Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Measure of quality of life in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: techniques and main results].

PURPOSE Until the 1990s, the patient's duration of life was the main measure for determining the value of palliative chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. Quality of life recently appeared as a main end point. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the instruments used to measure quality of life in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, to review the published data and to analyse the bias and methodological problems. CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEY POINTS QoL is a multidimensional subjective concept, which can be measured using psychometric instruments. Quality of life measurement has a descriptive and prognostic value. Results from quality of life assessment in randomized trials have given useful information and help patients and physicians to choose between treatment options. More than half of the patients with palliative chemotherapy had at least stabilization of quality of life. Response to chemotherapy and side-effects influence quality of life. Quality of life assessment clearly requires methodological improvement. Missing data are a particularly difficult problem, which should be improved by a better organization. FUTURE PROSPECTS AND PROJECTS Psychometric properties of EORTC QLQ-CR38 et FACT-C should be checked in French language. An international consensus on methods of measurement of quality of life in oncology is warranted to enhance compliance, to better interpret quality of life results et to optimize publications of precise quality of life data.
Adaptive and safe presentation strategy of image information on social platform

With the development of social network, there are more and more people to share pictures on social platforms. Since the information contained in picture has the different requirements for confidentiality, it makes the selective presentation of secret information to be an urgent problem. Estimating user's privilege of gaining some regions based on his/her attributes is a novel solution. But there are few perfect solutions aiming at the strategy of adaptive calculation for user's privilege in the existing literatures, especially for the scenario in which the real values of some attributes have priorities. In this work, based on the cipher text-policy attribute-based encryption (CP-ABE), we propose an adaptive and safe presenting scheme for the information contained in a picture. This scheme firstly embeds the confidential data outside the secret region, and generates the image mosaic in the secret region; when someone requesting the original version of image, it adaptively calculates the recovery privilege of requestor with the strategy proposed in this paper, then precisely present some regions based on the privilege level of requestor. Moreover, we firstly propose the vote-attribute which facilitates the attribute revocation. The experiments demonstrate that, based on the privilege level, the proposed scheme can safely present the original version of the corresponding image region, and expediently achieve the attribute revocation. Compared with other algorithms, our scheme can restore the original version of image with only 1/2 secret data, and spend little time over the attribute revocation. Besides, the average of peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) is 4dB more than the algorithms available, and the standard variance of PSNR is less than 0.4.
The Asplenic Patient: Post-Insult Immunocompetence, Infection, and Vaccination.

BACKGROUND Splenic injury can occur through multiple mechanisms and may result in various degrees of residual immunocompetence. Functionally or anatomically asplenic patients are at higher risk for infection, particularly with encapsulated bacteria. Vaccination is recommended to prevent infection with these organisms; however, the recommendations are routinely updated, and vaccine selection and timing are complex. METHODS Review of the pertinent English-language literature, including the recommendations of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. RESULTS Overwhelming post-splenectomy infection is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Patients requiring splenectomy for trauma-related injury appear to be at lower risk for infection than those undergoing splenectomy for a hematologic or oncologic indication. Initial vaccination is dependent on immunization history but generally should consist of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate, quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate, meningococcal serogroup B, and Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib) vaccines. Antimicrobial prophylaxis for certain asplenic patients, such as children under the age of five y, may be indicated. CONCLUSION Immunization remains a key measure to prevent overwhelming post-splenectomy infection. Consideration of new recommendations and indications, possible interactions, and timing remains important to including optimal response to the vaccines.
Caloric restriction leads to high marrow adiposity and low bone mass in growing mice

The effects of caloric restriction (CR) on the skeleton are well studied in adult rodents and include lower cortical bone mass but higher trabecular bone volume. Much less is known about how CR affects bone mass in young, rapidly growing animals. This is an important problem because low caloric intake during skeletal acquisition in humans, as in anorexia nervosa, is associated with low bone mass, increased fracture risk, and osteoporosis in adulthood. To explore this question, we tested the effect of caloric restriction on bone mass and microarchitecture during rapid skeletal growth in young mice. At 3 weeks of age, we weaned male C57Bl/6J mice onto 30% caloric restriction (10% kcal/fat) or normal diet (10% kcal/fat). Outcomes at 6 (n = 4/group) and 12 weeks of age (n = 8/group) included body mass, femur length, serum leptin and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) values, whole‐body bone mineral density (WBBMD, g/cm2), cortical and trabecular bone architecture at the midshaft and distal femur, bone formation and cellularity, and marrow fat measurement. Compared with the normal diet, CR mice had 52% and 88% lower serum leptin and 33% and 39% lower serum IGF‐1 at 6 and 12 weeks of age (p < .05 for all). CR mice were smaller, with lower bone mineral density, trabecular, and cortical bone properties. Bone‐formation indices were lower, whereas bone‐resorption indices were higher (p < .01 for all) in CR versus normal diet mice. Despite having lower percent of body fat, bone marrow adiposity was elevated dramatically in CR versus normal diet mice (p < .05). Thus we conclude that caloric restriction in young, growing mice is associated with impaired skeletal acquisition, low leptin and IGF‐1 levels, and high marrow adiposity. These results support the hypothesis that caloric restriction during rapid skeletal growth is deleterious to cortical and trabecular bone mass and architecture, in contrast to potential skeletal benefits of CR in aging animals. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Wiki'er og Wikipedia

