Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of malignant skeletal disease: initial experience with 18F-fluoride PET/CT and comparison between 18F-fluoride PET and 18F-fluoride PET/CT.

UNLABELLED 18F-fluoride PET/CT was performed on 44 oncologic patients to evaluate its diagnostic accuracy in assessing malignant osseous involvement and in differentiating malignant from benign bone lesions. METHODS (18)F-fluoride PET and (18)F-fluoride PET/CT were interpreted separately. Lesions showing increased (18)F-fluoride uptake were categorized as malignant, benign, or inconclusive. The final diagnosis of lesions was based on histopathology, correlation with contemporaneous diagnostic CT or MRI, or clinical follow-up of at least 6 mo (mean, 10 +/- 3 mo). RESULTS Increased (18)F-fluoride uptake was detected at 212 sites, including 111 malignant lesions, 89 benign lesions, and 12 lesions for which the final diagnosis could not be determined. In a lesion-based analysis, the sensitivity of PET alone in differentiating benign from malignant bone lesions was 72% when inconclusive lesions were considered false negative and 90% when inconclusive lesions were considered true positive. On PET/CT, 94 of 111 (85%) metastases presented as sites of increased uptake with corresponding lytic or sclerotic changes, and 16 of the 17 remaining metastases showed normal-appearing bone on CT, for an overall sensitivity of 99% for tumor detection. For only 1 metastasis was PET/CT misleading, suggesting the false diagnosis of a benign lesion. The specificity of PET/CT was significantly higher than that of PET alone (97% vs. 72%, P < 0.001). PET/CT identified benign abnormalities at the location exactly corresponding to the scintigraphic increased uptake for 85 of 89 (96%) benign lesions. In a patient-based analysis, the sensitivity of PET and PET/CT was 88% and 100%, respectively (P < 0.05) and the specificity was 56% and 88%, respectively (not statistically significant). Among the 12 patients referred for (18)F-fluoride assessment because of bone pain despite negative findings on (99m)Tc-methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy, (18)F-fluoride PET/CT suggested malignant bone involvement in all 4 patients with proven skeletal metastases, a potential benign cause in 4 of 7 patients who had no evidence of metastatic disease, and a soft-tissue tumor mass invading a sacral foramen in 1 patient. CONCLUSION The results indicate that (18)F-fluoride PET/CT is both sensitive and specific for the detection of lytic and sclerotic malignant lesions. It accurately differentiated malignant from benign bone lesions and possibly assisted in identifying a potential cause for bone pain in oncologic patients. For most lesions, the anatomic data provided by the low-dose CT of the PET/CT study obviates the performance of full-dose diagnostic CT for correlation purposes.
Incidence and Outcomes of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in Patients Undergoing Vascular Surgery.

OBJECTIVE The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from years 2010 through 2012 was utilized to determine the incidence, predictive risk factors, and outcomes of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in patients undergoing vascular surgery. DESIGN Retrospective population-based study. SETTING Data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) (2011 through 2013) using specific International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) procedure codes corresponding with vascular surgery. PARTICIPANTS 425,379 hospital admissions in patients which underwent vascular surgery. Among these, 1,290 (0.31%) were diagnosed with HIT, and 17,765 (4.18%) were diagnosed with secondary thrombocytopenia. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS The incidence of HIT is 0.3% in the vascular surgery population. The highest incidence is observed in thoraco-subclavian and vein reconstruction procedures. This study indicated that liver disease, endocarditis, chronic renal failure, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, obesity, and female sex are associated with a higher incidence of HIT in this population. In vascular surgery patients, HIT can increase mortality by 3-fold and lead to severe complications such as acute renal failure, venous embolism, pulmonary embolism, and respiratory failure. CONCLUSION The incidence of HIT in the vascular surgery population is similar to previously reported incidence in cardiac surgery patients. In the vascular surgery population, mortality increases 3-fold in patients with HIT versus those without any thrombocytopenia. Understanding the associated risk factors and complications will allow clinicians to make informed decisions and anticipate HIT and associated complications in certain high-risk populations.
zCOSMOS: A Large VLT/VIMOS Redshift Survey Covering 0 < z < 3 in the COSMOS Field

