Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Therapeutic Value of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Inhibitors in Breast, Colorectal, and Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review

Although survival rates of breast, colon, and prostate cancers are improving, deaths from these tumors frequently occur due to metastasis. Voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSCs) are membrane proteins, which regulate membrane current and cellular migration during nervous system organogenesis. VGSCs are also expressed in fibroblasts, immune cells, glia, and metastatic cancer cells. VGSCs regulate migration and invasion of breast, bowel, and prostate cancer cells, suggesting that they may be novel anti-metastatic targets. We conducted a systematic review of clinical and preclinical studies testing the effects of VGSC-inhibiting drugs in cancer. Two-hundred and four publications were identified, of which two human, two mouse, and 20 in vitro publications were included. In the clinical studies, the effect of these drugs on survival and metastatic relapse is not clear. The 22 preclinical studies collectively suggest that several VGSC-inhibiting drugs inhibit cancer proliferation, migration, and invasion. None of the human and only six of the preclinical studies directly investigated the effect of the drugs on VGSC activity. Studies were difficult to compare due to lack of standardized methodology and outcome measures. We conclude that the benefits of VGSC inhibitors require further investigation. Standardization of future studies and outcome measures should enable meaningful study comparisons.
Adolescent Problem Behavior in Toronto, Canada

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative association of unique aspects of social capital at the level of families, schools, and neighborhoods on adolescent self-reported violence, property crimes, and substance use. Data come from the 2006 Canadian International Youth Survey that asked adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 in the metropolitan city of Toronto (N = 3, 101) about their problem behavior. Poisson regression models revealed that parental monitoring, school performance, peer approval of illegal activities, and neighborhood social disorder were consistently associated with all three adolescent problem behaviors, net of controls. Results were more mixed for remaining measures of social capital on adolescent problem behavior. Interestingly, neighborhood cohesion was a significant predictor of adolescent substance use, but operated in a direction that was contrary to the proposed hypotheses. These findings highlight the importance of teasing out how different facets of social capital in different environments are linked to adolescent problem behavior.
Age-related Reduction in Functional MRI Response to Photic Stimulation

Many functional imaging studies have demonstrated age-related alterations in cerebral blood flow during the resting state. However, few studies have addressed possible differences in functional response to cerebral activation. We assessed the response of visual cortex to photic stimulation in 9 normal elderly subjects and 17 normal younger subjects with blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that the amplitude of response in elderly subjects was significantly decreased compared to younger subjects (2.5 +/- 1.0% versus 4.0 +/- 1.6%, p = 0.01), suggesting a reduction in functional activation or an age-related alteration in the coupling of blood oxygenation to focal activation. NEUROLOGY 1997;48: 173-176
MultiWiki

In this article, we address the problem of text passage alignment across interlingual article pairs in Wikipedia. We develop methods that enable the identification and interlinking of text passages written in different languages and containing overlapping information. Interlingual text passage alignment can enable Wikipedia editors and readers to better understand language-specific context of entities, provide valuable insights in cultural differences, and build a basis for qualitative analysis of the articles. An important challenge in this context is the tradeoff between the granularity of the extracted text passages and the precision of the alignment. Whereas short text passages can result in more precise alignment, longer text passages can facilitate a better overview of the differences in an article pair. To better understand these aspects from the user perspective, we conduct a user study at the example of the German, Russian, and English Wikipedia and collect a user-annotated benchmark. Then we propose MultiWiki, a method that adopts an integrated approach to the text passage alignment using semantic similarity measures and greedy algorithms and achieves precise results with respect to the user-defined alignment. The MultiWiki demonstration is publicly available and currently supports four language pairs.
An Eye Tracking Semantic Repository for User Profiling

The paper details the modeling and processing of a semantic behavior repository for Web users/customers in the context of an application model that involves the capturing of eye tracking during the user-interface interaction, AJAX-style communication between the client and the server, and the conversion of user attention maps to convenient data structures. Due to the problem complexity, the client-side mechanism for capturing attention nodes were presented in a previously published paper, thus the current paper covers strictly the server-side details regarding the semantic modeling and programming, with a brief presentation of the context, for coherence reasons.
Lifetime Occupational Exposure to Dusts, Gases and Fumes Is Associated with Bronchitis Symptoms and Higher Diffusion Capacity in COPD Patients

