Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feasibility and toxicity of high‐dose therapy (HDT) supported by peripheral blood stem cells in elderly patients with multiple myeloma and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma: Survey from a single institution

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the feasibility of high‐dose therapy (HDT) followed by peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) in elderly patients with hematological malignancies. From April 1998 to November 2001, 40 elderly patients (defined as ≥60 years) with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (12 patients) and multiple myeloma (28 patients) were evaluated. Seven lymphoma and one myeloma patients were in complete remission (CR), 27 in partial remission (PR), two had stable disease (SD), and three progressive disease (PD). The median age was 65 years (range 60–71). Thirty‐nine patients were mobilized with chemotherapy plus granulocyte‐colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF) and one with G‐CSF alone. Patients received HDT including melphalan alone in 32 cases or combined with other drugs in six and BEAM in two. The median number of collected CD34+ cells was 12.4 × 106/kg (range 2.0–68.9). The median number of re‐infused CD34+ cells was 9.9 × 106/kg (range 2.0–68.9). All patients engrafted after PBSC and the median time to neutrophil recovery (N > 500/μl) and platelet recovery (PLT > 20,000/μl) was 8 days (range 5–18) and 6 days (range 5–18), respectively. Nonhematological toxicity was mild and no patient died from transplant‐related toxicity (TRM). Median duration of hospitalization was 18 days (range 12–24). To date, 32 patients are alive and eight died from disease progression at a median follow‐up interval of 24 months. HDT supported by PBSC is a feasible procedure in selected elderly patients, and an age of more than 60 years should not be considered a contraindication for HDT. Am. J. Hematol. 73:267–272, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Surfer's ear in Japan

Fifty‐one Japanese professional surfers were examined in order to analyze surfer's ear. Forty‐one cases (80%), 71 ears, were diagnosed as surfer's ear. In 19 cases (37%), 30 ears, the external auditory canals had stenosed by more than 50%. In general, surfer's ear begins to appear after 5 years and is further aggravated by continued surfing. The age at which surfing is taken up has no influence on the appearance of surfer's ear. Surfers who surf on northern (colder) coasts have severer surfer's ear than those who frequent the southern (warmer) coasts.
Reduced memory B‐cell populations in boys with B‐cell dysfunction after bone marrow transplantation for X‐linked severe combined immunodeficiency

X‐linked severe combined immunodeficiency (XSCID) is a lethal disease resulting in death in infancy. In many instances, haploidentical bone marrow transplantation (BMT) offers reconstitution of T‐cell immunity alone, with residual hypogammaglobulinaemia. The exact nature of B‐cell dysfunction in these patients is unclear, although differentiation arrest of the B cells is a potential explanation. To ascertain the differentiation status of peripheral blood B lymphocytes from XSCID patients after BMT, the surface expression of CD19, CD10, CD34, CD5, serum immunoglogulin (sIg)M, sIgD, sIgG and CD27 on these B cells was investigated using three‐colour flow cytometry. CD27 is a marker of memory B cells. Populations of CD19+IgM−D− B cells, CD19+IgM‐only, CD19+IgG+CD27+ and CD19+IgM+ CD27+ B cells were found to be diminished in the XSCID patients after BMT with persistent hypogammaglobulinaemia, compared with both post‐BMT patients with B‐cell function and age‐matched normal controls. This indicated the lack of CD19+IgM−D− B cells, which represent Ig isotype‐switched B cells, as well as CD19+IgM‐only and CD19+IgG+CD27+ or CD19+IgM+CD27+ memory B‐cell populations. Interaction between CD27 and its ligand CD70 has been shown to induce IgG and IgM production by CD27+ B cells. Therefore, the lack of CD27/70 interaction is a probable explanation for the hypogammaglobulinaemia in these patients after BMT.
Anthropogenic Seismicity Rates and Operational Parameters at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field

