Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of lesions of the breast with proton MR spectroscopy: comparison of carcinomas, benign lesions, and phyllodes tumors.

OBJECTIVE Proton MR spectroscopy is a recently described technique with high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating breast carcinoma from benign lesions. We evaluated the possible relationship between spectroscopy results and the tumor proliferative index, angiogenesis, and HER2/neu oncogene overexpression. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. We prospectively evaluated 19 breast carcinomas, 21 benign breast lesions (including 18 fibroadenomas, one fibrocystic change, one hamartoma, and one papilloma), and six phyllodes tumors (four benign, two of borderline malignancy) using proton MR spectroscopy. All lesions were larger than 1.5 cm. Tumor Ki-67 proliferative index, tumor angiogenesis, and HER2/neu oncogene overexpression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry of the histologic material. RESULTS Spectroscopy findings were positive in 17 (89%) of 19 carcinomas but negative for all benign lesions and phyllodes tumors (sensitivity, 89%; specificity, 100%). Significantly higher levels were obtained for all biologic parameters in carcinomas compared with benign lesions and phyllodes tumors. HER2/neu oncogene overexpression was present in 37% of carcinomas but not in other lesions. The two false-negative findings of breast carcinoma showed similar Ki-67 proliferative index and microvessel density compared with the remaining carcinomas, but both cases were negative for HER2/neu overexpression. CONCLUSION Proton MR spectroscopy is useful in the in vivo characterization of breast masses when the lesion exceeds 1.5 cm in maximal dimension. Spectroscopy is unable to reveal benign breast lesions and phyllodes tumors of benign and borderline malignancy. We suggest that a false-negative spectroscopic result may be related to an absence of HER2/neu overexpression in carcinoma of the breast.
Strong consistency of the over- and underdetermined LSE of 2-D exponentials in white noise

We consider the problem of least squares estimation of the parameters of two-dimensional (2-D) exponential signals observed in the presence of an additive noise field, when the assumed number of exponentials is incorrect. We consider both the case where the number of exponential signals is underestimated, and the case where the number of exponential signals is overestimated. In the case where the number of exponential signals is underestimated, we prove the almost sure convergence of the least squares estimates (LSE) to the parameters of the dominant exponentials. In the case where the number of exponential signals is overestimated, the estimated parameter vector obtained by the least squares estimator contains a subvector that converges almost surely to the correct parameters of the exponentials.
Evaluation of a differentiation model of preschoolers’ executive functions

Despite the prominent role of executive functions in children’s emerging competencies, there remains debate regarding the structure and development of executive functions. In an attempt to reconcile these discrepancies, a differentiation model of executive function development was evaluated in the early years using 6-month age groupings. Specifically, 281 preschoolers completed measures of working memory, inhibition, and shifting. Results contradicted suggestions that executive functions follow a single trajectory of progressive separation in childhood, instead suggesting that these functions may undergo a period of integration in the preschool years. These results highlight potential problems with current practices and theorizing in executive function research.
Stem cell niches in the mouse airway.

Stem cell research has progressed to new levels of understanding over the last decade. Many adult tissues undergo continuous self-renewal and hence require resident stem cells with the capacity for multipotent differentiation in that organ (1). Such adult stem cells are permanently established in an organ following embryogenesis. Stem cells are most often slow-cycling and give rise to transient amplifying cells (TAC), which impart the majority of tissue renewal in the setting of injury. Unlike stem cells, which by definition have unlimited proliferative capacity, TAC are restricted in their capacity to divide and cannot proliferate indefinitely. Although stem cells and TAC are both selfrenewing populations, TAC are primarily thought to be the major progenitor population which gives rise to terminally differentiated cell types of an adult organ. While the concept of lineage restricted stem cells in adult organs has a long history, recent research isolating stem cells from different organs with multipotent capacity for “trans-differentiation” into various tissue lineages has begun to redefine “stem cell” characteristics (2). For example, neural stem cells have been found to have the capacity to cross tissue-specific lineages in the production of blood derived hematopoietic cell types (3). Similarly, bone marrow-derived myogenic progenitors have also been demonstrated to have the capacity to regenerate muscle (4, 5). These findings have reorganized thinking in the field beyond the traditional viewpoint that stem cells of adult tissues are limited to cell lineages present only in the organ from which they are derived. The concept of whether all organs retain stem cells with multipotent capacity for trans-differentiation across tissue lineages remains to be determined. However, these findings suggest that stem cells can respond to the unique biochemical cues of a niche in which they reside.
Mechanistic Studies Investigating the Role of Organophosphate Insecticide Exposure in the Development and Exacerbation of Asthma

