Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Palliative chemotherapy preferences and factors that influence patient choice in incurable advanced cancer.

OBJECTIVE To determine the extent of informed decision-making and treatment preference of Korean patients receiving palliative chemotherapy. METHODS We assessed 138 patients (median age: 58 years; 73% male) with advanced cancer who had received at least one cycle of chemotherapy. General demographic information, the extent of information received, patient preferences for palliative chemotherapy and randomized trials were determined using structured patient interviews. We investigated the survival threshold for justifying toxicity, the factors influencing individual preference for chemotherapy and the attitude of patients towards randomized trials. RESULTS Before chemotherapy, 72.1% of patients were given information about adverse events of treatment, but only 39.5% were told of alternative treatments. There was significant inter-individual variability in willingness to accept chemotherapy, as well as a wide range of thresholds. Patients reporting higher quality of life were more likely to judge treatment as acceptable. When given the choice for randomization for conventional chemotherapy, investigational agents or supportive care, patients usually refused enrollment into randomized trials. CONCLUSION Self-assessed quality of life was a significant predictor of stronger preference for chemotherapy. In the palliative setting, good doctor-patient communications and consideration of patients' preferences are necessary for making decisions about proper treatment.
Relationshipof Presenceof ProgesteroneReceptorsto Prognosisin Early BreastCancer ' 1

the Centre. Pseudo inflammatory, bilateral, or multiple cancers were excluded from the study. The stage of the disease was classified according to the TNM (tumors-nodes-metastasis) system (19). Treatment consisted of either modified partial mastectomy (1 6) with ablation of the axillary nodes or partial mastectomy with low axillary dissection (Levels 1 and 2 of Berg), followed by postsurgical radiotherapy. The patients were examined systematically 1 month after surgery, then every 3 months over a period of 2 years, and finally once a year. Chest X-ray examinations were performed at 3-month intervals during the first 2 years. Every year, liver scmntigraphy,mammography, and thermography were done for each patient. Among the 105 patients, 9 had adjuvant chemotherapy. 5Fluorouracil (500 mg), methotrexate (15 mg), and cyclophos phamide (500 mg) were given weekly over a period of 3 months and then every 2 weeks for the following 18 months. Vincristine sulfate (1 mg) was given in the first 4 infusions and thereafter in every fourth infusion. Pathology. Tumors were graded according to the classifi cation of Bloom eta! (1), and local recurrences were confirmed by biopsy. PGR and Estrogen Receptor Determinations. Determina tions were performed as described previously (18). Tumors were considered receptor positive (PGR positive or ER positive) if they contained 10 fmol of specific binding sites per mg cytosolic protein. Statistical Analysis. Graphs were derived from the life table analysis. Data were analyzed separately on each day. The comparison between groups was by the log rank test, and the x2testwasusedtoassess thestatistical significance ofdiffer ences(9, 10, 17).
Association of DNA damage and dyslipidemia with polycystic ovarian syndrome

Received 01 July 2012 Accepted 07 February 2013 Early online 25 February 2013 Print 28 February 2013 Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance which may lead to cardiovascular diseases. Evidence for cardiovascular events in women who were affected by PCOS during fertile age is limited. The pathogenesis is unknown; however, it is a complex multigenetic disorder. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the various cardiovascular risk factors and their DNA repair efficiency in women with PCOS by investigating the biochemical, endocrinological and molecular cytogenetic alterations. These investigations were carried out in 116 women in the age group of 15-35 years clinically diagnosed with PCOS. Data were compared with that of 50 agematched healthy normal women. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), Lipid profile, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Prolactin and Estradiol were estimated after getting the informed consent. Mutagen induced chromosome sensitivity analysis was carried out in the lymphocytes of the subjects to assess the DNA repair proficiency. Fasting Blood Sugar, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were found to be elevated whereas HDL cholesterol was found to be lowered in the test subjects. FSH, LH and prolactin were also found to be significantly elevated in the test subjects. Change in the estradiol concentration in the test subjects was not significant. The mutagen sensitivity analysis revealed a significant elevation in break per cell (b/c) values indicating a deficiency in the DNA repair mechanism / DNA damage in PCOS patients. Modification of life style by changing the dietary habit and sedentary life style will help to reduce the oxidative stress and may increase the ovarian function and a sensible lifestyle management is recommended for reducing the risk for CVD. Corresponding author
Sustained Release of BMP-2 in Bioprinted Alginate for Osteogenicity in Mice and Rats

