Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of dynamic contrast-enhanced and diffusion weighted magnetic resonance image in staging and grading of carcinoma bladder with histopathological correlation

Background: Bladder cancer is the second most common neoplasm of the urinary tract worldwide. Dynamic contrast-enhanced and diffusion-weighted MRI has been introduced in clinical MRI protocols of bladder cancer because of its accuracy in staging and grading. Aim: To evaluate and compare accuracy of Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) and Diffusion weighted (DW) MRI for preoperative T staging of urinary bladder cancer and find correlation between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and maximum enhancement with histological grade. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients with bladder cancer were included in study. All patients underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) on a 1.5-T scanner with a phased-array pelvic coil. MR images were evaluated and assigned a stage which was compared with the histolopathological staging. ADC value and maximum enhancement curve were used based on previous studies. Subsequently histological grade was compared with MR characteristics. Results: The extent of agreement between the radiologic staging and histopathological staging was relatively greater with the DW-MRI (κ=0.669) than DCE-MRI (κ=0.619). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy are maximum and similar for stage T4 tumors in both DCEMRI (100.0, 96.2 and 96.7) and DW-MRI (100.0, 96.2 and 96.7) while minimum for stage T2 tumors - DCEMRI (83.3, 72.2, and 76.7) and DWI-MRI (91.7, 72.2, and 80). Conclusion: MRI is an effective tool for determining T stage and histological grade of urinary bladder cancers. Stage T2a and T2b can be differentiated only by DCE-MRI. Results were more accurate when both ADC and DCE-MRI were used together and hence a combined approach is suggested.
Decreased ankle/arm blood pressure index and mortality in elderly women.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relationship of the ankle/arm blood pressure index to short-term mortality in women 65 years of age or older. DESIGN Prospective cohort study with average follow-up of 4.3 years. SETTING Rural community near Pittsburgh, Pa. PARTICIPANTS A total of 1492 white women 65 years of age or older, living in the community and ambulatory without the help of another person. OUTCOME MEASURES All-cause and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS The ankle/arm index (the systolic pressure in the posterior tibial artery divided by that in the brachial artery) was measured in 1986 through 1988 and found to be 0.9 or less in 82 (5.5%) of the women, 67 of whom reported no symptoms of claudication. Comparing women with an index of 0.9 or less with those with an index greater than 0.9, the relative risk for all-cause mortality 4 years later (after adjustment for age, smoking, and other risk factors) was 3.1 (95% confidence interval [Cl], 1.7 to 5.5); for heart disease, 3.7 (95% Cl, 1.2 to 11.6); for cardiovascular diseases, 4.0 (95% Cl, 1.3 to 8.5); for cancer, 3.3 (95% Cl, 1.3 to 8.5); and for all other causes, 1.1 (95% Cl, 0.1 to 9.2). Similar levels of risk were found after excluding women with symptoms of claudication and/or a history of cardiovascular disease at baseline. CONCLUSIONS Healthy, older women with an ankle/arm index of 0.9 or less are at high risk of death and therefore may be considered for aggressive therapy to modify cardiovascular risk factors.
Prenatal stress and early adoption effects on benzodiazepine receptors and anxiogenic behavior in the adult rat brain