zCOSMOS is a large-redshift survey that is being undertaken in the COSMOS field using 600 hr of observation with the VIMOS spectrograph on the 8 m VLT. The survey is designed to characterize the environments of COSMOS galaxies from the 100 kpc scales of galaxy groups up to the 100 Mpc scale of the cosmic web and to produce diagnostic information on galaxies and active galactic nuclei. The zCOSMOS survey consists of two parts: (1) zCOSMOS-bright, a magnitude-limited I-band IAB < 22.5 sample of about 20,000 galaxies with 0.1 < z < 1.2 covering the whole 1.7 deg2 COSMOS ACS field, for which the survey parameters at z ~ 0.7 are designed to be directly comparable to those of the 2dFGRS at z ~ 0.1; and (2) zCOSMOS-deep, a survey of approximately 10,000 galaxies selected through color-selection criteria to have 1.4 < z < 3.0, within the central 1 deg 2. This paper describes the survey design and the construction of the target catalogs and briefly outlines the observational program and the data pipeline. In the first observing season, spectra of 1303 zCOSMOS-bright targets and 977 zCOSMOS-deep targets have been obtained. These are briefly analyzed to demonstrate the characteristics that may be expected from zCOSMOS, and particularly zCOSMOS-bright, when it is finally completed between 2008 and 2009. The power of combining spectroscopic and photometric redshifts is demonstrated, especially in correctly identifying the emission line in single-line spectra and in determining which of the less reliable spectroscopic redshifts are correct and which are incorrect. These techniques bring the overall success rate in the zCOSMOS-bright so far to almost 90% and to above 97% in the 0.5 < z < 0.8 redshift range. Our zCOSMOS-deep spectra demonstrate the power of our selection techniques to isolate high-redshift galaxies at 1.4 < z < 3.0 and of VIMOS to measure their redshifts using ultraviolet absorption lines.
The palliative medication kit: an effective way of extending care in the home for patients nearing death.

OBJECTIVE Palliative medication kits for home use were developed in order to extend the period of time terminally ill patients might be cared for in their homes. DESIGN Kits containing medications that could be used when the oral route was lost, targeting common symptoms that result in hospital admissions, were placed in homes of terminally ill patients. SETTING Regional health authority, urban setting, community-based palliative care. POPULATION Patients receiving care in the community, anticipated to die within the next 2 weeks and wishing to be cared for at home as long as possible. INTERVENTION Kits were used when patients were experiencing symptom escalation or crisis, and the drugs to manage these were otherwise not available. Community palliative care nurses recommended when to open the kit and received verbal orders from the supervising palliative care physician for the medications to be administered. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Number of kits placed and opened and the prevalence of home death in those instances; the number of kits placed and not opened and the prevalence of home death in those instances. RESULTS From 2002-2007, a total of 293 kits were placed in patients' homes and used. Two hundred fifty-eight patients (88%) died at home, compared to 24% who died outside of an acute care setting across the entire program (chi(2) = 579.71; p < 0.0001). In 2006-2007, 73 kits were placed but not used. Forty-four patients (60%) died at home, compared to a program home death rate of 27% (chi(2) = 60.70; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Palliative medication kits are a simple and effective way of anticipating and addressing comfort and symptom control for dying patients being cared for in the community. These kits can avert institutional crisis admissions, extend the period of time patients can be cared for in their homes and may increase the likelihood of a home death.
The Protein Kinase/Endoribonuclease IRE1α That Signals the Unfolded Protein Response Has a Luminal N-terminal Ligand-independent Dimerization Domain*

