Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Management and Perspectives for the Future

Objective:To review the literature on current management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Background:Hepatocellular carcinoma represents one of the most common malignancies worldwide with a rising incidence in western countries. There have been substantial advances in the surgical and medical treatment of HCC within the past 2 decades. Methods:A literature review was performed in the MEDLINE database to identify studies on the management of HCC. On the basis of the available evidence recommendations for practice were graded using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine classification. Results:Advances in surgical technique and perioperative care have established surgical resection and orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) as primary curative therapy for HCC in noncirrhotic and cirrhotic patients, respectively. Primary resection and salvage OLT may be indicated in cirrhotics with preserved liver function. Selection criteria for OLT remain debated, as slight expansion of the Milan criteria may not worsen prognosis but is limited by organ shortage and prolonged waiting time with less favorable outcome on intention-to-treat analyses. Strategies of neoadjuvant treatment before OLT require evaluation within prospective trials. Transarterial chemoembolization is the primary therapy in patients with inoperable HCC and compensated liver function. Although systemic chemotherapy is not effective in patients with advanced HCC, there is recent evidence that these patients benefit from new molecular targeted therapies. If these agents are also effective in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting is currently being investigated. Furthermore, selective intra-arterial radiation therapy represents a promising new approach for treatment of unresectable HCC. Conclusions:Recent developments in the surgical and medical therapy have significantly improved outcome of patients with operable and advanced HCC. A multidisciplinary approach seems essential to further improve patients' prognosis.
Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is associated with microalbuminuria in older patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy is associated with microalbuminuria in young and middle-aged patients with type 2 diabetes. We examined this relationship and the potential mediating role of blood pressure in older patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS At least two of three components of cardiovascular autonomic testing were completed by 132 patients (mean age 70 +/- 5.6 years). Relative rankings on each of the components were averaged to create a summary heart rate variability (HRV) measure. The urine microalbumin-to-creatinine ratio (milligrams albumin/grams creatinine) was calculated. Blood pressure was measured at rest and by 24-h ambulatory recording. RESULTS Urine microalbumin-to-creatinine ratio was higher in those with lower HRV (mean urine microalbumin-to-creatinine ratio 28, 56, and 191 mg/g from the highest to lowest tertile of HRV; P < 0.0001). Resting and ambulatory blood pressure levels were negatively correlated with HRV and positively correlated with urine microalbumin-to-creatinine ratio. In multivariate analysis adjusting for age, duration of diabetes, HbA(1c), and HDL cholesterol, HRV and blood pressure were both independently associated with urine microalbumin-to-creatinine ratio, with no evidence that either mediates the effect of the other. CONCLUSIONS Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and blood pressure are independently associated with microalbuminuria in older patients with type 2 diabetes.
Computational modeling of cancer cachexia

Purpose of reviewMeasurements of whole-body energy expenditure, body composition, and in-vivo metabolic fluxes are required to quantitatively understand involuntary weight loss in cancer cachexia. Such studies are rare because cancer cachexia occurs near the end of life when invasive metabolic tests may be precluded. Thus, models of cancer-associated weight loss are an important tool for helping to understand this debilitating condition. Recent findingsA computational model of human macronutrient metabolism was recently developed that simulates the normal metabolic adaptations to semi-starvation and re-feeding. Here, this model was used to integrate data on the metabolic changes in patients with cancer cachexia. The resulting computer simulations show how the known metabolic disturbances synergize with reduced energy intake to result in a progressive loss of body weight, fat mass, and fat-free mass. The model was also used to simulate the effects of nutritional support and investigate inhibition of lipolysis versus proteolysis as potential therapeutic approaches for cancer cachexia. SummaryComputational modeling is a new tool that can integrate clinical data on the metabolic changes in cancer cachexia and provide a conceptual framework to help understand involuntary weight loss and predict the effects of potential therapies.
Evaluation of PD-L1 Expression Level in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by 18F-FDG PET/CT Radiomics and Clinicopathological Characteristics

Purpose In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by radiomic features of 18F-FDG PET/CT and clinicopathological characteristics. Methods A total 255 NSCLC patients (training cohort: n = 170; validation cohort: n = 85) were retrospectively enrolled in the present study. A total of 80 radiomic features were extracted from pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT images. Clinicopathologic features were compared between the two cohorts. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to select the most useful prognostic features in the training cohort. Radiomics signature and clinicopathologic risk factors were incorporated to develop a prediction model by using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the prognostic factors. Results A total of 80 radiomic features were extracted in the training dataset. In the univariate analysis, the expression of PD-L1 in lung tumors was significantly correlated with the radiomic signature, histologic type, Ki-67, SUVmax, MTV, and TLG (p< 0.05, respectively). However, the expression of PD-L1 was not correlated with age, TNM stage, and history of smoking (p> 0.05). Moreover, the prediction model for PD-L1 expression level over 1% and 50% that combined the radiomic signature and clinicopathologic features resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.762 and 0.814, respectively. Conclusions A prediction model based on PET/CT images and clinicopathological characteristics provided a novel strategy for clinicians to screen the NSCLC patients who could benefit from the anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy.
The Impact of Monetary Policy on Islamic Bank Financing: Bank-Level Evidence from Malaysia

