Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is Piecemeal Endoscopic Resection Acceptable for Early Colorectal Cancers in Certain Situations? A Single-Center French Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The use of endoscopic treatment for early colorectal cancer (ECC) is increasing. The European guidelines suggest performing piecemeal endoscopic resection (pmR) for benign lesions and en bloc resection for ECC, especially for patients with favorable lymph node involvement risk evaluations. However, en bloc resections for lesions larger than two centimeters require invasive endoscopic techniques. Our retrospective single-center study aimed to determine the clinical impact of performing pmR for ECC rather than traditional en bloc resection. METHODS A single-center study was performed between January 2012 and September 2017. All ECC patients were included. The main objective was to evaluate the number of patients who potentially underwent unnecessary surgery due to piecemeal resection. The secondary endpoints were as follows: disease-free survival (DFS), defined as the time from pmR to endoscopic failure (local recurrence not treatable by endoscopy), complication rate, number of patients who did not undergo surgery by default, and factors predictive of outcomes and complications. RESULTS One hundred and forty-six ECC endoscopically treated patients were included. In total, 85 patients were excluded (71 who underwent en bloc resection, 14 with pending follow-up). Data from 61 patients (33 women and 28 men) were analyzed. Two patients underwent potentially unnecessary surgery [3.28% (0.9%- 11.2%)]. The DFS rate was 87% (75%-93%) at 6 months and 85% [72%-92%] at 12 months. The median follow- up time was 16.5 months (12.4-20.9). Three patients (4.9%) had complications. One patient did not undergo surgery by default. A Paris classification of 0-2c (HR=9.3 (2.4-35.9), p<0.001) and Vienna classification of 5 [HR=16.3 (3.3-80.4), p<0.001] were factors associated with poor DFS. CONCLUSION Performing pmR in place of en bloc resection for ECC had a limited impact on patients. If the pathology (especially deep margins) is analyzable, careful monitoring could be acceptable in ECC patients who undergo pmR.
On the Effect of Thyroxine to Promote the Metamorphosis of a Conger Eel-Preliminary Report

It is well known that thyroid matter promotes the metamorphosis of the tadpole. The authors tested the promoting effect of thyroid matter to the metamorphosis of leptoce-phalus of a conger eel, Conger myriaster (BREVOORT), with a view to improving the method of rearing of the conger eel fry, Sirasu. Thyroid matter used in the present study was synthetic D-thyroxine sodium, and thiourea was used as anti-thyroid matter (Table 1). Twenty leptocephali were treated in each solution shown in table 2 of 6 litre for 2 days, and after 3rd day all the fish of each group were bred in fresh seawater for 4 days. The value of AL/TL×100 was used as the index representing the developmental stage of the leptocephali, and the body height and body weight were also measured supplementally. Results obtained may be summarized as follows: 1) The developmental stages of the leptocephali treated with thyroxine sodium, as com-pared with those of the control and of the larvae treated with thiourea, were much advanced. 2) Between the treatments with 2 ppm and 6 ppm solution of thyroxine sodium, the significant difference was not recognized in the promoting effect to the metamorphosis. 3) Development of the visceral organs and coloring of the blood were observed with the the naked eye in the half of the individuals treated with thyroxine sodium solution, but in those treated with thiourea and of control, such changes were scarecely occurred.
Prevalence of seizures in dogs and cats with idiopathic internal hydrocephalus and seizure prevalence after implantation of a ventriculo‐peritoneal shunt

