Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
11C- or 18F-Choline PET/CT for Imaging Evaluation of Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer

Recurrence of prostate cancer is suspected when an increase in the prostate-specific antigen level is detected after radical treatment; the recurrence could be local relapse, distant relapse, or both. Differentiation between the two patterns of relapse is critical for choosing the proper treatment strategy. Choline PET/CT could be of help in discriminating patients with local, lymph node, and bone recurrences, thus having an impact on patient management.
Adsorption of Bacteriophages to Adhesions Between Wall and Membrane of Escherichia coli

In plasmolyzed Escherichia coli, wall and membrane adhered to one another at 200 to 400 localized areas. This number of specialized wall areas per cell was of the same order of magnitude as the total number of bacteriophage receptors. When bacteriophages T1 to T7 were adsorbed to the bacteria, they were seen to attach almost exclusively to these areas. Comparisons of the number of adsorbed phage particles observed in ultrathin sections and the expected number of phages per cell were in agreement. These results suggest a sharing of receptive areas by the various phages. Adsorption to the wall-membrane associations would permit the virus to release its nucleic acid at an area closest to the cell's protoplasmic contents.
The influence of secondary flow structures in a turbocharger turbine housing in steady state and pulsating flow conditions

This paper presents a computational investigation into the effect of volute secondary flow structures on turbine inlet flow conditions. The steady state results show Dean type vortices exist early in the volute. As a result a substantial variation in absolute flow angle at the volute exit was observed. Pulsed flow simulations showed that the size and position of the secondary flow structures are time dependent. The resulting volute exit flow conditions were also found to be time dependent with the absolute flow angle at the volute exit varying with pulse pressure. This paper shows that that the secondary flow structures that exist in the volute as a result of cross sectional shape can have significant downstream effects on rotor performance.
Infrasonic tremor observed at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i

Infrasonic array data collected at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i, during November 12–21, 2002 indicate that the active vents and lava tube system near the Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent complex emit almost continuous infrasound in the 0.3–10 Hz frequency band. The spectral content of these infrasonic signals matches well that of synchronous seismic tremor. In sites protected from wind noise, significant signal to noise ratios were recorded as far as ∼13 km from the crater of Pu'u 'Ō'ō. The infrasonic recordings suggest that one or more tremor sources may be close to the surface. In addition, these results demonstrate that adequate site and instrument selections for infrasonic arrays are essential in order to obtain consistent and reliable infrasonic detections.
Public health emergency preparedness at the local level: results of a national survey.

OBJECTIVE To study the relationship between elements of public health infrastructure and local public health emergency preparedness (PHEP). DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING National Association of County and City Health Officials 2005 National Profile of Local Health Departments (LHDs). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS LHDs serving larger populations are more likely to have staff, capacities, and activities in place for an emergency. Adjusting for population size, the presence of a local board of health and the LHDs' experience in organizing PHEP coalitions were associated with better outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that more research should be conducted to investigate the benefit of merging small health departments into coalitions to overcome the inverse relationship between preparedness and population size of the jurisdiction served by the LHD.
High-fidelity simulation enhances pediatric residents' retention, knowledge, procedural proficiency, group resuscitation performance, and experience in pediatric resuscitation.

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to assess the effect of high-fidelity simulation (HFS) pediatric resuscitation training on resident performance and self-reported experience compared with historical controls. METHODS In this case-control study, pediatric residents at a tertiary academic children's hospital participated in a 16-hour HFS resuscitation curriculum. Primary outcome measures included cognitive knowledge, procedural proficiency, retention, and self-reported comfort and procedural experience. The intervention group was compared with matched-pair historical controls. RESULTS Forty-one residents participated in HFS training with 32 matched controls. The HFS group displayed significant initial and overall improvement in knowledge (P < .01), procedural proficiency (P < .05), and group resuscitation performance (P < .01). Significant skill decay occurred in all performance measures (P < .01) with the exception of endotracheal intubation. Compared with controls, the HFS group reported not only greater comfort with most procedures but also performed more than twice the number of successful real-life pediatric intubations (median: 6 vs 3; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS Despite significant skill decay, HFS pediatric resuscitation training improved pediatric resident cognitive knowledge, procedural proficiency, and comfort. Residents who completed the course were not only more proficient than historical controls but also reported increased real-life resuscitation experiences and related procedures.
Role of growth regulators on preharvest fruit drop, yield and quality in kinnow mandarin

