Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of p53, Ki-67, and CD31 Proteins in Endometrial Polyps of Postmenopausal Women Treated With Tamoxifen

This study was undertaken to investigate the expression of p53, Ki-67, and CD31 proteins in endometrial polyps of postmenopausal women treated with tamoxifen (TAM). Postmenopausal women with endometrial polyps treated with TAM (n = 20), postmenopausal women with endometrial polyps without hormone use (n = 20), postmenopausal women with atrophic endometrium (n = 20), and postmenopausal women with endometrial adenocarcinoma (n = 20) were prospectively investigated. Tissue samples were immunohistochemically evaluated by monoclonal antibodies for p53, Ki-67, and CD31. The data were analyzed using the Student t test, analysis of variance, and χ2 to evaluate significant differences between the groups. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. There was no difference in the expression of p53 between the groups (P = 0.067). The expression of Ki-67 was higher in the polyp samples from TAM-treated women compared with those from the women using no hormone (P = 0.0047) and those from the women with atrophic endometrium (P = 0.008). Samples from the women with endometrial cancer was associated with higher Ki-67 expression compared with the polyp samples from TAM-treated women (P = 0.004). The expression of CD31 was higher in the polyp samples of TAM-treated women compared with that of the samples from the women with atrophic endometrium (P < 0.001) and similar to the polyp samples from the women using no hormone (P = 0.319) and to the samples from the women with endometrial cancer (P = 0.418). The use of TAM in postmenopausal women might be associated with increased cellular proliferation in endometrial polyps without interfering angiogenesis or inactivation of tumor suppressor proteins.
Correlation between enhanced vascular permeability, up-regulation of cellular adhesion molecules and monocyte adhesion to the endothelium in the retina during the development of fatal murine cerebral malaria.

The relationships between increased vascular permeability to protein, monocyte adherence to the endothelium, and expression of the cell adhesion molecules, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the central nervous system microvasculature were studied during the progression of fatal murine cerebral malaria. CBA mice were inoculated with Plasmodium berghei ANKA, and changes in the retinal microvasculature were examined on days 3, 5, and 7 postinoculation (p.i.). Evans blue dye and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were administered intravenously to assess vascular permeability to macromolecules macroscopically and by light and electron microscopy. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression were examined by immunohistochemistry. HRP leakage into the retinal parenchyma was seen macroscopically at a low level on day 3 p.i. , increasing progressively at day 5 (the earliest time at which cerebral symptoms were observed) and day 7 (the day on which animals showed severe behavioral abnormalities and died). The inner retinal vascular plexus showed a slight increase in vascular permeability to intravenous Evans blue at day 3 p.i. and congestion, monocyte adherence to the endothelium, and increased vascular permeability to both Evans blue and HRP at day 7 p.i. Electron microscopic observations were consistent with these findings and also revealed disrupted light junctions and the coating of monocytes and endothelium with HRP at day 7 p.i. Immunohistochemical staining and densitometry showed a progressive increase from day 3 to day 7 p.i. in the densities of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 on the venular endothelium of the inner retinal vascular plexus, with the appearance of adherent ICAM-1+ monocytes at the terminal stage of the disease. None of the pathological changes associated with the inner retinal plexus were seen at any stage in the outer retinal plexus. These results suggest the following sequence of events in the inner retinal vessels, particularly the venules, during the progression of fatal murine cerebral malaria: 1) a mild increase in vascular permeability at approximately day 3 p.i. , 2) a progressive increase in endothelial expression of the cell adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, commencing at approximately day 3 p.i. , 3) monocyte adhesion to the endothelium starting at approximately day 5 p.i. , and 4) frank disruption of endothelial integrity at the terminal stage (day 7 p.i.), leading to edema and hemorrhage. Similar changes in cerebral vessels may underlie the neurological complications of the disease.
Toxicity of Botanical Formulations to Nursery-Infesting White Grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

