Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiofrequency ablation versus radical nephrectomy: clinical outcomes for stage T1b renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE To compare clinical outcomes of radiofrequency (RF) ablation retrospectively with those after radical nephrectomy in patients with stage T1b renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and the requirement to obtain written informed consent was waived. From June 2002 to March 2012, 60 patients (mean age, 65.2 years; age range, 39-86 years) with a single RCC measuring 4.1-7.0 cm (stage T1b) underwent RF ablation (n = 21) or radical nephrectomy (n = 39). Selective renal artery embolization was performed before RF ablation in eight patients. The overall, RCC-related, and disease-free survival rates, the percentage decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and safety were compared by using the log-rank (survival), paired and Student t (GFR), and Fisher exact (safety) tests. RESULTS The overall survival rate was significantly lower in the RF ablation group than in the radical nephrectomy group (48% vs 97% at 10 years, respectively; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.4%, 76.7% vs 78.2%, 99.5%; P < .009). The RCC-related survival rate (94% [95% CI: 62.6%, 99.1%] with RF ablation vs 100% with radical nephrectomy at 10 years) and the disease-free survival rate (88% [95% CI: 59.2%, 96.9%] with RF ablation vs 84% [95% CI: 60.6%, 94.3%] with radical nephrectomy at 10 years, P = .99) were comparable between the two groups. No treatment-related deaths occurred. Although major complication rates were similar between the two patient groups (8.0% [two of 25 patients] vs 5.1% [two of 39 patients], P = .61), the percentage decrease in the GFR was significantly lower in the RF ablation group than in the radical nephrectomy group at the last follow-up (12.5% ± 23.4 vs 32.3% ± 20.8, respectively; P < .003). CONCLUSION RF ablation is a safe procedure for patients at substantial surgical risk for radical nephrectomy, providing comparable RCC-related and disease-free survival and preserving renal function.
Pharmacological prevention of acute mountain sickness

Editor—Dumont et al reach a false, potentially harmful conclusion in their paper on the efficacy and harm of pharmacological prevention of acute mountain sickness.1 Their claim that acetazolamide 500 mg/day does not work in preventing acute mountain sickness must be challenged. Their analysis is flawed for three reasons. Firstly, they used only nine of 25 available controlled studies, and analysed only four of 10 trials with acetazolamide 500 mg/day. Consequently, only 143 individuals taking acetazolamide 500 mg/day were included, 120 from one study.2 In that investigation the rate of ascent in one of the two trials was so slow that acetazolamide made no difference in acute mountain sickness scores. The other trial, with faster rate of ascent, showed acetazolamide to be very effective. Another meta-analysis, of 10 trials of acetazolamide 500 mg/day (306 participants), concluded that it was effective.3 If Dumont et al included more trials they would find that acetazolamide 500 mg/day is indeed effective. Secondly, rate of ascent was not adequately controlled. The authors compared acetazolamide 750 mg/day (250 mg three times a day) during particularly rapid ascent with 500 mg/day with much slower ascent. If the 500 mg dose is not tested during an abrupt ascent similar to that by the group taking the 750 mg dose the comparison is not valid. Thirdly, Dumont et al chose an unnecessarily strict end point for their analysis: the dichotomous presence or absence of acute mountain sickness. Many people with symptoms of acute mountain sickness, while not meeting criteria for acute mountain sickness, do indeed find acetazolamide helpful. In fact, Dumont et al did note that the drug was found to be effective prevention for headache, insomnia, nausea, and dizziness in various studies not included in their analysis. Rigorous trials comparing dosages of acetazolamide are lacking, but a huge clinical experience cannot be ignored: climbers, trekkers, and tourists find lower doses of acetazolamide very useful, with fewer side effects. Moreover, the clinical impression that acetazolamide works at 250 mg twice daily has been so strong that many clinicians (myself included) have lowered the dose further, to 125 mg twice daily, with no apparent decrease in effectiveness. Pending further research, I urge doctors to recommend acetazolamide 125-250 mg twice a day (depending on body size) for the prevention of acute mountain sickness. Since renal carbonic anhydrase inhibition is complete with acetazolamide 5 mg/kg/day, even 500 mg/day is more than most people need. Trials directly comparing effectiveness of varied dosages are essential; this meta-analysis is flawed.
Logistics And Retail Management insights Into Current Practice And Trends From Leading Experts

