Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blockade of Androgen-induced Malignant Phenotypes by Flutamide Administration in Human Salivary Duct Carcinoma Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM Androgens are known to play a critical role in prostate cancer progression, but their effect on malignant phenotypes in salivary gland cancer is unclear. The androgen-androgen receptor (AR) axis may be involved in malignant phenotypes of salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) cells and therefore may be a new target for SDC treatment. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of the androgen 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of SDC cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used a wound-healing assay to measure cell migration and a Boyden chamber invasion assay to investigate SDC cell invasive capacity. RESULTS DHT treatment increased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, treatment with flutamide, an AR inhibitor, blocked the effects of DHT. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the androgen-AR axis is involved in SDC malignancy and may be an effective therapeutic target for treatment of human SDC.
Digital Background Calibration for Pipelined ADCs Based on Comparator Decision Time Quantization

This brief presents a digital background calibration technique that embraces comparator decision time to calibrate interstage gain errors and capacitor mismatches in pipelined analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). It does not modify the original analog signal path except for the addition of a comparator decision time binary quantizer built by simple digital gates. The technique does not limit either the ADC input signal swing or bandwidth. Simulation results for a 12-bit pipelined ADC show that the proposed technique can improve the signal- to-noise-and-distortion ratio (SNDR) and the spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) from 44 and 48 dB to 72 and 86 dB, respectively. The SNDR convergence time is less than 3 × 106 cycles.
NTCIR Experiments Using the OASIS System

This paper reports the results of NTCIR experiments on Japanese and English text retrieval carried out with the OASIS System. The OASIS system is designed to support multiple languages. The main aim of these experiments is to test particular methods to support Japanese. Results showed that some improvements in the search engine need to be considered. More experiments are needed to test the effect of automatically query expansion using top relevant ranking documents.
Back Pain and Health Policy Research: The What, Why, How, Who, and When

Study Design. A background literature, supported by discussion and outcomes on the subject of Health Policy and Back Pain, from the Fifth International Forum on Low Back Pain Research in Primary Care, in Montreal in May 2002. Summary of Background Data. A multitude of randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews have been completed in the field of back pain research. There has been limited health policy research in the field of back pain but a greater amount of health policy research in other medical fields. Methods. The focus of the workshop was on the contribution health policy could make in the area of back pain, the methodologies that are appropriate to research in back pain, and the barriers to back pain health policy research. The workshop was supported by the workshop coordinators’ literature review. Results. There was consensus about the lack of improved outcomes from randomized controlled trials and individual treatments and general agreement on the importance supporting current research initiatives with health policy research. That policy-makers were developing policy in this area was agreed, and study methodology to support evidence based policy development was explored. Conclusions. Health policy research is a relatively underdeveloped area of research in back pain. Back pain as a public health problem may be supported by a broader research approach and a collaborative association with policy-makers in this area.
Dynamic Balance Control for Biped Robot Walking Using Sensor Fusion, Kalman Filter, and Fuzzy Logic

The walking ability is a fundamental research for biped robots, and there always needs to be a criterion used for judging the walking stability. The zero moment point (ZMP) criterion is one of the useful standards for measuring biped robot walking. Here, a new ZMP trajectory model with adjustable parameters is proposed to modulate the ZMP trajectory both in sagittal and lateral planes and make the ZMP trajectory more flexible. A dynamic balance control (DBC), which includes Kalman filter (KF) and the fuzzy motion controller (FMC), is also designed to keep the body balance and make the biped walking following the desired ZMP reference. In addition, KF is utilized to estimate the system states and reduce the effect caused by noise. Using sensor fusion technique, ZMP error and trunk inclination measured by the force sensor and accelerometer are served as the inputs for FMC, which is presented to correct each joint of the biped robot dynamically. When a biped robot walks under different ground conditions, the coordination of the designed ZMP trajectory and proposed DBC can achieve a successful biped walking. Finally, there are several experiments presented to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.
Multicenter experience using simeprevir and sofosbuvir with or without ribavirin to treat hepatitis C genotype 1 in patients with cirrhosis