Resumé Wiki'er er efterhånden alle vegne. De nyeste udviklinger muliggør struk-turering af data, så man kan opbygge sin egne specialiserede wiki-baserede database eller traekke på den enorme maengde information i Wikipedia f.eks. via DBpedia, en af de centrale data resourcer i den såkaldte Linked Open Data cloud, som efterhånden linker alverdensåbne data sammen. På gå-hjem-mødet vil den danske Wikipedia også blive inddraget: Hvordan man redigerer, hvilke problemer der opstår og hvorfor. Wikipedia vil uundvaerlig fejle! " [. ] Wikipedia inevitably will be overtaken by the gamers and the marketers to the point where it will lose all credibility. There are so many examples of community-driven communication tools that ultimately were taken over—USENET and the Open Directory Project are two that come top-of mind—that I didn't imagine that my statement would be controversial or debatable. " Wikipedia vil uundvaerlig fejle! " [. ] Wikipedia inevitably will be overtaken by the gamers and the marketers to the point where it will lose all credibility. There are so many examples of community-driven communication tools that ultimately were taken over—USENET and the Open Directory Project are two that come top-of mind—that I didn't imagine that my statement would be controversial or debatable. " — (Goldman, 2005)
Liver Transplantation in Children with Metabolic Disorders in the United States

We studied pediatric liver transplantation for metabolic disease in a large national cohort to determine whether smaller studies suggesting a survival advantage for these recipients could be corroborated. We also hoped to determine whether higher survival rates in recipients with metabolic disease are associated with lack of structural liver disease, and to evaluate these recipients' risk factors for mortality. Data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients were used to analyze nationwide results (1990–99) of pediatric liver transplantation for patients with biliary atresia and metabolic disease. Adjusted patient survival rates for children with metabolic disease at 1 and 5 years were 94% and 92%, respectively, – significantly higher than for recipients with biliary atresia (90% and 86%) (p = 0.008). Cox regression models identified recipient black race [relative risk (RR) = 5.1] and simultaneous transplantation of other organs (RR = 3.2) as significant risk factors for mortality in the metabolic group. Adjusted survival rates for metabolic patients with structural and nonstructural liver diseases were similar to each other at both 1 and 5 years. Children with metabolic disease had significantly higher adjusted short‐ and long‐term post‐transplant survival rates than those with biliary atresia. Structural disease was not a risk factor for worse outcomes.
Calibration of oxygen-dependent quenching of the phosphorescence of Pd-meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphine: a phosphor with general application for measuring oxygen concentration in biological systems.

Oxygen-dependent quenching of phosphorescence is a function of the frequency of collision between the phosphor and molecular oxygen and of the efficiency of energy transfer during these collisions. Thus, quenching is dependent on the rate of diffusion of the phosphor and its molecular environment. For measurements in biological samples, the Pd-porphyrin is bound to serum albumin, and this provides a uniform microenvironment for the phosphor which is relatively unaffected by changes in the pH and ionic composition of the medium. Calibration of the phosphor is of particular value because it is absolute, i.e., the calibration is valid independent of the laboratory and the time of measurement. This paper reports the calibration constants determined for Pd-meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphine, as measured by two independent methods: by stoichiometric titration of the oxygen with ascorbate in the presence of ascorbate oxidase and by comparison with a high-accuracy oxygen electrode. The measurements were carried out in a specially designed thermostatted vessel in which the oxygen electrode and phosphorescence lifetime measurements of oxygen were made simultaneously. The calibration constants for the oxygen-dependent quenching of the phosphorescence of Pd-meso-tetra (4-carboxyphenyl) porphine were determined as a function of albumin concentration, ionic strength in medium, pH, and temperature.
Simultaneous detection of sulfoxaflor and its metabolites, X11719474 and X11721061, in lettuce using a modified QuEChERS extraction method and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

