Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunohistochemical Characteristics of Intramural Leiomyomata That Enlarge during Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation for in vitro Fertilization

Background/Aims: This study aimed to determine the immunohistochemical characteristics of intramural leiomyomata that enlarged during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Methods: For thisretrospective case-control clinical study and immunohistochemical analysis, 5 patients with enlarged intramural leiomyomata during COH for IVF, who had undergone myomectomy immediately after a failed IVF cycle, were recruited retrospectively. Fifteen consecutive patients who had had myomectomy for intramural leiomyomata <5 cm, but had never undergone any infertility treatment, served as the control group. Histological examinations and immunohistochemical staining with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and fibronectin were performed on all specimens taken from the study and control groups. The main outcome measures were defined as histological and immunohistochemical scores. Results: Hematoxylin and eosin as well as PCNA staining showed increased mitotic index, cellularity and proliferation index in these growing leiomyomata (study group). There were neither increased mitoses nor cellularity in the leiomyomata of the control group, while PCNA, TGF-β and fibronectin scores in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion(s): This study is the first to report increased TGF-β, PCNA, cellularity and mitosis in leiomyomata enlarging during COH for IVF. Further studies with larger sample size are needed to determine the role of TGF-β, PCNA and fibronectin in the growth of leiomyomata during COH.
Differentiation in the Elymus dahuricus complex (Poaceae): evidence from grain proteins, DNA, and crossability.

The status of the taxa Elymus dahuricus Turcz. ex Griseb. , E. excelsus Turcz. ex Griseb. , E. woroschilowii Probat. and E. tangutorum (Nevski) Hand. -Mazz. , all of which are sometimes treated as members of E. dahuricus s.l. or as constituting the E. dahuricus complex, has been investigated using morphological, biochemical (SDS-PAGE of endosperm proteins) and molecular (DNA-AFLP) variation characteristics. Populations include accessions from Siberia, Far East (Russia), Tien-Shan (Kirghizstan), and Tibet and Sichuan Provinces (China). Variation in the morphological characteristics and endosperm proteins patterns have been found in all populations of the complex. DNA variation was very low within populations but was different among populations; this was attributed to genetic drift. Seed fertility of artificial hybrids and F2-F3 progenies in 38 combinations was analyzed. All biotypes studied form a common recombination genepool (RGP). The reproductive compatibility of hybrid combinations decreases with increased geographical separation of the parents. Differences in protein patterns and in genetic variation drawn from DNA-AFLPs and phenotypical segregation in F2 on series of diagnostic characters does not support existing taxonomic treatments of the E. dahuricus complex in Southern Russia, and Central-Asian area. The E. dahuricus complex seems to be a polymorphic species having a wide geographical range and wide genetic variation. The different species need probably be relegated to infraspecific rank. We have refrained from making the necessary combinations pending examination of additional specimens, including specimens of taxa not included in this study and the type specimens of all taxa involved.
ORBITS OF EXCEPTIONAL GROUPS, DUALITY AND BPS STATES IN STRING THEORY

We give an invariant classification of orbits of the fundamental representations of the exceptional groups E7(7) and E6(6) which classify BPS states in string and M theories toroidally compactified to d=4 and 5. The exceptional Jordan algebra and the exceptional Freudenthal triple system and their cubic and quartic invariants play a major role in this classification. The cubic and quartic invariants correspond to the black hole entropy in d=5 and d=4, respectively. The classification of BPS states preserving different numbers of supersymmetries is in close parallel to the classification of the little groups and the orbits of timelike, lightlike and spacelike vectors in Minkowski space. The orbits of BPS black holes in N=2 Maxwell–Einstein supergravity theories in d=4 and d=5 with symmetric space geometries are also classified including the exceptional N=2 theory, which has E7(-25) and E6(-26) as its symmetry in the respective dimensions.
CBIR with Perceptual Region Features

