Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum Thrombopoietin Levels and Its Relationship With Thrombocytopenia in Patients With Cirrhosis

Background: Patients with cirrhosis usually have thrombocytopenia in discrete levels. The mechanism of thrombocytopenia is thought as splenic sequestration and destruction of platelets, impaired bone marrow generation and diminished hepatic thrombopoietin synthesis. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate serum thrombopoietin levels and its relationship with thrombocytopenia at patients with cirrhosis. Patients and Methods: Ninety–two cirrhotic patients and 45 healthy controls without history or findings of pathologies that can effect thrombopoietin levels were enrolled by simple random sampling to patient and control groups of this case control study performed at Eskisehir-Turkey. Thrombopoietin was measured in serum samples with a solid phase enzyme-linked immune absorbent assay. Additionally, spleen size and volume index were determined. Results: Platelet counts were lower in patients with cirrhosis (97000 ± 8000/mm3) than in healthy subjects (240000 ± 51000/mm3, P < 0.001). Significant difference was determined for platelet counts among child A, B and C stages (Child A vs. Child B P < 0.05 Child A vs. Child C P < 0.001–Child B vs. Child C P < 0.05). Serum TPO concentration was higher (69 ± 12 pg/mL) in cirrhotic group than healthy controls (49 ± 9 pg/ml) (P < 0.05). No significant difference in TPO levels were found among the Child A, B and C stages (64 ± 11 pg/mL, 75 ± 13 pg/mL and 68 ± 10 pg/mL, respectively). Spleen size and SVI was significantly higher in the cirrhotic patients than healthy controls (148 ± 14 mm vs. 98 ± 11 mm, P < 0.001-9167 ± 287 cm2 vs. 4118 ± 123 cm2). Significant difference was determined for spleen size and spleen index among child A, B and C stages (Child A vs. Child B P < 0.05 Child A vs. Child C P < 0.001–Child B vs. Child C P < 0.05). TPO levels were significantly different between cirrhotic patients with platelet levels below 50.000/mm3 (n = 16, plt-count: 41000 ± 8300/mm3, TPO levels: 73 ± 7 pg/mL) and above 50.000/mm3 (n = 76, plt-count: 105000 ± 9500/mm3, TPO levels: 65 ± 10 pg/mL) (P < 0.01). In correlation analysis, there was a strong negative correlation between platelet count-spleen size (P < 0.001, r = -0.74) and platelet count–serum TPO levels (P < 0.001, r = -0.71). Conclusions: Our results suggest that liver cirrhosis does not cause impaired thrombopoietin production even in the late stage of disease. Thrombopoietin has no contribution for the occurrence of thrombocytopenia in cirrhosis; splenic sequestration seems to be the main factor.
A density based model for facility location problem

Solutions for facility location problems are numerous. As the problem is NP hard, continuous efforts have been made to find more efficient techniques. The nature of the facility adds to its variety. A popular approach has been based on geometric solutions. Other methods have also been tried; one of them is based on density applied for large databases as in Spatial Data Mining and Geographic Information Systems. A novel approach is evolved using density in the work presented in this paper wherein two stage solution is proposed for Uncapacitated Facility Location Problem. Experiments are conducted for urban public facility on standard data set of houses and roads to establish the superiority of the technique.
Staging of the commitment of murine cardiac cell progenitors.

