Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of postoperative short-term complications after laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) versus Lichtenstein tension free inguinal hernia repair: a randomized trial study.

AIM The aim of this randomized trial was to compare short-term postoperative complications of laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) and Lichtenstein tension free hernia repair. METHODS A total of 120 patients who went inguinal hernia repair at Shahid Sadoughi university training hospital from April 2011 to August 2013 were randomized into two TAPP (N.=60) and Lichtenstein (N.=60) repair group. Follow-up occurred within 6 weeks. The postoperative assessments included pain score (VAS), hematoma/seroma, urinary retention, wound infection incidence, and duration of hospital stay. RESULTS Pain was the most common symptoms in both groups. The TAPP group patients significantly had experienced less postoperative pain than the Lichtenstein group in all moments (P<0.05). TAPP group had lower incidence of hematoma (TAPP, 6.6% vs. Lichtenstein 13.3%; P=0.67), seroma (TAPP 10% vs. Lichtenstein 13.3%; P=1.00), and infection (TAPP 0 vs. Lichtenstein 1.6%; P=0.67). However, no differences between the 2 groups were found in terms of postoperative complications. In TAPP group mean of hospital stay significantly was less than Lichtenstein group (TAPP, 8.13±2.19 vs. Lichtenstein, 13.15±1.5 days; P<0.001). CONCLUSION The laparoscopic TAPP repair is safer and less complicated approach to inguinal hernia repair. The two main short-term advantages of the laparoscopic TAPP repair with the tension free Lichtenstein repair were less postoperative pain and earlier return to the normal life activities. No difference was seen in overall complications.
Cardiac glycosides from shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora

Cardiac glycosides in shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora were identified when grown in modified MS medium. The change in shoot segments and cardiac glycosides content was followed between day zero and day 12 at 2-day intervals. The content of cardiac glycosides in leaves and shoot cultures of Cryptostegia grandiflora was monitored by HPLC. Two major compounds were detected and isolated from shoot cultures extract, named oleandrigenin 3-O-β – glucopyranosyl-(1→4) – β-cymaropyranosyl-(1→4)-β-digitoxopyranoside (cryptostigmin I) and oleandrigenin 3-O-β – glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-α-rhamnopyranoside (cryptostigmin II). The structures of the isolated compounds were verified by means of MS and NMR spectral analysis, as well as by comparison with authentic samples. The leaves and shoot cultures were analyzed for their cardiac glycosides content. The shoot cultures inoculated into MS-based culture media supplemented with 0.1 mg L-1 BA, 30 g L-1 sucrose, 0.1 g L-1 myo-inositol and 0.1 g L-1 ascorbic acid were found to contain a quantity of cardiac glycosides that was about four fold the cardiac glycosides content of leaves extract.
Distinct patterns of DNA copy number alteration are associated with different clinicopathological features and gene‐expression subtypes of breast cancer

Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer‐death among women, where the clinicopathological features of tumors are used to prognosticate and guide therapy. DNA copy number alterations (CNAs), which occur frequently in breast cancer and define key pathogenetic events, are also potentially useful prognostic or predictive factors. Here, we report a genome‐wide array‐based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) survey of CNAs in 89 breast tumors from a patient cohort with locally advanced disease. Statistical analysis links distinct cytoband loci harboring CNAs to specific clinicopathological parameters, including tumor grade, estrogen receptor status, presence of TP53 mutation, and overall survival. Notably, distinct spectra of CNAs also underlie the different subtypes of breast cancer recently defined by expression‐profiling, implying these subtypes develop along distinct genetic pathways. In addition, higher numbers of gains/losses are associated with the “basal‐like” tumor subtype, while high‐level DNA amplification is more frequent in “luminal‐B” subtype tumors, suggesting also that distinct mechanisms of genomic instability might underlie their pathogenesis. The identified CNAs may provide a basis for improved patient prognostication, as well as a starting point to define important genes to further our understanding of the pathobiology of breast cancer. This article contains Supplementary Material available at http://www.interscience. wiley.com/jpages/1045‐2257/suppmat. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
New flexible harmonic cost effective concentrated winding topology