The design of bioactive three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds is a major focus in bone tissue engineering. Incorporation of growth factors into bioprinted scaffolds offers many new possibilities regarding both biological and architectural properties of the scaffolds. This study investigates whether the sustained release of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) influences osteogenicity of tissue engineered bioprinted constructs. BMP-2 loaded on gelatin microparticles (GMPs) was used as a sustained release system, which was dispersed in hydrogel-based constructs and compared to direct inclusion of BMP-2 in alginate or control GMPs. The constructs were supplemented with goat multipotent stromal cells (gMSCs) and biphasic calcium phosphate to study osteogenic differentiation and bone formation respectively. BMP-2 release kinetics and bioactivity showed continuous release for three weeks coinciding with osteogenicity. Osteogenic differentiation and bone formation of bioprinted GMP containing constructs were investigated after subcutaneous implantation in mice or rats. BMP-2 significantly increased bone formation, which was not influenced by the release timing. We showed that 3D printing of controlled release particles is feasible and that the released BMP-2 directs osteogenic differentiation in vitro and in vivo.
Terror Management Theory and mortality awareness: A missing link in climate response studies?

Adaptation and mitigation efforts are hampered by multiple obstacles and thus lag behind climate changes' speed and scope. Some of the most powerful obstacles to climate action are the social‐psychological factors that influence human thought, preferences, and behaviors. These factors, including those articulated by environmental psychology generally, and Terror Management Theory (TMT) specifically, are neglected within climate response research. TMT underlies an extensive and well‐established literature; researchers have shown that efforts to repress one's mortality awareness, triggered when people are explicitly or implicitly reminded of their unavoidable death, influences individuals' attitudes and behavior. These psychological defenses, including denial, distraction and worldview defense, sometimes produce counter‐intuitive and potentially counter‐productive outcomes. Meanwhile, the growing global awareness and media coverage of climate change, and much scholarly research, has skewed toward negative “disaster and death” narratives. Exposure to such stimuli, highlighting climate change's potentially life‐threatening effects, may exacerbate counter‐productive responses. In this thought experiment, we propose that mortality awareness could be a critical variable that helps explain climate action at the individual and societal levels. We survey TMT insights, focusing on the relationship between mortality reminders and human responses. We then identify how climate change may lead to increased mortality awareness and consider the psychological defenses triggered by this awareness. We argue that mortality defenses may both limit and advance climate action. Finally, we set out an agenda for TMT‐climate response research and discuss the potential to advance several inquiry lines, including climate change communication, collective action and the capacity for transformational responses.
Designing Therapies against Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis by Modulating the Membrane Fluidity of Antigen-Presenting Cells

ABSTRACT The membrane fluidity of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) has a significant bearing on T-cell-stimulating ability and is dependent on the cholesterol content of the membrane. The relationship, if any, between membrane fluidity and defective cell-mediated immunity in visceral leishmaniasis has been investigated. Systemic administration of cholesterol by liposome delivery (cholesterol liposomes) in Leishmania donovani-infected hamsters was found to cure the infection. Splenic macrophages as a prototype of APCs in infected hamsters had decreased membrane cholesterol and an inability to drive T cells, which was corrected by cholesterol liposome treatment. The effect was cholesterol specific because liposomes made up of the analogue 4-cholesten-3-one provided almost no protection. Infection led to increases in interleukin-10 (IL-10), transforming growth factor beta, and IL-4 signals and concomitant decreases in gamma interferon (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor alpha, and inducible NO synthase signals, which reverted upon cholesterol liposome treatment. The antileishmanial T-cell repertoire, whose expansion appeared to be associated with protection, was presumably type Th1, as shown by enhanced IFN-γ signals and the predominance of the immunoglobulin G2 isotype. The protected group produced significantly more reactive oxygen species and NO than the infected groups, which culminated in killing of L. donovani parasites. Therefore, cholesterol liposome treatment may be yet another simple strategy to enhance the cell-mediated immune response to L. donovani infection. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the therapeutic effect of cholesterol liposomes in any form of the disease.
Successful use of botulinum toxin a for the treatment of neck and anterior chest wall flushing.