The staging of murine cardiomyocyte specification and determination was investigated in cultures of tissue explants from pre- and postgastrulated embryos and after transplantation of cardiac or cardiogenic tissues from mouse embryos into 2-day-old chick embryos in different locations. The development of transplanted and cultured cells in cardiomyocytes was evaluated by testing the expression of several cardiac transcription factor genes (Nkx 2.5, eHAND, dHAND, GATA-4), alpha-cardiac actin mRNA, and beta-myosin heavy chain protein. In vitro analyses showed that cells with the potential to form cardiac muscle were present prior to gastrulation in 6.5-day postconception (dpc) epiblasts, as indicated by the expression of Nkx 2.5, eHAND, dHAND, and GATA-4 cardiac transcription factors; desmin transgene; alpha-cardiac actin; and beta-myosin heavy chain. Conversely, epiblasts transplanted into the chicken somitic environment did not exhibit full cardiogenic cell differentiation. It was determined that chick host axial structures did not influence cardiogenesis in transplants. Mesoderm from late streak explants was capable of differentiating into the cardiac phenotype in the avian heterotopic environment, indicating that the specification of cardiac precursors (under way by 6.5 dpc) became irreversible at around the late streak stage in mouse embryo. Although in vitro analyses showed that interaction with endoderm is not required for the specification of murine cardiac cells, the presence of endoderm in explant cultures between mid- and late streak stages stimulated emerging mesodermal cells to adopt a myocardial pathway, whereas ectoderm had no influence on cardiomyogenesis.
Exogenous Smac Induces Competence and Permits Caspase Activation in Sympathetic Neurons

Sympathetic neuronal apoptosis after nerve growth factor (NGF) deprivation requires the activation of two events: a protein synthesis-dependent, Bax-dependent release of mitochondrial cytochromec and a protein synthesis-independent, Bax-independent development of competence. Unlike in most cells, cytosolic cytochromec is not sufficient to induce cell death in NGF-maintained sympathetic neurons but can do so in neurons that have developed competence. We report that cytosolic cytochromec-induced apoptosis in competent sympathetic neurons is completely dependent on caspase-9. In addition, the neuroprotective agents KCl and chlorophenylthio-cAMP are potent inhibitors of the development-of-competence pathway in NGF-deprived sympathetic neurons. We also find that the development of competence is reversible. Readdition of NGF reverses competence, and neurons can regain their resistance to cytosolic cytochrome c. Importantly, we examined the mechanism of development of competence and report that the inability of cytochrome c to activate caspases in NGF-maintained sympathetic neurons can be overcome with exogenous Smac that inhibits the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins. Microinjection of cytochrome c and Smac, but neither alone, induces rapid cell death in NGF-maintained neurons. These data suggest that development of competence may be the result of the loss of the function of one or more members of the IAP family of caspase inhibitors that is needed before cytochrome c can activate caspases and induce cell death in neurons.
Acetylation of Mitochondrial Trifunctional Protein α-Subunit Enhances Its Stability To Promote Fatty Acid Oxidation and Is Decreased in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

ABSTRACT Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common liver disease, and decreased fatty acid oxidation is one of the important contributors to NAFLD. Mitochondrial trifunctional protein α-subunit (MTPα) functions as a critical enzyme for fatty acid β-oxidation, but whether dysregulation of MTPα is pathogenically connected to NAFLD is poorly understood. We show that MTPα is acetylated at lysine residues 350, 383, and 406 (MTPα-3K), which promotes its protein stability by antagonizing its ubiquitylation on the same three lysines (MTPα-3K) and blocking its subsequent degradation. Sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) has been identified as the deacetylase, deacetylating and destabilizing MTPα. Replacement of MTPα-3K with either MTPα-3KR or MTPα-3KQ inhibits cellular lipid accumulation both in free fatty acid (FFA)-treated alpha mouse liver 12 (AML12) cells and primary hepatocytes and in the livers of high-fat/high-sucrose (HF/HS) diet-fed mice. Moreover, knockdown of SIRT4 could phenocopy the effects of MTPα-3K mutant expression in mouse livers, and MTPα-3K mutants more efficiently attenuate SIRT4-mediated hepatic steatosis in HF/HS diet-fed mice. Importantly, acetylation of both MTPα and MTPα-3K is decreased while SIRT4 is increased in the livers of mice and humans with NAFLD. Our study reveals a novel mechanism of MTPα regulation by acetylation and ubiquitylation and a direct functional link of this regulation to NAFLD.
Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Primary Liver Resection and Aggressive Multimodal Treatment of Recurrence Significantly Prolong Survival

