Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of biochemical, functional and structural changes in mice respiratory organs chronically exposed to cigarette smoke

Abstract Female C57BL/6 mice were exposed to mainstream cigarette smoke at 600 μg WTPM/L, 4 h/day and 5 days/week for up to 52 weeks. At 26, 52 and 65 weeks (52 weeks of exposure plus 13 weeks of no exposure), lungs were assessed for inflammation, function, histopathology and morphometry. Structural changes were observed and accompanied by altered lung function at 26 and 52 weeks (e.g. increase of static compliance and hysteresis, and decrease of elastance). Lung morphometry quantified significant increase in airspace enlargement at 52 weeks. Chronic smoke exposure induced inflammation in respiratory organs, e.g. mixed inflammatory cell infiltrates, perivascular lymphocyte infiltrates and pigmented alveolar macrophages in the lungs. Minimal or mild alveolar emphysema was diagnosed in 70% by 26 weeks or 80% by 52 weeks. After 13 weeks of recovery, most biochemical, histopathological and morphometrical alterations were restored, while emphysema was observed to persist at 18% incidence by 65 weeks. In conclusion, the employed exposure conditions induced emphysematous changes in the lungs, accompanied by altered lung function and morphological/histopathological changes. Following the 13 weeks of no exposure, morphological changes persisted, although some functional/biochemical alterations regressed.
In Vivo Evaluation of Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging: Correlation With Nerve Function and Histology

Objective The aim of this study was to prospectively estimate magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging parameters in distal portions of crushed sciatic nerves in rabbits and correlation with neurological function and histology. Methods Thirty-two rabbits were randomly divided into 8 groups and followed up at 10 weeks. The right sciatic nerves were crushed, and the left sciatic nerves served as the control group with sham operation. Another 4 rabbits were chosen in the normal control group. Diffusion tensor imaging scan was obtained on bilateral sciatic nerves using spin-echo single-shot echo planar imaging. The values of fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient, and eigenvalue (&lgr;║ and &lgr;⊥) were measured on diffusion tensor imaging. Quantitative assessment of functional recovery in crushed nerves included toe-spreading reflex and modified Tarlov score, as well as pathology of the injured nerves. Results Fractional anisotropy of distal portions in injured nerves reduced slightly on the first day and dropped to the minimum at the fourth day after surgery. Then, FA increased gradually from the eighth day to the eighth week. After that, FA recovered nearly normal in the 10th week after injury. There was statistical significance in FA during 4 days to the eighth week and &lgr;⊥ values between distal portions of injured nerves and normal control nerves (P < 0.05). Fractional anisotropy of distal portions to injured nerves correlated significantly with the nerve function score(r = 0.898, P < 0.01), whereas &lgr;⊥ of distal portions of injured nerves demonstrated negative correlation with the nerve function score(r = −0.820, <0.01). Fractional anisotropy values of distal portions of injured nerves formed a similar time course as functional recovery, whereas &lgr;⊥ indicated a opposite trend. Conclusions The changes in FA and &lgr;⊥ of distal portions of injured sciatic nerves correlate well with functional recovery and histology. Therefore, FA and &lgr;⊥ of distal portions of injured sciatic nerves can be used as a marker to monitor Wallerian degeneration and regeneration of crushed sciatic nerves.
Tissue equivalent material for hand phantoms

We suggest that to best reproduce the interaction between a handheld wireless transceiver and the hand holding it, the dielectric properties of the hand phantom should be similar to those of the palm of the hand. The proposed target permittivity and conductivity values are presented and tabulated at a number of frequencies of interest. We have developed suitable phantom hand materials based on carbon-loaded silicones and demonstrated that it was possible to match the proposed dielectric properties in the frequency range 600–6000 MHz.
RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIAL ATROPHY IN PATIENTS WITH EXUDATIVE AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION UNDERGOING ANTI–VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR THERAPY

Purpose: To evaluate the occurrence of retinal pigment epithelial atrophy in patients with age-related macular degeneration undergoing anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. Methods: The study is a retrospective review. Eligible were patients with age-related macular degeneration and choroidal neovascular membranes treated with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor between October 2007 and February 2011; they were followed for >3 months, with fundus photographs and fluorescein angiography at baseline and with autofluorescence and near-infrared autofluorescence images at baseline and follow-up. Demographics, visual acuity, the type of choroidal neovascular membranes, the number of treatments performed, and the length of follow-up were recorded. Autofluorescence and near-infrared autofluorescence images were evaluated for the presence or absence of areas of reduced signal. A multilevel logistic regression model was used to investigate the factors that may be associated with “progression of atrophy” at follow-up, which was the primary outcome of this study. Results: Sixty-three patients (72 eyes) were followed for a median of 16 months (range, 3–36 months). Atrophy at baseline was observed in 47% (34/72) of eyes; progression of atrophy occurred in 62% (45/72) of eyes at the last visit. The number of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor injections received was statistically significantly associated with the progression of atrophy at follow-up (odds ratio, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.05–1.73; P = 0.02). Conclusion: Atrophy was frequently observed in patients with age-related macular degeneration and choroidal neovascular membranes undergoing anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.
An Interactive Individualized Intervention to Promote Behavioral Change to Increase Personal Well-Being in US Surgeons

