Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surgical Outcomes and Survival Prognostic Factors for Palliative Gastrectomies in Stage IV Resectable Gastric Cancer Outlet Obstruction Patients

Purpose Currently, there is no clear evidence to support any specific treatment as a principal therapy for stage IV gastric cancer outlet obstruction (GCOO) patients. This study evaluated the outcomes of palliative gastrectomies and survival prognostic factors in patients with stage IV resectable GCOO. Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 48 stage IV GCOO patients who underwent palliative gastrectomies between June 2010 and December 2019. Palliative gastrectomies were performed only in patients with resectable disease. Early surgical outcomes and prognostic factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results There were no specific risk factors for postoperative complications, except for being underweight. Severe postoperative complications developed in five patients, and most of the patients underwent interventional procedures and received broad-spectrum antibiotics for intra-abdominal abscesses. The multivariate survival analysis showed that palliative chemotherapy is a positive prognostic factor, while the specific type of hematogenous and lymphatic metastasis is a negative prognostic factor. Conclusions We recommend that the treatment method for stage IV GCOO should be selected according to each patient's physical condition and tumor characteristics. In addition, we suggest that palliative gastrectomies can be performed in stage IV resectable GCOO patients without unfavorable prognostic factors (types of hematogenous and lymphatic metastases).
Effect of Copper Additive on the Microstructure and Electrical Properties of Polycrystalline Zinc Oxide

Nonohmic behavior is obtained for polycrystalline ZnO with copper as the only additive in the range 0.3 ≤ x ≤ 1 wt%. The effect of copper on the microstructure and electrical behavior of ZnO:Cu ceramics is investigated. The leakage current decreases and the breakdown electric field increases as the copper concentration increases. The large apparent dielectric constant of ZnO:Cu ceramic (k >> k ZnO , k ZnO is the dielectric constant of pure ZnO) is attributed to the grain boundary barrier layer effect. A Schottky barrier height of 0.27-0.46 eV is obtained for various copper-added samples, depending on sintering temperatures.
Endoscopic Resection of Undifferentiated-type Early Gastric Cancer

Early detection of gastric cancer is crucial because the survival rate can be improved through curative treatment. Although surgery and gastrectomy with lymph node dissection remain as the gold standard for curative treatment, early gastric cancer (EGC) with negligible risk of lymph node metastasis can be treated with endoscopic resection (ER), such as endoscopic submucosal dissection. Among gastric cancers, undifferentiated-type cancer is distinguished from differentiated-type cancer in various aspects in terms of clinical features and pathophysiology. The undifferentiated-type cancer is also known to be associated with an aggressive behavior and a poor prognosis. Therefore, the indication of ER for undifferentiated EGC is limited compared with differentiated-type. Recent studies have reported that ER for undifferentiated EGC is safe and shows favorable short- and long-term outcomes. However, it is necessary to understand the details of the research results and to selectively accept them. In this review, we aimed to evaluate the current practice guidelines and the short-term and long-term outcomes of ER for undifferentiated type EGC.
Constructing the Logical Regression Model to Predict the Target of Jianpi Jiedu Decoction in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify the molecular mechanism and prognosis-related genes of Jianpi Jiedu decoction in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods The gene expression data of hepatocellular carcinoma samples and normal tissue samples were downloaded from TCGA database, and the potential targets of drug composition of Jianpi Jiedu decoction were obtained from TCMSP database. The genes were screened out in order to obtain the expression of these target genes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The differential expression of target genes was analyzed by R software, and the genes related to prognosis were screened by univariate Cox regression analysis. Then, the LASSO model was constructed for risk assessment and survival analysis between different risk groups. At the same time, independent prognostic analysis, GSEA analysis, and prognostic analysis of single gene in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were performed. Results 174 compounds of traditional Chinese medicine were screened by TCMSP database, corresponding to 122 potential targets. 39 upregulated genes and 9 downregulated genes were screened out. A total of 20 candidate prognostic related genes were screened out by univariate Cox analysis, of which 12 prognostic genes were involved in the construction of the LASSO regression model. There was a significant difference in survival time between the high-risk group and low-risk group (p < 0.05). Among the genes related to prognosis, the expression levels of CCNB1, NQO1, NUF2, and CHEK1 were high in tumor tissues (p < 0.05). Survival analysis showed that the high expression levels of these four genes were significantly correlated with poor prognosis of HCC (p < 0.05). GSEA analysis showed that the main KEGG enrichment pathways were lysine degradation, folate carbon pool, citrate cycle, and transcription factors. Conclusions In the study, we found that therapy target genes of Jianpi Jiedu decoction were mainly involved in metabolism and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma, and there was a close relationship between the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and the genes of CCNB1, NQO1, NUF2, and CHEK1.
Exploring the Antitumor Mechanisms of Zingiberis Rhizoma Combined with Coptidis Rhizoma Using a Network Pharmacology Approach

