Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of SSR and SNP Markers in Estimation of Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Indian Rice Varieties

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphic (SNP), the two most robust markers for identifying rice varieties were compared for assessment of genetic diversity and population structure. Total 375 varieties of rice from various regions of India archived at the Indian National GeneBank, NBPGR, New Delhi, were analyzed using thirty six genetic markers, each of hypervariable SSR (HvSSR) and SNP which were distributed across 12 rice chromosomes. A total of 80 alleles were amplified with the SSR markers with an average of 2.22 alleles per locus whereas, 72 alleles were amplified with SNP markers. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values for HvSSR ranged from 0.04 to 0.5 with an average of 0.25. In the case of SNP markers, PIC values ranged from 0.03 to 0.37 with an average of 0.23. Genetic relatedness among the varieties was studied; utilizing an unrooted tree all the genotypes were grouped into three major clusters with both SSR and SNP markers. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that maximum diversity was partitioned between and within individual level but not between populations. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) with SSR markers showed that genotypes were uniformly distributed across the two axes with 13.33% of cumulative variation whereas, in case of SNP markers varieties were grouped into three broad groups across two axes with 45.20% of cumulative variation. Population structure were tested using K values from 1 to 20, but there was no clear population structure, therefore Ln(PD) derived Δk was plotted against the K to determine the number of populations. In case of SSR maximum Δk was at K=5 whereas, in case of SNP maximum Δk was found at K=15, suggesting that resolution of population was higher with SNP markers, but SSR were more efficient for diversity analysis.
Cooperative coexistence and resource allocation for V2X communications in LTE-unlicensed

This paper investigates the joint power allocation with spectrum sharing for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications with Long Term Evolution Unlicensed (LTE-U) technology in a heterogeneous network. The vehicle users (VUEs) are classified into safety VUEs and non-safety VUEs based on the corresponding services. With the purpose to maximize the total throughput of CUEs, safety VUEs, and non-safety VUEs in contend free period (CFP) based LTE-U mode, a matching based resource allocation scheme is proposed under the constraints of fairness coexistence. The ergodic sum rate is considered with respect to statistical channel state information (CSI), and a lower bound evaluation of the objective function is presented with reduced computation complexity. Numerical results demonstrate the analysis and performance of the proposed strategy.
Automatic Question-Answering Based on Wikipedia Data Extraction

The question-answering (QA) system plays a vital role in artificial intelligence. The goal of automatic QA is to find out correct answers to the natural language questions raised by users from some specified datasets. Data on the Web is about everything and contains almost all the answers we needed. Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet encyclopedia which contains more than 30 million articles and can be considered to be a huge dataset for us to extract answers from. In this paper, we propose a method to integrate Wikipedia data extraction with automated question answering, which allows us to extract answers to questions from Wikipedia pages in real time. Experimental results show that the QA system based on our proposed method achieves good precision while answering questions.
Pulmonary metastasis in rectal cancer: a retrospective study of clinicopathological characteristics of 404 patients in Chinese cohort

Objectives This study aim to investigate the incidence, timing and risk factors of metachronous pulmonary recurrence after curative resection in patients with rectal cancer. Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting This study was conducted at a tertiary referral cancer hospital. Participants A total of 404 patients with rectal cancer who underwent curative resection from 2007 to 2012 at Beijing Hospital were enrolled in this study. Interventions The pattern of recurrence was observed and evaluated. Primary and secondary outcome measures The incidence and timing of recurrences by site were calculated, and the risk factors of pulmonary recurrence were analysed. Results The 5-year disease-free survival for the entire cohort was 77.0%. The most common site of recurrence was the lungs, with an incidence of 11.4%, followed by liver. Median interval from rectal surgery to diagnosis of pulmonary recurrence was much longer than that of hepatic recurrence (20 months vs 10 months, P=0.022). Tumour location, pathological tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and positive circumferential resection margin were identified as independent risk factors for pulmonary recurrence. A predictive model based on the number of risk factors identified on multivariate analysis was developed, 5-year pulmonary recurrence-free survival for patients with 0, 1, 2 and 3 risk factors was 100%, 90.4%, 77.3% and 70.0%, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusions This study emphasised that the lung was the most common site of metachronous metastasis in patients with rectal cancer who underwent curative surgery. For patients with unfavourable risk profiles, a more intensive surveillance programme that could lead to the early detection of recurrence is strongly needed.
The breakdown of transformer oil under impulse voltages

