Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of Endogenous Iron Reduction during Hepatocarcinogenesis at Susceptibility-Weighted MR Imaging: Value for Characterization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Dysplastic Nodule in Cirrhotic Liver

Objective To investigate the value of susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) for characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and dysplastic nodule (DN). Materials and Methods Sixty-eight cirrhotic patients with 89 hepatocellular nodules underwent SWI. The radiological features of hepatocellular nodules on SWI were classified into three types: type A (iso- or hypointensity, and background liver siderosis), type B (hyperintensity, and background liver siderosis), or type C (hyperintensity, and no background liver siderosis). Intranodular and background liver iron content was quantified and correlated with SWI pattern. Prussian blue staining was performed to quantify intranodular and background liver iron content. Results Type A pattern (n = 12) contained 11 (91.7%) DNs and 1 (8.3%) HCC, Type B pattern (n = 66) comprised 1 (1.5%) DN and 65 (98.5%) HCCs (including 12 DN-HCCs and 53 overt HCCs), and type C pattern (n = 11) was exclusively seen in HCCs. The iron scores of DN-HCCs and overt HCCs were significantly lower than those of background livers [(0.091±0.30) VS (2.18±0.87), P = 0.000; (0.11±0.41) VS (2.16±0.97), P = 0.000; respectively]. There was no significant difference between iron scores of DNs and those of background livers [(1.92±0.29) VS (2.17±039), P = 0.191]. For lesion-based and patient-based analysis of HCCs (DN-HCCs and overt HCCs), type B pattern showed a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predicative value (PPV), and negative predicative value (NPV) of 84.4% and 84.4%, 91.7% and 75%, 85.4% and 83.8%, 98.5% and 98.2%, 47.8% and 23.1%, respectively. Conclusion SWI can provide valuable information for characterization of HCC and DN based on endogenous iron reduction during hepatocarcinogenesis.
Programmed death-1 blockade enhances the antitumor effects of peptide vaccine-induced peptide-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes

Novel treatment modalities are required urgently in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A vaccine that induces cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) is an ideal strategy for cancer, and glypican-3 (GPC3) is a potential option for HCC. Blocking the programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 pathway is a rational strategy to overcome tumor escape and tolerance toward CTLs. In the present study, we investigated whether anti-PD-1 blocking antibodies (αPD-1 Ab) enhanced the number of vaccine-induced peptide-specific CTLs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) following the administration of GPC3 peptide vaccine to both patients and in a mouse model. The inhibitory receptor PD-1 was highly expressed in ex vivo GPC3-specific CTLs isolated from the PBMCs of vaccinated HCC patients. In vitro, interferon-γ induced PD-L1 expression in liver cancer cell lines. In addition, PD-1 blockade increased the number of GPC3-specific CTLs, which degranulate against liver cancer cell lines. In vivo experiments using tumor-bearing mouse models showed that the combination therapy of peptide vaccine and αPD-1 Ab suppressed tumor growth synergistically. PD-1 blockade increased the number of peptide-specific tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) and decreased the expression of inhibitory receptors on TILs. This study demonstrated that PD-1/PD-L1 blockade augmented the antitumor effects of a peptide vaccine by increasing the immune response of vaccine-induced CTLs, and provided a foundation for the clinical development of a combination therapy using a GPC3 peptide vaccine and αPD-1 Ab.
Differential effects of feeding fermentable carbohydrate to growing pigs on performance, gut size and slaughter characteristics

