Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Definitive radiation therapy for extramammary Paget's disease.

BACKGROUND Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is frequently inoperable because of old age and/or coexisting disease. We therefore reviewed the efficacy and toxicity of radiation therapy for EMPD. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fourteen patients with EMPD underwent definitive radiation therapy. Three patients had regional lymph node metastases before radiation therapy, but none had distant metastasis. Total doses of 52-80.2 Gy (median=60.6 Gy) were delivered to tumor sites in 26-43 fractions (median=33 fractions). RESULTS Four patients had developed recurrence at a median follow-up period of 47 months. The 5-year local control and disease-free rates were 71% and 63%, respectively. Two patients died of old age and renal failure at 6 and 51 months, respectively, after irradiation. The 5-year disease-free, cause-specific and overall survival rates were 46%, 100% and 79%, respectively. No therapy-related toxicities of grade 3 or greater were observed. CONCLUSION Radiation therapy is effective and safe, and appears to offer a curative treatment option for patients with EMPD.
Middle cerebral artery (MCA) susceptibility sign at susceptibility-based perfusion MR imaging: clinical importance and comparison with hyperdense MCA sign at CT.

PURPOSE To describe the radiologic findings of susceptibility changes in acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) thromboembolism detected with three-dimensional (3D) susceptibility-based perfusion magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to compare the detectability and clinical value of this sign with those of the hyperdense MCA sign at computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-three patients (mean age, 55 years) underwent CT and MR imaging within the first 6 hours after the onset of acute MCA stroke. The hyperdense MCA sign at CT and the presence of susceptibility changes in acute thromboembolism as depicted on T2*-weighted 3D perfusion MR images were assessed. The presence of each sign was correlated with clinical presentation. RESULTS The sensitivity of the hyperdense MCA sign at CT was 54% (negative predictive value, 71%) compared with 82% (negative predictive value, 86%) for the susceptibility changes at MR imaging. There were no false-positive CT or MR readings. The presence of the MCA susceptibility sign correlated positively with the initial clinical presentation (chi(2) = 7.987, P =. 009, Spearman rho = 0.589). However, neither of the signs was a predictor for clinical outcome in cases of spontaneous MCA stroke. CONCLUSION In addition to the information traditionally provided with reconstructed perfusion parameter maps, 3D susceptibility-based perfusion MR images allow the identification of acute MCA thromboembolism with a sensitivity higher than that of CT.
A clock tree optimization framework with predictable timing quality

Eliminating timing violations using clock tree optimization (CTO) persist to be a tedious problem in ultra scaled technologies. State-of-the-art CTO techniques are based on predicting the final timing quality by specifying a set of delay adjustments in the form of delay adjustment points (DAPs). Next, the DAPs are realized to eliminate the timing violations. Unfortunately, it is difficult to realize delay adjustments of exact magnitudes. In this paper, the correlation between the predicted and achieved timing quality is improved by specifying delay adjustments in the form of delay adjustment ranges (DARs). The DARs are formed such that the predicted timing quality is achieved if each delay adjustment is realized within the respective DAR. The framework first predicts the final timing quality. Next, the DARs are specified and optimized while treating the predicted timing quality as a constraint. The optimization is a trade-off between the ease of delay adjustment realization, the total amount of delay adjustment, and the number of delay adjustments. Moreover, the framework accounts for delay adjustment induced on-chip variations (OCV) and transition time constraints. On a set of synthesized circuits, it is demonstrated that the framework improves the correlation between the predicted and achieved timing quality compared with in earlier studies. The average total negative slack (TNS) and worst negative slack (WNS) are improved by 91% and 85%, respectively.
Homocysteine, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and habitual diet in the French Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals Study.