Background Occupational exposure to dusts, gases and fumes has been associated with reduced FEV1 and sputum production in COPD patients. The effect of occupational exposure on other characteristics of COPD, especially those reflecting emphysema, has not been studied in these patients. Methods We studied 338 patients hospitalized for a first exacerbation of COPD in 9 Spanish hospitals, obtaining full occupational history in a face-to-face interview; job codes were linked to a job exposure matrix for semi-quantitative estimation of exposure to mineral/biological dust, and gases/fumes for each job held. Patients underwent spirometry, diffusing capacity testing and analysis of gases in stable conditions. Quality of life, dyspnea and chronic bronchitis symptoms were determined with a questionnaire interview. A high- resolution CT scan was available in 133 patients. Results 94% of the patients included were men, with a mean age of 68(8.5) years and a mean FEV1% predicted 52 (16). High exposure to gases or fumes was associated with chronic bronchitis, and exposure to mineral dust and gases/fumes was associated with higher scores for symptom perception in the St. George’s questionnaire. No occupational agent was associated with a lower FEV1. High exposure to all occupational agents was associated with better lung diffusion capacity, in long-term quitters. In the subgroup with CT data, patients with emphysema had 18% lower DLCO compared to those without emphysema. Conclusions In our cohort of COPD patients, high exposure to gases or fumes was associated with chronic bronchitis, and high exposure to all occupational agents was consistently associated with better diffusion capacity in long-term quitters.
Effects of Robot Motion on Human-Robot Collaboration

Most motion in robotics is purelyfifnctional, planned to achieve the goal and avoid collisions. Such motion is great in isolation, but collaboration affords a human who is watching the motion and making inferences about it, trying to coordinate with the robot to achieve the task. This paper analyzes the benefit of planning motion that explicitly enables the collaborator's inferences on the success of physical collaboration, as measured by both objective and subjective metrics. Results suggest that legible motion, planned to clearly express the robot's intent, leads to more fluent collaborations than predictable motion, planned to match the collaborator's expectations. Furthermore, purely functional motion can harm coordination, which negatively affects both task efficiency, as well as the participants' perception of the collaboration. Categories and Subject Descriptors I.2. 9 [Artificial Intelligence]: Robotics
Multi-CRC Polar Codes and Their Applications

Polar codes under successive cancelation list (SCL) decoding are capable of achieving almost the same or better performance than turbo codes or low density parity-check codes with the help of single cyclic redundancy check (CRC). This decoding scheme, however, suffers from very high complexity with long delay and large memory space. Motivated by this research problem, we propose a novel coding scheme called multi-CRC polar code for significant reduction of memory size and decoding delay but with negligible performance loss. Our analysis and simulation have shown that about half reduction of memory size and decoding delay can be achieved in SCL decoding. We also apply this scheme to hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) system to aid retransmission and show that the throughput of multi-CRC polar code is higher than that of the single-CRC one.
How Old Do You Feel? The Role of Age Discrimination and Biological Aging in Subjective Age

Subjective age, or how young or old individuals experience themselves to be relative to their chronological age, is a crucial construct in gerontology. Subjective age is a significant predictor of important health outcomes, but little is known about the criteria by which individuals' subjectively evaluate their age. To identify psychosocial and biomedical factors linked to the subjective evaluation of age, this study examined whether perceived age discrimination and markers of biological aging are associated with subjective age. Participants were 4776 adults (M age = 68) from the 2008 and 2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) who completed measures of subjective age, age discrimination, demographic variables, self-rated health and depression, and had physical health measures, including peak expiratory flow, grip strength, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Telomere length was available for a subset of participants in the 2008 wave (n = 2214). Regression analysis indicated that perceived age discrimination, lower peak expiratory flow, lower grip strength, and higher waist circumference were associated with an older subjective age, controlling for sociodemographic factors, self-rated health, and depression. In contrast, blood pressure and telomere length were not related to subjective age. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that how old a person feels depends in part on psychosocial and biomedical factors, including the experiences of ageism and perceptible indices of fitness and biological age.
Super resolution in CT

The general framework of super resolution in computed tomography (CT) system is introduced. Two data acquisition ways before or after the reconstruction respectively are described. Three models including the sinogram model, the in‐plane model and the z‐axis model, are addressed to adapt super resolution to CT system. The improved iterative back projection algorithm is used in this work. Experimental results based on simulated data, GE performance phantom scanned by GE LightSpeed VCT system, one patient volunteer scanned by TOSHIBA Aquilion system, and a special experimental apparatus demonstrate that super resolution is effective to improve the resolution of CT images. The sinogram model is suitable for future CT system; the in‐plane model is restricted to some special clinical diagnoses; and the z‐axis model is practicable for current general clinical CT images. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 25, 92–101, 2015
Agreement signalling and network service provisioning for grids