An analytical method has been developed to quantify the residual levels of sulfoxaflor and its metabolites (X11719474 and X11721061) in/on cultivated lettuce grown under greenhouse conditions. Samples were extracted and purified using a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe 'QuEChERS' method (original version) following systematic method optimization and were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Good linearity with coefficient of determination ≥0.9930 was obtained and the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were in the ranges of 0.003-0.006 and 0.01-0.02 mg/kg, respectively. The recovery rates of both the parent compound and its metabolites (fortified at 10 and 50× the LOQ) estimated from six replicates ranged between 81.9 and 115.5% with a relative standard deviation <12%. The validated method was applied to field-incurred samples (collected over 7 days) sprayed once or twice with a water-dispersible granule formulation. Notably, a substantial reduction in rate was observed after 3 days and the half-life was short, only 1.5 days. The developed method is simple and versatile and can be used for various leafy vegetables.
Eosinophilic Esophagitis-Associated Chemical and Mechanical Microenvironment Shapes Esophageal Fibroblast Behavior

Objectives: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an immune-mediated allergic disease characterized by progressive esophageal dysmotility and fibrotic stricture associated with chronic esophageal fibroblast activation. It remains unknown how esophageal fibroblasts respond to EoE-relevant matrix stiffness or inflammatory cytokines. Methods: Immunofluorescence was used to evaluate &agr;-smooth muscle actin (&agr;-SMA) expression in endoscopic esophageal biopsies. Primary esophageal fibroblasts from adult and pediatric patients with or without EoE were exposed to transforming growth factor (TGF)&bgr; to determine gene expression, collagen-matrix contractility, and cytoskeletal organization. The influence of matrix stiffness upon fibroblast behavior was assessed on the engineered surface of polyacrylamide gels with varying stiffness. Fibroblast traction forces were measured using microfabricated-post-array-detectors. Results: EoE esophageal fibroblasts had enhanced &agr;-SMA expression. TGF&bgr; not only stimulated enhanced fibroblast-specific gene expression but also promoted fibroblast-mediated collagen-matrix contraction, despite disease state or age of patients as the origin of cells. Unlike conventional monolayer cell, culture conditions using plastic surface (1 GPa) that activates fibroblasts constitutively, our engineered platforms recapitulating physiologically relevant stiffness (1–20 kPa) revealed that matrix stiffness defines the extent of &agr;-SMA expression, intracellular collagen fibril organization, SMAD3 phosphorylation, and fibroblast traction force. Conclusions: Matrix stiffness may critically influence TGF&bgr;-mediated gene expression and functions of esophageal fibroblasts ex vivo independent of age and disease conditions. These findings provide a novel insight into the pathogenesis of fibrostenotic disease in EoE.
On the Macroeconomic Causes of Exchange Rate Volatility: The Case of Tunisia

Abstract: The modeling of the dynamics of the exchange rate at a long time remains a financial and economic research center. In our research we tried to study the relationship between the evolution of exchange rates and macroeconomic fundamentals. Our empirical study is based on a series of exchange rates for the Tunisian dinar against three currencies of major trading partners (dollar, euro, yen) and fundamentals (the terms of trade, the inflation rate, the interest rate differential), of monthly data, from jan 2000 to dec-2014, for the case of Â Tunisia. We have adopted models of conditional heteroscedasticity (ARCH, GARCH, EGARCH, TGARCH). The results indicate that there is a partial relationship between the evolution of the Tunisian dinar exchange rates and macroeconomic variables.Keywords: exchange rate, fundamental macroeconomic variables, conditional heteroskedasticity models.
High-Impact Practices: An Analysis of Select University and Business School Programs

Colleges and universities are finding new ways to enhance the academic environment with high-impact programs such as student-based research, internships and international study abroad programs. Research has shown that students learn most when they are more engaged in the experience rather than passive participants. This exploratory study examines high-impact opportunities for undergraduate university students in the U.S. Web sites and other materials from 90 randomly selected AACSB and ACBSP member schools were reviewed to determine how each incorporates high-impact educational practices into their overall university programs and in their business school programs. Three high-impact programs were examined: undergraduate research, internships and global learning opportunities. Recommendations for future high-impact educational practices are discussed. High Impact (HI) programs are prevalent in U.S. colleges and universities. There is a significant positive relationship between high-impact activities and graduation rates. Institutions that have healthier high impact practices have better graduation rates. Larger schools and schools with AACSB accreditation also have stronger high impact practices devoted specifically to business schools. Doctoral granting institutions scored higher in all three practices analyzed in this study. Undergraduate research is the area in which high-impact ratings were the lowest
Study on the Heat Transfer of GaN-Based High Power HEMTs

