Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unusual Bladder Mass in a 14-Year-Old Boy: Bladder Paraganglioma

A 14-year-old boy presenting headache crisis, sweating and palpitation was observed. On ultrasound scan, a 3 × 2.5 cm hypoechoic mass, highly vascularized, was observed arising from the left bladder wall. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the mass situated close to the ureteral orifice, with intense peripheral enhancement and a central non-enhanced portion. Left partial cystectomy was performed. Large clear cells, presenting cytoplasmatic granules positive for S100 and chromogranin, were observed at histology. Bladder paraganglioma derives from chromaffin tissue of the sympathic system and it is uncommon in children. The estimated prevalence is very low (0.06% of bladder tumors). Symptomatology is related to the catecholamine production. In pediatrics, prognosis is usually good but long-term follow-up is required.
In situ lyophilisation of nifedipine directly in hard gelatine capsules

Hydrophobic drugs present a challenge due to: (i) adhesion and agglomeration; hence the choice of the suitable processing technique to have the drugs into orally administered dosage forms is critical. (ii) Poor dissolution and poor aqueous solubility; hence poor bioavailability. A novel method which is in situ lyophilisation directly in hard gelatin capsule shells was used in this research to enhance the dissolution of nifedipine (a model hydrophobic drug) in the presence of co-povidone, Pluronic®F-127 and inulin as enhancement excipients (to the best of our knowledge those excipients have not been previously used with nifedipine in lyophilised forms). Solutions of nifedipine and excipients in a range of concentrations (0.5, 1, 5 and 10%w/v) were prepared using a co-solvent system of tert- butyl alcohol/water mixture. These solutions were filled directly into bodies of size 000 hard gelatin capsule shells and freeze dried. Pure drug and all formulations were characterised by solubility, wetting studies and in vitro dissolution. Also, conformational integrity and thermal characteristics of nifedipine formulations were investigated using FT-IR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), respectively. The in situ lyophilisation of nifedipine with excipients, looks a promising method not only to improve the hydrophobic drug dissolution but also to be cost effective.
Expected Values Estimated via Mean-Field Approximation are 1/N-Accurate: Extended Abstract

In this paper, we study the accuracy of mean-field approximation. We show that, under general conditions, the expectation of any performance functional converges at rate O(1/N) to its mean-field approximation. Our result applies for finite and infinite-dimensional mean-field models. We provide numerical experiments that demonstrate that this rate of convergence is tight.
Simultaneous activation of several second messengers in hypoxia‐induced hyperpermeability of brain derived endothelial cells

In vivo, ischemia is known to damage the blood–brain barrier (BBB) leading to the development of vasogenic brain edema. Hypoxia‐induced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been shown to be a key regulator of these permeability changes. However, the signaling pathways that underlie VEGF‐induced hyperpermeability are incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that hypoxia‐ and VEGF‐induced permeability changes depend on activation of phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ), phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/Akt (PI3‐K/Akt), and protein kinase G (PKG). Inhibition of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK) and of the protein kinase C (PKC) did not affect permeability at all. Paralleling hypoxia‐ and VEGF‐induced permeability changes, localization of the tight junction proteins occludin, zonula occludens‐1 (ZO‐1), and ZO‐2 along the cell membrane changed from a continuous to a more discontinuous expression pattern during hypoxia. In particular, localization of ZO‐1 and ZO‐2 expression moved from the cell membrane to the cytoplasm and nucleus whereas occludin expression remained at the cell membrane. Inhibition of PLCγ, PI3‐kinase, and PKG abolished these hypoxia‐induced changes. These findings demonstrate that hypoxia and VEGF induce permeability through rearrangement of endothelial junctional proteins which involves activation of the PLCγ and PI3‐K/AKT pathway leading to the activation of PKG. J. Cell. Physiol. 198: 359–369, 2004© 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Estimating the Annual Economic Burden of Illness Caused by Contact Lens–Associated Corneal Infiltrative Events in the United States

Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the annual cost of illness caused by contact lens–associated corneal infiltrative events (CL-CIEs) among soft CL wearers in the United States. Methods: This study was conducted in the United States. The study population was comprised of daily wear contact lens users in the United States, which number approximately 35 million. A comprehensive review of the medical literature for data on the annual incidence of CL-CIEs was conducted. Cost estimates were drawn from the literature and published tariffs. The perspective of the study was a U.S. healthcare perspective and because of the short duration of most CL-CIEs, no discounting was performed. The main outcome measure involved the total annual number of persons with CL-CIEs and associated direct and indirect costs. Results: In the United States in 2010, it was calculated that a total of 32,031 nonsevere and 17,248 severe CL-CIEs occurred, respectively. The cost per nonsevere and severe CL-CIEs was estimated to be $1,002.90 and $1,496.00, respectively. Overall, the total estimated direct and indirect cost of nonsevere CL-CIEs and severe CL-CIEs in the United States in 2010 was estimated to be $58 million. Conclusions: This study estimated the economic burden of illness imposed by CL-CIEs on both the healthcare system and individual patients in the United States. Strategies designed to minimize the occurrence and impact of CL-CIEs, such as using improved lens care regimens and lens case management, the use of daily disposable lenses, and more efficacious ocular antibiotics may be beneficial in reducing this economic burden.
Assessment of portable continuous wave Doppler ultrasound (ultrasonic cardiac output monitor) for cardiac output measurements in neonates

Background and study purpose: The ultrasonic cardiac output monitoring (USCOM, USCOM Pty Ltd, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia) device provides a new method of non‐invasively assessing cardiac output (CO). It has been successfully used in adults, but there have been few studies in neonates.
Immigrants and Retirement Resources

Using data from the Health and Retirement Study linked with restricted data from the Social Security Administration, this article compares retirement resources of immigrant and native-born workers. Results suggest that although immigrants have lower levels of Social Security benefits than workers born in the United States, when holding demographic characteristics constant, immigrants have higher levels of net worth. The estimated immigrant differentials vary a great deal by number of years in the United States, with the most recent immigrants being the least prepared for retirement.
Endotoxin Adsorption using Polymyxin B Immobilized Fiber Cartridges in Severe Sepsis Patients following Cardiac Surgery

Introduction Sepsis still represents an obstacle in modern medicine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of selective lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-adsorption therapy using polymyxin B immobilized fiber cartridges in adult patients complicated with severe sepsis after cardiac surgery. Methods 65 patients received extracorporeal LPS-adsorption procedures using Toraymyxin columns (PMX; Toray, Tokyo, Japan) in addition to the standard treatment according to the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines. The inclusion criteria were clinical signs of severe sepsis, endotoxin activity assay (EAA) ≥0.6, and blood plasma procalcitonin (PCT) >2 ng/ml. For the control group, we selected 40 patients who were comparable with the study group but who received only the standard therapy. Results Each patient received 2 standard LPS-adsorption procedures (lasting for 120 min each). After the LPS-adsorption course, we noted any indices of hemodynamic improvements, including an increase in mean arterial pressure from 73 to 89 mmHg (p<0.001), mean oxygenation index (213-265, p<0.001. We observed a decrease in LPS concentrations by the EAA (0.71-0.55, p<0.001) and by the LAL test (1.44-0.36 EU/ml, p<0.001). In the control group, there were no significant changes in any of the studied parameters. Moreover, the 28-day mortality was 42% in the study group and 65% in the control group (p = 0.032). The endotoxin adsorption procedures were not associated with any adverse reactions, and specifically, no extracorporeal circuit thrombosis cases were noted. Conclusions Selective LPS-adsorption is a safe and possibly effective adjunctive treatment method for severe sepsis patients.
Key improvements of the MEMS switch lifetime thanks to a dielectric-free design and contact reliability investigations in hot/cold switching operations

