Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Staging of 119 patients with renal cell carcinoma: the yield and cost-effectiveness of pelvic CT.

OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine the yield and cost-effectiveness of pelvic CT in staging renal cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS The records of 119 patients who underwent preoperative CT of the abdomen and pelvis during a 6-year interval and then underwent partial or radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma were reviewed for CT findings and pathologic stage. Pelvic CT findings were divided into three categories: benign and likely insignificant, benign and likely significant, and probably malignant. The effect of CT findings on further testing and the scheduling of surgery was assessed. An estimate of the cost of pelvic CT scans and other radiologic tests was made using 1997 Medicare reimbursement rates. RESULTS Total estimated cost of the 119 CT examinations of the pelvis was $40,698 ($342 each). No findings of probable malignancy were identified. In 27 patients, CT showed benign findings; these results did not cause planned surgery to be delayed. Three of these 27 patients underwent further radiologic tests at an estimated total cost of $243. CONCLUSION CT of the pelvis has a negligible yield in the staging of renal cell carcinoma and should not be routinely performed. The findings on CT of the pelvis did not generate a significant number of other tests.
Impact of Quantum Confinement on Short-Channel Effects for Ultrathin-Body Germanium-on-Insulator MOSFETs

This letter investigates the impact of quantum confinement (QC) on the short-channel effect (SCE) of ultrathin-body (UTB) and thin-buried-oxide germanium-on-insulator (GeOI) MOSFETs using an analytical solution of Schrödinger equation verified with TCAD simulation. Our study indicates that, although the QC effect increases the threshold voltage (V<sub>th</sub>) roll-off when the channel thickness (T<sub>ch</sub>) is larger than a critical value (T<sub>ch,crit</sub>), it may decrease the V<sub>th</sub> roll-off of GeOI MOSFETs when the T<sub>ch</sub> is smaller than T<sub>ch,crit</sub>. Since Ge and Si channels exhibit different degrees of confinement and T<sub>ch,crit</sub>, the impact of QC must be considered when one-to-one comparisons between UTB GeOI and Si-on-insulator MOSFETs regarding the SCE are made.
The secondary structure of complementary RNA.

present study has pushed the detection level to 0.01% of the genome of E. coli, and it could be decreased further. It is also evident that the use of nucleolytic enzymes will enable the ultimate isolation of specific DNA sequences corresponding to the RNA molecules used for hybridization. Summary. -Experiments are described that establish the existence of a sequence in E. coli DNA complementary to its ribosomal RNA. The proof depends on showing that a hybrid complex, resistant to RNAase, is specifically formed with homologous DNA. The base composition of bacterial ribosomal RNA implies that only one of the two DNA strands is used in the region transcribed. The procedures developed in the present study provide a method of sufficient specificity and sensitivity to permit the identification, and ultimate isolation, of sequences in DNA complementary to known RNA molecules corresponding to 0:01% of the total genome of E. coli.
Cross-sectional Dependence in Idiosyncratic Volatility

This paper introduces a framework for analysis of cross-sectional dependence in the idiosyncratic volatilities of assets using high frequency data. We first consider the estimation of standard measures of dependence in the idiosyncratic volatilities such as covariances and correlations. Next, we study an idiosyncratic volatility factor model, in which we decompose the co-movements in idiosyncratic volatilities into two parts: those related to factors such as the market volatility, and the residual co-movements. When using high frequency data, naive estimators of all of the above measures are biased due to the estimation errors in idiosyncratic volatility. We provide bias-corrected estimators and establish their asymptotic properties. We apply our estimators to high-frequency data on 27 individual stocks from nine different sectors, and document strong cross-sectional dependence in their idiosyncratic volatilities. We also find that on average 74% of this dependence can be explained by the market volatility.
Unannounced in situ simulation of obstetric emergencies: staff perceptions and organisational impact

