Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Awareness and practice of breast self-examination among Korean women: results from a nationwide survey.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify the current status of the awareness and practice of breast self-examination (BSE) among Korean women. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study population was derived from the 2007 Korea National Cancer Screening Survey (KNCSS), an annual cross-sectional survey that uses a nationally representative random sample to investigate cancer-screening rates and related factors. A total of 1,255 Korean women aged ≥ 30 years participated in this study. RESULTS Of all participants, 88.0% reported that they had heard of BSE. The most common source of information on BSE was the media such as TV, radio and newspapers (87.0%). Recommendations from medical staff reached only 17.2%. The overall proportions of regular and irregular BSE were 13.2% and 16.1%, respectively. The main reason for not performing BSE was lack of knowledge about how to conduct the exam (31.7%). CONCLUSION Despite a high level of awareness about BSE, only a small minority of women examine their breasts regularly in Korea.
Gamma Knife surgery for large cerebral arteriovenous malformations.

OBJECT Treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is problematic due to many factors, including lesion size, lesion location, unacceptable complications, and negative outcomes. To overcome the limitation imposed by a large nidus volume, neurosurgeons have used Gamma Knife surgery (GKS) in a variety of ways, including combined with other treatment modalities, as volume-staged radiosurgery, and as repeat radiosurgery. We performed repeat radiosurgeries in patients who harbored large AVMs (> 30 cm(3)) and analyzed the AVM obliteration rates and complications. METHODS The authors reviewed the cases of 44 patients at a single institution who underwent GKS between 1992 and 2007 for treatment of an AVM whose nidus was 30 cm(3) or larger. The mean age of the patients was 27 years (range 4.5-62.3 years), and the median duration of follow-up was 109.4 months (range 27-202 months). The mean AVM nidus volume was 48.8 cm(3) (range 30.3-109.5 cm(3)), and the mean radiation dose delivered to the margin of the nidus was 13.9 Gy (range 8.4-17.5 Gy). The authors determined complete AVM nidus obliteration based on findings on both MR images and digital subtraction angiograms. When they did not detect complete obliteration after GKS, they performed 1 or more additional GKSs separated by a minimum interval of 3 years. RESULTS The overall obliteration rate following repeat GKS was 34.1%, and the estimated obliteration rate at 120 months was 41.8%. Three patients (6.8%) experienced hemorrhages after GKS, and 2 patients (4.5%) developed cysts. One patient (2.3%) experienced a newly developed seizure following GKS, and another patient (2.3%) was found to have radiation necrosis. CONCLUSIONS Even though complete obliteration of the large AVMs after repeat GKS took a long time, the complication rate was quite acceptable. In addition, the estimated obliteration rate at long-term follow-up was respectable. Repeat GKS should be considered as a primary treatment option for symptomatic large AVMs to overcome the limitation imposed on successful obliteration by the large volume of the nidus.
MRAS observer for sensorless control of standalone doubly fed induction generators

This paper presents an analysis of a model reference adaptive system (MRAS) observer for the sensorless control of a standalone doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). The analysis allows the formal design of the MRAS observer of given dynamics and further allows the prediction of rotor position estimation errors under parameter mismatch. The MRAS observer analysis is experimentally implemented for the vector control of a standalone DFIG feeding a load at constant voltage and frequency. Experimental results, including speed catching of an already spinning machine, are presented and extensively discussed. Although the method is validated for a standalone generator, the proposed MRAS observer can be extended to other applications of the doubly fed induction machine.
Dopamine and Huntington’s disease