We read with interest ‘‘Successful Use of Botulinum Toxin-A for the Treatment of Neck and Anterior Chest Wall Flushing’’ by A. Sterodimas and colleagues. In their case report, the symptoms of a 48-year-old woman with severe and resistant to treatment flushing of the neck and chest resolved after localized intracutaneous injections of botulinum toxin A (Botox, Allergan Inc., Irvine, CA), with 2 units injected every square centimeter in the neck and anterior chest wall. Similar results were reported by Yuraitis and Jacob in a 26-year-old man with persistent facial flushing, who experienced an improvement within 2 weeks of Botox treatment, with a total of 10 units distributed at 1-cm spacings to each cheek. The duration of the beneficial effect was not given in either of the cases.
Stars and bonds in crossing‐critical graphs

The structure of previous known infinite families of crossing‐critical graphs had led to the conjecture that crossing‐critical graphs have bounded bandwidth. If true, this would imply that crossing‐critical graphs have bounded degree, that is, that they cannot contain subdivisions of K1, n for arbitrarily large n. In this article we prove two new results that revolve around this question. On the positive side, we show that crossing‐critical graphs cannot contain subdivisions of K2, n for arbitrarily large n. On the negative side, we show that there are simple 3‐connected graphs with arbitrarily large maximum degree that are 2‐crossing‐critical in the projective plane. Although the former conjecture is now disproved in a subsequent manuscript by Dvořák and Mohar, our results are not affected, and some interesting questions remain. Namely, can the bandwidth conjecture still be true for simple 3‐connected graphs in the plane? © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 65: 198–215, 2010
Existence and uniqueness of the solutions of continuous nonlinear 2D Roesser Models: The globally Lipschitz case

This communication deals with a long standing open problem in the field of multidimensional systems. We tackle the question of the existence and uniqueness of the solutions for nonlinear continuous 2D Roesser models. It is proved that if the function describing the Roesser model is globally Lipschitz, a continuous solution exists and is unique for a given set of initial conditions. Several examples show that these assumptions cannot be easily relaxed. This is an important basis that is crucial to the analyzes of stability and stabilization of nonlinear Roesser models.
Basketball Shoe Height and the Maximal Muscular Resistance to Applied Ankle Inversion and Eversion Moments

To determine if the height of a basketball shoe alters the maximal inversion and eversion moment that can be actively resisted by the ankle in the frontal plane, we tested 20 healthy, young adult men with no recent ankle injuries. Subjects underwent unipedal functional ankle strength testing under weightbearing conditions at 0°, 16°, and 32° of ankle plantar flexion using a specially designed testing apparatus. Testing was performed with the subject wearing either a low- or a three quarter- top basketball shoe. Shoe height did not significantly affect an individual's ability to actively resist an eversion moment at any angle of ankle plantar flexion. However, tests at 0° of ankle plantar flexion demonstrated that the three quarter-top basketball shoe we tested significantly increased the maximal resistance to an inversion mo ment by 29.4%. At 16° of ankle plantar flexion, inversion resistance was also significantly improved by 20.4%. These results show that athletic shoe height can signifi cantly increase the active resistance to an inversion mo ment in moderate ankle plantar flexion. The findings apply to a neutral foot position in the frontal plane, an orientation equivalent to the early phase of a potential ankle sprain.
Plasma Levels of Fatty Acid–Binding Protein 4, Retinol-Binding Protein 4, High-Molecular-Weight Adiponectin, and Cardiovascular Mortality Among Men With Type 2 Diabetes: A 22-Year Prospective Study