Hot and Bothered One of the most uncertain aspects of energy production at geothermal fields is the potential for the induction of earthquakes from extraction of hot fluids and injection of wastewater back into the subsurface. Brodsky and Lajoie (p. 543, published online 11 July) compared the historical rates of seismicity—after correcting for the occurrence of aftershocks—to operational parameters at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in southern California. The net volume of fluid extracted and injected was correlated with recent seismicity. However, since the 1980s, when the first plant came online, the rate of earthquakes induced with additional increments of volume injected has decreased. The net volume of geothermal fluid extracted is the most direct control on induced seismicity rate. Geothermal power is a growing energy source; however, efforts to increase production are tempered by concern over induced earthquakes. Although increased seismicity commonly accompanies geothermal production, induced earthquake rate cannot currently be forecast on the basis of fluid injection volumes or any other operational parameters. We show that at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, the total volume of fluid extracted or injected tracks the long-term evolution of seismicity. After correcting for the aftershock rate, the net fluid volume (extracted-injected) provides the best correlation with seismicity in recent years. We model the background earthquake rate with a linear combination of injection and net production rates that allows us to track the secular development of the field as the number of earthquakes per fluid volume injected decreases over time.
Organized Labor and Racial Wage Inequality in the United States1

Why have African-American private-sector unionization rates surpassed those of white workers for decades, and how has private-sector union decline exacerbated black-white wage inequality? Using data from the Current Population Survey (1973–2007), the authors show that African-Americans join unions for protection against discriminatory treatment in nonunion sectors. A model-predicted wage series also shows that, among women, black-white weekly wage gaps would be between 13% and 30% lower if union representation remained at high levels. The effect of deunionization on racial wage inequality for men is less substantial, but without deunionization, weekly wages for black men would be an estimated $49 higher. The results recast organized labor as an institution vital for its economic inclusion of African-American men and women. This study points to the need to move beyond class-based analyses of union decline to an understanding of the gendered role unions once played in mitigating racial inequality.
Antidepressants activate CaMKII in neuron cell body by Thr286 phosphorylation

CaM kinase II, a regulator of synaptic plasticity, is implicated in pathophysiology and pharmacology of psychiatric disorders. Chronic treatment with antidepressants desipramine and reboxetine up-regulated CaM kinase II in neuronal cell bodies of hippocampus. mRNA/protein expression for &agr;CaM kinase II was unchanged, whereas Thr286 phosphorylation was increased in pyramidal/granular cell bodies, suggesting that increased phosphorylation is responsible for kinase activation. Short-term treatment of neuronal cultures with reboxetine reduced kinase activation in a concentration-dependent manner. The short-term inhibitory effect of reboxetine suggests that kinase up-regulation during antidepressant drug treatment is an adaptive response compensating for initial functional down-regulation.
Numerical Modeling of Superconducting Filaments for Coupled Problem

This paper deals with two-dimensional modeling of a multifilamentary wire composed of two superconducting filaments in a conducting matrix. In order to avoid three-dimensional problem solving, a novel technique is proposed to solve the coupled problem in two dimensions. For that, it is enough to divide the filaments in several sections in the direction of the length of the wire and to impose a relation between the currents crossing the matrix and the electric fields in the different sections of the filaments. The numerical simulation results show the distributions of the current density in the modeled domain. The influence of the wire length on the total magnetization is also considered.
Chronic Degeneration Leads to Poor Healing of Repaired Massive Rotator Cuff Tears in Rats

