Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elderly Cancer Survivors Reflect on Coping Strategies During the Cancer Journey

Purpose This paper focuses on perspectives of elderly cancer survivors on their experiences of coping with cancer during various phases of their illness journey, ranging from diagnosis phase to treatment and finally considering post treatment survivorship. Anchored in the stress paradigm, the purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of living with cancer and older adults’ orientations to coping with stressors encountered during their cancer journey as reflected in narratives of elderly cancer survivors. Methods A nonclinical sample of 174 older adults who reported a cancer diagnosis were selected from a panel study of successful aging. In-depth interviews with respondents focused on perceived stressors and coping strategies at different phases of their cancer experience. Themes were derived from narratives based on consensus by two raters. Results Most of the elderly patients accepted their diagnosis without dismay. Resolve and determination during the diagnosis phase was followed by assuming a more passive role during the treatment phase, relying on expert medical care. During the longer term survivorship phase older adults looked back at the adaptations they found most useful. The majority reported valuing active coping styles. These include seeking social support and instrumental orientations to dealing with the illness followed by religious or spiritual approaches. Conclusions The “on time” interpretation of having a cancer diagnosis in old age may diminish the stressfulness of the diagnosis and may enhance the patients’ ability to proactively deal with the reality of their illness.
Top down and bottom-up regulation of phytoplankton assemblages in tidepools

We examined the relative importance of bottom-up (nutrient availability) and top-down (grazing) factors in regulating phytoplankton assemblages in tidepools on a rocky shore near Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. We manipulated the concentration of nutrients and density of micrograzers in pools in the h ~ g h intertidal and splash zones in 3 repeated, 1 to 2 wk experiments in November 1992 and June and August 1993 For each expenment, we set up 4 orthogonal treatments in enclosures in each of 3 or 4 pools: (1) micrograzers removed and nutrients enriched, (2) micrograzers removed and nutrients at natural levels, (3) micrograzers at natural densities and nutrients enriched, and (4) both micrograzers and nutrients at natural levels. For each treatment, we measured the change in abundance over 1 wk intervals of 5 taxonomic groups of phytoplankton: centric diatoms, pennate diatoms, cryptomonads, prasinophytes, and chlorophytes. We examlned the effects of nutrient concentration, grazer denslty, and pool on the phytoplankton assenthlage uslng multivariate analysis of variance. There were significant effects of grazer density in June and August, and of nutrient concentration in August, which varied among phytoplankton groups and tidepools. In 1 pool in June, reduction in grazer density had a negative effect on pennate diatoms, cryptomonads and chlorophytes in the first week of the experiment, but a posihve effect on pennate diatoms In the second week. In another pool in the second week, grazer reduction had a positive effect on prasinoph.ytes but a negative effect on chlorophytes. In 1 pool in August, nutrient enrichment had a posltlve effect on pras~nophytes in the first week of the experiment, and grazer reduction had a negative effect on cryptomonads and chlorophytes in the second week. In another pool in the first week, nutrient enrichment had a negative effect on chlorophytes. Based on the frequency of significant effects, we concluded that grazing is more important than the nutrient regime in regulating phytoplankton assemblages in tidepools. The large variability among tidepools in the response of phytoplankton to our manipulations supports our previous suggestion that regulation of these assemblages occurs at the scale of the individual pool rather than the intertidal zone.
Memorable and Secure: How Do You Choose Your PIN?