The breakdown of pretreated transformer oil has been studied under controlled conditions with microsecond-duration impulse voltages. The oil was filtered, degassed and dried in a circulatory oil-cleaning system, and 3-gallon samples were tested in a glass test-cell with voltages of up to 500kV. The strength was found to depend, not only on the duration of the voltage, but also upon the manner in which it was applied. Several experiments are reported in which oil of a consistent quality was tested to study the effect of such factors as the size, material and preparation of the electrodes. In all these tests the strength was found to vary as the test proceeded—an effect known as ‘conditioning’. It is shown that one of the main factors which determines the breakdown strength obtained is the presence of microscopic gas bubbles on the surface of the electrodes, and these, together with solid particles and fibres in the oil, may well account for the low strengths obtained by previous workers who used undegassed or unfiltered oil.
mTOR Inhibitors Control the Growth of EGFR Mutant Lung Cancer Even after Acquiring Resistance by HGF

Resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), gefitinib and erlotinib, is a critical problem in the treatment of EGFR mutant lung cancer. Several mechanisms, including bypass signaling by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-triggered Met activation, are implicated as mediators of resistance. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), is a downstream conduit of EGFR and MET signaling, and is thus considered a therapeutically attractive target in the treatment of various types of cancers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether 2 clinically approved mTOR inhibitors, temsirolimus and everolimus, overcome HGF-dependent resistance to EGFR-TKIs in EGFR mutant lung cancer cells. Both temsirolimus and everolimus inhibited the phosphorylation of p70S6K and 4E-BP1, which are downstream targets of the mTOR pathway, and reduced the viability of EGFR mutant lung cancer cells, PC-9, and HCC827, even in the presence of HGF in vitro. In a xenograft model, temsirolimus suppressed the growth of PC-9 cells overexpressing the HGF-gene; this was associated with suppression of the mTOR signaling pathway and tumor angiogenesis. In contrast, erlotinib did not suppress this signaling pathway or tumor growth. Multiple mechanisms, including the inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor production by tumor cells and suppression of endothelial cell viability, contribute to the anti-angiogenic effect of temsirolimus. These findings indicate that mTOR inhibitors may be useful for controlling HGF-triggered EGFR-TKI resistance in EGFR mutant lung cancer, and they provide the rationale for clinical trials of mTOR inhibitors in patients stratified by EGFR mutation and HGF expression status.
Th 2 skewing by activation of Nrf 2 in CD 4 + T cells 1

Nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that mediates the upregulation of a battery of cytoprotective genes in response to cell stress. Recent studies have shown that Nrf2 also modulates immune responses and exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. In this report, we demonstrate that a common food preservative, tBHQ, can activate Nrf2 in T cells, as evidenced by Nrf2 binding to the antioxidant response element (ARE) and the subsequent upregulation of Nrf2 target genes. The activation of Nrf2 suppresses IFNγ production, while inducing the production of the Th2 cytokines, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. Nrf2 activation also suppresses T-bet DNA binding and promotes GATA-3 DNA binding. Collectively, the present studies suggest that Nrf2 activation skews CD4+ T cells toward Th2 differentiation and thus represents a novel regulatory mechanism in CD4+ T cells. Further studies will be needed to determine whether the commercial use of Nrf2 activators as food preservatives promotes food allergies in humans.
Optical tweezers study of red blood cell aggregation and disaggregation in plasma and protein solutions

Abstract. Kinetics of optical tweezers (OT)-induced spontaneous aggregation and disaggregation of red blood cells (RBCs) were studied at the level of cell doublets to assess RBC interaction mechanics. Measurements were performed under in vitro conditions in plasma and fibrinogen and fibrinogen + albumin solutions. The RBC spontaneous aggregation kinetics was found to exhibit different behavior depending on the cell environment. In contrast, the RBC disaggregation kinetics was similar in all solutions qualitatively and quantitatively, demonstrating a significant contribution of the studied proteins to the process. The impact of the study on assessing RBC interaction mechanics and the protein contribution to the reversible RBC aggregation process is discussed.
Survival of children in Cape Town known to be vertically infected with HIV-1.