In this paper, study on the heat transfer of GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on SiC substrate was carried out utilizing transient thermal analysis method. Gate-source voltage (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{{\text {gs}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) is used as the temperature sensitive parameter. Linear relationship (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${K}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> factor) between <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{{\text {gs}}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and temperature is obtained. It is found that the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${K}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> factor is proportional with drain-source current and does not change with the variation of drain-gate voltage in the linear region of HEMT. We proposed and proved that the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${K}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> factor should be calibrated with HEMT working at linear region to insure the accuracy of subsequent thermal evaluation. Moreover, the temperature rise and thermal resistance keeps as constant when <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${K}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> factors were calibrated within the linear region. Transient thermal measurement turns out to be a non-destructive, fast, and precise method for the thermal performance analysis and quality control of the power HEMTs.
Mechanistic constraints on diversity in human V(D)J recombination

We have analyzed a large collection of coding junctions generated in human cells. From this analysis, we infer the following about nucleotide processing at coding joints in human cells. First, the pattern of nucleotide loss from coding ends is influenced by the base composition of the coding end sequences. AT-rich sequences suffer greater loss than do GC-rich sequences. Second, inverted repeats can occur at ends that have undergone nucleolytic processing. Previously, inverted repeats (P nucleotides) have been noted only at coding ends that have not undergone nucleolytic processing, this observation being the basis for a model in which a hairpin intermediate is formed at the coding ends early in the reaction. Here, inverted repeats at processed coding ends were present at approximately twice the number of junctions as P nucleotide additions. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) is required for the appearance of the inverted repeats at processed ends (but not full-length coding ends), yet statistical analysis shows that it is virtually impossible for the inverted repeats to be polymerized by TdT. Third, TdT additions are not random. It has long been noted that TdT has a G utilization preference. In addition to the G preference, we find that TdT adds strings of purines or strings of pyrimidines at a highly significant frequency. This tendency suggests that nucleotide-stacking interactions affect TdT polymerization. All three of these features place constraints on the extent of junctional diversity in human V(D)J recombination.
Inflammatory cytokines in cancer: tumour necrosis factor and interleukin 6 take the stage

Up to 20% of all cancers arise in association with chronic inflammation and most, if not all, solid tumours contain inflammatory infiltrates. Immune cells have a broad impact on tumour initiation, growth and progression and many of these effects are mediated by proinflammatory cytokines. Among these cytokines, the pro-tumourogenic function of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) is well established. The role of TNF and IL-6 as master regulators of tumour-associated inflammation and tumourigenesis makes them attractive targets for adjuvant treatment in cancer
Egg morphology, larval development and description of the oncomiracidium of Heterobothrium ecuadori (Monogenea: Diclidophoridae) parasitising the bullseye pufferfish, Sphoeroides annulatus

SummaryThe present study is the first description of the egg morphology, embryonic development, and time required for hatching, and longevity of the oncomiracidium of Heterobothrium ecuadori (Meserve, 1938) Sproston, 1946. Experiments found that hatching time fluctuated between 7 and 10 days with a mean of 7.5 ± 1 days at 23 ± 1° C and 35 ‰. Eggs were provided with a polar filamentous appendage. The body of the oncomiracidium was flattened dorso-ventrally, 156 ± 9 μm long and 65 ± 8 μm wide. A full description of the egg development and morphology of the oncomiracidium is provided. The longevity of the oncomiracidia was 4–7 days at 21 ± 1°C, with a mean survival time of 121.8h. The ability to rear diclidophorids like H. ecuadori and to record precise information on their development provides valuable data for further studies.
A new look at cytoskeletal NOS‐1 and β‐dystroglycan changes in developing muscle and brain in control and mdx dystrophic mice

Background: Loss of dystrophin profoundly affects muscle function and cognition. Changes in the dystrophin‐glycoprotein complex (DGC) including disruption of nitric oxide synthase (NOS‐1) may result from loss of dystrophin or secondarily after muscle damage. Disruptions in NOS‐1 and beta‐dystroglycan (bDG) were examined in developing diaphragm, quadriceps, and two brain regions between control and mdx mice at embryonic day E18 and postnatal days P1, P10, and P28. Age‐dependent differential muscle loading allowed us to test the hypothesis that DGC changes are dependent on muscle use. Results: Muscle development, including loss of central nucleation and the localization of NOS‐1 and bDG, was earlier in diaphragm than quadriceps; these features were differentially disrupted in dystrophic muscles. The NOS‐1/bDG ratio, an index of DGC stability, was higher in dystrophic diaphragm (P10–P28) and quadriceps (P28) than controls. There were also distinct regional differences in NOS‐1 and bDG in brain tissues with age and strain. NOS‐1 increased with age in control forebrain and cerebellum, and in mdx cerebellum; NOS‐1 and bDG were higher in control than mdx mouse forebrain. Conclusions: Important developmental changes in structure and muscle DGC preceded the hallmarks of dystrophy, and are consistent with the impact of muscle‐specific differential loading during maturation. Developmental Dynamics 242:1369–1381, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.