Thirty-five gilts grown between 18 and 55 kg live weight were used to examine the effects of feeding fermentable carbohydrate on voluntary food intake, performance, carcass characteristics, and large intestinal growth. Five diets were used. The first diet contained steam-flaked sorghum and a supplement based on animal protein sources and 40 g/kg soya-bean meal (diet SAP). Using this diet as a base, three other diets contained either (i) guar gum, a source of soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) (diet SAP + S-NSP), (ii) Novelose™, a source of resistant starch (RS) (diet SAP + RS), and (iii) a combination of both S-NSP and RS (diet SAP + S-NSP + RS). The final diet (diet WBL) was based on wheat, barley and Australian sweet lupins. Diets (i), (ii) and (iii) were formulated such that the concentrations of soluble NSP, oligosaccharide and RS were similar to those contained in diet WBL. There was no relationship (P > 0.05) between voluntary food intake and indices of hind-gut fermentation, although pigs given diets SAP + S-NSP and SAP + S-NSP + RS took longer to reach the slaughter weight of 55 kg (P 0.05) with dressing proportion. These data suggest that the sources of fermentable carbohydrate used in this study, i.e. soluble NSP and RS, may not significantly depress voluntary food intake but can affect performance and have a significant effect on large intestinal growth and dressing proportion.
Dietary sodium chloride restriction enhances aortic wall lipid storage and raises plasma lipid concentration in LDL receptor knockout mice Published, JLR Papers in Press, January 16, 2003. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M200330-JLR200

This study aimed at measuring the influence of a low salt diet on the development of experimental atherosclerosis in moderately hyperlipidemic mice. Experiments were carried out on LDL receptor (LDLR) knockout (KO) mice, or apolipoprotein E (apoE) KO mice on a low sodium chloride diet (LSD) as compared with a normal salt diet (NSD). On LSD, the rise of the plasma concentrations of TG and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) was, respectively, 19% and 34% in LDLR KO mice, and 21% and 35% in apoE KO mice, and that of plasma cholesterol was limited to the LDLR KO group alone (15%). Probably due to the apoE KO severe hypercholesterolemia, the arterial inner-wall fat storage was not influenced by the diet salt content and was far more abundant in the apoE KO than in the LDLR KO mice. However, in the less severe hypercholesterolemia of the LDLR KO mice, lipid deposits on the LSD were greater than on the NSD. Arterial fat storage correlated with NEFA concentrations in the LDLR KO mice alone (n = 14, P = 0.0065). Thus, dietary sodium chloride restriction enhances aortic wall lipid storage in moderately hyperlipidemic mice.
Low-Power, Minimally Invasive Process Compensation Technique for Sub-Micron CMOS Amplifiers

Process variation is an obstacle in designing reliable CMOS mixed signal systems with high yield. To minimize the variation in voltage gain due to variations in process, supply voltage, and temperature for common transconductance-based amplifiers, we present a new compensation method based on statistical feedback of process information. We develop the background theory of the scheme and present its performance across process corners. We further apply our scheme to two well known amplifier topologies in the TSMC 65 nm CMOS process as design examples-an inductive degenerated low-noise amplifier (LNA) and a common source amplifier (CSA). Measured results over 100 chips of the LNA show that our compensation technique reduces variation in gain by a factor of 3.7× compared to the baseline case. The CSA exhibits similar reductions in gain variation across 88 measured chips. We also present measured results demonstrating how our technique alleviates voltage gain variations caused by temperature and supply voltage changes.
Lateralization of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with chronic ambulatory electrocorticography

Patients with suspected mesial temporal lobe (MTL) epilepsy typically undergo inpatient video–electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring with scalp and/or intracranial electrodes for 1 to 2 weeks to localize and lateralize the seizure focus or foci. Chronic ambulatory electrocorticography (ECoG) in patients with MTL epilepsy may provide additional information about seizure lateralization. This analysis describes data obtained from chronic ambulatory ECoG in patients with suspected bilateral MTL epilepsy in order to assess the time required to determine the seizure lateralization and whether this information could influence treatment decisions.
Indicators of Acute Bacterial Meningitis in Children at a Rural Kenyan District Hospital

