Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
VacA seropositivity is not associated with the development of gastric cancer in a Japanese population.

OBJECTIVES Infection with Helicobacter pylori strains producing vacuolating cytotoxin (VacA) is associated with enhanced gastric mucosal damage and the development of gastric mucosal atrophy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether VacA seropositivity is associated with increasing risk of gastric cancer in Japanese populations which have much higher incidence of gastric cancer than Western populations. METHODS Serum sample was collected from 81 patients with gastric cancer and 81 sex- and age-matched endoscopically evaluated control subjects. Histologically, 62 cancers were of the intestinal type and 76 were early gastric cancer. H. pylori and VacA IgG antibodies were assayed by Western blotting using Chiron Diagnostics' Recombinant Immunoblot Assay (RIBAa). RESULTS VacA seropositivity was 68% (55/81) in patients with gastric cancer and 70% (57/81) in controls. The odds ratio for the risk of gastric cancer in VacA seropositives was 0.89 (95% CI 0.46-1.74). In H. pylori seropositive patients and their control subjects (matched H. pylori-positive controls), VacA seropositivity was the same 80.6% (50/62). The odds ratio for the risk of gastric cancer in H. pylori-positive patients if VacA seropositive was 1.00 (95% CI 0.41-2.44). The mean relative intensity of VacA antibody titre was 3.01+/-0.18 in the 55 VacA seropositive cancer patients and 3.09+/-0.17 in the 57 VacA seropositive control subjects (difference not significant). CONCLUSION These results suggest that VacA seropositivity is not associated with increasing risk of gastric cancer in Japanese populations.
21st century tundra shrubification could enhance net carbon uptake of North America Arctic tundra under an RCP8.5 climate trajectory

Recent observed shifts in Arctic tundra shrub cover have uncertain impacts on 21st century net ecosystem carbon exchanges. Here we applied a well-tested ecosystem model, ecosys, to examine the effects of North America Arctic tundra plant dynamics on ecosystem carbon balances from 1980–2100 under the RCP8.5 scenario. Tundra productivity was modeled to increase from enhanced carbon fixation and N mineralization under recent and future climates. Between 1982 and 2100 and averaged across the region, predicted increases in relative dominance of woody versus non-woody plants increased ecosystem annual net primary productivity by 244 g C m−2 that offset concurrent increases in annual heterotrophic respiration (139 g C m−2), resulting in an increasing net carbon sink over the 21st century. However, smaller increases in seasonal carbon uptake during winter (1 g C m−2) and autumn (22 g C m−2) and greater increases in ecosystem respiration (winter (23 g C m−2) and autumn (47 g C m−2)) by 2100 versus 1982 resulted in larger carbon losses during these seasons that completely offset the gains in spring (13 g C m−2) and 25% of the gains in summer (140 g C m−2). Modeled soil temperatures were predicted to increase more slowly than air temperatures (~0.6 °C for every 1 °C increase in air temperature over the 21st century). This slower soil versus air warming, and thus greater increases in CO2 fixation versus soil respiration rates, also contributed to the tundra remaining a carbon sink through 2100. However, these higher gains versus losses of carbon may be a transient response and not sustainable under further soil warming beyond 2100. Our modeling analysis allows us to extend beyond results from short-term warming experiments, which cannot characterize effects associated with decadal-scale changes in plant communities.
Distributed Stochastic Optimization of Network Function Virtualization

Decoupling network services from underlying hardware, network function virtualization (NFV) is expected to significantly improve agility and reduce network cost. However, network services, sequences of network functions, need to be processed in specific orders at specific types of virtual machines (VMs), which couples decisions of VMs on processing or routing network services. Built on a new stochastic dual gradient method, our approach suppresses the couplings, minimizes the time-average cost of NFV, stabilizes queues at VMs, and reduces the backlogs of unprocessed services through online learning and adaptation. Asymptotically optimal decisions are instantly generated at individual VMs, with a cost-delay tradeoff [ε,log²(ε)/√ε]. Numerical results show that the proposed method is able to reduce the time-average cost of NFV by 30% and reduce the queue length (or delay) by 83%, as compared to existing non-stochastic approaches.
[ECG-gated chest CT angiography: value for atypical chest pain evaluation].

