Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of autophagy attenuated curcumol-induced apoptosis in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells via Janus kinase signaling pathway

The present study aimed to investigate whether autophagy was triggered by curcumol and to explore the association between autophagy and apoptosis of MG-63 cells and the underlying mechanism. MG-63 cells were cultured in vitro. An MTT assay was performed to evaluate the proliferation inhibition of the MG-63 osteosarcoma cell line by curcumol. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-Annexin V/propidium iodide staining flow cytometry was performed to analyze the apoptotic rate of cells. The morphological alterations of cell nuclei were evaluated by Hoechst 33258 viable cell staining. The effects of autophagy in cells was investigated by green fluorescent protein (GFP)-light chain 3 (LC3) transfection and using a fluorescence microscope. The expression levels of LC3II, LC3I and cleaved caspase-3 and Janus kinase (JNK) signaling pathway activation were determined by western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was inhibited by curcumol in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Curcumol induced apoptosis by the caspase-dependent signaling pathway in MG-63 cells. The present study demonstrated that curcumol could induce autophagy of MG-63 cells, which was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Compared with the curcumol treatment alone group, the GFP-LC3-transfected green fluorescence plasmids and the LC3II/LC3I levels in cells of the curcumol and chloroquine (CQ) treatment group were upregulated, and the apoptotic ratio was downregulated following pretreatment with autophagy inhibitor CQ for 1 h. Furthermore, curcumol treatment induced phosphorylation of the JNK signaling pathway. Of note, pretreatment with the JNK inhibitor, SP600125, decreased the rates of autophagy and apoptosis, suggesting a crucial role served by the JNK signaling pathway in the activation of autophagy by curcumol. Taken together, the results of the present study suggested that activation of the JNK signaling pathway was involved in curcumol-induced autophagy. Curcumol is a novel drug for chemotherapeutic combination therapy. Curcumol demonstrated potential antitumor activities in MG-63 cells and may be used as a novel effective reagent in the treatment of osteosarcoma.
A 30 GHz Active Quasi-Circulator With Current-Reuse Technique in  $0.18~\mu{\rm m}$ CMOS Technology

An active quasi-circulator at 30 GHz is designed and fabricated in TSMC RF mixed signal CMOS technology. The current-reuse technique is integrated with a common-source stage to form the quasi-circulator core while reducing the power consumption at the same time. The transmitter-to-receiver leakage is alleviated by the out-of-phase cancellation of signals from two paths. The isolation and insertion loss between other pairs of ports are improved with buffer stages. All the measured isolations are higher than 12 dB, all the insertion losses are lower than 7.9 dB, and the total power consumption is 15 mW.
Detection rate of colorectal adenoma or cancer in unselected colonoscopy patients: Indonesian experience in a private hospital.

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is currently the third most common cancer in Indonesia, yet colonoscopy--the most accepted mode of screening to date--is not done routinely and national data are still lacking. OBJECTIVE To determine the detection rate of colorectal cancers and adenomas in unselected patients undergoing colonoscopy for various large bowel symptoms at the Digestive Disease and GI Oncology Centre, Medistra Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Colonoscopy data from January 2009 to December 2012 were reviewed. New patients referred for colonoscopy were included. Data collected were patient demographic and significant colonoscopy findings such as the presence of hemorrhoids, colonic polyps, colonic diverticula, inflammation, and tumor mass. Histopathological data were obtained for specimens taken by biopsy. Associations between categorical variables were analyzed using chi-square test, while mean differences were tested using the t-test. RESULTS A total of, 1659 cases were included in this study, 889 (53.6%) of them being men. Polyps or masses were found in 495 (29.8%) patients while malignancy was confirmed in 74 (4.5%). Patients with a polyp or mass were significantly older (60.2 vs 50.8 years; p<0.001; t-test) and their presence was significantly associated with male gender (35.0% vs 23.9%; prevalent ratio [PR] 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38-2.12; p<0.001) and age>50 years (39.6% vs 16.6%; PR 3.29; 95% CI 2.59-4.12; p<0.001). Neoplastic lesions was found in 257 (16.1%), comprising 180 (11.3%) adenomas, 10 (0.6%) in situ carcinomas, and 67 (4.2%) carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS Polyps or masses were found in 30% of colonoscopy patients and malignancies in 16.1%. These figures do not represent the nation-wide demographic status of colorectal cancer, but may reflect a potentially increasing major health problem with colorectal cancer in Indonesia.
Male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) adjust their mate choice behaviour to the presence of an audience