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an incurable, inherited, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is defined by a combination of motor, cognitive and psychiatric features. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated an important role for the dopamine (DA) system in HD with dopaminergic dysfunction at the level of both DA release and DA receptors. It is, therefore, not surprising that the drug treatments most commonly used in HD are anti-dopaminergic agents. Their use is based primarily on the belief that the characteristic motor impairments are a result of overactivation of the central dopaminergic pathways. While this is a useful starting place, it is clear that the behavior of the central dopaminergic pathways is not fully understood in this condition and may change as a function of disease stage. In addition, how abnormalities in dopaminergic systems may underlie some of the non-motor features of HD has also been poorly investigated and this is especially important given the greater burden these place on the patients’ and families’ quality of life. In this review, we discuss what is known about central dopaminergic pathways in HD and how this informs us about the mechanisms of action of the dopaminergic therapies used to treat it. By doing so, we will highlight some of the paradoxes that exist and how solving them may reveal new insights for improved treatment of this currently incurable condition, including the possibility that such drugs may even have effects on disease progression and pathogenesis.
Quantification of DNA damage by PFGE: development of an analytical approach to correct for the background distribution.

PURPOSE To analyse the currently existing methods to infer the extent of cellular DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation when the pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) technique is used. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS PFGE is currently the method of choice for the measurement of radiation-induced double-strand breaks (dsb). For accurate determination of both the yields and distributions of breaks, separation of a large range of fragment sizes is required. In the conventional analysis of PFGE experiments, the background distribution of fractionated molecules is, normally, simply subtracted from the irradiated measured distribution, for each molecular weight region available. This work shows that this approach may lead to incorrect estimation of the breakage frequencies. An alternative approach based on correcting the fitting functions for the actual nonrandom damage present in the control unirradiated samples has been developed.
Mechanisms of GABA release from human astrocytes

We have previously demonstrated that human astrocytes are GABAergic cells. Throughout the adult human brain, they express the GABA synthesizing enzyme GAD 67, the GABA metabolizing enzyme GABA‐T, and the GABAA and GABAB receptors. GABA modulates the actions of microglia, indicating an important role for astrocytes beyond that of influencing neurotransmitter function. Here we report on the mechanisms by which astrocytes release GABA. Astrocytes were found to express the mRNA and protein for multiple GABA transporters, and multiple receptors for glutamate, GABA, and glycine. In culture, untreated human astrocytes maintained an intracellular GABA level of 2.32 mM. They exported GABA into the culture medium so that an intracellular‐extracellular gradient of 3.64 fold was reached. Inhibitors of the GABA transporters GAT1, GAT2, and GAT3, significantly reduced this export in a Ca2+‐independent fashion. Intracellular GABA levels were enhanced by treatment with the GABA‐T inhibitors gabaculine or vigabatrin. Treatment with glutamate increased GABA release in a concentration‐dependent fashion. This was partially inhibited by blockers of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate and kainate receptors. Conversely, glycine and D‐serine, co‐agonists of NMDA receptors, enhanced the GABA release. GABA release was accompanied by an increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and was reduced by adding the Ca2+ chelator, BAPTA‐AM to the medium. These data indicate that astrocytes continuously synthesize GABA and that there are multiple mechanisms which can mediate its release. Each of these may play a role in the physiological functioning of astrocytes. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Passive Permeability and P-Glycoprotein-Mediated Efflux Differentiate Central Nervous System (CNS) and Non-CNS Marketed Drugs

Membrane permeability and P-glycoprotein (Pgp) can be limiting factors for blood-brain barrier penetration. The objectives of this study were to determine whether there are differences in the in vitro permeability, Pgp substrate profiles, and physicochemical properties of drugs for central nervous system (CNS) and non-CNS indications, and whether these differences are useful criteria in selecting compounds for drug development. Apparent permeability (P app) and Pgp substrate profiles for 93 CNS (n = 48) and non-CNS (n = 45) drugs were determined by monolayer efflux. Calcein-AM inhibition assays were used to supplement the efflux results. The CNS set (2 of 48, 4.2%) had a 7-fold lower incidence of passive permeability values <150 nm/s compared with the non-CNS set (13 of 45, 28.9%). The majority of drugs (72.0%, 67 of 93) were not Pgp substrates; however, 49.5% (46 of 93) were positive in the calcein-AM assay when tested at 100 μM. The CNS drug set (n = 7 of 48, 14.6%) had a 3-fold lower incidence of Pgp-mediated efflux than the non-CNS drug set (n = 19 of 45, 42.2%). Analysis of 18 physicochemical properties revealed that the CNS drug set had fewer hydrogen bond donors, fewer positive charges, greater lipophilicity, lower polar surface area, and reduced flexibility compared with the non-CNS group (p < 0.05), properties that enhance membrane permeability. This study on a large, diverse set of marketed compounds clearly demonstrates that permeability, Pgp-mediated efflux, and certain physicochemical properties are factors that differentiate CNS and non-CNS drugs. For CNS delivery, a drug should ideally have an in vitro passive permeability >150 nm/s and not be a good (B → A/A → B ratio <2.5) Pgp substrate.
New insights into mechanisms of nuclear translocation of G-protein coupled receptors

