Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of potential key genes associated with glioblastoma based on the gene expression profile

Gliomas are serious primary brain tumors. The aim of the present study was to identify potential key genes associated with the progression of gliomas. The GSE31262 gene expression profile data, which included 9 glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) samples and 5 neural stem cell samples from adult humans, were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. limma package was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Based on STRING database and Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC), a co-expression network was constructed to comprehensively understand the interactions between DEGs, and function analysis of genes in the network was conducted. Furthermore, the DEGs that were associated with prognosis were analyzed. A total of 431 DEGs were identified, including 98 upregulated DEGs and 333 downregulated DEGs. Genes including PDZ binding kinase, topoisomerase (DNA) II α (TOP2A), cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 1, cell division cycle 6 and NIMA related kinase 2 had a relatively high degree in the co-expression network. A set of genes including cyclin D1, CDK1 and CDK2 were significantly enriched in the cell cycle and p53 signaling pathway. Additionally, 69 DEGs were identified as genes involved in glioblastoma prognosis, such as CDK2 and TOP2A. The genes that had a higher degree and were associated with cell cycle and p53 signaling pathway may play pivotal roles in the progress of glioblastoma.
The Role of mTOR Inhibitors in the Management of Viral Infections: A Review of Current Literature

Abstract Viruses are the leading cause of infections after solid organ transplant. The antiviral properties of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORis) have been ascribed to a variety of mechanisms and historical data have supported their use over other immunosuppressants for a myriad of viruses. Herein, we summarize the most current data to highlight the role of mTORis in the management of viral infections after solid organ transplant. The mTORis play a clear role in the management of cytomegalovirus, and have data supporting their potential use for BK virus and human herpesvirus 8–related Kaposi sarcoma. No data definitively supports mTORis for use in Epstein-Barr virus–mediated posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder or hepatitis C virus viral replication. Although theoretically an advantageous therapy for hepatitis C virus–related liver allograft fibrosis and human immunodeficiency virus, mTORi use specifically for these indications is less attractive with modern treatments currently available. Data surrounding mTORi efficacy in preventing rejection, and their toxicity profile must be balanced with their potential antiviral effects in combination with patient-specific factors.
Pentanucleotide short tandem repeat locus DXYS156 displays different patterns of variations in human populations.

AIM To establish a database for the pentameric short tandem repeat locus DXYS156 from worldwide populations for routine genotyping in forensic identity testing and evolutionary biology. METHODS Using polymerase chain reaction with a newly designed primer pair, we analyzed 1,408 male and female samples from 28 populations representing four major geographic groups. RESULTS We observed 11 different alleles, which we sequenced and used to construct an allelic ladder. CONCLUSION DXYS156 displays a contrasting pattern of X-linked and Y-linked variation among geographic regions, and between X and Y chromosomes. This complex allele distribution may be forensically useful for the ethnic differentiation of unknown stains.
Kinetics of Low Density Lipoprotein Interactions with Rabbit Aortic Wall Following Balloon Catheter Deendothelialization

The kinetics of the interaction of circulating lipoproteins with the balloon catheterinjured aortic wall of rabbits were investigated. The fate of radioiodinated low density lipoprotein (LDL) was followed up to 48 hours after intravenous injection and compared with radioiodinated albumin injected simultaneously. The accumulation of LDL was calculated from the radioactivity in the aortic tissue divided by the average specific activity, measured from the area below the plasma radioactivity versus the time curve, and expressed as cpm/ml/hr. It was observed that the aortic area of endothelial regeneration (AER), which is relatively impermeable to Evans blue dye and shows very little albumin concentration, accumulated considerably more LDL than control (uninjured) tissues. Furthermore, removal of labeled lipoprotein from the intima during a 24-hour efflux period following the initial 48-hour loading period indicated that there was greater removal from normal and deendothelialized aortic (DEA) tissues than from neointima covered by endothelium. These findings are consistent with previous observations indicating changes in the morphological and chemical composition of AER. There is evidence that greater neointimal lipid accumulation in response to endothelial injury parallels the concentration of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). The relatively increased accumulation of label in AER, while plasmaspecific activity is rapidly decreasing, indicates that there may be an ionic interaction of GAG with LDL in the AER.
Risk factors for invasive cervical cancer in Kenyan women.

