Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of antimetastatic gene nm23-H1 in epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of nm23-H1 in epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS A total of 55 specimens from patients with epithelial ovarian cancers, 15 patients with serous cancers, 7 with mucinous cancers, 17 with endometrioid cancers and 16 with adenocarcinomas, were examined for the expression of nm23-H1 by means of the immunohistochemical technique. RESULTS The total positive rate was 23.64% (13/55). The tissular nm23-H1 immunostaining had significantly higher expression in mucinous cancer (57.14%) than in other histologic types of epithelial ovarian cancer (P < 0.05). Compared to that in the primary tumor, nm23-H1 expression in the omental metastatic tumor in the same patient was reduced. CONCLUSIONS The expression rate of nm23-H1 is higher in the primary tumors than in the metastatic tumors and is different in various histologic subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer. The expression of nm23-H1 may participate in the inhibitory process of tumor invasion.
Crises and the Health of Children and Adolescents : Evidence from the Rwanda Genocide

We study the effect of crises on health by focusing on the height of adult women exposed to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda when they were children or adolescents. Using several large household surveys, we find that the adult height of girls exposed to the genocide is much lower than older cohorts and those from neighboring countries. Furthermore, we find a large negative effect on height even for those who were between 13 and 20 in 1994. Our findings suggest that the negative effect of crises on health goes well beyond early childhood. These results are robust to other possible confounding variables.
Interference mitigation techniques for 4G networks

Wireless communications have become a fundamental feature of any modern society. In particular, cellular networks are essential for societal welfare but the increasing demand for data traffic set enormous scientific challenges. Increasing the network capacity is closely related to the problem of interference mitigation. In this regard, network cooperation has been studied in recent years and several different techniques have been proposed. In the first part, different transmission techniques commonly referred to as Coordinated Multi-Point Transmission (CoMP), are studied under the effect of feedback quantization and delay, unequal pathloss and other-cell interference (OCI). An analytical framework is provided, which yields closed-form expressions to calculate the ergodic throughput and outage probabilities of Coordinated Beamforming (CBF) and Joint Transmission (JT). The results indicate the optimal configuration for a system using CoMP and provide guidelines and answers to key questions, such as how many transmitters to coordinate, how many antennas to use, how many users to serve, which SNR regime is more convenient, whether to apply CBF or prefer a more complex JT, etc. Second, a new coordination technique at the receiver side is proposed to obtain sum-rate gains by means of Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC). The conditions that guarantee network capacity gains by means of SIC at the receiver are provided. To take advantage of these conditions, network coordination is needed to adapt the rates to be properly decoded at the different users involved. This technique is named Cooperative SIC and is shown to provide significant throughput gains for cell-edge users.
Tonsillectomy: indications for referral by family physicians versus indications for surgery by otolaryngologists.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare reasons for family physician (FP) referral of children for tonsillectomy to the indications for this surgery used by otolaryngologists practising in the same region. METHOD A checklist-type survey was sent to a random sample of 300 FPs and all of the practising otolaryngologists in Nova Scotia in the spring of 1995. RESULTS There were significant differences between reasons for referral and indications for treatment in many areas, the most important of which was that over 60% of FPs referred cases because of parental insistence, while no surgeons operated for this reason. If inappropriate referrals are taken to be those for which no specialist intervention occurs, it appears that there is a significant number of referrals. CONCLUSION These results suggest that both FPs and parents require information about these common paediatric problems.
Effects of antihypertensive drug treatments on fracture outcomes: a meta‐analysis of observational studies

Objective. To quantitatively pool findings from observational studies on the risk of fracture outcomes associated with exposure to five antihypertensive drug classes: angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, diuretics (in particular thiazide diuretics), β‐blockers, calcium‐channel blockers and alpha‐blockers.
Efficacy and safety of low‐dose lenalidomide plus dexamethasone in patients with relapsed or refractory POEMS syndrome