The study was undertaken to envisage the effect of growth regulators on preharvest fruit drop and quality of Kinnow mandrin (Citrus reticulata Blanco). Various concentration of 2, 4-D, GA3 and NAA were applied during the last week of November, 2005 to check the impact of various treatments on preharvest fruit drop, yield and fruit quality. Exogenous application of growth regulators significantly decreased preharvest fruit drop percentage, leading to increase in total number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, juice percentage, total soluble solids, acidity, vitamin-C, reducing sugars and non reducing sugars %age while no effect was observed on fruit size. Auxin (2,4-D and NAA) performed better compared to gibberellins.
Characteristics associated with long-term progression-free survival following high-dose chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer and influence of chemotherapy dose.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to characterize long-term progression-free survivors (LTPFS) of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) following high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and to assess the influence of chemotherapy dose in order to identify patients who derive major benefit from this approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS We compared patient and tumor characteristics of 16 LTPFS with the characteristics of 118 MBC patients who received HDCT with ASCT at our institution between 1992 and 2000. To estimate the cumulative dose of chemotherapy received, the summation dose intensity product (SDIP) of the different chemotherapy regimens was calculated as recently described by Hryniuk et al. The SDIP of the induction regimens was added to that of the HDCT regimens to yield the total SDIP of the chemotherapy received. Multivariate analysis was performed to describe the influence of the total SDIP and other prognostic factors on progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS LTPFS were mostly < or = 50 years of age and had limited, chemotherapy-sensitive, hormone-responsive MBC. Due to an apparent dose-survival relationship, an increase by 10 units (U) in the SDIP increased the PFS time by 3 months. Independent predictors of an improved PFS were positive estrogen receptors (P = 0.001), positive combined hormone receptors (P = 0.020), and a complete remission/no evidence of disease status after HDCT (P < 0.001). In patients who had a disease-free interval (DFI) >24 months after primary surgery, an SDIP of >55 U was independently associated with a longer PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.73; 95% confidence interval 1.29-5.81; P = 0.009]. CONCLUSION HDCT can achieve long-term PFS in young MBC patients with limited, hormone-responsive and chemotherapy-sensitive disease. After a DFI >24 months, a longer PFS is associated with a higher chemotherapy dose as measured by SDIP. These retrospective analyses suggest SDIP might be a tool for studying cumulative dose as a determinant of outcome of MBC chemotherapy. Thus far, however, we cannot clearly identify any subgroup of MBC patients in whom HDCT with ASCT is of particular benefit.
Epidemiology of asthma-related disability in the U.S. Armed Forces: 2007–2012

Abstract Objective: To characterize the demographic, disability and deployment characteristics of U.S. Armed Forces personnel with an asthma-related disability discharge, which includes separation (without benefits) and retirement (with disability benefits). Methods: Incidence rates for personnel evaluated for disability discharge and/or disability retired due to asthma and due to all other causes of disability discharge were calculated per 100,000 active duty enlisted service members by year. Multivariate logistical regression was used to examine the associations between disability retirement and several demographic and disability characteristics of service members evaluated for asthma-related disability discharge versus those evaluated for any other non-respiratory condition for each branch of military service. Results: Service members evaluated for disability discharge related to asthma most often do not have comorbidity and are disability retired rather than separated, with rates of disability retirement increasing over time. Groups with a significantly higher incidence of evaluation for asthma-related disability include females, individuals who entered the military prior to the age of 20, non-Whites, and those with a history of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. The characteristic most associated with the odds of disability retirement was a history of deployment. Conclusions: New-onset asthma occurring after military entry often causes occupational impairment in service members, especially in those that have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Identification of variant ABC-transporter genes among Onchocerca volvulus collected from ivermectin-treated and untreated patients in Ghana, West Africa

Abstract Treatment with ivermectin (IVM) is known to cause a loss of polymorphism at certain loci of the β-tubulin, γ-aminobutyric-acid-receptor, glutamate-gated-chloride-channel and ATP-binding-cassette (ABC) transporter genes of IVM-resistant Haemonchus contortus. The genetic variation of four ABC-transporter homologues from Onchocerca volvulus was therefore investigated, to determine if any change in genetic polymorphism occurs in these genes following repeated treatment with IVM. Samples were collected in the Northern, Brong-Ahafo and Volta regions of Ghana, in 1999 and 2002; nodules containing adult O. volvulus were removed from subjects who had either received multiple IVM treatments or never taken IVM. The ATP-binding domains of four ABC-transporter genes (OvMDR-1, OvMDR-3, OvABC-1 and OvABC-6) were amplified from individual O. volvulus and examined for polymorphism, using single-strand-conformation-polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. In the samples collected in 1999, OvMDR-1 and OvABC-1 showed significant reduction in polymorphism following IVM treatment whereas OvABC-6 and OvMDR-3 were not found to be polymorphic. The samples collected in 2002 also showed a reduction in polymorphism for both OvMDR-1 and OvABC-1. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms, which resulted in either amino-acid-replacement substitutions or nonsense mutations, were identified in the alleles of OvMDR-1 and OvABC-1.
Endocrine Control of Energy Metabolism in the Cow: Diurnal Variations in the Concentrations of Hormones and Metabolites in the Blood Plasma of Beef and Dairy Cows