BACKGROUND Few epidemiological investigations of invasive cervical cancer have been conducted in Sub-Saharan African populations. METHODS Using information collected as part of the hospital-based World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborative Study of Neoplasia and Steroid Contraceptives, we examined potential risk factors for invasive cervical cancer among Kenyan women. In all 112 women with histologically confirmed invasive cervical cancer diagnosed at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya, between June 1981 and September 1988 and 749 control subjects were included in the present analyses. All women were interviewed regarding their medical and reproductive history, methods of birth control, and history of sexual relationships and sexually transmitted infections. Multiple logistic regression procedures were used to derive maximum likelihood estimates of adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS After adjusting for age, several factors were found to be associated with invasive cervical cancer. These include multiple sexual partners, early age at first sexual intercourse (OR = 1.9 and 2.6 for women reporting first intercourse at age 16-17 years and < 15 years, respectively, compared to women with first intercourse > or = 18 years), history of abnormal vaginal discharge (OR = 13.8, 95% CI: 8.3-23.0), and history of gonorrhoeal infection (OR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.6-6.2). Low educational attainment and multiparity were also associated with the risk of invasive cervical cancer. Although the Papanicolaou smear has been extensively used as a screening method for cervical cancer in many countries, only three cases and four controls reported ever having a Papanicolaou smear (2.6% cases and 0.5% of controls). CONCLUSIONS As has been observed in other parts of the world, cervical neoplasia in Kenya appears to be a late consequence of venereally transmitted carcinogenic agents.
An Efficient Downlink Data Mapping Algorithm for IEEE802.16e OFDMA Systems

In the IEEE 802.16e OFDMA systems, the data mapping algorithm maps the data to the appropriate rectangular regions in the two-dimensional matrix of time and frequency domain. Each region is described by an Information Element (IE) which is used for signaling and occupies a slot. The IEs as well as vacant slots in the allocated rectangular region result in a substantial amount of overhead. In order to minimize the overhead so as to increase system throughput, the paper proposes a "Mapping with Appropriate Truncation and Sort" (MATS) algorithm. Extensive simulations are conducted in terms of mapping efficiency, mapping cost and system throughput to evaluate the performance of MATS. The results show that compared with Raster, MATS can increase the mapping efficiency by up to 2.4% and reduce the mapping cost by up to 80% and 37% for constant bit rate traffic and variable bit rate traffic, respectively. Moreover, system throughput is increased by more than 3% in the 10 MHz bandwidth network. Consequently, MATS can substantially reduce the overhead and achieve high system throughput.
To curl or not to curl : wind tunnel investigation of spinnaker performance

This work presents a wind tunnel experimental study of the effect of curling on the spinnaker aerodynamic performance. Four spinnakers combining two different panellings and sail materials are tested at different wind speeds and wind angles in the Twisted Flow Wind Tunnel of the University of Auckland. Results show that the curling has a significant benefit on the propulsive force at an AWA 100° when this conclusion cannot be made at lower AWA where the best propulsive force is reached on the verge of curling or before. Sail material and panelling have an effect on the sheet length where curling appears, stiffer material and cross cut panelling being the latest to curl. Finally, it is shown that the curling frequency increased linearly with the flow speed at AWA = 120°.
of Operative and Esthetic Dentistry

Self-medication is widely practiced all over the world especially in developing countries where there is high accessibility to drugs. The aim of this study was to describe the practice of self-medication among adult patients suffering from dental pain consulting at the dental clinic of the Yaoundé Central Hospital. We conducted a cross sectional descriptive study between February to April 2018. We recruited 282 consenting respondents whom we interviewed using a structured pre-tested open ended and close ended questionnaire. Almost three quarters 208(73.8%) of the respondents admitted to had self-medicated, with a female predominance 175(62%). The most frequently used drugs were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs 101(36.5%) and analgesics 94(33.2%). The most consumed analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were paracetamol 102(37%) and ibuprofen 70(25%) respectively. Reasons for self-medication were unbearable pain 108(38.5%), financial difficulties 80 (28.4%), lack of time to consult a dentist and long waiting hours at the dental office 53 (18.8%). Three quarters 201(71.2%) of the respondents practised irresponsible self-medication and 81(28.9%) practiced responsible self-medication. The sources of medications included pharmacy 127(45.2%) and non-pharmaceutical establishments such as previously prescribed medications at home 109(38.5%), roadside vendors 31(11.1%), open markets 10(3.8%) and mobile vendors in buses or transport cars 4(1.4%). Less than three quarters of the respondents 73(26%) who were aware of complications of self medications such as gastric ulcers, drug resistance, allergies and overdose. Self-medication remains a rampant practice in our community. There is need to enforce formulate policies that can limit self-medication practices in the community.
Antibiotic use in 26 departments of internal medicine in 6 general hospitals in Israel: variability and contributing factors.

