Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Total tumor volume and alpha‐fetoprotein for selection of transplant candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective validation

The selection of liver transplantation (LT) candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently validated based on Milan criteria. The use of extended criteria has remained a matter of debate, mainly because of the absence of prospective validation. The present prospective study recruited patients according to the previously proposed total tumor volume (TTV; ≤115 cm3)/alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP; ≤400 ng/mL) score. Patients with AFP >400 ng/mL were excluded, and, as such, the Milan group was modified to include only patients with AFP <400 ng/mL; these patients were compared to patients beyond Milan, but within TTV/AFP. From January 2007 to March 2013, 233 patients with HCC were listed for LT. Of them, 195 patients were within Milan and 38 beyond Milan, but within TTV/AFP. The average follow‐up from listing was 33.9 ± 24.9 months. Risk of dropout was higher for patients beyond Milan, but within TTV/AFP (16 of 38; 42.1%), than for those within Milan (49 of 195 [25.1%]; P = 0.033). In parallel, intent‐to‐treat survival from listing was lower in patients beyond Milan (53.8% vs. 71.6% at 4 years; P < 0.001). After a median waiting time of 8 months, 166 patients were transplanted, 134 within Milan criteria, and 32 beyond Milan but within TTV/AFP. They demonstrated acceptable and similar recurrence rates (4.5% vs. 9.4%; P = 0.138) and post‐transplant survivals (78.7% vs. 74.6% at 4 years; P = 0.932). Conclusion: Based on the present prospective study, HCC LT candidate selection could be expanded to the TTV (≤115 cm3)/AFP (≤400 ng/mL) criteria in centers with at least 8‐month waiting time. An increased risk of dropout on the waiting list can be expected, but with equivalent and satisfactory post‐transplant survival. (Hepatology 2015;62:158‐165)
Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Dysthymic Disorder

This report examines clinical features of ‘pure’ dysthymic disorder (DD, without superimposed major depressive disorder, MDD) in a sample of children and adolescents. Profiles of symptomatology and comorbidity as a function of age and gender are described. The sample consisted of 48 subjects (22 males, 26 females, age range 7–18 years, mean age 12.1 years) screened from consecutively referred children and adolescents. All subjects were comprehensively diagnosed with structured diagnostic interviews (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age, Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Revised), according to DSM-IV criteria. Depressed mood, irritability, loss of energy and fatigue, guilt and low self-esteem were present in more than 70% of the subjects. Differences in symptomatic profile between males and females were not significant. Children showed less symptoms than adolescents, but the symptomatic profile was comparable (only anhedonia was significantly more frequent in adolescents). Anxiety disorders were more commonly comorbid with DD, especially separation anxiety disorder in children (33%) and generalised anxiety disorder in adolescents (67%). Externalising disorders were less frequently represented in our sample (14%). An early diagnosis of ‘pure’ DD before the first episode of MDD is crucial for a timely intervention.
Bearing lubrication assessment using an statistical analysis of the stator current spectrum

Bearing lubrication is very important to ensure a satisfactory and long operation of bearings. An excess of lubrication can be as damaging as a lack of lubrication. An excess of oil or grease has damaging effects in the short term such as difficult heat evacuation, sliding balls and greater current consumption. There are some procedures, such as acoustic monitoring and methods based in charts provided by manufacturers, to decide when to regrease a bearing and how much grease is needed. As Motor Current Signature Analysis is widely recognized as a useful and reliable tool for condition monitoring of induction motors, it has been used, along with an Analysis of Covariance, to find signs in the stator current spectrum of an excess of lubrication. The statistical analysis shows that the variation observed in some integer harmonics of the supply frequency is due to different levels of bearing lubrication.
Determination of Fsh Quantity and Bioactivity During Sex Differentiation and Oogenesis in European Sea Bass1