OBJECTIVE To determine the survival patterns of children in Cape Town known to be vertically infected with HIV. DESIGN Retrospective record review of children diagnosed with symptomatic HIV infection during the period 1 December 1990-31 May 1995. SETTING Hospitals in the Cape Town metropolitan area. PATIENTS 193 children were known to be vertically HIV-infected. HIV diagnosis was based on the following criteria: two positive HIV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in children older than 15 months and a positive ELISA together with a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in younger children. The mothers of the children were known to be HIV-positive. On the basis of the presenting clinical findings children were assigned to a disease severity category (A, B or C) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s 1994 revised classification system for HIV infection in children. OUTCOME MEASURES Survival was analysed according to the Kaplan-Meier method. Survival time was defined as the length of time between clinical diagnosis of HIV and death or last contact with the health services. Mortality risk in relation to specific variables at diagnosis such as age and clinical manifestations was determined by calculation of odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS The median age at diagnosis was 5 months; 72% of children were aged less than 1 year at diagnosis. According to the CDC clinical classification, 47 (24%) fell into category A, 111 (58%) into category B and 35 (18%) into category C. Of the 193 patients 85 (44%) were alive at the time of review, 65 (34%) had died and 43 (22%) were lost to follow-up. Risk of death was significantly associated with age less than 6 months (OR 4.7, CI 2.1-10.3) and severe disease, i.e. CDC category C (OR 2.7; CI 1.1-6.9) at time of diagnosis. The median survival for all the children from time of diagnosis was 32 months. Infants diagnosed before 6 months of age had significantly shorter median survival (10 months) compared with 36 months for those diagnosed at 7-12 months of age. For the children over the age of 12 months the cumulative proportion surviving at 48 months was 78%. Children with severe disease (category C) had a median survival of 21 months, significantly lower than that in category B (32 months). For the children in category A the cumulative proportion surviving at 48 months was 66%. CONCLUSION The median survival of children with HIV was 32 months from time of diagnosis, and survival was influenced by age and disease severity.
Visually Estimated MRI Targeted Prostate Biopsy Could Improve the Detection of Significant Prostate Cancer in Patients with a PSA Level <10 ng/mL

Purpose To compare prostate cancer detection rates between 12 cores transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) and visually estimated multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI)-targeted prostate biopsy (MRI-visual-Bx) for patients with prostate specific antigen (PSA) level less than 10 ng/mL. Materials and Methods In total, 76 patients with PSA levels below 10 ng/mL underwent 3.0 Tesla mp-MRI and TRUS-Bx prospectively in 2014. In patients with abnormal lesions on mp-MRI, we performed additional MRI-visual-Bx. We compared pathologic results, including the rate of clinically significant prostate cancer cores (cancer length greater than 5 mm and/or any Gleason grade greater than 3 in the biopsy core). Results The mean PSA was 6.43 ng/mL. In total, 48 of 76 (63.2%) patients had abnormal lesions on mp-MRI, and 116 targeted biopsy cores, an average of 2.42 per patient, were taken. The overall detection rates of prostate cancer using TRUS-Bx and MRI-visual-Bx were 26/76 (34.2%) and 23/48 (47.9%), respectively. In comparing the pathologic results of TRUS-Bx and MRI-visual-Bx cores, the positive rates were 8.4% (77 of 912 cores) and 46.6% (54 of 116 cores), respectively (p<0.001). Mean cancer core lengths and mean cancer core percentages were 3.2 mm and 24.5%, respectively, in TRUS-Bx and 6.3 mm and 45.4% in MRI-visual-Bx (p<0.001). In addition, Gleason score ≥7 was noted more frequently using MRI-visual-Bx (p=0.028). The detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer was 27/77 (35.1%) and 40/54 (74.1%) for TRUS-Bx and MRI-visual-Bx, respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion MRI-visual-Bx showed better performance in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer, compared to TRUS-Bx among patients with a PSA level less than 10 ng/mL.
The empirical analysis of oil revenue and industrial growth in Nigeria

This study examined the impact of oil revenue on industrial growth in Nigeria. The data for this study were sourced from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries Bulletin, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), CIA World Fact Book, and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), publications such as the CBN statistical Bulletin and CBN Economic and Financial Review Bulletin. ADF test was conducted for stationarity and variables were all integrated at first difference; Johansen co-integration test also revealed a long-run positive influence of oil revenue growth on the industrial growth in Nigeria; VEC estimates show that the coefficient of error correction term is insignificant though with the expected sign and low magnitude of 3.5%. The R2 of 0.9328 and R2 adjusted of 0.8717 collectively show that 87.17% of changes in industrial growth was explained by the movement in the explanatory variables incorporated in the model. The study recommended a sustained policy formulation and implementation in the industrial/petroleum sector of the economy through the involvement of stakeholders. The formulation and implementation of oil revenue should be judiciously used to facilitate infant industries through advanced industrial policies like import substitution, among others. Also, the government should be sensitive of company taxes and interest rates charged on loanable funds as it may scale many investors; it makes Nigeria economy more business friendly relative to other developing countries. Nigeria industrial sector should begin to focus on the production of capital goods while national security should be strengthened and tightened to curb the activities of Boko Haram, armed robbers, kidnappers and ethnic militants so as to protect and encourage investment in the country. Key words: Industrialization, oil revenue, diversification and company income tax.
Distributed Fusion Estimation With Missing Measurements, Random Transmission Delays and Packet Dropouts

This technical note is concerned with the distributed Kalman filtering problem for a class of networked multi-sensor fusion systems (NMFSs) with missing sensor measurements, random transmission delays and packet dropouts. A novel stochastic model is proposed to describe the transmission delays and packet dropouts, and an optimal distributed fusion Kalman filter (DFKF) is designed based on the optimal fusion criterion weighted by matrices. Some sufficient conditions are derived such that the MSE of the designed DFKF is bounded or convergent. Moreover, steady-state DFKF is also presented for the NMFSs. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.
Cacipacore virus as an emergent mosquito-borne Flavivirus.

