Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microsomal Epoxide Hydrolase Polymorphisms Are Not Associated with Colon Cancer Risk

Epidemiologic studies have implicated exposure to tobacco smoke and high intakes of cooked, broiled, or well-done meats in the increased risk of colorectal cancers ([1][1]-[4][2]). Microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEH) is a phase II biotransformation enzyme which detoxifies epoxides, including
Information and Training Needs Regarding Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Cross-sectional Study of Cancer Care Providers in Germany

Background: Among cancer care providers (CCPs), lack of knowledge constitutes an important barrier to the discussion of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use with patients. This study assessed CCPs’ needs and preferences regarding CAM information and training (I&T). Methods: An online survey was completed by 209 general practitioners, 437 medical specialists, 159 oncology nurses and medical assistants, and 244 psychologists and social workers engaged in cancer care. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify subgroups of individuals with distinct preference patterns regarding I&T content. Results: CCPs prefer CAM I&T to be provided as lectures, information platforms on the internet, workshops, and e-mail newsletters. Concerning subject matters, many CCPs considered CAM therapy options for the treatment of a variety of cancer disease- and therapy-related symptoms to be very important (75%-72% of the sample); the same applies to an “overview of different CAM therapies” (74%). LCA identified 5 latent classes (LCs) of CCPs. All of them attached considerable importance to “medical indication,” “potential side effects,” and “tips for usage. ” LCs differed, however, in terms of overall importance ratings, the perceived importance of “patients’ reasons” for using specific CAM therapies, “case examples,” and “scientific evidence. ” Notably, the 5 LCs were clearly present in all 4 occupational groups. Conclusions: CAM I&T should provide CCPs with an overview of different CAM therapies and show how CAM might help in treating symptoms cancer patients frequently demonstrate (eg, fatigue). Moreover, I&T programs should be flexible and take into account that individual information needs vary even within the same occupational group.
Pyk2 and FAK differentially regulate invadopodia formation and function in breast cancer cells

The nonreceptor tyrosine kinase Pyk2 is highly expressed in invasive breast cancer, but the mechanism by which it potentiates tumor cell invasiveness is unclear at present. Using high-throughput protein array screening and bioinformatic analysis, we identified cortactin as a novel substrate and interactor of proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2). Pyk2 colocalizes with cortactin to invadopodia of invasive breast cancer cells, where it mediates epidermal growth factor–induced cortactin tyrosine phosphorylation both directly and indirectly via Src-mediated Abl-related gene (Arg) activation, leading to actin polymerization in invadopodia, extracellular matrix degradation, and tumor cell invasion. Both Pyk2 and the closely related focal adhesion kinase (FAK) regulate tumor cell invasion, albeit via distinct mechanisms. Although Pyk2 regulates tumor cell invasion by controlling invadopodium-mediated functions, FAK controls invasiveness of tumor cells by regulating focal adhesion–mediated motility. Collectively, our findings identify Pyk2 as a unique mediator of invadopodium formation and function and also provide a novel insight into the mechanisms by which Pyk2 mediates tumor cell invasion.
Equivalent therapeutic efficacy and safety of ivermectin and lindane in the treatment of human scabies.