A perceptual approach to generating features for use in indexing and retrieving images is described. Salient regions that immediately attract the eye are colour (textured) regions that usually dominate an image. Features derived from these will allow search for images that are similar perceptually. We compute colour features and Gabor colour texture features on regions identified from a coarse representation of the image, generated by a multiband smoothing algorithm based on human psychophysical measurements of colour appearance. Images are retrieved, using a multi-feedback retrieval and ranking mechanism. We examine the performance of the features and the feedback mechanism.
Endothelial Grb2-Associated Binder 1 Is Crucial for Postnatal Angiogenesis

Objective—Grb2-associated binder 1 (Gab1), a scaffolding adaptor protein, plays an important role in transmitting key signals that control cell growth, differentiation, and function from multiple tyrosine kinase receptors. The study was designed to investigate the role of endothelial Gab1 in angiogenesis and its underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods and Results—Using Cre-Lox recombination technology, we generated endothelial-specific Gab1 knockout (Gab1-ecKO) mice. Gab1-ecKO mice are viable and showed no obvious developmental defects in the vascular system. To analyze the role of Gab1 in postnatal angiogenesis, we used hindlimb ischemia and Matrigel plug models. We found that loss of endothelial Gab1 in mice dramatically impaired postnatal angiogenesis. Gab1-ecKO mice had impaired ischemia-initiated blood flow recovery, exhibited reduced angiogenesis, and were associated with marked limb necrosis. We further observed significant endothelial cell (EC) death in the ischemic hindlimb of Gab1-ecKO mice. Matrigel plug assay showed that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)–mediated angiogenesis was inhibited in Gab1-ecKO mice. In vitro studies showed that Gab1 was required for HGF-induced EC migration, tube formation, and microvessel sprouting. Mechanistically, HGF stimulated Gab1 tyrosine phosphorylation in ECs, leading to activation of extracellular regulated MAP kinase 1/2 and Akt, which are angiogenic and survival signaling. Conclusion—Gab1 is essential for postnatal angiogenesis through mediating angiogenic and survival signaling.
Androgens and Vascular Function