Objective—To examine select adipokines, including fatty acid–binding protein 4, retinol-binding protein 4, and high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Approach and Results—Plasma levels of fatty acid–binding protein 4, retinol-binding protein 4, and HMW adiponectin were measured in 950 men with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. After an average of 22 years of follow-up (1993–2015), 580 deaths occurred, of whom 220 died of CVD. After multivariate adjustment for covariates, higher levels of fatty acid–binding protein 4 were significantly associated with a higher CVD mortality: comparing extreme tertiles, the hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval of CVD mortality was 1.78 (1.22–2.59; P trend=0.001). A positive association was also observed for HMW adiponectin: the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 2.07 (1.42–3.06; P trend=0.0002), comparing extreme tertiles, whereas higher retinol-binding protein 4 levels were nonsignificantly associated with a decreased CVD mortality with an hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.73 (0.50–1.07; P trend=0.09). A Mendelian randomization analysis suggested that the causal relationships of HMW adiponectin and retinol-binding protein 4 would be directionally opposite to those observed based on the biomarkers, although none of the Mendelian randomization associations achieved statistical significance. Conclusions—These data suggest that higher levels of fatty acid–binding protein 4 and HMW adiponectin are associated with elevated CVD mortality among men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Biological mechanisms underlying these observations deserve elucidation, but the associations of HMW adiponectin may partially reflect altered adipose tissue functionality among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
End-to-end Learning of LDA by Mirror-Descent Back Propagation over a Deep Architecture

We develop a fully discriminative learning approach for supervised Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) model using Back Propagation (i.e., BP-sLDA), which maximizes the posterior probability of the prediction variable given the input document. Different from traditional variational learning or Gibbs sampling approaches, the proposed learning method applies (i) the mirror descent algorithm for maximum a posterior inference and (ii) back propagation over a deep architecture together with stochastic gradient/mirror descent for model parameter estimation, leading to scalable and end-to-end discriminative learning of the model. As a byproduct, we also apply this technique to develop a new learning method for the traditional unsupervised LDA model (i.e., BP-LDA). Experimental results on three real-world regression and classification tasks show that the proposed methods significantly outperform the previous supervised topic models, neural networks, and is on par with deep neural networks.
Biochemical Characterization and Differential Expression of a 16.5-Kilodalton Tegument-Associated Antigen from the Liver Fluke Fasciola hepatica

ABSTRACT A cDNA encoding a 16.5-kDa protein termed FhTP16.5 was identified by immunoscreening of a cDNA library from Fasciola hepatica adult flukes using pooled sera from rabbits infected with F. hepatica for 4 weeks. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that FhTP16.5 is not expressed in unembryonated eggs. It is poorly expressed in miracidia and highly expressed at the juvenile and adult stages; however, significant differences were found between the expression levels of FhTP16.5 in juveniles versus adult flukes. Recombinant FhTP16.5 was expressed at high levels in Escherichia coli, purified by affinity chromatography, and used to raise anti-FhTP16.5 polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. Immunoblot analysis using the anti-FhTP16.5 IgG antibody identified FhTP16.5 in crude and tegumental extracts and in excretory-secretory products of F. hepatica. The protein was not detected in crude extracts of Schistosoma mansoni or Schistosoma japonicum. Antibodies to FhTP16.5 were detected in the sera of rabbits at 3 to 12 weeks of F. hepatica infection as well as in the sera of humans with chronic fascioliasis; these findings suggest that FhTP16.5 could be a good antigen for serodiagnosis of fascioliasis. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that FhTP16.5 localizes to the surface of the tegument of various developmental stages and in parenchymal tissues of the adult fluke. Such specific localization makes FhTP16.5 an attractive target for immunoprophylaxis or chemotherapy.
Columnar Cell Lesions of the Breast

Columnar cell lesions of the breast represent a spectrum of lesions which have in common the presence of columnar epithelial cells lining variably dilated terminal duct lobular units, ranging from those that show little or no cytologic or architectural atypia to those that show sufficient cytologic and architectural features to warrant a diagnosis of atypical ductal hyperplasia or ductal carcinoma in situ. Recent studies have begun to provide insights into the biological nature and clinical significance of these lesions. In this article, we review the current state of knowledge and propose a simplified scheme for their classification.
Modeling in Respiratory Movement Using LabVIEW and Simulink

