Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Factors, Treatment, and Survival in Primary Cutaneous Mucinous Carcinoma: A SEER Database Analysis.

BACKGROUND Limited information exists on the demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment in primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma (PCMC). OBJECTIVE The authors sought to describe prognostic factors, incidence rates, and the subsequent primary malignancy (SPM) risk in patients with PCMC. METHODS Primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma cases in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data (1972-2013) were analyzed to provide demographic, cancer-related, and treatment information and to calculate incidence and mortality. Patients were stratified by stage (local, regional, distant disease) for comparison. The risk of developing an SPM was calculated. RESULTS Four hundred eleven PCMC cases were identified. The age-adjusted incidence was 0.04 cases per 100,000-person years. Blacks were disproportionately affected by PCMC (0.048; 95% confidence interval, 0.034-0.065; p < .001). Approximately 67.4% of patients had local disease, 10.5% had regional disease, and 5.8% had distant disease. Primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma-specific mortality was independent of sex, age, race, primary site, histologic tumor grade, tumor size, tumor stage, or treatment. The overall frequency of developing a second primary malignancy was not increased in patients with PCMC. CONCLUSION Although PCMC occurs with equally in both sexes, it may be more common in African Americans than previously recognized. Although eyelid PCMC may have a higher rate of distant metastasis, all patients need close follow-up.
“I Just Feel Like I Always Did”: Inotropic Dependency at End of Life

Background: Patients not considered for mechanical circulatory support or heart transplant may be dependent on inotropic therapy at end of life. End-of-life conversations in advanced heart failure can be challenging for providers, but guidelines recommend frequent goals-of-care conversations when inotropes are used as a palliative treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify aspects of care pertinent for health-care professionals working with patients in end-stage heart failure who are receiving continuous inotropic support. Methods: Qualitative analysis was used to examine 3 audio-recorded semistructured interviews with 1 patient, her family, and her cardiologist. The selected patient was an older adult, diagnosed with advanced heart failure, and dependent on continuous inotropic therapy with no other advanced treatment options available. Results: The analysis revealed that (1) reliance on others, (2) contending with uncertainty, and (3) deciding when to discontinue inotropic support were identified as themes central to the patient’s and provider’s experience. Conclusion: This study offers insight into how to best support and communicate with patients having advanced heart failure who are dependent on continuous inotropic therapy at end of life.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate School of Western Carolina University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education

MIDDLE SCHOOL LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER ATTITUDES TOWARD THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS Elizabeth S. Younce, Ed. D. Western Carolina University (March 29, 2011) Director: Dr. Sandra Tonnsen The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes of teachers who are responsible for teaching ELLs in an inclusion setting. In this study, inclusion refers to the integration of ELL students into mainstream classes with no ESL teacher to assist in the classroom. ELL students participate in traditional middle school language arts classes, but may be pulled out for ESL services. A survey developed by Reeves (2002) was modified and used to determine attitudes of middle school language arts teachers in North Carolina. This study occurred in one school district with a large ELL population in each of the eight regions. There were 740 teachers invited to participate in 68 schools, with a 51% response rate. Teachers indicated positive attitudes toward the inclusion of ELL students, however 89.6% expressed that ELL students needed to attain a minimum level of English proficiency prior to entering the mainstream classroom. A large percentage of teachers (89.3%) reported that ELL students require longer than two years to acquire English with 82.4% supporting legislation to make English the official language of the U.S. Responses on the Likert portion of the survey indicated that teachers felt they were supported, yet indicated support was a challenge when asked to write in their response.
Evaluating the Virtual Management Information Systems (MIS) Classroom

This paper outlines techniques for an active learning environment in a virtual MIS classroom, as well as a comparison of outcomes in that distance learning class with a regular, live, MIS class. These techniques included discussions, small group projects and cooperative work supported by technology such as chat sessions, e-mail and bulletin boards. Feedback to students was improved through the use of an online grade book and e-mail. Outcomes were measured in terms of grades for participation, exercises, assignments, tests and the overall grade. There were no significant differences in outcomes. The paper also presents the results of a survey measuring students' experiences with the virtual class. Students were generally very positive about the quality of the learning experience. Teaching a distance learning class using active learning techniques is a difficult and time-consuming enterprise.
Thalamic nuclei in frontotemporal dementia: Mediodorsal nucleus involvement is universal but pulvinar atrophy is unique to C9orf72