Background Although the combination of Zingiberis rhizoma (ZR) and Coptidis rhizoma (CR) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine-based herbal pair used for its antitumor effect, the material basis and underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, a network pharmacology approach was used to elucidate the antitumor mechanisms of ZR-CR. Materials and Methods To predict the targets of ZR-CR in treating tumors, we constructed protein–protein interactions and hub component-target networks and performed pathway and process enrichment and molecular docking analysis. We used a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) assay to validate the predicted component-target affinities. Hub gene expression and survival analysis in patients with tumors were used to predict the clinical significance. Results The active components of ZR-CR—shogaol, daucosterol, ginkgetin, berberine, quercetin, chlorogenic acid, and vanillic acid—exhibited antitumor activities via the MAPK, PI3K-AKT, TNF, FOXO, HIF-1, and VEGF signaling pathways. Molecular docking and SPR analyses suggested direct binding of berberine with AKT1 and TP53; quercetin with EGFR and VEGF165; and ginkgetin, isoginkgetin, and daucosterol with VEGF165 with weak affinities. Gene expression levels of the hub targets of ZR-CR were associated with overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with various tumor types. Conclusions The antitumor components of the ZR-CR herbal pair and the mechanisms underlying their antitumor effects were identified. These antitumor components deserve to be explored further in experimental and clinical studies.
Novel PGC-1α/ATF5 Axis Partly Activates UPRmt and Mediates Cardioprotective Role of Tetrahydrocurcumin in Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy

Mitochondrial unfolding protein response (UPRmt) effectively resists the pathological cardiac hypertrophy and improves the mitochondrial function. However, the specific activation mechanism and drugs that can effectively activate UPRmt in the cardiac muscle are yet to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the regulation role of UPRmt on preventing pathological cardiac hypertrophy by tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) and explore its underlying molecular mechanism. Male C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) mice were divided into a control group and subjected to sham treatment for 4 weeks, and a test group which was subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery. Animals in the control and test group were orally administered THC (50 mg/kg) for 4 weeks after TAC procedure; an equivalent amount of saline was orally administered in the control sham-treated group and the TAC group. Subsequently, oxidative stress and UPRmt markers were assessed in these mice, and cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and cardiac function were tested. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (PGC)-1α and activating transcription factor 5 (ATF5) were used to determine the UPRmt activation mechanism. THC supplement partly upregulated UPRmt effectors and inhibited TAC-induced oxidative stress compared with TAC-operated WT mice, thereby substantially attenuating contractile dysfunction, cardiac hypertrophy, and fibrosis. Furthermore, PGC-1α knockdown blunted the UPRmt activation and the cardioprotective role of THC. The interaction between PGC-1α and ATF5 was tested in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes under normal conditions. The results showed that PGC-1α was an upstream effector of ATF5 and partly activated UPRmt. In vitro, phenylephrine- (PE-) induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy caused ATF5 upregulating rather than downregulating corresponding to the downregulation of PGC-1α. The PGC-1α/ATF5 axis mediated the UPRmt activation and stress-resistance role of THC in vitro. Collectively, the present study provides the first evidence that PGC-1 and ATF5 can form a signaling axis to partly activate UPRmt that mediates the cardioprotective role of THC in pathological cardiac hypertrophy.
EGFR-AS1 Promotes Bladder Cancer Progression by Upregulating EGFR