Chronic maternal stress during pregnancy has been associated with behavioral alterations that persist into adulthood. Moreover, adoption procedures performed immediately after birth can reverse these alterations. In this study, we examined the effects of prenatal restraint stress and adoption at birth (cross‐fostering) on the behavioral response to an anxiety‐provoking situation and on the adult male offspring expression of benzodiazepine (BDZ) receptors in selected brain areas. Adult offspring of rats stressed during the last week of pregnancy exhibited higher levels of anxiety than control rats. The anxiogenic behavior found at the elevated plus maze (EPM) has been related to the reduced levels of BDZ receptor levels in specific brain areas. Adult offspring of rats stressed during pregnancy exhibited a decrease in the number of BDZ receptors binding sites in the central amygdaloid nucleus (Ce), CA1, CA3, and the dentate gyrus regions of the hippocampus when compared to controls. Regarding the adoption procedure, control pups raised by a foster gestationally stressed mother showed similar levels of anxiety as stressed groups. Stressed offspring raised by a foster control mother showed reduced anxiety levels compared to that of the control groups. Adoption per se showed no difference in time spent, neither in the open arms of the plus maze nor in BDZ receptor levels, when compared to the corresponding control and stressed groups. Stressed offspring raised by a foster control mother reverted BDZ receptor levels to control values. However, control pups raised by a gestationally stressed foster mother showed similar values compared to the control offspring in hippocampus, in spite of showing an anxiogenic behavior in the EPM. We found a significant increase of Ce BDZ receptor levels in control offspring raised by a foster stressed mother that could be explained as a compensatory effect to a GABA receptor desensitization. In summary, the behavioral outcome of the adult offspring is vulnerable both to the stress experience during the late prenatal period as well as to possible variations in care during lactation by mothers subjected to chronic stress during gestation. There seems to be a direct correlation between anxiety state and BDZ receptor levels in the adult offspring raised by their biological mothers. However, the mechanism of BDZ regulation leading to an anxious behavior might be different if the insult is received only postnatally as opposed to both pre and postnatally. Synapse 60:609–618, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Preclinical analysis of MTOR complex 1/2 inhibition in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is an incurable childhood brain tumor. The mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR), a key oncogene, functions as two distinct signaling complexes, MTORC1 and MTORC2. We set out to determine the preclinical efficacy and mechanism of action of MTOR inhibitors in DIPG. We evaluated the MTORC1 inhibitor everolimus and the MTORC1/2 inhibitor AZD2014 in three patient-derived DIPG cell lines using cell culture models. We created dose-response curves for both compounds. We measured phenotypic effects on cell self-renewal, apoptosis, cell cycle, differentiation, senescence, and autophagy. We assessed the effects of each compound on the AKT pathway. Finally, we measured the efficacy of AZD2014 in combination with radiation therapy (RT) and a panel of FDA-approved chemotherapy drugs. While everolimus showed minimal antitumor efficacy, AZD2014 revealed IC50 levels of 410–552 nM and IC90 levels of 1.30–8.86 µM in the three cell lines. AZD2014 demonstrated increased inhibition of cell self-renewal compared to everolimus. AZD2014 decreased expression of phospho-AKT, while no such effect was noted with everolimus. Direct AKT inhibition showed similar efficacy to AZD2014, and induction of constitutive AKT activity rescued DIPG cells from the effects of AZD2014. AZD2014 exhibited synergistic relationships with both RT and various chemotherapy agents across classes, including the multikinase inhibitor ponatinib. MTORC1/2 inhibition shows antitumor activity in cell culture models of DIPG due to the effect of MTORC2 inhibition on AKT. This strategy should be further assessed for potential incorporation into combinatorial approaches to the treatment of DIPG.
Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: An Update From the Pathologists' Perspective.

CONTEXT Pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (PLCH) is a rare histiocytic disorder that almost exclusively affects the lungs of smokers. PLCH is characterized by bronchiolocentric nodules and/or cysts in an upper and mid lung distribution with sparing of the costophrenic angles. The diagnosis can be challenging and often requires transbronchial biopsy or surgical lung biopsy. Pulmonary hypertension is a relatively common and sometimes severe complication of PLCH. The pathogenesis of PLCH is still debated. Recently, BRAF V600E mutation and BRAF expression have been identified in some patients with PLCH, suggesting that at least a subset of PLCH has a clonal proliferation. While smoking cessation is the first-line treatment of PLCH, some patients might require additional treatment and eventually transplant. Given that the lesional cells of PLCH express BRAF in some patients, MAPKinase pathway-targeted treatment might be useful for therapy-resistant patients. OBJECTIVE To present the more recently recognized clinical and pathologic aspects of PLCH, including pulmonary hypertension in PLCH, pathogenesis, and treatment, as well as the basic diagnostic approach to PLCH. DATA SOURCES Authors' own research, and search of literature database (PubMed) and UpToDate. CONCLUSIONS Despite the recent progress, more studies are needed to elucidate the biology of PLCH for identification of prognostic factors and appropriate treatment options, especially for therapy-refractory PLCH cases.
Positive feedback trading in the US Treasurey market

Government bonds are at the heart of the global financial system. Because they usually represent the most creditworthy obligations in the economy, they are commonly used as benchmarks for pricing other obligations, as vehicles for hedging against changes in broad levels of interest rates, and as collateral for credit exposures. In recent years, other instruments have also begun to perform some of these functions. For example, interest rate swap yields have become pricing benchmarks in many fixed income markets, and exchangetraded derivatives such as futures and options have steadily gained importance as hedging vehicles.2 Nevertheless, government bond markets continue to play a central role in virtually all of the major economies. Any disruption to the trading or pricing of government bonds, such as happened at certain points during the market turbulence that followed Russia’s default in August 1998, has the potential to spread rapidly and to disrupt market functioning throughout the financial system (CGFS (1999, 2001) and Borio (2000)). The use of government securities as hedging vehicles means that price movements in related markets, such as those for bond options or mortgage-backed securities, can sometimes cause unexpectedly sharp movements in cash bond prices as well. Research on these dynamics has been limited; two recent examples are Kambhu and Mosser (2001) and Fernald et al (1994). Despite the systemic importance of government bond markets, relatively little is known about how price discovery takes place in these markets. This note examines one aspect of the price discovery process in the US Treasury bond market, namely the short-term interactions between market prices and new buy and sell orders. Confirming the results found by other researchers, we find that trades have a strong impact on prices, and that this impact is stronger on days when trading is relatively rapid and volatile than it is on quieter days. However, we also find that traders tend to reinforce price movements by buying when prices rise and selling when they fall, at least in the very short run. Moreover, this tendency is somewhat stronger in more volatile trading conditions.3 This second result is familiar to market practitioners, but has not yet been conclusively documented in the scholarly literature. A concluding section discusses some of the implications of this result for market functioning.
T102C Polymorphisms at the 5-HT2A Receptor Gene in Turkish Schizophrenia Patients: A Possible Association with Prognosis