OBJECTIVES Increased antibiotic consumption is associated with increased bacterial resistance worldwide. We aimed to analyse antibiotic consumption and potential contributory factors in internal medicine departments in Israel. METHODS Data (2003-04) from 26 departments in 6 hospitals were retrieved. Defined daily doses (DDD)/100 bed-days were calculated for total antibiotic use and by antibiotic class. Patterns identified were correlated with 15 patients' and departmental variables by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS Total antibiotic consumption differed by a factor of 2.3 (115 DDD/100 bed-days to 49.1 DDD/100 bed-days) between the highest and lowest consuming departments. Antibiotic classes differed by a factor of 22.8 for macrolides, a factor of 20 for piperacillin/tazobactam, a factor of 17 for carbapenems, a factor of 13.3 for quinolones, a factor of 9 for vancomycin, a factor of 6.8 for amoxicillin/clavulanate, a factor of 6.6 for aminoglycosides, a factor of 5.3 for penicillins and a factor of 2.8 for cephalosporins. Even among departments within hospitals, there was a difference of up to 1.5-fold for total use and antibiotic class differences ranged between 2.5- and 7.2-fold for third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, despite similar Charlson scores and other patient variables. In the multivariate analysis, hospital affiliation and rate of 1 day hospitalization were the only significant variables predicting total antibiotic use, contributing 43% and 7.3%, respectively, to the variance. By antibiotic class, controlling for hospital affiliation, patients with neutropenia, lower respiratory tract infections and assisted ventilation were the most common significant contributors, ranging from 3.5% for quinolones to 7.7% for piperacillin/tazobactam. CONCLUSIONS Patterns of antibiotic use vary widely among internal medicine departments in Israel, which cannot be explained by objective parameters related either to patients or wards. Ongoing monitoring and guideline formulation are needed to regulate antibiotic prescription.
Biomarker validation of a decline in semantic processing in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE Differentially worse performance on category versus letter fluency suggests greater semantic versus retrieval difficulties. This discrepancy, combined with reduced episodic memory, has widespread clinical utility in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our objective was to investigate whether changes in semantic processing, as measured by the discrepancy between category and letter fluency, was detectable in preclinical AD: in clinically normal older adults with abnormal β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition on positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging. METHOD Clinically normal older adults (mean Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) score = 29) were classified as Aβ+ (n = 70) or Aβ- (n = 205) using Pittsburgh Compound B-(PET) imaging. Participants completed letter fluency (FAS; word generation to letters F-A-S) and category fluency (CAT; word generation to animals, vegetables, fruits) annually (mean follow-up = 2.42 years). The effect of Aβ status on fluency over time was examined using linear mixed models controlling for age, sex, and education. To dissociate effects related to semantic (CAT) versus retrieval processes (CAT and FAS), we repeated models predicting CAT over time, controlling for FAS and likewise for CAT controlling for FAS. RESULTS At baseline, the Aβ+ group performed better on FAS compared with the Aβ- group but comparably on CAT. Longitudinally, the Aβ+ group demonstrated greater decline on CAT compared with the Aβ- group (p = .0011). This finding remained significant even when covarying for FAS (p = .0107). Aβ+ participants similarly declined compared with Aβ- participants on FAS (p = .0112), but this effect became insignificant when covarying for CAT (p = .1607). CONCLUSION These findings provide biomarker validation for the greater specificity of declines in category versus letter fluency to underlying AD pathology. Our results also suggest that changes in semantic processing occur earlier in the AD trajectory than previously hypothesized. (PsycINFO Database Record
Weekly intravenous bortezomib is effective and well tolerated in relapsed/refractory myeloma

Bortezomib is an effective antimyeloma therapy, but clinical benefits can be limited by neurotoxicity. In newly diagnosed, older patients, modification of the biweekly dosing schedule to weekly regimens improves tolerability whilst maintaining efficacy. There is less information on the efficacy and tolerability of weekly bortezomib regimens in the relapsed/refractory setting. Here, we report our experience of weekly intravenous bortezomib in clinical practice in relapsed/refractory patients.
A SURVEY ON THE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT DEMAND IN OLIGOPOLISTIC MARKETS

The purpose of this work is to do a revision about the existing literature on information exchanges about demand in oligopoly models and the derivation of political consequences concerning to the effectivity and boundaries of these agreements. The main problem is to know, how and what these agreements can affect to the producers, consumers and society in general. A first point of view can show us that several factors are involved: The type of competition (price versus quantities), nature of uncertainty (common versus private), nature of goods (substitutes versus complements) and number of firms.
Clinical Features and Treatment Characteristics of Compulsive Hoarding in Japanese Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

