Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Telomerase activity in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The riboprotein telomerase has been linked to cellular immortality and is believed to play a key role in tumorigenesis. OBJECTIVE To determine if telomerase is expressed in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. DESIGN Twenty patient samples of oral squamous cell carcinoma and 20 adjacent histologically normal mucosal samples were assayed using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) method for detection of telomerase activity. The leukemic cell line, K562, was used as a positive control and the human fibroblast line, Hs21Fs, as a negative control. PATIENTS Consecutive series of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma presenting to a tertiary referral center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE A sample was classified as telomerase positive when an RNase-sensitive hexameric repeat ladder was observed. Absence of laddering was considered a negative result. RESULTS Eighteen (90%) of 20 tumor samples and 7 (35%) of 20 adjacent histologically normal samples were telomerase positive. A statistically significant difference was observed in telomerase activity for T1 and T2 cancers compared with T4 cancers (P<.05 by analysis of variance). No statistically significant difference was observed in activity for T1 and T2 cancers vs T3 cancers. CONCLUSIONS The finding of telomerase activity in 90% of tumor samples is consistent with the concept of telomerase playing a key role in tumorigenesis. Further study is needed to determine the usefulness of this enzyme as a molecular marker.
Phase I study and pharmacokinetics of menogaril (NSC 269148) in patients with hepatic dysfunction.

We performed a phase I study of menogaril to determine if dosage reduction was required in patients with hepatic dysfunction and if the relationship between pharmacokinetics and leukopenia, previously defined in patients with normal hepatic and renal function, was altered. Eighteen patients received 27 courses of menogaril, of which 26 were evaluable for toxicity. Patient characteristics were median age, 63 years (range, 28-80 years), 14 male/4 female, and median Karnofsky performance status 80% (range, 60-100%). Prior therapy included none, five; chemotherapy only, seven; radiotherapy only, two; and chemotherapy and radiotherapy, four. Menogaril was administered as a 2-h.i. v. infusion every 28 days at 62.5 (one patient), 125 (eight patients), 187.5 (seven patients), and 250 mg/m2 (six patients), based on pretreatment serum bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase. Patients also had indocyanine green and antipyrine clearances measured before menogaril treatment. Menogaril and metabolites were assayed by high performance liquid chromatography. Dose-limiting toxicity was leukopenia. WBC nadirs occurred between days 8 and 20 (median, 15). Three patients developed platelet nadirs below 100,000/microliters. Other toxicities included grade I nausea and vomiting in three patients and phlebitis at the site of drug infusion in six patients. Correlations were defined between pretreatment indocyanine green clearance and serum concentrations of alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin. There were no correlations between pretreatment serum concentrations of bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, indocyanine green clearance or antipyrine and menogaril clearances. Menogaril pharmacokinetics in patients with elevated liver function tests was indistinguishable from that described in patients with normal liver function tests. There were excellent correlations between plasma area under the curve of menogaril and the percentage decreases in WBC and neutrophils. These were well described by two models previously used to study the same relationships in patients with normal hepatic and renal function. When compared to previous studies, patients with hepatic and renal dysfunction had a greater percentage decrease in WBC for any given area under the curve than did patients with normal hepatic and renal function. On the other hand, there was no difference in the relationship between percentage decrease in neutrophils and menogaril area under the curve in these two groups of patients. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Development of 3-D ultrasound system for assessment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS): And system validation

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal disease and the prevalence of AIS is 2 to 4 % of the youngsters in the United States. Radiograph based Cobb's method is regarded as the gold standard. AIS patients normally have to undergo regular X-ray assessment every 4 to 6 months until skeletal maturity is reached. Because of radiation hazard, X-ray images cannot be taken frequently, and thus it is difficult to perform close monitoring for the disease progression and treatment outcomes. In this study, a free-hand 3D ultrasound imaging system has been successfully developed for the radiation-free assessment of AIS. A series of B-mode ultrasound images with their spatial information were exploited to form a spine model for measuring the spine curvature. Sixteen spine phantoms with different simulated deformity were scanned by both conventional X-ray imaging and the 3D ultrasound system. The results showed that there was a strong correlation (R2 = 0.759) between the Cobb's angles obtained by the two methods. The results also demonstrated a very good intra- and inter-observer reproducibility with ICC of 0.99 and 0.89, repectively. The findings suggest that it is feasible to use 3D ultrasound imaging for the assessment of scoliosis and deserves further clinical tests on patients with spine deformity.
The first reported case of Aerococcus bacteremia in a patient with HIV infection.