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the distributional differences of Islamic bank financing responses to financing rate across bank-specific characteristics in dual banking system. The study also aims to provide understanding of how efficiently Islamic banks perform their roles as suppliers of capital for businesses and entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses panel regression methodology covering all Islamic banks in Malaysia. The study estimates the benchmark model for Islamic bank financing with respect to bank characteristics and monetary policy. Findings – The evidence suggests that bank-specific characteristics are important in determining Islamic financing behaviour. The Islamic financing behaviour is consistent with conventional lending behaviour that the Islamic bank financing operates depending on the level of bank size, liquidity and capital. There is no significant difference between Islamic bank financing and conventional bank lending behaviour with respect to changes in monetary policy. Originality/value – Many problems and challenges relating to Islamic financing instruments, financial markets and regulations must be addressed and resolved. In practice, it would be a good idea if Islamic banks move away from developing debt-based instruments and concentrate more efforts to develop profit and loss sharing instruments. Proposito - Este documento tiene como objetivo examinar las diferencias de distribucion de las respuestas de financiamiento del banco islamico a la tasa de financiamiento a traves de las caracteristicas especificas del banco en el sistema bancario dual. El estudio tambien busca proporcionar una comprension de la eficiencia con que los bancos islamicos desempenan sus funciones como proveedores de capital para empresas y empresarios. Diseno/metodologia/enfoque - El estudio utiliza una metodologia de regresion de panel que cubre todos los bancos islamicos en Malasia. El estudio estima el modelo de referencia para el financiamiento bancario islamico con respecto a las caracteristicas de los bancos y la politica monetaria. Hallazgos - La evidencia sugiere que las caracteristicas especificas del banco son importantes para determinar el comportamiento del financiamiento islamico. El comportamiento del financiamiento islamico es consistente con el comportamiento de los prestamos convencionales que operan el financiamiento del banco islamico segun el tamano del banco, la liquidez y el capital. No hay una diferencia significativa entre el financiamiento del banco islamico y el comportamiento de los prestamos bancarios convencionales con respecto a los cambios en la politica monetaria. Originalidad/valor - Deben abordarse y resolverse muchos problemas y desafios relacionados con los instrumentos financieros islamicos, los mercados financieros y las regulaciones. En la practica, seria una buena idea si los bancos islamicos se alejaran del desarrollo de instrumentos basados en la deuda y concentraran mas esfuerzos para desarrollar instrumentos de participacion en las ganancias y perdidas.
Reproductive Steroid Regulation of Mood and Behavior Crystal

In this article, we examine evidence supporting the role of reproductive steroids in the regulation of mood and behavior in women and the nature of that role. In the first half of the article, we review evidence for the following: (i) the reproductive system is designed to regulate behavior; (ii) from the subcellular to cellular to circuit to behavior, reproductive steroids are powerful neuroregulators; (iii) affective disorders are disorders of behavioral state; and (iv) reproductive steroids affect virtually every system implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. In the second half of the article, we discuss the diagnosis of the three reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression, and perimenopausal depression) and present evidence supporting the relevance of reproductive steroids to these conditions. Existing evidence suggests that changes in reproductive steroid levels during specific reproductive states (i.e., the premenstrual phase of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, parturition, and the menopause transition) trigger affective dysregulation in susceptible women, thus suggesting the etiopathogenic relevance of these hormonal changes in reproductive mood disorders. Understanding the source of individual susceptibility is critical to both preventing the onset of illness and developing novel, individualized treatments for reproductive-related affective dysregulation.
Characterizing children's expectations about expertise and incompetence: halo or pitchfork effects?