Objective. Acute bacterial meningitis remains an important cause of death and neurologic sequelae in African children. The clinical features of meningitis are often nonspecific and in this setting may overlap with those of malaria. Early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment are perhaps the most important steps in management, but published data suggest that fewer than half of the cases of childhood meningitis are identified at first assessment in hospitals in this region. The objective of this study was to identify clinical indicators of acute bacterial meningitis by examining components of the World Health Organization Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) referral criteria for meningitis (lethargy, unconsciousness, inability to feed, stiff neck, or seizures) and other symptoms and signs. Methods. Kilifi District Hospital, serving ∼200 000 people in a rural, malaria-endemic area of the Kenyan coast, was studied. A Kenya Medical Research Institute research center is located at the hospital. All pediatric admissions aged ≥60 days between June 2001 and July 2002 were eligible. Results. A total of 91 (2.0%) of 4582 admissions had meningitis, including 77 (4.0%) of 1929 of those who met the IMCI referral criteria for meningitis at admission (sensitivity: 85%; specificity: 59%). Independent indicators of the presence of meningitis were a bulging fontanel, neck stiffness, cyanosis, impaired consciousness, partial seizures, and seizures outside the febrile convulsions age range. One or more of these indicators was present in 895 (19%) of admissions, 72 (8.0%) of whom had meningitis (sensitivity: 79%; specificity: 80%). Independent indicators of the absence of meningitis were the absence of a history of fever, a history of diarrhea, and a positive malaria slide. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for a set of simple screening rules based on the positive indicators identified was 0.88 (95% confidence interval: 0.85–0.92). Conclusions. The presence of ≥1 of a bulging fontanel, neck stiffness, cyanosis, impaired consciousness, partial seizures, and seizures outside the febrile convulsions age range is a clear indication for lumbar puncture and/or presumptive treatment. However, careful observation and reassessment may be the only practical way to identify one fifth of meningitis cases in this setting.
Extended Three-Stage Polarimetric SAR Interferometry Algorithm by Dual-Polarization Data

Until now, most polarimetric synthetic aperture radar interferometry (PolInSAR) research has been based on full-polarization (HH + HV + VH + VV) SAR data, which can provide complete polarimetric information but usually have a smaller swath and lower spatial resolution than dual-polarization (dual-pol) data. Some existing researches concern the dual-pol PolInSAR; however, these works did not perform the coherence optimization process which may make the inversion unstable. In this paper, the PolInSAR technique based on dual-pol (HH + HV) SAR data is investigated in order to demonstrate its validity for forest height retrieval and thus show that PolInSAR is better able to meet the requirements of global-scale research. We extend the three-stage inversion process and coherence optimization algorithm to dual-pol PolInSAR. In addition, based on the random volume over ground model, a search method for finding the volume-only coherence on ambiguous line segments is proposed. Finally, the dual-pol PolInSAR technique is applied to forest height estimation using airborne L-band SAR data acquired by the E-SAR system over the Traunstein test site in Germany. The forest heights estimated by dual-pol PolInSAR are compared with those estimated using the full-pol mode and also with measurements made in situ. The results show that dual-pol PolInSAR can obtain similar estimated forest heights to the full-pol mode and also that the search method for volume-only coherence retrieval can improve the inversion accuracy. The coefficient of determination (r) for the relation between the dual-pol PolInSAR and the in situ measurements is 0.7287.
Trace conditions for symmetry of the numerical range

A subset S of the complex plane has n-fold symmetry about the origin (n-sato) if z 2 S implies e 2� n z 2 S. The 3 × 3 matrices A for which the numerical range W(A) has 3-sato have been characterized in two ways. First, W(A) has 3-sato if and only if the spectrum of A has 3-sato while tr(A2A�) = 0. In addition, W(A) has 3-sato if and only if A is unitarily similar to an element of a certain family of generalized permutation matrices. Here it is shown that for an n × n matrix A, if a specific finite collection of traces of words in A and Aare all zero, then W(A) has n-sato. Further, this condition is shown to be necessary when n = 4. Meanwhile, an example is provided to show that the condition of being unitarily similar to a generalized permutation matrix does not extend in an obvious way.
Happily Distracted: Mood and a Benefit of Attention Dysregulation in Older Adults

