Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The indications and efficacy of conventional chemotherapy in primary and recurrent sarcoma

Conventional chemotherapy can have a favorable impact on the natural history of disease for selected patients with primary high‐risk bone and soft‐tissue sarcomas. In particular, multidrug regimens are integral to the care of patients with the most aggressive histologies, including Ewing sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and non‐pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma. Appropriately selected patients with high‐risk, clinically localized soft‐tissue sarcomas may also benefit from histology‐tailored adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy. For patients with recurrent disease, conventional chemotherapy is frequently the most appropriate first‐line therapy; active drugs are discussed at length. Several new promising cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents are currently under development, including aldoxorubicin, TH‐302, and trabectedin. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015 111:622–631. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of novel microsatellites from Moniliophthora perniciosa, causal agent of the witches’ broom disease of Theobroma cacao

Moniliophthora perniciosa is the causal agent of the witches’ broom disease of cacao. Based on available genomic sequences, we identified 30 new microsatellite loci, which were analysed using 50 isolates from four populations sampled over a wide geographical area in Brazil, including three populations from the Amazon, the fungal putative centre of diversity, plus one from Bahia. Nine loci were polymorphic, with an average of 2.9 alleles per locus. The level of polymorphism observed was low, but these markers may allow the evaluation of pathogen diversity and the establishment of molecular standards for isolate fingerprinting to support cacao breeding.
Bloat Mitigation Potential of Plant Tannins and Yucca Extracts based on in Vitro Ruminal Fermentation and Methane Gas Production from Wheat Forage

Three commercial plant tannin and a yucca extract having different secondary compound profiles were simultaneously evaluated in vitro for their effects on ruminal methane gas production and rumen fermentation patterns of wheat forage. Overall objective was to quantify in vitro, the sources of tannins and dose levels of tannins and yucca extract on rate of gas production, ruminal fermentation, foam height and foam strength from wheat forage. In vitro gas and methane production were measured from 0 to 6 h rumen incubation periods. In vitro rumen volatile fatty acids (VFA) was measured after 6 h rumen incubation. Pine bark was used as condensed tannins sources to serve as a non-extracted plant tannin source. In vitro rate of gas and potential gas production linearly decreased (P < 0.01) in a dose dependent manner for quebracho, mimosa, chestnut tannins, and pine bark addition. In the presence of quebracho (P < 0.03), mimosa (P < 0.02), chestnut (P < 0.02), yucca (P = 0.06), and pine bark (P = 0.11), methane production linearly decreased. Cumulative hourly total in vitro ruminal gas production was similar between control, yucca and pine bark at 5 mg extracts/ml after 6 h rumen fermentation. Cumulative ruminal gas production was lower for quebracho (P < 0.01), mimosa (P < 0.001), and chestnut tannins (P < 0.001) after 3-h fermentation. Total average VFA concentration was not affected by chestnut and yucca extracts treatments, but total VFA linearly decreased for quebracho (P < 0.04), mimosa (P < 0.01) and pine bark (P < 0.01) tannins treatments. Acetate and propionate (A/P ratio) molar ratios for quebracho (P <0 .01), mimosa (P < 0.01), yucca (P = 0.11), and pine bark (P = 0.001) decreased linearly in a dose dependent manner. Foam production and foam strength were lower (P < 0.01) from quebracho, mimosa, chestnut, and pine bark tannins than control treatment, but foam production and foam strength were higher (P < 0.01) for yucca extracts than for control treatment. It is concluded that addition of commercial tannins and yucca extracts changed in vitro rumen fermentations and VFA profiles. Except for chestnut tannins, addition of tannins and yucca extracts, decreased acetate/propionate (A/P) ratios, suggesting that plant tannins and yucca extracts may be nutritionally beneficial in terms of altering VFA ratios to favor improved animal growth.
THE NATURALLY OCCURRING CYTOCHROME P450 (P450) 2B6 K262R MUTANT OF P450 2B6 EXHIBITS ALTERATIONS IN SUBSTRATE METABOLISM AND INACTIVATION

