Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adoptive immunotherapy with lymphokine‐activated killer cells plus recombinant interleukin 2 in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Ten patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, three of whom had pulmonary metastasis, were treated with adoptive immunotherapy using autologous lymphokine‐activated killer cells plus recombinant interleukin 2. Patients received 15 μg per day of recombinant interleukin 2 consecutively (for 14 to 64 days), from Day 7 prior to the first leukapheresis, and received 109 to 1010 lymphokine‐activated killer cells once or twice per week intravenously; the lymphokine‐activated killer cells had been generated from mononuclear cells obtained through leukapheresis. Preadministration of recombinant interleukin 2 prior to the first leukapheresis resulted in a remarkable increase of lymphokine‐activated killer activity in seven of nine cases in whom lymphokine‐activated killer activity had been poorly inducible even at high concentrations of recombinant interleukin 2. At the end of the treatment, liver tumor regression (34 and 63%, respectively, of two‐dimensional size) was observed in two of two patients with a solitary tumor; no increase of liver tumor size was observed in seven patients with massive or multiple tumors, and no changes in the size or number of pulmonary metastatic tumors in any patients were observed. More than a 35% decrease in serum α‐fetoprotein level was noted in four of nine α‐fetoprotein‐positive patients. However, Child's grades, performance status and lymphokine‐activated killer activity on entry into the study could not be used as parameters to predict therapy responsiveness. Neither serious side effects nor significant changes of serum bilirubin, ALT and creatinine were noted. Thus, this treatment seems to be well tolerated even in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with poor liver function reserve, and tumor regression could be expected in small‐burden hepatocellular carcinoma. The assessment of the therapeutic effects and application in hepatocellular carcinoma awaits the development of this trial.
Space charge dynamics in polypropylene

We investigated the space charge dynamics in polypropylene, M-PP and Z-PP which were polymerized using metallocene and Ziegler catalysts, respectively. Space charge distributions depended upon temperature, polarity and electrode materials. Carriers injected from the semiconducting electrode played an important role in the formation of space charge in PP at high temperatures. The amount of space charge was the largest around 40/spl deg/C for both M-PP and Z-PP. They showed similar space charge dynamics in spite of their difference in morphology. Z-PP showed larger current than M-PP. These results were also compared with those of polyethylene and they were discussed considering the difference in morphology among M-PP, Z-PP and polyethylene.
Maternal Hemodynamics After Normal Delivery and Delivery Complicated by Postpartum Hemorrhage

Serial hemodynamic investigations were performed in 40 women at 38 weeks' gestation and then 1, 2, 6, 10, and 14 days after normal delivery. Cardiac output was measured by Doppler and cross-sectional echocardiography at the aortic valve. In 30 controls who received an average of 280 mL intravenous fluid during labor, the mean cardiac output remained elevated (7.15 L/minute) for 24 hours after delivery and then fell to 5.39 L/minute at 10 days as a result of decreases in both heart rate and stroke volume. Blood pressure fell during the first 2 days after delivery and thereafter increased to values not significantly different from those recorded at the end of pregnancy. In ten women who experienced postpartum hemorrhage, stroke volume decreased and heart rate increased, relative to the control group, during the first 48 hours after delivery. Blood pressure and cardiac output, however, were not significantly different from values in the control group.
Monodispersed DOTA-PEG–Conjugated Anti-TAG-72 Diabody Has Low Kidney Uptake and High Tumor-to-Blood Ratios Resulting in Improved 64Cu PET

Diabodies are noncovalent dimers of single-chain antibody fragments that retain the avidity of intact IgG but have more favorable blood clearance than intact IgG. Radiometals offer a wide range of half-lives and emissions for matching imaging and therapy requirements and provide facile labeling of chelate-antibody conjugates. However, because of their high retention and metabolism in the kidney, the use of radiometal-labeled diabodies can be problematic for both imaging and therapy. Methods: Having previously shown that 111In-DOTA-polyethylene glycol (PEG)3400-anti–carcinoembryonic antigen diabody has less than half the kidney uptake and retention of non-PEGylated diabody and that the two have similarly high tumor uptake and retention, we synthesized a similar derivative for an anti–tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 diabody. We also reduced the molecular size of the polydispersed PEG3400 to monodispersed PEG27 and PEG12 (nominal masses of 1,321 and 617, respectively). We performed biodistributions of their DOTA conjugates radiolabeled with 125I, 111In, or 64Cu in tumor-bearing athymic mice. Results: The addition of PEG3400 to the diabody reduced kidney uptake to a level (≈10 percentage injected dose/g) comparable to that obtained with radiometal-labeled intact IgG. The PEG27 and PEG12 diabody conjugates also demonstrated low kidney uptake without reduction of tumor uptake or tumor-to-blood ratios. When radiolabeled with 64Cu, the DOTA-PEG12 and -PEG27 diabody conjugates gave high-contrast PET images of colon cancer xenografts in athymic mice. Conclusion: PEGylated diabodies may be a valuable platform for delivery of radionuclides and other agents to tumors.
Endothelial cell activity varies in patients at risk for the adult respiratory distress syndrome.