Thalamic atrophy is a common feature across all forms of FTD but little is known about specific nuclei involvement. We aimed to investigate in vivo atrophy of the thalamic nuclei across the FTD spectrum. A cohort of 402 FTD patients (age: mean(SD) 64.3(8.2) years; disease duration: 4.8(2.8) years) was compared with 104 age‐matched controls (age: 62.5(10.4) years), using an automated segmentation of T1‐weighted MRIs to extract volumes of 14 thalamic nuclei. Stratification was performed by clinical diagnosis (180 behavioural variant FTD (bvFTD), 85 semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), 114 nonfluent variant PPA (nfvPPA), 15 PPA not otherwise specified (PPA‐NOS), and 8 with associated motor neurone disease (FTD‐MND), genetic diagnosis (27 MAPT, 28 C9orf72, 18 GRN), and pathological confirmation (37 tauopathy, 38 TDP‐43opathy, 4 FUSopathy). The mediodorsal nucleus (MD) was the only nucleus affected in all FTD subgroups (16–33% smaller than controls). The laterodorsal nucleus was also particularly affected in genetic cases (28–38%), TDP‐43 type A (47%), tau‐CBD (44%), and FTD‐MND (53%). The pulvinar was affected only in the C9orf72 group (16%). Both the lateral and medial geniculate nuclei were also affected in the genetic cases (10–20%), particularly the LGN in C9orf72 expansion carriers. Use of individual thalamic nuclei volumes provided higher accuracy in discriminating between FTD groups than the whole thalamic volume. The MD is the only structure affected across all FTD groups. Differential involvement of the thalamic nuclei among FTD forms is seen, with a unique pattern of atrophy in the pulvinar in C9orf72 expansion carriers.
Machine learning–assisted molecular design and efficiency prediction for high-performance organic photovoltaic materials

Machine learning can be a powerful tool to prescreen new materials, thus accelerating the development of the OPV field. In the process of finding high-performance materials for organic photovoltaics (OPVs), it is meaningful if one can establish the relationship between chemical structures and photovoltaic properties even before synthesizing them. Here, we first establish a database containing over 1700 donor materials reported in the literature. Through supervised learning, our machine learning (ML) models can build up the structure-property relationship and, thus, implement fast screening of OPV materials. We explore several expressions for molecule structures, i.e., images, ASCII strings, descriptors, and fingerprints, as inputs for various ML algorithms. It is found that fingerprints with length over 1000 bits can obtain high prediction accuracy. The reliability of our approach is further verified by screening 10 newly designed donor materials. Good consistency between model predictions and experimental outcomes is obtained. The result indicates that ML is a powerful tool to prescreen new OPV materials, thus accelerating the development of the OPV field.
Identification of hazards and critical control points during attiéké (a fermented cassava product) process in Côte d'Ivoire

Attiéké is the major fermented plant food in Côte d'Ivoire. The aim of this study was to identify hazards and critical control points (CCP) in order to implement a HACCP system for the production of attiéké. Physico‐chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out. pH of the cossettes used as raw material for attieke process was slightly acidic (6·5 ± 0·23). But attiéké produced had an acid pH (4·55 ± 0·67). The very high amount of hydrocyanic acid in cassava roots (116 ± 9·42 mg kg−1) was reduced to a lower value (3·4 ± 0·14 mg kg−1) in attiéké. It was less than the Codex Alimentarus recommended dose (10 mg kg−1). Microbiological analysis of the samples revealed the presence of coliforms, bacillus, Staphylococcus aureus and moulds in the intermediate products, the packaged attieke, the utensils, environment and ingredients. During the fermentation and pressing stage, the coliforms disappeared and the loads of Bacillus cereus, S. aureus and moulds were reduced. Cooking eliminated all micro‐organisms except B. cereus (spores) whose load was reduced to a value of (1·1 ± 0·4)102 CFU per gram. All these micro‐organisms reappeared in attiéké just after packaging. The load of micro‐organisms in the packaged attiéké was lower than the Codinorm standard, CCP were cassava roots, the crushing, fermentation, and drying, cooking and packaging stage.
Dental Caries Experience Among Children Aged 3-6 Years Attending Government Early Child Care Educational Centers of Bengaluru South, India

Aim: To assess the dental caries experience in Children Aged 3-6 Years Attending Government Early Childcare Education Centers Of Bengaluru South, Karnataka, India. Methodology: A prevalence study was conducted to assess dental caries experience among 3009 children aged of 3- 6 years attending government early childcare educational centers of Bengaluru south, India using dmft index. Descriptive statistical analysis has been carried out. Chi square test and z test was used to find the statistical significance among the categorical variables and means in between the groups respectively. Results: The study population comprised of 3009 children, out of whom 1429 (47.4%) were males and 1580 (52.6%) were females. It consisted of 1897 (63%) children in the age group of 3-4 years, 888 (29.5%) children in the age group of 4-5 years and 224 (7.5%) children in the age group of 5-6 years. The mean dmft ±SD by age were as follows 0.95±2.05 in the 3-4 year age group, 1.41±2.45 in 4- 5 years and 1.77±3.15 in 5 - 6 years. The mean dmft score increased as the age increased and males were more affected than females and the difference was found to be statistically significant. The dt score was the major component in dmft scores.
STEAP2 is down-regulated in breast cancer tissue and suppresses PI3K/AKT signaling and breast cancer cell invasion in vitro and in vivo