Abstract Background Seizures are considered a clinical sign in dogs with internal hydrocephalus but are not found in recent studies. Seizure prevalence due to ventricular enlargement and the prevalence of postoperative seizures in animals is not known. Objectives To determine seizure prevalence in dogs and cats with idiopathic internal hydrocephalus, to identify risk factors for seizure development, and to determine seizure prevalence in a 2‐year period after ventriculo‐peritoneal shunting (VPS). Animals Records and MRIs of 197 animals from 2001 to December 2019 were investigated. A total of 121 animals (98 dogs and 23 cats) were included in the study. Methods A retrospective multicenter case cohort study was conducted. Databases were searched for dogs and cats with internal hydrocephalus. MRI and CSF examinations were evaluated for signs of additional underlying disorders. Prevalence of seizures was estimated for animals showing only hydrocephalus internus. Risk factors were evaluated according to age, morphometric and morphological findings in the brain. All animals that underwent surgery were reexamined 2 years after surgery. Results One hundred twenty‐one animals (98 dogs and 23 cats) with internal hydrocephalus met the inclusion criteria. Seizure prevalence in dogs and cats with internal hydrocephalus was low (1.7%; <5.8% CI 95%). Seizures were not observed in the 2‐year period after surgery. Conclusion and Clinical Importance Seizure prevalence in dogs and cats diagnosed with hydrocephalus internus is low. Seizures in association with VPS do not seem to be a complication of the procedure.
Phylogenetic Implications of rbcL and ITS Sequence Variation in the Berberidaceae

In spite of the use of chromosome number, floral anatomy, pollen morphology, and serology, substantial disagreement remains regarding the systematics of the Berberidaceae. To test competing hypoth- eses about intergeneric relationships in the family, sequences of the chloroplast encoded rbcL gene and ITS regions of the nuclear ribosomal repeat were examined. Analysis of rbcL sequences does not support fragmentation of the Berberidaceae into smaller families, especially the separation of Nandina as a distinct family. The large woody genera, Berberis and Mahonia, are related to the monotypic herbaceous genus Ranzania. Bongardia is nested within a clade characterized by a basic chromosome number of x = 6, and has a remote relationship to the Leontice group with which the genus has been placed in most previous classifica- tions. The x = 6 group, the largest in the Berberidaceae, comprises two distinct lineages: Jeffersonia and the rest of the core genera (Diphylleia, Bongardia, Achlys, and Epimedium). Among the core genera, Diphylleia is sister to Epimedium/Achlys and their sister genus Bongardia. ITS sequence data provided additional support for the phylogenetic relationships of the x = 6 group observed in the rbcL gene tree. Berberidaceae (s.l.) is a heterogeneous assem-
Melatonin as a potential inhibitor of kidney cancer: A survey of the molecular processes

Studies have shown that despite the decreasing mortality rates of kidney cancer patients, its incidence is increasing. Therefore, a comprehensive re‐evaluation of treatment options is necessary to provide appropriate treatments for the increasing number of patients. Moreover, the side effects caused by surgery, which is the main treatment of this disease, may lead to higher morbidity rates. Consequently, new safer approaches must be examined and considered. Major advancements have been made in the field of targeted agents as well as treatments based on immunotherapy since renal cell carcinoma (RCC) does not respond well to chemotherapy. While the therapeutic options for this cancer are increasing, the resulting complexity of selecting the best strategy for treating the patients is daunting. Moreover, each therapeutic option must be evaluated concerning toxicity, cost, and clinical advantages. Several characteristics, which are beneficial for cancer therapies have been attributed to melatonin. For decades, investigations have explored the application of melatonin in the treatment of cancer; insufficient attention has been paid to this molecule at the clinical level. Melatonin plays a role in cancer therapy due to its anti‐tumor effects as well as by enhancing the efficacy of other drugs as an adjuvant. In this review, we discuss different roles of melatonin in the treatment of kidney cancer. The studies concerned with the applications of melatonin as an adjuvant in the immunotherapy of patients with kidney cancer are summarized. Also, we highlight the apoptotic and anti‐angiogenic effects of melatonin on renal cancer cells which are mediated by different molecules (e.g., HIF‐1 and VEGF, ADAMTS1, and MMP‐9) and signaling pathways (e.g., P56, P52, and JNK). Furthermore, we take a look into available data on melatonin's ability to reduce the toxicities caused by kidney carcinogens, including ochratoxin A, potassium bromate, and Fe‐NTA.
The Ecology and Biology of Panax quinquefolium L. (Araliaceae) in Illinois