Dielectric charging and contact degradations are the two major challenges to improve the lifetime of series ohmic electrostatic MEMS switches. This paper details our approach and our main results to overcome the failures due to dielectric charging. We introduce a time predictive model for charge accumulation that we use as a design tool for reliability. The key parameters are listed and a new switch design is proposed to reduce the charging: the dielectric materials between the actuation electrodes are removed as much as possible. This dielectric-free design gives remarkable results in terms of dielectric charging sensitivity: the pull-in voltage decreases a little bit at initial times, and remains steady for longer time. The second major challenge, that remains to be considered, deals with the contact reliability. For that purpose, gold and ruthenium contacts have been investigated under several operating conditions. Gold contacts give good results in cold switching conditions whereas ruthenium suffers from surface contamination which increases quickly the contact resistance. In hot switching conditions, both materials are sensitive to material transfer mechanism, the failure rate being proportional to the open circuit voltage. Nevertheless, ruthenium seems more resistant to a material transfer than gold, and offers performances acceptable for some specific applications. A hermetic packaging at wafer level should allow to improve the contact reliability thanks to an efficient management of the surface contamination issue.
Modeling the transport of organic chemicals between polyethylene passive samplers and water in finite and infinite bath conditions

Understanding the transfer of chemicals between passive samplers and water is essential for their use as monitoring devices of organic contaminants in surface waters. By applying Fick's second law to diffusion through the polymer and an aqueous boundary layer, the authors derived a mathematical model for the uptake of chemicals into a passive sampler from water, in finite and infinite bath conditions. The finite bath model performed well when applied to laboratory observations of sorption into polyethylene (PE) sheets for various chemicals (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane [DDT]) and at varying turbulence levels. The authors used the infinite bath model to infer fractional equilibration of PCB and DDT analytes in field‐deployed PE, and the results were nearly identical to those obtained using the sampling rate model. However, further comparison of the model and the sampling rate model revealed that the exchange of chemicals was inconsistent with the sampling rate model for partially or fully membrane‐controlled transfer, which would be expected in turbulent conditions or when targeting compounds with small polymer diffusivities and small partition coefficients (e.g., phenols, some pesticides, and others). The model can be applied to other polymers besides PE as well as other chemicals and in any transfer regime (membrane, mixed, or water boundary layer–controlled). Lastly, the authors illustrate practical applications of this model such as improving passive sampler design and understanding the kinetics of passive dosing experiments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2739–2749. © 2015 SETAC
S100B and lactate dehydrogenase as response and progression markers during treatment with vemurafenib in patients with advanced melanoma

Vemurafenib is a highly efficient BRAF inhibitor for metastatic melanoma patients carrying the V600 mutation: progression-free survival is prolonged to ∼6 months and 50–80% of the patients show objective tumor responses. S100B and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) are established tumor markers in routine melanoma follow-up. This study evaluated their potential as response and progression markers during vemurafenib treatment. A cohort of 44 patients with stage IV melanoma disease who were treated with vemurafenib was retrospectively analyzed. Staging was performed every 6–8 weeks comprising computed tomography scans and measurement of LDH and S100B levels. Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria were used for standardized radiological response evaluations. The correlation between response or progression and LDH and S100B levels was analyzed using accuracy tests, Spearman’s rank correlation &rgr;, and polynominal regression analyses. There was a good correlation between S100B and LDH decline and a RECIST-confirmed response, especially when S100B and/or LDH were elevated at baseline (accuracy, 81.2% for S100B and 85.7% for LDH). However, the accuracy in case of RECIST-confirmed progression and S100B/LDH levels was low – 30.3% for S100B and 32.4% for LDH. Neither Spearman’s rank correlation &rgr; nor polynomial regression analyses showed a correlation between the clinical course and S100B/LDH levels. Measurement of S100B and LDH levels during treatment with vemurafenib indicates an initial response; however, this does not seem to be sufficient in detecting tumor progression and is thus not an alternative to monitoring with imaging examinations.
Quantitative Evaluation of Visual Function 12 Months after Bilateral Implantation of a Diffractive Trifocal IOL

