Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for developing a new venous thromboembolism in ambulatory patients with non‐hematologic malignancies and impact on survival for gastroesophageal malignancies

Summary. Background: Venous thromboembolism(VTE) is a significant, common comorbidity of cancer patients associated with increased mortality. We evaluated the incidence and risk factors for developing a new VTE in ambulatory cancer patients while they were receiving therapy for advanced cancer. We also examined the affect of developing a new VTE on survival for patients with gastroesophageal malignancies. Methods: All patients with non‐hematologic malignancies who were treated using investigator‐initiated therapeutic protocols at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) from 2003 through to 2005 were identified for this cohort study. The occurrence of VTE was prospectively recorded in an actively managed clinical research database. Baseline laboratory parameters, treatment details and tumor type were correlated with VTE risk and patient survival. Results: 115 out of 2120 patients being treated for advanced malignancy developed a new VTE (12.8 VTEs/100 person‐years). In multivariate analysis, a diagnosis of gastroesophageal cancer (hazard ratio (HR), 2.76 (1.41–5.38); P = 0.003), pancreatic cancer (HR, 2.26 (1.06–4.80); P = 0.05), use of white cell growth factors (HR 1.69(1.09–2.64); P = 0.02) and irinotecan therapy (HR, 1.89 (1.29–3.59); P = 0.05) were independently associated with VTE development. Hemoglobin > 10 g dL−1 (HR, 0.52 (0.3–0.91); P = 0.02) and albumin ≥ 4 g dL−1 (HR, 0.61 (0.39–0.94); P = 0.024) were associated with reduced VTE risk. The unadjusted HR for death among ambulatory gastroesophageal cancer patients with VTE is 0.89 (0.61–1.3), P = 0.53. After adjusting for confounding risk factors associated with survival, the HR for death associated with VTE is 0.78 (0.5–1.2), P = 0.25. Conclusion: Upper gastrointestinal malignancies are independently associated with the development of a new VTE, implicating tumor biology in VTE development. Even after adjusting for prognostic factors, we were unable to demonstrate an adverse impact on survival due to the new development of VTE amongst patients with active gastroesophageal malignancy receiving therapy.
Study of the Ecology of Fresh Sausages and Characterization of Populations of Lactic Acid Bacteria by Molecular Methods

ABSTRACT In this study, a polyphasic approach was used to study the ecology of fresh sausages and to characterize populations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The microbial profile of fresh sausages was monitored from the production day to the 10th day of storage at 4°C. Samples were collected on days 0, 3, 6, and 10, and culture-dependent and -independent methods of detection and identification were applied. Traditional plating and isolation of LAB strains, which were subsequently identified by molecular methods, and the application of PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to DNA and RNA extracted directly from the fresh sausage samples allowed the study in detail of the changes in the bacterial and yeast populations during storage. Brochothrix thermosphacta and Lactobacillus sakei were the main populations present. In particular, B. thermosphacta was present throughout the process, as determined by both DNA and RNA analysis. Other bacterial species, mainly Staphylococcus xylosus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and L. curvatus, were detected by DGGE. Moreover, an uncultured bacterium and an uncultured Staphylococcus sp. were present, too. LAB strains isolated at day 0 were identified as Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, L. casei, and Enterococcus casseliflavus, and on day 3 a strain of Leuconostoc mesenteroides was identified. The remaining strains isolated belonged to L. sakei. Concerning the yeast ecology, only Debaryomyces hansenii was established in the fresh sausages. Capronia mansonii was initially present, but it was not detected after the first 3 days. At last, L. sakei isolates were characterized by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA PCR and repetitive DNA element PCR. The results obtained underlined how different populations took over at different steps of the process. This is believed to be the result of the selection of the particular population, possibly due to the low storage temperature employed.
Clinical Reasoning: A case of subacute cognitive decline in a 76-year-old man

A 76-year-old, right-handed man presented to our emergency department with a 3-day history of cognitive decline following a motor vehicle collision. Medical history included hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and renal dysfunction. He was a high-functioning retired advertising executive who formerly smoked cigarettes, and used neither recreational drugs nor alcohol.
BARGEN continuous GPS data across the eastern Basin and Range province, and implications for fault system dynamics