OBJECTIVE The endothelial cell produces many bioactive compounds that are presumed to play important roles in the pathogenesis of the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We postulated that individuals with sepsis and trauma-two at-risk diagnoses for the development of ARDS--might demonstrate differences in the degree of endothelial cell activity. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Intensive care unit patients in a tertiary, university-affiliated, city hospital. PATIENTS Fifty-five intensive care unit patients (19 with sepsis and 36 trauma patients). INTERVENTIONS Plasma measurements of three endothelial cell products--von Willebrand factor antigen, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and soluble E-selectin-were performed within 8 hrs of patients meeting our inclusion criteria, and at the clinical onset of ARDS. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Twenty-six percent of the septic patients and 25% of the trauma patients developed ARDS. The median (and 25% to 75% quartiles) concentrations of all three mediators measured in the sepsis patients (von Willebrand factor antigen 399% [375% to 452%], ICAM-1 573 ng/mL [470 to 980], and soluble E-selectin 180 ng/mL [81 to 340]) were significantly higher (p < .001 for each individual analysis) than in the trauma patients (von Willebrand factor antigen 256% [217% to 310%], ICAM-1 148 ng/mL [113 to 210], and soluble E-selectin 42 ng/mL [31 to 65 ng/ mL]). In addition, neither the ICAM-1 nor soluble E-selectin concentrations measured in the trauma patients were different (p = .17 and p = .24, respectively) from normal controls. In those patients who developed ARDS, the differences in the concentrations of all three endothelial cell mediators between the sepsis and trauma patients persisted (p = .008 for von Willebrand factor antigen, p = .003 for ICAM-1, and p = .003 for E-selectin). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that differences in endothelial cell activity exist between sepsis and trauma patients who are at risk for the development of ARDS.
Long-Term Follow-Up of GH-Treated Girls with Turner Syndrome: BMI, Blood Pressure, Body Proportions

Aims: To investigate whether long-term growth hormone (GH) treatment influenced blood pressure (BP), body proportions and BMI in young Turner syndrome (TS) women several years after GH discontinuation. Methods: A follow-up study of a randomized GH dose-response trial with 3 GH dosages (1.3, 2.0, and 2.7 mg/m2/day). 39 TS patients (20.0 ± 2.1 years) participated 4.8 (1.9) years after GH discontinuation. Mean GH duration was 8.7 (2.0) years. Measurements: BP, BMI and body proportions. Results: During GH treatment, DBP had decreased. At the long-term follow-up study, DBP had increased and was similar to pretreatment levels. DBP was negatively influenced by GH dose. SBP was not influenced by GH dose or duration. The BMI increased gradually during and after GH therapy. During GH therapy, shape values of sitting height had decreased to normal values, of foot had increased, and both remained constant after GH discontinuation. Conclusions: GH therapy in girls with TS has, besides height, additional beneficial effects on BP and body proportions, except foot length. Nearly 5 years after ending GH, the favorable effect of GH on BP was still noticeable. The BMI increased gradually over the years, not influenced by GH.
The stone artefacts from the Vredenburg Peninsula archaeological survey, west coast of South Africa

The stone artefacts and radiocarbon dates analysed from the Vredenburg Peninsular archaeological survey of 1991-92 show a 6000-year-long lithic sequence with an earlier, more formal set of assemblages and a later, more informal set. Between the two, a number of adze-rich sites seem to define a middle, or transitional phase in the local lithic sequence. This sequence suggests that the tripartite division of the pre-colonial Holocene industries on the west coast that was proposed by Jalmar Rudner in the 1960s represents a local evolution in lithic traditions.
Assessment and Prognostic Significance of Mitotic Index Using the Mitosis Marker Phospho-histone H3 in Low and Intermediate-grade Infiltrating Astrocytomas