'Extremely valuable material for any student of retail logistics.well-written and relevant.a worthwhile acquisition. ' - "International Journal of Logistics". Throughout the last decade, there have been steady, incremental improvements and relationship changes in retail logistics. These changes have been fundamental to business efficiency and it is now widely recognized that logistics excellence provides competitive advantage. Emphasis is now on minimizing time to market, maximizing on-shelf availability, continuously replenishing stock and utilizing technology to transform the retail supply chain. Internationalization and e-commerce have also presented challenges for logisticians. The key to logistics excellence is relationships. This fully updated second edition brings together well-known academics and practitioners to share their research, ideas and experience of retail logistics in the 21st century. The contents includes contributions on: retail logistics - changes and challenges; relationships in the supply chain; market orientation and supply chain management in the fashion industry; fashion logistics and Quick Response; logistics in Tesco; temperature-controlled supply chains; rethinking efficient replenishment in the grocery sector; the development of e-tail logistics; transforming technologies - retail exchanges and RFID; and Enterprise Resource Planning. "Logistics and Retail Management" is essential reading for retail and logistics managers, academics, students and consultants.
Shareholder Decisionmaking in the Presence of Empty Voting and Hidden Ownership

We consider securities markets in which economic interests in firms and shareholder voting rights are traded independently; such markets allow for "empty voters" who hold voting rights in a firm that exceed their economic interests. We demonstrate that, in such settings, competitive equilibria generally do not exist and may be inefficient even when they do exist. As the competitive equilibrium solution concept does not provide useful predictions in the presence of empty voting, we focus on cooperative game-theoretic "core outcomes. " We show that core outcomes always exist, are always efficient, and can be reached from any initial allocation through voluntary trading; moreover, at a core outcome, agents have efficient incentives with regards to information revelation.
Expression and localization of insulin-like growth factor-I in four parts of the red deer antler

The expression and localization of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in the four parts (tip, upper, mid and base) of the red deer antler has been extensively investigated. We used reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (real time RT-PCR), in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and Western blot techniques to localize IGF-I messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and IGF-I peptide in the four parts of the antler. The specific sequence encoding IGF-I was detected by RT-PCR in all of the four specimens, and the 395 bp IGF-I sequence from the red deer antler was shown to have very high homology with human, goat and mouse IGF-I. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that the expression of IGF-I occurred in chondrocytes and osteoblasts in the tip and upper parts of the antler. However, IGF-I was only detectable in osteoblasts around the bone in the mid and base parts. There were significant differences in the intensity of the signal obtained with the IGF-I probe in the tip, upper, mid and base tissues. The Western blot analysis also provided evidence that IGF-I expression was localized differentially in the four parts of the deer antler. This study indicates that antler tissue is an essential part of the IGF system, which is involved in the regulation of the growth of red deer antlers. The specific expression of IGF-I in the four parts of the deer antler suggests that the IGF-I molecule is present at significantly different levels throughout the deer antler development and regeneration processes. Localization of IGF-I in chondrocytes and osteoblasts suggests that IGF-I may play an important role in cartilage and bone formation. In addition, it may have a variety of biophysical effects that influence the rapid growth of deer antlers.
Full genome screen for Alzheimer disease: stage II analysis.

We performed a two-stage genome screen to search for novel risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD). The first stage involved genotyping 292 affected sibling pairs using 237 markers spaced at approximately 20 cM intervals throughout the genome. In the second stage, we genotyped 451 affected sibling pairs (ASPs) with an additional 91 markers, in the 16 regions where the multipoint LOD score was greater than 1 in stage I. Ten regions maintained LOD scores in excess of 1 in stage II, on chromosomes 1 (peak B), 5, 6, 9 (peaks A and B), 10, 12, 19, 21, and X. Our strongest evidence for linkage was on chromosome 10, where we obtained a peak multipoint LOD score (MLS) of 3.9. The linked region on chromosome 10 spans approximately 44 cM from D10S1426 (59 cM) to D10S2327 (103 cM). To narrow this region, we tested for linkage disequilibrium with several of the stage II microsatellite markers. Of the seven markers we tested in family-based and case control samples, the only nominally positive association we found was with the 167 bp allele of marker D10S1217 (chi-square=7.11, P=0.045, df=1).
Economic Benefits of Capital Bikeshare: A Focus on Users and Businesses