Objective:Evaluate the utility of a computer-based, interactive, and individualized intervention for promoting well-being in US surgeons. Background:Distress and burnout are common among US surgeons. Surgeons experiencing distress are unlikely to seek help on their own initiative. A belief that distress and burnout are a normal part of being a physician and lack of awareness of distress level relative to colleagues may contribute to this problem. Methods:Surgeons who were members of the American College of Surgeons were invited to participate in an intervention study. Participating surgeons completed a 3-step, interactive, electronic intervention. First, surgeons subjectively assessed their well-being relative to colleagues. Second, surgeons completed the 7-item Mayo Clinic Physician Well-Being Index and received objective, individualized feedback about their well-being relative to national physician norms. Third, surgeons evaluated the usefulness of the feedback and whether they intended to make specific changes as a result. Results:A total of 1150 US surgeons volunteered to participate in the study. Surgeons' subjective assessment of their well-being relative to colleagues was poor. A majority of surgeons (89.2%) believed that their well-being was at or above average, including 70.5% with scores in the bottom 30% relative to national norms. After receiving objective, individualized feedback based on the Mayo Clinic Physician Well-Being Index score, 46.6% of surgeons indicated that they intended to make specific changes as a result. Surgeons with lower well-being scores were more likely to make changes in each dimension assessed (all Ps < 0.001). Conclusions:US surgeons do not reliably calibrate their level of distress. After self-assessment and individualized feedback using the Mayo Clinic Physician Well-Being Index, half of participating surgeons reported that they were contemplating behavioral changes to improve personal well-being.
Arousal recognition system based on heartbeat dynamics during auditory elicitation

This study reports on the recognition of different arousal levels, elicited by affective sounds, performed using estimates of autonomic nervous system dynamics. Specifically, as a part of the circumplex model of affect, arousal levels were recognized by properly combining information gathered from standard and nonlinear analysis of heartbeat dynamics, which was derived from the electrocardiogram (ECG). Affective sounds were gathered from the International Affective Digitized Sound System and grouped into four different levels of arousal. A group of 27 healthy volunteers underwent such elicitation while ECG signals were continuously recorded. Results showed that a quadratic discriminant classifier, as applied implementing a leave-one-subject-out procedure, achieved a recognition accuracy of 84.26%. Moreover, this study confirms the crucial role of heartbeat nonlinear dynamics for emotion recognition, hereby estimated through lagged Poincare plots.
Pretreatment nomogram for predicting the outcome of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy in prostate cancer.

PURPOSE Several studies have defined risk groups for predicting the outcome after external-beam radiotherapy of localized prostate cancer. However, most models formed patient risk groups, and none of these models considers radiation dose as a predictor variable. The purpose of this study was to develop a nomogram to improve the accuracy of predicting outcome after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was a retrospective, nonrandomized analysis of patients treated at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center between 1988 and 1998. Clinical parameters of the 1,042 patients included stage, biopsy Gleason score, pretreatment serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, whether neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy was administered, and the radiation dose delivered. Biochemical (PSA) treatment failure was scored when three consecutive rises of serum PSA occurred. A nomogram, which predicts the probability of remaining free from biochemical recurrence for 5 years, was validated internally on this data set using a bootstrapping method and externally using a cohort of patients treated at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH. RESULTS When predicting outcomes for patients in the validation data set from the Cleveland Clinic, the nomogram had a Somers' D rank correlation between predicted and observed failure times of 0.52. Predictions from this nomogram were more accurate (P<.0001) than the best of seven published risk stratification systems, which achieved a Somers' D coefficient of 0.47. CONCLUSION The development process illustrated here produced a nomogram that seems to predict more accurately than other available systems and may be useful for treatment selection by both physicians and patients.
Increasing physical activity through mobile device interventions: A systematic review

