Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of laparoscopic hysterectomy and lymph node dissection in treatment of endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND The development of new diagnostic and surgical methods has brought a differentiated approach to surgery of endometrial cancer. The aim of this study was to verify the peri-and postoperative differences between laparoscopic and open procedure and prepare protocol for a second phase follow-up multicentric study. METHODS The study includes 133 women with indications for surgery of endometrial cancer. A prospective multicentric study was undertaken at four centres in the Czech Republic. We evaluated differences in the peri-and postoperative outcomes. Sixty-eight patients treated laparoscopically were compared with 65 patients treated by an open procedure of hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. RESULTS Three patients with conversion were withdrawn from the study and another 65 patients (97%) from the laparoscopic group successfully completed the procedures. Laparoscopic and abdominal hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy were performed based on the grade of the tumor and depth of myometrial invasion. Out of both groups, 75 patients underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy and 21 women underwent para-aortic lymph node dissection or sampling. Eleven patients had metastases in the pelvic or para-aortic nodes (11.7% versus 4.7% in the open procedure group). Deep myoinvasion over 50% was more frequently present in the group of abdominally-treated women. The rate of major complications (18 versus 14 cases) was higher in the laparoscopic group, but more wound infections were seen in the open procedure group. CONCLUSION The study illustrates that the laparoscopic approach to surgery is feasible and it also may be considered for endometrial cancer which typically occurs in at risk and obese women. Recovery time is reduced by avoiding an abdominal incision. Laparoscopic surgery was performed successfully in 65 women and in 8 cases (11.7%) malignant spread outside to the regional lymph nodes was found. However, the selection of patients for laparoscopy should be done considering optimal benefit and safety.
PolySat's Next Generation Avionics Design

The CubeSat platform provides a unique challenge for flight software design due to the incredible size and power constraints. A number of tradeoffs must be made to balance effectiveness, fault tolerance, and cost. These basic requirements have been combined with the lessons learned from Cal Poly's past 8-bit avionics system to design a significant revision based around a 32-bit microprocessor running Linux. This work analyzes both generations of avionics design, including a discussion of major design principles that are relevant to other CubeSat missions.
Intranasal Oxytocin Selectively Modulates Social Perception, Craving, and Approach Behavior in Subjects With Alcohol Use Disorder

Objectives:A pharmacotherapy that both improves social abilities and promotes abstinence may be particularly helpful for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. Recent clinical and preclinical evidence suggests that oxytocin has prosocial and antiaddiction effects. We performed a pilot, laboratory-based, preclinical trial of oxytocin in subjects with alcohol abuse (as per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition criteria) to evaluate therapeutic potential and assess tolerability. Methods:Social perceptual ability, cue-induced craving, and approach bias for alcohol and appetitive imagery were quantified after intranasal oxytocin and placebo administration to 32 nontreatment-seeking individuals with alcohol abuse in a double-blind, crossover study. Because attachment style can moderate the effects of oxytocin, we also explored whether attachment style moderated oxytocin's effects on our behavioral measures. Results:Oxytocin significantly improved recognition of easier items on a social perception task, but had no significant group-level effect on cue-induced craving. However, oxytocin effects on craving were moderated by attachment anxiety, with oxytocin reducing craving in more anxiously attached individuals and increasing craving in less anxiously attached individuals. Subjects did not display an approach bias to alcohol images on the placebo day, preventing meaningful analysis of this measure. Subjects did display an approach bias to appetitive images on the placebo day, which was significantly reduced by oxytocin administration. No adverse reactions were observed. Conclusions:Intranasal oxytocin has potential to improve social perception, reduce cue-induced alcohol cravings, and reduce appetitive approach bias in subjects with alcohol abuse, and can be safely tolerated in this population. The effects of oxytocin are complex, however, and require further investigation.
THE PATTERN OF COMMONER HEALTH PROBLEMS AMONG BASIC SCHOOL CHILDREN, GEZIRA STATE, SUDAN

Background: The lack of baseline information on the magnitude of health problems among school children is considered one of the factors of the unsatisfactory status of school health in Sudan. Availability of such data from schools will help in the health promotion of school children. Objective: To determine the proportions of the commoner diseases or health problems among Wad Medani basic school children (males and females) at the end of the school year 2000-2001. Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 3862 basic school children (males and females). They were selected by multi-stage stratified proportional random sampling according to their sex and localities. A pre-designed pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data which were then tabulated and statistically analyzed. Results: The study revealed that 77.9% of the study group had malaria, 33% of them had sore throat, 26.4% suffered from psychosocial problems that affected their school performance. Dental carries 24.5%, diarrhea attacks 17.5%, oxyuris worm 16.8%, pneumonia 11.5, measles infection 12.4%, asthma 9.2% and visual defects 8.9%. Some of these problems were related to the poor quality of school environment including sanitation and poor nutritional services. These findings should be considered in planning school health programmes. Appropriate interventions to reduce these problems through improving school environment and raising the awareness of the school community towards such problems is recommended.
Explaining International and Intertemporal Variations in Income Inequality