ABSTRACT The six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 2 (STEAP2) protein was identified in advanced prostate cancer, and is highly over-expressed in various types of cancer. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value and the function of STEAP2 in breast cancer. STEAP2 mRNA and protein expressions in breast normal and cancer tissues, breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, BT-549, BT-474, MDA-MB-361, HCC1937, and MDA-MB-468) and normal mammary epithelial cell lines (HBL-100 and MCF-10A) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, real time RT-qPCR and western blotting. The expression of STEAP2 in breast cancer tissues and its value of evaluating the prognosis of breast cancer patients was validated in the Public Databases (Oncomine and Kaplan-Meier plotter database). Lentiviral vectors with STEAP2 cDNA and shRNA were constructed and used to infect breast cancer cell lines and normal mammary epithelial cell line to investigate the effects of STEAP2 up- and down- regulation on the biological behavior of breast cells. The low expression of STEAP2 was detected in breast cancer tissues, which was associated with malignant phenotype and poor prognosis of breast cancer. The public databases analyses were consistent with our findings. STEAP2 up-regulation hindered cellular proliferation, invasion and metastasis abilities by inhibiting EMT process and suppressing PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. On the other hand, STEAP2 down-regulation could promote cell proliferation and invasion by inducing EMT and activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Collectively, STEAP2 acted as an anti-oncogene in breast cancer development, which suggested a new research objective for the future studies.
Examining the Relationship Between Stroke and Labial Strength

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant difference in labial strength exists between healthy controls, individuals who had experienced a stroke with no deficits, individuals who had experiencd a stroke and dysarthria, and in- dividuals who had experienced a stroke with dysar- thria and dysphagia. Method: Four groups participated in the study: a control group of healthy adults and 3 experimental groups of patients with a diagnosis of stroke. The experimental groups were characterized according to the following features: labial weakness only, dysar- thria, and dysarthria and dysphagia. All participants performed an oral motor evaluation, diadochoki- netic rates, clinical swallow evaluation, and bilateral measurements of labial strength using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI; Iowa Oral Performance Instrument Medical, 2010). Results: Significant differences in labial strength were S peech production and deglutition are complicated acts requiring precise, se- quenced movements involving the cen- tral nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and muscles. Recent clinical research on articulation and the oral preparatory and oral phases of the swallow has focused on the role of the tongue in speech pro- duction and deglutition (Goozee, Murdoch, & The- odoros, 2001; Neel & Palmer, 2012; Steele, Bailey, Molfenter, Yeates, & Grace-Martin, 2010; Stierwalt &
Relevance of Leptin and Other Adipokines in Obesity-Associated Cardiovascular Risk

Obesity, which is a worldwide epidemic, confers increased risk for multiple serious conditions including type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Adipose tissue is considered one of the largest endocrine organs in the body as well as an active tissue for cellular reactions and metabolic homeostasis rather than an inert tissue only for energy storage. The functional pleiotropism of adipose tissue relies on its ability to synthesize and release a large number of hormones, cytokines, extracellular matrix proteins, and growth and vasoactive factors, which are collectively called adipokines known to influence a variety of physiological and pathophysiological processes. In the obese state, excessive visceral fat accumulation causes adipose tissue dysfunctionality that strongly contributes to the onset of obesity-related comorbidities. The mechanisms underlying adipose tissue dysfunction include adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia, increased inflammation, impaired extracellular matrix remodeling, and fibrosis together with an altered secretion of adipokines. This review describes the relevance of specific adipokines in the obesity-associated cardiovascular disease.
Perspective Piece Emerging Filoviral Disease in Uganda: Proposed Explanations and Research Directions

Outbreaks of Ebola and Marburg virus diseases have recently increased in frequency in Uganda. This increase is probably caused by a combination of improved surveillance and laboratory capacity, increased contact between humans and the natural reservoir of the viruses, and fluctuations in viral load and prevalence within this reservoir. The roles of these proposed explanations must be investigated in order to guide appropriate responses to the changing epidemiological profile. Other African settings in which multiple filoviral outbreaks have occurred could also benefit from such information.
Novel Sol-Gel Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials for Drug Delivery