Physical inactivity is a health problem that affects people worldwide and has been identified as the fourth largest risk factor for overall mortality (contributing to 6% of deaths globally). Many researchers have tried to increase physical activity levels through traditional methods without much success. Thus, many researchers are turning to mobile technology as an emerging method for changing health behaviours. This systematic review sought to summarise and update the existing scientific literature on increasing physical activity through mobile device interventions, taking into account the methodological quality of the studies. The articles were identified by searching the PubMed, SCOPUS and SPORTDiscus databases for studies published between January 2003 and December 2013. Studies investigating efforts to increase physical activity through mobile phone or even personal digital assistant interventions were included. The search results allowed the inclusion of 11 studies that gave rise to 12 publications. Six of the articles included in this review reported significant increases in physical activity levels. The number of studies using mobile devices for interventions has increased exponentially in the last few years, but future investigations with better methodological quality are needed to draw stronger conclusions regarding how to increase physical activity through mobile device interventions.
A series of stages in the embryonic development of Chelydra serpentina

Eggs of the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina serpentina were incubated at 30°C and at 20°C. The incubation period at the higher temperature was about 63 days. At the lower temperature, the period was estimated to be 140 days. Lengths of the embryos at various times of development were recorded. A series of 26 stages is described. The staging is based on timed intervals at a constant temperature, 20°C.
Effect of TJ-68 (shakuyaku-kanzo-to) on polycystic ovarian disease.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of an herbal medicine, Shakuyaku-Kanzo-To (TJ-68), on endocrine variables in patients with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD). SETTING Medical university hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS Thirty-four Japanese women with PCOD were treated daily with 7.5 g of TJ-68 for 24 weeks. Testosterone (T), free-testosterone (free-T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), LH, FSH, estrone, 17 beta-estradiol, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPEG), and 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) were examined. RESULTS No side effects were observed in any cases. At 4 weeks after initiation of treatment, serum T and free-T levels significantly decreased, while SHBG was not significantly elevated. Meanwhile, after 12 weeks of treatment, the mean serum T level of the patients who became pregnant decreased to 35% of that before the treatment, but levels did not change in the patients who failed to conceive. There was no significant difference in estrone/estradiol ratio before and after treatment, but the estradiol/testosterone ratio increased significantly after 4 weeks of treatment. The LH/FSH ratio after 24 weeks of treatment was significantly lower than that before treatment. DOPEG and the DOPEG/DOPAC ratio significantly decreased after 4 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS It is suggested that TJ-68 acts directly on the ovary first, increasing the activity of aromatase, which promotes the synthesis of estradiol from testosterone, thus lowering serum T levels. Furthermore, the effect on catecholamines results in gradually improving the dissociate phenomenon of LH/FSH ratio. Therefore, TJ-68 is an effective herbal medicine for decreasing serum free-T levels and achieving pregnancy in patients with PCOD.
Expression of Calbindin-D28k (CaBP28k) in Trophoblasts from Human Term Placenta1

Abstract Calbindin-D28k (CaBP28k) belongs to a large class of eucaryotic proteins that bind calcium (Ca2+) to a specific helix-loop-helix structure. To date, this protein was mainly linked to brain, kidneys, and pancreas. Here, we demonstrate for the first time the existence of CaBP8k in the human placental trophoblasts of the human term placenta. Placental Ca2+ transfer from maternal to fetus is crucial for fetal development, although the biochemical mechanisms responsible for this process are largely unknown. In the current study, we have investigated the 45Ca2+ uptake by human trophoblast cells in correlation with the expression CaBP28k. The expression of CaBP28k was determined by Northern blot analysis, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunochemistry, and Western blot analysis. Indeed, Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of a CaBP28k transcript in syncytiotrophoblasts, cytotrophoblast cells, and HEK-293 cells. This was further confirmed by RT-PCR analysis followed by sequencing. In addition, anti-CaBP28k labeling was associated with cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast tissues in placental tissue sections and in vitro cultured cells. The presence of CaBP28k protein in these cells was confirmed by Western blotting. Cytotrophoblast cells isolated from human term placenta showed differentiation into syncytiotrophoblasts in culture according to the increase in hCG secretion. Both Ca2+ uptake and hCG secretion by trophoblasts increased gradually and were high at Day 4. Taken together, these data suggest that CaBP28k may play a role in Ca2+ transport or cell development in human trophoblast possibly trough Ca2+ buffering.
A Dataset for Detecting Stance in Tweets