This paper explores the propositions that, income inequality is relatively stable within countries; and that it varies significantly among countries. A new and expanded data set provides broad support for both propositions. Drawing on a political economy and capital market imperfection arguments to explain the intertemporal and international variation in inequality, the empirical analysis shows that the predicted variables associated with the first argument (a measure of civil liberties and the initial level of secondary schooling) and the second argument (a measure of financial depth and the initial distribution of land) are indeed important determinants of inequality.
The BUCKY object-relational benchmark

According to various trade journals and corporate marketing machines, we are now on the verge of a revolution—the object-relational database revolution. Since we believe that no one should face a revolution without appropriate armaments, this paper presents BUCKY, a new benchmark for object-relational database systems. BUCKY is a query-oriented benchmark that tests many of the key features offered by object-relational systems, including row types and inheritance, references and path expressions, sets of atomic values and of references, methods and late binding, and user-defined abstract data types and their methods. To test the maturity of object-relational technology relative to relational technology, we provide both an object-relational version of BUCKY and a relational equivalent thereof (i.e., a relational BUCKY simulation). Finally, we briefly discuss the initial performance results and lessons that resulted from applying BUCKY to one of the early object-relational database system products.
Expression and visualization during cell cycle progression of alkaline phosphatase in B lymphocytes from C3H/HeJ mice

The expression of alkaline phosphatase (APase) activity by purified B cells from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐hyporesponsive C3H/HeJ mice was determined. Optimal APase activity was expressed after costimulation with interleukin‐5 and dextran sulfate (DXS), whereas LPS, which is highly effective on B lymphocytes from normal mice, was unable to induce enzyme expression, even in the presence of DXS. The simultaneous determination by flow cytometry of both cellular APase, by using a fluorescent azo dye technique, and DNA content showed that APase was highly expressed by about one‐tenth of cells in G1 phase, whereas it was present in more than 50% of cells in S and G2/M phases. The enzyme, as visualized by confocal microscopy after cell sorting on the basis of DNA content, was found to be, localized mainly in vesicular structures distributed throughout the cytoplasm in G1 cells. It was distributed in patches and essentially localized at the cell periphery in S cells, whereas clear capping of activity was observed in G2/M cells. J. Leukoc. Biol. 55: 626–632; 1994.
Core needle lung biopsy specimens: adequacy for EGFR and KRAS mutational analysis.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare the adequacy of core needle biopsy specimens with the adequacy of specimens from resected tissue, the histologic reference standard, for mutational analysis of malignant tumors of the lung. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The first 18 patients enrolled in a phase 2 study of gefitinib for lung cancer in July 2004 through August 2005 underwent CT- or fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy before the start of gefitinib therapy. Three weeks after gefitinib therapy, the patients underwent lung tumor resection. The results of EGFR and KRAS mutational analysis of the core needle biopsy specimens were compared with those of EGFR and KRAS mutational analysis of the surgical specimens. RESULTS Two specimens were unsatisfactory for mutational analysis. The results of mutational assay results of the other 16 specimens were the same as those of analysis of the surgical specimens obtained an average of 31 days after biopsy. CONCLUSION Biopsy with small (18- to 20-gauge) core needles can yield sufficient and reliable samples for mutational analysis. This technique is likely to become an important tool with the increasing use of pharmacotherapy based on the genetics of specific tumors in individual patients.
Genotypic and phenotypic resistance patterns at virological failure in a simplification trial with nevirapine, efavirenz or abacavir