ABSTRACT The toxicity of eight botanically based biopesticides was evaluated against third instars of the scarab larvae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Popillia japonica Newman, Rhizotrogus majalis (Razoumowsky), Anomala orientalis Waterhouse, and Cyclocephala borealis Arrow. Soil dip bioassays were used to obtain concentration-mortality data 7 d after treatment of larvae, leading to the calculation of LC50 and LC90 values. A wide range in LC50 and LC90 values were exhibited among the formulations. The product Armorex was one of the most active formulations against P. japonica (LC50 = 0.42 ml/liter), R. majalis (LC50 = 0.48 ml/liter), A. orientalis (LC50 = 0.39 ml/liter), and C. borealis (LC50 = 0.49 ml/liter). Armorex is composed of extracts from diverse botanical sources, including 84.5% sesame oil, 2.0% garlic oil, 2.0% clove oil, 1.0% rosemary oil, and 0.5% white pepper extracts. The product Azatin, composed of 3% azadirachtin, also exhibited high toxicity to P. japonica (LC50 = 1.13 ml/liter), R. majalis (LC50 = 0.81 ml/liter), and A. orientalis (LC50 = 1.87 ml/liter). Veggie Pharm is composed of extracts from diverse sources, but this product showed the lowest toxicity to P. japonica (LC50 = 35.19 ml/liter), R. majalis (LC50 = 62.10 ml/liter), A. orientalis (LC50 = 43.76 ml/liter), and C. borealis (LC50 = 50.24 ml/liter). These results document the potential for botanical formulations to control white grubs, but blending extracts from diverse botanical sources does not ensure enhanced biological activity.
The Occurrence and Distribution of Salmonella enteritidis and Other Serovars on California Egg Laying Premises: A Comparison of Two Sampling Methods and Two Culturing Techniques

Abstract Between the summer of 1998 and the winter of 2000, Salmonella analysis was performed on 2128 single and 532 pooled manure drag swabs obtained from 133 California commercial egg laying farms. The isolation of Salmonella from all rows and from all flocks using single or pooled swabs was 80% and 92%, respectively. Hence, there was no statistical difference between single vs. pooled swabs in terms of identifying Salmonella on a row or flock basis. A total of 14 serogroups comprising 44 serotypes were isolated from 123 of 133 farms. When the top 10 serotypes were considered, there was no significant difference in the range of serotypes isolated by the two culturing methods. The overall S. enteritidis prevalence for California flocks was 10.5% (14/133). The overall row prevalence for S. enteritidis for all the farms was 1.1% (24/2128), and the overall pool prevalence was 2.4% (13/532). Sixty percent (12/20) of the S. enteritidis isolates from the positive farms were phage type 4, and 40% (8/20) represented five other phage types (1, 6B, 7, 8, and 28).
An imaging/therapeutic molecular probe for ultrasound and photoacoustic dual modality system

Gold nanorods (AuNRs) have been used as contrast enhancement agents for photoacoustic (PA) imaging as well as effective photothermal therapy agents. In the literature, pulsed ultrasound exposures have shown to enhance delivery of fluorescently labeled polystyrene nanoparticles. Microbubbles (MBs) can also substantially enhance the ablation effects. In this study, we develop a US/PA imaging/therapeutic multimodality molecular probe — encapsulated gold nanorods albumin microbubbles (AuMBs) for US/PA imaging. The AuNR solution containing 0.4-M Cysteamine dihydrochloride (5 ml) and 16 mM HNO3 (10 ml) is aged for 30 min. Next, the solution is centrifuged at 5500 rpm for 15 min to remove excess cysteamine. Human serum albumin is added into the AuNR solution and then aged for 24 hour at 4°C. AuNR targeted MBs were generated by sonicating 4 mL of solution containing 1.2% AuNR-HSA, 0.04% avidin, and C3F8 gas in phosphate-buffered saline. The AuMBs concentration was 2.41×109/ml, and their mean diameter was 1319 nm. Phantom experiments were performed to characterize the AuMBs using Polyacrylic Acid gels with a chamber to load the samples. The property of the AuMBs for US/PA dual imaging system was estimated, and modified as a molecular probe. The optical characteristics of the AuMBs were presented. In addition, the potential of the AuMBs in the enhancement of the AuNR based hyperthermia was investigated.
Capitation adjustment for pediatric populations.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to assess the predictive performance of current claims-based capitation adjustment methods for pediatric populations. Medicaid programs and other insurers may increasingly use these systems for capitation rate setting, physician profiling, and other purposes. METHODS Five leading models, a demographic model, ambulatory care groups, ambulatory diagnostic groups, diagnostic cost groups, and payment amounts for capitated systems, were tested by using use and expenditure data for children enrolled in the Maryland Medicaid program and a private nonprofit health maintenance organization in Minnesota. The models were tested at the individual level by using multiple regression methods and at the group level by using split-half validation to create both random and nonrandom groups. One of the nonrandom groups was created to represent children with chronic conditions. RESULTS The findings indicate that although each of the alternative methods offers an improvement over a demographic model, significant underpayment remained for high-risk children, regardless of the capitation adjustment method used. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that children with chronic conditions would probably remain at risk for discrimination in a competitive health care market under all models tested. Limitations associated with current alternatives suggest the need for further research in the area of pediatric capitation adjustment methods.
Long‐lasting enhancement of GABAA receptor expression in newborn dentate granule cells after early‐life febrile seizures