Abstract : This grant proposes to determine whether organophosphate insecticides act upon the cholinergic system in the lungs increasing cholinergic neurotransmission and causing airway hyperresponsiveness, which is characteristic of asthma. Guinea pigs were either treated acutely with a high dose or chronically (7 days) with a low does of the organophosphate chlorpyrifos sc. Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerves caused frequency-dependent bronchoconstriction that was significantly potentiated in animals treated with chlorpyrifos. M2 muscarinic autoreceptors, which normally inhibit release of acetylcholine from cholinergic nerves were dysfunctional in the chlorpyrifos-treated animals. The function of M3 muscarinic receptors on airway smooth muscle was not altered by cholorpyrifos treatment. In addition, the high but not the lower dose of chlorpyrifos significantly inhibited acetylcholinesterase activity, further contributing to airway hyperreactivity. These data demonstrate that organophosphate pesticides are capable of causing airway hyperreactivity by inhibiting neuronal M2 receptor function. A second series of experiments has demonstrated that 2 additional organophosphates, diazinon and parathion also inhibit M2 receptor function and cause airway hyperreactivity, experiments to determine the lowest level of exposure are underway. Thus, we have confirmed that organophosphates cause airway hyperactivity by inhibiting M2 receptor function on the cholinergic nerves and by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase activity.
Exposure-dependent variation in cryolite induced lethality in the non-target insect, Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract The starting point of toxicity testing of any chemical in an organism is the determination of its Lethal Concentration 50 (LC50). In the present study, LC50 of a fluorinated insecticide cryolite is determined in a non-target insect model, Drosophila melanogaster. Interestingly, the result shows that acute LC50 of cryolite was much greater in comparison to the chronic one in case of Drosophila larvae. Larvae which were exposed to 65,000 to 70,000 μg/ml cryolite through food showed 50% mortality after 18 hours of acute exposure, whereas only 150 to 160 μg/ml cryolite was sufficient to cause 50% mortality in case of chronic exposure. Thus cryolite in a small amount when applied once cannot produce noticeable changes in Drosophila, whereas the same amount when used continuously can be fatal. The non-feeding pupal stage was also seen to be affected by chemical treatment. This suggests that the test chemical affects the developmental fate and results in failure of adult emergence. Absence of chemical-induced mortality in adults assumes that the toxicity of cryolite might be restricted to the preimaginal stages of the organism. Reduction in body size of larvae after ingestion of cryolite (with food) in acute treatment schedule is another interesting finding of this study. Some individuals consuming cryolite containing food cannot survive whereas the few survivors manifest a significant growth retardation which might be due to a tendency of refusal in feeding. Hence the present findings provide a scope of assessment of risk of other similar non-target groups
Astrocyte‐derived glutathione attenuates hemin‐induced apoptosis in cerebral microvascular cells

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) induces neurovascular injury via poorly defined mechanisms. The aim of this study was to determine whether gliovascular communication may restrict hemorrhagic vascular injury. Hemin, a hemoglobin by‐product, concentration‐ and time‐dependently increased apoptotic cell death in mouse bEnd.3 cells and in primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells, at least in part, via a caspase‐3 dependent pathway. Cell death was preceded by a NFκB‐mediated increase in inflammatory gene expression, including upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and activity. Functionally, inhibition of iNOS or the addition of a peroxynitrite decomposition catalyst reduced cell death. Interestingly, co‐treatment with astrocyte‐conditioned media (ACM) reversed hemin‐induced NFκB activation, nitrotyrosine formation, and apoptotic cell death, at least in part, via the release of the endogenous antioxidant, reduced glutathione (GSH). Prior treatment of astrocytes with the GSH‐depleting agent, DL‐buthionine (S,R)‐sulfoximine or direct addition of diethyl maleate, a thiol‐depleting agent, to ACM reversed the observed protection. In contrast, neither exogenous GSH nor the GSH precursor, N‐acetylcysteine, was protective in bEnd.3 cells. Together, these data support an important role for astrocyte‐derived GSH in the maintenance of oxidative balance in the vasculature and suggest therapeutic targeting of the GSH system may reduce neurological injury following ICH. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Prevalence and perception of smoking habits among the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip

Background The Gaza Strip is a densely populated place with ~2 million inhabitants in an area of 365 km2. The aim of this study was to determine the smoking prevalence in the Gaza Strip and to identify the perception of the Palestinian population on smoking. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian territories, during the period from June to September 2014. Convenient sampling method was adopted. A structured pretested questionnaire was used. Results A total of 600 adults aged 15 years or older completed the questionnaires with a response rate of 83.3%. The prevalence rate of smoking was 26.3%, with a significantly higher rate among males (31%) than females (6.9%) (P<0.001). The mean starting age was 17.4±3.9 years. The study revealed that influence of friends is the major reason for initiation of smoking and the most influential factor in convincing smokers to quit was the family. Smokers’ knowledge about smoking risks motivates them to try stop smoking (64.9%) or desire to stop smoking (65.2%). Conclusion The study revealed that tobacco use is significantly prevalent in the Gaza Strip. The author recommends rapid antismoking campaigns with stress on the family role and massive intervention programs to encourage young people to change their behavior toward smoking.
Managing children with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)

Chronic myeloid leukaemia in children and young people is a relatively rare form of leukaemia that shows increased incidence with age and some evidence suggests that the molecular basis differs from that in adults. Significant advances in targeted therapy with the development and use in children of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and the ability to monitor and understand the prognostic significance of minimal residual disease by standardized molecular techniques has shifted the management of this condition from bone marrow transplantation as the main therapeutic modality to individualized treatment for each patient based on achieving specific milestones. The physiological changes occurring during childhood, particularly those affecting growth and development and the long‐term use of treatment, pose specific challenges in this age group, which we are only beginning to understand.
Summarizing Search Results using PLSI

In this paper, we investigate generating a set of query-focused summaries from search results. Since there may be many topics related to a given query in the search results, in order to summarize these results, they should first be classified into topics, and then each topic should be summarized individually. In this summarization process, two types of redundancies need to be reduced. First, each topic summary should not contain any redundancy (we refer to this problem as redundancy within a summary). Second, a topic summary should not be similar to any other topic summary (we refer to this problem as redundancy between summaries). In this paper, we focus on the document clustering process and the reduction of redundancy between summaries in the summarization process. We also propose a method using PLSI to summarize search results. Evaluation results confirm that our method performs well in classifying search results and reducing the redundancy between summaries.
Ketorolac versus meperidine: ED treatment of severe musculoskeletal low back pain.

The study objective was to assess the efficacy and patient acceptance of ketorolac as an alternative to meperidine for the treatment of severe musculoskeletal low back pain (LBP). A double blinded prospective trial in a convenience sample of patients >18 years of age presenting to an urban university hospital emergency department (ED) was conducted over a 19-month period. Patients were included if the pain was musculoskeletal in origin and was severe enough to warrant parenteral analgesics. Patients were randomized to receive 1 mg/kg meperidine intramuscularly (IM) or 60 mg ketorolac IM. Pain intensity was measured preadministration and at 60 minutes via a 100 mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Outcomes measured at 60 minutes were pain intensity decrease (PID), patient satisfaction, rescue analgesia requirement, sedation level, and adverse effects. Clinically significant pain reduction was defined as a PID of at least 13 mm or a reduction in pain of least 30%. One hundred fifty-five patients were enrolled (meperidine = 75, ketorolac = 80) and 153 patients completed the study. At 60 minutes the mean PID was 7 mm less in the ketorolac group (95% confidence interval [CI] - 15 mm to 2.6 mm). Pain reduction of at least 30% occurred in 63% of the ketorolac group versus 67% of the meperidine group (95% CI, odds ratio [OR] .43 to 1.61). Rescue analgesia was required in 35% of the ketorolac group versus 37% of the meperidine group (95% CI, OR .47 to 1.74). Patient satisfaction was less in the ketorolac group (ketorolac 68% satisfied versus meperidine 74% satisfied) however this was not significant (95% CI, OR .66 to 2.72). Sedation level and adverse effects were significantly greater in the meperidine group. Ketorolac shows comparable single dose analgesic efficacy to a single moderate dose of meperidine with less sedation and adverse effects in an ED population with severe musculoskeletal LBP. The trend for greater pain reduction and patient satisfaction with meperidine needs further investigation.
Treatment of Carotid Cavernous Fistulas Using Covered Stents: Midterm Results in Seven Patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Carotid cavernous fistulas (CCF) can be effectively treated by using different therapeutic alternatives such as detachable balloons and detachable coils, alone or in combination with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) or Onyx. Stents have also been used in an attempt to improve preservation of the parent artery while still occluding the fistula. We present our experience using balloon-expandable covered stents to treat CCF, focusing on arterial wall reconstruction. To our knowledge, this is the first series with midterm follow-up between 3 months and 3.5 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From the 46 CCF treated at our institution between November 1998 and September 2006, a total of 7 posttraumatic direct CCF were treated using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered stents between April 2003 and September 2006. Five were treated with covered stents alone. One patient with transection of the internal carotid artery (ICA) first underwent bare stent placement to provide support for the covered stent. One patient had to be treated with coils and n-BCA. RESULTS: Control angiograms obtained in the 7 patients demonstrated occlusion of the fistula and preservation of the ICA in all cases. There was no mortality and no immediate postprocedural morbidity. There was 1 case of morbidity identified at 1-month follow-up with asymptomatic occlusion of the ICA; the other 6 patients had angiographic follow-up between 3 and 42 months (mean, 18.4 months), with persistent occlusion of the fistulas, patent stent grafts, and no significant intimal hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: PTFE-covered stents are evolving as a promising intracranial therapeutic alternative to treat CCF and preserve the parent artery by reconstructing the arterial wall. They should be considered in patients in whom fistulas cannot be successfully occluded with detachable balloons or detachable coils. More investigation is required to further develop their specifications and indications.
Depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and Mortality

