Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 125 as prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common malignancies worldwide. Understanding CRC prognosis at the initial diagnosis is very important for therapeutic strategy selection. This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) for predicting 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) in CRC patients. METHODS Preoperative serum CA19-9, CEA and CA125 levels were detected by C12 protein chip diagnostic system in 103 patients with CRC, and their correlations with the 5-year RFS were analyzed. RESULTS Patients with positive preoperative serum CA19-9, CEA and CA125 had higher 5-year recurrent rates (75.0% vs 41.0%, 65.6% vs 39.4%, and 87.5% vs 44.2% respectively, all p< (o)0.05), and reduced median RFS (14 vs 35 months, 20 vs 36 months, and 4 vs 35 months respectively, all p< (o)0.05) compared with patients negative for corresponding tumor marker (TM). The median RFS was 59 months (95% CI 28.9-89.1 months) with negative TMs, 14 months (95% CI 4.5-23.5) for 1~2 positive TMs, and 4 months (95% CI 2.4-5.6) for all 3 positive TMs. Patients with simultaneously positive serum CA19-9, CEA and CA125 had the highest recurrence rate (100%) and the shortest RFS (median 4 months). Univariate analysis showed that stage and the preoperative single TM or combined TMs correlated with RFS, whereas multivariate Cox regression model analysis revealed only stage and preoperative serum status of CEA+CA19-9+CA125 to be independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION Preoperative serum CA19-9+CEA+CA125 can be used an independent prognostic factor for CRC 5-year RFS.
Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Inkuiri Terbimbing Terhadap Keterampilan Proses Dan Penguasaan Konsep Sains Ditinjau Dari Pengetahuan Awal Peserta Didik

The study intended to discover : 1) the impact of Guided Inquiry Learning Model (henceforth, GILM) towards students scientific processing skills and conceptual mastery which was reviewed from their prior knowleadge (high or low ), 2) the impact of students basic level of knowledge towards their scientific processing skills and conceptual mastery, and 3) the interaction between learning model and students prior knowledge towards their scientific processing skills and conceptual mastery. The study employed quasi experimental method with 2 x 2 factorial analyses. The study was conducted in Junior High School 2 Mataram (SMPN 2 Mataram) in academic year of 2016/2017. The sample of data collection utilized cluster random sampling technique. Both experimental and control groups were consisted of 62 students. Scientific processing skills and conceptual mastery observation sheets were used as research instruments. The data analyzed with Anava with SPSS version 20 for windows. The results showed that 1) there was a significant impact of GILM and conventional learning model towards students’ scientific processing skills and conceptual mastery, 2) there was no significant impact of students prior knowledge towards their scientific processing skills and conceptual mastery, 3) there was no interaction between learning models and students’ prior knowledge towards their scientific processing skills and conceptual mastery.
Ambipolar Diffusion and Far-Infrared Polarization from the Galactic Circumnuclear Disk

We describe an implicit prediction of the accretion disk models constructed by Wardle & Königl for the circumnuclear disk (CND) of gas and dust near the Galactic center: supersonic ambipolar diffusion, an essential dynamical ingredient of the Wardle-Königl disks, will cause the alignment of dust grains because of a process described by Roberge, Hanany, & Messinger. We calculate synthetic maps of the polarized thermal emission which would be caused by ambipolar alignment in the preferred Wardle-Königl model. Our maps are in reasonable agreement with 100 μm polarimetry of the CND if we assume that the grains have shapes similar to those of grains in nearby molecular clouds and that the CND contains a disordered magnetic field in energy equipartition with its ordered field.
Micronuclear and Macronuclear Forms of β‐Tubulin Genes in the Ciliate Chilodonella uncinata Reveal Insights into Genome Processing and Protein Evolution

ABSTRACT. Chilodonella uncinata, like all ciliates, contains two distinct nuclei in every cell: a germline micronucleus and a somatic macronucleus. During development of the macronucleus from a zygotic nucleus, the genome is processed in several ways, including elimination of internal sequences. In this study, we analyze micronuclear and macronuclear copies of β‐tubulin in C. uncinata and find at least four divergent paralogs of β‐tubulin in the macronucleus. We characterize the micronuclear version of one paralog and compare its internally eliminated sequences (IESs) with previously described IESs in this species. These comparisons reveal the presence of a conserved sequence motif within IESs. In addition, we compare the sequences of β‐tubulin from C. uncinata with other ciliates and to other alveolates in order to test the hypothesis that the mode of molecular evolution in ciliates obscures phylogenetic signal in protein‐coding genes. We find that heterogeneous rates of substitution in β‐tubulin across ciliates result in unstable genealogies that are inconsistent with phylogenies based on small subunit rDNA genes and on ultrastructure. We discuss the implications of our findings for genome processing and protein evolution in ciliates.
The perceived effectiveness of online social work education: insights from a national survey of social work educators