This paper presents a new three phase single tooth concentrated winding topology. With the new locally asymmetric configuration, each individual harmonic can be addressed, so operations with any number of pairs of poles are possible. Furthermore, the new arrangement of single coils presented here allows variations of winding characteristics such as winding factor, spectrum of the magnetomotive force etc. Using a combination of this winding with a squirrel-cage rotor shape a robust and reasonable solution for implementation in safety-critical but cost effective automotive applications, especially in case of strictly limited axial machine dimension. In this paper three different winding layouts are compared on a very compact installation space, specified for a 30 kW starter-generator.
Initial Colonization, Nutrient Supply, and Fungal Activity on Leaves Decaying in Streams

ABSTRACT Aquatic hyphomycetes dominate leaf decomposition in streams, and their biomass is an important component in the diet of leaf-eating invertebrates. After 2 weeks of exposure in a first-order stream, maple leaf disks had low levels of fungal biomass and species diversity. Spore production by aquatic hyphomycetes also was low. Subsets of these disks were left in the stream for another 3 weeks or incubated in defined mineral solutions with one of three levels of nitrate and phosphate. Stream disks lost mass, increased ergosterol levels and spore production, and were colonized by additional fungal species. External N and P significantly stimulated mass loss, ergosterol accumulation, and spore production of laboratory disks. On disks incubated without added N and P, ergosterol levels declined while conidium production continued, suggesting conversion of existing hyphal biomass to propagules. In all other treatments, approximately equal amounts of newly synthesized biomass were invested in hyphae and conidia. Net yield (fungal biomass per leaf mass lost) varied between 1% (in the laboratory, without added N or P) and 31% (decay in stream). In most treatments, the three aquatic hyphomycete species that dominated spore production during the first 2 weeks in the stream also produced the largest numbers of conidia in the following 3 weeks. Principal-component analysis suggested two divergent trends from the initial fungal community established after 2 weeks in the stream. One culminated in the community of the second phase of stream exposure, and the other culminated in the laboratory treatment with the highest levels of N and P. The results suggest that fungal production in streams, and, by extension, production of invertebrates and higher tropic levels, is stimulated by inorganic N and P.
Mutational analysis of the ICP4 binding sites in the 5' transcribed noncoding domains of the herpes simplex virus 1 UL 49.5 gamma 2 gene

A previous report (P. Mavromara-Nazos and B. Roizman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86:4071-4075, 1989) demonstrated that substitution of sequences of the thymidine kinase (tk) gene, a beta gene, extending from -16 to +51 with sequences extending from -12 to +104 of the gamma 2 UL 49.5 gene in viral recombinant R3820 conferred upon the chimeric gene gamma 2 attributes in the context of the viral genome in a productive infection. The UL49.5 gene sequences extending from -179 to +104 contain four DNA binding sites for the major regulatory protein ICP4. Of these sites, two map between nucleotides +20 and +80 within the sequence which confers gamma 2 regulation upon the chimeric gene. To determine the role of these ICP4 binding sites in conferring the gamma 2 gene attributes, sequences comprising the two ICP4 binding sites were mutagenized and used to reconstruct the R3820 recombinant virus. In addition, a new recombinant virus (R8023) was constructed in which tk sequences extending from -240 to +51 were replaced with wild-type or mutated sequences contained between nucleotides -179 to +104 of the UL 49.5 gene. Vero cells infected with the recombinant viruses in the presence or absence of phosphonoacetate, a specific inhibitor of viral DNA synthesis, were then tested for accumulation of tk RNA by using an RNase protection assay. The results indicate that in the recombinant R3820, a mutation which destroyed one of the two UL49.5 ICP4 DNA binding sites significantly reduced the accumulation of tk RNA at both early and late times after infection. The effect of this mutation was less pronounced in cells infected with the R8023 virus, whose chimeric tk gene contains the two upstream UL49.5 ICP4 binding sites. None of the mutations affected the sensitivity of the chimeric genes to phosphonoacetate. The mutated site appears to be involved in the accumulation of RNA.
Expression of p16INK4A variants in senescent human fibroblasts independent of protein phosphorylation