BACKGROUND An elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration seems to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the determinants of tHcy in healthy French adults. DESIGN tHcy was measured by HPLC and fluorometric detection in 1139 women and 931 men aged 35-60 y. Subjects were participants of the Supplementation with Antioxidant Vitamins and Minerals Study, which investigates the effects of antioxidant supplementation on chronic diseases. Red blood cell folate (RBCF), plasma vitamins B-6 and B-12, and cardiovascular disease risk factors were also measured. The habitual diet was assessed in 616 subjects. Cross-sectional analyses were adjusted for age, smoking, energy intake, and concentration or intake of folate and vitamin B-6, where appropriate. RESULTS The mean (+/-SD) tHcy concentration was 8.74 +/- 2.71 micro mol/L in women and 10.82 +/- 3.49 micro mol/L in men. In women, tHcy was positively related to age (P = 0.001), apolipoprotein B (P < 0.01), serum triacylglycerol (P < 0.01), fasting glucose (P = 0.02), and coffee and alcohol consumption (both P < 0.01) and inversely related to RBCF (P = 0.11) and plasma vitamin B-12 (P = 0.08) and vitamin B-6 (P = 0.01) intakes. In men, tHcy was positively associated with body mass index (P = 0.03), blood pressure (P < 0.02), serum triacylglycerol (P < 0.01), fasting glucose (P = 0.01), and energy intake (P < 0.01) and inversely associated with physical activity (P = 0.04), RCBF (P = 0.02), plasma vitamin B-12 (P = 0.09), and dietary fiber (P < 0.01), folate (P = 0.03), and vitamin B-6 (P = 0.09) intakes. CONCLUSION To control tHcy, decreasing coffee and alcohol consumption may be important in women, whereas increasing physical activity, dietary fiber, and folate intake may be important in men.
Clinical Characteristics of Uveal Melanoma in Patients With Germline BAP1 Mutations.

IMPORTANCE Somatic mutations in BAP1 (BRCA1-associated protein 1 gene) are frequently identified in uveal melanoma. To date, the role of germline BAP1 mutations in uveal melanoma has not been characterized. OBJECTIVE To characterize the clinical phenotype of uveal melanoma in patients with germline BAP1 mutations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective cohort study at an academic ophthalmology referral center among 507 patients with uveal melanoma who consented for collection of blood samples. The study dates were June 22, 1992, to December 14, 2010. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Clinical characteristics of uveal melanoma and the development of metastases. BAP1 gene sequencing from blood samples of patients with uveal melanoma was correlated with clinical characteristics. RESULTS Of 507 blood samples analyzed, 25 patients (4.9%) exhibited 18 BAP1 polymorphisms, of which 9 were novel. Computational analyses predicted that 8 BAP1 mutations in 8 patients (1.6%) were likely to result in damaged BAP1 protein. Five of these 8 mutations were novel. These 8 patients were compared with 482 patients in whom no BAP1 polymorphisms were identified. In univariate analyses, patients with germline BAP1 mutations exhibited larger tumor diameters (mean, 15.9 vs 12.3 mm; P = .004) and higher rates of ciliary body involvement (75.0% vs 21.6%, P = .002) and metastases (71.4% vs 18.0%, P = .003) compared with control subjects. Patients with germline BAP1 mutations exhibited increased frequency of family history of cancer (100% vs 65.9%, P = .06), particularly cutaneous melanoma (62.5% vs 9.9%, P < .001) and ocular melanoma (25.0% vs 1.9%, P = .01). No differences were identified in age at diagnosis, sex, history of other malignant neoplasm, presenting visual acuity, distance of the tumor from the optic nerve or fovea, iris involvement, extrascleral extension, or tumor pigmentation. Germline BAP1 mutations increased risk of metastasis independent of ciliary body involvement (P = .02). Germline BAP1 mutation approached significance as an independent risk factor for metastasis (P = .09). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These data suggest that germline BAP1 mutations occur infrequently in uveal melanoma and are associated with larger tumors and higher rates of ciliary body involvement, 2 known risk factors for metastasis.
Influence of Chicken Manure Fertilization on Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Soil and the Endophytic Bacteria of Pakchoi