Summary To obtain further insight into the endocrine control of energy metabolism in the lactating cow, diurnal variations in concentrations of hormones (prolactin, growth hormone (GH), insulin and thyroxine) and metabolites (glucose, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), 3-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) and l-lactic acid) were measured in blood of high-yielding and low-yielding cows. Samples were taken on approximately days 40,80,120 and 180 during lactation and in the following dry period, at hourly intervals during 24 h when milking and feeding were at the same time. Additionally hormones were measured for a second 24 h when one meal was delayed 4—5 h after milking. Significant diurnal variation was observed in the levels of pro lactin, insulin, glucose, NEFA and BHB. The extent of the variation was different at different stages of lactation even though the diet remained constant. The changes in insulin and prolactin appeared to be related to feeding rather than to milking. Insulin and NEFA concentrations were negatively correlated during the dry period but not during lactation. GH was not correlated with NEFA. It was concluded that mobilization of body fat towards meeting energy requirements for milk production in early lactation depends on a high mean level of GH at that time. Short-term increases in insulin
When the Wait Isn't So Bad: The Interacting Effects of Website Delay, Familiarity, and Breadth

Although its popularity is widespread, the Web is well known for one particular drawback: its frequent delay when moving from one page to another. This experimental study examined whether delay and two other website design variables (site breadth and content familiarity) have interaction effects on user performance, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. The three experimental factors (delay, familiarity, and breadth) collectively impact the cognitive costs and penalties that users incur when making choices in their search for target information. An experiment was conducted with 160 undergraduate business majors in a completely counterbalanced, fully factorial design that exposed them to two websites and asked them to browse the sites for nine pieces of information. Results showed that all three factors have strong direct impacts on performance and user attitudes, in turn affecting behavioral intentions to return to the site, as might be expected. A significant three-way interaction was found between all three factors indicating that these factors not only individually impact a users experiences with a website, but also act in combination to either increase or decrease the costs a user incurs. Two separate analyses support an assertion that attitudes mediate the relationship of the three factors on behavioral intentions. The implications of these results for both researchers and practitioners are discussed. Additional research is needed to discover other factors that mitigate or accentuate the effects of delay, other effects of delay, and under what amounts of delay these effects occur.
Microarray‐based CGH of sporadic and syndrome‐related pheochromocytomas using a 0.1–0.2 Mb bacterial artificial chromosome array spanning chromosome arm 1p

Pheochromocytomas (PCC) are relatively rare neuroendocrine tumors, mainly of the adrenal medulla. They arise sporadically or occur secondary to inherited cancer syndromes, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type II (MEN2), von Hippel‐Lindau disease (VHL), or neurofibromatosis type I (NF1). Loss of 1p is the most frequently encountered genetic alteration, especially in MEN2‐related and sporadic PCC. Previous studies have revealed three regions of common somatic loss on chromosome arm 1p, using chromosome‐based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and LOH analysis. To investigate these chromosomal aberrations with a higher resolution and sensitivity, we performed microarray‐based CGH with 13 sporadic and 11 syndrome‐related (10 MEN2A‐related and 1 NF1‐related) tumors. The array consisted of 642 overlapping bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones mapped to 1p11.2‐p36.33. Chromosomal deletions on 1p were detected in 18 of 24 cases (75%). Among 9 tumors with partial 1p loss, the deleted region was restricted to 1cen‐1p32.3 in six cases (25%), indicating a region of genetic instability. The consensus regions of deletion in this study involved 1cen‐1p21.1, 1p21.3‐1p31.3, and 1p34.3‐1p36.33. In conclusion, these data strongly suggest that chromosome arm 1p is the site for multiple tumor suppressor genes, although the potential candidate genes CDKN2C and PTPRF/LAR are not included in these regions. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Equivalence on Efficacy and Safety of Two Formulations of Insulin Glargine (Biosimilar and Reference) in the Treatment of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Use of biosimilars has allowed the access to biopharmaceuticals to a more patients in the World. Insulin galrgine is an analogue of human insulin to provide consistent level of plasma insulin over a long duration. The aim of this study was compare the safety and efficacy of insulin glargine biosimilar vs reference in individuals with type 2 diabetes. One hundred two type 2 diabetic individuals (64 female and 38 male) were studied in a single center, randomized, comparative study. The patients received during 12 weeks insulin glargine biocomparable or reference at doses of 0.4 to 0.7 IU/kg/day by subcutaneous via. Glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac), Fasting blood glucose (FBG), and lipid profile were evaluated during the study. Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the 36-item Short Form questionnaire. Hb1Ac, FBG and lipid profile improved significantly from to start to endpoint in both groups. No significant differences were found between both groups. A total of 80.8 and 77.2% of patients had HbA1c < 7.5% and 66,6% and 69.5% achieved the FBG target, for reference and biosimilar insulin glargine, respectively. No significant reductions in body weight were observed between the start and the end of the study. The adverse event more reported was hypoglycemia. There was no apparent association between the levels of cross-reacting antibodies and Hb1Ac, body weight, insulin dose, or hypoglycemic episodes Improvements in both mental and physical health status were found, but no differences significant were found between the groups. We conclude that insulin galrgine biocomparable was similar since the safety and efficacy point of view with insulin glargine of reference in patients with diabetes mellitus 2
MCP-1 and soluble TWEAK levels are independently associated with coronary artery disease severity in patients with chronic kidney disease