-A statewide study of Panax quinquefolium L. (American ginseng), a herb commonly collected for commercial sale, was conducted on 33 protected and unprotected forested sites in the northern, central and southern sections of Illinois. Within these sites, data on the tree, sapling, seedling, shrub and herbaceous strata, and on soil texture and nutrients were collected from a 0.05-ha circular plot in each site. Additional recorded site data included aspect, slope position, steepness and exposure, and disturbance from grazing or timber harvesting. Populations of Panax quinquefolium were found in stands dominated by Acer saccharum, Quercus alba or Q. rubra and with a variety of other herbaceous species common to cool, moist site conditions; 84% of the sites were located on NW-, Nand NE-facing slopes and 80% were in midto low-slope positions. Phenological events began in early May and progressed from S-N; plants were dormant by mid-October. Seeds from individuals growing on several sites within each region were planted at the time of leaf senescence. Seedlings did not appear until the 2nd spring; 66% of the seeds produced seedlings. An anatomical and morphological study of 30 whole field-collected plants indicated that plant age could be accurately determined by counting bud scale scars on the rhizome. These data were used to develop a multiple regression model to predict rhizome age from stem height and number of leaflets. For 30 field-collected and 65 forest-cultivated roots, average weight increased linearly up to age 20, the age of the oldest roots. Population age structure and fruit production on protected sites were compared with that of sites where roots had been removed by collectors. We found fewer plants of all ages on unprotected sites. Fruit production was lower on unprotected sites because fewer 5to 11yr-old plants limit fruit production and rate of population recovery after harvesting.
Germination of Ten Shoreline Plants in Relation to Seed Size, Soil Particle Size and Water Level: An Experimental Study

Acorus calamus, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Bidens cernua, B. vulgata, Cyperus aristatus, Lythrum salicaria, Polygonum punctatum, Sagittaria latifolia, Scirpus americanus, Typha angustifolia
Risk Factors in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: the Interrelation with Familial History and Predictive Role on Survival.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Pancreatic cancer is associated with poor survival and quality of life. In Romania the prognostic influence of known risk factors for pancreatic adenocarcinoma, such as age, smoking, chronic pancreatitis, diabetes mellitus, and obesity is little known. Their importance in developing cancer in families with a history of adenocarcinoma is less studied. This study aims to assess the risk factors in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, in familial pancreatic adenocarcinoma, in neuroendocrine tumors and to evaluate their predictive role on survival. METHODS We performed a prospective bicentric study of patients with pancreatic tumors detected in transabdominal imaging; we assessed the risk factors and their possible association with survival. RESULTS 312 pancreatic cancer patients (279 with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and 24 patients with neuroendocrine tumors, and nine patients with other malignant types) and 312 controls were included. The median body mass index was significantly higher in patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Positive family history for pancreatic cancer was found in 4% of patients with pancreatic cancer. The risk for familial pancreatic carcinoma was associated with the presence of new-onset diabetes (OR: 4.64, p=0.018). The multivariate logistic analysis suggested that advanced age (OR: 1.67), smoking (OR: 1.67), low body mass index (OR: 12.07), and diabetes (OR: 3.91) were risk factors for pancreatic cancer. The overall survival analysis after adjustment for age and tumor stage showed only advanced tumoral stage (HR=1.6, p=0.003) and metastasis as independent predicting factors (HR=1.67, p<0.001). CONCLUSION Our study suggests that diabetes, smoking, underweight, and age over 60 years are risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Patients with a family history of pancreatic cancer, especially those with new-onset diabetes, should be followed carefully and considered for screening. Only an advanced tumor stage was associated with poor overall survival for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Gastrointestinal Manifestations in Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis: a Single-Centre Experience.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hereditary transthyretin (ATTRv) amyloidosis represents a diagnostic challenge considering the great variability in clinical presentation and multiorgan involvement. In this study we report the prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) involvement of patients with hereditary ATTRv amyloidosis from one single center of Italy, a non-endemic area. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed a cohort of 39 patients with hereditary ATTRv amyloidosis followed at the Neurology Unit of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS in Rome, Italy. All patients had a documented mutation in the gene encoding the thansthyretin. Neurological, cardiological and gastrointestinal manifestations were systematically collected at every monitoring visit. RESULTS 82% reported at least one GI symptom. Unintentional weight loss was the most frequently reported. Lower GI symptoms were more frequent than upper GI symptoms (66.7% vs. 35.9%, p=0.0122). The first GI symptom was always reported within 5 years since disease onset. Gastrointestinal symptoms were almost always present in patients with Val30Met mutation (93.8%, 15/16), and in more than half of the cases with Phe64Leu mutation (66.7%, 8/12). All cases with a non-Val30Met mutation disclosed almost all GI symptoms within 5 years since disease onset; conversely, patients with Val30Met mutation continued to develop further GI manifestations during the disease course. CONCLUSIONS Prevalence of GI symptoms in our cohort was 82%, resulting in a higher prevalence than reported in the THAOS registry. Gastroenterologists, therefore, play an important role for the management of the disease, and their expertise should be valued for an effective multidisciplinary approach to this condition.
Intraspecific variability in nestling growth and fledging behavior of Cassin's Auklets at Triangle Island, British Columbia