Background: Chronic rotator cuff tears present a clinical challenge, often with poor outcomes after surgical repair. Degenerative changes to the muscle, tendon, and bone are thought to hinder healing after surgical repair; additionally, the ability to overcome degenerative changes after surgical repair remains unclear. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate healing outcomes of muscle, tendon, and bone after tendon repair in a model of chronic rotator cuff disease and to compare these outcomes to those of acute rotator cuff injuries and repair. The hypothesis was that degenerative rotator cuff changes associated with chronic multitendon tears and muscle unloading would lead to poor structural and mechanical outcomes after repair compared with acute injuries and repair. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Chronic rotator cuff injuries, induced via detachment of the supraspinatus (SS) and infraspinatus (IS) tendons and injection of botulinum toxin A into the SS and IS muscle bellies, were created in the shoulders of rats. After 8 weeks of injury, tendons were surgically reattached to the humeral head, and an acute, dual-tendon injury and repair was performed on the contralateral side. After 8 weeks of healing, muscles were examined histologically, and tendon-to-bone samples were examined microscopically, histologically, and biomechanically and via micro–computed tomography. Results: All repairs were intact at the time of dissection, with no evidence of gapping or ruptures. Tendon-to-bone healing after repair in our chronic injury model led to reduced bone quality and morphological disorganization at the repair site compared with acute injuries and repair. SS and IS muscles were atrophic at 8 weeks after repair of chronic injuries, indicating incomplete recovery after repair, whereas SS and IS muscles exhibited less atrophy and degeneration in the acute injury group at 8 weeks after repair. After chronic injuries and repair, humeral heads had decreased total mineral density and an altered trabecular structure, and the repair had decreased strength, stiffness, and toughness, compared with the acute injury and repair group. Conclusion: Chronic degenerative changes in rotator cuff muscles, tendons, and bone led to inferior healing characteristics after repair compared with acute injuries and repair. The changes were not reversible after repair in the time course studied, consistent with clinical impressions. Clinical Relevance: High retear rates after rotator cuff repair are associated with tear size and chronicity. Understanding the mechanisms behind this association may allow for targeted tissue therapy for tissue degeneration that occurs in the setting of chronic tears.
Spatiotemporal correlation-aware dummy-based privacy protection scheme for location-based services

Since the dummy-based method can provide precise query results without any requirement for a third party or key sharing, it has been widely used to protect the user's location privacy in location-based services. However, the neighboring location sets submitted in consecutive requests always include a close spatiotemporal correlation, which enables the adversary to identify some dummies. Therefore, the existing dummy-based schemes cannot protect the user's location privacy completely. To solve this problem, based on the dummies generated by the existing schemes, this paper filters out the dummies that can be identified by taking into account of the spatiotemporal correlation from three aspects, namely time reachability, direction similarity and in-degree/out-degree. In this way, the rest dummies can satisfy the user's personalized privacy protection requirement. Security analysis shows that the proposed scheme successfully perturbs the spatiotemporal correlation between neighboring location sets, therefore, it is infeasible for the adversary to distinguish the user's real location from the dummies. Furthermore, extensive experiments indicate that the proposal is able to protect the user's location privacy effectively and efficiently.
The laminar organization of the lateral geniculate body and the striate cortex in the tree shrew (Tupaia glis)

The organization of geniculostriate projections in Tupaia was studied using three separate methods, anterograde transport from the lateral geniculate, retrograde transport from the striate cortex, and reconstruction of single geniculostriate axons. The results show that each layer of the lateral geniculate body has a unique pattern of projections to the striate cortex, and each pattern consists of a major and a minor target. The two ipsilateral layers project to thin subtiers of layer IV: the major target of geniculate layer 1 is the top of IVa; the major target of geniculate layer 5 is the base of IVb. The minor target of layer 1 is the major target of layer 5. Two of the contralateral layers can be matched to the ipsilateral layers. Layers 1 and 2 are a matched pair and project to IVa; layers 4 and 5 are a matched pair and project to IVb. Thus, projections of a matched pair overlap. The remaining two contralateral layers, 3 and 6, project chiefly to cortical layer III. Layer 3 projects to layers IIIb and I and seems to be the counterpart of the parvocellular C layers in the cat and the intercalated layers in primates. Layer 6 projects to the base of IIIc in a zone contiguous with IVa. This contiguity raises the issue of whether the base of IIIc might actually be a part of layer IV. If this were the case, the two tiers of layer IV which are separated by a conspicuous cleft might be considered two subdivisions of layer IVb.
Phylogenetic diversity of bat trypanosomes of subgenus Schizotrypanum based on multilocus enzyme electrophoresis , random amplified polymorphic DNA , and cytochrome b nucleotide sequence analyses