This study investigates potential economic benefits of bike sharing on the neighborhood level. Using a sample of five Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) stations in Washington, DC, the authors conducted an intercept survey of 333 bikeshare users at five CaBi stations and a door-to-door survey of 140 local businesses within 0.1 miles of the five CaBi stations. It was found that many CaBi riders are motivated to use the system due to travel time (73% of users) and cost (25% of users) savings. In addition, 16% of riders report making new trips because of Capital Bikeshare. Meanwhile, 23% of users reported spending more money because they used bikeshare. Income level was positively associated with new trips, spending levels, and spending during new trips. Joining CaBi to save money had a significant positive association with new trips. The business survey showed that 20% of the businesses in our sample report a positive impact of bike sharing on sales, and 70% identify a positive impact on the neighborhood. In addition, 61% would have either a positive or neutral reaction to replacing car parking in front of their business with a bikeshare station. Businesses that perceive a positive impact on sales from the bikeshare system are more likely to support the expansion of the system and the replacement of car parking with bikeshare stations. Overall, the findings suggest bike sharing may generate benefits among both users and businesses.
Comparison of human papillomavirus detection and genotyping with four different prime sets by PCR-sequencing.

OBJECTIVE To assess and compare the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) detection efficiency and the potential clinical utility of PCR sequencing-based technology. METHODS Four HPV consensus primer sets (GP5+/6+, MGP, MY09/11, and PGMY09/11) were used in order to amplify a broad spectrum of HPV types for HPV infection in 325 cervical samples and the PCR products were sequenced afterwards for the HPV genotyping. RESULTS The HPV-positive rate was 75.4%, of which 35.5% harbored more than one HPV genotype. A total of 36 different genotypes was found, with HPV 16 (24.1%) being the most prevalent, followed by HPV 58 (13.3%) and HPV 52 (9.6%). There were substantial to almost perfect agreements between different primer sets regarding HPV detection efficiency, with the kappa value varying from 0.751 to 0.925, MGP, and PGMY09/11 were the most effective in detecting multiple infections (P < 0.001). With each of the primer sets, a board range of HPV types could be identified, though there were several differences for a few genotypes. CONCLUSION The substantial agreement between PCR-sequencing and HC2 for the detection of high-risk HPV (kappa=0.761) indicated that PCR-sequencing is also suitable for routine HPV screening.
Rapid differential transport of Nodal and Lefty on sulfated proteoglycan-rich extracellular matrix regulates left-right asymmetry in Xenopus

The spatiotemporally dynamic distribution of instructive ligands within embryonic tissue, and their feedback antagonists, including inherent stabilities and rates of clearance, are affected by interactions with cell surfaces or extracellular matrix (ECM). Nodal (here, Xnr1 or Nodal1 in Xenopus) and Lefty interact in a cross-regulatory relationship in mesendoderm induction, and are the conserved instructors of left-right (LR) asymmetry in early somitogenesis stage embryos. By expressing Xnr1 and Lefty proproteins that produce mature functional epitope-tagged ligands in vivo, we found that ECM is a principal surface of Nodal and Lefty accumulation. We detected Lefty moving faster than Nodal, with evidence that intact sulfated proteoglycans in the ECM facilitate the remarkable long distance movement of Nodal. We propose that Nodal autoregulation substantially aided by rapid ligand transport underlies the anteriorward shift of Nodal expression in the left LPM (lateral plate mesoderm), and speculate that the higher levels of chondroitin-sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) in more mature anterior regions provide directional transport cues. Immunodetection and biochemical analysis showed transfer of Lefty from left LPM to right LPM, providing direct evidence that left-side-derived Lefty is a significant influence in ensuring the continued suppression of right-sided expression of Nodal, maintaining unilateral expression of this conserved determinant of asymmetry.
Enhanced expression of Ca2+ channels by nerve growth factor and the v‐src oncogene in rat phaeochromocytoma cells.