ABSTRACT Despite rapid growth in online learning in social work and a growing body of research showing comparable levels of effectiveness and student satisfaction, concerns about online social work education remain among faculty. This is important given that faculty acceptance can play a pivotal role in the success and failure of online education. The current study aimed to compare levels of perceived effectiveness of online and on-the-ground education across nine social work competencies, as well as examine the association between experience with online education and perceived effectiveness of online education. The sample included 376 faculty recruited from schools of social work in the United States. Results suggest that online education is consistently perceived as being less effective than on-the ground education in helping students to meet Council on Social Work Education competencies. Furthermore, perceptions of effectiveness of online education are lowest for practice-oriented competencies. Regression analyses showed that tenure status, years of full-time teaching, technological preparedness, and level of exposure to online education were significantly associated with perceived effectiveness of online education. It is critical that schools develop more opportunities for faculty to engage in direct teaching experience online as well as enhance their levels of comfort and proficiency with technology.
A Mathematical Framework for Asynchronous , Decentralized , Decision-Making Algorithm with Semi-Autonomous Entities : Synthesis , Simulation , and Evaluation

For many military and civilian large-scale, real-world problems of interest, data is first acquired asynchronously, i.e., at irregular intervals of time, at geographically-dispersed sites, processed utilizing decision-making algorithms, and the processed data then disseminated to other appropriate sites. Examples include the battlefield where intelligence data is gathered from different sources and processed to yield decisions and the proposed intelligent vehicle highway system where incident-related data is acquired along the highways to determine the best routes for traffic. The traditional approach to such problems consists of designing a central entity which collects all data and executes a decision making algorithm sequentially to yield the decisions. Centralized decision making algorithms are slow and highly vulnerable to natural and artificial catastrophes. Recent literature contains proposals for asynchronous, distributed, decision making algorithms wherein local decision making at every site replaces the centralized decision making to achieve faster response, higher reliability, and greater accuracy of the decisions. Two key issues with asynchronous, distributed, decision making algorithms include the lack of a suitable mechanism to synthesize them for any given problem and a comparative analysis of the quality of their decisions. This paper proposes a mathematical framework, MFAD, based on the Kohn-Nerode distributed hybrid control paradigm, to describe a centralized decision-making algorithm and to synthesize from it a distributed decision-making algorithm. Ideally, the centralized control gathers all
Evaluation of the efficacy of paclitaxel with curcumin combination in ovarian cancer cells

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of paclitaxel combined with curcumin (CUR) against drug resistance in ovarian cancer cells. PLGA-phospholipid-PEG nanoparticles were prepared using the nano precipitation method. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles were determined using a transmission electron microscope and particle size analyzer. The encapsulation efficiency of nanoparticles was determined using the ultrafiltration centrifugation method. The dialysis method was used to study the release of PLGA-phospholipid-PEG nanoparticles. ADM was used to induce the A2780 cell line (human ovarian cancer cell line) to establish the model of the multidrug-resistant (MDR) cell line, and the protein activity of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the A2780 cell line and A2780/ADM resistant cell line was determined using western blot analysis. The results showed that, the prepared nanoparticles were uniform in size, with a size of approximately 100 nm, and round in shape. Additionally, the nanoparticles had a more gentle and slow release than the free drug release. The results of the protein trace printing experiment showed that the P-gp content of the drug-resistant cell line was significantly reduced by the CUR nanoparticles. In conclusion, PLGA-phospholipid nanoparticles containing taxol and CUR have improved solubility and stability together with a slow release effect. In addition, CUR was able to overcome the MDR of tumor cells by elevating the paclitaxel concentration in the tumor cells to improve the antitumor activity of this combination.
Natural image statistics and visual processing

The visual system of a human or animal that functions in its natural environment receives huge amounts of visual information. This information is vital for the survival of the organism. In this thesis I follow the hypothesis that evolution has optimised the biological visual system to process the images that it commonly encounters i.e., natural images. To this end I investigate the structure of natural images with statistical methods, with as the ultimate aim to gain a better understanding of the visual processing in biological systems. Zie: Summary.
Modules with Demazure Flags and Character Formulae