Upregulation of the p16 tumor suppressor is a hallmark of senescence in human fibroblasts. In this study, we investigated potential protein modification of p16 in senescent human fibroblasts using 2D SDS–PAGE analysis. Three distinct p16 variants with isoelectric points of 5.2, 5.4, and 5.6, were consistently detected in normal human IMR90 fibroblasts that had undergone senescence due to forced expression of oncogenic H‐ras or culture passage. Moreover, in contrast to short‐term serum starvation, which induces quiescence, IMR90 fibroblasts cultured in low serum for a prolonged period exhibited senescent phenotypes and expression of the three p16 variants. All three p16 variants are unlikely phosphoproteins since they failed to react with antibodies against phospho‐serine, and were resistant to the treatment with phosphatases. Functionally, co‐immunoprecipitation assays using antibodies against cdk4 and/or cdk6 revealed that only the two most acidic p16 variants associated with cdk4/6. Moreover, senescence induced by the forced expression of p16 in early passage IMR90 fibroblasts or osteosarcoma U2OS cells was accompanied by expression of the two most acidic p16 variants, which also associated with cdk4/6. In summary, we report that prolonged serum starvation‐induced senescence may provide an additional model for studying biochemical changes in senescence, including p16 regulation. Furthermore, induction of endogenous p16 in senescent human fibroblasts correlates with the expression of three distinct p16 variants independent of protein phosphorylation. Lastly, expression of the two cdk‐bound variants is sufficient to induce senescence in human cells. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Novel half-mode substrate integrated waveguide filters with modified broadside-coupled split ring resonators

Novel half-mode substrate integrated waveguide (HMSIW) bandpass filters with modified broadside-coupled complementary split ring resonators (MBC-CSRRs) are presented in this paper. The unit cell of the HMSIW with the MBC-CSRR is investigated firstly. It is shown that the MBC-CSRR demonstrates a better stopband performance compared to the conventional BC-CSRR, while keeping the main advantages of the BC-CSRR such as achieving a compact size conveniently by using thin dielectric substrate. HMSIW bandpass filters with the MBC-CSRR are designed, fabricated and tested. The measurements agree well with the simulations. The proposed filters show a good stopband performance with a broad rejection band, and they are compact, low loss, low cost and easy to integrate with other circuits and components.
Detection of Sulfide Release from the Oxygen-sensing [4Fe-4S] Cluster of FNR*

The Escherichia coli FNR protein regulates the transcription of >100 genes in response to environmental O2, thereby coordinating the response to anoxia. Under O2-limiting conditions, FNR binds a [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster through four cysteine residues (Cys20, Cys23, Cys29, Cys122). The acquisition of the [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster converts FNR into the transcriptionally active dimeric form. Upon exposure to O2, the cluster converts to a [2Fe-2S]2+ form, generating FNR monomers that no longer bind DNA with high affinity. The mechanism of the cluster conversion reaction and the nature of the released iron and sulfur are of considerable current interest. Here, we report the application of a novel in vitro method, involving 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), for determining the oxidation state of the sulfur atoms released during FNR cluster conversion following the addition of O2. Conversion of [4Fe-4S]2+ to [2Fe-2S]2+ clusters by O2 for both native and reconstituted FNR results in the release of ∼2 sulfide ions per [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster. This demonstrates that the reaction between O2 and the [4Fe-4S]2+ cluster does not require sulfide oxidation and hence must entail iron oxidation.
Auditing complex estimates : does emphasizing management bias decrease sensitivity to measurement imprecision?