1. Rat phaeochromocytoma (PC12) cells were used to investigate the expression of Ca2+ channel types during neuronal differentiation. Neuronal differentiation was induced by treatment with nerve growth factor (NGF) or by activation of a temperature‐sensitive tyrosine kinase (pp60v‐src) in genetically modified PC12 (PC12/v‐src) cells. PC12 cells differentiated morphologically in the presence of NGF. When grown at the permissive temperature of 37 degrees C which activates the kinase activity of pp60v‐src, PC12/v‐src cells differentiated morphologically with the extension of neurites. In contrast, PC12/v‐src cells grown at the non‐permissive temperature of 40 degrees C continued to divide and were morphologically indistinguishable from control PC12 cells. 2. Whole‐cell Ca2+ currents were measured in PC12 cells using Ba2+ as the charge carrier. Ba2+ currents measured at the peak of the current‐voltage curve from a holding potential of ‐80 mV were ‐0.28 +/‐ 0.04 nA (mean +/‐ S.E.M.) in control PC12 cells compared to ‐1.25 +/‐ 0.16 nA in NGF‐differentiated cells. The current density increased from 9.4 +/‐ 0.7 pA/pF in control PC12 cells to 22.8 +/‐ 2.4 pA/pF in NGF‐differentiated PC12 cells. Ba2+ currents were ‐0.24 +/‐ 0.04 nA in undifferentiated PC12/v‐src cells grown at the non‐permissive temperature of 40 degrees C compared to ‐0.95 +/‐ 0.16 nA in differentiated PC12/v‐src cells grown at the permissive temperature of 37 degrees C. The current density increased from 4.5 +/‐ 0.5 pA/pF in PC12/v‐src cells grown at the non‐permissive temperature of 40 degrees C to 13.3 +/‐ 2.4 pA/pF in PC12/v‐src cells grown at the permissive temperature of 37 degrees C. 3. The sensitivity of Ba2+ currents to omega‐conotoxin GVIA (omega‐CgTX) was determined for currents measured at the peak of the current‐voltage curve (0 mV in 10 mM Ba2+) from a holding potential of ‐80 mV. In NGF‐differentiated PC12 cells, 10 microM omega‐CgTx inhibited 68.1 +/‐ 3.2% of the total Ba2+ current compared to 35.9 +/‐ 4.1% in control cells. The density of the omega‐CgTX‐sensitive current increased from 3.3 +/‐ 0.4 pA/pF in control cells to 15.7 +/‐ 2.0 pA/pF in NGF‐differentiated cells. In differentiated PC12/v‐src cells grown at 37 degrees C, omega‐CgTX inhibited 52.2 +/‐ 4.2% of total Ba2+ current compared to 41.1 +/‐ 3.8% in PC12/v‐src cells grown at 40 degrees C. The density of the omega‐CgTX‐sensitive current increased from 1.9 +/‐ 0.3 to 7.4 +/‐ 2.0 pA/pF with v‐src‐mediated differentiation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Changes of digestive enzymes activity in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) during larval ontogeny

This study was aimed to gain knowledge on the ontogeny of digestive enzymes in common carp larvae at the governmental Warm water Fish Aquaculture Center of Shahid Rajaee in Sari, Mazandaran, Iran. The ontogenetic development of pancreatic (trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase and α-amylase) and intestinal (alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase-N) enzymes were assessed in common carp larvae from first feeding (3 days post hatching) to 33 days post hatching (dph). The larvae started to feed on rotifers at day 3 to day 7. Feeding on a commercial diet was started from day-8 onwards. Specific trypsin and chymotrypsin activities feed with rotifer were 0.011 U/mg protein and 0.003 U/mg protein at day 7, respectively; then the specific activities feed with dry food reached a maximum level at 33 dph (0.028 U/mg protein and 0.028 U/mg protein, respectively) (P<0.05) compared to live prey. The elevated alkaline proteases activity can be related to adaptation of larvae to digest protein content in the food. Specific lipase activity was 0.0006 U/mg protein at 7 dph; then the activity feed with dry food reached a maximum level at 15 dph (0.0011 U/mg protein) (P<0.05) compared to live prey. Specific α-amylase activity feed with rotifer was 85.86 U/mg protein on the 7 dph; consequently, its specific activity reached a maximum level at 15 dph (128.77 U/mg protein) (P<0.05). Specific alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase N activities feed with rotifer were 6 U/mg protein and 0.0106 U/mg protein at day 7, respectively; then the specific activities feed with dry food reached a maximum level at 33 dph (28.66 U/mg protein and 0.58 U/mg protein, respectively) (P<0.05) compared to live
Multispectral Pedestrian Detection using Deep Fusion Convolutional Neural Networks