Interferon (IFN)‐free regimens are needed to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Combined simeprevir (SMV) and sofosbuvir (SOF) with or without ribavirin (RBV) results in high sustained virological response (SVR) rates along with minimal adverse events (AEs) in patients with hepatitis C genotype 1 (HCV GT1). The aim of this study was to report on the virological response, safety, and tolerability of SOF and SMV with or without RBV in compensated and decompensated patients with cirrhosis with HCV GT1 infection. Patients treated with standardized clinical protocol utilizing SMV+SOF with or without RBV at three transplant centers were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 119 patients (61% male, 87% white, 69% subtype 1a, 30% Child‐Pugh‐Turcott [CPT]‐B liver cirrhosis [LC], and 82% were treatment experienced) received treatment and were followed for a median of 38 weeks (range, 12‐58). Sustained virological response (SVR) at week 12 (SVR12) was achieved in 78% (92 of 118) of patients (95% confidence interval: 69‐85). Lower pretreatment Model for End Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was a predictor of SVR12 (P = 0.018). Baseline viral load, previous treatment status, RBV use, or GT1 subtype did not impact SVR 12. The majority of patients with SVR12 showed stability or improvement in MELD score. Treatment was very well tolerated with mild degrees of AEs. Conclusions: The regimen of SMV+SOF with or without RBV for 12 weeks was very well tolerated and resulted in high SVR12 rates (78%) in HCV GT1 patients with LC. SVR12 was inversely related to pretreatment MELD. SVR12 had favorable short‐term impact on MELD score. Long‐term impact on disease stability is yet to be determined. Longer treatment duration or the use of different regimen may still be needed in this population. (Hepatology 2015;62:1004‐1012)
Enzymatic Conversion of Averufin to Hydroxyversicolorone and Elucidation of a Novel Metabolic Grid Involved in Aflatoxin Biosynthesis

ABSTRACT The pathway from averufin (AVR) to versiconal hemiacetal acetate (VHA) in aflatoxin biosynthesis was investigated by using cell-free enzyme systems prepared from Aspergillus parasiticus. When (1′S,5′S)-AVR was incubated with a cell extract of this fungus in the presence of NADPH, versicolorin A and versicolorin B (VB), as well as other aflatoxin pathway intermediates, were formed. When the same substrate was incubated with the microsome fraction and NADPH, hydroxyversicolorone (HVN) and VHA were formed. However, (1′R,5′R)-AVR did not serve as the substrate. In cell-free experiments performed with the cytosol fraction and NADPH, VHA, versicolorone (VONE), and versiconol acetate (VOAc) were transiently produced from HVN in the early phase, and then VB and versiconol (VOH) accumulated later. Addition of dichlorvos (dimethyl 2,2-dichlorovinylphosphate) to the same reaction mixture caused transient formation of VHA and VONE, followed by accumulation of VOAc, but neither VB nor VOH was formed. When VONE was incubated with the cytosol fraction in the presence of NADPH, VOAc and VOH were newly formed, whereas the conversion of VOAc to VOH was inhibited by dichlorvos. The purified VHA reductase, which was previously reported to catalyze the reaction from VHA to VOAc, also catalyzed conversion of HVN to VONE. Separate feeding experiments performed with A. parasiticus NIAH-26 along with HVN, VONE, and versicolorol (VOROL) demonstrated that each of these substances could serve as a precursor of aflatoxins. Remarkably, we found that VONE and VOROL had ring-opened structures. Their molecular masses were 386 and 388 Da, respectively, which were 18 Da greater than the molecular masses previously reported. These data demonstrated that two kinds of reactions are involved in the pathway from AVR to VHA in aflatoxin biosynthesis: (i) a reaction from (1′S,5′S)-AVR to HVN, catalyzed by the microsomal enzyme, and (ii) a new metabolic grid, catalyzed by a new cytosol monooxygenase enzyme and the previously reported VHA reductase enzyme, composed of HVN, VONE, VOAc, and VHA. A novel hydrogenation-dehydrogenation reaction between VONE and VOROL was also discovered.
Evaluation of a SUMO E2 Conjugating Enzyme Involved in Resistance to Clavibacter michiganensis Subsp. michiganensis in Solanum peruvianum, Through a Tomato Mottle Virus VIGS Assay

Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis (Cmm) causes bacterial wilt and canker of tomato. Currently, no Solanum lycopersicum resistant varieties are commercially available, but some degree of Cmm resistance has been identified in Solanum peruvianum. Previous research showed up-regulation of a SUMO E2 conjugating enzyme (SCEI) transcript in S. peruvianum compared to S. lycopersicum following infection with Cmm. In order to test the role of SCEI in resistance to Cmm, a fragment of SCEI from S. peruvianum was cloned into a novel virus-induced gene-silencing (VIGS) vector based on the geminivirus, Tomato Mottle Virus (ToMoV). Using biolistic inoculation, the ToMoV-based VIGS vector was shown to be effective in S. peruvianum by silencing the magnesium chelatase gene, resulting in leaf bleaching. VIGS with the ToMoV_SCEI construct resulted in ~61% silencing of SCEI in leaves of S. peruvianum as determined by quantitative RT-PCR. The SCEI-silenced plants showed unilateral wilting (15 dpi) and subsequent death (20 dpi) of the entire plant after Cmm inoculation, whereas the empty vector-treated plants only showed wilting in the Cmm-inoculated leaf. The SCEI-silenced plants showed higher Cmm colonization and an average of 4.5 times more damaged tissue compared to the empty vector control plants. SCEI appears to play an important role in the innate immunity of S. peruvianum against Cmm, perhaps through the regulation of transcription factors, leading to expression of proteins involved in salicylic acid-dependent defense responses.
Architecture of a web-based DICOM viewer showing segmentations and simulations