In recent years analyzing animal behaviour in light of the social environment has become widely accepted. Especially many mating interactions do not happen in privacy, but in a public arena, raising the question of how this affects the behaviour of both the focal individual and the observing audience individual. We studied in feral guppies whether male preferences for female body size, a correlate of fecundity, are influenced by the presence of another male, the audience. We also studied whether the audience was influenced by the observed interactions. These two aspects are not normally studied together. Furthermore, we were also interested in the question of how long changes in the behaviour of the audience male might last. We found that male preferences measured as nipping/approaches decreased in the presence of an audience. Furthermore, the audience males showed no preference for larger females when tested right after the interaction with the focal male, but returned to the typical preference for larger females after 24 h. Our study highlights the relevance of the social conditions under which mating decisions are being made.
Identification of gelsemine metabolites in rat liver S9 by high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

RATIONALE Gelsemine has been extensively studied because of its anti-tumor, immunomodulatory, insecticidal itching and other significant effects. However, limited information on the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of gelsemine has been reported. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the in vitro metabolism of gelsemine in rat liver S9 by using rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography/ quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/QqTOF-MS). METHODS The incubation mixture was processed with 15% trichloroacetic acid. Multiple scans of gelsemine metabolites and accurate mass measurements were automatically performed simultaneously through data-dependent acquisition in only 30 min. The structural elucidations of these metabolites were performed by comparing their changes in accurate molecular masses and product ions with those of the parent drug. RESULTS Five metabolites of gelsemine were identified in rat liver S9. Of these, four metabolites of gelsemine were identified for the first time. The present results showed that the metabolic pathways of gelsemine are oxidation, demethylation, and dehydrogenation in rat liver S9. CONCLUSIONS In this study, metabolites of gelsemine in liver S9 were identified and elucidated firstly using the HPLC/QqTOF-MS method. The proposed metabolic pathways of gelsemine in liver S9 will provide a basis for further studies of the in vivo metabolism of gelsemine in animals and humans.
Hunting behaviour of white sharks recorded by animal-borne accelerometers and cameras

ABSTRACT: Hunting large, fast-moving mammals by top predators often involves highly energetic burst locomotion, and studying such behaviour can reveal how physiological capacity shapes predator-prey relationships. Although increasingly sophisticated animal-borne devices have allowed the recording of terrestrial predators’ behaviour (e.g. cheetahs) hunting herbivorous mammals, similar approaches have rarely been applied to marine predators hunting mammals. Here, we deployed video cameras (lasting for 6 h) and accelerometers (lasting for 2 d) on 8 white sharks Carcharodon carcharias aggregating near colonies of long-nosed fur seals Arctocephalus forsteri. Video showed one shark attacking a seal, during which an intensive swimming event (lateral acceleration: 3.7 × g, tailbeat frequency: 3.3 Hz, estimated swim speed: 6.7 m s-1) was recorded. Based on this confirmed event, 7 potential predation events were identified from 150 h of acceleration data. The events occurred at various depths (0-53 m) and primarily at nighttime and during crepuscular periods, partly contrasting with well documented seal-hunting breaching behaviour that occurs primarily during crepuscular periods. This study demonstrates that, despite inherent difficulties, recording infrequent hunting events of top marine predators provides insight into their hunting strategies and maximum locomotor performance.
Corticosteroid treatment for autoimmune pancreatitis

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is the only pancreatic disorder responsive to steroid treatment. AIP has recently been subclassified into type 1 and type 2 AIP.1 Type 1 AIP is the pancreatic manifestation of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-associated systemic disease (ISD), a fibroinflammatory autoimmune disorder that involves multiple organ systems and is characteristically associated with elevation of serum levels of IgG4.2 Commonly used diagnostic criteria for AIP include the Asian Consensus diagnostic criteria3 and the Mayo Clinic HISORt criteria4 (histology, imaging, serology, other organ involvement and response to corticosteroid treatment). Treatment protocols for AIP are still evolving, but corticosteroids are generally considered to be very effective in the initial inflammatory phase of the disease. Several small case series have reported that corticosteroids are effective in inducing remission in AIP, but larger series and controlled trials are lacking. In this issue of Gut ( see page 1504 ), Kamisawa and colleagues5 report results from a large, multicentre, retrospective survey of 563 patients with AIP treated at 17 referral centres in Japan. Their study highlights the fact that though a substantial proportion of patients with AIP may achieve spontaneous remission (77/104 patients, 74%), corticosteroids are also highly effective in inducing remission (451/459 patients, 98%). This study, despite the limitations of a retrospective and cross-sectional study design, provides the best evidence to date of the efficacy of corticosteroid treatment in the initial presentation of AIP. However, our knowledge of the natural history of AIP, predictors of relapse, need for maintenance treatment and the optimal type of maintenance treatment is still limited. The objective of this commentary is to provide a brief overview of the issues associated with corticosteroid treatment in AIP. The goals of treatment in the initial inflammatory phase of AIP are symptom alleviation (eg, jaundice and abdominal discomfort), …
Recycling Construction and Demolition Waste as Sustainable Environmental Management in Post-Earthquake Reconstruction