Although autologous stem cell transplantation or melphalan‐based chemotherapy has significantly improved the prognosis of POEMS syndrome, a few patients will relapse or be refractory to primary therapy, and there is a lack of studies regarding these patients. In this study, we used low‐dose lenalidomide (10 mg daily) and dexamethasone (40 mg, once weekly) to treat twelve patients with relapsed (n = 8) or refractory (n = 4) POEMS syndrome. After a median follow‐up time of 20 months, the overall hematologic response rate was 77% with 44% having a complete response. Eight (67%) patients had neurological response, and the median overall neuropathy limitation scale score was reduced from 3 (range, 1–9) to 2 (range, 0–6). Serum vascular endothelial growth factor response rate was 91% and 46% of patients had normal serum VEGF levels. One patient had progression of the disease 3 months after the end of treatment and subsequently died from the disease. Therefore, the estimated 2 year overall survival and progression‐free survival were 92%. The low‐dose lenalidomide and dexamethasone regimen was well tolerated, with no treatment‐related death or any grade 3 or 4 toxicity. In conclusion, low‐dose lenalidomide plus dexamethasone therapy is an effective and safe regimen for patients with relapsed or refractory POEMS syndrome.
Band gap of graphene nanoribbons calculated using Huckel molecular orbital theory

— In this paper, a new model based on Huckel molecular orbital theory is developed and used to calculate the band gap of graphene nanoribbons, which are stripes of etched graphene. Band gaps of graphene nanoribbons with different edge structures and widths are calculated to reveal physical properties. The proposed model well captures the band gap characteristics of graphene nanoribbons without intensive calculations. The understanding of the band gap properties of grapheme nanoribbons allows for various electronic and photonic applications.
Connections of the auditory brainstem in a songbird, Taeniopygia guttata. III. Projections of the superior olive and lateral lemniscal nuclei

Sequential to companion articles that report the projections of the cochlear nucleus angularis (NA) and the third‐order nucleus laminaris (NL) to the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (MLd) and to the superior olive (OS) and lateral lemniscal nuclei (LLV, LLI, and LLD) (Krützfeldt et al., J Comp Neurol, this issue), we here describe the projections of the latter group of nuclei using standard tract‐tracing methods. OS projects on LLV and both have further ascending projections on LLI, LLD, and MLd. LLV also provides auditory input to the song system, via nucleus uvaeformis, and to the thalamo‐telencephalic auditory system, via nucleus ovoidalis (Ov), thus bypassing MLd. The two divisions of LLD (LLDa and LLDp) project across the midline via the commissure of Probst each to innervate the homologous contralateral nucleus and MLd. Both, particularly LLDp, also project on Ov. Injections in LLD and LLV resulted in anterograde labeling of caudal nucleus basorostralis (Bas) in the frontal telencephalon, but retrograde tracing so far suggests that only LLI is a real source of this projection (Wild and Farabaugh [ 1996 ] J Comp Neurol 365:306–328). OS and LLV also have descending projections on the ipsilateral NA, NM, and NL, and LLV also projects on OS. The ascending inputs to MLd and more rostral nuclei may contribute importantly to mechanisms of auditory pattern (song) recognition. Consistent with previous studies, some of the descending projections may be inhibitory. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:2149–2167, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Clinical Effects of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Hyaluronic Acid as an Additional Therapy for Talar Osteochondral Lesions Treated with Microfracture Surgery