Aim To describe how unannounced in situ simulation (ISS) was perceived by healthcare professionals before and after its implementation, and to describe the organisational impact of ISS. Study design Ten unannounced ISS involving all staff were scheduled March–August 2007. Questionnaire surveys on staff perceptions were conducted before (2003–2006) and after (2007–2008) implementation of unannounced ISS. Information from the debriefing sessions following each ISS constituted a proxy measure of the organisational impact of the ISS. Results Five out of ten of the unannounced ISS scheduled were conducted. Twenty-three members of the staff at work on a scheduled day for ISS were randomly selected to participate. Questionnaires before implementation revealed that 137/196 (70%) of staff members agreed or strongly agreed that ISS was a good idea and 52/199 (26%) thought it likely to be stressful and unpleasant. Questionnaires completed after implementation showed significantly more staff members, 135/153 (89%), thought ISS was a good idea. A significantly higher amount of staff members 50/153 (33%) found it to be stressful and unpleasant, and among midwives, 15/59 (25%) were anxious about ISS, whereas none of the obstetricians reported this. Information obtained through debriefing sessions generated learning points. Conclusions The number of staff members with a positive perception of multiprofessional unannounced ISS increased after implementation; however, one-third considered ISS to be stressful and unpleasant and midwives more frequently so. The specific perception of ISS by each healthcare profession should be taken into account when planning ISS. The information from the debriefing sessions showed that implementation of ISS had an impact as it provided information required for organisational changes.
Relationship between psychosocial variables and compliance in patients with heart failure.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to describe the socio-demographic, psychosocial, and social support variables that predict compliance to treatment regimens in HF patients. DESIGN AND SETTING Semistructured interviews were conducted on 82 patients at an outpatient heart failure clinic to gather data related to compliance behaviors. Five standardized instruments were used to gather data on patients' psychosocial health status and perceived social support. RESULTS The overall compliance rate was 85.13 (10.01%). Higher levels of compliance (> 90%) were noted for follow-up appointments, medications, smoking, and alcohol cessation. Poor compliance was observed with dietary and exercise recommendations (71% and 53%, respectively). In a multivariate model, higher education, higher mental and physical health status and neuroticism independently contributed to 24% of the variance in overall compliance. CONCLUSION The study supports that HF patients had poor compliance with dietary and exercise regimens. Since following a dietary and exercise regimen has been demonstrated to reduce morbidity in this population, strategies to increase compliance should be rigorously pursued [corrected].
Cerebral tumor staging in patients with bronchial carcinoma by computed tomography

Computerized tomographic (CT) scans of 271 patients with histologically proven bronchial carcinoma accomplished for initial tumor staging were retrospectively evaluated for signs of cerebral metastasis. The results for the histologic subtypes were quite different. In 13.8% of patients with small cell carcinoma and limited disease the authors found signs of brain metastasis. However, routine cerebral staging in these patients did not seem to be useful because of lack of therapeutic consequences. On the other hand, no patient with non‐small cell carcinoma (N‐SCC) and tumor Stage I or II had brain metastases. All patients with brain metastasis from N‐SCC had been classified as tumor Stage III before cerebral imaging. Among these patients, however, the authors found brain metastasis in 17.5% of those without known distant metastatic disease (III/M0), especially in large cell carcinoma and in adenocarcinoma. Stage III/M0 patients should undergo routine cerebral imaging if their tumor is surgically resectable and thoracotomy is planned.
Nitric oxide-20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid interaction in the regulation of K+ channel activity and vascular tone in renal arterioles.