We can often detect from a person’s utterances whether he/she is in favor of or against a given target entity (a product, topic, another person, etc.). Here for the first time we present a dataset of tweets annotated for whether the tweeter is in favor of or against pre-chosen targets of interest―their stance. The targets of interest may or may not be referred to in the tweets, and they may or may not be the target of opinion in the tweets. The data pertains to six targets of interest commonly known and debated in the United States. Apart from stance, the tweets are also annotated for whether the target of interest is the target of opinion in the tweet. The annotations were performed by crowdsourcing. Several techniques were employed to encourage high-quality annotations (for example, providing clear and simple instructions) and to identify and discard poor annotations (for example, using a small set of check questions annotated by the authors). This Stance Dataset, which was subsequently also annotated for sentiment, can be used to better understand the relationship between stance, sentiment, entity relationships, and textual inference.
Long‐term reversal of hypercholesterolemia in low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)‐deficient mice by adenovirus‐mediated LDLR gene transfer combined with CD154 blockade

Deficiency of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) results in abnormal elevation of cholesterol within the intermediate and low density plasma lipoproteins (IDL/LDL), and predisposes to early onset atherosclerosis. Cholesterol reduction after adenovirus‐mediated LDLR gene transfer to LDLR‐deficient animals is transient, due to the elicitation of an immune response.
Resistant Starch and Energy Balance: Impact on Weight Loss and Maintenance

The obesity epidemic has prompted researchers to find effective weight-loss and maintenance tools. Weight loss and subsequent maintenance are reliant on energy balance—the net difference between energy intake and energy expenditure. Negative energy balance, lower intake than expenditure, results in weight loss whereas positive energy balance, greater intake than expenditure, results in weight gain. Resistant starch has many attributes, which could promote weight loss and/or maintenance including reduced postprandial insulinemia, increased release of gut satiety peptides, increased fat oxidation, lower fat storage in adipocytes, and preservation of lean body mass. Retention of lean body mass during weight loss or maintenance would prevent the decrease in basal metabolic rate and, therefore, the decrease in total energy expenditure, that occurs with weight loss. In addition, the fiber-like properties of resistant starch may increase the thermic effect of food, thereby increasing total energy expenditure. Due to its ability to increase fat oxidation and reduce fat storage in adipocytes, resistant starch has recently been promoted in the popular press as a “weight loss wonder food”. This review focuses on data describing the effects of resistant starch on body weight, energy intake, energy expenditure, and body composition to determine if there is sufficient evidence to warrant these claims.
Survival after Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy or Surgery Alone in Resectable Adenocarcinoma at the Gastro-Esophageal Junction

Background and Aims Longterm survival after curative resection for adenocarcinoma at the gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ) range between 18% and 50%. In the pivotal Intergroup-0116 Phase III trial by Macdonald et all, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy improved both disease-free and overall survival in curatively resected patients with mainly gastric adenocarcinoma. We compared survival data for curatively resected patients with adenocarcinoma solely at the gastro-esophageal junction (GEJ), treated with surgery alone or surgery and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Methods From 2003 to 2009, 211 patients underwent curative resection. Surgery alone was performed in 95 patients and 116 patients received adjuvant therapy after resection. All patients underwent Lewis-Tanner operation with D1 node resection including coliac nodes (D1+). Informations about recurrence and death were collected from the Danish Cancer Register and the Central Death Register. Patients who died after experiencing severe complications after surgery were excluded from the survival analysis. Patients with T0N0 or T1N0 were also excluded because patients of this category were not given adjuvant therapy according to the Macdonald protocol. Results Patients with positive node status in the resected specimen, the 3-year disease-free survival after adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (n = 91) or surgery alone (n = 43) was 24% and 37%, respectively. Median time of survival was prolonged by 10 month in favour of those who received chemoradiotherapy. However, after controlling for the confounding effect of age and node status, only positive node status in the resected specimen had significant partial effect on survival. Conclusion Chemoradiotherapy according to the Intergroup-0116 protocol might still be a reasonable option after curative resection in patients with GEJ adenocarcinomas and positive lymph node status, who did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Physical and chemical analysis of outdoor dust deposited on photovoltaic panels installed in Rabat

In this paper, several physical and chemical analyses have been performed to determine the composition of the dust naturally deposited on photovoltaic panels installed in our RDI Solar Energy Platform in Rabat. The mineralogical composition was determined by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (XF). Additional characterization has also been performed by Thermal Analysis and Infrared Spectroscopy (IR). XF results show that silica, alumina, iron oxide, calcium oxide, magnesium oxide and potassium oxide are the most abundant elements in the dust. Mineralogical analysis shows that this dust also contains quartz, calcite, kaolin and dolomite. The paper presents also the effect of dust layer thickness on the optical transmittance of Petri dish glass and photo-optical effects and modifications of various materials in the dust on the solar panels.