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is a glycoprotein hormone that plays a key role in the regulation of gonadal functions in vertebrates. The present study reports the monitoring of pituitary and plasma Fsh levels during sex differentiation and oogenesis in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) using a homologous immunoassay and an in vitro bioassay. Both assays were used complementarily for the first time in a fish species. High levels of Fsh bioactivity in plasma were found during the initial phases of sexual differentiation. Plasma and pituitary Fsh (quantity and bioactivity) levels and biological to immunological (B:I) ratios were higher in females than in males, suggesting sexual dimorphism in the synthesis and potency of Fsh. In females, the B:I ratios in adult were lower than during sex differentiation indicating that Fsh would be less biopotent in the adult stage. Plasma Fsh bioactivity levels increased during vitellogenesis, suggesting that Fsh would be involved in the regulation of the midphases of oogenesis, whereas luteinizing hormone would be responsible for the final events.
Selection of common cashew rootstocks for the Northeast region: nursery stage

4 Eng. Agronomo, bolsistas do CNPq/DTI, cpnunes2@yahoo.com. br Resumo - A recomendacao de um clone para o plantio comercial, quando propagado por muda enxertada, requer o uso de porta-enxertos. A falta de estudos para conhecer as combinacoes de enxertos vs porta-enxertos com maior compatibilidade pode comprometer o plantio de clones e nao garantir produtividade e uniformidade. Com o objetivo de avaliar o comportamento de oito porta-enxertos, desde a germinacao da semente ate a formacao da muda no viveiro, sendo seis de clones de cajueiro comum e dois do tipo anao precoce, foi instalado um experimento em blocos ao acaso com 16 tratamentos (8 porta-enxertos e 2 enxertos), quatro repeticoes e 9 plantas por parcela, totalizando 72 plantas por porta-enxerto. Foi feita avaliacao das caracteristicas do peso de 100 castanhas por clone, vigor do porta-enxerto e da muda enxertada e rendimento da enxertia. Os resultados mostram que os clones CCP 06 e CCP 76 exibiram peso de castanhas 50% inferior aos clones do tipo comum; elevada porcentagem de germinacao das castanhas, acima de 80%, para todos os clones, a excecao do clone Comum 36; o clone Comum 36 nao apresenta potencial para formacao de porta-enxertos de cajueiro; e que a manifestacao de diferencas nos porta-enxertos de cajueiro, antes da enxertia, revela uma tendencia que essas diferencas podem se manifestarem tambem na fase de producao dos clones. Palavras-chave: Anacardium occidentale. Clone. Enxertia. Vigor.
In Surplus and in Scarcity: Agricultural Development, Risk Management, and Political Economy on Ofu Island, American Samoa

Abstract Much attention has been paid to the role of increased food production in the development of social complexity. However, increased food production is only one kind of agricultural process, and some changes in agronomic practices were geared toward stabilizing production or counteracting periodic shortfalls. The intersection between these latter strategies and sociopolitical development are poorly understood, while the long-term value of risk management strategies is often hypothesized but empirically not well demonstrated. We address these issues using recent archaeological data from the Samoan Archipelago, Polynesia. We investigate variability in, and the development of, one type of agricultural infrastructure: ditch- and-parcel complexes. In the context of Samoa’s high-volume rainfall, recurrent cyclones, and steep topography, these novel risk management facilities offered production stability and, by extension, long-term selective benefits to both emergent elites and the general populace. Their effectiveness against known hazards is demonstrated by hydrologicai modeling, while their long-term success is indicated by increased distribution and size over time. Additionally, based on their morphologies, funetional properties, chronology, and spatial patterning, we argue that this infrastructure could have been effectively used by emergent elites to gain political advantage, particularly in conjunction with environmental perturbations that created production bottlenecks or shortfalls.
Asynchronous Accumulation of Lettuce Infectious Yellows Virus RNAs 1 and 2 and Identification of an RNA 1 trans Enhancer of RNA 2 Accumulation

