Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A 3′-Untranslated Region Polymorphism in IGF1 Predicts Survival of Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer in a Chinese Population

Purpose: Disruption of the balance of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) has been implicated in the etiology and progression of lung and other cancers. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in IGF1 and IGFBP3 have been reported to be associated with the expression of the IGF-I/IGFBP3 axis. Therefore, we hypothesized that SNPs in these two genes were associated with lung cancer survival. Experimental Design: We selected and genotyped 21 tagging and potentially functional SNPs in IGF1 and IGFBP3 by using Illumina Goldengate Genotyping Chip in a case cohort of 568 patients diagnosed with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a Chinese population. Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard models were used for the survival analyses. Results: We found that rs5742714C/G in the 3′-untranslated region of IGF1 was associated significantly with NSCLC survival after adjustment for demographic and clinicopathologic factors, showing an improved median survival time in patients carrying variant CG/GG genotypes [median survival time, 28.5 months for CG/GG and 23.0 for CC; crude hazard ratio (HR), 0.74; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.57-0.95, and adjusted HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.60-0.99]. This protective effect was more predominant for patients receiving surgical operation (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40-0.85; P for heterogeneity test = 0.045), along with a significant multiplicative interaction between variant genotypes and operation status (P = 0.028). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that rs5742714 in IGF1 may be a genetic modifier for NSCLC prognosis in this Chinese population, especially among patients with surgical operation. Clin Cancer Res; 16(4); 1236–44
SASLT Practice Guidelines: Management of Hepatitis C Virus Infection

This guideline has been approved by the Saudi Association for the Study of Liver diseases and Transplantation and represents the position of the Association. These practice guidelines have been written to assist physicians and other health care providers to aid in the recognition, diagnosis, and management of chronically infected hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. They are based on a formal review and analysis of published literature on the topic that impact the management of chronic HCV infection, and the experience of the authors in hepatitis C. In addition, various international practice guidelines and consensus documents on management of chronic hepatitis C were considered in the development of these guidelines. The recommendations contained herein suggest preferred approaches to the diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive aspects of care related to the disease. Our understanding of the natural history of HCV infection and the potential for therapy of the resultant disease is continuously improving. However, despite the increasing knowledge, areas of uncertainty still exist and therefore clinicians, patients, and public health authorities must continue to make choices on the basis of the evolving evidence. Therefore, these guidelines are intended to be flexible and may be updated periodically as new information becomes available.
Oral and maxillofacial biopsied lesions in Brazilian pediatric patients: A 16-year retrospective study

PURPOSE: To survey oral and maxillofacial lesions biopsied in a Brazilian pediatric hospital. METHODS: Biopsy records over a 16-year period (1992-2008) were retrieved from the files of the Anatomy and Pathology Service, Hospital Presidente Dutra, Federal University of Maranhao, Brazil. Pediatric cases patients aged 16 years old or younger were selected. Oral and maxillofacial diagnoses were grouped into 10 categories, and lesions were evaluated for age, gender, anatomic location and pathological diagnosis. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Of a total of 3,550 pediatric biopsies, 88 cases (2.48%) were located in oral or maxillofacial sites. Similar incidence rates were observed between the genders and the prevalence of lesions was highest in the permanent dentition period (>12-16 years old). Maxilla was the most commonly affected anatomic location. As regards the diagnostic categories, the highest number of lesions was in the hyperplastic/reactive category. The most frequently encountered lesions were inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia and mucocele. Malignant lesions were rarely described. CONCLUSION: This study shows a similar trend to that reported in previous studies on the most frequent oral and maxillofacial lesions found in the pediatric population. The majority of lesions detected were benign, and malignant lesions were diagnosed in a very low number of patients.
Mitotic catastrophe as a prestage to necrosis in mouse liver cells treated with Helicobacter pullorum sonicates

Helicobacter pullorum infections have been associated with several enterohepatic diseases, but the mechanism of action is currently undefined. The present study was therefore set up to investigate possible cytotoxic effects of this pathogen on liver cells. A mouse hepatic cell line was exposed to H. pullorum sonicate and cytotoxicity was observed for all isolates after incubation for 72 h. Features characteristic for mitotic catastrophe characterized by chromatin condensation, formation of multinuclear distended cells and micronucleation, were recorded. In addition, intranuclear pseudoinclusions were seen in sonicate‐treated cells. Finally, cells exposed to sonicate eventually underwent cell death with the morphological features of necrosis, which occurred without activation of caspase‐3. The toxic factor involved in the cytotoxic activity proved to be soluble, trypsin–sensitive and stable at 56°C and at −70°C with a molecular weight to be over 50 kDa. The current study shows for the first time that H. pullorum causes mitotic catastrophe resulting in primary necrosis in mouse hepatocytes. J. Morphol. , 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular Analysis of Tn1546-Like Elements in Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Isolated from Patients in Europe Shows Geographic Transposon Type Clustering

