Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lung adjuvant cisplatin evaluation: a pooled analysis by the LACE Collaborative Group.

PURPOSE Several recent trials have shown a significant overall survival (OS) benefit from postoperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of the Lung Adjuvant Cisplatin Evaluation was to identify treatment options associated with a higher benefit or groups of patients who particularly benefit from postoperative chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Individual patient data were collected and pooled from the five largest trials (4,584 patients) of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in completely resected patients that were conducted after the 1995 NSCLC meta-analysis. The interactions between patient subgroups or treatment types and chemotherapy effect on OS were analyzed using hazard ratios (HRs) and log-rank tests stratified by trial. RESULTS With a median follow-up time of 5.2 years, the overall HR of death was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.82 to 0.96; P = .005), corresponding to a 5-year absolute benefit of 5.4% from chemotherapy. There was no heterogeneity of chemotherapy effect among trials. The benefit varied with stage (test for trend, P = .04; HR for stage IA = 1.40; 95% CI, 0.95 to 2.06; HR for stage IB = 0.93; 95% CI, 0.78 to 1.10; HR for stage II = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; and HR for stage III = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.94). The effect of chemotherapy did not vary significantly (test for interaction, P = .11) with the associated drugs, including vinorelbine (HR = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.91), etoposide or vinca alkaloid (HR = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.07), or other (HR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.13). Chemotherapy effect was higher in patients with better performance status. There was no interaction between chemotherapy effect and sex, age, histology, type of surgery, planned radiotherapy, or planned total dose of cisplatin. CONCLUSION Postoperative cisplatin-based chemotherapy significantly improves survival in patients with NSCLC.
In Vitro Effects of Certain Membrane-acting Agents on Superoxide and Hydrogen Peroxide Production, Protein Synthesis and Membrane ATPase Activity in Buffalo PMN Cells

Polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells play a key role in innate immunity, due to their ability to produce reactive oxidants such as superoxide (O2–) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and to release antimicrobial proteins and peptides stored in their lysosomal granules. In the present study, the effects of the activation of buffalo PMN cells with various membrane-acting agents were evaluated in terms of O2– and H2O2 production, the activities of membrane ATPases, and protein synthesis. Studies involving the incorporation of 35S-methionine revealed significant protein-synthesising ability in resting PMN cells and in cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as well as with opsonised zymosan (OZ). Protein synthesis, as judged by fluorography of the cytosolic fraction, showed more than 12 bands, whilst the cytoskeletal fraction showed 2–3 bands. PMN activation with concanavalin A (ConA), digitonin and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) resulted in increased O2– and H2O2 production. However, in the presence of anti-inflammatory agents such as indomethacin and cortisol, the production of O2– and H2O2 by these cells was found to decline. Studies pertaining to membrane ATPases revealed that verapamil hydrochloride (VpHCl) significantly increased total ATPase and Na+K+ATPase activity. ConA treatment yielded only a moderate level of activity. Similarly, digitonin up to 24μM also caused a significant increase in ATPase activity. Our observations indicate that these membrane-acting agents influenced oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent microbicidal mechanisms in buffalo PMN cells.
Cascaded-Ring Optical Sensor With Enhanced Sensitivity by Using Suspended Si-Nanowires

A cascaded-ring optical sensor with Vernier effect is demonstrated experimentally by using Si nanowires. The Vernier effect helps to obtain ultrahigh sensitivity. In order to enhance the sensitivity further, a suspended Si nanowire is used for the sensing ring by removing the SiO<sub>2</sub> insulator underneath with a wet-etching process. The measurement result shows that the sensitivity Δλ/Δn<sub>a</sub> of the demonstrated cascaded-ring optical sensor is up to 4.6×10<sup>5</sup> nm/RIU experimentally. The detection limit for the index change is about 4.8×10<sup>-6</sup>.
Preparation, Optimization, Characterization, and Stability Studies of Salicylic Acid Liposomes

Abstract Salicylic acid has been used widely in the treatment of dry skin conditions and also helps reduce acne symptoms. However, it suffers from the disadvantages of being a mild to strong irritant. Hence, its control can be achieved through encapsulation in liposomes. Liposomes were prepared by the conventional thin film hydration technique as described by Bangham et al. (J. Mol. Biol., 1965). The prepared liposomal dispersions were then characterized for entrapment efficiency, particle size by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), phase transition studies by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and lamellarity by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The results showed the formation of bilayered liposomes in the particle size range of 0.2–0.8276 µm with a maximum entrapment efficiency of 42.6%. The liposomes stored at 4–5°C demonstrated maximum stability as compared to those stored at any other temperature.
Risk factors for damage in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: cumulative disease activity and medication use predict disease damage.