Febrile seizures (FS) are the most common type of seizures in childhood and are suggested to play a role in the development of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Animal studies demonstrated that experimental FS induce a long‐lasting change in hippocampal excitability, resulting in enhanced seizure susceptibility. Hippocampal neurogenesis and altered ion channel expression have both been proposed as mechanisms underlying this decreased seizure threshold. The present study aimed to analyze whether dentate gyrus (DG) cells that were born after FS and matured for 8 weeks display an altered repertoire of ligand‐gated ion channels. To this end, we applied an established model, in which FS are elicited in 10‐day‐old rat pups by hyperthermia (HT). Normothermia littermates served as controls. From postnatal day 11 (P11) to P16, rats were injected with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) to label dividing cells immediately following FS. At P66, we evaluated BrdU‐labeled DG cells for coexpression with γ‐aminobutyric acid‐type A receptors (GABAARs) and N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptors (NMDARs). In control animals, 40% of BrdU‐labeled cells coexpressed GABAAR β2/3, whereas in rats that had experienced FS, 60% of BrdU‐labeled cells also expressed GABAAR β2/3. The number of BrdU‐NMDAR NR2A/B coexpressing cells was in both groups about 80% of BrdU‐labeled cells. The results demonstrate that developmental seizures cause a long‐term increase in GABAAR β2/3 expression in newborn DG cells. This may affect hippocampal physiology. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2012
Scaled autonomy for networked humanoids

Humanoid robots have been developed with the intention of aiding in environments designed for humans. As such, the control of humanoid morphology and effectiveness of human robot interaction form the two principal research issues for deploying these robots in the real world. In this thesis work, the issue of humanoid control is coupled with human robot interaction under the framework of scaled autonomy, where the human and robot exchange levels of control depending on the environment and task at hand. This scaled autonomy is approached with control algorithms for reactive stabilization of human commands and planned trajectories that encode semantically meaningful motion preferences in a sequential convex optimization framework. The control and planning algorithms have been extensively tested in the field for robustness and system verification. The RoboCup competition provides a benchmark competition for autonomous agents that are trained with a human supervisor. The kid-sized and adult-sized humanoid robots coordinate over a noisy network in a known environment with adversarial opponents, and the software and routines in this work allowed for five consecutive championships. Furthermore, the motion planning and user interfaces developed in the work have been tested in the noisy network of the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Trials and Finals in an unknown environment. Overall, the ability to extend simplified locomotion models to aid in semi-autonomous manipulation allows untrained humans to operate complex, high dimensional robots. This represents another step in the path to deploying humanoids in the real world, based on the low dimensional motion abstractions and proven performance in real world tasks like RoboCup and the DRC. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Electrical & Systems Engineering First Advisor Daniel D. Lee
A novel noncooperative near-range radar network for traffic guidance and control on airport surfaces