OBJECTIVE To compare the therapeutic efficacy and safety of ivermectin and lindane for the treatment of human scabies. DESIGN Randomized, prospective, controlled, double-blind, "double-dummy," and parallel clinical study. SETTING A single department of dermatology at a hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. PATIENTS Patients were outpatients, hospitalized patients, and those referred to our hospital from nursing homes and asylums. Fifty-three patients had clinical signs and symptoms compatible with scabies. INTERVENTION Patients received either a single oral dose of ivermectin (150-200 microg/kg of body weight) or a topical application of 1% lindane solution. Treatment was repeated after 15 days if clinical cure had not occurred. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical healing and adverse effects. RESULTS Of 53 patients, 43 (81%) completed the study, 19 in the group treated with ivermectin and 24 in the group treated with lindane. At day 15, 14 patients (74%; 95% confidence interval, 48.8%-90.8%) in the group receiving ivermectin showed healing of their scabies and 13 patients (54%; 95% confidence interval, 32.8%-74.4%) in the group treated with lindane were healed. At 29 days, both treatments resulted in statistically equivalent therapeutic efficacy: 18 patients (95%; 95% confidence interval, 74.0%-99.9%) were healed with ivermectin and 23 patients (96%; 95% confidence interval, 78.9%, 99.9%) were healed with lindane (P<.02). Adverse effects from the treatments were few, mild, and transient. Results from laboratory tests showed no major abnormalities and no difference between treatments. CONCLUSIONS Ivermectin is as effective as lindane for the treatment of scabies. Ivermectin is simpler to use and, therefore, is a promising tool to improve compliance and to control infestations.
OSTEOCHONDRITIS DISSECANS OF THE KNEE: A Clinical Survey

1. One hundred patients with osteochondritis dissecans of the knee have been reviewed. Sixty-eight were male. Unilateral lesions were found in seventy-four. The average age at onset of symptoms was eighteen years. 2. The outstanding etiological feature was found to be direct injury to the joint surface (46 percent), repeated injuries sustained in first class athletics and field sports, and mechanical abnormalities of the knee. 3. Osteochondral fracture was found in seven cases. 4. The results of various types of treatment are described and a plan of management outlined.
Plantar Fasciitis-A Comparison of Treatment with Intralesional Steroids versus Platelet-Rich Plasma A Randomized, Blinded Study.

BACKGROUND Many treatment options for plantar fasciitis currently exist, some with great success in pain relief. The objective of our study was to compare the use of intralesional steroids with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), using pain scales and functional evaluation, in patients with plantar fasciitis who did not respond to conservative treatment. METHODS A controlled, randomized, blinded clinical assay was performed. Patients were assigned to one of the two groups by selecting a sealed envelope. The steroid treatment group received 8 mg of dexamethasone plus 2 mL of lidocaine as a local anesthetic. The PRP treatment group received 3 mL of PRP activated with 0.45 mL of 10% calcium gluconate. All of the patients were evaluated at the beginning of the study, and at 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks post-treatment with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI), and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scale. RESULTS The right foot was the most frequently affected foot (63%). The average age of the patients was 44.8 years (range, 24-61 years). All scales used (VAS, FADI and AOFAS) showed that the difference was not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS We can conclude that the use of PRP is an effective treatment method for patients with plantar fasciitis who do not respond to conservative treatment because PRP demonstrates an efficacy equal to that of steroids. However, the cost and the time for preparation the PRP are two of the disadvantages of this treatment.
In vitro packaging of individual genomic segments of bacteriophage phi 6 RNA: serial dependence relationships

Bacteriophage phi 6 has a genome of three segments of double-stranded RNA enclosed in a procapsid composed of four different proteins. The preformed procapsid is capable of packaging plus-strand transcripts of the genomic segments in an in vitro reaction. The packaging of the three segments shows a strong order of dependence in that segment S packages alone, but segment M requires S and and segment L requires S and M for efficient packaging. Packaging of individual segments is dependent on unique packaging sequences of about 200 nucleotides near the 5' ends of the segments. Deletions that invade these regions destroy packaging competence for the particular segment and for the dependent segments as well. In the presence of 2 mM phosphate and at magnesium ion concentrations above 4 mM, packaging becomes progressively more independent and ultimately nonspecific with respect to phi 6 sequences.
Adenovirus endocytosis and adenoviral gene transfer in cardiovascular and dermatologic disease models