Background: Osteochondral ankle injuries commonly affect the dome of the talus, and these injuries are a common cause of athletic disability. Various treatment options are available for these injuries including intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of HA and PRP as adjunct therapies after arthroscopic microfracture in osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the talus. Methods: In this prospective, randomized blinded study, 40 patients with talar OCLs in their ankle joints were treated with arthroscopic debridement and a microfracture technique. Thirteen randomly selected patients received PRP, 14 patients received HA, and the remaining 13 patients received saline as a control group. The participants were assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) and visual analog pain scale (VAS) scores after a 15.3-month (range, 11-25 months) follow-up. Results: Postoperatively, all the groups exhibited significantly increased AOFAS scores and decreased VAS scores compared with their preoperative results (P < .005). The AOFAS scores were significantly increased in the PRP group versus the HA and control groups (P < .005), although the increased AOFAS scores in the HA group versus the control group were also significant (P < .005). Similar to the AOFAS scores, the decrease in the VAS scores was significantly lower in the PRP group versus the HA and control groups (P < .005). In addition, the HA group had significantly lower VAS scores than the control group (P < .005). Conclusion: Both PRP and HA injections improved the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent operation for talar OCLs in the midterm period and can be used as adjunct therapies for these patients. Because a single dose of PRP provided better results, we recommend PRP as the primary adjunct treatment option in the talar OCL postoperative period. Level of Evidence: Level I, prospective randomized study.
Short course of systemic corticosteroids in sinonasal polyposis: A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial with evaluation of outcome measures

BACKGROUND Topical and systemic corticosteroids are the first choice in medical treatments for sinonasal polyposis, but surprisingly, there is no high-level evidence for the efficacy of oral corticosteroids. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to establish the efficacy of a short course of oral prednisolone in ameliorating the symptoms of sinonasal polyposis, as well as reducing mucosal inflammation assessed by means of nasendoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A secondary aim was to evaluate the relationship between outcome measures. METHODS Subjects with symptomatic endoscopically diagnosed sinonasal polyposis received 50 mg of prednisolone daily for 14 days or placebo. Outcome was quantified by using the modified 31-item Rhinosinusitis Outcome Measure questionnaire, physician's assessment, nasendoscopy with photography, and MRI. RESULTS There were 20 subjects in each treatment group. Only the prednisolone-treated group showed significant improvement in nasal symptoms (P < .001). The Rhinosinusitis Outcome Measure score improved in both groups, but the prednisolone-treated group had significantly greater improvement than the placebo group (P < .001). Objectively, there was significant reduction in polyp size, as noted with nasendoscopy (P < .001) and MRI (P < .001), only in the prednisolone-treated group. The outcome measures correlated with each other; the highest level of correlation was between the objective measures of nasendoscopy and MRI (R(2) = 0.76, P < . 001). There were no significant adverse events. CONCLUSION This trial clearly establishes clinically significant improvement in the symptoms and pathology of sinonasal polyposis with a short course of systemic corticosteroids. MRI scanning and quantitative nasendoscopic photography are objective and valid tools for assessing the outcome of treatment in this condition. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS A 14-day course of 50 mg of prednisolone is safe and effective therapy for symptomatic nasal polyposis.
Braking Reaching Movements: A Test of the Constant Tau-Dot Strategy Under Different Viewing Conditions

Following F. Zaal and R. J. Bootsma (1995), the authors studied whether the decelerative phase of a reaching movement could be modeled as a constant tau-dot strategy resulting in a soft collision with the object. Specifically, they investigated whether that strategy is sustained over different viewing conditions. Participants (N = 11) were required to reach for 15- and 50-mm objects at 2 different distances under 3 conditions in which visual availability of the immediate environment and of the reaching hand were varied. Tau-dot estimates and goodness-of-fit were highly similar across the 3 conditions. Only within-participant variability of tau-dot estimates was increased when environmental cues were removed. That finding suggests that the motor system uses a tau-dot strategy involving the intermodal (i.e., visual, proprioceptive, or both) specification of information to regulate the decelerative phase of reaching under restricted viewing conditions. The authors provide recommendations for improving the derivation of $$ x estimates and stress the need for further research on how time-to-contact information is used in the regulation of the dynamics of actions such as reaching.
Human Proinsulin-Specific Antigenic Determinants Identified by Monoclonal Antibodies