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Pre-assessment and Learning Recommendation Mechanism for a Multi-agent System

Diagnostic assessment is a vital and effective strategy in any teaching-learning process such that it provides a pre-learning assessment of the learners state of knowing with regard to a given knowledge concept. Current intelligent learning systems still do not integrate effective techniques for evaluating prior knowledge that can be used effectively to diagnose gaps that will inhibit future learning and for making recommendations for learning and tutoring to fill them. In this paper, we present a mechanism for pre-assessment of previous learning upon which the recommendation for a new or appropriate learning level is based. Our approach is based on message passing procedure between agents in a multi-agent system. We have tested the pre-assessment technique with a prototype based on the Jason Agent Speak language, and using learning materials from a structured query language (SQL) revision module.
Mammalian Bet3 functions as a cytosolic factor participating in transport from the ER to the Golgi apparatus

The TRAPP complex identified in yeast regulates vesicular transport in the early secretory pathway. Although some components of the TRAPP complex are structurally conserved in mammalian cells, the function of the mammalian components has not been examined. We describe our biochemical and functional analysis of mammalian Bet3, the most conserved component of the TRAPP complex. Bet3 mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues. Antibodies raised against recombinant Bet3 specifically recognize a protein of 22 kDa. In contrast to yeast Bet3p, the majority of Bet3 is present in the cytosol. To investigate the possible involvement of Bet3 in transport events in mammalian cells, we utilized a semi-intact cell system that reconstitutes the transport of the envelope glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-G) from the ER to the Golgi apparatus. In this system, antibodies against Bet3 inhibit transport in a dose-dependent manner, and cytosol that is immunodepleted of Bet3 is also defective in this transport. This defect can be rescued by supplementing the Bet3-depleted cytosol with recombinant GST-Bet3. We also show that Bet3 acts after COPII but before Rab1, α-SNAP and the EGTA-sensitive stage during ER-Golgi transport. Gel filtration analysis demonstrates that Bet3 exists in two distinct pools in the cytosol, the high-molecular-weight pool may represent the TRAPP complex, whereas the other probably represents the monomeric Bet3.
Childhood trauma, psychosis liability and social stress reactivity: a virtual reality study

Background Childhood trauma is associated with higher risk for mental disorders, including psychosis. Heightened sensitivity to social stress may be a mechanism. This virtual reality study tested the effect of childhood trauma on level of paranoid ideations and distress in response to social stress, in interaction with psychosis liability and level of social stress exposure. Method Seventy-five individuals with higher psychosis liability (55 with recent onset psychotic disorder and 20 at ultra-high risk for psychosis) and 95 individuals with lower psychosis liability (42 siblings and 53 controls) were exposed to a virtual café in five experiments with 0–3 social stressors (crowded, other ethnicity and hostility). Paranoid ideation was measured after each experiment. Subjective distress was self-rated before and after experiments. Multilevel random regression analyses were used to test main effects of childhood trauma and interaction effects. Results Childhood trauma was more prevalent in individuals with higher psychosis liability, and was associated with higher level of (subclinical) psychotic and affective symptoms. Individuals with a history of childhood trauma responded with more subjective distress to virtual social stress exposures. The effects of childhood trauma on paranoia and subjective distress were significantly stronger when the number of virtual environmental stressors increased. Higher psychosis liability increased the effect of childhood trauma on peak subjective distress and stress reactivity during experiments. Conclusions Childhood trauma is associated with heightened social stress sensitivity and may contribute to psychotic and affective dysregulation later in life, through a sensitized paranoid and stress response to social stressors.
The effects of motivation and computer usage policies and procedures on task performance

Self-regulation is the situation where an individual attempts to control or alter his/her behavior. Research in social psychology has demonstrated that the act of self-regulation during one task can lead to impaired performance on a subsequent, unrelated task, because individuals have limited cognitive resources. In situation where companies are trying to limit the effect of interruptions due to persistent conversation by establishing workplace policies and regulations, the employees’ performance might be thus adversely affected. This state of fatigue which results from the depletion of cognitive resources is termed ego depletion. The current study analyzes the effects of self-regulating behavior and motivation on task performance in a simulated organizational setting. Consistent with the findings in social psychological research, the results of this experiment support an adverse effect of self-regulating behavior on task performance. Although the directions of the means suggest a moderating role of motivation, no statistical support was found. However, ego-depleted participants in the high-motivation condition did not display weaker performance than participants in the nondepleted conditions. The implications of these results on organizational computer use policy and future research are discussed.
Rotating Strings in Massive Type IIA