Objective:To evaluate the results of surgical therapy for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), the incidence and the management of recurrence, and to analyze the change in approach during 2 different periods. Design:Retrospective study. Patients and Methods:Patient and tumor characteristics, and overall and disease-free survival were analyzed in a series of 72 consecutive patients who underwent hepatic resection for ICC. Several factors likely to influence survival after resection were evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the year of operation (before and after 1999). Management of recurrence and survival after recurrence were also analyzed. Results:The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 62% and 48%, whereas the 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 30% and 25%, respectively. The median survival time was 57.1 months. Patient and histologic characteristics before and after 1999 were similar. Survival was significantly better among patients operated after 1999, who were node-negative, did not receive blood transfusion, and underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. The overall recurrence rates before and after 1999 were comparable (66.6% and 50%, P = 0.49). The most frequent site of recurrence was the liver. A significantly large number of patients received treatment for recurrence after 1999 (81.5%) compared with the first period (8.3%). The overall 3-year survival rate after recurrence was 46%. After 1999, there was a significant improvement in 3-year survival after recurrence (56%) compared with patients operated before 1999 (0%, P = 0.004); the median survival time from the diagnosis of recurrence increased from 20 months to 66 months in the second group. Conclusions:Although recurrence rate represents a frequent problem in ICC, an aggressive approach to recurrence can significantly prolong survival.
Investigation of Different Parameters of Dynamic Source Routing for Wireless Sensor Networks for varying terrain areas and different speed (node speed)

The purpose of this experimental study is to measure the ability of the routing protocol to react to the network topology change while continuing to successfully deliver data packets to their destinations. To measure this ability, different scenarios are generated by varying the maximum speed in the network that also over different terrain areas. The main focus of this paper is to discuss and evaluate the performance of different parameters in different scenarios and different terrain areas which may be small, large and very large in wireless sensor network using Dynamic Source routing protocols and for monitoring of critical conditions with the help of important parameters like Packet Delivery Fraction, End-to-End Delay, Average Throughput, NRL and Packet loss% in different scenarios [1]. This paper describes the performance matrices on different topologies based on varying the maximum speed and keeping the constant pause time in different terrain areas which is small, large and very large. Simulations are run by considering DSR routing protocol. In order to get realistic performance, the results are averaged for a number of scenarios. Investigators were not attempting to measure the protocol performance on a particular workload taken from real life, but rather to measure the protocol, performance under different range of conditions [1]. Investigators use network simulator ns-2 to simulate wireless networks with various wireless routing protocols. NS-2 is a packet- level, discrete event simulator, widely adopted in the network research community. Keywords- Average End-to-End Delay, Average Throughput, Network Simulator, Packet Delivery Fraction, Wireless Sensor Network
Assessment of Lifetime Participation in Cognitively Stimulating Activities

Cognitively stimulating experience is thought to contribute to cognitive reserve. We constructed a questionnaire consisting of 25 items about frequency of participation in cognitive activities across the life span and administered it to two groups of older persons. The total score on the scale had high internal consistency (coefficient alpha 1/4 0.88) and temporal stability over a 4-week re-test interval (r =.79), and it was positively correlated with education. In analyses controlling for age, sex, and education, more frequent cognitive activity was related to better perceptual speed, visuospatial ability, and semantic memory but not to episodic memory or working memory. The results suggest that the scale provides a psychometrically sound measure of frequency of cognitive activity across the life span.
Five-year survival, quality of life, and individual costs of 303 consecutive medical intensive care patients—A cost-utility analysis