We collected data from a transect of continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) sites across the eastern Basin and Range province at latitude 39°N from 1997–2000. Intersite velocities define a region ~350 km wide of broadly distributed strain accumulation at ~10 nstr yr^(−1). On the western margin of the region, site EGAN, ~10 km north of Ely, Nevada, moved at a rate of 3.9 ± 0.2 mm yr^(−1) to the west relative to site CAST, which is on the Colorado Plateau. Velocities of most sites to the west of Ely moved at an average rate of ~3 mm yr^(−1) relative to CAST, defining an area across central Nevada that does not appear to be extending significantly. The late Quaternary geological velocity field, derived using seismic reflection and neotectonic data, indicates a maximum velocity of EGAN with respect to the Colorado Plateau of ~4 mm yr^(−1), also distributed relatively evenly across the region. The geodetic and late Quaternary geological velocity fields, therefore, are consistent, but strain release on the Sevier Desert detachment and the Wasatch fault appears to have been anomalously high in the Holocene. Previous models suggesting horizontal displacement rates in the eastern Basin and Range near 3 mm yr^(−1), which focused mainly along the Wasatch zone and Intermountain seismic belt, may overestimate the Holocene Wasatch rate by at least 50 per cent and the Quaternary rate by nearly an order of magnitude, while ignoring potentially major seismogenic faults further to the west.
Confirmatory factor analysis on the measurement of six salutogenetic constructs

The aim of this dissertation is to establish the factor structure of six salutogenic constructs. The six constructs are conceptualised form the salutogenic paradigm - namely sense of coherence, hardiness, self-efficacy, learned resourcefulness, locus of control and potency. A personality profile of the salutogenic functioning person as well as relevant international and South African research are presented. Measurements for the six constructs and biographical data are administered to a representative sample of 100 administrative officers. The instruments were found to be reliable in this study. Pearson product moment correlations indicated that salutogenesis does not differentiate between gender, race or qualification, and that coping ability increases with age. Factor analysis indicated a distinct three factor structure consisting of sense of coherence, hardiness and a combination of self-efficacy and potency (self-control). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit confirming the literature on and personality profile of the salutogenic functioning individual.
Endoscopic Evaluation of Small Intestine Transplant Grafts

Background The management of small bowel transplantation is unique because signs of rejection can be obtained visually by endoscopy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of endoscopic appearance in assessing histologic evidence of acute cellular rejection (ACR). Methods Endoscopies were performed in 66 asymptomatic “surveillance” small bowel transplant recipients and 71 symptomatic recipients from a single center. For surveillance patients, 125 ileoscopies were performed to collect 590 biopsies, and for the symptomatic group, 229 ileoscopies and jejunoscopies were conducted to obtain 434 biopsies. Results The sensitivity and specificity of endoscopic visualization in detecting ACR was 50% and 91.5% for the surveillance group and 43% and 67% for the symptomatic patients. In surveillance, visual impression alone would have missed three cases of moderate and no cases of severe ACR, whereas in the symptomatic group, visual inspection alone would have missed 20 cases of moderate ACR, and findings from visual inspection of the chimney were normal in 55% of cases with proximal ACR. However, chimney biopsy was generally representative of biopsy findings in the proximal graft but would have missed moderate to severe rejection in three patients (1%). In a subset of 23 endoscopies, zoom endoscopy did not improve visual discrimination. The only complication was a biopsy-related non–life-threatening bleed. Conclusions In symptomatic patients, visual inspection detected all cases of severe rejection but would have missed patients with early readily treatable rejection and thus making biopsy mandatory in clinical practice. Our results support the current practice of ileoscopic biopsy alone for graft surveillance in asymptomatic patients.
Rotator Cuff Regeneration Using a Bioabsorbable Material With Bone Marrow–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Rabbit Model

Background: Rotator cuff regeneration using tissue engineering techniques is a challenging treatment in elderly patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears. Hypothesis: A polyglycolic acid sheet scaffold with seeded mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may enhance the expression of type I collagen products and increase the mechanical strength of the regenerated tendon in vivo. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A surgically created defect of infraspinatus tendons of rabbits was reconstructed with 2 different materials, a polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet alone (PGA group) (n = 34) and a PGA sheet seeded with autologously cultured MSCs (MSC group) (n = 34). The authors created a tendon defect model without embedding any graft as the control model (control group) (n = 34). The rabbits were sacrificed at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after the operation and then were histologically evaluated. The rabbits were also biomechanically evaluated by measuring the ultimate failure loads and Young’s modulus at 4 and 16 weeks following implantation. Results: In the MSC group, the fibrocartilage layers and Sharpey fibers were found regularly in the insertion site at 8 weeks compared with the PGA group. In control group, thin membranes with many fibroblasts arranged in an irregular pattern linked the end of the torn cuff to the bone without any Sharpey fibers and type I collagen. A large volume of type I collagen was found in comparison with type III collagen at 16 weeks in the MSC group, whereas type III collagen was more prevalent than type I in the PGA group. The tendon maturing score in the MSC group had higher values than the PGA and control groups at 8 and 16 weeks (mean values were 21.0 ± 0.89, 24.0 ± 2.53 in the MSC group; 16.7 ± 2.25, 21.3 ± 2.42 in the PGA group; and 10.2 ± 0.98, 12.2 ± 1.72 in the control group, respectively) (P < .05). The results of the mechanical analysis revealed that the regenerated tendons in the MSC group had better tensile strength than in the PGA and control groups at 16 weeks (mean values were 3.04 ± 0.54 in the MSC group, 2.38 ± 0.63 in the PGA group, and 1.58 ± 0.13 in the control group) (P < .05). Conclusion: Bone marrow–derived MSCs were able to regenerate tendon-bone insertions and the tendon belly, including the production of type I collagen, and increased the mechanical strength of the regenerated rotator cuff tendon. Clinical Relevance: Rotator cuff regeneration using MSCs is a promising treatment for massive rotator cuff defects.
Security-as-a-Service from Clouds: A Comprehensive Analysis