Purpose To quantitatively evaluate visual function 12 months after bilateral implantation of the Physiol FineVision® trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) and to compare these results with those obtained in the first postoperative month. Methods In this prospective case series, 20 eyes of 10 consecutive patients were included. Monocular and binocular, uncorrected and corrected visual acuities (distance, near, and intermediate) were measured. Metrovision® was used to test contrast sensitivity under static and dynamic conditions, both in photopic and low-mesopic settings. The same software was used for pupillometry and glare evaluation. Motion, achromatic, and chromatic contrast discrimination were tested using 2 innovative psychophysical tests. A complete ophthalmologic examination was performed preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Psychophysical tests were performed 1 month after surgery and repeated 12 months postoperatively. Results Final distance uncorrected visual acuity (VA) was 0.00 ± 0.08 and distance corrected VA was 0.00 ± 0.05 logMAR. Distance corrected near VA was 0.00 ± 0.09 and distance corrected intermediate VA was 0.00 ± 0.06 log-MAR. Glare testing, pupillometry, contrast sensitivity, motion, and chromatic and achromatic contrast discrimination did not differ significantly between the first and last visit (p>0.05) or when compared to an age-matched control group (p>0.05). Conclusions The Physiol FineVision® trifocal IOL provided satisfactory full range of vision and quality of vision parameters 12 months after surgery. Visual acuity and psychophysical tests did not vary significantly between the first and last visit.
Transforming trees by successive local complementations

A local complementation of a simple graph G at a vertex v consists in replacing the subgraph induced by G on the neighborhood of v by the complementary graph. Two graphs are locally equivalent if they are related by a sequence of local complementations. H. M. Mulder conjectured that any two locally equivalent trees are isomorphic. We prove this conjecture and we characterize those graphs that are locally equivalent to trees.
Analisis Kausalitas Cranger Kebijakan Moneter Syari'ah Terhadap Perekonomian Indonesia

This study aims to explain causality between Islamic monetary policy with Shariah Open Market Operation instrument and Bank Indonesia Sharia Certificate on inflation with time series data period from January 2010 - June 2017 which processed by Granger causality analysis method and using vectorautoregresive model. This study shows a direct causal relationship of OPTS to GDP, SBIS to OPTS and two-way causal relationship between SBIS and GDP.
Circulating monocytes have the capacity to be transdifferentiated into keratinocyte‐like cells

Transdifferentiation is a process in which the original commitment of a cell is changed to give rise to unexpected peripheral mature cells. Our previous report showed that circulating stem cells can generate keratinocyte‐like cells (KLCs). However, it remains to be determined whether or not other peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) subsets have the potential to follow the same cell fate. In this study, the cell transdifferentiation of circulating CD14+ monocytes into KLCs and their regulatory effect on matrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1) expression in dermal fibroblasts were evaluated. The results showed that monocytes isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells have the capacity to generate KLCs. These transdifferentiated cells exhibited, along with a keratinocyte‐like morphology, a characteristic profile consisting in stratifin+, cytokeratins+ (types I and II), CD14low, and involucrin+ on day 21 in culture. Similar to keratinocyte‐conditioned media, KLC‐derived conditioned media were able to induce an increase in the MMP‐1 expression in dermal fibroblasts. This effect was significantly reduced by using 14‐3‐3 protein‐depleted KLC‐conditioned media. Our findings show the potential transdifferentiation of circulating CD14+ monocytes into KLCs and their regulatory effect on MMP‐1 expression in dermal fibroblasts.
[Comparison of long-term course of perforating and non-perforating Crohn disease].