We compared nestling growth and fledging behavior of Cassin's Auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) at Triangle Island, British Columbia to the predictions of a model that considers the timing of fledging to be an adaptive strategy. In the model, fledging mass and age depend on nestling growth rate, time remaining in the season, and the contrasting mortality costs and growth benefits experienced before and after fledging. As predicted, fast growing nestlings fledged heavier and younger than slow growing nestlings. Growth rates declined over the season and fledging behavior varied accordingly. When the seasonal variation in growth rates was statistically controlled, late nestlings did not fledge lighter and younger, in contrast to the model's predictions. Late in the season, nestlings reached a greater peak mass than expected based on their slower growth rates. Also, nestlings that grew more slowly due to a higher frequency of handling reached a higher peak mass than less frequently measured nestlings. We consider the possibility that parents adaptively modified their nestling's growth trajectory by altering provisioning behavior in response to nestling condition. The nesting habitat influenced fledging. Fast growing nestlings fledged at similar ages in both level and steep nest sites. In contrast, slow growing nestlings fledged at younger ages, but similar masses, in level sites compared to steep sites. We consider the possibility that the difference in parental predation risk between level and steep nest sites influenced provisioning decisions of parents, and consequently, fledging decisions of nestlings.
Ecological effects of intertidal Manila clam cultivation : observations at the end of the cultivation phase

1. Marine aquaculture has come under close scrutiny by environmental pressure groups, fisheries managers and scientists in recent years, because of a shared concern over the physical and biological effects of farming practices on the marine environment. 2. This paper describes the environmental effects of intertidal Manila clam cultivation at the end of the cultivation phase immediately prior to harvesting the marketable-sized clams, which were planted in ground plots 2.5 years earlier at a density of 5OOm -2 . Although survival was poor, with a final density of 26 m -2 (0.78 kg m -2 ), this still represented a significant biological presence relative to other benthic organisms. 3. An experimental approach, using a 3 x 3 Latin Square design, was adopted. The treatments comprised net-covered plots of clams, net-covered plots without clams and control plots without netting or clams. An additional set of controls, 50 m distant from the Latin Square, was established for comparative purposes. 4. The presence of the netting, rather than the clams, increased sedimentation rate which elevated the ground profile by c. 10cm and caused a small but significant increase in percentage fines and percentage organic content of the sediment. The netting also encouraged higher densities of some species of infaunal deposit-feeding worms which became the dominant fauna. 5. During the first 6 months of the cultivation process, the fauna was dominated by the opportunistic spionid, Pygospio elegans. After one year, the stabilizing effect of the netting on the sediment led to the establishment of species such as Ampharete acutifrons and Tubificoides benedii, which displaced P. elegans as the community dominants. 6. The observed biological responses indicate that organic enrichment occurs within net-covered areas. However, the magnitude of community change is far less than that which occurs in association with some other marine culture practices, which create anoxic sediments and impoverished infaunal communities.
The combined effects of temperature and salinity on hatching success and survival of early life stages in the economically candidate marine mollusks : Spotted babylon Babylonia areolata