A huge quantity of solid wastes produced by Wenchuan earthquake has brought us a great challenge to dispose and also aroused people's great attentions to search for a rational and effective method to deal with such mass wastes, as well as the recycled aggregate concrete used in construction has been heated discussed worldwide. In this paper, the essentiality and feasibility of using recycled aggregate concrete in China are presented by comparing with reusing waste situations and technologies in other countries. Along with a brief overview of the engineering properties of recycled aggregates, the paper gives the summary of application of recycled concrete in present construction and specifications or codes for using these aggregates in new concrete which shows the values of environmental protection, economic benefits and social sustainable development. Meanwhile, facing with many barriers in more widespread use of recycled concrete, some suggestions have been proposed expecting better sustainable development in post-earthquake reconstruction and foreseeable future.
Rapid Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA Detection on Fine Needle Aspirates from Extra Pulmonary Lymph Nodes.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of two rapid methods i.e. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) samples by comparing with cytology of respective site sample. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional comparative study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Microbiology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from July 2010 through November 2013. METHODOLOGY A total of 105 extra pulmonary lymph nodes aspirates obtained through fine needle aspiration were processed. Cytology and PCR were done on each specimen. Cytology was taken as gold standard. RESULTS Out of the total 105 samples, 71 (67.6%) were positive for the MTB PCR while 34 (32.4%) showed negative status. According to FNA cytology (FNAC) results, 72 (68.6%) cases were positive for the disease while 33 (31.4%) were negative. Sensitivity of PCR was 90.3%, specificity 81.8%, positive predictive value (PPV) 91.5%, negative predictive value (NPV) 79.4%, with diagnostic accuracy of 87.6%. Area under the curve was 0.860 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION PCR is a sensitive tool for detection of MTB on FNA samples from EPTB cases. The results are available within few hours which is helpful for the clinicians to initiate therapy.
The TLNO/TLCO ratio in pulmonary function test interpretation

We are grateful to C. Borland for his comments on our review of the TLNO/TLCO ratio (the ratio of the transfer factor of the lung for nitric oxide versus carbon monoxide) [1] and its clinical applications. Undoubtedly, TLNO, on its own, has a role to play in accessing alveolar function in terms of the membrane diffusing capacity, DM. The calculation of pulmonary capillary volume (Vc), on the other hand, requires a value for HblCO, the specific conductance of blood for carbon monoxide, and there is some doubt about its correct value. The TLNO/TLCO ratio does not require knowledge of HblCO.
Improving Mispronunciation Detection for Non-Native Learners with Multisource Information and LSTM-Based Deep Models

In this paper, we utilize manner and place of articulation features and deep neural network models (DNNs) with long short-term memory (LSTM) to improve the detection performance of phonetic mispronunciations produced by second language learners. First, we show that speech attribute scores are complementary to conventional phone scores, so they can be concatenated as features to improve a baseline system based only on phone information. Next, pronunciation representation, usually calculated by frame-level averaging in a DNN, is now learned by LSTM, which directly uses sequential context information to embed a sequence of pronunciation scores into a pronunciation vector to improve the performance of subsequent mispronunciation detectors. Finally, when both proposed techniques are incorporated into the baseline phonebased GOP (goodness of pronunciation) classifier system trained on the same data, the integrated system reduces the false acceptance rate (FAR) and false rejection rate (FRR) by 37.90% and 38.44% (relative), respectively, from the baseline system.
Time Synchronization in WSNs With Random Bounded Communication Delays

Recently, it was pointed out that many popular consensus-based time synchronization algorithms, such as Average TimeSynch (ATS), are all divergent in a network with arbitrarily small random communication delays under any interconnection topology. This note proposes a least-squares estimation-based time synchronization (LSTS for short) algorithm. This algorithm modifies the ATS algorithm in relative drift estimator, low-pass filter, and consensus protocol. By analyzing the mathematic model of the algorithm, it is proved that LSTS ensures asymptotic convergence of the drift estimation and boundedness of the global time synchronization error under random bounded communication delays if the network topology satisfies some connectedness conditions.
Functional Expression of NOD2 in Freshly Isolated Human Peripheral Blood γδ T Cells