In teleradiology doctors view the image data of a healthcare institution from a remote site. To do so they typically connect to an image repository, download the necessary data and finally view it in a locally installed DICOM viewer. Recent research activities in teleradiology [1, 2, 3, 4] focus on the implementation of ubiquitously accessible web-based DICOM viewers which simplify the access and the collaboration among radiologists. However, these solutions either have a weak performance, they run on the client side only, or they are not as feature rich as their desktop counterpart. In this contribution we present an architecture of a web based DICOM viewer which has both, good performance as well as advanced features such as the visualization of anatomical structures. On the client side only native web technologies are used. The whole architecture has been implemented and evaluated in the GoSmart environment, a planning tool for minimally invasive cancer treatment.
Affirmation of Personal Values Buffers Neuroendocrine and Psychological Stress Responses

Stress is implicated in the development and progression of a broad array of mental and physical health disorders. Theory and research on the self suggest that self-affirming activities may buffer these adverse effects. This study experimentally investigated whether affirmations of personal values attenuate physiological and psychological stress responses. Eighty-five participants completed either a value-affirmation task or a control task prior to participating in a laboratory stress challenge. Participants who affirmed their values had significantly lower cortisol responses to stress, compared with control participants. Dispositional self-resources (e.g., trait self-esteem and optimism) moderated the relation between value affirmation and psychological stress responses, such that participants who had high self-resources and had affirmed personal values reported the least stress. These findings suggest that reflecting on personal values can keep neuroendocrine and psychological responses to stress at low levels. Implications for research on the self, stress processes, health, and interventions are discussed.
Social conditions and applied parenting

Contents: Part I: Social Conditions of Parenting. C.G. Coll, L.M. Pachter, Ethnic and Minority Parenting. R. Harwood, B. Leyendecker, V. Carlson, M. Ascencio, A. Miller, Parenting Among Latino Families in the U.S. H.P. McAdoo, African American Parenting. R. Chao, V. Tseng, Parenting of Asians. K.A. Magnuson, G.J. Duncan, Parents in Poverty. M. Cochran, S. Niego, Parenting and Social Networks. Part II: Applied Issues in Parenting. D.M. Teti, M.A. Candelaria, Parenting Competence. M. Rutter, Maternal Deprivation. J.H. Grych, Marital Relationships and Parenting. B.J. Wilson, J.M. Gottman, Marital Conflict, Repair, and Parenting. K.P. Meadow-Orlans, Parenting With a Sensory or Physical Disability. C. Zahn-Waxler, S. Duggal, R. Gruber, Parental Psychopathology. L.C. Mayes, S.D. Truman, Substance Abuse and Parenting. S.T. Azar, Parenting and Child Maltreatment. C. Smith, R. Perou, C. Lesesne, Parent Education.
Migraine: Clinical pattern and psychiatric comorbidity

Background: Migraine is a common disorder which has psychiatric sequelae. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the clinical pattern and psychiatric comorbidity of migraine. Materials and Methods: 100 cases of migraine seen over a period of one year were analysed to know the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical pattern and psychiatric morbidity. Results: Maximum patients were between 31-40 years of age group (40%), females (78.0%), married (76%) and housewives (56.0%). Family history of migraine was present in 12% cases. Average age of onset was 22 years. Unilateral and throbbing type of headache was most common. The commonest frequency was one to two per week. Migraine without aura was commonest sub-type (80%). Generalized anxiety disorder (F41.1) was the most common psychiatric disorder (34%), followed by mixed anxiety and depressive disorder (F41.2) (18%) and depressive episode (F32) (14%). In 22% cases, no psychiatric disorder could be elicited. Conclusion: The present study confirms that majority patients with migraine had psychiatric disorders. This needs timely detection and appropriate intervention to treat and control the migraine effectively.
A Contrast/Surprise Model for Updating Beliefs

Abstract : Although the updating of beliefs is a central concern in many fields, empirical research has produced complex and conflicting results. We first present a psychological model of updating that assumes equal attention is given to all information. The model is based on an anchoring-and-adjustment process that incorporates a contrast or surprise effect; in particular, the larger the current opinion, the more it is discounted by negative evidence and the less it is increased by positive evidence. The model predicts strong recency effects for conflicting evidence and, no order effects for consistent evidence. These predictions are contrasted with those of alternative models and tested in a series of six experiments involving the evaluation of written scenarios containing varying amounts and types of information. Thereafter, we generalize the model to include the effects of differential attention and show the conditions under which attention decrement can lead to primacy rather than recency. Specifically, under attention decrement, people with strong prior beliefs are more prone to primacy than those with weak priors. We then discuss our theoretical framework and results with respect to procedural variables that can affect judgment, the optimal inattention problem, comparisons with alternative models of updating (e.g., Bayesian models), and limitations and extensions of the present approach. (Author)
Interferon-γ-induced p27KIP1 binds to and targets MYC for proteasome-mediated degradation

The Myc oncoprotein is tightly regulated at multiple levels including ubiquitin-mediated protein turnover. We recently demonstrated that inhibition of Cdk2-mediated phosphorylation of Myc at Ser-62 pharmacologically or through interferon (IFN)-γ-induced expression of p27Kip1 (p27) repressed Myc's activity to suppress cellular senescence and differentiation. In this study we identified an additional activity of p27 to interfere with Myc independent of Ser-62 phosphorylation. p27 is required and sufficient for IFN-γ-induced turnover of Myc. p27 interacted with Myc in the nucleus involving the C-termini of the two proteins, including Myc box 4 of Myc. The C-terminus but not the Cdk2 binding fragment of p27 was sufficient for inducing Myc degradation. Protein expression data of The Cancer Genome Atlas breast invasive carcinoma set revealed significantly lower Myc protein levels in tumors with highly expressed p27 lacking phosphorylation at Thr-157 - a marker for active p27 localized in the nucleus. Further, these conditions correlated with favorable tumor stage and patient outcome. This novel regulation of Myc by IFN-γ/p27KIP1 potentially offers new possibilities for therapeutic intervention in tumors with deregulated Myc.
The incidence, risk factors, and mortality of preterm neonates: A prospective study from Jordan (2012-2013)

Objective: To explore the incidence of preterm delivery, maternal risk factors for having a preterm neonate, and preterm neonates’ mortality in Jordan. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional population-based design was applied. Socio-demographic, perinatal, delivery risk factors, and survival information were gathered in pre- and post-hospital discharge interviews with 21075 women who gave birth to live neonates at ≥20 weeks of gestation in 18 hospitals in Jordan. Women were interviewed between 2012 and 2013. The sample was limited to singleton women who gave birth to live neonates. Women who gave birth to stillborn babies were excluded. Results: Preterm delivery incidence was 5.8%, of which 85% were in 32-36 gestational weeks. Male sex, primigravidity, hypertension, preeclampsia, and diabetes were significantly associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery. Women aged 20-35 years had the lowest risk of preterm delivery. Mother’s weight <50 kg, hospitalization at 24-34 gestational weeks, lack of antenatal care visits or <8 visits during pregnancy, a history of preterm delivery, and a history of stillbirth/neonatal death were associated with increased risks of preterm delivery. The neonatal mortality rate was 4/1000 live births among full-term and 123/1000 live births among preterm babies. Prematurity, congenital anomalies, and maternal diseases were the causes of 84% of preterm neonatal deaths. Conclusion: The mortality rate was considerably higher among preterm neonates than among term neonates; discrepancies between Jordan and other countries existed. Systematic prenatal risk assessment and quality postnatal health care improvements are required to improve the survival rates of preterm neonates.
Laser assisted boron doping of silicon wafer solar cells using nanosecond and picosecond laser pulses

In this paper, laser-assisted boron doping of planar and textured silicon wafers is investigated and optimized. Two laser types — a ns laser and a ps laser — are used, both operating at 532 nm. The following laser parameters are varied: pulse energy, repetition rate and laser scribing speed. The boron sources are commercially available spin-on dopant sources. The ps laser gives not satisfactory sheet resistance results and is thus not suitable for creating heavily doped p-type layers using the laser doping approach. In contrast, the ns laser is able to controllably realize heavily doped p-type profiles with desired sheet resistance value of below 100 Ohms/square. On planar surfaces, we realize profiles with a depth of about 0.5–2 μm. Interestingly, on textured samples, the heavily doped profile is found to be much thicker (about 3–5 μm).
Characteristics of primary side population cervical cancer cells

The aim of the present study was to identify and characterize side population (SP) cells in primary cervical cancer. A primary culture was successfully established, and the SP cells were isolated via fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Subsequently, in vitro analysis of clonogenic capacity by soft agar assay and in vivo analysis of tumorigenicity were performed. The isolated SP cells accounted for ~4.73% of the total primary culture cells. The SP cells had a decreased proliferation rate and an increased distribution in G0/G1 compared with non-SP (NSP) cells. Following isolation, SP cells exhibited increased proliferative and self-renewal potency compared with NSP cells. Furthermore, significant ATP binding cassette subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) expression was detected in SP cells but not in NSP cells. The tumor formation rate of SP cells was longer, and the tumor size and tumor formation rate of SP cells were increased in non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency mice. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that SP cells can be isolated from primary cervical cancer cell culture, and SP cells are enriched with stem cell-like cells that have a high capacity for colony formation and tumorigenesis.