Resource-sharing is one of the grid intrinsic properties enabling efficient usage of services by clients from many virtual organizations. This is particularly true for network infrastructures, which are typically designed to serve a large number of heterogeneous users. In such an environment, the support of network quality of service requires the establishment of service level agreements between users and network service providers, admission control as well as network control planes for automatic or semi-automatic service provisioning. The availability of guarantees allows flexible usage of the distributed infrastructure and enables application-controllable performance. Nevertheless, many network providers today only offer best-effort services and do not support service level agreement signalling. In this paper we analyze requirements and introduce two bandwidth-oriented services for enhanced grid data transfer: the guaranteed delivery file transfer and virtual leased line services. We propose a complete architecture - fully integrated with grid middleware - for network service level agreement management and inter-domain network service provisioning. This is based on the functional division into agreement and service provider layers proposed by the Grid Resource Allocation and Agreement Protocol working group of the Global Grid Forum
The impact of brand personality on brand-aroused feelings

Brand managers are increasingly using brand personality to differentiate and uniquely position their brand without really knowing its effects. This study begins to addresses this gap by examining the effects of brand personality on brand-aroused feelings across the product categories of sport shoes, mobile phones and surf wear. Using SEM to analyse the data from 324 usable surveys, the findings indicate that consumers perceive brand personality and brand-aroused feelings as two separate constructs and that brand personality has a substantial effect on brand-aroused feelings. On the basis of the findings, this study recommends that brand managers consider positioning their brand as original, imaginative, considerate and kind if they want to arouse positive brand feelings.
Allergen‐Specific increase in interleukin (IL)‐4 and IL‐5 secretion from peripheral blood mononuclear cells during birch‐pollen immunotherapy

The mechanisms behind the effects of immunotherapy (IT) with birch‐pollen extract are largely unknown. In this pilot study, we measured the cytokine secretion in vitro from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from birch‐pollen‐allergic patients undergoing IT treatment (n=4) or placebo administration (n=4), collected before treatment, 1 and 4 weeks after start of treatment, and during and just after the pollen season (12–14 weeks after start of treatment). The PBMC were stimulated with birch‐pollen extract in vitro for 7 days, followed by restimulation with the mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) for 24 h, to enhance the production of cytokines. The supernatants were analyzed with ELISA and radioimmunoassay for interferon‐gamma (IFN‐y), interleukin (IL)‐4, and IL‐5. In the therapy group, we noted an increased secretion of IL‐4 and IL‐5 from PBMC collected at 4 weeks after the start of treatment (IL‐4: 29±21 pg/ml [day 0] to 3741448 pg/ml [week 4], mean± SD; IL‐5: 95+48 pg/ml to 11471697 pg/ml). No increase was seen in the placebo group. During the pollen season, we noted a trend toward increased IL‐4 and IL‐5 secretion in both groups. We conclude that the temporary increase in serum IgE observed in many IT studies may be a consequence of increased IL‐4 production due to the allergen exposure.
Modeling the Potential Swath Coverage of Nadir and Off-Nadir Pointable Remote Sensing Satellite-Sensor Systems

Pointable sensor systems onboard many earth resources satellites today, particularly the higher spatial resolution sensors, provide for a near infinite set of collection opportunities. Satellite orbits of these systems are not systematic repetitive tracks. Predicting future collection opportunities requires predicting where the satellite will be and then computing the potential swath coverage from a pointable sensor along these orbits. While each agency or company models its own satellite-sensor systems, few publicly available sources exist for mapping future satellite ground tracks. Evaluating collection opportunities from multiple satellite-sensor systems from different agencies/companies is problematic. The purpose of the research described in this article was to develop a generic approach for modeling future satellite-sensor collection opportunities. In this article, formulae are developed for computing the potential swath coverage, and an algorithm is designed for constructing the potential swath coverage area. The solution to the swath coverage problem is based on spherical trigonometry, a well known map projection (i.e., azimuthal equidistant map projection) used in an unconventional dynamic form, and a satellite orbital propagation model. We demonstrate how the computation of the swath coverage area can be accomplished using a temporal series of re-centered map projections.
Antibiotic Susceptibility Profiles of Dairy Leuconostoc, Analysis of the Genetic Basis of Atypical Resistances and Transfer of Genes In Vitro and in a Food Matrix