Background:The NEFA Study was a randomized study comparing nevirapine (NVP), efavirenz (EFV) or abacavir (ABC) as substitutes for protease inhibitors in a large group of HIV-1-infected patients successfully treated with antiretroviral regimens containing protease inhibitors. Objective:To evaluate genotype and phenotype resistance patterns among patients who have experienced virological failure under one of the three study arms. Methods:Patients with virological failure, defined as two consecutive determinations of HIV-1 RNA > 200 copies/ml, were analysed for phenotypic susceptibility and HIV-1 mutations. Results:Of the 460 patients included in the study, 51 (11%) experienced virological failure after 24 months of follow-up while on assigned study medication. A higher proportion of patients in the ABC [25 (17%)] than in the NVP [14 (9%)] or EFV [12 (8%)] arms selected resistance to the study drug (P = 0.04). Moreover, a much higher number of resistance mutations to one or more of the backbone nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor drugs contained in the failing regimen were observed in the ABC than in the EFV or NVP arms. In general, there was a good concordance among genotype and phenotype resistance testing, except for ABC, stavudine and didanosine, where phenotypic resistance testing added valuable information (fold change in the median inhibitory concentration). Conclusions:Cross-resistance involving nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor drugs might explain the higher risk of virological failure in patients switched to ABC-containing antiretroviral therapy. Phenotypic resistance testing may be helpful in interpreting unclear genotypic results.
Abnormal task modulation of oscillatory neural activity in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia patients have deficits in cognitive function that are a core feature of the disorder. AX-CPT is commonly used to study cognition in schizophrenia, and patients have characteristic pattern of behavioral and ERP response. In AX-CPT subjects respond when a flashed cue “A” is followed by a target “X,” ignoring other letter combinations. Patients show reduced hit rate to “go” trials, and increased false alarms to sequences that require inhibition of a prepotent response. EEG recordings show reduced sensory (P1/N1), as well as later cognitive components (N2, P3, CNV). Behavioral deficits correlate most strongly with sensory dysfunction. Oscillatory analyses provide critical information regarding sensory/cognitive processing over and above standard ERP analyses. Recent analyses of induced oscillatory activity in single trials during AX-CPT in healthy volunteers showed characteristic response patterns in theta, alpha, and beta frequencies tied to specific sensory and cognitive processes. Alpha and beta modulated during the trials and beta modulation over the frontal cortex correlated with reaction time. In this study, EEG data was obtained from 18 schizophrenia patients and 13 controls during AX-CPT performance, and single trial decomposition of the signal yielded power in the target wavelengths. Significant task-related event-related desynchronization (ERD) was observed in both alpha and beta frequency bands over parieto-occipital cortex related to sensory encoding of the cue. This modulation was reduced in patients for beta, but not for alpha. In addition, significant beta ERD was observed over motor cortex, related to motor preparation for the response, and was also reduced in patients. These findings demonstrate impaired dynamic modulation of beta frequency rhythms in schizophrenia, and suggest that failures of oscillatory activity may underlie impaired sensory information processing in schizophrenia that in turn contributes to cognitive deficits.
Nonenzymatic methylation of DNA by S-adenosylmethionine in vitro.

S-Adenosylmethionine was found to methylate DNA non-enzymatically to produce the same putative promutagenic and procarcinogenic lesions formed by carcinogenic chemical methylating agents. The formation of 7-methylguanine was confirmed by u.v. spectrophotometry, the formation of O6-methylguanine and 3-methyladenine was suggested by the cochromatography of radioactivity with standard bases. It is possible that this reaction may explain the presence of constitutive cellular enzymes specifically for the repair of methylated DNA, and may indicate the mechanism whereby methylated guanine is formed in the liver DNA of rats with chemically induced liver damage.
Polymorphisms in the CYP2E1 and GSTM1 Genes as Possible Protection Factors for Leprosy Patients

Background The CYP2E1 and GSTM1 genes encode metabolic enzymes that have key functions in drug modification and elimination. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated the possible effects of CYP2E1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms in 71 leprosy patients and in 110 individuals from the general population. The GSTM1*0 null allele and INDEL CYP2E1*1D mutant genotypes were analyzed by conventional PCR, while CYP2E1 SNPs (1053C>T, 1293G>C and 7632T>A) were determined by RT-PCR. In leprosy patients, the GSTM1*0 and CYP2E1*5 alleles and the combined alleles GSTM1*0/CYP2E1*6 and GSTM1*0/CYP2E1*5 were significantly related to a baciloscopic index (BI) (BI<3), while the CYP2E1*6 allele was related to a better clinical evolution in the leprosy spectrum. Conclusions/Significance Therefore, GSTM1*0, CYP2E1*5 and CYP2E1*6 may be possible protection factors for leprosy patients.
A common framework for conservation planning: Linking individual and metapopulation models [Chapter 7]

