mice characterized by reduced BAL fluid cytokines. IT IL-6 also exerted an anti-inflammatory effect in IT endotoxin characterized by reduced BAL fluid cytokines and lung inflammation; IT IL-6 had no effect on lung inflammation in AKI or IP endotoxin. Conclusion IL-6 exerts an anti-inflammatory effect in direct lung injury from IT endotoxin, yet has no role in the pathogenesis or treatment of indirect lung injury from AKI or IP endotoxin. Since intra-alveolar inflammation is important in the pathogenesis of direct, but not indirect, causes of lung inflammation, IT anti-inflammatory treatments may have a role in direct, but not indirect, causes of ARDS.
Ectopic micronodular thymoma with lymphoid stroma in the cervical region: a rare case associated with Langerhans cells proliferation

Micronodular thymoma (MNT) with lymphoid stroma is a rare thymic epithelial neoplasm with the characteristics of multiple nodules separated by abundant lymphoid stroma. MNTs mainly arise in the anterior mediastinum and thymus, while ectopic MNTs are extremely rarely seen. Here, we report an ectopic MNT that occurred in the neck of a 62-year-old woman. There were also scattered eosinophilic granulocytes and S100+/CD1a+ Langerhans cells within the tumor. This case provides a better understanding of such rare, poorly understood cases.
Anonymizing Graphs Against Weight-based Attacks with Community Preservation

The increasing popularity of graph data, such as social and online communities, has initiated a prolific research area in knowledge discovery and data mining. As more real-world graphs are released publicly, there is growing concern about privacy breaching for the entities involved. An adversary may reveal identities of individuals in a published graph, with the topological structure and/or basic graph properties as background knowledge. Many previous studies addressing such attacks as identity disclosure, however, concentrate on preserving privacy in simple graph data only. In this paper, we consider the identity disclosure problem in weighted graphs. The motivation is that, a weighted graph can introduce much more unique information than its simple version, which makes the disclosure easier. We first formalize a general anonymization model to deal with weight-based attacks. Then two concrete attacks are discussed based on weight properties of a graph, including the sum and the set of adjacent weights for each vertex. We also propose a complete solution for the weight anonymization problem to prevent a graph from both attacks. In addition, we also investigate the impact of the proposed methods on community detection, a very popular application in the graph mining field. Our approaches are efficient and practical, and have been validated by extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets.