Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SV40 intron, a potent strong intron element that effectively increases transgene expression in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells have become the most widely utilized mammalian cell line for the production of recombinant proteins. However, the product yield and transgene instability need to be further increased and solved. In this study, we investigated the effect of five different introns on transgene expression in CHO cells. hCMV intron A, adenovirus tripartite leader sequence intron, SV40 intron, Chinese hamster EF‐1alpha gene intron 1 and intervening sequence intron were cloned downstream of the eGFP expression cassette in a eukaryotic vector, which was then transfected into CHO cells. qRT‐PCR and flow cytometry were used to explore eGFP expression levels. And gene copy number was also detected by qPCR, respectively. Furthermore, the erythropoietin (EPO) protein was used to test the selected more strong intron. The results showed that SV40 intron exhibited the highest transgene expression level among the five compared intron elements under transient and stable transfections. In addition, the SV40 intron element can increase the ratio of positive colonies and decrease the coefficient of variation in transgene expression level. Moreover, the transgene expression level was not related to the gene copy number in stable transfected CHO cells. Also, the SV40 intron induced higher level of EPO expression than IVS intron in transfected CHO cell. In conclusion, SV40 intron is a potent strong intron element that increases transgene expression, which can readily be used to more efficient transgenic protein production in CHO cells.
Ultra-wideband FMCW ISAR imaging with a large rotation angle based on block-sparse recovery

Ultra-wideband frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar has the ability to achieve high-range resolution. Combined with the inverse synthetic aperture technique, high azimuth resolution can be realized under a large rotation angle. However, the range-azimuth coupling problem seriously restricts the inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging performance. Based on the turntable model, traditional match-filter-based, range Doppler algorithms (RDAs) and the back projection algorithm (BPA) are investigated. To eliminate the sidelobe effects of traditional algorithms, compressed sensing (CS) is preferred. Considering the block structure of a signal at high resolution, a block-sparsity adaptive matching pursuit algorithm (BSAMP) is proposed. By matching pursuit and backtracking, a signal with unknown sparsity can be recovered accurately by updating the support set iteratively. Finally, several experiments are conducted. In comparison with other algorithms, the results from processing the simulation data, some simple targets, and a complex target indicate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm.
Development of a Scale to Measure Barriers to Health Promotion Activities among Persons with Disabilities

Subjectively-defined barriers to engaging in health promoting activities are one of the most important, yet least well operationalized, components in our models of health promotion. This article describes the development of a tool to measure barriers to health promotion among persons with disabilities. The Barriers to Health Activities among Disabled Persons scale (BHADP) is comprised of 16 items reflecting barriers to taking care of one's health identified from previous barriers literature and interviews with disabled persons. In a study of 135 disabled adults living in two southwestern cities, the BHADP yielded a Cronbach Alpha of . 82 as a measure of internal consistency reliability. In addition, t-test analyses demonstrated a significant difference in scores between the disabled sample and a comparison group of 144 nondisabled adults, suggesting the BHADP discriminate between these groups. The BHADP may be useful in sensitizing health care providers to the wide range of barriers experienced by persons with disabilities, thereby enabling them to work more effectively with this special population.
Giant-cell tumors of the temporal bone: management strategies.

OBJECTIVE To discuss the current management options for giant-cell tumors (GCTs) involving the temporal bone and present two case reports and a review of the literature. METHOD In a tertiary-care academic medical center, two patients with GCTs of the temporal bone were evaluated and managed. The patients underwent gross total resection and curettage of GCTs involving the temporal bone. Afterward, both patients were evaluated for postoperative complications as well as for recurrence. RESULTS Two patients underwent operative excision using curettage. Clinical and radiographic studies demonstrated no evidence of recurrence with 3 years of follow-up in one patient and 10 years of follow-up in the second patient. CONCLUSION Based on these results, we concluded that gross total removal and curettage of GCTs in the temporal bone is a viable treatment option. This finding is contrary to previous studies.
Elastic mechanical grain interactions in polycrystalline materials; analysis by diffraction-line broadening

Abstract Experimental investigations have revealed that the Neerfeld–Hill and Eshelby–Kröner models, for grain interactions in massive, bulk (in particular, macroscopically isotropic) polycrystals, and a recently proposed effective grain-interaction model for macroscopically anisotropic polycrystals, as thin films, provide good estimates for the macroscopic (mechanical and) X-ray elastic constants and stress factors of such polycrystalline aggregates. These models can also be used to calculate the strain variation among the diffracting crystallites, i.e. the diffraction-line broadening induced by elastic grain interactions can thus be predicted. This work provides an assessment of diffraction-line broadening induced by elastic loading of polycrystalline specimens according to the various grain-interaction models. It is shown that the variety of environment, and thus the heterogeneity of the stress–strain states experienced by each of the individual grains exhibiting the same crystallographic orientation in a real polycrystal, cannot be accounted for by traditional grain-interaction models, where all grains of the same crystallographic orientation in the specimen frame of reference are considered to experience the same stress–strain state. A significant degree of broadening which is induced by the heterogeneity of the environments of the individual crystallites is calculated on the basis of a finite element algorithm. The obtained results have vast implication for diffraction-line broadening analysis and modelling of the elastic behaviour of massive polycrystals.
Clinical and molecular analyses of Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome: Comparison between spontaneous conception and assisted reproduction techniques

Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is an overgrowth syndrome characterized by an excessive prenatal and postnatal growth, macrosomia, macroglossia, and hemihyperplasia. The molecular basis of this syndrome is complex and heterogeneous, involving genes located at 11p15.5. BWS is correlated with assisted reproductive techniques. BWS in individuals born following assisted reproductive techniques has been found to occur four to nine times higher compared to children with to BWS born after spontaneous conception. Here, we report a series of 187 patients with to BWS born either after assisted reproductive techniques or conceived naturally. Eighty‐eight percent of BWS patients born via assisted reproductive techniques had hypomethylation of KCNQ1OT1:TSS‐DMR in comparison with 49% for patients with BWS conceived naturally. None of the patients with BWS born via assisted reproductive techniques had hypermethylation of H19/IGF2:IG‐DMR, neither CDKN1 C mutations nor patUPD11. We did not find differences in the frequency of multi‐locus imprinting disturbances between groups. Patients with BWS born via assisted reproductive techniques had an increased frequency of advanced bone age, congenital heart disease, and decreased frequency of earlobe anomalies but these differences may be explained by the different molecular background compared to those with BWS and spontaneous fertilization. We conclude there is a correlation of the molecular etiology of BWS with the type of conception. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multicenter Clinical Trial of Vibroplasty Couplers to Treat Mixed/Conductive Hearing Loss: First Results

Objective: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of round window (RW), oval window (OW), CliP and Bell couplers for use with an active middle ear implant. Methods: This is a multicenter, long-term, prospective trial with consecutive enrollment, involving 6 university hospitals in Germany. Bone conduction, air conduction, implant-aided warble-tone thresholds and Freiburger monosyllable word recognition scores were compared with unaided preimplantation results in 28 moderate-to-profound hearing-impaired patients after 12 months of follow-up. All patients had previously undergone failed reconstruction surgeries (up to 5 or more). In a subset of patients, additional speech tests at 12 months postoperatively were used to compare the aided with the unaided condition after implantation with the processor switched off. An established quality-of-life questionnaire for hearing aids was used to determine patient satisfaction. Results: Postoperative bone conduction remained stable. Mean functional gain for all couplers was 37 dB HL (RW = 42 dB, OW = 35 dB, Bell = 38 dB, CliP = 27 dB). The mean postoperative Freiburger monosyllable score was 71% at 65 dB SPL. The postimplantation mean SRT50 (speech reception in quiet for 50% understanding of words in sentences) improved on average by 23 dB over unaided testing and signal-to-noise ratios also improved in all patients. The International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA)quality-of-life questionnaire was scored very positively by all patients. Conclusion: A significant improvement was seen with all couplers, and patients were satisfied with the device at 12 months postoperatively. These results demonstrate that an active implant is an advantage in achieving good hearing benefit in patients with prior failed reconstruction surgery.
Mechanical properties of graphene nanosheets/polypropylene composites

In this study, the effect of the various solid contents of graphene nanosheets (GNSs) on the mechanical properties (tensile, flexural and impact strength) of nanosheets and polypropylene (PP) composites formed by injection molding was determined. The material was used with graphene microencapsulated PP pellets. The experimental results indicated that the GNS/PP composites had a maximal tensile strength of 29.54 MPa when the solid GNS content was 0.2 wt%, which increased 8.24 % compared with that of the neat PP matrix. The flexural strength of the GNS/PP composites achieved a maximal value of 25.47 MPa when the solid GNS content was 0.4 wt%, which increased % compared with that of the neat PP matrix. In determining the impact energy, the GNS/PP composites exhibited a maximal value of 861.39 J/m when the solid GNS content was 0.2 wt%, which increased 33.95 % compared with that of the neat PP matrix.
A Japanese Stress Check Program screening tool predicts employee long-term sickness absence: a prospective study

On December 1, 2015, the Japanese government launched the Stress Check Program, a new occupational health policy to screen employees for high psychosocial stress in the workplace. As only weak evidence exists for the effectiveness of the program, we sought to estimate the risk of stress‐associated longterm sickness absence as defined in the program manual.
Genetic Instability in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer remains a worldwide burden as a second leading cause of cancer death in both sexes (Globocan, 2011; Nobili et al., 2011). Although its incidence is in decline in developed countries, it is still the fourth most common malignancy in the world, behind cancers of the lung, breast, colon, and rectum (Globocan, 2011). The fall in its incidence is attributed mainly to the decline of the intestinal type of stomach cancer, whereas the incidence of the diffuse type has remained constant over time (Yamashita et al., 2011). On the other hand, there has been a progressive increase in the cardia and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (Milne et al., 2009; Yamashita et al., 2011). The exact cause of this shift in location is not known. The general decrease of gastric cancer frequency in developed countries is attributed to the changes in dietary habits and food preservation methods (Crew & Neugut, 2006; Kufe et al., 2003). The prevalence of gastric cancer varies throughout the world, with the highest rates reported in Korea, Japan, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe, whereas Western Europe, North America, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand are low incidence areas (Crew & Neugut, 2006; Tahara, 2008; Yamashita et al., 2011). Despite the decrease in its incidence and improvements in diagnosis, curative surgery, and treatment, gastric cancer remains major health burden due to its poor prognosis (Smith et al., 2006; Yamashita et al., 2011). Adenocarcinoma is the major histological type of gastric cancer; accounting for 90% to 95% of all gastric malignancies, and this chapter will focus only on this type of gastric tumours (Hamilton & Meltzer, 2006). Adenocarcinoma develops from the glandular cells of stomach mucosa, while other rare stomach cancers develop in lymph tissue (lymphoma), hormone – producing cells (carcinoid tumours), muscle cells (soft tissue sarcomas) or certain nerve cells (gastrointestinal stromal tumours or GIST) (Smith et al., 2006). Based on the widely used Lauren classification, adenocarcinomas are divided into two distinct pathological entities, intestinal and diffuse types, which have different clinicopathological and prognostic features (Yamashita et al., 2011). Intestinal type is associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, obesity and certain dietary factors, such as high intake of salt, smoked meats and food preserved with nitrites or nitrates, and is believed to arise through a long-term multistep progression from chronic gastritis to chronic atrophy to intestinal metaplasia to dysplasia (Crew & Neugut, 2006; Hamilton & Meltzer, 2006; Yamashita et al., 2011). Histologically it is well differentiated and occurs more commonly in older patients, males and blacks (Crew & Neugut, 2006). Diffuse type is poorly differentiated with infiltrating,
Dose and temporal evaluation of ethylene oxide‐induced mutagenicity in the lungs of male big blue mice following inhalation exposure to carcinogenic concentrations

Ethylene oxide (EO) is a direct acting alkylating agent; in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that it is both a mutagen and a carcinogen. However, it remains unclear whether the mode of action (MOA) for cancer for EO is a mutagenic MOA, specifically via point mutation. To investigate the MOA for EO‐induced mouse lung tumors, male Big Blue (BB) B6C3F1 mice (10/group) were exposed to EO by inhalation, 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for 4 (0, 10, 50, 100, or 200 ppm EO), 8, or 12 weeks (0, 100, or 200 ppm EO). Lung DNA samples were analyzed for cII mutant frequency (MF) at 4, 8 and 12 weeks of exposure; the mutation spectrum was analyzed for mutants from control and 200 ppm EO treatments. Although EO‐induced cII MFs were 1.5‐ to 2.7‐fold higher than the concurrent controls at 4 weeks, statistically significant increases in the cII MF were found only after 8 and 12 weeks of exposure and only at 200 ppm EO (P ≤ 0.05), which is twice the highest concentration used in the cancer bioassay. Consistent with the positive response, DNA sequencing of cII mutants showed a significant shift in the mutational spectra between control and 200 ppm EO following 8 and 12 week exposures (P ≤ 0.035), but not at 4 weeks. Thus, EO mutagenic activity in vivo was relatively weak and required higher than tumorigenic concentrations and longer than 4 weeks exposure durations. These data do not follow the classical patterns for a MOA mediated by point mutations. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:122–134, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The shock response of a tape wrapped carbon fiber composite

Carbon fiber composites are becoming ever more important in the design and construction of vehicles for the aerospace industry. Such vehicles will be subjected to transient loading during their inservice lives. Consequently, it is important to know how carbon fiber composites behave while under shock loading. This study investigates the shock response of a tape wrapped carbon fiber composite with a phenolic resin matrix and with the carbon fiber weave angled perpendicular to the direction of impact. The Hugoniot equation of state was found to be linear and of the form US=3.69+0.59up. Periodic oscillations were observed on many of the traces, attributed to interactions between the various layers of the composite. Further, a Hugoniot elastic limit of 1.39 ± 0.19 GPa was found. Finally, embedded lateral stress gauges indicated that at low pressures (< 5 GPa), lateral stresses in the composite were comparable to what would be expected in the matrix material alone, e.g. the lateral behaviour was highly depende.
Brain structural network topological alterations of the left prefrontal and limbic cortex in psychogenic erectile dysfunction