In response to accumulation of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), cells activate an intracellular signal transduction pathway called the unfolded protein response (UPR). IRE and PERK are the two type-I ER transmembrane protein kinase receptors that signal the UPR. The N-terminal luminal domains (NLDs) of IRE1 and PERK sense ER stress conditions by a common mechanism and transmit the signal to regulate the cytoplasmic domains of these receptors. To provide an experimental system amenable to detailed biochemical and structural analysis to elucidate the mechanism of ER-transmembrane signaling mechanism mediated by the NLD, we overexpressed the soluble luminal domain of human IRE1α in COS-1 cells by transient DNA transfection. Here we report the expression, purification, and characterization of the soluble NLD. The biological function of the NLD was confirmed by its ability to associate with itself and to interact with both the membrane-bound full-length IRE1α receptor and the ER chaperone BiP. Functional and spectral studies suggested that the highly conserved N-linked glycosylation site is not required for proper protein folding and self-association. Interestingly, we demonstrated that the NLD forms stable dimers linked by intermolecular disulfide bridges. Our data support that the luminal domain represents a novel ligand-independent dimerization domain.
Diagnostic yield and economic implications of endoscopic colonic biopsies in patients with chronic diarrhoea

Aims Random colonic biopsies are recommended to exclude microscopic colitis in patients with chronic diarrhoea especially when mucosa is macroscopically normal at endoscopy. This study aimed to assess the clinical outcome and economic impact of such a policy in an unselected group of patients with macroscopically normal mucosa.
Martingale transform and L\'evy Processes on Lie Groups

This paper constructs a class of martingale transforms based on L\'evy processes on Lie groups. From these, a natural class of bounded linear operators on the $L^p$-spaces of the group (with respect to Haar measure) for $1<p<\infty$, are derived. On compact groups these operators yield Fourier multipliers (in the Peter-Weyl sense) which include the second order Riesz transforms, imaginary powers of the Laplacian, and new classes of multipliers obtained by taking the L\'evy process to have conjugate invariant laws. Multipliers associated to subordination of the Brownian motion on the group are special cases of this last class. These results extend (and the proofs simplify) those obtained in \cite{BanBieBog, BanBog} for the case of $\bR^n$. An important feature of this work is the optimal nature of the $L^p$ bounds.
Polycomb repressive complex 2 contributes to DNA double-strand break repair

Polycomb protein histone methyltransferase, enhancer of Zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), is frequently overexpressed in human malignancy and is implicated in cancer cell proliferation and invasion. However, it is largely unknown whether EZH2 has a role in modulating the DNA damage response. Here, we show that polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is recruited to sites of DNA damage. This recruitment is independent of histone 2A variant X (H2AX) and the PI-3-related kinases ATM and DNA-PKcs. We establish that PARP activity is required for retaining PRC2 at sites of DNA damage. Furthermore, depletion of EZH2 in cells decreases the efficiency of DSB repair and increases sensitivity of cells to gamma-irradiation. These data unravel a crucial role of PRC2 in determining cancer cellular sensitivity following DNA damage and suggest that therapeutic targeting of EZH2 activity might serve as a strategy for improving conventional chemotherapy in a given malignancy.
Farnesyltransferase inhibitors: mechanism and applications

Farnesyltransferase (FT) inhibitors (FTIs) are among the first wave of signal transduction inhibitors to be clinically tested for antitumour properties. FTIs were designed to attack Ras oncoproteins, the function of which depends upon post-translational modification by farnesyl isoprenoid. Extensive preclinical studies have demonstrated that FTIs compromise neoplastic transformation and tumour growth. In preclinical models, FTIs display limited effects on normal cell physiology and in Phase I human trials FTIs have been largely well tolerated. Exactly how FTIs selectively target cancer cells has emerged as an important question, one which has become more pressing with the somewhat disappointing results from initial Phase II efficacy trials. Although FTI development was predicated on Ras inhibition, it has become clear that the drugs’ antineoplastic properties are based to a large degree on altering the prenylation and function of proteins other than Ras. One key candidate that has emerged is RhoB, an endosomal protein that has been implicated in selective growth inhibition and apoptosis in neoplastic cells. On the basis of mechanistic studies and other recent developments, we propose that FTIs may be useful to treat a unique spectrum of diseases including not only inflammatory breast cancer and melanoma but also non-neoplastic diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.
Patterns and persistence of larval retention and connectivity in a marine fish metapopulation