ABSTRACT Resistance mechanism relatedness was studied in 18 clinical, European vanA vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Molecular analysis revealed 10 Tn1546-like elements, suggesting two evolutionary lineages. Lineage I dominated the European mainland, and lineage II dominated the United Kingdom and Israel. Geographic clustering reflected different types of meat consumption between countries, since each lineage is associated with colonization of different animals.
Influence of non‐volatile anesthetics on the migration behavior of the human breast cancer cell line  MDA‐MB‐468

Background: Anesthetic agents are known to influence functions of the immune system. Anesthetic drugs also support cancer progression by suppressing the activity of immune cells. In breast carcinoma an increase in expression of peripheral‐type benzodiazepine receptors (PBR) and the gamma aminobutyl acid (GABA) level has been discovered. Therefore, an investigation of a direct influence of GABA‐A agonist propofol, GABA‐A and PBR‐agonist etomidate, and the local anesthetic drug lidocaine, which can also bind to the GABA‐A receptor and PBR, on migration of breast carcinoma cells was performed.
A Review of the Literature Pertaining to KAFOs and HKAFOs for Ambulation

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the scientific literature regarding the clinical use of knee-ankle-foot orthoses (KAFOs) and hip-knee-ankle-foot orthoses (HKAFOs) for ambulation to establish what is known and what requires further research to optimize the application of these orthoses. A search of the literature was carried out using a number of computerized databases. Based on their abstracts, publications were included and ranked when they were written in English and evaluated some aspect of ambulation with [H]KAFOs (KAFO and HKAFO). A total of 240 articles were identified that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria; however, there were only two systematic reviews and two randomized control trials located. A selection of recent cross-sectional studies and non-systematic reviews were also considered. The results of this review indicate that, while a reasonable amount of literature has been written regarding [H]KAFOs, the level of evidence regarding the use of [H]KAFOs for ambulation is generally low. There was some evidence (grade C recommendation) that use of HKAFOs diminishes with time in both adults and children with paraplegia and that when orthoses are used they are used mostly for therapeutic purposes. There was also some evidence that regardless of orthotic device used walking speed is slow and energy cost high in people with paraplegia. The main limitation of most studies of [H]KAFOs for ambulation was small sample size and inadequate study design.
Lipid Free Apolipoprotein E Binds to the Class B Type I Scavenger Receptor I (SR-BI) and Enhances Cholesteryl Ester Uptake from Lipoproteins*

The Class B type I scavenger receptor I (SR-BI) is a physiologically relevant high density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor that can mediate selective cholesteryl ester (CE) uptake by cells. Direct interaction of apolipoprotein E (apoE) with this receptor has never been demonstrated, and its implication in CE uptake is still controversial. By using a human adrenal cell line (NCI-H295R), we have addressed the role of apoE in binding to SR-BI and in selective CE uptake from lipoproteins to cells. This cell line does not secrete apoE and SR-BI is its major HDL-binding protein. We can now provide evidence that 1) free apoE is a ligand for SR-BI, 2) apoE associated to lipids or in lipoproteins does not modulate binding or CE-selective uptake by the SR-BI pathway, and 3) the direct interaction of free apoE to SR-BI leads to an increase in CE uptake from lipoproteins of both low and high densities. We propose that this direct interaction could modify SR-BI structure in cell membranes and potentiate CE uptake.
Percutaneous computed tomography-guided aspiration and biopsy of intrathoracic lesions: Results of 265 procedures

Context: Percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided needle aspiration and biopsy technique have developed over time as a method for obtaining tissue specimen. Although this is a minimally invasive procedure, complications do occasionally occur. Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield and complications of 265 percutaneous CT-guided aspiration and biopsy procedures performed on various intrathoracic lesions. Settings and Design: Data of percutaneous CT-guided aspiration and biopsy procedures of intrathoracic lesions performed over a 4 year period were retrospectively analyzed. Subjects and Methods: Procedure details, radiological images, and pathological and microbiological reports were retrieved from radiology records and hospital information system. Technical success, diagnostic yield, and complication rates were calculated. Results: Total 265 procedures were performed for lung (n = 179), mediastinum (n = 73), and pleural lesions (n = 13). Diagnostic yield for lung, mediastinal, and pleural lesions was 80.7%, 74.2, and 75%, respectively, for core biopsy specimens. Major complication was noted in only one procedure (0.4%). Minor complications were noted in 13.6% procedures which could be managed conservatively. Conclusions: Percutaneous CT-guided aspiration and biopsy procedures for intrathoracic lesions are reasonably safe with good diagnostic yield. Complications are infrequent and conservatively managed in most of the cases.
Peaks in plasma plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 concentration may explain thrombotic events in cases of pancreatic carcinoma