INTRODUCTION: Cacipacore virus (CPCV), a possible bird-associated flavivirus, has yet to be detected in mosquitoes. Our purpose is examining CPCV in mosquitoes from the Amazon region of Brazil. METHODS: Approximately 3,253 Culicidae (grouped into 264 pools) were collected from the Amazon region during 2002-2006 and analyzed using a Flavivirus genus-specific reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction followed by nested polymerase chain reaction assay and by nucleotide sequencing of amplicons. RESULTS: Nucleotide sequences from five mosquito samples showed high similarity to the those of CPCV originally isolated in the Amazon region. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of CPCV-infected mosquitoes which has implications on the arbovirus maintenance in nature and transmission to man.
World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule II: Contribution to the Italian validation

Introduction. The World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II) is an instrument developed by the World Health Organisation in order to assess behavioural limitations and restrictions to participation experienced by an individual, independently from a medical diagnosis. The conceptual frame of reference of this instrument is the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: ICF. Specifically, the instrument is designed to evaluate the functioning of the individual in six activity domains: Understanding and communicating, Getting around, Self-care, Getting along with people, Life activities, Participation in society. Purposes. Considering the widespread consent about the usefulness of the WHODAS II, the general aim of the present study is to provide a contribution to the validation of the Italian version. Method. The WHODAS II Italian version has been administered to a sample of 500 participants subdivided in two groups: 271 normal adults and 229 disabled adults. The disabled participants group has been subdivided in three sub-groups, according to their disability: 111 motor disabled, 45 mental disabled, 73 sensory disabled. Results. The mean Total score of the WHODAS II is 12.95 for the normal adults and 22.93 for the disabled group. Either group obtains the least impairment in the Self-care domain. This could be probably due to the presence of social-health workers in everyday life for all Italian disabled people. For the three disabled participant groups separately computed the mean Total score is: 28.66 for the motor disabled, 24.60 for the mental disabled, and 14.97 for the sensory disabled, confirming that sensory disabled do not perceive their disability as a personal functioning problem but a socially constructed one. Some subscales of WHODAS II show relatively strong floor effects. The Cronbach's Alpha calculated for each of the subscales is found to be high. The correlations of the subscales show strong correlations in all subscales. Conclusions. The WHODAS II is a useful instrument for measuring disability and functioning in normal and disabled people. It shows high reliability and a stable factor structure; although an additional psychometric evaluation of a representative sample of Italian disabled should be carried out in order to reach standard scores for each macro-category of disability.
Impact of adjuvant treatment modalities on the management of patients with stages I-II endometrial stromal sarcoma.

PURPOSE To explore whether adjuvant treatment options may impact on the prognosis in localized endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESSs; stages I and II). The historical options usually discussed in addition to hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy (BSO) are active surveillance, pelvic radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormonal therapy, alone or in combination. PATIENTS AND METHODS Among 84 consecutive patients treated for ESS at a single referral center, 54 with localized stage disease were identified. Recurrence-free survival and overall survival were estimated and patterns of recurrences described. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out. RESULTS With a median follow-up of 58 months, only one patient had died. None of the 23 patients who had received adjuvant therapy relapsed compared with 13 of 31 patients who had not received any adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant treatments were hormonal therapy (n = 10) and brachytherapy with/without pelvic radiotherapy (n = 13). Almost the majority of relapses were local (92%) and extra-pelvic metastasis was observed in nearly half of the patients (46%). In the multivariate analysis, the major determinants of relapse-free survival were adjuvant treatment, myometrial invasion (P = 0.005) and no BSO (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS In this series, adjuvant treatment of localized ESSs was associated with the absence of recurrence.
Draft Genome Sequence of Bacillus licheniformis Heshi-B2, Isolated from Fermented Rice Bran in a Japanese Fermented Seafood Dish

ABSTRACT Bacillus licheniformis Heshi-B2 was isolated from fermented rice bran in Heshiko, a food produced by aging salted mackerel with fresh rice bran. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of B. licheniformis Heshi-B2, originating from a Heshiko sample from Fukui Prefecture, Japan.