The polymorphic human cytochrome P450 (P450) 2B6 is primarily responsible for the metabolism of several clinically relevant drugs including bupropion, cyclophosphamide, propofol, and efavirenz. Although a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms have been found in the P450 2B6 gene, the influence of these variants on the metabolism of substrates and on the response to known inactivators of P450 2B6 has not been examined. We have compared the metabolism of different substrates of P450 2B6 (P450 Δ2B6) and the effects of mechanism-based inactivators with that observed with the polymorphic P450 Δ2B6 K262R in a reconstituted monooxygenase system (reconstituted system). Metabolism of bupropion by P450 Δ2B6 K262R resulted in increased production of hydroxybupropion compared with P450 Δ2B6. However, production of formaldehyde from the metabolism of benzphetamine by the P450 Δ2B6 K262R mutant was significantly less than that of the wild-type isozyme. P450 Δ2B6 K262R formed fewer benzphetamine metabolites compared with the wild type. N,N′,N″-Triethylenethiophosphoramide (tTEPA) and bergamottin decreased the ability of both enzymes to hydroxylate bupropion and to O-deethylate 7-hydroxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin (7-EFC). Incubation with 17-α-ethynylestradiol decreased bupropion hydroxylation and 7-EFC O-deethylation with the wild-type enzyme but had no effect on the mutant. The kinetics for inactivation of the variant by tTEPA and bergamottin were determined using 7-EFC. The KI values for inactivation of the variant were significantly greater than those determined for the wild-type enzyme. These data demonstrate a functional difference between P450 Δ2B6 and the allelic variant P450 Δ2B6 K262R.
Decreased Release of D‐Aspartate in the Guinea Pig Spinal Cord After Lesions of the Red Nucleus

Abstract: This study attempts to determine if fibers that project from the guinea pig red nucleus to the spinal cord use L‐glutamate and/or L‐aspartate as transmitters. Unilateral injections of kainic acid were placed stereotaxically in the red nucleus to destroy the cells of origin of the rubrospinal tract. Six days after the injection, Nissl‐stained sections through the lesion site showed that the majority of neurons in the red nucleus ipsilateral to the kainic acid injection were destroyed. In addition, the lesioned area included parts of the surrounding midbrain reticular formation. Silver‐impregnated, transverse sections of the cervical spinal cord revealed the presence of degenerating fibers contralaterally in laminae IV–VII of the gray matter. Ipsilaterally, very sparse degeneration was evident in laminae VII and VIII of the gray matter. Two to six days after surgery, the electrically evoked, Ca2+‐dependent release of both D‐[3H]aspartate, a marker for glutamatergic/aspartatergic neurons, and γ‐amino[14C]‐butyric acid ([14C]GABA) was measured in dissected quadrants of the spinal cervical enlargement. Lesions centered on the red nucleus depressed the release of D‐[3H]aspartate by 25–45% in dorsal and ventral quadrants of the cervical enlargement contralaterally. The release of [14C]GABA was depressed by 27% in contralateral ventral quadrants. To assess the contribution of rubro‐ versus reticulospinal fibers to the deficits in amino acid release, unilateral injections of kainic acid were placed stereotaxically in the midbrain reticular formation lateral to the red nucleus. Nissl‐stained sections through the midbrain revealed the presence of extensive neuronal loss in the midbrain and rostral pontine reticular formation, whereas neurons in the red nucleus remained undamaged. In the spinal cord, degenerating axons were present ipsilaterally in laminae VII and VIII of the gray matter. Some fiber degeneration was also evident contralaterally in laminae V and VI of the gray matter. This lesion did not affect the release of either D‐[3H]aspartate or [14C]GABA in the spinal cord. The substantial decrements in D‐[3H]aspartate release following red nucleus lesions suggests that the synaptic endings of rubrospinal fibers mediate the release of D‐[3H]aspartate in the spinal cord. Therefore, these fibers may be glutamatergic and/or aspartatergic. Because other evidence suggests that rubrospinal neurons are probably not GABAergic, the depression of [14C]GABA release probably reflects changes in the activity of spinal interneurons following the loss of rubrospinal input.
Evaluation of qualitative research studies