In spite of a global concern on the transfer of antibiotic resistances (AR) via the food chain, limited information exists on this issue in species of Leuconostoc and Weissella, adjunct cultures used as aroma producers in fermented foods. In this work, the minimum inhibitory concentration was determined for 16 antibiotics in 34 strains of dairy origin, belonging to Leuconostoc mesenteroides (18), Leuconostoc citreum (11), Leuconostoc lactis (2), Weissella hellenica (2), and Leuconostoc carnosum (1). Atypical resistances were found for kanamycin (17 strains), tetracycline and chloramphenicol (two strains each), and erythromycin, clindamycin, virginiamycin, ciprofloxacin, and rifampicin (one strain each). Surprisingly, L. mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides LbE16, showed resistance to four antibiotics, kanamycin, streptomycin, tetracycline and virginiamycin. PCR analysis identified tet(S) as responsible for tetracycline resistance in LbE16, but no gene was detected in a second tetracycline-resistant strain, L. mesenteroides subsp. cremoris LbT16. In Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum LbE15, erythromycin and clindamycin resistant, an erm(B) gene was amplified. Hybridization experiments proved erm(B) and tet(S) to be associated to a plasmid of ≈35 kbp and to the chromosome of LbE15 and LbE16, respectively. The complete genome sequence of LbE15 and LbE16 was used to get further insights on the makeup and genetic organization of AR genes. Genome analysis confirmed the presence and location of erm(B) and tet(S), but genes providing tetracycline resistance in LbT16 were again not identified. In the genome of the multi-resistant strain LbE16, genes that might be involved in aminoglycoside (aadE, aphA-3, sat4) and virginiamycin [vat(E)] resistance were further found. The erm(B) gene but not tet(S) was transferred from Leuconostoc to Enterococcus faecalis both under laboratory conditions and in cheese. This study contributes to the characterization of AR in the Leuconostoc-Weissella group, provides evidence of the genetic basis of atypical resistances, and demonstrates the inter-species transfer of erythromycin resistance.
Gender and deep emotional loss in old age

The loss of a spouse in old age has a profound impact on the life and well-being of the elderly person, as it creates a series of discrepancies between the world that they knew and that which happens to exist. This aspect is even more striking if, in addition, the grieving widow or widower is also ousted of his or her home, for institutionalising accentuates the disruption of identity. In this context of widowhood and permanent institutionalisation, the elderly person is assigned to loss, and the ability to (re) construct everyday Praxis is closely related to critical conditions that favour a profile of greater or lesser ability to overcome the grief. Among these various critical conditions is the genus, as the main differentiator of behaviours in the processes of adaptation to loss. From these assumptions, this article is divided into two basic parts: the first, a theoretical framework focusing on the most striking aspects of grief in old age and the role of institutionalization in this context of deep emotional loss; Secondly, we will analyze and discuss the results obtained in the qualitative research produced within the framework of the doctoral program in Cultural Studies.
Adherence to antiretroviral therapy during and after pregnancy in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To estimate antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence rates during pregnancy and postpartum in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries. Design:Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods:MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCI Web of Science, NLM Gateway, and Google scholar databases were searched. We included all studies reporting adherence rates as a primary or secondary outcome among HIV-infected pregnant women. Two independent reviewers extracted data on adherence and study characteristics. A random-effects model was used to pool adherence rates; sensitivity, heterogeneity, and publication bias were assessed. Results:Of 72 eligible articles, 51 studies involving 20 153 HIV-infected pregnant women were included. Most studies were from United States (n = 14, 27%) followed by Kenya (n = 6, 12%), South Africa (n = 5, 10%), and Zambia (n = 5, 10%). The threshold defining good adherence to ART varied across studies (>80, >90, >95, 100%). A pooled analysis of all studies indicated a pooled estimate of 73.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 69.3–77.5%] of pregnant women who had adequate (>80%) ART adherence. The pooled proportion of women with adequate adherence levels was higher during the antepartum (75.7%, 95% CI 71.5–79.7%) than during postpartum (53.0%, 95% CI 32.8–72.7%; P = 0.005). Selected reported barriers for nonadherence included physical, economic and emotional stresses, depression (especially postdelivery), alcohol or drug use, and ART dosing frequency or pill burden. Conclusion:Our findings indicate that only 73.5% of pregnant women achieved optimal ART adherence. Reaching adequate ART adherence levels was a challenge in pregnancy, but especially during the postpartum period. Further research to investigate specific barriers and interventions to address them is urgently needed globally.
Factors influencing the psychology and quality of life in lung cancer patients

Objectives: To determine the factors closely correlated with the unhealthy psychological status of patients with lung cancer and to ascertain whether the unhealthy psychology adversely affects their quality-of-life (QOL). Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer between May 2013 and December 2015 in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tianjin 4th Centre Hospital, Tianjin, China were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Patients were asked to complete the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) and Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) survey. From the responses, the correlation between the patient’s psychological status and QOL were analyzed with respect to several variables. Results: From the total of 258 patients subjected to the test, 168 belonged to the unhealthy psychology group and 90 to the healthy psychology group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that significant factors related to poor QOL among the 2 groups are gender (p=0.02), younger age (p=0.001), surgical history (p=0.04), employment status (p=0.03), and medical insurance (p=0.01) significantly predicted the severity of unhealthy psychology in lung cancer patients. A significantly negative correlation was noted between the points of SCL-90 and the general QOL in all included patients (p=0.03). Conclusion: Gender, younger age, surgical history, employment status, and medical insurance significantly predicted the severity of unhealthy psychology in lung cancer patients.