Robust vision-based pedestrian detection is a crucial feature of future autonomous systems. Thermal cameras provide an additional input channel that helps solving this task and deep convolutional networks are the currently leading approach for many pattern recognition problems, including object detection. In this paper, we explore the potential of deep models for multispectral pedestrian detection. We investigate two deep fusion architectures and analyze their performance on multispectral data. Our results show that a pre-trained late-fusion architecture signiﬁcantly outperforms the current state-of-the-art ACF + T + THOG solution.
The influence of mild carbon dioxide on brain functional homotopy using resting‐state fMRI

Homotopy reflects the intrinsic functional architecture of the brain through synchronized spontaneous activity between corresponding bilateral regions, measured as voxel mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC). Hypercapnia is known to have clear impact on brain hemodynamics through vasodilation, but have unclear effect on neuronal activity. This study investigates the effect of hypercapnia on brain homotopy, achieved by breathing 5% carbon dioxide (CO2) gas mixture. A total of 14 healthy volunteers completed three resting state functional MRI (RS‐fMRI) scans, the first and third under normocapnia and the second under hypercapnia. VMHC measures were calculated as the correlation between the BOLD signal of each voxel and its counterpart in the opposite hemisphere. Group analysis was performed between the hypercapnic and normocapnic VMHC maps. VMHC showed a diffused decrease in response to hypercapnia. Significant regional decreases in VMHC were observed in all anatomical lobes, except for the occipital lobe, in the following functional hierarchical subdivisions: the primary sensory‐motor, unimodal, heteromodal, paralimbic, as well as in the following functional networks: ventral attention, somatomotor, default frontoparietal, and dorsal attention. Our observation that brain homotopy in RS‐fMRI is affected by arterial CO2 levels suggests that caution should be used when comparing RS‐fMRI data between healthy controls and patients with pulmonary diseases and unusual respiratory patterns such as sleep apnea or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Hum Brain Mapp 36:3912–3921, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
B Cell Antigen Receptor Signaling: Roles in Cell Development and Disease

Signals propagated through the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) are vital for the development and survival of B lymphocytes in both the bone marrow and the periphery. These signals not only guide maturation and activation but also affect the removal of potentially self-reactive B lymphocytes. Interestingly, these signals are known to be either ligand-independent (“tonic” signals) or induced by ligand (antigen) binding to the BCR. We focus on the problems that occur in B cell development due to defects in signals emanating from the BCR. In addition, we present the B Cell Antigen Receptor Pathway, an STKE Connections Map that illustrates the events involved in B cell signaling.
Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in individuals diagnosed as children with atypical autism: A Danish register study based on hospital diagnoses

The purpose of this study is to compare the prevalence and types of diseases (International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, 10th Edition codes K20–K93) relating to the gastrointestinal tract in a clinical sample of 89 individuals diagnosed as children with atypical autism/pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified with 258 controls from the general population. All participants were screened through the nationwide Danish National Hospital Register. The average observation time was 32.9 years, and mean age at the end of the observation period was 48.5 years. Among the 89 cases with atypical autism, a total of 22 (24.7%) were registered with at least one diagnosis of any disease of the gastrointestinal tract, against 47 of 258 (18.2%) in the comparison group (p = 0.22; odds ratio = 1.5; 95% confidence interval = 0.8–2.6). Without reaching statistical significance, the rate of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract was particularly high (odds ratio = 1.2) in those with intelligence quotient < 70. Overall, people with atypical autism had about the same frequency of gastric, intestinal and hepatic diseases as had controls.