You work on a palliative care unit where you have many opportunities to discuss end of life decisions with patients and family members. In a recent team meeting of your unit’s providers, the topic of “appropriate” treatment choices for patients at end of life comes up. Some providers believe that they should counsel patients and family members to “help them make better end of life decisions so that they will have a good death. ” There is, however, no consensus about how this should be done. You volunteer to see if any studies have been done on decision making at the end of life. You remember that your institution has an online subscription to Evidence-Based Nursing . You sign in and go to the search screen. In the field “word(s) anywhere in article” you type in “end of life” (in quotations because you are looking for articles that include all 3 words together) and “decision”. 4 matches are found. The first is an abstract entitled “Providers tried to help patients and families make end of life decisions”. 1 You review the full text of the abstract, which describes a qualitative study by Norton and Bowers2 that seems to address the issues of interest. You get a copy of the full article from the library so that you can more fully assess the usefulness of this study for your team. Many authors have proposed criteria for appraising qualitative research.3–,10 Some question the appraisal process because of a lack of consensus among qualitative researchers on quality criteria.6–8,10 Despite this controversy, and while recognising that criteria will continue to evolve, we provide a set of guidelines to help nurses identify methodologically sound qualitative research studies that can inform their practice. Our standard approach to appraising an article …
How to Design for Strategic Resilience: A Case Study in Retailing

Few firms can be said to be truly resilient by sustaining high performance for a long time. We draw on a case study of a large U.S.-based retailer to explore how an organization develops resilience – the ability to recover quickly from environmental jolts or misfortunes. The company’s CEO, concerned about the company’s ability to maintain its industry leadership and excellent performance, sought to engage the organization in a broad quest for developing resilience capabilities. Our analysis of this case suggests that generative doubt, organizational slack, and mindful engagement throughout the organization are key conditions for resilience. These three conditions need to co-exist to develop and sustain strategic resilience.
Structural Elements That Direct Specific Processing of Different Mammalian Subtilisin-like Prohormone Convertases (*)

PC1 and PC2 are two important subtilisin-like prohormone convertases (PC) that undergo differential endoproteolytic processing steps and sequentially mediate proopiomelanocortin (POMC) processing. To investigate the structural elements directing the processing of different PCs, we constructed a series of mutant and chimeric PC proteins and expressed them in cell lines with different patterns of expression of endogenous PCs: AtT-20, hEK293, and hLoVo cells. The COOH-terminally truncated PC1 underwent efficient proregion cleavage and rapid secretion in all three cell lines, while proregion cleavage and secretion were completely blocked in an active-site mutant of PC1. The truncated PC1 produced dramatic changes in POMC processing in AtT-20 cells. PC2 with the potential oxyanion hole Asp residue changed to Asn was processed and altered several aspects of POMC processing in a manner similar to that of wild-type PC2. PC1 protein with its proregion substituted with that of furin was cleaved after its proregion, producing active PC1 enzyme. A similar furin/PC2 fusion protein underwent proregion cleavage at low efficiency. By contrast, when the proregions of PC1 and PC2 were substituted with one another, both fusion proteins failed to cleave the foreign prosequences, were unable to undergo oligosaccharide maturation, and remained in the ER. Although inactive PC mutants could theoretically function as dominant negatives, none interfered with the processing of endogenous active PCs or with POMC processing. We conclude that the COOH-terminal of PC1 plays an important role in the routing or storage of PC1, the proregions of these PC proteins are replaceable in a molecule-specific manner, removal of proregion is essential for routing and for endoproteolytic activity, and the role of the potential oxyanion hole in PC2 is still unclear.
Low-frequency noise in GaAs and InP Schottky diodes