Adenoviral gene transfer is a valuable tool in molecular biology research. In order to be an efficient and safe vector, adenovirus structure and infection mechanism as well as molecular biology of the used transgene need to be well studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of adenovirus as a gene transfer vector from several perspectives. Adenovirus uses receptor-mediated endocytosis in order to enter the target cell. The effect of Rab5 GTPase on adenovirus entry and gene transfer efficiency was examined first. Next, adenovirus was used as an investigatory tool in the cardiovascular research, focused on clarifying the role of adrenomedullin (AM) in heart and vascular remodeling. Finally, a model of adenoviral gene transfer into skin fibroblasts was used. The role of Rab5 GTPase in the adenovirus endocytosis was examined in HeLa cells using Cy3labeled adenovirus, and gene transfer efficiency using β-galactosidase encoding adenovirus. Rab5 increased both adenovirus uptake and gene transfer, whereas dominant negative Rab5S34N decreased both endocytosis and gene transfer. The data indicate that Rab5 is needed in mediating the adenovirus uptake into the target cell. In the rat heart, adenovirus-mediated AM gene transfer transiently improved systolic function both in vivo and in vitro. AM caused activation of translocation of protein kinases C e and δ, whereas phosphorylation of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase was decreased in the left ventricle. AM significantly attenuated the development of angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy. In rats with myocardial infarction, AM enhanced dilatation of left ventricle and thinning of anterior wall. The role of AM in neointima formation was evaluated in rat artery after endothelial injury. Intravascular AM gene transfer decreased neointimal growth and increased neointimal myofibroblasts apoptosis. These results show that AM regulates left ventricular systolic function and remodeling in the heart, and plays a role in pathological vascular remodeling. Adenovirus-mediated lysyl hydroxylase (LH) gene transfer into skin fibroblasts of type VI EhlersDanlos syndrome patient and rat skin increased functional LH production, elevated LH activity, and human LH mRNA production both in vitro and in vivo. LH gene replacement therapy may thus lead to possibilities to improve skin wound healing in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome patients.
Academic quality in internships : field supervisors' account on the value of theory in practice

Internship should not just introduce the students to a future professional role, but is also obliged to live up to the requirements of the Swedish Higher Education Act (SFS 1992:1434) for scientific methods and scholarly activities as well as stimulate a critical and reflective attitude. In order for internships to reach higher education standard, not only must there be students, who through their theoretical studies have developed knowledge with a scientific foundation and an ability for criticism and reflection, but a practice is also required in which this knowledge and ability may be developed and utilized. With this point of departure, the supervisors and the context of which they are a part become of special interest to study and understand. The practice within which the students in the Health Promotion and Education Programme at Kristianstad University College perform their internships is distinguished by richly varied work tasks, ill-defined professional roles and a mixture of different training and competencies (Karlsson, 2005). The supervisors lack supervisory training and only a few have an education that corresponds to the Health Promotion and Education Programme. Interviews were carried out in 2006 with 14 supervisors concerning what they perceived is required in order for them to be able to perform their work tasks, not as supervisors but in general, that is, what knowledge they perceived their work to be based upon; and how they perceived the value and relevance of the core concepts of academic quality, scientific methods and scholarly activities, critical thinking and reflection, with respect to their practical activities. The results of the study show that the supervisors perceived the basic knowledge for their work and the relevance of academic knowledge and ability for their work quite differently. The five different patterns or categories that emerged: Undeveloped, anti-academic, administrative, renewing and tension-laden all give different prerequisites for the socialisation to and learning of a ‘new profession’ by the students. The study reveals the importance of the supervisors perceiving academic thinking to be important to their activities, but also the significance of a practice where such knowledge and ability may be exploited and developed. Internship jobs give very different prerequisites for the students’ learning, which shows the significance of supervisor training and of internship placements with incentives for more development-oriented learning.
A simple predictive voltage control method with unity displacement power factor for four-leg indirect matrix converters

While the known modulation and control techniques for four-leg matrix converters are based on pulse width modulation or three-dimensional space vector modulation, this paper presents a finite control set model predictive control strategy with a prediction horizon of one sample time to control the four-leg indirect matrix converter. An LC output filter is connected between the converter and the load. The four-leg indirect matrix converter is developed to deliver power to the unbalanced/nonlinear three-phase loads and it can produce three output voltages independently with one additional leg. The proposed voltage control strategy is based on prediction calculation to select the switching states of the converter. By using a predictive cost function, the optimal switching state to be applied to the next sampling time is selected. This is done in order to obtain unity displacement power factor in the input side and a positive dc-link voltage at any time, while maintaining a good tracking of the load voltages to their respective references. The feasibility of the proposed strategy is verified by simulation results.
Thyroid nodule segmentation using active contour bilateral filtering on ultrasound images