ABSTRACT Introduction: Compulsive hoarding has been studied primarily in Western countries. Here we sought to examine compulsive hoarding in Japanese patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The heterogeneous nature of hoarding was also investigated. Methods: One hundred and sixty-eight OCD outpatients were initially assessed to determine the presence or absence of compulsive hoarding, and whether hoarding was primary or secondary to another symptom dimension for which they had received treatment for 1 year. Results: Of the participants, 54 patients were found to have compulsive hoarding. Hoarders were significantly more likely than non-hoarding patients to have more severe psychopathology including elevated severity of OCD symptoms, poorer insight, higher prevalence of comorbid schizotypal or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, closer association with symmetry dimension, and poorer treatment outcome. Comparisons of subjects with primary and secondary hoarding found that the former group had more severe clinical features, while the latter group hoarded a wider variety of items, including apparently bizarre ones. Conclusion: The prevalence and clinical characteristics of compulsive hoarding in OCD subjects was similar to those reported in Western countries, supporting its trans-cultural consistency. The distinction between primary and secondary hoarding in OCD is clinically useful, and may contribute to the debate about whether hoarding should be a separate diagnostic entity.
RF Cavity Passive Wireless Sensors With Time-Domain Gating-Based Interrogation for SHM of Civil Structures

Many existing sensing technologies for application to the monitoring of civil structures have a serious deficiency in that they require some type of wired physical connection to the outside world. This causes significant problems in the installation and long-term use of these sensors. This paper describes a new type of passive wireless sensor that is based on resonant RF cavities, where the resonant frequency is modulated by a measurand. In the case of a strain sensor, the electrical length of the cavity directly modulates its resonant frequency. A probe inside the cavity couples RF signals from the cavity to an externally attached antenna. The sensor can then be interrogated remotely using microwave pulse-echo techniques. Such a system has the advantage of requiring no permanent physical connection between the sensor and the data acquisition system. In this type of sensor, the RF interrogation signal is transmitted to the sensor and then reradiated back to the interrogator from the sensor resulting in a signal strength that decreases with the forth power of distance. This places an upper limit on the distance over which the sensor can be interrogated. Theoretical estimates show that these sensors can be interrogated with sufficient SNR at distances exceeding 10 m for radiated powers of less than 1 mW. We present results for a strain sensor and a displacement sensor that can be interrogated at a distance of 8 m with a strain resolution of less than 10 ppm and displacement resolution of 0.01 mm, respectively.
Extended Signal-Correction Observer and Application to Aircraft Navigation

In this paper, an extended signal-correction observer (ESCO) is presented for signals correction and estimation, which not only can reject the large measurement error, but also the system uncertainty can be estimated, in spite of the existence of intense stochastic non-Gaussian noise. Multi-input describing function method is proposed to analyze the ESCO robustness in frequency domain. The ESCOs are developed for position/velocity and attitude angle/angular rate integrations, respectively, and they are applied to an aircraft navigation. Based on the ESCO, the position, attitude angle, and the uncertainties in the flight dynamics are estimated. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Depression: a neglected major illness.

BACKGROUND To illustrate the burden depression imposes on society, we present estimates of the annual costs of depression--$44 billion--as well as the number of individuals it affects per year--almost 11 million. Although these estimates point to depression as a major illness, this study examines why it is not generally considered as such by the medical and public health communities or by society at large. METHOD We develop a framework that compares depression with major illnesses such as coronary heart disease, cancer, and AIDS by highlighting salient characteristics of each illness. This comparative illness framework considers the costs, prevalence, distribution of sufferers, mortality, recognition, and treatability of each disease. This comparison underscores many of the similarities and differences among the illnesses examined. RESULTS Because depression often is not properly recognized and begins to affect many people at a relatively early age, it exacts costs over a longer period of time and in a more subtle manner than other major illnesses. It also imposes a particularly heavy burden on employers in the form of higher workplace costs. CONCLUSION We conclude that, because of the potential for successful treatment, increased attempts to reach untreated sufferers of depression appear to be warranted. Employers as a group have a particular incentive to invest in the recognition and treatment of this widespread problem, in order to reduce the substantial costs it imposes upon them each year.
Image restoration of noisy images using Tchebichef moments

It is shown that by utilizing the method of Tchebichef (also know as Chebyshev) moments, an image degraded by Gaussian, salt-and-pepper and speckle noise can be restored. The performance of Tchebichef moments is compared with that of Zernike and Legendre moments.