Trypanosome stocks isolated from bats (Chiroptera) and belonging to the subgenus Schizotrypanumwere analyzed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) at 22 loci, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) with 14 primers and/or cytochrome bnucleotide sequence. Bat trypanosomes belonged to the species Trypanosoma cruzi marinkellei (10 stocks), Trypanosoma dionisii (four stocks) andTrypanosoma vespertilionis(three stocks). One T. rangelistock and seven stocks of T. cruzi sensu stricto , the agent of Chagas disease, were included for comparison. The homology of several RAPD fragments shared by distinct species was verified by hybridization. The sequence of a 516-nucleotide portion of the maxicircle-encoded cytochrome b (CYb) coding region was determined in representative stocks of the species under study. Phylogenetic analysis of the data confirmed the previous taxonomic attribution of these bat trypanosomes based on biological, epidemiological and ecological features. However, a new finding was that within T. cruzi marinkelleitwo major subdivisions could be distinguished, T.c. m. I, found in the spear-nose bats Phyllostomus discolor andPhyllostomus hastatus , and T.c. m. II, fromP. discolor. In addition, theT. c. marinkellei‘Z’ stock from a short-tailed bat ( Carollia perspicillata) was distantly related to these two subdivisions, and the monophyly ofT. c. marinkelleis unclear based on the present data. Based on the present sample, the European species T. dionisiiandT. vespertilionisappeared to be more homogeneous. RAPD and CYbdata both suggested the monophyly of a group composed of T. cruziand the two major subdivisions of T. cruzi marinkellei . This study shows that MLEE, RAPD and CYbcan be used for taxonomic assignment and provide valuable phylogenetic information for strains and taxa within the subgenus Schizotrypanum. An evolutionary scenario in which the broad host-range parasite T. cruziwould be derived from a bat-restricted trypanosome ancestor is discussed. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A HOUSEHOLD-LEVEL PERSPECTIVE ON THE 2007 PEANUT BUTTER FOOD SAFETY INCIDENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A multinomial logit model was estimated to determine the socio-economic profiles associated with three possible actions taken by households in response to the recall of Peter Pan peanut butter. Also, using the Heckman sample selection procedure, the study examined the effects of various socio-economic variables and the change in price on the change in quantity purchased of Peter Pan. Nielsen panel data from January 2006 to December 2009 were used. Employment status of the household head, region, race, ethnicity, age and presence of children in the household were key drivers associated with the respective actions taken by households in light of the Peter Pan recall. Also, the change in price, region, race, age and presence of children in the household, and household size were key determinants affecting the change in quantity purchased of Peter Pan across the preand the post-recall periods.
[An explanatory model for sleep disorders in people with cancer].

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to develop and test an explanatory model for sleep disorders in people with cancer. A hypothetical model was constructed on the basis of a review of previous studies, literature, and sleep models, and 10 latent variables were used to construct a hypothetical model. METHODS Data were collected from April 19 to June 25, 2010, using self-report questionnaires. The sample was 291 outpatients with cancer who visited the oncology cancer center at a university hospital. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS Win 15.0 program for descriptive statistics and correlation analysis and AMOS 7.0 program for covariance structural analysis. RESULTS It appeared that overall fit index was good as χ(2)/df=1.162, GFI=. 969, AGFI=. 944, SRMR=. 052, NFI=. 881, NNFI=. 969, CFI=. 980, RMSEA=. 024, CN=337 in the modified model. The explanatory power of this model for sleep disorders in people with cancer was 62%. Further, sleep disorders were influenced directly by cancer symptom experience, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, and past sleep pattern. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that nurses should assess past sleep pattern and consider the development of a comprehensive nursing intervention program to minimize the cancer symptom experience, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, and thus, reduce sleep disorders in people with cancer.
A comparison of the correlation structure in GPR images of deltaic and barrier‐spit depositional environments