This paper examines the low-frequency noise properties of millimeter-wave GaAs and InP Schottky diodes. Measurements of diodes fabricated using both HEMT and HBT epitaxy will be presented. These noise measurements should enable the development of accurate models useful in the analysis and design of MMIC components.
Global Economic Crisis and Career Aspirations among ‘Okada’ Riders in Nigeria: The Influence of Apprenticeship Skills Training

In spite of their usefulness as fast movers of passengers and goods in urban traffic congestion, the motor-cycle taxis have been noted for high rate of road traffic crashes inflicting injuries to many and death in some cases. Thus, a number of operators are in the occupation for other purposes rather than making it a lifetime career. This study is therefore aimed at examining such other purposes and future career aspirations of riders. It is also aimed at testing the hypothesis of the probabilistic migration model as propounded by Todaro. The data for the study is from a survey of 777 okada riders in two states of South West Nigeria. Using binary logit regression approach, the determinants of career choice among respondents are examined. The findings of the study shows employment as okada riders are for raising start-up capital in most cases, and that education, current earnings level and apprenticeship skills training among others are statistically significant variables affecting career aspiration among the respondents. Provision of commensurate employment for the educated youths and relaxing capital constraints for those with previous skills training are some of the policy implications of findings.
Results from the Trial Using Motivational Interviewing, Positive Affect, and Self-Affirmation in African Americans with Hypertension (TRIUMPH).

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine the effectiveness of combining positive affect and self-affirmation strategies with motivational interviewing in achieving blood pressure control among hypertensive African Americans (AA) compared with AA hypertensives in an education-only control group. DESIGN Randomized trial. SETTING Ambulatory practices in the South Bronx and Harlem, New York City. PARTICIPANTS African American adults with uncontrolled hypertension. INTERVENTIONS Participants were randomized to a positive affect and self-affirmation intervention or an education control group. The positive affect and self-affirmation intervention involved having participants think about things that made them happy and that reminded them of their core values on a daily basis. These strategies were reinforced every two months through motivational interviewing. The control arm received a workbook of strategies on blood pressure control. All participants were called every two months for one year. MAIN OUTCOMES Blood pressure control rate. RESULTS A total of 238 participants were randomized. The average age was 56 ± 11 years, approximately 70% were female, 80% were not married, and up to 70% had completed high school. There was no difference in control rates between the intervention and the control group. However, at one year, female participants were more likely to be controlled. Participants with high depressive symptoms or high perceived stress at baseline were less likely to be controlled. CONCLUSIONS While this study did not demonstrate an intervention effect, it does provide important insight into the psychosocial factors that may underlie blood pressure control in African Americans. Implications for future behavioral intervention trials are discussed.
Age‐related production of new granule cells in the adult dentate gyrus

UNLIKE most neurones, the dentate granule cells continue to be produced in adults. Recently our study has demonstrated that a highly polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM-H) is a reliable molecular marker for newly generated and developing dentate granule cells. Here we examined age-related changes in the number of newly generated and developing granule cells. In rats injected with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), a thymidine analogue, at 35 days to 18 months of age, double immunohistochemistry for BrdU and NCAM-H showed that the numbers of NCAM-H-positive and BrdU-/NCAM-H-positive granule cells gradually decreased over more than one year, but they were still detected in 18-month-old rats. These findings indicate that newly formed and developing granule cells occur in the dentate gyrus of young and aged rats, but the number of these cells decreases with age.
Determining the attitudes and use of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine among undergraduates.