Objective:To assess long-term survival, health-related quality of life, and associated costs 5 yrs after discharge from a medical intensive care unit. Design:Prospective cohort study. Setting:Medical intensive care unit of a German university hospital. Patients:Three hundred and three consecutive patients with predominantly cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders admitted between November 1997 and February 1998 with an intensive care unit length of stay >24 hrs. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Demographic data, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System, and individual intensive care unit and hospital costs were prospectively recorded. Primary outcomes included 5-yr survival, functional status, health-related quality of life (Medical Outcome Short Form, SF-36), effective costs per survivor, and costs per life year and per quality-adjusted life year gained. Of 303 patients, 44 (14.5%) died in the hospital. Among the remaining 259 patients, 190 (73%) survived the 5-yr follow up and 173 patients (91%) completed the questionnaire. Baseline demographics including gender, age, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment, simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System, and admission diagnosis were similar between hospital and long-term survivors (p > .05 for all). The health status index of those patients surviving the 5-yr follow-up was 0.88, independent of patients’ severity of illness. The average effective costs per survivor were 8.827 &U20AC; for intensive care unit costs and 14.130 &U20AC; for intensive care unit and hospital costs. Mean costs per life year and per quality-adjusted life year gained amounted to 19.330 &U20AC; and 21.922 &U20AC;, respectively. Increasing severity of illness was associated with higher costs. Conclusions:Considering the severity of illness and the patients’ outcome, the costs associated with both life year and quality-adjusted life year gained were within generally accepted limits for other potentially life-saving treatments.
AN EFFICIENT ARCHITECTURE OF RESIDUE TO BINARY CONVERTER FOR NEW FOUR-MODULI SET SAHEL

In this paper a new four-moduli set for even n is presented that has 4n-bit dynamic range and contains wellformed moduli which makes it suitable for using in residue number system arithmetic unit. An efficient two-level reverse converter based on Chinese Remainder Theorem and Mixed Radix Conversion is designed. Hardware implementation of the reverse converter is mainly based on modulo adders and carry save adders. This proposed reverse converter is efficient in terms of area and delay in comparison with previously introduced four-moduli sets that has the same dynamic range with our proposed moduli set.
An approach to the generalization of firewall rules

Modern firewalls are becoming complex and anomalies may exist in their rule sets. Security log data, such as firewall logs and logs generated by intrusion detection systems, could provide useful information for the update and addition of existing firewall rule sets. In this paper, we focus on the development of an effective mechanism for firewall rule generation, and proposed an algorithm called Domain-Specific Rule Generation (DSRG) algorithm. The algorithm integrates domain-specific network configuration information to help with the generalization of firewall rules based on security log data. These generalized rules could help with the anomaly check or used as an addition for existing rule sets.
Evaluating the morphological competence of Machine Translation Systems

While recent changes in Machine Translation state-of-the-art brought translation quality a step further, it is regularly acknowledged that the standard automatic metrics do not provide enough insights to fully measure the impact of neural models. This paper proposes a new type of evaluation focused specifically on the morphological competence of a system with respect to various grammatical phenomena. Our approach uses automatically generated pairs of source sentences, where each pair tests one morphological contrast. This methodology is used to compare several systems submitted at WMT'17 for English into Czech and Latvian.
Factors associated with root caries incidence in an elderly population.

OBJECTIVE To identify baseline factors associated with future root caries development in an elderly population. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN Oral health and general health status examinations were carried out at baseline and after one and two years. In order to identify risk predictors of root caries with a different degree of robustness, three multiple logistic regression analyses where the dependent variables were one, two and three or more disease events were performed. PARTICIPANTS Six hundred noninstitutionalised adults aged 70 in Niigata, Japan took part in the baseline examination. A total of 373 subjects were followed up for two years and identified as dentate at the two-year examination. RESULTS During the period of study, 35.9% of subjects developed at least one new root caries lesion. The mean number of new root caries lesions per subject was 0.9 (sd = 1.7). Logistic regression analyses indicated that having one or more root D surface and mean LA > or = 3.6 mm were the most robust risk predictors, having two or more prosthetic crowns, non use of interdental brushes or dental floss and LB > or = 10(5) CFU/ml were moderately robust risk predictors, and a Body Mass Index < 20 was the least robust risk predictor. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that oral health status is a good risk predictor, and poor general health indicated by a low Body Mass Index may also contribute to root caries occurrence in this elderly population.
Implementation of Modified Twofish Algorithm using 128 and 192-bit keys on VHDL

Now-a-days internet is one of the most important sources of communication and thousands of people interact electronically. For sending sensitive messages over the internet, we need security. Hence for secure communication required the algorithms. Among these algorithms is Twofish, a promising 128-bit block cipher and one of the competitors in National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) AES competition, for the replacement of DES at the core of many encryption systems world-wide. In this paper the security algorithm, twofish has been explained with all of its modules (some modules has been modified) for both 128 and 192-bit key size. Implementation on VHDL using Xilinx – 6.1 xst software has been done taking delay as main constraint. General Terms Algorithms, Security, symmetric key, path delay
Clinical and genetic characterization of pheochromocytoma in von Hippel-Lindau families: comparison with sporadic pheochromocytoma gives insight into natural history of pheochromocytoma.