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate ECG-gated whole chest CTA as a routine triage tool for patients with acute chest pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS Whole chest CTA with retrospective ECG-gating was performed in 30 patients with acute atypical chest pain. The ten main segments of the coronary arteries, the pulmonary arteries, the aorta, and the myocardium (function, morphology) were independently analyzed by a resident and two senior radiologists. The inter-observer agreement between resident and senior radiologists was calculated. A final diagnosis was determined by consensus. RESULTS Thirty patients were included. The coronary artery segments, myocardium and pulmonary arteries were considered analyzable in 84%, 90% and 97% of cases respectively. A final diagnosis for the cause of pain was retained in 19 patients: significant coronary artery stenosis (5), pulmonary embolus (5), aortic dissection (1), hypokinetic cardiomyopathy (2), lung parenchymal abnormalities (5), and hiatus hernia (1). Inter-observer agreement ranged from 0.76 to 1 between senior radiologists and from 0.76 to 1 between resident and senior radiologists. The average time of image interpretation ranged from 14 to 15 minutes. CONCLUSION ECG-gated whole chest CT angiography appears as a promising tool for the evaluation of acute chest pain. Combined evaluation of appearance and function of the myocardium can reveal additional interesting information.
Generalizing the Alcohol Outlet–Assaultive Violence Link: Evidence from a U.S. Midwestern City

This study assessed the geographic association between rates of assaultive violence and alcohol-outlet density in Kansas City, Missouri. Data were obtained for sociodemographic factors, alcohol-outlet density, and rates of assaultive violence across 89 inner-city census tracts in Kansas City, Missouri. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that sociodemographic variables predicted 61% (R2 = 0.61) of the variance in assaultive violence, but that an additional 9% (R2 = 0.09) of the variability in assaultive violence was explained by the density of alcohol outlets. Alcohol-outlet density contributed significantly to the explained variance of the regression model and was associated with higher rates of assaultive violence in this midwestern city.
Activity‐induced tissue oxygenation changes in rat cerebellar cortex: interplay of postsynaptic activation and blood flow

Functional neuroimaging relies on the robust coupling between neuronal activity, metabolism and cerebral blood flow (CBF), but the physiological basis of the neuroimaging signals is still poorly understood. We examined the mechanisms of activity‐dependent changes in tissue oxygenation in relation to variations in CBF responses and postsynaptic activity in rat cerebellar cortex. To increase synaptic activity we stimulated the monosynaptic, glutamatergic climbing fibres that excite Purkinje cells via AMPA receptors. We used local field potentials to indicate synaptic activity, and recorded tissue oxygen partial pressure (Ptiss,O2) by polarographic microelectrodes, and CBF using laser‐Doppler flowmetry. The disappearance rate of oxygen in the tissue increased linearly with synaptic activity. This indicated that, without a threshold, oxygen consumption increased as a linear function of synaptic activity. The reduction in Ptiss,O2 preceded the rise in CBF. The time integral (area) of the negative Ptiss,O2 response increased non‐linearly showing saturation at high levels of synaptic activity, concomitant with a steep rise in CBF. This was accompanied by a positive change in Ptiss,O2. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibition enhanced the initial negative Ptiss,O2 response (‘dip’), while attenuating the evoked CBF increase and positive Ptiss,O2 response equally. This indicates that increases in CBF counteract activity‐induced reductions in Ptiss,O2, and suggests the presence of a tissue oxygen reserve. The changes in Ptiss,O2 and CBF were strongly attenuated by AMPA receptor blockade. Our findings suggest an inverse relationship between negative Ptiss,O2 and CBF responses, and provide direct in vivo evidence for a tight coupling between activity in postsynaptic AMPA receptors and cerebellar oxygen consumption.
Significance of follow-up mammography in estimating the effect of tamoxifen in breast cancer patients who have undergone surgery.

OBJECTIVE We evaluated mammographic changes to assess the effect of tamoxifen in breast cancer patients who had undergone surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed the mammograms of 102 breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen (20 mg per day); these patients were subgrouped into tamoxifen-only patients and patients treated with tamoxifen in combination with another therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or both). The control group was made up of 50 breast cancer patients who did not undergo tamoxifen therapy and 20 healthy women who had an age distribution and menstruation status similar to those of the breast cancer patients. Two radiologists evaluated parenchymal patterns on mammograms of the contralateral breast in the breast cancer patients and of the left breast in the healthy women. Parenchymal changes before and after surgery were also analyzed. RESULTS Follow-up mammography showed decreased breast parenchyma in 59.8% of the tamoxifen group, 87.0% of the premenopausal tamoxifen-treated women, 36.0% of the nontamoxifen patients, and 10.0% of the healthy women. CONCLUSION On follow-up mammography of breast cancer patients, breast parenchyma was shown to be decreased after tamoxifen therapy. Mammography can be a useful method for evaluating breast parenchymal changes after tamoxifen treatment.
The induction and control of delayed type hypersensitivity reactions induced in chickens by infectious bronchitis virus.