Distinguishing between grade II and grade III diffuse astrocytomas is important both for prognosis and for treatment decision-making. However, current methods for distinguishing between grades based on proliferative potential are suboptimal, making identification of clear cutoffs difficult. In this study, we compared the results from immunohistochemical staining for phospho-histone H3 (pHH3), a specific marker of cells undergoing mitosis, with standard mitotic counts (number of mitoses/10 high-power fields) and MIB-1 labeling index values for assessing proliferative activity. We tested the relationship between pHH3 staining and tumor grade and prognosis in a retrospective series of grade II and III infiltrating astrocytomas from a single institution. The pHH3 index (per 1000 cells), MIB-1 index (per 1000 cells), and number of mitoses per 10 high-power fields were determined for each of 103 cases of grade II and III diffuse astrocytomas from patients with clinical follow-up. pHH3 staining was found to be a simple and reliable method for identifying mitotic figures, allowing a true mitotic index to be determined. The pHH3 mitotic index was significantly associated both with the standard mitotic count and with the MIB-1 index. Univariate analyses revealed that all 3 measurements of proliferation were significantly associated with survival. However, the pHH3 mitotic index accounted for a larger proportion of variability in survival than standard mitotic count or MIB-1/Ki-67 labeling index. After adjusting for age, extent of resection, and performance score, the pHH3 mitotic index remained an independent predictor of survival. Thus, pHH3 staining provides a simple and reliable method for quantifying proliferative potential and for the stratification of patients with diffuse astrocytomas into typical grade II and III groups. These results also suggest that pHH3 staining may be a useful method in other neoplasms in which accurate determination of proliferation potential is relevant to tumor grading or clinical treatment decision-making.
Pharmacologic Vitreodynamics

The vitreous body plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. From a mechanical standpoint, the hyaloid face acts as a scaffold for vascular proliferation, and complete removal of the vitreous eliminates the support structure needed for further proliferation. Diffusion of molecules throughout the posterior segment is governed in part by the status of the vitreous body, and molecular flux across the vitreoretinal junction is influenced by the presence or absence of posterior hyaloid attachments to the retina. Recent studies involving enzymatic manipulation of the vitreous have increased our understanding of pharmacologic vitreodynamics. Pharmacologic agents allow nonsurgical manipulation of the vitreous, including vitreous liquefaction and induction of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). The effects of these enzymes on molecular movement within the vitreous cavity and across the vitreoretinal junction have profound implications for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.
Further evidence of incomplete neural control of muscle properties in cat tibialis anterior motor units.

To examine the influence of a motoneuron in maintaining the phenotype of the muscle fibers it innervates, myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, and cross-sectional area (CSA) of a sample of fibers belonging to a motor unit were studied in the cat tibialis anterior 6 mo after the nerve branches innervating the anterior compartment were cut and sutured near the point of entry into the muscle. The mean, range, and coefficient of variation for the SDH activity and the CSA for both motor unit and non-motor unit fibers for each MHC profile and from each control and each self-reinnervated muscle studied was obtained. Eight motor units were isolated from self-reinnervated muscles using standard ventral root filament testing techniques, tested physiologically, and compared with four motor units from control muscles. Motor units from self-reinnervated muscles could be classified into the same physiological types as those found in control tibialis anterior muscles. The muscle fibers belonging to a unit were depleted of glycogen via repetitive stimulation and identified in periodic acid-Schiff-stained frozen sections. Whereas muscle fibers in control units expressed similar MHCs, each motor unit from self-reinnervated muscles contained a mixture of fiber types. In each motor unit, however, there was a predominance of fibers with the same MHC profile. The relative differences in the mean SDH activities found among fibers of different MHC profiles within a unit after self-reinnervation and those found among fibers in control muscles were similar, i.e., fast-2 < fast-1 < or = slow MHC fibers. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Criticizing and Evaluating the Visual Arts in India: Preliminary Example

By what standards should we judge works of art from another culture or era? We are generally used to the idea that understanding the meaning of an image requires consideration of its distinctive context—literary, religious, social, and so on. Evaluating the quality of a work of art is another specific case of this broad dilemma of understanding. Do we evaluate good and bad images by the “proper” criteria and in the way that is appropriate to them?
No . 17-005 Historical Performance of Rule-Like Monetary Policy

I construct the differences between rule-based monetary policy for multiple interest rate rules and the actual interest rates for nine countries using real-time data available to policymakers at the time. Using structural break analysis, regressions at the country level, and panel regressions, which are robust to different measures of output and inflation, I document that more rule-like policy is associated with greater economic stability. Additionally, I find evidence that the association between rule-like policy and greater economic stability is causal by examining the timing of the structural breaks and the changes in central bank policy, using vector autoregressions, and regression specifications relying on the temporal ordering of lagged deviations from the policy
Dependence of Transport-Current Losses in ${\rm MgB}_{2}$ Superconducting Wire on Temperature and Frequency

AC losses of a monofilamentary MgB2 wire in a self-field are experimentally evaluated at several temperatures and frequencies. The alternating transport currents are applied to the straight sample wire, and the AC losses are observed electrically with a lock-in amplifier. The temperature of the sample wire was adjusted by a conduction cooling with gaseous helium, and the stability was below ±0.1 K near a fixed temperature. The temperature dependence of the transport-current losses was roughly explained with a theoretical expression based on the Bean model, though the experimental results of the transport-current losses slightly depend on the frequency.
PATTERNS AND DETERMINANTS OF PRE-HOSPITAL CARE AMONG TRAUMA PATIENTS TREATED IN TIKUR ANBESSA SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.