OBJECTIVES To (1) determine the attitudes, perceptions, and use of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine among undergraduate students; (2) assess whether these students would benefit from more academic exposure to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and promotion of integrative medicine (IM); and (3) gauge the need and desire of undergraduates, particularly pre-health learners, to take courses about CAM/IM. METHODS This cross-sectional electronic survey study was conducted on the campus of the University of California (UC) Irvine. Selection criteria included being at least 18 years of age and a current undergraduate at UC Irvine. All survey responses were collected between November 20, 2010, and June 1, 2011. The data were analyzed by using Stata software, version 11-SE (Stata Corp., College Station, TX). RESULTS Completed surveys were received from 2839 participants (mean age of respondents, 20.2 years). Thirty-five percent had used CAM within the past 12 months, and 92.8% believed CAM to be at least somewhat effective; however, only 31% had prior education on CAM. After adjustment for variables, familiarity and belief in effectiveness were both highly linked to the use of CAM, with ascending odds ratios (ORs; 95% confidence interval [CI]) of 3.9 (3.1-4.9), 8.1 (5.7-11.5), 13.4 (6.0-30.2), 2.1 (1.3-3.4), 4.9 (3.0-7.8), and 12.7 (6.9-23.4) among increasing categories (all p<0.01). Sex (OR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.01-1.56]; p<0.05), Asian ethnicity (1.46 [1.14-1.88]; p<0.01), and prior education (1.26 [1.01-1.57]; p<0.05) were also significantly correlated to the use of CAM after adjustment. Most respondents indicated that they were likely to take a CAM college course if it fulfilled a graduation requirement (63.6%) or was offered within their major (56.4%). CONCLUSIONS Overall, this large-scale study supports the ideas that education plays a pivotal factor in the decision to use CAM and that there is a large demand for additional CAM knowledge among college students.
Discussion of "Cardiorespiratory alterations induced by low-intensity exercise performed in water or on land".

We have read with great interest the article by Ayme et al. (2015), recently published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, andMetabolism, that was on cardiorespiratory alterations induced by low-intensity exercise performed inwater or in land. The authors found no differences in echocardiographic parameters during exercise (at approximately 37% of dry-land peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and higher respiratory rate and ventilation in immersed versus dry-land ergocycle. We would like to make several comments regarding this publication, particularly for the Methods section. The authors stated that “previous studies failed to demonstrate cardiorespiratory differences between the 2 conditions under the threshold of 40%–60% VO2peak”. Our research group has demonstrated that oxygen uptake (VO2) is reduced during immersed ergocycling, even at very low exercise intensities (Garzon et al. 2015), owing principally to a reduced arteriovenous difference. As a consequence, VO2peak measured during dryland ergocycling is not similar to the one measured during immersed ergocycling and can be reduced by 27% in immersion (Garzon et al. 2015). Therefore, matching exercise intensity with a percentage of dry-land VO2peak value (37% in this study) (Ayme et al. 2015) may represent a potential bias and would lead to a higher relative percentage of exercise intensity in the water condition. As an example, 38% of VO2peak for dry-land conditions (75 W or 60 revolutions per minute (rpm), Table 1 (Garzon et al. 2015)) correspond to 46% of VO2peak measured on immersed ergocycling. Therefore, this could explain why respiratory rate and ventilation were found higher during exercise in water condition (Table 3) (Ayme et al. 2015). However, this result is in contradiction with a previous study demonstrating similar respiratory rate and ventilation at 60% of VO2peak (dry-land condition) (Brechat et al. 1999). We also demonstrated no differences in respiratory rate and ventilation at submaximal and maximal intensities matched with similar external power output (Garzon et al. 2012). To avoid this problem, we developed a biomechanical method to match the exercise intensity according to a similar external power output for immersed and dry-land ergocycles (Garzon et al. 2014, 2015). As well, in the Methods section, the model of the aquabike and the corresponding rpm used in the study is not indicated (Ayme et al. 2015). This can havemajor impact on the VO2/rpmrelationship, dependingon theaquabikemodelused (Giacomini et al. 2009) and also on the reproducibility of the study results by others research groups. Additionally, the authors stated that