Connectivity, the demographic linking of local populations through the dispersal of individuals, is one of the most poorly understood processes in population dynamics, yet has profound implications for conservation and harvest strategies. For marine species with pelagic larvae, direct estimation of connectivity remains logistically challenging and has mostly been limited to single snapshots in time. Here, we document seasonal and interannual patterns of larval dispersal in a metapopulation of the coral reef fish Amphiprion polymnus. A 3‐year record of larval trajectories within and among nine discrete local populations from an area of approximately 35 km was established by determining the natal origin of settled juveniles through DNA parentage analysis. We found that spatial patterns of both self‐recruitment and connectivity were remarkably consistent over time, with a low level of self‐recruitment at the scale of individual sites. Connectivity among sites was common and multidirectional in all years and was not significantly influenced by seasonal variability of predominant surface current directions. However, approximately 75% of the sampled juveniles could not be assigned to parents within the study area, indicating high levels of immigrations from sources outside the study area. The data support predictions that the magnitude and temporal stability of larval connectivity decreases significantly with increasing distance between subpopulations, but increases with the size of subpopulations. Given the considerable effort needed to directly measure larval exchange, the consistent patterns suggest snapshot parentage analyses can provide useful dispersal estimates to inform spatial management decisions.
Catalytic Pyrolysis of Chilean Oak: Influence of Brønsted Acid Sites of Chilean Natural Zeolite

This paper proposes the Chilean natural zeolite as catalyst on bio-oil upgrade processes. The aim of this study was to analyze chemical composition of bio-oil samples obtained from catalytic pyrolysis of Chilean native oak in order to increase bio-oil stability during storage. In order to identify chemical compounds before and after storage, biomass pyrolysis was carried out in a fixed bed reactor at 623 K and bio-oil samples were characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry (GC/MS). A bio-oil fractionation method was successfully applied here. Results indicate that bio-oil viscosity decreases due to active sites on the zeolite framework. Active acids sites were associated with an increment of alcohols, aldehydes, and hydrocarbon content during storage. Higher composition on aldehydes and alcohols after storage could be attributed to the occurrence of carbonyl reduction reactions that promotes them. These reactions are influenced by zeolite surface characteristics and could be achieved via the direct contribution of Bronsted acid sites to Chilean natural zeolite.
Convergent evolution involving dimeric and trimeric dUTPases in pathogenicity island mobilization