OBJECTIVE The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index measures damage in adult patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but its usefulness in patients with childhood-onset SLE has not been examined. This study was conducted to evaluate the sensibility of the SLICC/ACR Damage Index, to investigate how cumulative disease activity is related to damage in childhood-onset SLE, and to identify other risk factors for damage in childhood-onset SLE. METHODS Disease activity and damage in 66 patients with newly diagnosed childhood-onset SLE were assessed retrospectively, and information on potential risk factors for damage (age, race, sex, medications, duration of disease, hypertension, body mass index, antiphospholipid antibodies, kidney disease, acute thrombocytopenia) was obtained. In addition, a group of physicians was surveyed to establish the sensibility of the SLICC/ACR Damage Index in childhood-onset SLE. RESULTS The SLICC/ACR Damage Index was found to have face, content, and construct validity when used in children. The mean SLICC/ACR Damage Index score of the patients was 1.76 (mean followup 3.3 years). Cumulative disease activity over time was the single best predictor of damage (R(2) = 0.30). Other, possibly important risk factors for damage were corticosteroid treatment, the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, and acute thrombocytopenia. It was determined that immunosuppressive agents may be protective. CONCLUSION The SLICC/ACR Damage Index, though useful in childhood-onset SLE, may benefit from the introduction of weightings and redefinition of some of the items. Ongoing disease activity leads to disease damage, and treatment should be prompt. Prolonged use of high-dose corticosteroids may further increase damage, but use of immunosuppressive agents may protect against disease damage; this latter finding may have potential implications for the treatment of childhood-onset SLE and deserves further study. The relationship between disease activity and concomitant use of medication also requires further investigation.
Projection Methods for the Analysis of Complex Motions in Macromolecules

Abstract In studies of macromolecular dynamics it is often desirable to analyze complex motions in terms of a small number of coordinates. Only for simple types of motion, e.g., rigid-body motions, these coordinates can be easily constructed from the Cartesian atomic coordinates. This article presents an approach that is applicable to infinitesimal or approximately infinitesimal motions, e.g., Cartesian velocities, normal modes, or atomic fluctuations. The basic idea is to characterize the subspace of interesting motions by a set of (possibly linearly dependent) vectors describing elementary displacements, and then project the dynamics onto this subspace. Often the elementary displacements can be found by physical intuition. The restriction to small displacements facilitates the study of complicated coupled motions and permits the construction of collective-motion subspaces that do not correspond to any set of generalized coordinates. As an example for this technique, we analyze the low-frequency normal modes of proteins up to ≈ 20 THz (600 cm−1) in order to see what kinds of motions occupy which frequency range. This kind of analysis is useful for the interpretation of spectroscopic measurements on proteins, e.g., inelastic neutron scattering experiments.
Churg-Strauss syndrome

In England and Wales the power to detain individuals with tuberculosis who pose a threat to public health lies principally in sections 37 and 38 of the Public Health Act 1984.1 Section 37 authorises a local authority officer to remove an individual to a suitable hospital and section 38 authorises the “detention for a period specified in the order”. By way of the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988, in addition to the five notifiable diseases (cholera, plague, relapsing fever, smallpox, typhus), these sections currently apply to tuberculosis of the respiratory tract in an infectious state (although the term “infectious” is not defined by law). Because central records are not kept, it has been unclear how many individuals are detained each year under legislation.2 No research …
Blunt Force Trauma in Veterinary Forensic Pathology

Veterinary pathologists commonly encounter lesions of blunt trauma. The development of lesions is affected by the object’s mass, velocity, size, shape, and angle of impact and by the plasticity and mobility of the impacted organ. Scrape, impact, and pattern abrasions cause localized epidermal loss and sometimes broken hairs and implanted foreign material. Contusions are best identified after reflecting the skin, and must be differentiated from coagulopathies and livor mortis. Lacerations—traumatic tissue tears—may have irregular margins, bridging by more resilient tissue, deviation of the wound tail, crushed hairs, and unilateral abrasion. Hanging or choking can cause circumferential cervical abrasions, contusions and rupture of hairs, hyoid bone fractures, and congestion of the head. Other special forms of blunt trauma include fractured nails, pressure sores, and dog bites. Ocular blunt trauma causes extraocular and intraocular hemorrhages, proptosis, or retinal detachment. The thoracic viscera are relatively protected from blunt trauma but may develop hemorrhages in intercostal muscles, rib fractures, pulmonary or cardiac contusions or lacerations with subsequent hemothorax, pneumothorax, or cardiac arrhythmia. The abdominal wall is resilient and moveable, yet the liver and spleen are susceptible to traumatic laceration or rupture. Whereas extravasation of blood can occur after death, evidence of vital injury includes leukocyte infiltration, erythrophagocytosis, hemosiderin, reparative lesions of fibroblast proliferation, myocyte regeneration in muscle, and callus formation in bone. Understanding these processes aids in the diagnosis of blunt force trauma including estimation of the age of resulting injuries.
[Aging and old age].