Long noncoding RNAs play an essential role in bladder cancer progression. The role of long noncoding RNA EGFR-AS1 in bladder cancer needs further study. We used clinical specimens to analyze the relationship between EGFR-AS1 and bladder cancer patients' characteristics. The functional experiments and mechanism studies were performed using qRT-PCR, transwell assay, survival analysis, and correlation analysis. We found that high expression of EGFR-AS1 was nearly related to aggressive bladder cancer and indicated poor prognosis for patients. The functional experiments in vivo and in vitro suggested that EGFR-AS1 promoted the proliferation and invasion of bladder cancer cells. Mechanically, EGFR-AS1 promoted the expression of EGFR by inhibiting the degradation of EGFR mRNA, thereby promoting the metastasis of bladder cancer. In addition, EGFR-AS1/EGFR may be involved in the immune-related pathways of bladder cancer. These studies indicate that the EGFR-AS1/EGFR pathway may be a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for bladder cancer.
Immediate Postoperative Insulin Requirements May Predict Metabolic Outcome after Total Pancreatectomy and Islet Autotransplantation

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a progressive disease that leads to eventual loss of endocrine and exocrine function. Total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) is a treatment option for patients with CP; however, predicting postoperative metabolic outcomes remains elusive. In this single-center retrospective study, we report pre-TPIAT characteristics, beta cell function indices, islet yield, and post-TPIAT glucose management data to further understand their relationship. Islet yield, glucose level, and insulin requirement for 72 hours postoperatively were collected for a total of 13 TPIAT recipients between 9-2013 and 9-2018. In addition, their glucose control and basal insulin requirements at 3, 6, and 12 months post-TPIAT were analyzed. All 13 subjects had normal baseline fasting glucose levels. Median islet yield was 4882 IEq/kg (interquartile range 3412 to 8987). Median postoperative total insulin requirement on day 3 was 0.43 units/kg. Pre-TPIAT baseline glucose, insulin, or c-peptide level did not have a significant correlation with the islet yield. Similarly, there was no correlation between islet yield and insulin requirement at 72-hour postoperatively. However, there was an inverse correlation between the absolute islet yield (IEq) and insulin requirement at 6 months and 12 months following post-TPIAT. Further analysis of the relationship between 72-hour post-op insulin requirement and insulin requirement at discharge, 3, 6, and 12 months showed a positive correlation. Despite the finding of inverse correlation of islet yield with long-term basal insulin requirement, this study was not able to detect a correlation between the preoperative parameters to postoperative short-term or long-term outcome as noted in other studies. The 72-hour postoperative insulin requirement is a helpful postoperative predictor of patients needing long-term insulin management following TPIAT. This observation may identify a high-risk group of patients in need of more intensive diabetes education and insulin treatment prior to hospital discharge.
Question formulation skills training using a novel rubric with first-year medical students

Objective: The authors used an assessment rubric to measure medical students' improvement in question formulation skills following a brief evidence-based practice (EBP) training session conducted by a health sciences librarian. Method: In a quasi-experimental designed study, students were assessed using a rubric on their pre-instructional skills in formulating answerable EBP questions, based on a clinical scenario. Following their training, they were assessed using the same scenario and rubric. Student pre- and post-test scores were compared using a paired t-test. Results: Students demonstrated statistically significant improvement in their question formulation skills on their post-instructional assessments. The average score for students on the pre-test was 45.5 (SD 11.1) and the average score on the post-test was 65.6 (SD 5.4) with an average increase of 20.1 points on the 70-point scale, p<0.001. Conclusion: The brief instructional session aided by the rubric improved students' performance in question formulation skills.
Heterotrophic bacterio‐plankton in thawed lakes of the northern part of Western Siberia controls the CO2 flux to the atmosphere