In this paper we study a family of finite-dimensional graded representations of the current algebra of sl2 which are indexed by partitions. We show that these represen- tations admit a flag where the successive quotients are Demazure modules which occur in a level '-integrable module for A 1 as long as ' is large. We associate to each partition and to each ' an edge-labeled directed graph which allows us to describe in a combinatorial way the graded multiplicity of a given level '-Demazure module in the filtration. In the special case of the partition 1 s and ' = 2, we give a closed formula for the graded multiplicity of level two Demazure modules in a level one Demazure module. As an application, we use our result along with the results of Naoi and Lenart et al., to give the character of a g- stable level one Demazure module associated to B 1 as an explicit combination of suitably specialized Macdonald polynomials. In the case of sl2, we also study the filtration of the level two Demazure module by level three Demazure modules and compute the numerical filtration multiplicities and show that the graded multiplicites are related to (variants of) partial theta series.
Right Ventricular Adaptation Is Associated with the Glu298Asp Variant of the NOS3 Gene in Elite Athletes

Nitric oxide (NO), an important endogenous pulmonary vasodilator is synthetized by the endothelial NO synthase (NOS3). Reduced NO bioavailability and thus the Glu298Asp polymorphism of NOS3 may enhance right ventricular (RV) afterload and hypertrophic remodeling and influence athletic performance. To test this hypothesis world class level athletes (water polo players, kayakers, canoeists, rowers, swimmers, n = 126) with a VO2 maximum greater than 50ml/kg/min were compared with non-athletic volunteers (n = 155). Cardiopulmonary exercise tests and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) were performed to determine structural or functional changes. Genotype distribution of the NOS3 Glu298Asp polymorphism was not affected by gender or physical performance. Cardiac MRI showed increased stroke volume with eccentric hypertrophy in all athletes regardless of their genotype. However, the Asp allelic variant carriers had increased RV mass index (32±6g versus 27±6g, p<0.01) and larger RV stroke volume index (71±10ml versus 64±10ml, p<0.01) than athletes with a Glu/Glu genotype. Genotype was not significantly associated with athletic performance. In the non-athletic group no genotype related differences were detected. The association between the NOS3 Glu298Asp polymorphism and RV structure and dimension in elite athletes emphasizes the importance of NOS3 gene function and NO bioavailability in sport related cardiac adaptation.
Sperm: seminal fluid interactions and the adjustment of sperm quality in relation to female attractiveness

An important predictor of male fitness is the fertilizing efficiency of their ejaculates. Ejaculates are costly to produce and males are predicted to devote greater resources to copulations with reproductively superior females. It is well established that males allocate different numbers of sperm to ejaculates. However, less is known about how males adjust their sperm quality, which has important implications for our understanding of fertilization and the evolution of sexual strategies. Here we test in the fowl, Gallus gallus, whether males adjust their sperm velocity by differentially allocating seminal fluid to copulations with attractive and unattractive females. To disentangle the contributions of sperm and seminal fluid to sperm velocity, we separated and remixed sperm and seminal fluid from ejaculates allocated to females of different attractiveness. We show that dominant males increase the velocity of the sperm they invest in more attractive females by allocating larger ejaculates that contain seminal fluid that increases sperm velocity. Furthermore, we find weak evidence that males also allocate sperm with higher velocity, irrespective of seminal fluid, to more attractive females.
The Impact of Osseous Malalignment and Realignment Procedures in Knee Ligament Surgery: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence

Background: Failure rates of knee ligament surgery may be high, and the impact of osseous alignment on surgical outcome remains controversial. Basic science studies have demonstrated that osseous malalignment can negatively affect ligament strain and that realignment procedures may improve knee joint stability. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose of this review was to summarize the clinical evidence concerning the impact of osseous malalignment and realignment procedures in knee ligament surgery. The hypotheses were that lower extremity malalignment would be an important contributor to knee ligament surgery failure and that realignment surgery would contribute to increased knee stability and improved outcome in select cases. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: According to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, a systematic electronic search of the PubMed database was performed in November 2015 to identify clinical studies investigating (A) the influence of osseous alignment on postoperative stability and/or failure rates after knee ligament surgery and (B) the impact of osseous realignment procedures in unstable knees with or without additional knee ligament surgery on postoperative knee function and stability. Methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Levels of Evidence and the Coleman Methodological Score (CMS). Results: Of the 1466 potentially relevant articles, 28 studies fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Average study quality was poor (CMS, 40). For part A, studies showed increased rerupture rate after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) replacement in patients with increased tibial slope. Concerning the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)/posterolateral corner (PLC)/lateral collateral ligament (LCL), varus malalignment was considered a significant risk factor for failure. For part B, studies showed decreased anterior tibial translation after slope-decreasing high tibial osteotomy in ACL-deficient knees. Correcting varus malalignment in PCL/PLC/LCL instability also showed increased stability and better outcomes. Conclusion: In cases of complex knee instability, the 3-dimensional osseous alignment of the knee should be considered (eg, mechanical weightbearing line and tibial slope). In cases of failed ACL reconstruction, the tibial slope should be considered, and slope-reducing osteotomies are often helpful in the patient revised multiple times. In cases of chronic PCL and/or PLC instability, osseous correction of the varus alignment may reduce the failure rate and is often the first step in treatment. Changes in the mechanical axis should be considered in all cases of instability accompanied by early unicompartmental osteoarthritis.
Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Caspase Activation Down-Regulating Bcl-2 and Promoting Disruption of In Lymphatic Cells Par-4 Sensitizes to Apoptosis by Updated