The present study examined whether inhibition of P4504A enzyme activity and the formation of 20-HETE contributes to the activation of K+ channels and vasodilator effects of nitric oxide (NO) in renal arterioles. Addition of an NO donor to the P4504A2 enzyme that produces 20-HETE increased visible light absorbance at 440 nm indicating that NO binds to heme in this enzyme. NO donors also dose-dependently inhibited the formation of 20-HETE in microsomes prepared from renal arterioles. In patch-clamp experiments, NO donors increased the open-state probability of a voltage-sensitive, large-conductance (195+/-9 pS) K+ channel recorded with cell-attached patches on renal arteriolar smooth muscle cells. Blockade of guanylyl cyclase with [1H-[1,2,4]Oxadiazolo[4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one] (ODQ, 10 micromol/L), or cGMP-dependent kinase with 8R,9S,11S-(-)-9-methoxycarbamyl-8-methyl-2,3,9,10-tetrahydro-8, 11-epoxy-1H,8H,11H-2,7b,11a-trizadibenzo-(a,g)-cy-cloocta-(c ,d, e)-trinden-1-one (KT-5823) (1 micromol/L) did not alter the effects of NO on this channel. In contrast, inhibition of the formation of 20-HETE with 17-octadecynoic acid (1 micromol/L) activated this channel and masked the response to NO. Preventing the NO-induced reduction in intracellular 20-HETE levels also blocked the effects of NO on this channel. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) increased the diameter of renal interlobular arteries preconstricted with phenylephrine to 80+/-4% of control. Blockade of guanylyl cyclase with ODQ (10 micromol/L) attenuated the response to SNP by 26+/-2%; however, fixing 20-HETE levels at 100 nmol/L reduced the response by 67+/-8%. Blockade of both pathways eliminated the response to SNP. These results indicate that inhibition of the formation of 20-HETE contributes to the activation of K+ channels and the vasodilator effects of NO in the renal microcirculation.
Acute acrolein‐induced cystitis in mice

To develop a method of direct intravesical administration of acrolein and evaluate the severity of cystitis in response to increasing doses of acrolein in female C57BL/6N (C57) mice, with further studies to compare the severity of acute acrolein‐induced cystitis among C57, C3H/HeJ (HeJ), and C3H/OuJ (OuJ) strains of mice, as chemical cystitis produced by the systemic administration of cyclophosphamide is thought to result from renal excretion of hepatic metabolites, particularly acrolein.
The Financial Performance of Integrated Health Organizations

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study examines the impact of integration strategies on the financial performance of hospitals, physicians, and health plans over time. Results from a study of 36 large integrated health organizations (IHOs) suggest that financial performance is adversely affected by the scale of investment in integration but not necessarily by the timing or sequencing of the investments made. The results also suggest that some integration strategies have more detrimental effects on financial performance than do others. Finally, the results show that centralized integrative structures appear more financially successful than are less centralized structures.
Uncoupling modifier genes from uncoupling protein 2 in pancreatic beta-cells.

Intracellular levels of oxygen and glucose are higher in pancreatic insulin-secreting β-cells than any other mammalian cell. Indeed, among endocrine secretory cells, the pancreatic β-cell is unique in using glucose catabolism to meet its energy needs while relying on glucose metabolism to generate appropriate signals to maintain insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. The unabated and successful execution of these two independent functions over the lifetime of the β-cell, requires fine coordination between several families of intracellular proteins. In addition to glucose, the β-cell also responds to other nutrients (fatty acids and amino acids), hormones, and nerve signals. Given this barrage of stimuli, it is logical to imagine that the β-cell would be armed with appropriate defense mechanisms to prevent excess stress that could lead to eventual cell dysfunction and/or death. On the contrary, the β-cell is particularly weak against the toxicity of free radicals including reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (1,2) and, being a secretory cell, is also susceptible to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress (3,4). Thus, understanding the mechanisms and pathways that mediate the effects of oxidative or ER stress (3) is important to understand β-cell biology and to plan therapeutic approaches to prevent β-cell dysfunction and death.
Mechanisms of skin adherence and invasion by dermatophytes

Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi that can be pathogenic for humans and animals by infecting the stratum corneum, nails, claws or hair. The first infection step consists of adherence of arthroconidia to the stratum corneum. The mechanisms and the kinetics of adherence have been investigated using different in vitro and ex vivo experimental models, most notably showing the role of a secreted serine protease from Microsporum canis in fungal adherence to feline corneocytes. After germination of the arthroconidia, dermatophytes invade keratinised structures that have to be digested into short peptides and amino acids to be assimilated. Although many proteases, including keratinolytic ones, have been characterised, the understanding of dermatophyte invasion mechanisms remains speculative. To date, research on mechanisms of dermatophyte infection focused mainly on both secreted endoproteases and exoproteases, but their precise role in both fungal adherence and skin invasion should be further explored.
Cell wall assembly in Bacillus subtilis: location of wall material incorporated during pulsed release of phosphate limitation, its accessibility to bacteriophages and concanavalin A, and its susceptibility to turnover

Addition of a pulse of phosphate to a phosphate-limited chemostat culture of Bacillus subtilis W23 led to the synthesis of teichoic acid and the consequent development by the bacteria of the ability to bind phage SP50. In cultures growing at different rates, phage-binding properties became maximal approximately one generation time after addition of the pulse. Removal of the incorporated teichoic acid by turnover also reached its maximum rate after a similar interval. After pulsed release of phosphate limitation in B. subtilis NCTC 3610, the alpha-glucosyl residues of the incorporated teichoic acid, detected by their interaction with concanavalin A, became maximally exposed at the same time that phage binding was maximum. At that time the bacteria bound phage all over the cylindrical part of the surface and at about one-third of the polar caps. That fraction of the receptor material that is exposed soon after its incorporation was distributed along the cylindrical length of most of the bacteria, but few phages bound to the polar caps, except in the case of short bacteria; these bound phages in a markedly asymmetric manner at one pole and along their length. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the mode of assembly of the cell wall.
“Data Were Saturated . . . ”

Saturation is the most frequently touted guarantee of qualitative rigor offered by authors to reviewers and readers, yet it is the one we know least about. I was once in a discussion among seasoned researchers, and they said, “Hey Jan, you know you can never reach saturation, because there are always new examples! ” Unfortunately, this statement reveals a very limited understanding of saturation, analytic processes, and goals of inquiry, for we do not saturate particular details of individual events and random incidents. Rather, we saturate characteristics within categories that emerge as significant in the process of analysis, and the more abstract the characteristics, the more diverse the examples may be. The characteristics are realized from our questions, the underlying theoretical frame, our focus, and intent, as data accrue in the categories. These categories contribute to our understanding of the phenomenon that we are studying and are twice enlightening. First, as data within a category build and overlap, these characteristics enlighten the researcher. Our understanding of the phenomenon becomes stronger, more evident, more consistent, and more cohesive. Second, this understanding makes the researcher smarter, learning where to look to learn more about the phenomenon and to recognize the similarities between apparently disparate examples when comparing and contrasting data. Thus, as the phenomenon become stronger, more evident, more consistent, more cohesive, and more mature, research becomes saturated, and the researcher becomes certain. Another mistaken idea about saturation is that data become saturated when the researcher has “heard it all” (Morse, 1995). When used alone, this criterion is inadequate, as such data may provide a shallow, albeit comprehensive, understanding of the topic being studied. Qualitative researchers are not reporters covering a story, interested only in facts. Understanding the story line is not sufficient, for qualitative research is not that simple. If we only used objective data, we would only describe what was plainly evident and omit the truly complex subjective data. Both the subjective and objective data enable interpretation: to make sense of complex phenomena, to dissect and/or to synthesize, to abstract, to theorize, and to recognize how this fits into the work of others, all of which enables generalization and application. Saturation is an important component of rigor. It is present in all qualitative research but, unfortunately, it is evident mainly by declaration (Morse, 1995). Let us consider how we should define saturation and determine the characteristics of research in which it has been attained. Can we recognize saturated research when we read it?
Clinical Outcome of Pediatric Calcaneal Fractures Treated With Open Reduction and Internal Fixation