ABSTRACT The G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling was long believed to involve activation of receptor exclusively at the cell surface, followed by its binding to heterotrimeric G-proteins and arrestins to trigger various intracellular signaling cascades, and termination of signaling by internalization of the receptor. It is now accepted that many GPCRs continue to signal after internalization in the endosomes. Since the breakthrough discoveries of nuclear binding sites for their ligands in 1980s, several GPCRs have been detected at cell nuclei. But mechanisms of nuclear localization of GPCRs, many of whom contain putative nuclear localization signals, remain poorly understood to date. Nevertheless, it is known that subcellular trafficking of GPCRs is regulated by members of Ras superfamily of small GTPases, most notably by Rab and Arf GTPases. In this commentary, we highlight several recent studies which suggest novel roles of small GTPases, importins and sorting nexin proteins in the nuclear translocation of GPCRs via vesicular transport pathways. Taken together with increasing evidence for in vivo functionality of the nuclear GPCRs, better understanding of their trafficking will provide valuable clues in cell biology.
THE IMPACT OF FISCAL POLICY ON ECONOMIC GROWTH: EMPIRICAL EVIDENC FROM PANEL ESTIMATION

The analysis of the correlation between budgetary revenues and economic growth through fiscal policy represents an important debated topic in the theoretical and empirical literature. This paper investigates the effect of the relationship between fiscal variables and economic growth in MENA countries using a Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) method as a dynamic panel data analysis over the 1980-2007 periods. The dynamic Panel Data result especially GMM-Sys establishes a long run relationship between fiscal policy and economic growth, the correlation pattern between the per-capita gross domestics and the categories of budgetary revenues reveals a link of positive causality between the economic growth and fiscal revenues. Furthermore, the effects of taxation are difficult to isolate empirically.
Impact of Imperfect Source-to-Relay CSI in Amplify-and-Forward Relay Networks

Cooperative communication assisted by relays is regarded as an effective means of achieving spatial diversity. The achievable diversity gain relies on the channel-state information (CSI) that can be acquired at the destination because spatial diversity combining unavoidably requires the disintegrated channel information. To reduce signaling overhead, quantization and compression are applied prior to the delivery of the source-to-relay (SR) CSI to the destination. This paper studies an amplify-and-forward relay network while considering the impact of the quantization of the SR CSI. Several quantization methods relying on the statistics of the SR CSI are investigated. The probability density functions of upper and lower bounds on the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the corresponding symbol-error rate (SER) achieved at the destination are derived analytically. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to compare the simulation results with the analytical results of the SER bounds and to verify the effectiveness of the proposed channel quantizer. A combined method of determining the quantization interval based on equal-probability partitioning and determining the representative quanta based on the minimum-mean-square-error criterion is proposed and is verified to have the lowest quantization error among the noniterative quantization methods compared here. It is shown via the simulations that when using an iterative procedure based on the Lloyd–Max procedure, three bits per dimension are sufficient to achieve negligible SNR degradation.
Relationships Between Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Human Respiratory Epithelium