ABSTRACT Time course and mutational analyses were used to examine the accumulation in protoplasts of progeny RNAs of the bipartiteCrinivirus, Lettuce infectious yellow virus(LIYV; family Closteroviridae). Hybridization analyses showed that simultaneous inoculation of LIYV RNAs 1 and 2 resulted in asynchronous accumulation of progeny LIYV RNAs. LIYV RNA 1 progeny genomic and subgenomic RNAs could be detected in protoplasts as early as 12 h postinoculation (p.i.) and accumulated to high levels by 24 h p.i. The LIYV RNA 1 open reading frame 2 (ORF 2) subgenomic RNA was the most abundant of all LIYV RNAs detected. In contrast, RNA 2 progeny were not readily detected until ca. 36 h p.i. Mutational analyses showed that in-frame stop codons introduced into five of seven RNA 2 ORFs did not affect accumulation of progeny LIYV RNA 1 or RNA 2, confirming that RNA 2 does not encode proteins necessary for LIYV RNA replication. Mutational analyses also supported that LIYV RNA 1 encodes proteins necessary for replication of LIYV RNAs 1 and 2. A mutation introduced into the LIYV RNA 1 region encoding the overlapping ORF 1B and ORF 2 was lethal. However, mutations introduced into only LIYV RNA 1 ORF 2 resulted in accumulation of progeny RNA 1 near or equal to wild-type RNA 1. In contrast, the RNA 1 ORF 2 mutants did not efficiently support the trans accumulation of LIYV RNA 2. Three distinct RNA 1 ORF 2 mutants were analyzed and all exhibited a similar phenotype for progeny LIYV RNA accumulation. These data suggest that the LIYV RNA 1 ORF 2 encodes a trans enhancer for RNA 2 accumulation.
Smallest Sets of Longest Paths with Empty Intersection

It is shown that, for every integer v < 7, there is a connected graph in which some v longest paths have empty intersection, but any v – 1 longest paths have a vertex in common. Moreover, connected graphs having seven or five minimal sets of longest paths (longest cycles) with empty intersection are presented. A 26-vertex 2-connected graph whose longest paths have empty intersection is exhibited.
A survey of obstetric complications and pregnancy outcomes in paediatric and nonpaediatric anaesthesiologists

Background: Obstetric complications such as spontaneous abortion, preterm labour, preterm delivery, low birth weight and congenital anomalies may be associated with exposure to anaesthetic gases. We hypothesized that female anaesthesiologists practicing primarily paediatric anaesthesia, with increased exposure to trace anaesthetic agents, experience a greater prevalence of obstetric complications than female anaesthesiologists performing primarily adult anaesthesia.
[A combined treatment of carcinoma of the maxillary sinus--treatment method for T4 cases].

Between 1974 and 1986, 54 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary sinus were treated combining surgery, radiotherapy and regional chemotherapy simultaneously. Using UICC (1987) system, these 54 cases were classified into one T1, four T2, thirty-three T3 and sixteen T4. The combined therapy consisted of 1) reduction operation followed by daily cleaning of the necrotic tumor mass; 2) external irradiation with less than 30Gy; 3) intra-arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and broxuridine (BUdR); and 4) final tumor resection under general anesthesia. As several modifications were made for the treatment procedure in 1979, the 54 cases were divided into two groups: Group A with 29 cases, which were treated before 1979 and Group B with 25 cases, which were treated after 1979. In this paper, the operative procedure, which we use for T4 cases is described. The first operation is performed after radiotherapy with about 10Gy and in this operation only the necrotic portion of the tumor mass is removed. The maxillary cavity is opened through the sublabial incision. This window is kept open and daily cleaning of the necrotic tumor mass is continued through the window. Three weeks after the simultaneous administration of radiation with 20Gy and 5 intra-arterial infusions of 5-FU and BUdR, the residual tumor is curetted thoroughly under general anesthesia. Surgery is performed through the sublabial window which has been kept open after the reduction surgery. Removal of the residual tumor mass which extends to the pterygomaxillary fossa, nasopharynx, anterior and medial skull base can be performed without difficulty, provided that the tumor mass is removed in pieces. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Lower Illeal Microflora and Growth Performance of Broilers Supplemented with Organic Acid Blend (Aciflex®) During Starter Phase