Positive mood states are believed to broaden the focus of attention in younger adults, but it is unclear whether the same is true for older adults. Here we examined one consequence of broader attention that has been shown in young adults: that memory for distraction is greater for those in a positive mood. In the current study, positive and neutral moods were induced in older adults (M = 67.9) prior to a 1-back task in which participants were instructed to attend to relevant pictures and ignore distracting words. Following a 10-min filled interval, participants performed a word fragment completion task that tested implicit memory for the distracting words from the 1-back task. Older adults in the positive mood group showed greater implicit memory for previous distraction compared to those in the neutral mood group. These findings suggest that affect influences the ability to regulate attention in a similar manner for younger and older adults.
Dead-block prediction & dead-block correlating prefetchers

Effective data prefetching requires accurate mechanisms to predict both "which" cache blocks to prefetch and "when" to prefetch them. This paper proposes the Dead-Block Predictors (DBPs), trace-based predictors that accurately identify "when" an Ll data cache block becomes evictable or "dead". Predicting a dead block significantly enhances prefetching lookahead and opportunity, and enables placing data directly into Ll, obviating the need for auxiliary prefetch buffers. This paper also proposes Dead-Block Correlating Prefetchers (DBCPs), that use address correlation to predict "which" subsequent block to prefetch when a block becomes evictable. A DBCP enables effective data prefetching in a wide spectrum of pointer-intensive, integer, and floating-point applications. We use cycle-accurate simulation of an out-of-order superscalar processor and memory-intensive benchmarks to show that: (1) dead-block prediction enhances prefetching lookahead at least by an order of magnitude as compared to previous techniques, (2) a DBP can predict dead blocks on average with a coverage of 90% only mispredicting 4% of the time, (3) a DBCP offers an address prediction coverage of 86% only mispredicting 3% of the time, and (4) DBCPs improve performance by 62% on average and 282% at best in the benchmarks we studied.
Block-switched Networks: A New Paradigm for Wireless Transport

TCP has well-known problems over multi-hop wireless networks as it conflates congestion and loss, performs poorly over time-varying and lossy links, and is fragile in the presence of route changes and disconnections. Our contribution is a clean-slate design and implementation of a wireless transport protocol, Hop, that uses reliable per-hop block transfer as a building block. Hop is 1) fast, because it eliminates many sources of overhead as well as noisy end-to-end rate control, 2) robust to partitions and route changes because of hop-by-hop control as well as in-network caching, and 3) simple, because it obviates complex end-to-end rate control as well as complex interactions between the transport and link layers. Our experiments over a 20-node multi-hop mesh network show that Hop is dramatically more efficient, achieving better fairness, throughput, delay, and robustness to partitions over several alternate protocols, including gains of more than an order of magnitude in median throughput.
MicroRNA‐124 Regulates Neuronal Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Targeting Sp1 mRNA

MicroRNAs play an important role in neuronal development and function. miR‐124 is the most abundantly expressed miRNA in the nervous system. Several different mRNA targets have been proposed for miR‐124, but the precise function of endogenous miR‐124 and its mRNA targets remain to be further elucidated. Specificity protein 1 (Sp1) is a transcription factor that plays key roles in many cell processes including cell cycle. However, this transcription factor is nearly absent in differentiated neurons and a remarkable suppression of Sp1 expression was shown after neurogenesis. Since miR‐124 is expressed abundantly in neurons and because Sp1 levels decrease during neurogenesis, it is possible that miR‐124 could regulate the expression of Sp1 during neuronal development. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the putative targeting of Sp1 by miR‐124. Overexpression of miR‐124 using a plasmid coding for pri‐miR‐124 in HEK293 cells decreased the expression of Sp1 mRNA. The results of dual‐luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR‐124 directly targeted the 3′‐untranslated regions of Sp1 mRNA. To evaluate whether Sp1 expression was regulated by miR‐124 during the process of neuronal differentiation, Adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (A‐MSCs) were differentiated into neuron‐like cells. The results of qPCR analysis showed that with the gradual increase of miR‐124 expression during neurogenesis, the expression of Sp1 mRNA decreased accordingly. In summary, this study demonstrated for the first time that miR‐124 is able to suppress Sp1 expression, which in turn affected the neuronal differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 943–953, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chemokine Receptor Ccr6 Deficiency Alters Hepatic Inflammatory Cell Recruitment and Promotes Liver Inflammation and Fibrosis