BACKGROUND Injury remains the major cause of death and disability worldwide, and places an enormous burden on countries with limited resources in which Ethiopia is included. OBJECTIVE It is obvious that pre-hospital care is a essential part of the treatment process in many acute disease and trauma. METHODS Cross sectional study design using structured interviewing questionnaire which was conducted in 437 Trauma patients who came to emergency department of Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital from February 1 to March 30, 2013. RESULTS Only 73 (16.7%) patients got some kind of basic cars like stop bleeding, positioning, immobilization by ambulance staff 41 (51.2%), relatives 24 (30%) and police and bystanders 14 (20.3%). Commonest means of transportation in which 59% of cases arrived by taxi while about 14.4% were brought in by ambulance. Most patients arrived to definitive care from the scene after are (the golden) hour of injury, has passed; only 81 (18.5%) of patients arrived in less than and within one hour. CONCLUSION Proportion of patients, who received care before they arrived in the hospital was very small. Time of arrival to definitive care was prolonged and use of ambulances for transportation was minimal.
Evidence against poor semantic encoding in individuals with autism

This article tests the hypothesis that individuals with autism poorly encode verbal information to the semantic level of processing, instead paying greater attention to phonological attributes. Participants undertook a novel explicit verbal recall task. Twenty children with autism were compared with 20 matched typically developing children. On each trial, 20 words were presented individually on a computer screen. Half of the items were related through having either a common semantic theme, or a common phonological feature. Following a filler task, the participants were presented with a cue and asked to recall items consistent with the cue. No differences between the autism and comparison groups were found in either the semantic or the phonological condition. A follow-up comparison revealed that the participants with autism showed comparable levels of recall to an additional group of children matched in chronological age. The findings do not support the idea of a developmental delay in semantic encoding in children with autism.
Carpal tunnel syndrome: what is attributable to work? The Montreal study.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the fraction of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) that is attributable to work in the total adult population of the island of Montreal. METHODS: The population consisted of 1.1 million people 20-64 years of age, with 73.2% of men and 60.6% of women employed. The rates of first surgery for CTS were compared between occupational groups and the total adult population with the standardised incidence ratio (SIR) method. Rates of surgery for the island of Montreal were obtained from the provincial data base of payments. The occupational history was obtained from telephone interviews of a sample of surgical cases. The attributable fractions in exposed people were calculated with odds ratios (ORs) obtained from logistic regressions with non-manual workers as the control group. RESULTS: The surgical incidence of CTS was 0.9/1000 adults. SIRs for all manual workers were 1.9 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.4-2.5) in men and 1.8 (95% CI 1.4-2.2) in women, and the fractions attributable to work were 76% (95% CI 47-88) and 55% (95% CI 33-69), respectively. Seven occupational groups were identified as having excess risk of surgical CTS, with fractions attributable to occupation ranging from 75% to 99%. CONCLUSION: Among manual workers on the island of Montreal, 55% of surgical CTS in women and 76% in men was attributable to work. Increased risk of surgical CTS was found in seven occupational groups.
Effects of Chinese tallow leaf litter on water chemistry and surfacing behaviour of anuran larvae

The establishment of exotic invasive species, including plants, has been linked to the decline of some amphibian populations. Of particular concern with invasive plants, from an amphibian conservation perspective, is that they are disproportionately wetland or riparian species. Recent evidence suggests that Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera), an exotic deciduous tree species, is expanding its range and becoming more abundant where it occurs in the United States. This is particularly relevant to amphibian conservation considering that Chinese tallow tends to invade wetlands, and recent studies have demonstrated that the leaf litter causes mortality of anuran eggs and larvae by reducing the dissolved oxygen and pH of water. The lethal effect of Chinese tallow leaf litter is short lived and concentrated soon after leaf fall, typically December through to February in the south-eastern United States. In this study, we were interested in determining the sub-lethal effects of Chinese tallow leaf litter on the surfacing frequency and air-gulping behaviour of overwintering anuran larvae. Lithobates catesbeianus and L. clamitans clamitans are two frog species that commonly overwinter as aquatic larvae and extensively overlap in range with invasive Chinese tallow, which may expose their tadpoles to the deleterious effects of the leaf litter. We conducted experiments where we exposed tadpoles to four different concentrations of tallow leaf litter and recorded water chemistry and tadpole surfacing frequency. We found that as Chinese tallow concentration increased, oxygen levels decreased. Both anuran species responded similarly to our treatments and dissolved oxygen levels, where tadpoles swam to the water’s surface to air gulp at a significantly higher rate in the treatments with greater tallow concentration. Such changes in behaviour induced by Chinese tallow could have negative consequences on tadpole foraging efficiency and predator avoidance, ultimately reducing fitness. As biological invasions will continue to be an important part of global change, more attention should be given to sub-lethal impacts, as they pertain to fitness.