Both management bias and measurement imprecision threaten the accurate reporting of complex accounting estimates. However, factors present in the current audit environment tend to emphasize the former. Although bias is important, it is also necessary to consider how regulators’ and practitioners’ efforts to increase audit quality by emphasizing risks arising from bias might impact auditors’ sensitivity to risks stemming from measurement imprecision. In an experimental economics setting that holds measurement imprecision constant, auditor-participants generally exert a high level of effort when the risk of management bias is high. When the risk of bias is relatively low, however, emphasizing risks related to bias leads auditors to “lower their guard” to a greater extent than when both bias and imprecision are emphasized, causing a suboptimal allocation of audit effort. Accordingly, this study suggests that directing auditors’ attention towards management bias can come at the expense of auditor sensitivity to other important sources of risk.
State estimation of complex dynamical network under noisy transmission channel

The state estimation problem is addressed in the paper for a complex dynamical network with stochastic noise in transmission channel. A new scheme based on integral observer approach is proposed for the complex dynamical network to estimate the network's states. It is demonstrated that the proposed scheme is effective under a noisy communication environment by using Lyapunov stability theory. A sufficient condition for complex dynamical network state estimation is derived in the form of a linear matrix inequality. It is demonstrated with the small world network and the scale-free network that the noise suppression can be achieved by using the proposed integral observer scheme.
[Meta-analysis of group comparison and meta-analysis of reliability generalization of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Questionnaire (STAI)].

BACKGROUND Since its creation the STAI has been cited in more than 14,000 documents, with more than 60 adaptations in different countries. In some adaptations this instrument has no clinical scores. The aim of this work is to determine if the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) has higher scores in patients diagnosed with anxiety than in general population. In addition, we want to examine if the internal consistency is adequate in anxious patient samples. METHODS We performed a literature search in Tripdatabase, Cochrane, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, PyscINFO and Scholar Google, for documents published between 2008 y 2012. We selected 131 scientific articles to compare between patients diagnosed with anxiety and general population, and 25 for the generalization of reliability. For the analysis we used Cohen's d for means comparisons (random-effects method) and Cronbach's alpha for the reliability generalization (fixed-effects method). RESULTS In the groups comparision the differences in state anxiety (d=1.39; CI95%: 1.22-1.56) and in the trait anxiety (d=1.74; CI95%:1.56-1.91) were significants. The reliability for patients of some anxiety disorder was between 0.87 and 0.93. CONCLUSIONS So it seems that the STAI is sensitive to the level of anxiety of the individual and reliable for patients with diagnosis of panic attack, specific phobia, social phobia, generalized social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder or acute Stress disorder.
The Role of Immigrant Churches in the Ethnic Socialization of Korean American Youths

Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts, 2017, 7(1) A well-established body of literature suggests that ethnic identity can have an important influence on immigrant youths; increasing evidence suggests its implications for youths’ positive adjustment, including academic achievement, psychological well-being, and the ability to cope with racism and discrimination (Rivas-Drake et al., 2014; Umana-Taylor & Updegraff, 2007). Many studies have looked at the role of immigrant youths’ microsystems, including families and peers, in their ethnic socialization (Douglass & Umana-Taylor, 2015; Phinney, Romero, Nava, & Huang, 2001); however, less is known about the role of these youths’ social contexts (see Umana-Taylor, 2004). Immigrant youths’ processes of negotiating between heritage and mainstream culture is likely to be shaped by interactions with their surroundings (Marks, Godoy, & Garcia Coll, 2013). One of the important social contexts for immigrant youths is ethnic religious institutions, as they play a critical role in immigrant communities (Ecklund, 2006; Hirschman, 2004; Min, 2010). An emerging body of research indicates that immigrant churches play an important role in the lives of Korean American immigrants (Chung, 1998; Min, 2010). The functions of immigrant churches often go beyond the religious, as they promote social, financial, and emotional support, facilitating new immigrants’ adaptation to American society (Hirschman, 2004; Min, 2010). Importantly, immigrant churches play a critical role in preserving Korean American immigrants’ ethnic culture and identity (Chong, 1998; Min, The Role of Immigrant Churches in the Ethnic Socialization of Korean American Youths
Preparation of Three‐Dimensional Chitosan–Graphene Oxide Aerogel for Residue Oil Removal