Animal manure is commonly used as fertilizer for agricultural crops worldwide, even though it is believed to contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance from animal intestines to the soil environment. However, it is unclear whether and how there is any impact of manure fertilization on populations and community structure of antibiotic-resistant endophytic bacteria (AREB) in plant tissues. To investigate the effect of manure and organic fertilizer on endophytic bacterial communities, pot experiments were performed with pakchoi grown with the following treatments: (1) non-treated; (2) chicken manure-treated and (3) organic fertilizer-treated. Manure or organic fertilizer significantly increased the abundances of total cultivable endophytic bacteria (TCEB) and AREB in pakchoi, and the effect of chicken manure was greater than that of organic fertilizer. Further, 16S rDNA sequencing and the phylogenetic analysis indicated that chicken manure or organic fertilizer application increased the populations of multiple antibiotic-resistant bacteria (MARB) in soil and multiple antibiotic-resistant endophytic bacteria (MAREB) in pakchoi. The identical multiple antibiotic-resistant bacterial populations detected in chicken manure, manure- or organic fertilizer-amended soil and the vegetable endophytic system were Brevundimonas diminuta, Brachybacterium sp. and Bordetella sp. , suggesting that MARB from manure could enter and colonize the vegetable tissues through manure fertilization. The fact that some human pathogens with multiple antibiotic resistance were detected in harvested vegetables after growing in manure-amended soil demonstrated a potential threat to human health.
Useful Spectrokinetic Methods for the Investigation of Photochromic and Thermo-Photochromic Spiropyrans

This review reports on the main results of a set of kinetic elucidation methods developed by our team over the last few years. Formalisms, procedures and examples to solve all possible AB photochromic and thermophotochromic kinetics are presented. Also, discussions of the operating conditions, the continuous irradiation experiment, the spectrokinetic methods testing with numerical integration methods, and the identifiability/distinguishability problems, are included.
Polyphasic Screening, Homopolysaccharide Composition, and Viscoelastic Behavior of Wheat Sourdough from a Leuconostoc lactis and Lactobacillus curvatus Exopolysaccharide-Producing Starter Culture

ABSTRACT After isolation from different doughs and sourdoughs, 177 strains of lactic acid bacteria were screened at the phenotypic level for exopolysaccharide production on media containing different carbohydrate sources. Two exopolysaccharide-producing lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus curvatus 69B2 and Leuconostoc lactis 95A) were selected through quantitative analysis on solid media containing sucrose and yeast extract. The PCR detection of homopolysaccharide (gtf and lev) and heteropolysaccharide (epsA, epsB, epsD and epsE, and epsEFG) genes showed different distributions within species and strains of the lactic acid bacteria studied. Moreover, in some strains both homopolysaccharide and heteropolysaccharide genes were detected. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectra suggest that Lactobacillus curvatus 69B2 and Leuconostoc lactis 95A produced the same exopolysaccharide, which was constituted by a single repeating glucopyranosyl unit linked by an α-(1→6) glycosidic bond in a dextran-type carbohydrate. Microbial growth, acidification, and viscoelastic properties of sourdoughs obtained by exopolysaccharide-producing and nonproducing lactic acid bacterial strains were evaluated. Sourdough obtained after 15 h at 30°C with exopolysaccharide-producing lactic acid bacteria reached higher total titratable acidity as well as elastic and dissipative modulus curves with respect to the starter not producing exopolysaccharide, but they showed similar levels of pH and microbial growth. On increasing the fermentation time, no difference in the viscoelastic properties of exopolysaccharide-producing and nonproducing samples was observed. This study suggests that dextran-producing Leuconostoc lactis 95A and Lactobacillus curvatus 69B2 can be employed to prepare sourdough, and this would be particularly useful to improve the quality of baked goods while avoiding the use of commercially available hydrocolloids as texturizing additives.
Tribological properties of metal matrix-graphite particle composites

AbstractThe tribological behaviour of metal matrix composites containing graphite particles is reviewed. After outlining the processes for the synthesis of these composites, present theoretical understanding pertaining to the friction and wear; of composites in the presence of a thin lubricating film is described. The experimental results show that friction and wear rate in metal matrix—graphite particle composites are significantly reduced compared with those in matrix alloys, as a result of the incorporation of graphite particles. When the graphite content of metal matrix composites exceeds about 20 vol.-%, the friction coefficient approaches that of pure graphite and becomes independent of the matrix alloy. This is an indication of effective intervention of a thin film of graphite between the matrix and the counterface. Initially during sliding, the film of graphite is not present but it forms as a result of surface and subsurface deformation resulting in transfer of graphite to the tribosurface. A dyn.
Effects of Gravitational Evolution, Biasing, and Redshift Space Distortion on Topology