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) was shown to induce delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in the wattle, or to inhibit migration in a macrophage migration inhibition test (MIT) in sensitised birds. The magnitude of the reactions was related to the sensitising dose of the virus. The optimal dose for the cold attenuated A3-IBV was 10(3 .5) EID50, higher doses giving lower responses. Birds given a similar dose of T-IBV had negative DTH reactions, but the spleen non-adherent lymphocytes from these unreactive birds, and also birds sensitised with 10(6.5) EID50 of A3 virus, on transfer to allogeneic birds sensitised with the optimal dose of A3 virus (10(3.5) EID50) suppressed their DTH response. Treatment of birds with dexamethasone, 6-mercaptopurine, or cyclophosphamide, before vaccination with the dose of A3 virus which suppressed the DTH reaction (10(6.5)EID50), abrogated the DTH unresponsiveness. Drug treatment before optimal sensitisation (10(3 .5) EID50) did not increase the magnitude of the DTH response, but prolonged the time over which the DTH response could be elicited. MIT results mirrored the DTH responses. The antigens elicitating the response, or the transferred cells suppressing the response, derived from chickens immunised with any of the three strains of IBV studied had similar effects on DTH and MIT responses in A3 virus sensitised birds.
Comparing the Hedging Effectiveness of Weather Derivatives Based on Remotely Sensed Vegetation Health Indices and Meteorological Indices

Weather derivatives are considered a promising agricultural risk management tool. Station-based meteorological indices typically provide the data underlying these instruments. However, the main shortcoming of these weather derivatives is an imperfect correlation between the weather index and the yield of the insured crop, called basis risk. This paper considers three available remotely sensed vegetation health (VH) indices, namely, the vegetation condition index (VCI), the temperature condition index (TCI), and the vegetation health index (VHI), as indices for weather derivatives in a German case study. We investigated the correlation and period of highest correlation with winter wheat yield. Moreover, we analyzed whether the use of remotely sensed VH indices for weather derivatives can reduce basis risk and thus improve the performance of weather derivatives. The two commonly used meteorological indices, precipitation and temperature sums, were employed as benchmarks. Quantile regression and index value simulation were used for the design and pricing of the weather derivatives. The analysis for the selected farms and corresponding counties in northeastern Germany revealed that, on average, the VHI resulted in the highest correlation with winter wheat yield, and VHI-based weather derivatives were also superior in terms of the hedging effectiveness. The total periods of the highest correlations ranged from the beginning of April to the end of July. VHI- and VCI-based weather derivatives led to statistically significant reductions of basis risk, compared to the benchmarks. Our results indicate that the VHI-based weather derivatives can be useful alternatives to meteorological indices, especially in regions with sparser weather station networks.
Expression of Acid-sensing Ion Channels of Gastric Mucosa From Patients With Henoch-Schönlein Purpura

ABSTRACT Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are members of the voltage-insensitive, amiloride-sensitive degenerin/epithelial Na+ channel family of cation channels and have been shown to mediate pain associated with tissue acidosis after inflammation or injury; however, the expression and role of ASICs in gastrointestinal tract of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) patients were still uncertain. The present study was designed to examine the expression and localization of ASICs in gastric mucosa from patients with HSP using immunochemical techniques. The results showed that there was a significant increase in the mean relative optical density of ASIC2 and ASIC3 but not ASIC1a in the lining epithelium and glandular tubes of gastric mucosa from HSP patients with HSP. This finding suggested that ASICs may be related to the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal manifestations in patients with HSP.
Neuroendocrine and clinical effects of electroconvulsive therapy and their relationship to treatment outcome

Synopsis Two groups of variables, endocrine and clinical, have been reported to have predictive value in determining response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in depressed patients. Baseline levels of oxytocin associated neurophysin (OAN) and peak OAN response to ECT may predict clinical outcome, while the presence of delusional symptoms may indicate favourable initial response to ECT. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between these variables on initial and longer term response over a course of ECT, using a direct measure of plasma oxytocin concentrations. A substantial and immediate increase in oxytocin was seen after the first ECT, with significantly attenuated responses after the third and fifth ECTs. Increased plasma vasopressin concentrations were seen after all ECT treatments, each response being of similar magnitude. No associations were found between either endocrine baseline levels or peak responses, and clinical outcome. Only clinical variables predicted outcome, as patients with psychotic symptoms had more rapid initial response to ECT, and patients who had relapsed 2 months after the end of ECT had significantly higher depression ratings at day 14 of treatment than treatment responders.
Diagnostic Accuracy of FebriDx: A Rapid Test to Detect Immune Responses to Viral and Bacterial Upper Respiratory Infections