This work reports on results of bacterio‐plankton characterisation in thaw lakes of the northern part of Western Siberia via measurement the number of various groups of heterotrophic bacteria and the intensity of primary production/respiration in the water column. The eutrophic systems at the beginning of lake formation (permafrost thawing) are being replaced by essentially oligotrophic systems at the final, mature stage of the lake development (khasyrey). The CO2 flux from the lake surface to the atmosphere associated with microbial degradation of organic matter (107 ± 50 t C/km2/y) is at least one order of magnitude higher than the riverine organic carbon flux. The future climate evolution in this region, consisting in rising ground temperature and precipitation increase will bring about further acceleration of dissolved organic matter degradation in the water column and amplification of CO2 release to the atmosphere.
TETANY POTENTIAL OF ORCHARDGRASS AND TALL FESCUE AS INFLUENCED BY FERTILIZATION WITH DAIRY MANURE OR COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER

ABSTRACT The main objective of this study was to compare potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) utilization and grass tetany potential of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Schreb.) fertilized with dairy manure or commercial fertilizer. The study was conducted from 1994 through 2000 in Willsboro, NY on a Kingsbury clay soil (very-fine, illitic, mesic Aeric Ochraqualf) of somewhat poor drainage. The design was a split-plot in a randomized complete block with two manure rates (16.8 Mg ha−1 and 33.6 Mg ha−1) and one fertilizer treatment (84 kg N ha−1 at spring greenup and 56 kg N ha−1 prior each regrowth harvest) as the main plots and grass species as subplots replicated six times. Potassium concentration and uptake increased after two years of manure application compared to commercial fertilizer treatment and residual effects of manure were large at least three years following manure application. Calcium concentration and uptake decreased after two years of manure application compared to the commercial fertilizer treatment, but there were no differences in treatments three years after manure application had ceased. Magnesium concentration and uptake at the high manure rate did not differ from fertilizer treatment in all years. Orchardgrass was more grass tetany prone than tall fescue as a result of dairy manure application. The K/(Ca+Mg) ratio in plant tissue was as high as 3.26 for orchardgrass and as high as 2.11 for tall fescue for spring harvests at the highest manure rate. The K/(Ca+Mg) ratio in plant tissue was in the range of 0.34–1.74 (below the 2.20 critical level) for all three years with no manure application. Soil K increased in manure treatments from an initial 76.8 kg ha−1 (1993) to 171.7 kg ha−1 (1997) in the highest manure treatment. After three years of no manure applications, soil K had been reduced to the initial level.
Two Calorimetric Glass Transitions in Miscible Blends Containing Poly(ethylene oxide)

Miscible blends containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) have been examined over the entire composition range using differential scanning calorimetry to explore further the reported presence of two glass transitions. Three systems, poly(ethylene oxide)−dimethyl ether (PEO−DME)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), PEO/poly(lactide) (PLA), and PEO/poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), were chosen in order to study the effects of end-group chemistry, annealing time, and crystallinity on the calorimetric behavior of the blends. The molecular weight of PEO was kept low to minimize the interference due to crystallization. Two distinct glass transitions were observed in the mid-composition range for all three systems. The glass transition temperatures varied smoothly with blend composition between the glass transition temperatures of the two homopolymer components. It was found that the self-concentration model describes the composition dependence of these glass transitions well. Further investigation on selected PEO/PVAc blend.
Thermodynamic Properties of AgCl and AgBr

Temperatures and enthalpies of fusion as well as the heat capacity of silver chloride and silver bromide were measured by differential scanning calorimetry. A polynomial heat capacity dependence on temperature was used to fit the experimental data. The thermodynamic functions of AgCl and AgBr were calculated by combining these heat capacity results with the entropy at 298.15 K, temperatures, and enthalpies of fusion.
Efficient removal of humic acid in aqueous solution using polyaniline adsorbent