The dUTPase (Dut) enzymes, encoded by almost all free-living organisms and some viruses, prevent the misincorporation of uracil into DNA. We previously proposed that trimeric Duts are regulatory proteins involved in different cellular processes; including the phage-mediated transfer of the Staphylococcus aureus pathogenicity island SaPIbov1. Recently, it has been shown that the structurally unrelated dimeric Dut encoded by phage ϕNM1 is similarly able to mobilize SaPIbov1, suggesting dimeric Duts could also be regulatory proteins. How this is accomplished remains unsolved. Here, using in vivo, biochemical and structural approaches, we provide insights into the signaling mechanism used by the dimeric Duts to induce the SaPIbov1 cycle. As reported for the trimeric Duts, dimeric Duts contain an extremely variable region, here named domain VI, which is involved in the regulatory capacity of these enzymes. Remarkably, our results also show that the dimeric Dut signaling mechanism is modulated by dUTP, as with the trimeric Duts. Overall, our results demonstrate that although unrelated both in sequence and structure, dimeric and trimeric Duts control SaPI transfer by analogous mechanisms, representing a fascinating example of convergent evolution. This conserved mode of action highlights the biological significance of Duts as regulatory molecules.
Age-related eye disease, visual impairment, and survival: the Beaver Dam Eye Study.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship of age-related maculopathy, cataract, glaucoma, visual impairment, and diabetic retinopathy to survival during a 14-year period. METHODS Persons ranging in age from 43 to 84 years in the period from September 15, 1987, to May 4, 1988, participated in the baseline examination of the population-based Beaver Dam Eye Study (n = 4926). Standardized protocols, including photography, were used to determine the presence of ocular disease. Survival was followed using standardized protocols. RESULTS As of December 31, 2002, 32% of the baseline population had died (median follow-up, 13.2 years). After adjusting for age, sex, and systemic and lifestyle factors, poorer survival was associated with cortical cataract (hazard ratio [HR], 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.37), any cataract (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.32), diabetic retinopathy (HR per 1-step increase in 4-level severity, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.14-1.63), and visual impairment (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.04-1.48) and marginally associated with increasing severity of nuclear sclerosis (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.99-1.16). Age-related maculopathy and glaucoma were not associated with poorer survival. Associations tended to be slightly stronger in men than women. CONCLUSIONS Cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and visual impairment were associated with poorer survival and not explained by traditional risk factors for mortality. These ocular conditions may serve as markers for mortality in the general population.
A Simple Reinforcement Strategy for Increasing Attendance at a Fitness Facility

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of a previously untested reinforcement strategy (i.e., 1 month's free membership) on attendance at a fitness facility. Participants were paying members of a fitness facility randomly assigned to control (n = 100), placebo (n = 100), and reinforcement (n = 100) conditions. The control condition received no intervention; the placebo condition received a letter by mail; and the reinforcement condition received the same letter by mail, except that it included an additional paragraph instructing them that they could earn 1 month's free membership if they attended the fitness facility at least 12 times in the next month. Attendance was monitored for I month baseline and postintervention by using the facility's computer system. Analysis of variance, t tests, and chi-square analysis all revealed that the reinforcement condition had the best attendance record during the intervention period. These preliminary results shed some light on increasing attendance at a fitness facility. Discussion highlighted the practical implications of the findings and offered directions for future research.
Factor Analysis of the Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS) subscales using factor analysis. The 23-item MFAS is composed of five subscales that have been used to represent the theorized dimensions of prenatal attachment. Two samples of MFAS scores were submitted to principal axis factoring with varimax rotation. The resulting solutions failed to correspond to the subscales of the MFAS and were also different from one another. These results indicate that the use of the MFAS subscales, as currently constructed, is problematic.
Older people’s experiences of their free will in nursing homes

Background: Older people in institutional care should be allowed to live a meaningful life in a home-like environment consistent with their own free will. Research on actualisation of older people’s own free will in nursing home context is scarce. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe older people’s experiences of free will, its actualisation, promoters and barriers in nursing homes to improve the ethical quality of care. Research design: Fifteen cognitively intact older people over 65 years in four nursing homes in Southern Finland were interviewed. Giorgi’s phenomenological method expanded by Perttula was used to analyse the data. Ethical considerations: Chief administrators of each nursing home gave permission to conduct the study. Informants’ written informed consent was gained. Findings: Older people described free will as action consistent with their own mind, opportunity to determine own personal matters and holding on to their rights. Own free will was actualised in having control of bedtime, dressing, privacy and social life with relatives. Own free will was not actualised in receiving help when needed, having an impact on meals, hygiene, free movement, meaningful action and social life. Promoters included older people’s attitudes, behaviour, health, physical functioning as well as nurses’ ethical conduct. Barriers were nurses’ unethical attitudes, institution rules, distracting behaviour of other residents, older people’s attitudes, physical frailty and dependency. Discussion: Promoting factors of the actualisation of own free will need to be encouraged. Barriers can be influenced by educating nursing staff in client-orientated approach and influencing attitudes of both nurses and older people. Conclusion: Results may benefit ethical education and promote the ethical quality of older people’s care practice and management.