The results of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation in skeletally immature children at one institution were reviewed. Six children with seven displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation were reviewed at an average of 30 months after surgery (range 18–48 months). All children were treated by one of two surgeons and followed by the same surgeon. The preoperative workup included computed tomography scans, which showed that all had displaced intra-articular fractures and five had comminuted fractures. At follow-up all children were pain-free with normal activities. All were able to return to full activities at an average of 10 months after surgery. All had normal ankle range of motion, but five had decreased subtalar range of motion. There were no postoperative complications, shoe wear problems, or peroneal tendinitis. This study demonstrates that open reduction and internal fixation for displaced intra-articular fractures in children yields encouraging results.
The response grounding electrodes to lightning currents: the effect of frequency-dependent resistivity and permittivity of soil

A methodology to find the variation of soil resistivity ρ and permittivity ϵ in field conditions at the typical range of lightning-current frequencies was proposed and applied in low- and high-resistivity soils. Considering this variation in simulations using the hybrid electromagnetic model HEM was able to practically match results of theoretical and experimental voltage waves developed in response to the impression of impulsive currents with lightning-pattern waveforms to horizontal grounding electrodes buried in the analyzed soils, different from the results obtained with the conventional approach of constant values for ρ and ϵ.
Labeling of microvessel density, lymphatic vessel density and potential role of proangiogenic and lymphangiogenic factors as a predictive/prognostic factors after radiotherapy in patients with cervical cancer.

INTRODUCTION Angiogenesis, formation of a new blood vessel from the existing vascular network, is essential for tumor growth, progression and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been identified to be one of the most important factors of angiogenesis. VEGF-C, a novel member of the family, is a relatively specific lymphangiogenic growth factor. It is tempting to suggest that cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in a woman's life. Its prognostic factors are tumor stage, lymph node status, histologic type, level of hemoglobin. However, little is known about prognostic or/and predictive significance of angiogenesis in cervical cancer. OBJECTIVE This prospective study is an attempt to evaluate serum VEGF-A, VEGF-C, microvessel density (MVD), and lymphatic vessel density (LMVD) in cervical cancer and the correlations with clinicopathologic features. MATERIAL AND METHODS Blood samples were collected from 58 patients affected by FIGO I-IV stage cervical cancer, who were admitted to the Department of Oncology and Brachytherapy Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz of Nicolaus Copernicus University. Serum VEGF-A/VEGF-C concentrate was determined by means of a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). All tumor samples were taken from cross section during the first brachytherapy. Then they were examined by immunohistochemical studies with podoplanin antibody and anti-CD31 antibody. The present analysis was used to evaluate MVD and LMVD. RESULTS The median serum VEGF-A was 734.76 pg/ml (range from 86.39 pg/ml - 2200.00 pg/ml), and VEGF-A was only correlated with after treatment hemoglobin concentration (p = 0.046, R = -0.3450). The median serum VEGF-C was 145.72 pg/ml (range 131.08 - 233.60 pg/ml). Serum VEGF-C levels measured in patients were associated with primary tumor size. We observed significantly higher serum VEGF-C in localized disease (FIGO I, II) in comparison to advanced tumors (232.44 pg/ml vs 152.45 pg/ml; p = 0.034). The median LMVD was 6.25 (range 3.5-10.0) and median blood vessel density was 12.5 (range 9.5-23.0). We found significantly higher lymphatic vessel density in patients with Gl/G2 grade of differentiation than in those with G3 (9.93 vs 6.25; p = 0.0398). We observed a statistically significant correlation between MVD and LMVD; (p = 0.032). CONCLUSION In conclusion, our study suggests that serum VEGF-A, VEGF-C, LMVD and MVD play an important role in tumor growth and progression in cervical cancer. Nonetheless, further studies are essential to explore the underlying mechanism.