Managing all your PINs is difficult. Banks acknowledge this by allowing and facilitating PIN changes. However, choosing secure PINs is a difficult task for humans as they are incapable of consciously generating randomness. This leads to certain PINs being chosen more frequently than others, which in turn increases the danger of someone else guessing correctly. We investigate different methods of supporting PIN changes and report on an evaluation of these methods in a study with 152 participants. Our contribution is twofold: We introduce an alternative to system-generated random PINs, which considers people’s preferred memorisation strategy, and, secondly, we provide indication that presenting guidance on how to avoid insecure PINs does indeed nudge people towards more secure PIN choices when they are in the process of changing their PINs.
Translocator protein (18 kDa)/peripheral benzodiazepine receptor specific ligands induce microglia functions consistent with an activated state

In the brain, translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO), previously called peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), is a glial protein that has been extensively used as a biomarker of brain injury and inflammation. However, the functional role of TSPO in glial cells is not well characterized. In this study, we show that the TSPO‐specific ligands R‐PK11195 (PK) and Ro5‐4864 (Ro) increased microglia proliferation and phagocytosis with no effect on migration. Both ligands increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and this effect may be mediated by NADPH‐oxidase. PK and Ro also produced a small but detectable increase in IL‐1β release. We also examined the effect of PK and Ro on the expression of proinflammatory genes and cytokine release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activated microglia. PK or Ro had no effect on LPS‐induced increase of pro‐inflammatory genes, but they both decreased the ATP‐induced increase of COX‐2 gene expression. Ro, but not PK, enhanced the LPS‐induced release of IL‐1β. However, Ro decreased the ATP‐induced release of IL‐1β and TNF‐α, and PK decreased the ATP‐induced release of TNF‐α. Exposure to Ro in the presence of LPS increased the number of apoptotic microglia, an effect that could be blocked by PK. These findings show that TSPO ligands modulate cellular functions consistent with microglia activation. Further, when microglia are activated, these ligands may have therapeutic potential by reducing the expression of pro‐inflammatory genes and cytokine release. Finally, Ro‐like ligands may be involved in the elimination of activated microglia via apoptosis. ©2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
H19 Long Noncoding RNA Regulates Intestinal Epithelial Barrier Function via MicroRNA 675 by Interacting with RNA-Binding Protein HuR

ABSTRACT The disruption of the intestinal epithelial barrier function occurs commonly in various pathologies, but the exact mechanisms responsible are unclear. The H19 long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) regulates the expression of different genes and has been implicated in human genetic disorders and cancer. Here, we report that H19 plays an important role in controlling the intestinal epithelial barrier function by serving as a precursor for microRNA 675 (miR-675). H19 overexpression increased the cellular abundance of miR-675, which in turn destabilized and repressed the translation of mRNAs encoding tight junction protein ZO-1 and adherens junction E-cadherin, resulting in the dysfunction of the epithelial barrier. Increasing the level of the RNA-binding protein HuR in cells overexpressing H19 prevented the stimulation of miR-675 processing from H19, promoted ZO-1 and E-cadherin expression, and restored the epithelial barrier function to a nearly normal level. In contrast, the targeted deletion of HuR in intestinal epithelial cells enhanced miR-675 production in the mucosa and delayed the recovery of the gut barrier function after exposure to mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion. These results indicate that H19 interacts with HuR and regulates the intestinal epithelial barrier function via the H19-encoded miR-675 by altering ZO-1 and E-cadherin expression posttranscriptionally.
Exact channel routing using symbolic representation

The layout problem in VLSI-design can be broken up into the subtasks partitioning, placement and routing. As well as the others of these tasks, the routing problem is NP-complete and so in general it is impossible to find an optimal solution to it in an efficient way. However for problem instances of small size, it may be possible not only to generate the best routing with respect to a certain cost function, but even to determine all legal solutions to the problem. We consider the channel routing problem and show how to solve it exactly using symbolic methods i.e. MDDs (Multi-valued Decision Diagrams). The basic operations on MDDs can be carried out very efficiently and thus the necessary time-consuming computations can be speeded up considerably. In our approach, wires in the channel are described as functions of multi-valued variables, and so the grid points and also the set of legal solutions can be represented by MDD-nodes. Furthermore, routability is transformed into satisfiability of these functions. By this we can also decide if a channel is routable. Because satisfiability is trivial for MDDs. It will be shown that the best routing can be extracted from the set of all possible solutions very easily. Finally, experimental results are given to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach.
Comparison of preoperative computerized tomography scan imaging of temporal bone with the intra-operative findings in patients undergoing mastoidectomy.