Massive type IIA supergravity admits a warped AdS 6 × S 4 vacuum solution, which is expected to be dual to an N = 2, D = 5 super-conformal Yang-Mills theory. We study solutions for strings rotating or spinning in this background. The warp factor plays no essential role when the string spins in the AdS 6 , implying a commonality in the leading Regge trajectories between the D = 4 and D = 5 super-conformal field theories. The warp factor does, however, become important when the string rotates in the S 4 , in particular for long strings, which have the the relation E − 3 2 J = c 1 + c 2 /J 5 + · · ·, where the angular momentum J is large. This relation is qualitatively different from that for long strings in the AdS 5 × S 5 background. We also study Penrose limits of the AdS 6 × S 4 solution, one of which gives rise to a free massive string theory with time-dependent masses.
Cytokines in the Germinal Center Niche

Cytokines are small, secreted, glycoproteins that specifically affect the interactions and communications between cells. Cytokines are produced transiently and locally, acting in a paracrine or autocrine manner, and they are extremely potent, ligating high affinity cell surface receptors to elicit changes in gene expression and protein synthesis in the responding cell. Cytokines produced during the differentiation of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells and B cells within the germinal center (GC) niche play an important role in ensuring that the humoral immune response is robust, whilst retaining flexibility, during the generation of affinity matured antibodies. Cytokines produced by B cells, antigen presenting cells and stromal cells are important for the differentiation of Tfh cells and Tfh cell produced cytokines act both in an autocrine fashion to firm Tfh cell differentiation and in a paracrine fashion to support the differentiation of memory B cells and plasma cells. In this review, we discuss the role of cytokines during the GC reaction with a particular focus on the influence of cytokines on Tfh cells.
Activity of a novel dual thromboxane A(2)receptor antagonist and thromboxane synthase inhibitor (BM-573) on platelet function and isolated smooth muscles.

The pharmacomodulation of sulfonylureas structurally related to torasemide and characterized by a TXA(2)antagonism led to the synthesis of BM-573. This original molecule showed a high affinity (IC(50)1.3 nM) for the TXA(2)receptor of human platelets in comparison with both reference compounds, SQ-29548 (IC(50)21 nM) and sulotroban (IC(50)930 nM). Moreover, this torasemide derivative was found to be a potent inhibitor of human platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid (ED(100)=0.13 microM) or by U-46619 (ED(50)=0.24 microM), a TXA(2)agonist. BM-573 relaxed the isolated rat thoracic aorta (ED(50)=28.4 nM) and guinea-pig trachea (ED(50)=17.7 nM) contracted by U-46619. BM-573 (1 microM) completely reduced the platelet production of TXB(2)induced by arachidonic acid. Finally, BM-573 (30 mg/kg, per os) lost the diuretic properties of torasemide in rats.
A stochastically verifiable autonomous control architecture with reasoning

A new agent architecture called Limited Instruction Set Agent (LISA) is introduced for autonomous control. The new architecture is based on previous implementations of AgentSpeak and it is structurally simpler than its predecessors with the aim of facilitating design-time and run-time verification methods. The process of abstracting the LISA system to two different types of discrete probabilistic models (DTMC and MDP) is investigated and illustrated. The LISA system provides a tool for complete modelling of the agent and the environment for probabilistic verification. The agent program can be automatically compiled into a Discrete-Time Markov Chain (DTMC) or a Markov Decision Process (MDP) model for verification with PRISM. The automatically generated PRISM model can be used for both design-time and run-time verification. The run-time verification is investigated and illustrated in the LISA system as an internal modelling mechanism for prediction of future outcomes.
When Early Experiences Build a Wall to Others’ Emotions: An Electrophysiological and Autonomic Study