Pancreatic carcinoma is associated with a high frequency of thrombosis. Most patients with thrombotic disease have a defective fibrinolytic defense system caused either by plasminogen activator deficiency, excess of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI‐1), or a combination of the two. In the current series of 27 patients with pancreatic carcinoma, 17 had had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) since the onset of their malignant disease, and most were found to have high plasma concentrations of PAI‐1 antigen and PAI‐1 activity. Analysis of singleton samples from each patient yielded no correlation between previous DVT and currently high plasma PAI‐1 concentrations. However, serial samples from 14 patients (8 of whom had histories of thrombosis showed individual values varied sharply with time, with intermittent peaks both in PAI‐1 antigen and PAI‐1 activity for 11 of the 14 patients. Such variability may contribute to intermittently excessive hypercoagulability because of a relative reduction in fibrinolytic potential. These changes may predispose the patient to have thrombotic events in association with pancreatic carcinoma.
A Controlled Retrospective Study of Behaviour Therapy in Phobic Patients

Considerable claims have been made for behaviour therapy, but the evidence for its effectiveness is still conflicting. There are several reasons for this. First, although behaviour therapy is a convenient term to describe treatments which reputedly share a common derivation from learning theory, it describes techniques which differ widely from one another in practice, and which at the same time have features in common with other forms of psychotherapy. Secondly, behaviour therapy has been applied to a variety of neurotic disorders, ranging from writer's cramp to phobias, and these syndromes often have distinct natural histories. Any general statement about the value of behaviour therapy in a mixed group of neuroses is therefore of limited value. Thirdly, the well-known tendency of neurotic disorders to respond to energetic and enthusiastic treatment with non-specific methods makes it difficult to assess the results of treatment unless a matched control group is included in the investigation, or, in the absence of a control group, an exceptionally high rate of recovery is obtained.
Steps in deployment and development of Convolutional Neural Network based applications

Designated among 10 breakthrough technologies by MIT Technology Review [1], Deep Learning (DL) outperform current approaches in many situations, e.g. image or speech processing. One of the most important deep architecture is represented by the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The purpose of this paper is to provide practical recommendations in the deployment and development of the CNN based applications. They refer to the hardware as well as software available solutions and go beyond by providing guidance in choosing the appropriate hyper-parameters (structure, training algorithm, learning rate, regularization techniques, etc.). The experimental results are reported using the CIFAR-10 dataset.
Achieving Predictable Response Time with an Intelligent File System Updater

: Delayed write is a very popular technique to improve the file system performance of UNIX operating systems. When write operations are delayed, an update policy decides how and when to write these modified blocks to their assigned disk locations. Recent research results show that conventional update mechanisms do not perform very well, because they neglect the fact that different VO requests naturally have different characteristics. It makes time critical interactive jobs endure large variations in response time. Update policy controls background write activities that are less time critical and should be performed under constraints that do not violate the urgency of other time critical jobs. In this paper we propose an effective update scheme. We suggest new techniques: burst declus-tering and opportunistic asynchronous write. Besides, we develop a system activity sensor called SAPRO (system activity probe) that monitors the system activities and disk queuing status to adjust the behavior of our algorithm. Performance evaluation shows that our algorithm can alleviate the lengthy queuing delay, reduce the variance and worst case read response time signiflcantly (307o and 5l7o respectively). The mean read response time and total system performance are also improved.
Focusing on the invisible: the representation of IS in Egypt

Despite discussions of the increasingly global character of information systems (IS), IS research remains highly “Western‐centric” both in terms of its subjects of study and the nationalities of the authors. Researchers interested in IS in non‐Western settings are thus reliant on a fragmented and not easily accessible literature that presents a potentially distorted picture of IS practice in these regions. This paper explores this situation through an examination of the literature relating to IS in Egypt (both directly, but also as a Middle Eastern, Arab or Islamic country). A macro analysis of these studies indicates that they are predominantly positivistic in epistemology, quantitative in methodology and focused on economic development and national culture. Although many of the studies make comparisons with other countries in the region, the explicit, or sometimes implicit, point of reference is almost invariably with “the West”. This is repeated in a detailed analysis of individual studies. Implications of these findings for research on IS in non‐Western settings are discussed.
A framework for comparing collaborative management of Australian and New Zealand water resources