Chronic liver diseases are characterized by a sustained inflammatory response in which chemokines and chemokine-receptors orchestrate inflammatory cell recruitment. In this study we investigated the role of the chemokine receptor CCR6 in acute and chronic liver injury. In the absence of liver injury Ccr6 -/- mice presented a higher number of hepatic macrophages and increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and M1 markers Tnf-α, Il6 and Mcp1. Inflammation and cell recruitment were increased after carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in Ccr6 -/- mice. Moreover, chronic liver injury by carbon tetrachloride in Ccr6 -/- mice was associated with enhanced inflammation and fibrosis, altered macrophage recruitment, enhanced CD4+ cells and a reduction in Th17 (CD4+IL17+) and mature dendritic (MHCII+CD11c+) cells recruitment. Clodronate depletion of macrophages in Ccr6 -/- mice resulted in a reduction of hepatic pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrogenic markers in the absence and after liver injury. Finally, increased CCR6 hepatic expression in patients with alcoholic hepatitis was found to correlate with liver expression of CCL20 and severity of liver disease. In conclusion, CCR6 deficiency affects hepatic inflammatory cell recruitment resulting in the promotion of hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.
Growth and Yield of Tomato Applied with Silicon Supplements with Varying Material Structures

The effect of varying material structure of silicon (Si) supplements on the growth and yield performance of tomato was investigated. The experimental design consisted of three Si sources (nanosilica, microsilica and sodium silicate) at 5 g/L Si concentration. Among the treatments, nanosilica posted the highest increase in tomato plants’ height increment, fresh weights and dry weights of all plant organs, Si concentrations, and yield. Tomato plants grown with nanosilica had increased height increment and fresh weights of roots, stems and leaves by 23%, 48%, 9% and 22%, respectively. Likewise, dry weight contents among individual organs of plants treated with nanosilica showed 40% and 34% significant increase in roots and stems, respectively. Only nanosilica significantly increased the average fruit yield of tomato by 35% as affected by the 23% increase in the average number of fruits per plant. Hence, among the treatments investigated, Si supplementation using nanosilica powder is the most effective in improving the growth characteristics and yield of tomato. Si in root samples supplemented with nanosilica was 72%, 105% and 152% larger as compared to microsilica, sodium silicate and control samples, respectively, which led to the conclusion that the nanostructured scale of silicon supplement contribute to the effective uptake of silicon in the tomato plants, thereby improving growth and yield.
HRCT and Whole-Blood Interferon-γ Assay for the Rapid Diagnosis of Smear-Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Background: Early diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is critical for TB control, and difficult in patients with smear-negative sputum. Objective: We wanted to evaluate the usefulness of clinical findings, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), interferon-γ-releasing assay (IGRA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of sputum in the diagnosis of smear-negative PTB. Methods: From June 2006 to September 2008, 178 patients with suspected PTB on the basis of clinical and radiological findings visited our institute. After excluding smear-positive cases (n = 77) and cases with an inconclusive diagnosis (n = 17), we studied 84 patients. Their clinical records, HRCT, sputum TB-PCR assay and IGRA results were retrospectively evaluated. A QuantiFeron-TB Gold (QFT-G; Cellestis Ltd., Carnegie, Vic., Australia) assay was used for the IGRA. Results: Active PTB was diagnosed in 40 (48%) of 84 patients; lack of sputum and young age were significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB. The sensitivities of sputum PCR assay, IGRA, and HRCT were 43.2, 84.4 and 80.0%, respectively, and the specificities were 97.7, 82.9 and 70.5%, respectively. Among the 38 patients suspected of having PTB based on HRCT, 24 patients showed positive results on the IGRA, and 23 of these were diagnosed with active PTB. Among the 35 patients suggested not to have TB based on HRCT, 25 showed negative results on the IGRA, and 23 (92%) of these were diagnosed as not to have TB. Conclusion: The combined results of HRCT and the IGRA could help decision-making for early initiation of treatment in smear-negative patients.