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An efficient system for high‐level expression and easy purification of authentic recombinant proteins

Expression of recombinant proteins as fusions to the eukaryotic protein ubiquitin has been found to significantly increase the yield of unstable or poorly expressed proteins. The benefit of this technique is further enhanced by the availability of naturally occurring deubiquitylating enzymes, which remove ubiquitin from the fusion product. However, the versatility of the system has been constrained due to the lack of a robust, easily purified deubiquitylating enzyme. Here we report the development of an efficient expression system, utilizing the ubiquitin fusion technique, which allows convenient high yield and easy purification of authentic protein. An Escherichia coli vector (pHUE) was constructed for the expression of proteins as histidine‐tagged ubiquitin fusions, and a histidine‐tagged deubiquitylating enzyme to cleave these fusions was expressed and purified. The expression system was tested using several proteins varying in size and complexity. These results indicate that this procedure will be suitable for the expression and rapid purification of a broad range of proteins and peptides, and should be amenable to high‐throughput applications.
Design of an mHealth App for the Self-management of Adolescent Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study

Background The use of mHealth apps has shown improved health outcomes in adult populations with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, this has not been shown in the adolescent type 1 population, despite their predisposition to the use of technology. We hypothesized that a more tailored approach and a strong adherence mechanism is needed for this group. Objective To design, develop, and pilot an mHealth intervention for the management of type 1 diabetes in adolescents. Methods We interviewed adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their family caregivers. Design principles were derived from a thematic analysis of the interviews. User-centered design was then used to develop the mobile app bant. In the 12-week evaluation phase, a pilot group of 20 adolescents aged 12–16 years, with a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of between 8% and 10% was sampled. Each participant was supplied with the bant app running on an iPhone or iPod Touch and a LifeScan glucometer with a Bluetooth adapter for automated transfers to the app. The outcome measure was the average daily frequency of blood glucose measurement during the pilot compared with the preceding 12 weeks. Results Thematic analysis findings were the role of data collecting rather than decision making; the need for fast, discrete transactions; overcoming decision inertia; and the need for ad hoc information sharing. Design aspects of the resultant app emerged through the user-centered design process, including simple, automated transfer of glucometer readings; the use of a social community; and the concept of gamification, whereby routine behaviors and actions are rewarded in the form of iTunes music and apps. Blood glucose trend analysis was provided with immediate prompting of the participant to suggest both the cause and remedy of the adverse trend. The pilot evaluation showed that the daily average frequency of blood glucose measurement increased 50% (from 2.4 to 3.6 per day, P = .006, n = 12). A total of 161 rewards (average of 8 rewards each) were distributed to participants. Satisfaction was high, with 88% (14/16 participants) stating that they would continue to use the system. Demonstrating improvements in HbA1c will require a properly powered study of sufficient duration. Conclusions This mHealth diabetes app with the use of gamification incentives showed an improvement in the frequency of blood glucose monitoring in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Extending this to improved health outcomes will require the incentives to be tied not only to frequency of blood glucose monitoring but also to patient actions and decision making based on those readings such that glycemic control can be improved.
Acute and chronic cadmium exposure promotes E‐cadherin degradation in MCF7 breast cancer cells

Cadmium is an environmental carcinogen that usually enters the body at minute concentrations through diet or cigarette smoke and bioaccumulates in soft tissues. In past studies, cadmium has been shown to contribute to the development of more aggressive cancer phenotypes including increased cell migration and invasion. This study aims to determine if cadmium exposure—both acute and chronic—contributes to breast cancer progression by interfering with the normal functional relationship between E‐cadherin and β‐catenin. An MCF7 breast cancer cell line (MCF7‐Cd) chronically exposed to 10−7 M CdCl2 was previously developed and used as a model system to study chronic exposures, whereas parental MCF7 cells exposed to 10−6 M CdCl2 for short periods of time were used to study acute exposures. Cadmium exposure of MCF7 cells led to the degradation of the E‐cadherin protein via the ubiquitination pathway. This resulted in fewer E‐cadherin/β‐catenin complexes and the relocation of active β‐catenin to the nucleus, where it interacted with transcription factor TCF‐4 to modulate gene expression. Interestingly, only cells chronically exposed to cadmium showed a significant decrease in the localization of β‐catenin to the plasma membrane and an increased distance between cells. Our data suggest that cadmium exposure promotes breast cancer progression by (1) down‐regulating E‐cadherin, thus decreasing the number of E‐cadherin/β‐catenin adhesion complexes, and (2) enhancing the nuclear translocation of β‐catenin to increase expression of cancer‐promoting proteins (i.e., c‐Jun and cyclin D1). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimization of isolation and further characterization of umbilical cord blood‐derived very small embryonic/ epiblast‐like stem cells (VSELs)