The interaction was studied between Mycoplasma pneumoniae and its natural host cell, the human respiratory epithelium. Organized, ciliated cells provided by fetal trachea in organ culture enabled examination of the host-parasite relationship by light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy. Impairment of cellular function was reflected by disorganization and loss of ciliary motion; this was associated with a sequence of cytopathological changes denoting progressive cell injury. The organisms were found concentrated on the luminal surface of ciliated epithelium and cells lining the submucosal glands. A differentiated portion of the Mycoplasma, consisting of an extension of the unit membrane containing an electron-dense core surrounded by a lucent space, served as the means of attachment to host cells. The findings suggest that the pathogenicity of M. pneumoniae depends upon intimate extracellular infection with production of functional and structural changes initiated by host cell membrane injury.
Timing of the HIV-1 subtype C epidemic in Ethiopia based on early virus strains and subsequent virus diversification

Objective To trace the introduction of HIV-1 subtype C into Ethiopia based on virus diversification during the epidemic. Design A set of 474 serum samples obtained in Ethiopia in 1982–1985 was tested for HIV-1. HIV-1 env gp120 V3 and gag or pol regions were sequenced and analysed together with sequences from later stages of the epidemic. Results None of 98 samples from 1982–1983, one of 193 samples from 1984, and one of 183 samples from 1985 were HIV-1 positive. Phylogenetic analysis of virus sequences from positive samples revealed that they belong to the Ethiopian C, and not the C′, cluster. Analysis of 81 Ethiopian C V3 sequences from 1984–1997 revealed that the consensus sequence of the Ethiopian epidemic has been stable over time. Both the 1984 and 1985 V3 sequences, in contrast with three out of 27 (11%) of the 1988 and none out of 51 of the 1992–1997 sequences, had no synonymous substitutions compared to the reconstructed common ancestor of the Ethiopian C viruses. A highly significant correlation between sampling years of the V3 sequences and their synonymous distances to the common ancestor was demonstrated. Conclusions The increasing genetic heterogeneity together with stable consensus sequence of the Ethiopian HIV-1 C population demonstrates that evolution of the virus population is characterized by an unbiased expansion around a stationary consensus. Based on the rate of synonymous diversification of HIV-1 strains within the Ethiopian population, we were able to estimate 1983 (95% confidence interval, 1980–1984) as the year of HIV-1 C introduction into Ethiopia.
Mobile data traffic forecasting in UMTS networks based on SARIMA model: The case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

In planning, operating and developing mobile data networks, one crucial factor is the telecommunication demand that includes number of subscribers and their required service data rates. This demand should be predicted accurately to capture the subscribers' needs to create customer satisfaction. In the Ethiopian context, Ethio Telecom is the sole telecom service provider with over 50 million subscribers for now and is expanding its networks to reach over 100 million subscribers in the next few years. The mobile traffic forecasting approach used in Ethio Telecom, to the best of our knowledge, does not fully consider the data demand already recorded in its core network. This paper presents Seasonal Auto-Regression Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) model as an alternative way of forecasting Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) data traffic taking the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as a case study. The approach in this paper involves first investigating the past UMTS data traffic load collected from the operator's core network to find an appropriate model that describes the inherent characteristics of the data traffic and secondly, use the model for future prediction. Based on our findings, from the possible candidates SARIMA (2, 0, 1) × (0, 1, 1)7 is selected to be the best model with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 1.17% for 30 days forecast. In addition, the prediction performance comparison of SARIMA (2, 0, 1) × (0, 1, 1)7with respect to SARIMA (2, 0, 1) × (0, 1, 2)7 was done resulting in 4.1% of MAPE improvement. These findings will be useful for planning subsequent infrastructure expansions in a way that guarantees better customer satisfaction.
Natural evaporation from open water, bare soil and grass