It is widely recognized that vascular function is modulated by the endocrine system. So it is known that hormones as aldosterone, renin-angiotensin II system, thyroids hormones, oxitocine, ghrelin, vasopressine, etc exert action on the vascular tone (Axelband et al., 2011; Nguyen & Touyz, 2011; Szmydynger-Chodobska et al., 2011; Tesauro et al., 2010;). Regarding sex hormones, epidemiological studies have demonstrated that there is a gender difference in the morbidity associated with hypertension and that there is an increased prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in postmenopausal women (Leung et al., 2007; Teede, 2007). Simultaneously, androgens had been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but recent studies have explored protective effects of androgens in males (Jones, 2010; Traish and Kypreos, 2011). For example, it has been demonstrated that men with coronary artery disease have decreased levels of testosterone, which were conversely correlated to the degree of coronary artery narrowing (Saad et al., 2008). Likewise, lower testosterone, predicted incident stroke and transient ischemic attack in older men (BragaBasaria, 2006). In general terms, it seems to be demonstrated that men with cardiovascular disease had lower levels of testosterone, and what is more important, new emerging evidence points to androgen deficiency more likely to be associated with cardiovascular diseases than gender per se (Traish & Kypreos, 2011). Testosterone deficiency alters carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism, this contributing to oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction and increased production of pro-inflammatory factors, promoting alterations on vascular function. Among the alterations induced by testosterone deficiency are the loss of muscle mass and strength, increasing visceral fat mass, reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, increased osteoporosis, lethargy, lack of energy, and changes in mood. In addition, testosterone deficiency has been associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, obesity, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis (Jones & Saad, 2009; Kapoor et al., 2005). Most of results obtained about that effects have been obtained from patients with prostate cancer subjected to androgen deprivation therapy. This therapy improves cancer related symptoms and quality of life (Bain, 2010), but shows side effects as sexual dysfunction, decreased lean body mass, decreased quality of life, osteoporosis, and detrimental changes in metabolic status (Basaria & Dobs, 2001; Chodak et al., 2002; Smith et al., 2002). Increased insulin levels and insulin resistance and increased prevalence of fasting hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia have also been observed in men with prostate cancer treated with
Spatiotemporal Analysis of Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry, translation, replication, and assembly occur with defined kinetics in distinct subcellular compartments. It is unclear how HCV spatially and temporally regulates these events within the host cell to coordinate its infection. We have developed a single molecule RNA detection assay that facilitates the simultaneous visualization of HCV (+) and (−) RNA strands at the single cell level using high-resolution confocal microscopy. We detect (+) strand RNAs as early as 2 hours post-infection and (−) strand RNAs as early as 4 hours post-infection. Single cell levels of (+) and (−) RNA vary considerably with an average (+):(−) RNA ratio of 10 and a range from 1–35. We next developed microscopic assays to identify HCV (+) and (−) RNAs associated with actively translating ribosomes, replication, virion assembly and intracellular virions. (+) RNAs display a defined temporal kinetics, with the majority of (+) RNAs associated with actively translating ribosomes at early times of infection, followed by a shift to replication and then virion assembly. (−) RNAs have a strong colocalization with NS5A, but not NS3, at early time points that correlate with replication compartment formation. At later times, only ~30% of the replication complexes appear to be active at a given time, as defined by (−) strand colocalization with either (+) RNA, NS3, or NS5A. While both (+) and (−) RNAs colocalize with the viral proteins NS3 and NS5A, only the plus strand preferentially colocalizes with the viral envelope E2 protein. These results suggest a defined spatiotemporal regulation of HCV infection with highly varied replication efficiencies at the single cell level. This approach can be applicable to all plus strand RNA viruses and enables unprecedented sensitivity for studying early events in the viral life cycle.
A complete solution to the general H∞ control problem: LMI existence conditions and state space formulas

This paper presents all controllers for the general H∞ control problem (with no assumptions on the plant matrices). Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an H∞ suboptimal controller of any order are given in terms of three Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs). Furthermore, we provide the set of all H∞ suboptimal controllers explicitly parametrized in the state space using the positive definite solutions to the LMIs. The inequality formulation converts the existence conditions to a convex feasibility problem, and also a free matrix parameter in the controller formula defines a finite dimensional design space, as opposed to the infinite dimensional space associated with the Q-parametrization.
Multi-view image coding with depth maps and 3-D geometry for prediction

Block-based disparity compensation is an efficient prediction scheme for encoding multi-view image data. Available scene geometry can be used to further enhance prediction accuracy. In this paper, three different strategies are compared that combine prediction based on depth maps and 3-D geometry. Three real-world image sets are used to examine prediction performance for different coding scenarios. Depth maps and geometry models are derived from the calibrated image data. Bit-rate reductions up to 10% are observed by suitably augmenting depth map-based with geometry-based prediction.
Similarity-Based Retrieval on Top of Relational Databases

This paper presents an approach to realize a case retrieval engine on top of a relational database. In a nutshell the core idea is to approximate a similarity-based retrieval with SQL-queries. The approach avoids duplicating the case data or compiling index structures and is therefore ideal for huge cases bases which are often subject to changes. The presented approach is fully implemented as part of the commercial CBR toolbox orenge and the experimental evaluation demonstrates impressive retrieval behaviour
Conscious and unconscious processes in cognitive control: a theoretical perspective and a novel empirical approach