Background: Serotonergic system abnormalities have been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphism has long been implicated to play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Aim: In this study, we assessed the relationship of schizophrenia and its subgroups with 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphism, and attempted to evaluate a possible correlation between the severity and prognosis of the illness and 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphism. Method: Our study comprised 141 unrelated subjects who strictly met DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia, and 79 healthy unrelated controls, all of Turkish origin. A clinical evaluation of all patients was accomplished applying the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) test. The analysis of 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphism was performed using the polymerase chain reaction technique. Results: Regarding 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphisms, no statistically significant difference was found between schizophrenic patients and control subjects (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference between the average of BPRS points of the patients and 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphisms (p > 0.05). Although there was no correlation between the duration of illness and polymorphism (p > 0.05), the frequency of hospitalization was found to be higher in the patients with T/C and T/T genotypes compared with the patients with C/C genotype (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the T102C polymorphisms of the 5-HT2A receptor gene does not play a substantial role in schizophrenia nor help evaluate susceptibility to schizophrenia. Since the 5-HT2A receptor gene polymorphism is associated with the frequency of hospitalization of the patients, it may be an indicator of prognosis in schizophrenia or help differentiate the patients who are somewhat refractory to antipsychotic treatment.
Sex Attractants for Six Clearwing and Tineid Species (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae and Tineidae) from Kazakhstan and Lithuania

Abstract Sex attractants for 3 Sesiidae and 3 Tineidae moth species in West-Kazakhstan and Lithuania were discovered by field screening tests of (3Z,13Z)-, (3E,13Z)-and (2E,13Z)-octadeca-dien-1-ols and their acetates as well as of some binary mixtures of these compounds. Total amount of chemicals was 0.3 mg/dispenser. Males of Synanthedon serica were attracted by a 5:5 mixture of 3E,13Z-18:OA c and 2E,13Z-18:OAc, Chamaesphecia bibioniformis by a 9:1 mixture of 3Z,13Z-18:OAc and 3E,13Z-18:OAc, Paranthrene tabaniformis by a 1:9 mixture of 3Z,13Z-18:OH and 3E,13Z-18:OH , Tinea nonimella by a 1:9 mixture of 3E,13Z-18:OH and 2E,13Z-18:OH , Monopis monachella by a 1:9 mixture of 3Z,13Z-18:OH and 2E,13Z -18:OH, and Nemaxera betulinella by a 9:1 mixture of 2E,13Z-18:OAc and the corresponding alcohol. The periods of attraction to the traps were registered for males of S. serica and Ch. bibioniformis and were found to occur at 15 - 18 and 1 5 -17 o'clock, local time, respectively.
Infant motor development is associated with adult cognitive categorisation in a longitudinal birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND The relationship between the age of reaching infant developmental milestones and later intellectual function within the normal population remains unresolved. We hypothesised that the age of learning to stand in infancy would be associated with adult executive function and that the association would be apparent throughout the range of abilities, rather than confined to extremes. METHODS The Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort is based upon 12,058 live-born children in a geographic and temporally defined population. Information on age at learning to stand without support was obtained at one year. At age 33-35 a random sample of 104 subjects underwent a neuropsychological test battery including tests of executive function (cognitive categorisation), visuo-spatial memory, verbal learning and visual object learning. We investigated associations between developmental data and adult neuropsychological test scores. RESULTS There was a significant linear relationship between age of learning to stand and adult categorisation: the earlier the attainment of the milestone, the better was the categorisation. No such relationships were observed between infant neurodevelopment and adult cognition in other neuropsychological domains. CONCLUSION Even within the normal range of development, early development in the gross motor domain is associated with better adult executive function (in tests of categorisation). Investigation of the determinants and sequelae of normal neural development will facilitate research into a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Predictors and Correlates of Maternal Role Competence and Satisfaction