Objective: To determine whether a history of depression and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with all-cause mortality in primary care patients over an average of 2 years. Methods: Patients from seven Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers completed mailed questionnaires. Depression and PTSD status were determined from patient self-report of a prior diagnosis and/or electronic administrative data. Date of death was ascertained from Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture and the Department of Veterans Affairs' Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator System. Results: Among 35,715 primary care patients, those with a history of depression without a history of PTSD (n = 6876) were at increased risk of death over an average of 2 years compared with patients with neither depression nor PTSD after adjustment for demographic variables, health behaviors, and medical comorbidity (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.17; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.06–1.28). However, patients with a history of PTSD without a history of depression (n = 748) were not at increased risk of death compared with patients with neither depression nor PTSD (HR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.63–1.13). Patients with a history of both (n = 3762) were at increased risk of death after adjustment for demographic factors, although not after additional adjustment for health behaviors and medical comorbidity (HR = 0.90; 95% CI = 0.78–1.04). Conclusions: In a large sample of veterans, a prior diagnosis of depression, but not PTSD, was associated with an increased risk of death over an average of 2 years after adjusting for age, demographic variables, health behaviors, and medical comorbidity. PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder; VA= Department of Veterans Affairs; ACQUIP = Ambulatory Care Quality Improvement Project; MHI-5 = Mental Health Inventory; CHF = congestive heart failure; MI = heart attack/myocardial infarction.
Biomechanical Characterization of the Constitutive Relationship for the Brainstem

Experimental tests using porcine brainstem samples were performed on a custom designed stress relaxation shear device. Tests were performed dynamically at strain rates over 1s (super -I), to three levels of peak strain (2.5%-7.5&). The directional dependence of the material properties was investigated by shearing both parallel and transverse to the predominant direction of the axonal fibers. Quasi-linear viscoelastic theory was used to describe the reduced relaxation response and the instantaneous elastic function. The time constants of the reduced relaxation function demonstrate no directional dependence. However, the relative magnitude of the exponential functions and the parameter representing the final limiting value are significantly different for each direction. The elastic function qualitatively demonstrates a dependence on direction. The results suggest that the brainstem is an anisotropic material. The data provides a starting point for analyzing the directionally dependent nature of brainstem material and can serve as a guide in developing new material models for finite element analysis. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 882980.
Influence of COMT val158met Genotype on the Depressed Brain during Emotional Processing and Working Memory

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with abnormal prefrontal-limbic interactions and altered catecholaminergic neurotransmission. The val158met polymorphism on the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has been shown to influence prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during both emotional processing and working memory (WM). Although COMT-genotype is not directly associated with MDD, it may affect MDD pathology by altering PFC activation, an endophenotype associated with both COMT and MDD. 125 participants, including healthy controls (HC, n=28) and MDD patients were genotyped for the COMT val158met polymorphism and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI-neuroimaging) during emotion processing (viewing of emotional facial expressions) and a WM task (visuospatial planning). Within HC, we observed a positive correlation between the number of met-alleles and right inferior frontal gyrus activation during emotional processing, whereas within patients the number of met-alleles was not correlated with PFC activation. During WM a negative correlation between the number of met-alleles and middle frontal gyrus activation was present in the total sample. In addition, during emotional processing there was an effect of genotype in a cluster including the amygdala and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that COMT genotype is associated with relevant endophenotypes for MDD. In addition, presence of MDD only interacts with genotype during emotional processing and not working memory.