Abstract Purpose: Patients diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a greater rate of cardiovascular mortality when compared with the general population. The soluble form of TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) and monocyte chemoattractan protein 1 (MCP-1) play important roles in cellular proliferation, migration and apoptosis. The current study aimed to analyze whether soluble TWEAK (sTWEAK) and MCP-1 levels are associated with the severity of coronary arterial disease (CAD) in CKD patients. Methods: Ninety-seven patients diagnosed with CKD stages 2–3 according to their estimated glomerular filtration rate and the presence of kidney injury were included in the study. Plasma sTWEAK and MCP-1 concentrations were determined using commercially available ELISA kits. Coronary angiographies were performed through femoral artery access using the Judkins technique. Results: Correlation analysis of sTWEAK and Gensini scores showed significant association (p < 0.01, r2 = 0.287). Also significant correlation has been found in MCP-1 levels and Gensini scores (p < 0.01, r2 = 0.414). When patients were divided into two groups with a limit of 17 according to their Gensini score, sTWEAK levels indicated a statistically significant difference (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our findings support a relationship between sTWEAK and MCP-1 levels and CAD in CKD stages 2–3 patients.
Rate and Incidence Estimates of Recent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infections among Pregnant Women in São Paulo, Brazil, from 1991 to 2002

ABSTRACT The serological testing algorithm for recent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconversion (STARHS) was employed to estimate HIV incidence among pregnant women from São Paulo, Brazil. A cross-sectional study (1999 to 2002) showed an incidence of infection of 0.2 per 100 pregnant women per year (95% confidence interval, 0.041 to 0.608). Western blot profiles suggested an association between results of the STARHS analysis and gp41/gp31 bands.
TH1 Immune Responses to Fully MHC Mismatched Allografts are Diminished in the Absence of MyD88, a Toll‐Like Receptor Signal Adaptor Protein

Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are innate immune receptors that are critical for recognizing conserved microbial motifs by inducing TH1 immunity. The majority of TLRs utilize the adaptor protein MyD88 for signal transduction, although other adaptors have been recently described. As the role of innate immunity in transplantation is unclear, we examined the importance of the MyD88 pathway in acute rejection of fully MHC‐mismatched murine allografts and specifically investigated whether MyD88 signaling is important for DC (dendritic cell) function and TH1 alloimmune responses. Our results demonstrate that acute rejection of both fully allogeneic skin and cardiac allografts occurs in the absence of MyD88. However, priming of naïve recipient T cells by allogeneic DCs and TH1 immune responses were diminished in the absence of MyD88, although TH2 immunity remained intact. Thus, these results demonstrate that MyD88 signaling is important for DC function and TH1 responses during fully MHC‐mismatched solid‐organ transplantation, although graft rejection occurs independently of MyD88.
Economical method of analyzing perceived color differences.

This paper describes a method of estimating perceived color differences which avoids some difficulties inherent in currently available methods. Twenty subjects estimated the ratios of each of the possible differences in a set of 21 colors compared to a standard difference. These ratios were analyzed by two types of multidimensional-scaling procedures and the solutions agreed with the Munsell notation for the colors used. The difference estimates were linearly related to the corresponding interpoint distances in the resulting solutions and were on a ratio scale. Useful solutions were obtained for individual data and, since the method required only one judgment per stimulus pair, it was shown to be the most economical available.