Because of their small size and density, umbilical cord blood (UCB)‐derived very small embryonic/epiblast‐like stem cells (VSELs) are usually lost at various steps of UCB preparation. Accordingly, we noticed that a significant number of these cells, which are smaller than erythrocytes, are lost during gradient centrifugation over Ficoll‐Paque as well as during routine volume depletion of UCB units before freezing. To preserve these cells in final UCB preparations, we propose a relatively short and economical three‐step isolation protocol that allows recovery of approximately 60% of the initial number of Lin−/CD45−/CD133+ UCB‐VSELs present in freshly harvested UCB units. In this novel approach (i) UCB is lysed in a hypotonic ammonium chloride solution to deplete erythrocytes; (ii) CD133+ including VSELs cells are enriched by employing immunomagnetic beads; and subsequently (iii) Lin−/CD45−/CD133+ cells are sorted by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. The whole isolation procedure takes approximately 2–3 h per UCB unit and isolated cells are highly enriched for an Oct‐4+ and SSEA‐4+ population of small Lin−/CD45−/CD133+ cells.
A Novel Planar Power MOSFET With Laterally Uniform Body and Ion-Implanted JFET Region

A novel sub-20-V planar power MOSFET using ion implantation to form the body and JFET regions is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The fabricated novel device has a breakdown voltage of 14 V and a threshold voltage of 0.57 V. Compared with conventional planar vertical double-diffused MOS devices, the specific on-resistance of the novel device is reduced by 32% because of the reduced JFET resistance. The threshold- voltage variation of the novel device is also characterized. The standard deviation of the threshold voltage is reduced from 36 mV of the conventional device to 10 mV of the novel device. This is because the channel region of the novel device is uniformly doped by using ion implantation. The gate-drain charge density is similar to that of the conventional device. The novel device is very promising for sub-20-V dc/dc conversion applications.
Psychoendocrine Response to Sexual Arousal in Human Males

&NA; The hypothesis is tested that luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) may be released from the anterior pituitary in response to a psychological state of sexual arousal. LH levels in 10 male volunteers were found to be higher after viewing a sexually arousing film than after a control film. The magnitude of LH response was found to be positively correlated with the subjective evaluation of sexual arousal. FSH levels tended in the same direction bu the predominant and unexpected finding for this hormone was that levels were consistently lower during the first session, when anxiety was high, and higher during the second session, when anxiety was less, whether control or stimulus film had been shown. This study is analogous to those demonstrating the responsiveness of other anterior pituitary hormones to specific psychological states.
Luminescence Imaging of Water During Irradiation of Beta Particles With Energy Lower Than Cerenkov-Light Threshold

The luminescence imaging of water during irradiation of beta particles with energy lower than the Cerenkov-light threshold has widely been considered impossible because such particles do not emit Cerenkov light. Contrary to this consensus, we found that luminescence imaging of water is in fact possible with such relatively low-energy beta particles. Beta particles from a 500-kBq 45Ca beta source (maximum energy: 257 keV) were irradiated to pure water, and the source’s luminescence images were acquired with a high-sensitivity, cooled charge-coupled device camera. We also conducted image acquisition for an acrylic plate and a plastic scintillator. The water’s luminescence image during beta particle irradiation became visualized after a 1200-s acquisition time. The luminescence intensity with the beta irradiation of water was 0.54 photons/MeV, and the luminescence intensity with that of the acrylic plate was 3.3 photons/MeV. Consequently, we have shown that luminescence imaging of water using beta particles with energy lower than the Cerenkov-light threshold is a promising new method for beta particle detection and distribution measurements.
Evaluating virtuality in teams: a conceptual model

Major parts of teams deployed in contemporary organisations to some extent possess the attributes of virtuality. In this context, at high levels of virtuality, team requirements become quite different from those of face-to-face teams. Thus, evaluating virtuality in teams is a key prerequisite for assessing its requirements and defining the applicable managerial policies. Nonetheless, the concept of virtuality in teams has remained elusive within the extant literature. To address this, this paper deploys a qualitative meta-analysis to synthesise the relevant findings drawing upon an exhaustive review of the literature. The study conceptualises the phenomenon of virtuality through proposing a conceptual framework for evaluating the level of virtuality in teams. This paper contributes to the field by offering further insight into the concept of virtuality and directs future investigations by providing the ground for validating the presented conceptual model.