OBJECTIVE To compare the consistency rates of pre- and intra-operative radiological findings in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). METHODS In a cross-sectional study, 80 patients with CSOM underwent pre-operative CT scanning and we compared the results with intra-operative clinical findings during mastoidectomy from 2000-2004 in the Otology Department, Amiralmomenin Hospital of Guilan Medical University, Rasht, Iran. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of CT scan in tympanic and mastoid cholesteatoma, ossicular chain erosion, tegmen tympani erosion, dehiscence of facial canal, lateral semicircular canal (LSCC) fistula were assessed. Then, correlation between radiological findings and intra-operative findings were calculated. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 27.9 +/- 16.3 years. Mostly were males (n=57 [71.3%]). Correlation of preoperative radiological images with intra-operative clinical findings were moderate to good on tympanic cholesteatoma, mastoid cholesteatoma and ossicular chain erosion, but weak and insignificant in cases of tegmen tympani erosion, facial canal dehiscence and LSCC fistulae. CONCLUSION Preoperative CT scan may be helpful in decision-making for surgery in cases of cholesteatoma and ossicular erosion. Despite of limitations radiological scanning is a useful adjunct to management of CSOM.
Synaptic Structure and Transmitter Release in Crustacean Phasic and Tonic Motor Neurons

The paired phasic and tonic motor neurons supplying the extensor muscle in the crayfish leg were investigated to establish whether differences in synaptic structure could account for large differences in transmitter release at the neuromuscular junctions. Nerve terminals with transmitter release that had been assessed from recordings made with a focal “macro-patch” electrode were subsequently labeled, processed for electron microscopy, and reconstructed from serial sections. At a frequency of 1 Hz, quantal contents of phasic terminals were 90–1300 times greater than those of tonic terminals when both were recorded at the same location. At higher frequencies, facilitation was pronounced at tonic, but not phasic, terminals. Reconstructions of recording sites showed that both phasic and tonic terminals possessed many small synapses, usually with one or more structurally defined active zones. Mean synaptic contact area was larger for tonic terminals, and the number of individual synapses per length of nerve terminal was also larger. Active zones were not different in size for the two terminals. At low frequencies, quantal emission per synapse is much greater for phasic terminals. The higher quantal content of phasic terminals and their synapses cannot reasonably be accounted for by more or larger synapses or active zones at the recording sites. Because structural features alone are not likely to produce the very large differences in quantal content of phasic and tonic terminals observed at low stimulation frequencies, it is likely that other properties of the nerve terminal are largely responsible for these differences.
Effects of r‐metHuG‐CSF on polymorphonuclear leucocyte kinetics and function in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis

End‐stage renal failure (ESRF) patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) are immunocompromised and exhibit abnormal circulating polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) function, including reduced phagocytosis and intracellular killing. Six uraemic patients on CAPD were each given 300 μg granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF) every day for 5 d and PMN function tests were performed daily. By day 5 of the study CD11b expression was significantly decreased in response to N‐formylmethionylleucylphenylalanine (fMLP) and opsonized Staphylococcus epidermidis stimulation, and expression of L‐selectin (CD62L) was significantly decreased in response to opsonized Staphylococcus epidermidis stimulation. Further, superoxide anion production and FcγRI (CD64) expression were found to be significantly increased and FcγRIII (CD16) expression was lowered. Circulating white cell and PMN counts were significantly elevated in response to treatment. Administration of G‐CSF did not appear to have corrected the abnormalities in phagocytosis and intracellular killing. This study suggests that G‐CSF does no harm to ESRF patients and influences uraemic PMN function in a manner that is comparable to its effects on PMN in non‐uraemic subjects.
What Size Neural Network Gives Optimal Generalization? Convergence Properties of Backpropagation