Abstract Polyaniline adsorbent prepared by chemical oxidation was developed to remove the humic acid (HA) in aqueous solution. The adsorbents showed the high adsorption capacity for aqueous HA with the maximum adsorption amount 126.58 mg g−1, and the adsorption isotherm obeyed the Langmuir model. The adsorption kinetics followed an initial diffusion-controlled and then an attachment-controlled adsorption process. The HA adsorption was not much impacted in the presence of Na+, K+, while Ca2+ ion in aqueous solution can evidently enhance the HA adsorption. The HA adsorption on polyaniline decreased with increasing solution pH owing to the electrostatic interaction between imine and amine of polyaniline and disassociated HA. The HA molecules adsorbed on the polyaniline can be effectively desorbed in 0.1 M NaOH solution, and regenerated adsorbent can be repeatedly used in the subsequently adsorption–regeneration cycles.
Spray Dried Polylactide Microsphere Preparation: Influence of the Technological Parameters

AbstractSpray drying technique has been widely used in the pharmaceutical technological field with different applications. Recently it has been also successfully employed in the preparation of microparticulate drug delivery systems. The structure of the microparticles obtained is different according whether the drug is dispersed or dissolved in the polymeric solution to be spray dried.Microcapsules are obtained by spraying a drug suspension in a solution of the polymeric coating, while polymeric matrices (microspheres), in which the drug is embedded, are obtained by spraying a solution of the drug and of the polymer.The aim of this work is the investigation of several technological parameters that can affect the preparation and therefore the characteristics of the microparticles obtained by spray drying method. The effect of the inlet/outlet temperatures, spray rate of feed and of concentration of the starting polymeric solution on the characteristics of diazepam loaded poly-D, L-lactide microparticles ar.
Reaction of superoxide with nitric oxide to form peroxonitrite in alkaline aqueous solution

Although aqueous superoxide often acts as a one-electron reductant or less frequently as an oxidant, it rarely undergoes covalent bond formation with simple organic or inorganic compounds in water, perhaps owing to its poor nucleophilicity in this solvent. In this communication it is shown, however, that superoxide can react with nitric oxide to form the peroxionitrite anion in deaerated aqueous solutions at pH 12-13: O/sub 2//sup -/ + NO = /sup -/OONO. This reaction represents one of the few examples of a radical-radical coupling of O/sub 2//sup -/ with another odd-electron species to form a diamagnetic product. The reaction also may be of significance in natural waters or prove useful for trapping and measuring low levels of superoxide in aqueous systems. 13 references, 2 figures, 1 table.
Fluorescence studies of associating polymers in water : determination of the chain end aggregation number and a model for the association process

Fluorescence probe experiments were carried out on aqueous solutions of urethane-coupled poly(ethylene oxide) polymers containing C 16 H 33 O end groups. These HEUR polymers associate in water, giving rise to a sharp increase in zero-shear viscosity with increasing concentration above 0.2-0.5 wt % polymer and a pronounced shear thinning at modest shear rates. At very low concentrations (a few ppm), the hydrophobic end groups of these polymers come together to form micelle-like structures. We are interested in the mechanism of the polymer association and in determining the number of hydrophobic groups N R that come together to form the micellar core. Fluorescence decay studies of pyrene excimer formation give values of N R close to 20, independent of polymer concentration. This N R value is a factor of 3 smaller than that found for typical nonionic micelles but larger than that inferred indirectly from different measurements on similar HEUR polymer systems. Steady-state fluorescence studies of intramolecular excimer formation in bis(1-pyrenyl)methyl ether (dipyme) solubilized in these polymers indicate that the micellar core is much more rigid than that of traditional surfactant micelles, with an estimated microviscosity an order of magnitude larger than that of sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles. A model is developed to accommodate these observations. In this model, the polymers form rosette-like micelles comprised of looped chains. At higher concentrations, larger structures are formed from aggregation of these micelles, held together by chains which bridge the micelles. The influence of dilution and of shear is to induce a bridge-to-loop transition, leading to a breakup of larger structures to smaller objects, micelles and smaller micelle aggregates.