Controlled processing is often referred to as “voluntary” or “willful” and therefore assumed to depend entirely on conscious processes. Recent studies using subliminal-priming paradigms, however, have started to question this assumption. Specifically, these studies have shown that subliminally presented stimuli can induce adjustments in control. Such findings are not immediately reconcilable with the view that conscious and unconscious processes are separate, with each having its own neural substrates and modus operandi. We propose a different theoretical perspective that suggests that conscious and unconscious processes might be implemented by the same neural substrates and largely perform the same neural computations, with the distinction between the two arising mostly from the quality of representations (although not all brain regions may be capable of supporting conscious representations). Thus, stronger and more durable neuronal firing would give rise to conscious processes; weaker or less durable neuronal firing would remain below the threshold of consciousness but still be causally efficacious in affecting behavior. We show that this perspective naturally explains the findings that subliminally presented primes induce adjustments in cognitive control. We also highlight an important gap in this literature: whereas subliminal-priming paradigms demonstrate that an unconsciously presented prime is sufficient to induce adjustments in cognitive control, they are uninformative about what occurs under standard task conditions. In standard tasks, the stimuli themselves are consciously perceived; however, the extent to which the processes that lead to adjustments in control are conscious or unconscious remains unexplored. We propose a new paradigm suitable to investigate these issues and to test important predictions of our hypothesis that conscious and unconscious processes both engage the same control machinery, differing mostly in the quality of the representations.
Report of a pilot, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of megestrol acetate in elderly dialysis patients with cachexia.

OBJECTIVE We examined the effects of megestrol acetate versus placebo and progressive resistance physical exercise on weight, lean muscle mass, quality of life, ability to exercise, proinflammatory cytokines, and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and their correlations with one another. DESIGN We organized a prospective 20-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial of hemodialysis patients. SETTING This study took place at the Outpatient Unit of the Northport Veteran Affairs Medical Center. SUBJECTS We studied nine male hemodialysis patients who had two or more of the following: albumin level <4.0 g/dL, total cholesterol <150 mg/dL, protein catabolic rate <0.8 g/kg/day, and predialysis serum urea nitrogen <60 mg/dL. Their ages were 50 to 83 years. Two were diabetic, and seven were nondiabetic. INTERVENTIONS Interventions included megestrol acetate (MA) or placebo 800 mg oral daily for 20 weeks, along with weight resistance physical therapy with weights twice a week before dialysis. Patients were followed prospectively for an additional 4 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS Weight, body composition, activities of daily living, ability to exercise, and plasma cytokine levels were measured. RESULTS At 24 weeks, the MA group had a statistically significant weight gain (11.1-pound increase vs. 1.5-pound decrease for the placebo group, P = .018), body fat gain (6.2-pound increase vs. a 0.4-pound decrease for the placebo group, P = .044) and fat-free mass gain (5-pound increase vs. a 1.2-pound decrease in the placebo group). The MA group also had a greater tendency toward increased appetite and sense of well-being. The MA group showed a greater improvement in ability to exercise (mean change in rate of perceived exertion (RPE), 4.7) vs. the placebo group (mean change in RPE vs. 0.5, P = .02). Elevated cytokine levels were evident at baseline in both groups. In all patients, increases in weight, fat-free mass, sense of well-being, appetite, and ability to exercise were negatively correlated with tumor necrosis factor receptor subunit p75 (P < .05). There was a trend toward all of these parameters to be negatively correlated with tumor necrosis factor receptor subunit p55, although only sense of well-being was statistically significant (P < .05). CONCLUSION In a pilot trial in dialysis patients, MA showed significant benefits in improving weight and ability to exercise. Cytokine changes were correlated with weight gains and increases in fat-free mass.
Invasion patterns in brain metastases of solid cancers.