Many populations exhibit pronounced spatial structure: dispersed areas of high population density embedded in areas of low density, with population centers connected through dispersal. This recognition has led many conservation biologists to embrace the metapopulation concept (Levins 1970) as the appropriate paradigm for reserve design structures (reviewed in Hanski 1991 and Harrison 1994). This concept seems appropriate for those species that have patchy distributions because the critical resources on which they depend are distributed in this fashion. This paradigm may be less applicable, however, to species that historically have had a more or less uniform distribution of individuals across the landscape. If such species are faced with threats to their persistence, is a metapopulation reserve structure appropriate for their conservation? Or is the tailoring of reserve design to a single paradigm similar to attempting to force a square peg into a round hole? As a species, spotted owls are widely distributed, show extensive geographic variation in their habitat relationships, and, at a landscape scale, have a territory distribution that is spatially variable. Because of threats to their long-term persistence, conservation strategies for all three subspecies of spotted owl have recently been proposed (Thomas et al. 1990; Verner et al. 1992; USDI 1991). Despite striking similarities in the ecologies of these three subspecies and similar threats to their population viability, their conservation strategies appear quite distinct, suggesting that contrasting sets of ecological principles may have been applied in the planning process. Despite appearances, a common hypothesis-testing framework justified the process of conservation planning and a common set of population dynamics principles underlies each conservation strategy (Noon and Murphy 1994).
Primary structure of NuMA, an intranuclear protein that defines a novel pathway for segregation of proteins at mitosis

From a collection of monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to various parts of the mitotic apparatus in human cells (1991. J. Cell Biol. 112: 1083-1097), two (1F1 and 1H1) recognize a greater than 200- kD intranuclear protein that associates with the spindle immediately upon nuclear envelope breakdown and progresses down the spindle microtubules to concentrate ultimately at the pericentrosomal region. At the completion of anaphase this protein dissociates from the spindle microtubules and is imported into the regenerating nuclei through the nuclear pores. Overlapping cDNA clones that span the entire length of the corresponding 7.2-kb mRNA reveal an encoded polypeptide of 236,278 D that is predicted to contain two globular domains separated by a discontinuous alpha-helix with characteristics for adopting a coiled- coil structure. The corresponding gene is highly conserved but neither the DNA sequence nor the predicted amino acid sequence shows significant homology to any previously reported. Since the cDNA also encodes the epitopes recognized by antibodies specific for two previously described proteins, NuMA and centrophilin, and all three show similar molecular weights and localization during the cell cycle, NuMA, centrophilin, and the 1F1/1H1 antigen represent either the same protein or a family of proteins, for which the original name, NuMA, seems most appropriate. While the function of NuMA remains uncertain, its unusual pattern of segregation at mitosis defines a novel pathway for the segregation of nuclear proteins during cell division.
Patterning of interactive metadiscourse markers in result and discussion sections of academic research articles across disciplines

A generic analysis of research articles can cover a wide variety of issues; among them are rhetorical features. A crucial part of the rhetorical features of research article is the use of metadiscourse that can help to make the text persuasive and acceptable to a discourse community (Hyland, 2005). The underlying principle behind metadiscourse use is the view of writing as socially engaging: in particular metadiscourse reveals the ways writers project themselves into their discourse to declare their perspectives and commitments to the readers. The present paper focuses on interactive metadiscourse markers in the result and discussion sections of academic research articles across four disciplines, namely, English Language Teaching, Civil Engineering, Biology, and Economics to clarify the manner of metadiscourse use among the varied disciplines. Sixteen research article result and discussion sections (4 from each discipline) were sourced from four internationally reputed refereed journals for analysis. Results indicated some cross-disciplinary similarities and differences in the use of interactive metadiscourse markers. Results of this study can be of value especially for novice research article writers who belonged to disciplinary communities focused in the present study so that they get an entry into their own particular research communities.
Comparing corpora with WordSmith Tools: How large must the reference corpus be?

WordSmith Tools (Scott, 1998) offers a program for comparing corpora, known as KeyWords. KeyWords compares a word list extracted from what has been called 'the study corpus' (the corpus which the researcher is interested in describing) with a word list made from a reference corpus. The only requirement for a word list to be accepted as reference corpus by the software is that must be larger than the study corpus, one of the most pressing questions with respect to using KeyWords seems to be what would be the ideal size of a reference corpus. The aim of this paper is thus to propose answers to this question. Five English corpora were compared to reference corpora of various sizes (varying from two to 100 times larger than the study corpus). The results indicate that a reference corpus that is five times as large as the study corpus yielded a larger number of keywords than a smaller reference corpus. Corpora larger than five times the size of the study corpus yielded similar amounts of keywords. The implication is that a larger reference corpus is not always better than a smaller one, for WordSmith Tools Keywords analysis, while a reference corpus that is less than five times the size of the study corpus may not be reliable. There seems to be no need for using extremely large reference corpora, given that the number of keywords yielded do not seem to change by using corpora larger than five times the size of the study corpus.