PURPOSE Families with von Hippel-Lindau disease have variable risk of pheochromocytoma. Patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease and pheochromocytoma identified by screening can have no characteristic signs or symptoms. Families with von Hippel-Lindau disease were screened and followed to describe the natural history of von Hippel-Lindau pheochromocytoma, and to correlate these findings with von Hippel-Lindau germline mutation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 1988 and 1997, 246 individuals with von Hippel-Lindau disease were identified (von Hippel-Lindau group). Between August 1990 and June 1997, 26 consecutive patients with sporadic pheochromocytoma were evaluated (sporadic group). RESULTS A total of 64 patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease had manifestations of pheochromocytoma, including 33 newly diagnosed during screening at the National Institutes of Health and 31 previously treated (93 adrenal and 13 extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas). Germline von Hippel-Lindau gene missense mutation was associated with extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma, younger age at presentation and the only patient with metastases. Of the 33 newly diagnosed patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease 4 had pheochromocytoma 2 times (37 pheochromocytomas) during followup. Of these pheochromocytomas 35% (13 of 37) were associated with no symptoms, normal blood pressure and normal catecholamine testing. Comparison of urinary catecholamines in the von Hippel-Lindau and sporadic groups demonstrated increased epinephrine, metanephrines and vanillylmandelic acid in the sporadic group. Analysis of urinary catecholamine excretion in the von Hippel-Lindau and sporadic groups together demonstrated a correlation between tumor size, and urinary metanephrines, vanillylmandelic acid, norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine. In 12 patients without signs or symptoms of pheochromocytoma 17 newly diagnosed pheochromocytomas were followed for a median of 34.5 months without morbidity. Median tumor doubling time was 17 months. CONCLUSIONS Von Hippel-Lindau gene missense mutation correlated with the risk of pheochromocytoma in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease. These findings support a von Hippel-Lindau disease clinical classification, wherein some families are at high risk for manifestations of pheochromocytoma. Von Hippel-Lindau disease pheochromocytomas identified by screening were smaller and less functional than sporadic pheochromocytomas.
Role of Two Novel Two-Component Regulatory Systems in Development and Phosphatase Expression in Myxococcus xanthus

ABSTRACT We have cloned a two-component regulatory system (phoR2-phoP2) of Myxococcus xanthus while searching for genes that encode proteins with phosphatase activity, where phoR2 encodes the histidine kinase and phoP2 encodes the response regulator. A second system, phoR3-phoP3, was identified and isolated by using phoP2 as a probe. These two systems are quite similar, sharing identities along the full-length proteins of 52% on the histidine kinases and 64% on the response regulators. The predicted structures of both kinases suggest that they are anchored to the membrane, with the sensor domains being located in the periplasmic space and the kinase domains in the cytoplasm. The response regulators (PhoP2 and PhoP3) exhibit a helix-loop-helix motif typical of DNA-binding proteins in the effector domains located in the C-terminal region. Studies on two single-deletion mutants and one double-deletion mutant have revealed that these systems are involved in development. Mutant fruiting bodies are not well packed, originating loose and flat aggregates where some myxospores do not reshape properly, and they remain as elongated cells. These systems are also involved in the expression of Mg-independent acid and neutral phosphatases, which are expressed during development. The neutral phosphatase gene is especially dependent on PhoP3. Neither PhoP2 nor PhoP3 regulates the expression of alkaline phosphatases and the pph1 gene.