γδ T cells play an important role in anti‐infective immunity. The major subset of human γδ T cells selectively recognizes phosphorylated bacterial metabolites of the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway, so‐called phosphoantigens. The activation of γδ T cells is modulated by functionally expressed innate immune receptors, notably Toll‐like receptor 2 and 3. It was also reported that in vitro expanded γδ T cells respond to muramyl dipeptide (MDP), the minimal peptidoglycan motif activating the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain containing 2 (NOD2) receptor, although it is unknown whether ex vivo isolated human γδ T cells express functional NOD2. Here, we report that freshly isolated, highly purified peripheral blood γδ T cells express NOD2 mRNA and detectable amounts of NOD2 protein. The biologically active MDP L‐D isomer but not the inactive D‐D isomer augmented the interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) secretion in phosphoantigen‐stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Moreover, a moderate but reproducible and statistically significant increase in IFN‐γ secretion was also observed when highly purified peripheral blood γδ T cells were activated by T cell receptor cross‐linking in the presence of MDP. Taken together, our results indicate that in addition to the T cell receptor and Toll‐like receptors, circulating human γδ T cells express NOD2 as a third class of pattern recognition receptor for sensing bacterial products.
Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy, Depression, and Anxiety: A Cohort Analysis of 89 Patients

OBJECTIVE:To determine the prevalence of depressed and anxious mood states in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), a degenerative spine condition with symptoms of neck pain, numb clumsy hands, gait difficulties, sphincter dysfunction, and impotence. To examine the relation between mood and functional deficits produced by CSM. METHODS:We surveyed a cohort of 89 patients with CSM recruited during 1 year from a neurosurgery clinic. Patients underwent a structured interview to collect information on demographics, personal habits, CSM symptoms, comorbid diseases, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Patients self-completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and were scored on the Nurick, Cooper, Harsh, and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scales. RESULTS:According to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale threshold value of 11, 29% of the cohort had a depressed mood and 38% had an anxious mood. Higher depression scores were associated with worse myelopathy, as measured by the Nurick scale (P = 0.01), the Cooper leg subscale (P = 0.006), the Harsh scale (P = 0.02), the mJOA arm subscale (P = 0.006), and the mJOA leg subscale (P = 0.004). There was no relation between depression scores and the Cooper arm subscale, Harsh sphincter scale, mJOA sensory subscale, or mJOA bladder subscale. Similar patterns were seen in the relations between myelopathy and anxiety. CONCLUSION:More than one-third of patients with CSM have a depressed or anxious mood. In patients with CSM, depression and anxiety scores are strongly associated with decreased mobility, inconsistently associated with arm dysfunction, and not associated with sensory deficits or sphincter dysfunction, suggesting that ambulatory dysfunction may cause or exacerbate the symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with CSM.
Defining Balanced Scorecard Aspects in Banking Industry Using FAHP Approach

This study has been conducted to define Balanced Scorecard model as one of evaluation system in bank. Financial institutions and banks are trying to increase their competitive advantage, so find a comprehensive evaluation model for the performance that is a main key to survive and get competitive position. There are several theories and methods of assessment that can be employed depending on the size and type of organization. Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is one of the measurement systems that cover short and long term plans and strategies and also, internal as well as external control. BSC consider aspects of the financial, customer, internal processes and learning and growth. In this article, aspects of Balanced Scorecard and the importance of each aspect and related indicators are examined. To achieve the research objective Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is used. At the first step of study, 56 indicators were found based on prior studies and literature which were scrutinized by expert opinions through administering a questionnaire. Ultimately 9 indicators were extracted. In the second step of study, the weight of each indicator is investigated using pair comparison questionnaire based on FAHP approach. According to research, the first priority is customer aspect, the second priority is the financial aspect, third priority is internal processes aspect and the end, learning and growth aspect are the fourth priority. Meanwhile, the “Market rate” and the “Growth rate of customer complaints” and “Customer attract rate” are the most important indicators of customer aspect . “Revenues”, “P/E ratio” and “leverage” are the most important indicators in the financial aspects, the “Electronic transactions share”, “Performance management” and “Research and development costs” are the most important indicators in internal processes aspect and “Employee stability”, “Loan per capita” and “Present reduction in disciplinary matters” are the most important indicators in growing and learning aspect.