We have studied the dependence of topology of large-scale structure on tracer, gravitational evolution, redshift space distortion, and cosmology. A series of large N-body simulations of the ΛCDM and SCDM models that have evolved 1.1 or 8.6 billion particles are used in the study. Evolution of the genus statistic, used as a topology measure, from redshift 8 to 0 is accurately calculated over a wide range of smoothing scales using the simulations. The tracers of large-scale structure considered are the cold dark matter (CDM), biased peaks in the initial density field, dark halos, and "galaxies" populating the dark halos in accordance with a halo occupation distribution (HOD) model. We have found that the effects of biasing, gravitational evolution, and initial conditions on topology of large-scale structure are all comparable. The redshift space distortion effects are relatively small down to about 5 h-1 Mpc for all tracers except for the high-threshold part of the genus curve. The gravitational effects are found to be well modeled by analytic perturbation theory when the CDM distribution is considered. But the direction of gravitational evolution of topology can be even reversed for different tracers. For example, the shift parameter of the genus curve evolves in opposite directions for matter and HOD galaxies at large scales. At small scales, there are interesting deviations of the genus curve of dark halos and galaxies from that of matter in our initially Gaussian simulations. The deviations should be understood as due to combined effects of gravitational evolution and biasing. This fact gives us an important opportunity: topology of large-scale structure can be used as a strong constraint on galaxy formation mechanisms. At scales larger than 20 h-1 Mpc all the above effects gradually decrease. With good knowledge of the effects of nonlinear gravitational evolution and galaxy biasing on topology, one can also constrain the Gaussian random phase initial conditions hypothesis to high accuracy.
Allelic frequency of G380A polymorphism of tumor necrosis factor alpha gene and relation with cardiovascular risk factors and adipocytokines in obese patients.

BACKGROUND The aim of our study was to investigate the allelic frequency of the G308A polymorphism in the TNF alpha gene and the influence of G308A this polymorphism on cardiovascular risk factors and adipokine levels in obese patients. DESIGN A population of 834 obesity patients was analyzed. A nutritional evaluation and a blood analysis were performed. The statistical analysis was performed for the combined G308A and A308A as mutant group and type G308G as wild group. RESULTS A total of 630 patients (181 males/449 females) (75.5%) had the genotype G308/G308 (wild genotype group) with an average age of 43.5 ± 14.8 years, 188 patients (61 males/127 females) (22.5%) had the genotype G308/A308 (mutant genotype group-heterozygote) and 16 patients (5 males/11 females) (1.9%) with an average age of 44.5 ± 14.2 years had the genotype A308/A308 (mutant group-homorozygote) with an average age of 44.3 ± 11.4 years, without statistical differences in the mean age or sex distribution. Genotypes G308/A308 and A308/A308 was designed (mutant genotype group) as a dominant model. Allelic frequency of the A substitucion -308 was 13.19%. Anthropometric, adipokines, insulin resistance, lipid levels ad dietary intake were similar in both genotypes. CONCLUSION In conclusion, allelic frequency of G308A polymorphism is is in accordance with allelic frequencies observed in other populations. Carries of A308 allele have the same anthropometric and metabolic profile than wild type carriers.
Abstract Art

Because it is one of the most commonly used and most influential factors in professional use today, writing abstracts is an important skill for all health education and promotion specialists. Abstracts are powerful 150to 250-word “short stories” that are used as part of complete articles, grant proposals, conference presentations (papers and posters), theses, and dissertations. Ironically, the abstract is often one of the most neglected activities of the manuscript or grant preparation process. It frequently ends up as that one last task to do before sending the work to some evaluator or reader. It is often written as an “afterthought. ” This is unfortunate as the abstract, according to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) publication manual, “. can be the most important single paragraph in an article” (APA, 2009, p. 26). A single abstract, as a stand-alone response to a submission for a paper presentation or part of a full manuscript, may go through several review processes (to editor, to peer reviewers, back to editor, to copy editor, to publication) and publication’s many phases, including preonline, final hard copy, indexing, and so on. Given the ubiquity and power of these “short stories,” we are pleased to offer this Tool of the Trade article on the art and science of writing effective abstracts. Our goal is to describe, differentiate, and detail the components of an abstract, explain the various uses of the abstract in the health education field, and identify the “make or break” nuances involved in strategically crafting an abstract. The hope is by reading this tool closely, you will be writing better abstracts in no time. Abstract Art: How to Write Competitive Conference and Journal Abstracts
Random Laser of R6G Dye and TiO 2 Nanoparticals Doped in PMMA Polymer