Do children expect an expert in one domain to also be an expert in an unrelated domain? In Study 1, 32 three- and four-year-olds learned that one informant was an expert about dogs relative to another informant. When presented with pictures of new dogs or of artifacts, children who could remember which informant was the dog expert preferred her over the novice as an informant about the names of dogs, but they had no preference when the informants presented artifact labels. In Study 2, 32 children learned that one informant was incompetent about dogs whereas another was neutral. In this case, children preferred the neutral speaker over the incompetent one about both dogs and artifacts. Taken together, these results suggest that for children, expertise is not subject to a "halo effect," but incompetence may be subject to a "pitchfork effect. "
The personal disturbance scale ( sAD ) : normative data and latent structure in a large non-clinical sample

The Personal Disturbance Scale [sAD; Bedford & Foulds (1978) Delusions–Symptoms–States Inventory State of Anxiety and Depression. Windsor: NFER-Nelson] is widely used in diverse settings and yet there are unresolved issues concerning its psychometric properties and normative data for the English speaking version are limited. The sAD was administered to a large sample of the general adult population (N=758). Demographic variables (gender, age, years of education and occupational status) had only very modest influences on sAD scores. Tables are presented for conversion of raw scores on the Anxiety, Depression and Total scales to percentiles. The sAD scales possessed adequate convergent and discriminant validity, as demonstrated by their pattern of correlations with two other measures of depression and anxiety (the DASS and the HADS). Ten competing models of the latent structure of the sAD were derived from theoretical and empirical sources. These models were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. The best fitting model (CFI=0.96) had a tripartite structure, and consisted of a general factor of psychological distress/negative affectivity (all items loaded on this factor) plus orthogonal specific factors of anxiety and depression. Correlated errors specified according to previous empirical findings were permitted. The theoretical and practical implications of this latent structure are discussed. # 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.
Pre- and Postoperative Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation in Hospitalized Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Herdy AH, Marcchi PLB, Vila A, Tavares C, Collaço J, Niebauer J, Ribeiro JP: Pre- and postoperative cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in hospitalized patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2008;87:714–719. Objective:Patients who have to wait in the hospital for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) are exposed to the potential risks of immobilization. This clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of an in-hospital cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program performed before and after CABG on postoperative outcomes. Design:Fifty-six patients who had to wait for CABG in-hospital were randomly assigned to a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation (Rehab; n = 29) or to usual care (Control; n = 27). In the Rehab group, intervention lasted for at least 5 days preoperatively until discharge. The program consisted of phase I cardiac rehabilitation associated with respiratory physical therapy. Outcomes were blindly evaluated. Results:By hospital discharge, Rehab patients presented a shorter time to endotracheal extubation (1054 ± 376 vs. 1340 ± 666 min, P = 0.05), a reduction in the incidence of pleural effusion (relative risk [RR] = 0.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5–0.8), atelectasis (RR = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.03–0.8), pneumonia (0 vs. 7 cases, [P = 0.004]), and atrial fibrillation or flutter (RR = 0.2; 95% CI: 0.05–0.8). Length of in-hospital stay after surgery was also reduced in the Rehab group (5.9 ± 1.1 vs. 10.3 ± 4.6 days [P < 0.001]). Conclusion:Pre- and postoperative cardiopulmonary rehabilitation in patients who await CABG in the hospital is superior to standard care and leads to a reduced rate of postoperative complications and shorter hospital stay.
Turning a Wild Plant into a Model – A Déjà vu Story

In the past two decades we have witnessed how a useless wild weed has been transformed from an anonymous into a model plant, probably the most widely “cultivated” plant species. The process has been rather slowly in the beginning, very laborious on the way, extremely expensive and time consuming, but the outcome is priceless – the knowledge that is most likely to frame and fill the blueprint of the first artificial plant, as system biology promises. The plant species is Arabidopsis thaliana and the “growers” are highly qualified researchers worldwide. This review introduces a new anonymous – Brachypodium distachyon – that raised big hopes for addressing specific problems of fundamental and practical biology in temperate cereals and forage grasses, and is rapidly becoming a “sweetheart” for the researchers working with these crops, and not only.
The Differential Tissue Expression of Inflammatory, Oxidative Stress, and Apoptosis Markers in Human Uncontrolled Non-Heart-Beating Donors

Background Uncontrolled non-heart-beating donor (UNHBD) transplantation offers a major opportunity to ameliorate the effects of the donor shortage. However, little is known about the true status of the organs obtained from these donors. UNHBD transplantation is performed under unfavorable conditions and involves exposure to several harmful stimuli that have been identified as triggers for immediate inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and apoptotic phenomena. This adverse scenario could explain the higher rates of graft dysfunction due to primary nonfunction traditionally observed in NHBD. Our aim was to assess the expression of proinflammatory, oxidative, and apoptotic markers in liver, lung, and pancreas tissue samples obtained from UNHBD and to compare these expression levels with those observed in brain-dead donors (BDD). Methods Samples from human type 2 NHBD and BDD were obtained at the end of cold storage. Interleukin (IL)-1&bgr;, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, IL-6, IL-10, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, inducible nitric oxide synthase, type 1 heme oxygenase, type 2 heme oxygenase, Bax, and Bcl-2 protein and mRNA expression, as well as catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase tissue activity, were determined. Results UNHBD showed similar or lower expression of proinflammatory mediators and apoptosis markers in all three organs without modifications to the anti-inflammatory cytokines. Although the major oxidative stress marker levels were also comparable in both types of donors, the type 1 heme oxygenase mRNA expression and antioxidant enzyme activity were slightly diminished in UNHBD. Conclusions The initial tissue damage generated during the UNHB donation process is at least comparable with that observed in BDD. However, although the expression of the immediate immune response and apoptosis markers is similar, a mild impairment of the local antioxidant activity was observed.
DNA binding site preferences and transcriptional activation properties of the Arabidopsis transcription factor GBF1.