Background: Developing a sense of competence and satisfaction in the maternal role enhances positive parenting and healthy development of the child. There is limited longitudinal research on the predictive factors influencing maternal role competence and satisfaction. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the predictive and concurrent associations of prenatal perceived maternal role competence, learned resourcefulness, social support, stress, and depression to perceived maternal role competence and satisfaction at 6 weeks postpartum. Method: A longitudinal, descriptive design was used. A convenience sample of 184 first-time pregnant women with a singleton and uneventful pregnancy were recruited from two regional public hospitals in Hong Kong. The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, Self-control Schedule, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, Social Readjustment Rating Scale, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were used to assess maternal role competence and satisfaction, learned resourcefulness, social support, stress, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Data were collected during pregnancy and at 6 weeks postpartum. Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that perceived maternal role competence and satisfaction at 6 weeks postpartum were predicted by prenatal perceived maternal role competence and learned resourcefulness and were associated with postnatal learned resourcefulness and depression. Social support and stress were not associated directly with perceived maternal role competence and satisfaction at 6 weeks postpartum. Discussion: The present findings suggest that maternal learned resourcefulness and depression are important factors affecting perceived maternal role competence and satisfaction at postpartum. Culturally competent healthcare should be developed to promote the psychological well-being of women and to equip women with the learned resourcefulness skills to facilitate maternal role taking and enhance women's sense of competence and satisfaction in the maternal role.
Long-term treatment with atomoxetine for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: an open-label extension study.

OBJECTIVE The efficacy and tolerability of long-term treatment with atomoxetine for symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not been established. METHODS In this study, 88 patients 6-17 years of age, with ADHD and ASD, were treated with 1.2 mg/kg/day atomoxetine for 20 weeks as follow-up of an 8 week double-blind placebo-controlled period. Primary endpoint was the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS). RESULTS After 8 weeks of initial treatment, the mean total, inattention, and hyperactivity-impulsivity ADHD-RS further decreased significantly from 34.9 to 27.0 for the total ADHD-RS, from 18.3 to 14.5 for the ADHD-RS inattention subscale, and from 16.5 to 12.6 for the hyperactivity-impulsivity subscale. Adverse events were mild and tended to diminish over time during continued treatment, especially regarding nausea and fatigue. There were no serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present analysis suggest that continued treatment with atomoxetine up to 28 weeks further improve ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents with ASD, while adverse events tend to subside. Future studies investigating the long-term efficacy of atomoxetine in children and adolescents with ASD should be randomized and placebo controlled. This study has been registered in ClinicalTrials.gov ( www.clinicaltrials.gov ) under registration number NCT00380692.
Seasonal predictability of Kiremt rainfall in coupled general circulation models

The Ethiopian economy and population is strongly dependent on rainfall. Operational seasonal predictions for the main rainy season (Kiremt, June–September) are based on statistical approaches with Pacific sea surface temperatures (SST) as the main predictor. Here we analyse dynamical predictions from 11 coupled general circulation models for the Kiremt seasons from 1985–2005 with the forecasts starting from the beginning of May. We find skillful predictions from three of the 11 models, but no model beats a simple linear prediction model based on the predicted Niño3. 4 indices. The skill of the individual models for dynamically predicting Kiremt rainfall depends on the strength of the teleconnection between Kiremt rainfall and concurrent Pacific SST in the models. Models that do not simulate this teleconnection fail to capture the observed relationship between Kiremt rainfall and the large-scale Walker circulation.
Banking privatization and market structure in Brazil: a dynamic structural analysis

This paper examines the effects of bank privatization on the number of bank branches operating in small isolated markets in Brazil. We estimate a dynamic game played between Brazilian public and private banks. We find private banks compete with each other as expected. We also find public banks generate positive spillovers for private banks. The latter can at least partly be explained by complementarities between credit products offered by different types of banks in Brazil. Our counterfactual study shows that privatization substantially reduces the number of banks. More than half of the markets in our sample would end up without any bank branch if banks were privatized. The government can mitigate the effects of privatization by providing subsidies to private banks. Our model predicts subsidy policies that reduce operating costs are always more cost-effective than entry costs for isolated markets in Brazil.
Acceptance and Decision Making in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis From a Life-Course Perspective

Researchers have explored perceptions of health care services among people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but little is known about how and why people with ALS engage with services. We undertook a grounded theory study to identify key psychosocial processes that underpin how and why people with ALS engage with health care services. We conducted in-depth interviews with 34 participants sampled from the Irish ALS population-based register. We found that age and life stage shaped participants’ decision making about care. Participants in later life were more accepting of ALS and of death than young and middle-aged participants. Family was the primary context to how participants engaged with services, and their decisions about care were shaped by parenthood at different life stages. Health care professionals need to be attuned to the impact of life-course trajectories and family relations on the decisions people with ALS make about their care.