The random laser (RL) based on organic Rhodamine 6G (R6G) laser- dye and Titanium dioxide (TiO2) suspended nanoparticles have been prepared with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as a host. Both liquid and spray-coated homogeneous film samples of 22.4 µm - 30.1 µm thickness range were use. Optimum concentrations have been determined depending on the normal fluorescence spectra which give evidence that the laser dye provides amplification and TiO2 nanoparticles as scatter center. At the optimum concentrations, results of the random laser (RL) under second harmonic Nd: YAG laser ex-citation show that the values of bandwidth at full width half-maximum (FWHM) and the threshold energy are about 9 nm and 15 mJ respectively, which represent the minimum value for the liquid samples in the current research. Correspondly, these values become 14 nm and 15 mJ for film sample. The broadening that can be attributed to the concentration quenching of a laser dye at high concentration levels has been observed.
Cancer morbidity in British military veterans included in chemical warfare agent experiments at Porton Down: cohort study

Objective To determine cancer morbidity in members of the armed forces who took part in tests of chemical warfare agents from 1941 to 1989. Design Historical cohort study, with cohort members followed up to December 2004. Data source Archive of UK government research facility at Porton Down, UK military personnel records, and national death and cancer records. Participants All veterans included in the cohort study of mortality, excluding those known to have died or been lost to follow-up before 1 January 1971 when the UK cancer registration system commenced: 17 013 male members of the UK armed forces who took part in tests (Porton Down veterans) and a similar group of 16 520 men who did not (non-Porton Down veterans). Main outcome measures Cancer morbidity in each group of veterans; rate ratios, with 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for age group and calendar period. Results 3457 cancers were reported in the Porton Down veterans compared with 3380 cancers in the non-Porton Down veterans. While overall cancer morbidity was the same in both groups (rate ratio 1.00, 95% confidence interval 0.95 to 1.05), Porton Down veterans had higher rates of ill defined malignant neoplasms (1.12, 1.02 to 1.22), in situ neoplasms (1.45, 1.06 to 2.00), and those of uncertain or unknown behaviour (1.32, 1.01 to 1.73). Conclusion Overall cancer morbidity in Porton Down veterans was no different from that in non-Porton Down veterans.
Effect of esomeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine

Objective: Present study was carried out to evaluate effect of esomeprazole on the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine in rabbits. Materials and Methods: Study was conducted at Department of Pharmacology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research from March to October 2007. In a parallel design study, carbamazepine 40 mg/kg/day was given orally for 14 days. On day 15, blood samples were taken at various time intervals between 0 and 24 hours. In esomeprazole group, carbamazepine was administered for 14 days as above. On day 8, esomeprazole 2.8 mg/kg/day along with carbamazepine 40 mg/kg/day was administered till 14 days and blood samples were drawn on 15th day. Plasma levels of carbamazepine were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. Results: In all groups there was a decrease in the AUC0-24 when carbamazepine was coadministered with esomeprazole. The decrease in AUC0-24 (22.78 ± 4.71 to 10.46 ± 2.29), Cmax (2.76 ± 0.77 to 1.412±1.08), Tmax (2.83 ± 0.17 to 3 ± 0.40) was statistically significant (P < 0.05) when esomeprazole was given along with carbamazepine. Additionally, absorption and elimination constant were also altered significantly. Conclusions: These results suggest that concomitant use of esomeprazole alters the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine. Confirmation of these results in human studies will warrant changes in carbamazepine dose or frequency when esomeprazole is coadministered.