ABSTRACT Aim: Despite increasing understanding of the cerebral functional changes and structural abnormalities in erectile dysfunction, alterations in the topological organization of brain networks underlying psychogenic erectile dysfunction remain unclear. Materials and methods: Here, based on the diffusion tensor image data of 25 patients and 26 healthy controls, we investigated the topological organization of brain structural networks and its correlations with the clinical variables using the graph theoretical analysis. Results: Patients displayed a preserved overall small-world organization and exhibited a less connectivity strength in the left inferior frontal gyrus, amygdale and the right inferior temporal gyrus. Moreover, an abnormal hub pattern was observed in patients, which might disturb the information interactions of the remaining brain network. Additionally, the clustering coefficient of the left hippocampus was positively correlated with the duration of patients and the normalized betweenness centrality of the right anterior cingulate gyrus and the left calcarine fissure were negatively correlated with the sum scores of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Conclusions: These findings suggested that the damaged white matter and the abnormal hub distribution of the left prefrontal and limbic cortex might contribute to the pathogenesis of psychogenic erectile dysfunction and provided new insights into the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of psychogenic erectile dysfunction.
Patient involvement in decisions to limit treatment: the crucial role of agreement between physician and patient.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to describe, first, the decision-making process concerning the limitation of life-prolonging treatment (DLT); second, the extent to which patients are actually involved in these decisions; and third, to detect medical and ethical factors that affect patient involvement. PATIENTS AND METHODS This prospective qualitative study enrolled 76 patients with incurable cancer with whom the limitation of life-prolonging treatment was discussed. Embedded researchers on the wards recorded the patient's history, medical condition, type of treatment limitation discussed, patient wishes, decision-making capacity, and patient involvement using an in-depth documentation procedure. RESULTS While the majority of patients were informed about their diagnosis, therapy, and course of disease (99%, 97%, 90%, respectively), only 47% were involved in DLT. Two thirds of the patients preferred palliative care, and one third wished to extend their lifetime. If patients preferred palliative care, they were more often in line with physicians' treatment goals than patients who were striving for longer survival (91.4% v 46.7%; P = .001). They also were involved significantly more often in DLT. Multivariate analysis showed that age, Karnofsky performance index or decision-making capacity had no impact on patient involvement. CONCLUSION Only half of the patients were involved in DLT. Surprisingly, the main predictor of patient involvement was not their medical condition, but agreement with physicians' palliative treatment goals. These results show that if physicians switch to comfort care in terminally ill patients and patients are not yet prepared to follow this line, treatment limitations are often decided without involving the patient.
An autoradiographic analysis of the efferent connections from premotor and adjacent prefrontal regions (areas 6 and 9) in macaca fascicularis.

The efferent connections from area 6 and adjacent regions of area 9 were investigated in 9 adult monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) using the autoradiographic technique. Injection fields throughout these regions projected ipsilaterally to area 7 in the parietal lobe, n. caudatus, claustrum, n. ventralis anterior, n. parafascicularis, n. medialis dorsalis, n. reticularis thalami, colliculus superior, griseum centralis, griseum pontis and n. reticularis tegmenti pontis. The dorsolateral and medial aspects of areas 6 and 9 projected to the caudal cingulate gyrus, n. ventralis lateralis pars caudalis and n. interstitialis of Cajal. Axons originating in the ventrolateral cortex of areas 6 and 9 terminated in the orbital cortex. Projections arising from area 6 were traced to area 4, into the ventral bank of the rostral cingulate sulcus, to putamen, n. centralis superior lateralis, area X and its caudal continuation within n. ventralis posterior lateralis pars oralis, to n. ruber pars parvocellularis as well as the bulbar reticular formation. Adjacent prefrontal areas projected to the medial aspect of area 24, to areas 19, 20, 21 and 49/27 and to parts of the lateral thalamic nuclear group. This prefrontal projection pattern was in many respects also seen in cases injected into the dorsolateral portion of area 6, while its medial and ventrolateral subdivisions showed additional projections to n. ventralis medialis, the medial parts of centrum medianum as well as spinal and prorhinal projections, respectively.Furthermore, extensive bilateral connections were found within the frontal lobe, to basal ganglia, n. parafascicularis, n. centralis thalami, n. ruber, griseum pontis, n. reticularis tegmenti pontis, bulbar reticular formation and, more selectively, to colliculus superior and n. medialis dorsalis. Evidence was also presented for direct prefrontal connections to amygdala and corticonigral projections arising from areas 6 and 9. The results are discussed with respect to the intermediate position of area 6 between primary motor and prefrontal cortex as well as to differences of projection patterns within area 6 itself and, in particular, the supplementary motor area.
Effects of a Peer Evaluation Technique on Nursing Students’ Anxiety Levels

Techniques to help decrease students’ stress and anxiety during a nursing program can be beneficial to their overall health and mental well-being. A quasi-experimental design was used to examine if a peer evaluation technique during clinical skill practice sessions decreases anxiety prior to skill performance evaluation with nursing faculty. Participant feedback supports the integration of a peer evaluation technique when learning clinical skills.