Collaborative management of natural resources involves two or more parties working together to govern and/or manage a set of resources within a defined area. Although a number of collaborative management frameworks have been developed for protected area and fisheries management, few exist for freshwater resources that enable their comparative analysis. We present a framework of collaborative management for freshwater resources comprising three elements: scope, governance, and management. Application of the framework to 11 cases from Australia and New Zealand differentiates between primarily consultation/government-based arrangements through to cogovernance arrangements. Our framework differs from others because it highlights the multiscalar and nested nature of collaborative management arrangements that influence effective water resource management. Our analysis highlights the diversity of arrangements that exist for freshwater resource management. Cases involving indigenous groups, a social tradition of waterways management, and those outside the scope of national water resource management reforms generally had higher levels of power sharing and involvement. We argue for greater attention to the effectiveness of and links between governance and management processes to ensure collaborative management remains innovative and appropriate to context. We contribute a framework that contains a continua and three core elements that enables a parsimonious evaluation that could be applied to other resource management contexts and, thus avoids criticism of overly prescriptive, simplistic, and idealistic analysis. ; ;
Eating Disorder Prevention: An Experimental Comparison of High Level Dissonance, Low Level Dissonance, and No-Treatment Control

The purpose of this experiment was to provide an empirical comparison of two dissonance-based eating disorder prevention paradigms and a no-treatment control condition. Asymptomatic and symptomatic participants (N = 155) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: high level dissonance, low level dissonance, or no-treatment control. Group × symptomatic status interactions, main effects, and pairwise comparisons were examined to assess differences in eating disorder attitudes and behaviors at postintervention and 4-week follow-up. Participants in the high level condition displayed fewer eating disorder attitudes and behaviors compared to participants in the low level condition at postintervention. Eating disorder attitudes and behaviors were not significantly lower among participants in either intervention condition compared to no-treatment control participants.
Derangement of apoptosis-related lymphocyte homeostasis in systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES Both increased and decreased apoptosis may be involved in generating autoimmunity. This study addressed the question of whether apoptosis and apoptosis-regulating proteins are altered in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Patients and methods. Peripheral lymphocytes of 39 SSc patients and 47 healthy control persons were studied for apoptosis, Bcl-2 and Bax levels, expression of Fas (CD95) and activation markers (CD25, HLA-DR) as determined by fluorocytometry. Serum Fas and Fas ligand were measured by ELISA. RESULTS SSc lymphocytes (mainly CD4(+)) expressed increased amounts of Bcl-2, while Bax was not elevated. Apoptosis rates of SSc lymphocytes were increased in unsupplemented medium, but returned to normal in the presence of autologous plasma. SSc patients had increased percentages of activated and CD95(+) lymphocytes and elevated soluble Fas and soluble FasL levels in serum. Activating anti-CD95 antibodies further increased the apoptosis rate. CONCLUSIONS Increased in vitro apoptosis, elevated lymphocytic Bcl-2 content and the increased number of Fas-positive T cells are not specific for peripheral blood from SSc patients, but indicate deregulation of lymphocyte homeostasis in this disease.
Transplantation of viable meniscal allograft. Survivorship analysis and clinical outcome of one hundred cases.

BACKGROUND Few medium-term or long-term reports on meniscal allograft transplantations are available. In this study, we present the results of a survival analysis of the clinical outcomes of our first 100 procedures involving transplantation of viable medial and lateral meniscal allografts performed in ninety-six patients. METHODS Thirty-nine medial and sixty-one lateral meniscal allografts were evaluated after a mean of 7.2 years. Survival analysis was based on specific clinical end points, with failure of the allograft defined as moderate occasional or persistent pain or as poor function. An additional survival analysis was performed to assess the results of the sixty-nine procedures that involved isolated use of a viable allograft (twenty of the thirty-nine medial allograft procedures and forty-nine of the sixty-one lateral allograft procedures) and of the thirteen viable medial meniscal allografts that were implanted in combination with a high tibial osteotomy in patients with initial varus malalignment of the lower limb. RESULTS Overall, eleven (28%) of the thirty-nine medial allografts and ten (16%) of the sixty-one lateral allografts failed. The mean cumulative survival time (11.6 years) was identical for the medial and lateral allografts. The cumulative survival rates for the medial and lateral allografts at ten years were 74.2% and 69.8%, respectively. The mean cumulative survival time and the cumulative survival rate for the medial allografts used in combination with a high tibial osteotomy were 13.0 years and 83.3% at ten years, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Transplantation of a viable meniscal allograft can significantly relieve pain and improve function of the knee joint. Survival analysis showed that this beneficial effect remained in approximately 70% of the patients at ten years. This study identified the need for a prospective study comparing patients with similar symptoms and clinical findings treated with and without a meniscal allograft and followed for a longer period with use of clinical evaluation as well as more objective documentation tools regarding the actual fate of the allograft itself and the articular cartilage.