BACKGROUND Brain metastases are generally considered to be well demarcated from the surrounding brain parenchyma, although infiltrative growth patterns have been observed. We systemically investigated infiltration patterns and expression of adhesion molecules in a large and well-defined series of autopsy cases of brain metastases. METHODS Ninety-seven autopsy specimens from 57 brain metastasis patients (primary tumor: 27 lung cancer, 6 breast cancer, 8 melanoma, 2 colorectal cancer, 1 kidney cancer, and 13 other) were evaluated for patterns of invasion into surrounding brain parenchyma. Expression of integrins αv; cytoplasmic β3, αvβ3, αvβ5, αvβ6, and αvβ8; and of E and N cadherin were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Three main invasion patterns were seen: well-demarcated growth (29/57, 51%), vascular co-option (10/57, 18%), and diffuse infiltration (18/57, 32%). There was no statistically significant association of invasion pattern with primary tumor type, although vascular co-option was most common in melanoma brain metastases (4/10). Invasion patterns of different brain metastases of the same patient were highly concordant (P < .001, chi-square test). Distance of infiltration from the main tumor mass ranged from 12.5 µm to 450 µm (median 56.2 µm) and was not significantly different between the vascular co-option and the diffuse infiltration groups. Levels of αvβ6 were significantly higher in the well-demarcated group than in the vascular co-option and the diffuse infiltration groups (P = .033, Kruskal-Wallis test). Expression of αvβ5 in tumor cells was higher in brain metastasis lesions previously treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (P = .034, chi-square test). CONCLUSIONS Distinct invasion patterns of brain metastases into the brain parenchyma are not specific for primary tumor types, seem to be influenced by expression of αv integrin complexes, and may help to guide clinical decision-making.
Comparison of naive sixth-grade children with trained professionals in the use of an automated external defibrillator.

BACKGROUND Survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is strongly influenced by time to defibrillation. Wider availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) may decrease response times but only with increased lay use. Consequently, this study endeavored to improve our understanding of AED use in naive users by measuring times to shock and appropriateness of pad location. We chose sixth-grade students to simulate an extreme circumstance of unfamiliarity with the problem of OHCA and defibrillation. The children's AED use was then compared with that of professionals. METHODS AND RESULTS With the use of a mock cardiac arrest scenario, AED use by 15 children was compared with that of 22 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or paramedics. The primary end point was time from entry onto the cardiac arrest scene to delivery of the shock into simulated ventricular fibrillation. The secondary end point was appropriateness of pad placement. All subject performances were videotaped to assess safety of use and compliance with AED prompts to remain clear of the mannequin during shock delivery. Mean time to defibrillation was 90+/-14 seconds (range, 69 to 111 seconds) for the children and 67+/-10 seconds (range, 50 to 87 seconds) for the EMTs/paramedics (P<0.0001). Electrode pad placement was appropriate for all subjects. All remained clear of the "patient" during shock delivery. CONCLUSIONS During mock cardiac arrest, the speed of AED use by untrained children is only modestly slower than that of professionals. The difference between the groups is surprisingly small, considering the naïveté of the children as untutored first-time users. These findings suggest that widespread use of AEDs will require only modest training.
E3 ubiquitin ligase Pirh2 enhances tumorigenic properties of human non-small cell lung carcinoma cells

The product of RCHY1 human gene, Pirh2, is a RING-finger containing E3 ligase that modifies p53 with ubiquitin residues resulting in its subsequent degradation in proteasomes. Transcription of RCHY1 is regulated by p53 itself thus forming a negative regulatory feedback loop. Functionally, by eliminating p53, Pirh2 facilitates tumorigenesis. However, the role of Pirh2 in cancer cells lacking p53 is yet not well understood. Therefore, we decided to elucidate the role of Pirh2 in p53-negative human non-small cell lung carcinoma cells, H1299. We found that ectopic expression of Pirh2 enhanced cell proliferation, resistance to doxorubicin, and increased migration potential. Ablation of Pirh2 by specific shRNA reversed these phenotypes. Mechanistically, Pirh2 increased mRNA and protein levels of the c-Myc oncogene. The bioinformatics data indicate that co-expression of both c-Myc and Pirh2 strongly correlated with poor survival of lung cancer patients. Collectively, our results suggest that Pirh2 can be considered as a potential pharmacological target for developing anticancer therapies to treat p53-negative cancers.