The G‐box is a cis‐acting element found within the promoters of many plant genes where it mediates expression in response to a variety of different stimuli. This palindromic DNA motif (CCACGTGG) is composed of two identical half sites, the base pairs of which we have numbered −4 to +4 (numbering from 5′ to 3′). Both half sites are involved in the binding of the bZIP protein GBF1, a member of the GBF family of Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we demonstrate using the random binding site selection method that GBF1 interacts with, in addition to the palindromic G‐box, other DNA motifs that fall into seven distinct groups. All groups share the ACGT core sequence, common to most DNA motifs bound by plant bZIP proteins so far characterized. Our studies demonstrate that a high affinity GBF1 binding site is further defined by the following two parameters: first, all sites contain a G residue at position +3 (as in ACGTG) and secondly, only certain base pair combinations are allowed at positions −4, −3 and +4. Two of the identified groups (TGACGTGG and TGACGTGT) contain the base pairs TG at positions −4 and −3 and hence resemble the binding sites of another class of plant bZIP proteins (TGACGT/C binding proteins). However, GBF1 only interacts with the TGACGT sequence if the two 3′ distal nucleotides (positions +3 and +4) are occupied by GG or GT. These data define the differences between a G‐box binding protein and TGACGT/C binding proteins. The N‐terminal domain of GBF1 is defined by a high proline content. Such regions were also identified in proteins related to GBF1. We demonstrate that this N‐terminal proline‐rich domain of GBF1, when fused to a heterologous DNA binding domain, stimulates transcription in both plant protoplasts and mammalian cells. These extensive DNA binding studies and the characterization of the GBF1 activation domain will facilitate both the identification of regulatory elements and the in vivo function of GBF1.
Assessment of Pharmaceutical Store and Inventory Management in Rural Public Health Facilities – A study with reference to Udupi District, Karnataka

Inventory management is the core of pharmaceutical supply system. It is all about ordering, receiving, storing, issuing, and again reordering of limited list of products. On a realistic bases inventory management is a difficult task, because in many countries possession of a poor inventory management system in the pharmaceutical supply system has resulted in wastage or blockade of financial resources, shortage and overage of essential drugs, increase in out-of-pocket expenditure and decline in quality of healthcare services. Objective: This study is undertaken to assess the pharmaceutical inventory management and store keeping practices followed at the rural primary health centers in Udupi district, Karnataka. Methods: Retrospective data was collected by conducting a situational analysis in selected 20 primary health centers located across Udupi district. The collected data is related to the system of inventory management adopted, procurement practices, purchasing documents, essential drug lists, stock records, rate of correct items received and supplied, rate blacklisted and expired drugs, and rate of drug storages. The key performance indicatorswere collected from 2013 to 2015 to study the system and to identify the existing bottlenecks. Results: The inventory management and store keeping system implemented in primary health care (rural division) is still a piecemeal and ad hoc in nature. With the provided infrastructure, work force, complex procedures, manual system of record maintenance, lack of co-ordination between the activities and players only causes plethora of bottlenecks resulting in irrational usage of limited resources. Conclusion: Overall, there are still chances for improvement within the public pharmaceutical supply system at the primary healthcare level in the state. If corrective standardized measures are implemented in the areas of procurement, drug quantification, distribution, and inventory control, then the problems associated with stock-outs and wastage can be minimized. Key words: Drug inventory control, Stock management, Primary health centers in Karnataka, Pharmaceutical storage, Drug supply and distribution.
CFD Modelling of the Fluid Flow Characteristics in an External-Loop AirLift Reactor

Knowledge about hydrodynamics in the external-loop air-lift reactors is the key in equipment design and process optimization. The aim of the study presented in this paper was numerical analysis of the sparger construction influence on the fluid flow characteristics in an external-loop air-lift column. Unsteady simulations of air water dispersion flow in the reactor were performed using two fluid Euler-Euler numerical approach. Computational grids were created in commercial package ANSYS Workbench 2. ANSYS CFX 13 solver was used for numerical simulations. The Shear Stress Transport model was used for calculation of the turbulent momentum transport in the liquid phase. Results of the numerical simulation have been worked out in the form of the axial and radial distributions and contours of the gas hold-up, fluid velocity fields, kinetic energy of turbulence and its dissipation rate in the air-lift reactor.