We have used geostatistical analysis of radar reflections to quantify the correlation structures found in 2-D ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) images. We find that the experimental semivariogram, the product of the geostatistical analysis of the GPR data, is well‐defined and can be modeled using standard geostatistical models to obtain an estimate of the range or correlation length, and the maximum correlation direction, in the 2-D GPR image. When we compare the results from geostatistical analysis of GPR data from selected deltaic and barrier‐spit depositional environments we find different correlation structures in GPR images from different depositional environments. GPR images from braid deltas have near‐horizontal correlation directions and correlation lengths on the order of a few meters. In contrast, the GPR image of a fan‐foreset delta has a very long (>24 m) correlation length and a maximum correlation direction plunging 20°. In the GPR images from barrier spits, we find maximum correlation directio.
Trends in Reproductive Tract Infections and Barriers to Seeking Treatment among Young Women: A Community Based Cross Sectional Study in South India

Background: Reproductive morbidities lead to wide range of health consequences like ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, miscarriage, infertility and other multiple consequences. The study aim was to find out the prevalence of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and barriers to seeking health care services among young married women in rural areas of Thiruvarur district of Tamilnadu state in India. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in 28 villages selected using multistage sampling technique for selecting 605 women in the age group of 15-24 years during July 2010-April 2011. Data analysis was by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences version-17, with statistical significance set at p-value of 0.05 and odds ratio were calculated. Results: The prevalence rate of RTIs was observed to be 14.5%. Itching/Irritation over vulva, Thick white discharge and Pain in lower abdomen (not related to mensus) were most commonly experienced symptoms. Bivariate analysis indicated statistically significant association between educational level, occupational level and standard of living index (SLI) with presence of self-reported symptoms of RTIs among the study population. The chance of getting RTIs symptom was less among women living in high SLI (OR=0.168) than among women living in low SLI. The agricultural labourers were 1.145 times more likely to experience RTIs symptom than non workers category (OR= 0.251). More than half of the women were received treatment against perceived RTIs; all were treated in public health institutions. Conclusion: Perception of symptoms as normal, expensive treatment, feeling of shy, lack of female health workers were identified as major barriers for non seeking treatment for RTIs. Improving literacy and increasing awareness level about sexual and reproductive health is needed to reduce the incidence of RTIs among rural population.
Evaluation of Three MRI-Based Anatomical Priors for Quantitative PET Brain Imaging

In emission tomography, image reconstruction and therefore also tracer development and diagnosis may benefit from the use of anatomical side information obtained with other imaging modalities in the same subject, as it helps to correct for the partial volume effect. One way to implement this, is to use the anatomical image for defining the a priori distribution in a maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) reconstruction algorithm. In this contribution, we use the PET-SORTEO Monte Carlo simulator to evaluate the quantitative accuracy reached by three different anatomical priors when reconstructing positron emission tomography (PET) brain images, using volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide the anatomical information. The priors are: 1) a prior especially developed for FDG PET brain imaging, which relies on a segmentation of the MR-image (Baete , 2004); 2) the joint entropy-prior (Nuyts, 2007); 3) a prior that encourages smoothness within a position dependent neighborhood, computed from the MR-image. The latter prior was recently proposed by our group in (Vunckx and Nuyts, 2010), and was based on the prior presented by Bowsher (2004). The two latter priors do not rely on an explicit segmentation, which makes them more generally applicable than a segmentation-based prior. All three priors produced a compromise between noise and bias that was clearly better than that obtained with postsmoothed maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) or MAP with a relative difference prior. The performance of the joint entropy prior was slightly worse than that of the other two priors. The performance of the segmentation-based prior is quite sensitive to the accuracy of the segmentation. In contrast to the joint entropy-prior, the Bowsher-prior is easily tuned and does not suffer from convergence problems.