One of the most important aspects of any machine learning paradigm is how i t scales according to problem size and complexity. Using a task with known optimal train ing error, and a pre-specified maximum number of training updates, we investigate the convergence of th backpropagation algorithm with respect to a) the complexity of the required function approximatio n, b) the size of the network in relation to the size required for an optimal solution, and c) the degree o f noise in the training data. In general, for a) the solution found is worse when the function to be app roximated is more complex, for b) oversized networks can result in lower training and generalization error in certain cases, and for c) the use of committee or ensemble techniques can be more beneficial as the level o f noise in the training data is increased. For the experiments we performed, we do not obtain the optimal solution in any case. We further support the observation that larger networks can produce bett er training and generalization error using a face recognition example where a network with many more par ameters than training points generalizes better than smaller networks.
Genotype-phenotype correlations in Axenfeld-Rieger malformation and glaucoma patients with FOXC1 and PITX2 mutations.

PURPOSE To improve the understanding of Axenfeld-Rieger Malformation (ARM)-associated glaucoma and to determine the best glaucoma treatment for patients with ARM who have known genetic defects in FOXC1 or PITX2. METHODS Clinical data were collected from patients with diagnosed ARM, in whom we had previously identified disease-causing mutations in either the FOXC1 or PITX2 genes, by examination of patient records and use of clinical questionnaires. One hundred twenty-six patients with ARM, representing 20 different probands, with FOXC1 and PITX2 alterations were included in the study. RESULTS ARM-associated glaucoma is a bilateral anterior segment dysgenesis disease that affects males and females equally. Seventy-five percent of the patients with ARM who participated in this study had glaucoma that had developed in adolescence or early adulthood. Of note, the patients with nonocular findings were more likely to have PITX2 defects than FOXC1 defects. Glaucoma in only 18% of patients with either PITX2 or FOXC1 genetic defects responded to medical or surgical treatment (used solely or in combination). CONCLUSIONS Patients with FOXC1 mutations have the mildest prognosis for glaucoma development, whereas patients with PITX2 defects and patients with FOXC1 duplication have a more severe prognosis for glaucoma development than do patients with FOXC1 mutations. In the present study, current medical therapies do not successfully lower intraocular pressure or prevent progression of glaucoma in patients with ARM who have FOXC1 or PITX2 alterations. This clinical study also provides useful diagnostic criteria to identify the gene responsible for ARM.
Formulation and application of a numerical scoring system for assessing histological activity in asymptomatic chronic active hepatitis

A Histology Activity Index has been developed which generates a numerical score for liver biopsy specimens obtained from patients with asymptomatic chronic active hepatitis. Biopsies are graded in four categories: periportal necrosis, intralobular necrosis, portal inflammation, and fibrosis. Under code, three pathologists and three hepatologists evaluated 14 liver biopsy specimens obtained from five patients with asymptomatic chronic active hepatitis. Good correlation was seen between severity of liver biopsy lesions as judged by conventional histological descriptions and Histology Activity Index scores. Significant differences in Histology Activity Index score occurred in only 2 of 28 duplicate scorings of biopsy specimens by two observers. This system provides definitive endpoints for statistical analysis of serial changes in liver histology and offers an alternative to the use of conventional pathological descriptions in following the natural history and treatment responses of asymptomatic chronic active hepatitis.
Information Behavior of People Diagnosed with a Chronic Serious Health Condition: A Longitudinal Study

s) database for records with descriptors containing the word “information” and titles containing the word “diab*” yielded just 14 records. In contrast, a similar search substituting “cancer*” for “diab*” yielded well over 100 records and substituting “HIV” or “AIDS” for “diab*” yielded over 200 records. As of July 2011, this disparity remains. The search for records with descriptors containing the word “information” and titles containing the word “diab*” yielded 20 records, while a similar search for “cancer*” yielded 146 records and a search for “HIV*” or “AIDS” yielded 220 records. This relative lack of coverage of diabetes is interesting because it seems likely that diabetes is potentially more amenable to patient control than cancer or HIV/AIDS, which suggests that the link between information behavior and ultimate health outcome may be even stronger for people with diabetes than for people with either cancer or HIV/AIDS. In the remainder of this section, some of the studies that have been done within the LIS field, as well as in other closely allied fields such as nursing and communication, will be briefly discussed. Although not all of these studies set out to specifically study information
Circulating Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 Is Associated With Fat Mass and Dyslipidemia in Two Independent Cohorts of Elderly Individuals