Antigenic determinants recognized by human proinsulin (HPI)-specific monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) and Mabs crossreacting with free human C-peptide (HCP) were mapped by using various forms of purified, partially converted HPI intermediates. Two HPI-specific mouse Mabs (GS-4G9 and GS-9A8) reacted with the same antigenic determinant, GS, which was localized to the site of linkage of the B-chain to the C-peptide (Arg-Arg) at positions 31–32. These antibodies bind with equal efficiency to C65-A1 split proinsulin and to intact HPI. The binding of C32-C33 split proinsulin is markedly reduced. A rat Mab (GN-VIIB6), which crossreacts with free HCP in addition to HPI, reacted similarly with various HPI intermediates as it had with the corresponding synthetic HCP fragments, as previously reported (see ref. 9). This determinant (GN) is a three-dimensional structure composed of residues located in two separate regions in the C-peptide segment (positions 40–45 and 57–63). Reduced, carboxymethylated HPI retains the GN-determinant, whereas all insulin-like immunoreactivity identified with a conventional guinea pig insulin antiserum is completely lost. The binding of the two GS Mabs to the denatured HPI was reduced by 40–50% compared with intact HPI. It is concluded that the strong GN-determinant can readily form in the C-peptide segment of HPI, independently of the presence of ordered structure in the insulin moiety. A predicted β-turn at position 47–50 may play an important role in bringing N- and C-terminal regions of the C-peptide segment into close proximity. The spontaneous formation of the GN-determinant could thus be a crucial step in the formation of the correct disulfide bonds in more distant parts of the newly synthesized HPI-polypeptide chain
Vitamin B12 deficiency. Prevalence among South Asians at a Toronto clinic.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency in adult South Asian patients. DESIGN Retrospective chart review. SETTING Family practice clinic in Toronto, Ont. PARTICIPANTS Records of 988 South Asian patients. INTERVENTION Of 1000 randomly selected records, we found 988 charts. From charts with at least one documented B12 level, we extracted data on age, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hemoglobin and ferritin levels, and diet (if available). Descriptive and analytic statistics were calculated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Levels of serum B12 and factors associated with low levels of B12. RESULTS B12 results were documented in 49% of charts; 46% of results showed deficiency. Patients older than 65 and vegetarians were more likely to be B12 deficient. Low serum B12 levels were positively correlated with low hemoglobin and ferritin levels and poorly correlated with low MCV levels. CONCLUSION Many more South Asian patients than patients in the general population have vitamin B12 deficiency. A vegetarian diet seems a strong risk factor. A single low result, however, might not indicate true B12 deficiency.
Estradiol 17-β and Progesterone Modulate Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase and High Mobility Group Box 1 Expression in Human Endometrium