Organic acids can be replaced as effective feed additives with antibiotics. Organic acids and their salts have the potential to retard the development of pathogens in the diets and thus maintain the microbial equilibrium in the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, 225 day-old broiler chicks were used for a period of 21 days in order to examine the effect of different levels of organic acids (OA) on performance of broiler. The following parameters: feed intake, water consumption, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), total Salmonella and E. coli count, weight of visceral organs and length of intestine were studied during starter phase. The experimental chicks were divided into five groups (n=5, 15 birds/replicate). The chicks in control group OA-0 were offered clean drinking water having no organic acid while those in group OA-1, OA-1.5 and OA-2 were given 1, 1.5 and 2ml of organic acid blend. Each litter of drinking water contained citric acid 80g, lactic acid 52g, phosphorous 92g, copper sulphate 10g, respectively. Organic acid (2ml/L) supplementation significantly (p<0.05) increased feed intake (405.37g), weight gain (218g), FCR (1.42), weight of liver (0.02g) and gizzard (0.03g). Similarly in group OA-2 organic acid supplementation significantly decreased (p<0.05) the total salmonella (1.6x10 7 ) and E. coli (1.7x10 7 logCFU/g) count in intestinal contents. From present findings it was concluded that organic acid supplementation at level of @ 2ml/L in drinking water had beneficial effect on broiler performance and also decreased the colonization of intestinal bacterial counts.
Treatment of acute ischemic stroke in patients with cerebral microbleeds: a decision analysis.

Treatment with anti-thrombotic agents reduces the likelihood of recurrent ischemic stroke. However, it may produce intracerebral hemorrhage. The risk of recurrence is highest shortly after an ischemic stroke has occurred irrespective of the ischemic stroke subtype. About one-fourth1 to one-half2 of the risk of recurrence at 1 year is accrued during the acute phase (first 2–4 weeks) of an ischemic stroke, and this risk declines further during the following 5 years.3 Similarly, the rates of intracerebral hemorrhage decline from 0.6% to 3% during the the first 2–4 weeks after an ischemic stroke4–13 to 0.16–0.23% annually thereafter.11,14 This time variance in complication rates indicates that the risk–benefit ratio of the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke may be different from that of their long-term care. Still, published analyses of the treatment of such patients have assumed that the risks of ischemic stroke recurrence and intracerebral hemorrhage are constant over the patient’s lifetime,15 or over the first year after ischemic stroke.16 Therefore, the conclusions of these analyses may not pertain to patients with acute ischemic stroke. The management of ischemic stroke in patients with cerebral microbleeds is particularly uncertain. About one-fourth of the patients with ischemic stroke have cerebral microbleeds that may predict a higher risk of intracerebral hemorrhages.17 Still, we know of no randomized studies comparing the risks and benefits of anti-thrombotic treatment in patients with and without cerebral microbleeds. When clinical decisions must be made in the absence of evidence, an analysis of the benefits (efficacy) and risks (adverse effects) of alternative management options may identify the treatment of choice and the specific areas of uncertainty that should be explored by future research. In this article, we use a decision tree to compare no treatment, aspirin or anti-coagulation in …
Immunization against Porphyromonas gingivalis inhibits progression of experimental periodontitis in nonhuman primates

Periodontitis is a common infectious disease in which the attachment tissues of the teeth and their alveolar bone housing are destroyed, resulting in tooth loss. The gram-negative anaerobic microorganism Porphyromonas gingivalis has been closely linked to severe forms of the disease. We show for the first time that immunization of the primate Macaca fascicularis with killed P. gingivalis in Syntex Adjuvant Formulation-M inhibits progression of periodontal tissue destruction.
A method to improve the performance of conventional static load models

This letter delivers a method to improve the performance of static load models, in which the exponents of exponential power functions are treated as constant. These exponents, however, depend on voltage and frequency. The proposed method upgrades the performance of the load models by dynamically adjusting the exponents, making the load models valid in wider ranges of voltage and frequency.
Ethical Considerations of Therapeutic Hypnosis and Children