Two theoretical approaches to evaporation from saturated surfaces are outlined, the first being on an aerodynamic basis in which evaporation is regarded as due to turbulent transport of vapour by a process of eddy diffusion, and the second being on an energy basis in which evaporation is regarded as one of the ways of degrading incoming radiation. Neither approach is new, but a combination is suggested that eliminates the parameter measured with most difficulty—surface temperature—and provides for the first time an opportunity to make theoretical estimates of evaporation rates from standard meteorological data, estimates that can be retrospective. Experimental work to test these theories shows that the aerodynamic approach is not adequate and an empirical expression, previously obtained in America, is a better description of evaporation from open water. The energy balance is found to be quite successful. Evaporation rates from wet bare soil and from turf with an adequate supply of water are obtained as fractions of that from open water, the fraction for turf showing a seasonal change attributed to the annual cycle of length of daylight. Finally, the experimental results are applied to data published elsewhere and it is shown that a satisfactory account can be given of open water evaporation at four widely spaced sites in America and Europe, the results for bare soil receive a reasonable check in India, and application of the results for turf shows good agreement with estimates of evaporation from catchment areas in the British Isles.
Running-based Anaerobic Sprint Test as a Procedure to Evaluate Anaerobic Power

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the running anaerobic sprint test (RAST) as a predictor of anaerobic capacity, compare it to the maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) and to compare the RAST’s parameters with the parameters of 30-s all-out tethered running on a treadmill. 39 (17.0±1.4 years) soccer players participated in this study. The participants underwent an incremental test, 10 submaximal efforts [50–95% of velocity correspondent to VO2MAX (vVO2MAX)] and one supramaximal effort at 110% of vVO2MAX for the determination of MAOD. Furthermore, the athletes performed the RAST. In the second stage the 30-s all-out tethered running was performed on a treadmill (30-s all-out), and compared with RAST. No significant correlation was observed between MAOD and RAST parameters. However, significant correlations were found between the power of the fifth effort (P5) of RAST with peak and mean power of 30-s all-out (r=0.73 and 0.50; p<0.05, respectively). In conclusion, the parameters from RAST do not have an association with MAOD, suggesting that this method should not be used to evaluate anaerobic capacity. Although the correlations between RAST parameters with 30-s all-out do reinforce the RAST as an evaluation method of anaerobic metabolism, such as anaerobic power.
Calcium‐mobilizing purine receptors on the surface of mammalian articular chondrocytes

If we are to fully understand mechanisms of cartilage homeostasis, it is essential that we know the full catalogue of receptors present on the surface of a chondrocyte and the pathways regulated by ligands that bind to these receptors. In this study, we describe chondrocyte responses to adenosine 5′‐triphosphate and related molecules. Adenosine 5′‐triphosphate stimulated a statistically significant, dose‐dependent, transient rise in the concentration of calcium ions in Fura 2‐loaded, differentiated, primary chondrocytes. The increase occurred in the absence of extracellular calcium, indicating a mobilization from intracellular stores. The increase in concentration of cytoplasmic calcium ions induced by adenosine 5′‐triphosphate was mimicked by uridine 5′‐triphosphate but not by 2‐methylthioadenosine 5′‐triphosphate. Cytidine 5′‐triphosphate, or adenosine. Heteralogous desensitization experiments demonstrated that chondrocytes showed no subsequent response to uridirie 5′‐triphosphate after initial stimulation with adenosine 5′‐triphosphate nor did they respond to adenosine 5′triphosphate in inverse conditions, thereby indicating competition for the same receptor site. Together, these results are consistent with the presence of a P2U: receptor on the cell surface of chondrocytes. Purine‐induced calcium mobilization in passaged chondrocytes showed the same pharmacological profile with respect to aganist sensitivity, but responses were of greater magnitude than responses in primary differentiated chondrocytes, suggesting upregulation of the receptor with time in culture. Adenosine 5′‐triphosphate and uridine 5′‐triphosphate (1‐100 μM) did not alter cartilage matrix synthesis as measured by rate of incorporation of [35S]sulfate into glycosaminoglycan by cartilage explants or primary chondrocytes. Matrix degradation, measured by release of glycosaminoglycan from cartilage explants, was also unaltered by adenosine 5′‐triphosphate or uridine 5′‐triphosphate (1‐100 μM). Production of prostaglandin E2 was upregulated by incubation with either adenosine 5′‐triphosphate or uridine 5′‐triphosphate. These data demonstrate the presence of a functional P2U,‐like purine receptor on the surface of primary articular chondrocytes and support the hypothesis that altered concentrations of extracellular purines may influence chondrocyte metabolism.