The combined effects of temperature and salinity on the hatching success and larval and juvenile survival of the spotted babylon Babylonia areolata were investigated in a 3x3 complete factorial experimental design employing three temperatures (25, 30 and 35 0 C) and three salinities (27, 30 and 33‰). The results showed that hatching of egg capsules B. areolata was only significantly affected by salinity but not for temperature. No significant interaction between both factors occurred. However, survival of larvae and early juvenile were significantly affected by temperature and salinity. A significant interaction between both factors occurred in this experiment. The highest survival of early juveniles was founded at the lowest temperature (25 0 C) with the highest salinity (33‰) and the highest temperature
Precautionary Saving and Aggregate Demand (Preliminary)

This paper introduces incomplete insurance against idioyncratic labour income risk into an otherwise standard New Keynesian business cycle model with involuntary unemployment. Following an adverse monetary policy shock that lowers aggregate demand, job creation is discouraged and unemployment risk (as summarised by the job-loss rate) persistently rises. Imperfectly insured households rationally respond to the rise in indosyncratic income uncertainty by increasing precautionary saving, thereby cutting consumption and depleting aggregate demand even further; this in turn magni-(cid:133)es the initial labour market contraction, further raises unemployment risk, and so on. A calibrated version of the model suggests that the aggregate demand(cid:150)precautionary saving feedback loop may signi(cid:133)cantly amplify the impact of aggregate shocks on unemployment, relative to the full-insurance case.
Let the Margin SlidE± for Knowledge Graph Embeddings via a Correntropy Objective Function

Embedding models based on translation and rotation have gained significant attention in link prediction tasks for knowledge graphs. Most of the earlier works have modified the score function of Knowledge Graph Embedding models in order to improve the performance of link prediction tasks. However, as proven theoretically and experimentally, the performance of such Embedding models strongly depends on the loss function. One of the prominent approaches in defining loss functions is to set a margin between positive and negative samples during the learning process. This task is particularly important because it directly affects the learning and ranking of triples and ultimately defines the final output. Approaches for setting a margin have the following challenges: a) the length of the margin has to be fixed manually, b) without a fixed point for center of the margin, the scores of positive triples are not necessarily enforced to be sufficiently small to fulfill the translation/rotation from head to tail by using the relation vector. In this paper, we propose a family of loss functions dubbed SlidE± to address the aforementioned challenges. The formulation of the proposed loss functions enables an automated technique to adjust the length of the margin adaptive to a defined center. In our experiments on a set of standard benchmark datasets including Freebase and WordNet, the effectiveness of our approach is confirmed for training Knowledge Graph Embedding models, specifically TransE and RotatE as a case study, on link prediction tasks.
Biology of Nesting Ancient Murrelets

The breeding biology of the Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) previously has not been studied intensively. Contributions of C. Littlejohn (in Bendire 1895) from Alaska, Ishizawa (1933) from Korea, and Murata (1958) from Japan generally are incomplete and deal only with short periods. Observations made intermittently between 1946 and 1952 on Langara Island, British Columbia, by C. J. Guiguet (in Drent and Guiguet 1961, unpubl. observ.) provide important comparative data. In this paper I examine the breeding ecology of the Ancient Murrelet on Langara Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia (fig. 1).