Historically, therapeutic hypnosis has been met with skepticism within some fields, although acceptance has expanded in recent decades. Development and application of ethical standards and principles has contributed to increased acceptance of hypnosis with children. The Ethics Code of the American Psychological Association (APA, 2002) and the Code of Conduct of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH, 2000) serve as guides to ethical considerations when treating children. From a developmental and practical perspective, children have limited decision-making capacities, therefore special attention should be paid to their rights and welfare. Important ethical considerations relevant to children and hypnosis have emerged, including competence, supervision, informed consent, confidentiality, and boundaries. Considerations are reviewed from a normal and abnormal child development perspective.
Efficacy of Caspofungin Alone and in Combination with Voriconazole in a Guinea Pig Model of Invasive Aspergillosis

ABSTRACT The antifungal activity of caspofungin acetate (CAS) alone and in combination with voriconazole (VRC) was evaluated in an immunosuppressed transiently neutropenic guinea pig model of invasive aspergillosis. Guinea pigs were immunosuppressed with triamcinolone at 20 mg/kg of body weight/day subcutaneously beginning 4 days prior to lethal intravenous challenge with Aspergillus fumigatus and were made temporarily neutropenic with cyclophosphamide administered at 150 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.) 1 day prior to challenge. Therapy with i.p. CAS at 1 and 2.5 mg/kg/day (with and without oral VRC at 5 mg/kg/day), oral VRC at 5 mg/kg/day, or i.p. amphotericin B (AMB) at 1.25 mg/kg/day was begun 24 h after challenge and was continued for 5 days. Mortality occurred in 12 of 12 untreated controls, whereas mortality occurred in 4 of 12 and 6 of 12 guinea pigs treated with CAS at 1 and 2.5 mg/kg/day, respectively, and in 3 of 12 guinea pigs treated with AMB. No mortality occurred among animals treated with CAS at 1 mg/kg/day plus VRC at 5 mg/kg/day, CAS at 2.5 mg/kg/day plus VRC at 5 mg/kg/day, or VRC at 5 mg/kg/day alone. Both CAS regimens increased the survival times and reduced the colony counts in tissue compared with those for the controls. Treatment with VRC and AMB significantly reduced the colony counts in the tissues of selected animals compared with those in the tissues of the controls. Treatment with VRC and AMB also resulted in reductions in colony counts in tissues compared with those in the tissues of animals treated with CAS (the difference was not statistically significant) and improved the survival times but did not sterilize tissues. Combination therapies with CAS plus VRC at either dose reduced colony counts in tissues 1,000-fold over those for the controls and were the only regimens that significantly reduced the numbers of positive cultures. The combinations of CAS plus VRC were highly effective in this model and should be further evaluated for use against invasive aspergillosis.
Factor and item-response analysis DSM-IV criteria for abuse of and dependence on cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, sedatives, stimulants and opioids.

AIMS This paper explored, in a population-based sample of males, the factorial structure of criteria for substance abuse and dependence, and compared qualitatively the performance of these criteria across drug categories using item-response theory (IRT). DESIGN Marginal maximum likelihood was used to explore the factor structure of criteria within drug classes, and a two-parameter IRT model was used to determine how the difficulty and discrimination of individual criteria differ across drug classes. PARTICIPANTS A total of 4234 males born from 1940 to 1974 from the population-based Virginia Twin Registry were approached to participate. MEASUREMENTS DSM-IV drug use, abuse and dependence criteria for cannabis, sedatives, stimulants, cocaine and opiates. FINDINGS For each drug class, the pattern of endorsement of individual criteria for abuse and dependence, conditioned on initiation and use, could be best explained by a single factor. There were large differences in individual item performance across substances in terms of item difficulty and discrimination. Cocaine users were more likely to have encountered legal, social, physical and psychological consequences. CONCLUSIONS The DSM-IV abuse and dependence criteria, within each drug class, are not distinct but best described in terms of a single underlying continuum of risk. Because individual criteria performed very differently across substances in IRT analyses, the assumption that these items are measuring equivalent levels of severity or liability with the same discrimination across different substances is unsustainable. Compared to other drugs, cocaine usage is associated with more detrimental effects and negative consequences, whereas the effects of cannabis and hallucinogens appear to be less harmful. Implications for other drug classes are discussed.