Utilization of ultrasound imaging with various resolutions as modalities for thyroid nodules examination is growing rapidly. This is consistent with an increase in incidence of thyroid malignancy. Thyroid ultrasound examination is considered superior to other medical imaging modalities for its non-invasive, practical, inexpensive and painless. In the examination process, a radiologist expects areas of thyroid nodules that can be localized precisely from the surrounding normal tissue. Thus boundary of the nodules can be seen as to be regular or irregular. Boundary is one of the important features of malignancy that doctors use to make a diagnosis. Most malignant nodules have unclear and irregular boundaries. Imprecise segmentation result will lead to misdiagnosis based on boundary characteristics. Active contour segmentation technique is applied for detecting boundary of thyroid nodules and separating them with normal tissue iteratively. However, the characteristics of the ultrasound image that brings speckle noises make the segmentation process more complicated. It also resulted in interpretation errors and inaccuracies diagnosis made by a doctor. The intricacy of irregular nodule area can not easily be solved by changing the value of iteration on active contour. Therefore, speckle noise reduction method is needed to overcome this problem so that nodule area segmented properly. In this paper speckle noise reduction is done with bilateral filter. Comparison of image segmentation results of thyroid nodules with and without bilateral filter is attached at the end of this article. The combination of bilateral filter and active contour showed better results with the edge of the nodules firmly and clear.
Occurrence of Cerebral Seizures Provoked by Alcohol Abuse

Alcohol intoxication was detected in the immediate history of 277 (49%) of the 560 consecutive seizure patients brought to the emergency room of Meilahti hospital in Helsinki during the course of a year, most of these patients being young men of working age. The alcohol‐provoked seizures occurred mainly on Sunday and Monday, following the weekly pattern of alcohol consumption in Finland, and preceded delirium tremens in 21 patients (4%). Even short periods of intoxication (1–2 days) provoked seizures. The data indicate that among patients with a previous history of recurrent alcohol‐withdrawal seizures, new treatable diseases of the CNS, especially acute brain injuries, are frequently encountered. Therefore, all seizure problems, not neglecting those of alcoholics, should be carefully examined.
Cartesian diver studies on respiration and glycolysis of high and low sarcoma lines.

Two cell types grown in tissue culture, designated high line (NCTC 2472) and low line (NCTC 2555), were studied by Cartesian diver manometric techniques. Studies with NaOH and NaHCO3 as absorbant seals in stoppered microdivers suggest that consistency of respiration of both cell lines may be regulated by the type of seal used in the neck of the divers. Sodium lauroyl sarcosine, at 0.0018 m, inhibits high-line respiration by 65%, and low-line respiration, by only 10%. Both cell lines appear to be almost equally sensitive to 3-nitropropionic acid and to urethan. The most outstanding difference between the two cell lines was their anaerobic glycolysis, of which the low line was approximately one–third that of the high-line cells. Glycolysis in the high-line cells is significantly inhibited by iodoacetic acid and sodium lauroyl sarcosine, whereas sodium lauroyl sarcosine does not significantly influence low-line cells. l-Asparaginase demonstrates no inhibitory effect. It is suggested that both cell lines may have equally functional citric acid cycles and cytochrome systems. The main difference appears to be the more direct dependence of high-line cells for glucose in both glycolytic and respiratory process.
Disk degeneration and fast bowling in cricket: an intervention study.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the incidence of lumber disk degeneration and bowling technique after 3 yr of educational intervention. METHODS Two groups of cricketers from the Western Australian fast-bowling development squads acted as subjects in this longitudinal study. Group 1 comprised 24 fast bowlers, of mean age 13.4 yr at the commencement of the study. They attended at least three of the four yearly testing sessions between 1997 and 2000. A further 17 of mean age (in 1998) of 13.2 yr attended a minimum of two of three yearly testing sessions between 1998 and 2000, and comprised group 2. Players were filmed laterally and from above by two video cameras during each testing session. Specific technique variables that previously had been linked with an increased incidence of lumbar disk abnormalities were measured from the videos. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the lumbar disks of each player were also recorded at approximately the same time. A yearly half-day clinic and six small group coaching sessions spread over the season were held to assist the bowlers develop techniques that had been linked with a reduction in back injuries. RESULTS Data showed that small group coaching significantly reduced the level of shoulder alignment counter-rotation in young fast bowlers. The incidence and progression of lumbar disk degeneration were also significantly reduced in parallel with this decreased shoulder counter-rotation. CONCLUSION Technique assessment and modifications through an educational process aimed at reducing mechanical features that have been linked to back injury decreased the incidence and/or progression of lumbar spine disk degeneration.
Coadaptation of isoacceptor tRNA genes and codon usage bias for translation efficiency in Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae

The transfer RNAs (tRNAs) are essential components of translational machinery. We determined that tRNA isoacceptors (tRNAs with different anticodons but incorporating the same amino acid in protein synthesis) show differential copy number abundance, genomic distribution patterns and sequence evolution between Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes. The tRNA‐Ala genes are present in unusually high copy number in the Ae. aegypti genome but not in An. gambiae. Many of the tRNA‐Ala genes of Ae. aegypti are flanked by a highly conserved sequence that is not observed in An. gambiae. The relative abundance of tRNA isoacceptor genes is correlated with preferred (or optimal) and nonpreferred (or rare) codons for ∼2–4% of the predicted protein coding genes in both species. The majority (∼74–85%) of these genes are related to pathways involved with translation, energy metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism. Our results suggest that these genes and the related pathways may be under translational selection in these mosquitoes.
MULTI-ELEMENT ABUNDANCE MEASUREMENTS FROM MEDIUM-RESOLUTION SPECTRA. III. METALLICITY DISTRIBUTIONS OF MILKY WAY DWARF SATELLITE GALAXIES

We present metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) for the central regions of eight dwarf satellite galaxies of the Milky Way: Fornax, Leo I and II, Sculptor, Sextans, Draco, Canes Venatici I, and Ursa Minor. We use the published catalog of abundance measurements from the previous paper in this series. The measurements are based on spectral synthesis of iron absorption lines. For each MDF, we determine maximum likelihood fits for Leaky Box, Pre-Enriched, and Extra Gas (wherein the gas supply available for star formation increases before it decreases to zero) analytic models of chemical evolution. Although the models are too simplistic to describe any MDF in detail, a Leaky Box starting from zero metallicity gas fits none of the galaxies except Canes Venatici I well. The MDFs of some galaxies, particularly the more luminous ones, strongly prefer the Extra Gas Model to the other models. Only for Canes Venatici I does the Pre-Enriched Model fit significantly better than the Extra Gas Model. The best-fit effective yields of the less luminous half of our galaxy sample do not exceed 0.02 Z☉, indicating that gas outflow is important in the chemical evolution of the less luminous galaxies. We surmise that the ratio of the importance of gas infall to gas outflow increases with galaxy luminosity. Strong correlations of average [Fe/H] and metallicity spread with luminosity support this hypothesis.
Spatial footstep recognition by convolutional neural networks for biometric applications

We propose a Convolutional Neural Network model to learn spatial footstep features end-to-end from a floor sensor system for biometric applications. Our model's generalization performance is assessed by independent validation and evaluation datasets from the largest footstep database to date, containing nearly 20,000 footstep signals from 127 users. We report footstep recognition performance as Equal Error Rate (EER) in the range of 9% to 13% depending on the test set. This improves previously reported footstep recognition rates in the spatial domain up to 4% EER.