Graphene oxide has been used as an adsorbent in wastewater treatment. However, the hydrophily and dispersibility in aqueous solution limit its practical application in environmental protection. In this paper, a novel, environmentally friendly adsorbent, chitosan and chitosan–graphene oxide aerogels with a diverse shape, large specific surface area, and unique porous structure were prepared by a freeze‐drying method. The structure of the adsorbents was investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD); the specific surface area and swelling capability were also characterized. In addition, removal of diesel oil from seawater by chitosan aerogel (CSAG) and chitosan–graphene oxide aerogel (AGGO‐1 and AGGO‐2) was studied and batch adsorption experiments were carried out as a function of different adsorbent dosages (0–6 g), contact time (0–120 minutes), pH (3–9), and initial concentrations of oil residue (3–30 g/L) to determine the optimum condition for the adsorption of residue oil from seawater. The results showed that the chitosan–graphene oxide aerogels were more effective to remove diesel oil from seawater compared with pure chitosan aerogel. A removal efficiency ≥ 95% of the chitosan–graphene oxide aerogels could be achieved easily at the initial concentrations of 20 g/L, which indicated that the chitosan–graphene oxide aerogels can be used to treat the industrial oil leakage or effluent in the natural water.
Social network analysis of a scientist–practitioner research initiative established to facilitate science dissemination and implementation within states and communities

This article presents a case study of a scientist–practitioner research network established by the National Cancer Institute’s State and Community Tobacco Control Research Initiative. While prior programs have focused on collaboration among scientists, a goal here was to encourage collaborations with non-university, practice-based partners. Two stages of analyses examine growth in the network and collaboration outcomes over a 2-year timeframe. First, visual and descriptive analyses were used to assess the network’s structure and characteristics. Second, regression modeling was used to assess the relationship between investigator characteristics on active collaboration with non-university partners in research and coauthorship. Network analysis revealed an increasing number of connections, low and decreasing density, increasing centralization and select individuals with high degree and betweenness centralities. Investigator seniority and experience did not predict the active partner connections. Rather, scientists’ betweenness centrality, or the extent to which they acted as bridges across the network, was the key predictor of collaboration. This finding suggests a novel way for dissemination-focused research programs to identify super-connector investigators to foster practitioner linkages.
Triaxial transarterial embolization for lower gastrointestinal bleeding: A retrospective case series

Abstract Objective: Superselective transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is important for lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. A new 1.9-Fr. no-taper microcatheter has recently become available and can be inserted into a 2.7-Fr. microcatheter. We assessed the applicability of this new triple co-axial (triaxial) system to TAE for lower GI bleeding. Material and methods: Five patients with lower GI bleeding underwent TAE with the triaxial system. The approach was via the femoral artery with a 4-Fr. sheath in all cases. The 4-Fr. catheter and triaxial system were inserted into the artery in which extravasation had occurred. Coil embolization was performed with 0.010-inch coils. We evaluated technical success rate, clinical success rate and complications. Results: All five cases of bleeding occurred at the ascending colon, and were caused by diverticulosis in four cases, and an injury to the artery during polypectomy in one case. The 1.9-Fr. no-taper microcatheter could be inserted into the site of extravasation, the vasa recta, in all procedures and TAE was performed successfully. The disappearance of extravasation was confirmed in all cases following TAE. No patients exhibited any signs of recurrent bleeding or complication. Conclusion: The triaxial system appears to be effective and useful in superselective TAE for lower GI bleeding.