In Security-as-a-service model the focus is on security provided as cloud services; i.e. security delivered through the cloud instead of on-premise security solutions. The securityas-a-service model can also enhance functionality of existing on-premise implementations by working as a hybrid solution. The paper provides the comprehensive analysis of security-asa-service delivery model from various perspectives. The paper addresses various issues regarding security delivered as cloud service. This paper addresses various questions that may arise regarding security-as-a-service viz. definition of security-as-aservice, its need, different security services currently available, different providers of same, different users and likely users of this service, various evaluation criterions for security-as-a-service solutions and implementation methods of such solutions.
Anonymous job application and discrimination

Anonymous job application is a policy measure which aims to eliminate discrimination during the job assignment process by concealing personal characteristics of applicants from employers. This paper provides evidence of discrimination and the effectiveness of anonymous job application with respect to the invitation for a job interview on the basis of two experiments in Nijmegen. This evidence is especially founded on an analysis in which the same groups of departments of the public sector of Nijmegen with and without anonymous job application are compared. Anonymous job application always results in non-discriminatory decisions of employers with respect to the invitation of the applicants for a job interview. There is neither in the groups with anonymous job application, nor in the other groups evidence of discrimination with respect to the hiring of the applicants, which takes place after the job interview. According to those results the discriminatory behavior of employers with respect to the invitation for a job interview is only explainable by theoretical models of statistical discrimination and anonymous job application always eliminates discrimination during the whole job assignment process. There is no convincing evidence of negative effects of anonymous job application on the efficiency of the application procedures in the short term. Finally, the evidence of „hidden discrimination‟, revealed by „over-qualified‟ immigrant applicants, shows that the effects of anonymous job application are even larger.
Hawthorn ethanolic extracts with triterpenoids and flavonoids exert hepatoprotective effects and suppress the hypercholesterolemia-induced oxidative stress in rats

Objective(s): The current study was aimed to determine the bioactive constituents and biological effects of the Crataegus monogyna ethanolic extracts from bark, leaves and berries on hypercholesterolemia. Materials and Methods: Oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, quercetin and lupeol concentrations were quantified by HPLC. Total phenol content and radical scavenging activity of extracts were also measured. The hypocholesterolemic, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective effects of the extracts were examined in hypercholesterolemic rats and compared with orlistat. Results: The highest phenol content, oleanolic acid, quercetin and lupeol levels and free radical scavenging potency were found in the bark extract, and the highest ursolic acid level was found in the berries extract. Orlistat and extracts significantly (P<0.05) lowered the hypercholesterolemia-increased serum level of hepatic enzymes and lipid peroxidation level. Hawthorn’s extracts protected from hepatic thiol depletion and improved the lipid profile and hepatic damages. Conclusion: Data suggested that hawthorn’s extracts are able to protect from hypercholesterolemia-induced oxidative stress and hepatic injuries. Moreover, the hypocholesterolemic effect of extracts was found comparable to orlistat.
Numerical comparisons of conical and annular-radial diffusers’ performance for high-density radial-inflow turbines

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is developed to serve as a leading thermodynamic technique capable of extracting more energy compared to other conventional cycles, benefiting from the use of high - density fluids. The critical component of ORC cycles is the turbo expander, which is fitted with a diffuser at the exit of the rotor to increase pressure recovery and overall efficiency of the turbine. This increase of efficiency can be crucial in improving the efficiency of high - density temperature renewable power cycles. The use of high - density fluids lead to small compact radial - inflow turbines with a high velocity at the exit of the rotor. Such high velocities then enter the diffuser and can negatively impact the recovery process due to losses associated with separation and recirculation. It is thus of paramount importance to better design diffusers for high - density radial - inflow turbines. However, while many studies focused on conical diffusers, they mainly considered ideal gas. One of our previous studies, highlighted the different behaviour of high - density fluids in diffusers, thus requiring a more detailed understanding of the flow and design optimization of diffusers for high - density turbines. n this analysis, R143a, a potential high - density fluid for a radial - inflow turbine, is employed. The suitable type of diffuser is discussed as it is significant to fit the current existing R143a radial inflow turbine to the best possible diffuser geometry. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is proposed in this study to effectively implement the numerical simulations of conical diffuser and annular - radial diffuser. This paper therefore compares the performance between the preliminary design of a conical diffuser and annular - radial diffuser, matching the conditions from our existing R143a radial - inflow turbine. The numerical results show that the conical diffuser geometry using R143a has difficulties achieving optimal static pressure recovery. For the same conditions, the annular - radial diffuser has higher performance compared to the conical diffuser on pressure recovery. This study further highlights the need to achieve a high performance high - density diffuser design in order to improve overall ORC efficiency, which is a critical to further develop renewable power solutions.
IMAGING AN EVENT HORIZON: MITIGATION OF SCATTERING TOWARD SAGITTARIUS A*