Inhibition of apoptosis is a hallmark of malignancies of the hematopoetic system. Previous studies in nonhematopoetic cells demonstrated that the prostate-apoptosis-response-gene-4 (Par-4) is up-regulated in cells undergoing programmed cell death and that Par-4 exerts its proapoptotic effect by down-regulating Bcl-2. After showing the aberrant expressional pattern of Par-4 in neoplastic lymphocytes as well as demonstrating inverse expressional patterns of Par-4 and Bcl-2 in malignant cells of patients suffering from acute lymphocytic leukemia, we assessed the functional consequences of Par-4 overexpression during apoptosis in Jurkat T lymphocytes. We show that in lymphatic cells Par-4 overexpression decreases the level of Bcl-2, whereas Bax, the proapoptotic counterpart of Bcl-2, retains unaltered levels. Moreover, Par-4 overexpression is accompanied by cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Despite these effects, overexpression of Par-4 alone is not sufficient to induce apoptosis but markedly increases the rate of apoptosis on treatment with different chemotherapeutic agents. On chemotherapeutic treatment Par-4 overexpression enhances disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, PARP-cleaving activity, as well as activation of caspase-3. The hypothesis of caspase-dependency of Par-4-promoted apoptosis is additionally supported by demonstrating complete abrogation of programmed cell death after pretreatment with a broad spectrum caspase-inhibitor. On inhibition of caspase-3 overexpression of Par-4 enables lymphatic cells to alternatively activate caspases-9, -6, and -7 by diminishing the influence of the inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) cIAP1 and XIAP. Our study is the first to identify Par-4 as a proapoptotic protein in lymphatic cells, outlining a model of action evaluating the role of Bcl-2/ Bax, as well as demonstrating the impact of Par-4 expression on PARP cleavage, disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase activation, and interactions with inhibitors of apoptosis proteins.
Southern hemisphere tropical cyclone intensity forecast methods used at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Part II: statistical - dynamical forecasts

The development and performance of a statistical - dynamical tropical cyclone intensity forecast model, which was developed for the United States of America’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), is described. This model, called the Southern Hemisphere Statistical Typhoon Intensity Prediction Scheme (SH STIPS), mirrors similar capabilities created for use in the western North Pacific and North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone basins. The model is created by fitting an optimal combination of factors related to climatology and persistence, intensification potential, vertical wind shear, dynamic size/intensity forecasts and atmospheric stability. All of these factors except the climatology and persistence information are derived from global forecast model analyses and forecasts. In July 2005 the SH STIPS model began a real-time evaluation period. The forecasts from the SH STIPS model have outperformed the combined climatology and persistence based forecast and thus are skillful in independent testing since that time. Since October 2006, SH STIPS has been the primary member in an operational consensus forecast of tropical cyclone intensity change provided to the JTWC. Documentation is provided for potential users of forecasts based on this methodology and for researchers interested in developing similar capabilities in the future.
Effect of Adding Different Dietary Levels of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) on Productive Performance of Broiler Chicks

Using distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as a feed ingredient in poultry nutrition has lately been increased. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of adding different dietary levels of DDGS on the productive performance of broiler chicks from 1 to 35 d of age. Two hundred forty one-d-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed among 3 treatment groups with eight replicates of 10 chicks each. Chicks were fed a broiler diet containing 0.0, 5.0, or 10.0% DDGS. Results obtained from the present study showed no significant differences in body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and mortality rate among dietary treatments from 1-35 d of age. Feed conversion ratio and performance index were significantly better for chicks fed diet containing 5.0% DDGS than those fed diet containing 0.0% DDGS from 8 to 14 d of age only, but were no differences between chicks fed 10.0% and those fed either 0.0 or 5.0% DDGS. These results indicated that adding 5.0% DDGS into broiler diets showed a beneficial effect on feed conversion ratio with the best performance index from 8-14 d of age. Therefore, results suggest that DDGS can be safely added into diet as an alternative source of protein and energy from 1 to 35 d of age up to 10.0% without negative effect on productive performance of broiler chicks.