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the influence of the indication of the first surgical procedure on the prognosis of Crohn's disease. METHODS We compared retrospectively the long-term course of 179 patients operated on for a perforating disease and 322 patients operated on for a nonperforating disease. Mean follow-up was 11 years and 2 months in the two groups. RESULTS Forty of 179 (25%) and 106 of 322 (33%) patients with perforating and nonperforating diseases underwent a second intestinal resection, respectively. The patients who had been operated on for a perforating disease were significantly more often reoperated on for the same indication, and conversely. Patients with perforating diseases experienced less second resections (actuarial rates: 37 +/- 11% vs 51 +/- 8% at ten years respectively), less post-surgical handicaps (mean index 24.9 vs 27.9), and fewer patients required immunosuppressive drugs (25 vs 35%). CONCLUSION Long-term prognosis of perforating Crohn's disease does not appear to be more severe than that of nonperforating disease.
A Risk Analysis of Precision Agriculture Technology to Manage Tomato Late Blight

Precision agriculture technology can transform farming related data into useful information, which may lead to more efficient usage of agricultural resources and increase sustainability. This paper compares precision agriculture technology with traditional practices in scheduling fungicide application so as to manage late blight disease in tomato production. The following three fungicide scheduling strategies were evaluated: a calendar-based strategy, the BlightPro Decision Support System based strategy (DSS-based strategy), and a strategy that does not involve fungicide application. The data from field trials and computer simulation experiments were used to construct distributions of the net return per acre for the calendar-based and the DSS-based strategies. These distributions were then compared using three standard approaches to ranking risky alternatives, namely: stochastic dominance, stochastic dominance with respect to a function, and stochastic efficiency with respect to a function. Assuming no yield differences between the calendar-based and the DSS-based strategies, the calendar-based strategy was preferred for highly late blight susceptible cultivars, and the DSS-based strategy was preferred for moderately susceptible and moderately resistant cultivars. Assuming no yield differences, the value of the BlightPro Decision Support System ranged from −$28 to $48 per acre. With the yield improvement for the DSS-based strategy included, the DSS-based strategy was preferred for the cultivars in all of the disease-resistance categories with the value ranging from $496 to $1714 per acre.
Intestinal transport of TRH analogs through PepT1: the role of in silico and in vitro modeling

The present study involves molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies, and Caco‐2 cell monolayer permeability assay to investigate the effect of structural modifications on PepT1‐mediated transport of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) analogs. Molecular docking of four TRH analogs was performed using a homology model of human PepT1 followed by subsequent MD simulation studies. Caco‐2 cell monolayer permeability studies of four TRH analogs were performed at apical to basolateral and basolateral to apical directions. Inhibition experiments were carried out using Gly‐Sar, a typical PepT1 substrate, to confirm the PepT1‐mediated transport mechanism of TRH analogs. Papp of the four analogs follows the order: NP‐1894 < NP‐2378 < NP‐1896 < NP‐1895. Higher absorptive transport was observed in the case of TRH analogs, indicating the possibility of a carrier‐mediated transport mechanism. Further, the significant inhibition of the uptake of Gly‐Sar by TRH analogs confirmed the PepT1‐mediated transport mechanism. Glide docking scores of all the four analogues were in good agreement with their transport rates, suggesting the role of substrate binding affinity in the PepT1‐mediated transport of TRH analogs. MD simulation studies revealed that the polar interactions with amino acid residues present in the active site are primarily responsible for substrate binding, and a downward trend was observed with the increase in bulkiness at the N‐histidyl moiety of TRH analogs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social Capital, Trust and Entrepreneurial Productivity

With an incomplete panel data from 63 countries over 25 years this paper finds that the average number of employees per entrepreneur increases with the countries' levels of social capital. This evidence is in line with predictions from occupational choice models, where the equilibrium average size of firms increases with lower internal costs of growth, when social capital supported trust reduces these costs facilitating the delegation of decision power in firms. We also find that the influence of social capital in self&#8208;employed rates differs if the self&#8208;employed have employees or not so entrepreneurs should be treated as a heterogeneous group.