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of ovarian sex steroid hormones on the expression and the release of several locally active substances by human endometrium. Specific objectives are (1) to ascertain if estradiol 17-β (E2) and progesterone modulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and nitric oxide release; (2) to determine whether human endometrium can express High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1), a multifunctional cytokine, and whether sexual steroid hormones can modulate this expression; and (3) to evaluate whether nitric oxide can influence HMGB1 expression in this tissue. Endometrial tissue was obtained from 40 healthy premenopausal women who underwent hysteroscopy for suspected benign gynecological conditions. Endometrium was incubated with E2, progesterone, or sodium nitroprusside, a nitric oxide donor. Nitrite assay was used to quantify stable nitric oxide metabolites in culture medium, and Western blot analysis was used to detect iNOS and HMGB1. Incubation of endometrium with E2 results in an increase in iNOS expression and nitric oxide metabolite production. The opposite effect is obtained by incubating tissues with progesterone. HMGB1 is expressed by human endometrium, and its expression is increased by E2 and decreased by progesterone. Incubation with sodium nitroprusside results in a reduction in HMGB1 expression. Both E2 and progesterone modulate iNOS expression and nitric oxide production in human endometrium. HMGB1 is expressed in the human endometrium, and its expression is modulated by E2, progesterone, and nitric oxide.
Functional characterization of gynodioecy in Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata (Rosaceae).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Gynodioecy is a phylogenetically widespread and important sexual system where females coexist with hermaphrodites. Because dioecy can arise from gynodioecy, characterization of gynodioecy in close relatives of dioecious and sub-dioecious species can provide insight into this transition. Thus, we sought to determine whether Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata, a close relative to F. chiloensis and F. virginiana, exhibits the functional and population genetic hallmarks of a gynodioecious species. METHODS We compared reproductive allocation of females and hermaphrodites grown in the greenhouse and estimated genetic diversity (allelic diversity, heterozygosity) and inbreeding coefficients for field-collected adults of both sexes using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. We estimated mating system and early seed fitness from open-pollinated families of both sex morphs. KEY RESULTS Under greenhouse conditions, females and hermaphrodites allocated similarly to all reproductive traits except flower number, and, as a consequence, females produced 30 % fewer seeds per plant than hermaphrodites. Under natural conditions, hermaphrodites produce seeds by self-fertilization approx. 75 % of the time, and females produced outcrossed seeds with very little biparental inbreeding. Consistent with inbreeding depression, seeds from open-pollinated hermaphrodites were less likely to germinate than those from females, and family-level estimates of hermaphrodite selfing rates were negatively correlated with germination success and speed. Furthermore, estimates of inbreeding depression based on genetic markers and population genetic theory indicate that inbreeding depression in the field could be high. CONCLUSIONS The joint consideration of allocation and mating system suggests that compensation may be sufficient to maintain females given the current understanding of sex determination. Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata exhibited similar sex morph-dependent patterns of mating system and genetic diversity, but less reproductive trait dimorphism, than its sub-dioecious and dioecious congeners.
Random forests for industrial device functioning diagnostics using wireless sensor networks

In this paper, random forests are proposed for operating devices diagnostics in the presence of a variable number of features. In various contexts, like large or difficult-to-access monitored areas, wired sensor networks providing features to achieve diagnostics are either very costly to use or totally impossible to spread out. Using a wireless sensor network can solve this problem, but this latter is more subjected to flaws. Furthermore, the networks' topology often changes, leading to a variability in quality of coverage in the targeted area. Diagnostics at the sink level must take into consideration that both the number and the quality of the provided features are not constant, and that some politics like scheduling or data aggregation may be developed across the network. The aim of this article is (1) to show that random forests are relevant in this context, due to their flexibility and robustness, and (2) to provide first examples of use of this method for diagnostics based on data provided by a wireless sensor network.
Virtual Reconstruction of Very Large Skull Defects Featuring Partly and Completely Missing Midsagittal Planes

Despite the development of computer‐based methods, cranial reconstruction of very large skull defects remains a challenge particularly if the damage affects the midsagittal region hampering the usage of mirror imaging techniques. This pilot study aims to deliver a new method that goes beyond mirror imaging, giving the possibility to reconstruct crania characterized by large missing areas, which might be useful in the fields of paleoanthropology, bioarcheology, and forensics. We test the accuracy of digital reconstructions in cases where two‐thirds or more of a human cranium were missing. A three‐dimensional (3D) virtual model of a human cranium was virtually damaged twice to compare two destruction‐reconstruction scenarios. In the first case, a small fraction of the midsagittal region was still preserved, allowing the application of mirror imaging techniques. In the second case, the damage affected the complete midsagittal region, which demands a new approach to estimate the position of the midsagittal plane. Reconstructions were carried out using CT scans from a sample of modern humans (12 males and 13 females), to which 3D digital modeling techniques and geometric morphometric methods were applied. As expected, the second simulation showed a larger variability than the first one, which underlines the fact that the individual midsagittal plane is of course preferable in order to minimize the reconstruction error. However, in both simulations the Procrustes mean shape was an effective reference for the reconstruction of the entire cranium, producing models that showed a remarkably low error of about 3 mm, given the extent of missing data. Anat Rec, 296:745–758, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.