Objective—Disturbances in mineral metabolism define an increased cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic kidney disease. Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) is a circulating regulator of phosphate and vitamin D metabolism and has recently been implicated as a putative pathogenic factor in cardiovascular disease. Because other members of the FGF family play a role in lipid and glucose metabolism, we hypothesized that FGF23 would associate with metabolic factors that predispose to an increased cardiovascular risk. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between FGF23 and metabolic cardiovascular risk factors in the community. Methods and Results—Relationships between serum FGF23 and body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, serum lipids, and fat mass were examined in 2 community-based, cross-sectional cohorts of elderly whites (Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study: 964 men aged 75±3.2; Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors study: 946 men and women aged 70). In both cohorts, FGF23 associated negatively with high-density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein A1 (7% to 21% decrease per 1-SD increase in log FGF23; P<0.01) and positively with triglycerides (11% to 14% per 1-SD increase in log FGF23; P<0.01). A 1-SD increase in log FGF23 was associated with a 7% to 20% increase in BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio and a 7% to 18% increase in trunk and total body fat mass (P<0.01) as determined by whole-body dual x-ray absorptiometry. FGF23 levels were higher in subjects with the metabolic syndrome compared with those without (46.4 versus 41.2 pg/mL; P<0.05) and associated with an increased risk of having the metabolic syndrome (OR per 1-SD increase in log FGF23, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.40; P<0.05). Conclusion—We report for the first time on associations between circulating FGF23, fat mass, and adverse lipid metabolism resembling the metabolic syndrome, potentially representing a novel pathway(s) linking high FGF23 to an increased cardiovascular risk.
Effect of Carbon Black Film on High-Frequency Power Absorption

This letter proposes the use of carbon black film in absorbing high-frequency power. This low-cost material can be obtained easily using a low-cost fabrication process (i.e., screen printer). The 70 wt% carbon black film is 0.055-mm thick, with sheet resistance of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$162~\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula>/sq and conductivity of 113.6 S/m. Results show that carbon black film absorbs high-frequency signal, and the power loss reaches 70% at 3 GHz. Moreover, the starting suppression frequency could be controlled by adjusting the proportion of carbon black.
Graphical and analytic criteria for the existence of protein level oscillations in cyclic gene regulatory networks

This paper investigates the criteria for the existence of protein level oscillations in a class of gene regulatory networks, where a nonlinear differential equation model is considered to analyze its dynamical behavior. There are two steps to derive such criteria: We first employ a Poincaré-Bendixson type theorem to restrict the class of solution trajectories, and then carry out a local stability analysis of linearized systems with a generalized frequency variable. Then, our main results, graphical and its equivalent analytic criteria which are easily applicable for the networks consisting of arbitrary number of genes, are derived. Their distinctive features are also verified through numerical simulations.
Representational Maps from the Speech Signal to Phonological Categories : a Case Study with Lexical Tones

As the initial step in studying the acquisition of phonological categories from the speech signal, we describe representational issues for the target of learning, a probabilistic distribution of phonological categories over a phonetic parameter space. Our model system of study is cross-linguistic lexical tonal phonemes in tonal languages. We focus on two representational issues: temporal resolution of the extracted phonetic parameters and static and dynamic parameterizations of the speech signal. In a human perception study and exploratory computational modeling, we find that coarse sampling of absolute f0 and f0 velocity is sufficient for near-partitions of the phonetic parameter space for single-speaker tonal spaces in a range of tone languages.