Purpose The aim of the present study was to synthetize and characterize novel sol-gel organic-inorganic hybrid materials to be used for controlled drug delivery application. Materials and Methods Organic-inorganic hybrid class I materials based on poly(∊-caprolactone) (PCL 6, 12, 24 and 50 wt%) and zirconia-yttria (ZrO2-5%Y2O3) were synthesized by a sol-gel method, from a multicomponent solution containing zirconium propoxide [Zr(OC2H7)4], yttrium chloride (YCl3), PCL, water and chloroform (CHCl3). The structure of the hybrids was obtained by means of hydrogen bonds between the Zr-OH group (H-donor) in the sol-gel intermediate species and the carboxylic group (H-acceptor) in the repeating units of the polymer. Results The presence of hydrogen bonds between organic-inorganic components of the hybrid materials was suggested by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, and strongly supported by solid-state NMR. A single-step, sol-gel process was then used to precipitate microspheres containing ketoprofen or indomethacin for controlled drug delivery applications. Release kinetics in a simulated body fluid (SBF) were subsequently investigated. The amount of drug released was detected by UV-VIS spectroscopy. Pure anti-inflammatory agents exhibited linear release with time, in contrast drugs entrapped in the organic-inorganic hybrids were released with a logarithmic time dependence, starting with an initial burst effect followed by a gradual decrease. Conclusions The synthesis of amorphous materials containing drugs, obtained by sol-gel methods, helps to devise new strategies for controlled drug delivery system design.
Central nor-adrenergic pathway: essential role in diffuse transcranial electrical stimulation- induced hypermotitity

The involvement of nor-adrenergic pathway in diffuse transcranial electrical stimulation (DTES)-induced hypermotility was investigated, using a centrally acting nor-adrenergic pre-synaptic agonist. Wister rats we re pretreated with clonidine (120 µg/Kg and 240 µg/Kg respectively), a pre-synaptic �2 agonist. Clonidine pre-treated rats and control rats received DTES 30 minutes afte r treatment in a motility counting chamber. Administration of higher dose of Clonidine produced similar results with lower motility counts. Implying that clonidine redu ced the sympathetic outflow to the periphery, and thus reduced rat’s activity. These r esults suggest that DTES- induced hypermotility may have resulted from an increase in sympathetic outflow to the periphery, indicating that nor-adrenergic pathway i s the essential mediator of DTES induced hypermotility.
Serotonin and MucXS release by small secretory cells depend on Xpod, a SSC specific marker gene

Mucus secretion and ciliary motility are hallmarks for muco‐ciliary epithelia (MCE). Both, mammalian airways as well as the less complex epidermis of Xenopus embryos show cilia‐driven mucus flow to protect the organism against harmful effects by exogenous pathogens or pollutants. Four cell types set up the epidermal MCE in Xenopus. Multi‐ciliated cells (MCCs) generate an anterior to posterior flow of mucus. Ion secreting cells (ISCs) are characterized by the expression of ion transporters, presumably to maintain a favorable homeostasis. The largest cell type is represented by goblet cells, which cover most of the epidermis and exhibit secretory properties. Additionally, small secretory cells (SSCs) release mucus, antibiotic compounds, and the monoamine serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine; 5‐HT). We have recently shown that serotonin regulates flow velocity by acting on ciliary beat frequency. Here, we describe the identification and functional characterization of Xenopus polka‐dots (Xpod). No homologous genes or proteins were found in other vertebrates, including Xenopus tropicalis. We demonstrate that Xpod serves as an SSC‐specific marker, starting to be expressed shortly after SSC specification at neurula stages. Overexpression of a tagged Xpod protein resulted in the localization of secretory granules. Notch signaling induced SSC cell fate, in contrast to its repressing effect on MCC and ISC specification. Xpod loss‐of‐function revealed that mucus and 5‐HT release by SSCs was severely diminished, which impaired the ciliary beating of MCCs. In summary, Xpod specifically marked SSCs and was required for muco‐ciliary secretion in Xenopus laevis.
Augmented Modality Exclusivity Norms for Concrete and Abstract Italian Property Words

How perceptual information is encoded into language and conceptual knowledge is a debated topic in cognitive (neuro)science. We present modality norms for 643 Italian adjectives, which referred to one of the five perceptual modalities or were abstract. Overall, words were rated as mostly connected to the visual modality and least connected to the olfactory and gustatory modality. We found that words associated to visual and auditory experience were more unimodal compared to words associated to other sensory modalities. A principal components analysis highlighted a strong coupling between gustatory and olfactory information in word meaning, and the tendency of words referring to tactile experience to also include information from the visual dimension. Abstract words were found to encode only marginal perceptual information, mostly from visual and auditory experience. The modality norms were augmented with corpus–based (e.g., Zipf Frequency, Orthographic Levenshtein Distance 20) and ratings–based psycholinguistic variables (Age of Acquisition, Familiarity, Contextual Availability). Split-half correlations performed for each experimental variable and comparisons with similar databases confirmed that our norms are highly reliable. This database thus provides a new important tool for investigating the interplay between language, perception and cognition.