Facial expression of emotions is a powerful vehicle for communicating information about others’ emotional states and it normally induces facial mimicry in the observers. The aim of this study was to investigate if early aversive experiences could interfere with emotion recognition, facial mimicry, and with the autonomic regulation of social behaviors. We conducted a facial emotion recognition task in a group of “street-boys” and in an age-matched control group. We recorded facial electromyography (EMG), a marker of facial mimicry, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of the recruitment of autonomic system promoting social behaviors and predisposition, in response to the observation of facial expressions of emotions. Results showed an over-attribution of anger, and reduced EMG responses during the observation of both positive and negative expressions only among street-boys. Street-boys also showed lower RSA after observation of facial expressions and ineffective RSA suppression during presentation of non-threatening expressions. Our findings suggest that early aversive experiences alter not only emotion recognition but also facial mimicry of emotions. These deficits affect the autonomic regulation of social behaviors inducing lower social predisposition after the visualization of facial expressions and an ineffective recruitment of defensive behavior in response to non-threatening expressions.
Network troubleshooting with SDN-RADAR

Despite increasing deployment of software-defined networks (SDN), little is yet known about how to actually manage such kind of networks. When service degradation (generically termed here “trouble”) happens, the first step is to localise under-performing network paths (“troubleshooting”). SDN-RADAR gives a novel approach to ease large network troubleshooting by leveraging SDN features and incorporating distributed monitoring of network traffic. The demo shows how the SDN-RADAR tool can help network administrators understand which is the most likely faulty network link.
Deep Habits

This paper generalizes the standard habit formation model to an environment in which agents form habits over individual varieties of goods as opposed to over a composite consumption good. We refer to this preference specification as 'deep habit formation'. Under deep habits, the demand function faced by individual producers depends on past sales. This feature is typically assumed ad-hoc in customer market and brand switching cost models. A central result of the paper is that deep habits give rise to countercyclical markups, which is in line with the empirical evidence. This result is important because ad-hoc formulations of customer-market and switching-cost models have been criticized for implying procyclical and hence counterfactual markup movements. The paper also provides econometric estimates of the parameters pertaining to the deep habit model.
Influence of annealing temperature on the lamellar and connecting bridge structure of stretched polypropylene microporous membrane

The influence of annealing temperature on the lamellar and connecting bridge structure of stretched polypropylene microporous membrane was investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering, temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that with increasing annealing temperature from 105 to 145 degrees C, the main lamella melting peak combines with that from connecting bridges and a uniform pore arrangement is obtained in the microporous membrane. The annealed lamella thickness is increased and lamellar structure is improved, due to the occurrence of melting and recrystallization during annealing. At the same time, more secondary crystals are formed. The melting and recrystallization and secondary crystals contribute to the appearance of an annealing peak in the differential scanning calorimetry curve of annealed film. During the following cold and hot stretching, the secondary crystals disappear and convert to initial connecting bridges. The improved lamellar structure can support the scaffold of pore structure, resulting in a uniform connecting bridge arrangement. But further increasing the temperature to 150 degrees C degrades the initial lamellar structure, leading to a decrease of pore arrangement in the stretched microporous membrane. Annealing leads to the difference of lamellar structure: the initial lamellar structure is improved and some weak secondary crystals are formed in the amorphous region. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Congenital malformations in infants born after in vitro fertilization in Sweden.

BACKGROUND The risk for congenital malformations is increased in infants born after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Some specific malformations appear to be more affected than others. METHODS The presence of congenital malformations in 15,570 infants born after IVF with an embryo transfer between April 1, 2001, and the end of 2006 were compared with all infants born in Sweden during 2001 to 2007 (n = 689,157). Risk estimates were made after adjusting for year of birth, maternal age, parity, smoking, and body mass index. The risks of specific malformations were compared with data from a previous study (1982 to March 31, 2001) of 16,280 infants born after IVF. Different IVF methods were compared to respect to malformation risk. RESULTS Increased risks of a similar magnitude were found for most cardiovascular malformations and limb reduction defects for both study periods. For neural tube defects, cardiac septal defects, and esophageal atresia, there was still an increased risk, but it was lower during the second than during the first period. For small bowel atresia, anal atresia, and hypospadias, the risk increase observed during the first study period had disappeared during the second period. An increased risk was seen for some syndromes that have been associated with imprinting errors. No difference in malformation risk according to IVF method was apparent. CONCLUSIONS A slightly increased risk for congenital malformations after IVF persists. A decreasing risk is seen for some specific malformations, either true or the result of multiple testing.