The rapid pace of change in modern medicine makes training on simulation platforms an absolute necessity. With the microprocessors the sophistication of simulators exploded. More recently medicine has developed simulators that are becoming increasingly sophisticated, especially in anesthesia training but also to train intensive care personnel. This is an area that will rapidly advance in the future and will have great impact on medical education medical. Unfortunately, the current state of development for simulated procedural environments remains rather limited and the availability of validated metrics of skills acquisition is just beginning. There are two impulse to push respiration simulation forward, as list following.
Are all human-derived follicle-stimulating hormone products the same? A systematic review and meta-analysis using direct and adjusted indirect analyses, to determine whether Fostimon® is more efficient than Metrodin-HP®

Background. Randomized trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews have challenged the claim for superiority of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (recFSH) compared with human-derived FSH (hFSH). Even so, much of the evidence comes from unavailable products. If the efficacy of the currently available Fostimon® is superior, the off-market Metrodin-HP®, then data from the latter should not be used, gauge of the former. Methods. Electronic/hand searches were performed to identify RCTs comparing Fostimon® vs. Metrodin-HP® or either product with recFSH. Primary outcomes were live-birth rate (LBR), ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR), and OPR/LBR. Secondary outcomes were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), multiple pregnancy rate (MPR), ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), abortion rates, and cycle demographics. Data were extracted, allowed for an intention-to-treat analysis, and meta-analyzed using combined direct/adjusted indirect methods. Results. Twenty-two RCTs met the inclusion criteria: Fostimon® vs. Metrodin-HP® (n = 2); Fostimon® vs. recFSH (n = 8); and Metrodin-HP® vs. recFSH (n = 12). LBR (odds ratio = 1.72; 95% confidence interval = 1.05–2.80), OPR/LBR, and CPR were all significantly higher favoring Fostimon®. OPR, MPR, OHSS, and miscarriage rates were not significantly different. Pooled results for cycle demographics were not reported due to high heterogeneity. Conclusions. Fostimon® is superior to Metrodin-HP® regarding clinical outcomes. Therefore, care should be taken not to assume that all hFSH products have the same efficacy.
Histamine inhibits conducted vasodilation through endothelium‐derived NO production in arterioles of mouse skeletal muscle

Conducted vasodilation along arterioles manifests the spread of hyperpolarization through gap junction channels along endothelium. Whereas histamine increases the permeability of capillary and venular endothelium, its effect on the integrity of arteriolar endothelium is unknown. We tested whether histamine could inhibit conducted vasodilation. In second‐order arterioles (2A) supplying the cremaster muscle of C57BL6, PECAM‐1−/−, and eNOS−/− mice (8–12 wk), neither resting (16±2 |xm) nor maximal (38±2 µm) diameters were different. Acetylcholine (ACh) microiontophoresis (1 µA, 500 ms pulse) triggered vasodila¬tion that was conducted >1400 µ,πι along arterioles. Neither local (14±2 µπι) nor conducted vasodilation (10±2 µm) was different among mice. Histamine (5 µM) had no effect on resting diameter or local vasodilation to ACh yet inhibited conduction by >50% in C57BL6 and PECAM‐1−/− mice (P<0.05); this effect was abolished after blockade of NO synthase or of soluble guanylate cyclase. Washout of histamine re¬stored conduction, though recovery was longer (P<0.05) in PECAM‐1−/− mice vs. C57BL6 mice. Re¬markably, conducted vasodilation in eNOS−/− mice was insensitive to histamine. These findings indicate that histamine inhibits cell‐to‐cell coupling through an NO‐dependent mechanism and suggests a dynamic interaction among intercellular adhesion molecules and gap junction channels along arteriolar endothelium. —Payne, G. W. , Madri, J. A. , Sessa, W. C. , Segal, S. S. Histamine inhibits conducted vasodilation through endothelium‐derived NO production in arterioles of mouse skeletal muscle. FASEB J. 18, 280–286 (2004)