The image of the emission surrounding the black hole in the center of the Milky Way is predicted to exhibit the imprint of general relativistic (GR) effects, including the existence of a shadow feature and a photon ring of diameter ∼50 μas. Structure on these scales can be resolved by millimeter-wavelength very long baseline interferometry. However, strong-field GR features of interest will be blurred at λ ⩾ 1.3 mm due to scattering by interstellar electrons. The scattering properties are well understood over most of the relevant range of baseline lengths, suggesting that the scattering may be (mostly) invertible. We simulate observations of a model image of Sgr A* and demonstrate that the effects of scattering can indeed be mitigated by correcting the visibilities before reconstructing the image. This technique is also applicable to Sgr A* at longer wavelengths.
Intrinsic noise, dissipation cost, and robustness of cellular networks: The underlying energy landscape of MAPK signal transduction

We develop a probabilistic method for analyzing global features of a cellular network under intrinsic statistical fluctuations, which is important when there are finite numbers of molecules. By making a self-consistent mean field approximation of splitting the variables in order to reduce the large number of degrees of freedom, which is reasonable for a not very strongly interacting network, we discovered that the underlying energy landscape of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signal transduction network (with experimentally measured or inferred parameters such as chemical reaction rate coefficients in the network) is funneled toward a global minimum characterized by the nonequilibrium steady-state fixed point of the system at the end of the signal transduction process. For this system, we also show that the energy landscape is robust against intrinsic fluctuations and random perturbation to the inherent chemical reaction rates. The ratio of the slope versus the roughness of the energy landscape becomes a quantitative measure of robustness and stability of the network. Furthermore, we quantify the dissipation cost of this nonequilibrium system through entropy production, caused by the nonequilibrium flux in the system. We found that a lower dissipation cost corresponds to a more robust network. This least dissipation property might provide a design principle for robust and functional networks. Finally, we find the possibility of bistable and oscillatory-like solutions, which are important for cell fate decisions, upon perturbations. The method described here can be used in a variety of biological networks.
An Evidence-Based Medicine Approach in Determining Factors That May Affect Outcome in Lumbar Total Disc Replacement

Study Design. Literature research. Objective. To analyze the available evidence about a variety of factors that might affect outcome of lumbar artificial disc replacement. Summary of Background Data. Evaluating the scientific merit of new technology is important for a clinician considering incorporating these techniques. An evidence-based medicine approach can aid in this decision-making process. Methods. Eleven questions were asked about patient selection issues, surgical accuracy of placement, and evidence that motion preservation alters the natural history of degeneration. Studies where answers were found were ranked according to their level of evidence. Results. The majority of studies found were level IV, with only limited numbers of higher level studies. Only lower level studies with conflicting results assess the effect on outcomes of single versus multilevel surgery, L4–L5 versus L5–S1 implantations, patient’s age, and history of previous surgery. One lower level study suggests that mild-to-moderate facet degeneration does not influence outcomes. The extent of preoperative facet degeneration that can be accepted remains unclear, as level IV studies report degradation of facet degeneration after implantation. Higher level studies support the importance of surgical precision on clinical outcome and lower level studies give mixed results on the same issue. A level III prognostic study suggests that higher range of motion of the implanted segment may be associated with better outcomes, whereas 2 level IV therapeutic studies provide conflicting results. The incidence of adjacent level degeneration in lower level studies ranges between 17% and 28.6%, and can require additional surgery in 2% to 3% of patients. Two level IV studies suggest that preservation of motion may have a prophylactic effect on adjacent discs. Conclusion. Existing evidence does not provide definite conclusions in the majority of the questions regarding indications and factors that may affect outcomes. Where feasible, conclusions are mainly drawn from lower level, least reliable evidence. Highest quality data are short-term whereas longer-term data are of lower quality and in many instances conflicting. More high level studies with long-term follow-up are necessary to shed light to important clinical issues.