C-reactive protein (CRP) and myxovirus resistance protein A (MxA) are associated with bacterial and viral infections, respectively. We conducted a prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study of adults and children with febrile upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a rapid CRP/MxA immunoassay to identify clinically significant bacterial infection with host response and acute pathogenic viral infection. The reference standard for classifying URI etiology was an algorithm that included throat bacterial culture, upper respiratory PCR for viral and atypical pathogens, procalcitonin, white blood cell count, and bandemia. The algorithm also allowed for physician override. Among 205 patients, 25 (12.2%) were classified as bacterial, 53 (25.9%) as viral, and 127 (62.0%) negative by the reference standard. For bacterial detection, agreement between FebriDx and the reference standard was 91.7%, with FebriDx having a sensitivity of 80% (95% CI: 59–93%), specificity of 93% (89–97%), positive predictive value (PPV) of 63% (45–79%), and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 97% (94–99%). For viral detection, agreement was 84%, with a sensitivity of 87% (75–95%), specificity of 83% (76–89%), PPV of 64% (63–75%), and NPV of 95% (90–98%). FebriDx may help to identify clinically significant immune responses associated with bacterial and viral URIs that are more likely to require clinical management or therapeutic intervention, and has potential to assist with antibiotic stewardship.
A Slice-Type Magnetoelectric Laminated Current Sensor

This paper describes the design and the implementation of a new structure for an ac current sensor based on a magnetoelectric laminated composite slice. Two layers of longitudinally magnetized magnetostrictive material Terfenol-D (Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe1.92) and one layer of transversely polarized piezoelectric material Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) were epoxy-bonded and the wire conducting the current coiled along the slice and the output voltage obtained across the two surfaces of the PZT. Compared with the reported ring-type or close-magnetic-circuit-type magnetostrictive current sensor topologies, there was no requirement for any interruption of the power supply to enable the installation and the maintenance of the sensor, which was very convenient and practical. The dimensions of the slice sensor were 30 mm × 8 mm × 2.8 mm. An averaging method was used to perform the theoretical analysis and the simulation is carried out using the COMSOL multiphysics software. The analysis, simulation, and experimental results were compared thoroughly. The current sensitivity was 1.03 mV/mA over input currents ranging from 15 mA to 2.1 A. A stable output voltage over a frequency range from 20 Hz to 5 kHz was attained by the slice. Further research on the influence of the dc bias magnetic field and the number of turns of the current coil on the output characteristics of the sensor has been carried out. This current sensor has great potential for further research and applications.
Rationale for elective modified neck dissection.

A retrospective study was conducted to give surgeons direction in deciding which type of modified neck dissection is proper elective treatment for the patient with a clinically negative neck. The medical records of 428 previously untreated patients (seen between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 1979) whose necks (i.e., NO) were electively dissected and who had had a primary squamous carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx were included. The three major types of modified neck dissections studied were the supraomohyoid, the anterior, and the functional. Sixteen percent (70 of 428) of the patients had multiple positive nodes and 6% (28 of 428) had evidence of extracapsular invasion. A unilateral supraomohyoid dissection was most often used for primaries of the oral cavity. Bilateral anterior dissection was common for cancers of the larynx and hypopharynx, and functional neck dissection was equally distributed among the primary sites. None of the patients with primaries of the larynx or hypopharynx had pathologically positive nodes in the submental or submaxillary triangles. Advanced T-stage was generally associated with a greater incidence of subclinically positive nodes. Thirty percent of the patients received postoperative radiotherapy. The total number of nodes removed, the number of positive nodes with or without extracapsular invasion, and the anatomic location of the positive nodes were correlated with the type of dissection, the stage and site of the primary cancer, the use of postoperative radiotherapy, the regional (neck) failure, and survival. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Characterization and Expression Analysis of Attacins, Antimicrobial Peptide-Encoding Genes, from the Desert Beetle Microdera punctipennis in Response to Low Temperatures.

BACKGROUND Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute the insect innate immune defense system. AMP production is usually induced by microbes. However, mounting evidence links insect immune reaction to cold hardiness. OBJECTIVE We aimed at characterizing two attacins, MpAtt1 and MpAtt2, from the desert beetle Microdera punctipennis in Coleoptera and investigating the expression profiles of the two genes in response to cold stress. RESULTS Full lengths MpAtt1 and MpAtt2 cDNAs were obtained from low temperature transcriptomic data. The newly identified attacins show characteristics different from those previously reported in other insects. MpAtt1 and MpAtt2 encode precursor proteins of 151 and 166 amino acid residues, respectively. These two attacins show 28.1% identity at amino acid level, and 38.3% identity at nucleotide level. Phylogenetic tree shows that the Mp attacins and the other Coleoptera attacins diverge earlier than Diptera and Lepidoptera attacins in evolution. The results of real-time quantitative PCR showed that MpAtt1 and MpAtt2 are highly expressed in hindgut plus Malpighian tube, and MpAtt1 also highly expressed in fat body. The mRNA levels of MpAtt1 and MpAtt2 were increased when the insects were treated at 4 degree C and a4 degree C, but the responsiveness to -4 degree C was lower than to 4 degree C. CONCLUSION The cold inducible expression of attacin genes from the desert beetle M. punctipennis from the aspect of antimicrobial peptide synthesis supports the hypothesis that the insect immune system is stimulated during cold exposure.