The concept of a novel modular structured near-range primary radar network (NRN) for guidance and control of airport surface traffic is presented. Several autonomously operating modules comprising of four radar stations cover all relevant airport areas or, alternatively, are integrated in a complex structured surveillance system by data fusion; then only selected areas have to be covered. Each sensor of a single module illuminates a common area of surveillance by a fixed, non-rotating antenna and measures range echo profiles. For the utilization within a planning and alert system the target locations inside a module are derived from multilateration of echo ranges, measured by multiple distributed sensors. Target velocity vectors are evaluated from the time history of several range echo profiles at least at two stations; target classification is obtained from microwave imaging techniques. In order to demonstrate the performance of the location technique and its flexibility in adapting to different airport scenarios, simulation results are presented. The location simulations are based on high-resolution radar cross-section measurements of a downscaled A-310 aircraft model. >
Information Technology (IT) Use and Children's Psychological Well-Being

The relationship between four types of information technology use and eight dimensions of psychological well-being were examined in a sample of 500 African American and Anglo-American girls and boys. Both parent and child ratings of well-being were considered. Findings indicated that greater IT use, but especially greater videogame use, was associated with lower psychological well-being, with one exception: greater Internet use for purposes other than communication was associated with greater psychological well-being. Greater Internet use for communication was associated with more social problems in real life. Gender and race differences in psychological well-being and IT use suggest that African American males may be at risk for the adverse effects of IT use because their videogame playing equals that of Anglo-American males, but their Internet use is the least of all groups.
Effect of chitosan acetate bandage on wound healing in infected and noninfected wounds in mice

HemCon® bandage is an engineered chitosan acetate preparation designed as a hemostatic dressing, and is under investigation as a topical antimicrobial dressing. We studied its effects on healing of excisional wounds that were or were not infected with Staphylococcus aureus, in normal mice or mice previously pretreated with cyclophosphamide (CY). CY significantly suppressed wound healing in both the early and later stages, while S. aureus alone significantly stimulated wound healing in the early stages by preventing the initial wound expansion. CY plus S. aureus showed an advantage in early stages by preventing expansion, but a significant slowing of wound healing in later stages. In order to study the conflicting clamping and stimulating effects of chitosan acetate bandage on normal wounds, we removed the bandage from wounds at times after application ranging from 1 hour to 9 days. Three days application gave the earliest wound closure, and all application times gave a faster healing slope after removal compared with control wounds. Chitosan acetate bandage reduced the number of inflammatory cells in the wound at days 2 and 4, and had an overall beneficial effect on wound healing especially during the early period where its antimicrobial effect is most important.
The vibrant soundbridge for conductive and mixed hearing losses: European multicenter study results.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) is an active middle ear implant, 'direct-drive' hearing system for the treatment of hearing loss. Recently, the VSB has been applied to conductive and mixed hearing losses. The aim of this study is to evaluate aided benefit, speech recognition in quiet and noise, subjective benefits, changes in residual hearing, and medical and surgical complications in adults with conductive or mixed hearing losses implanted with the VSB using Round Window (RW) Vibroplasty. METHODS Twelve German-speaking adults participated in a single-subject, repeated measures study design comparing their performance using the VSB with their own unaided preoperative performance. Hearing performance and changes in residual hearing were assessed using routine audiometric measures, sound field thresholds, and word and sentence recognition in quiet and in noise. Subjective benefits, including subjective hearing performance, device satisfaction, and quality of life were evaluated using the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit, the Hearing Device Satisfaction Scale, and the Glasgow Benefit Inventory, respectively. RESULTS Aided hearing thresholds, word recognition at conversational levels, and sentence recognition in quiet and noise were significantly improved without significant changes in residual cochlear hearing and without major medical and surgical complications. One subject required repositioning surgery to improve transducer coupling with the RW membrane. Subjective benefit and device satisfaction were good, as were overall and general quality of life. CONCLUSION The VSB, implanted using RW vibroplasty, is a safe and effective treatment for adults with conductive and mixed hearing losses who may have few, if any, other options.
Optimal deployment of Road Side Units in urban environments

In this paper, we address the problem of Road Side Unit (RSU) deployment in urban environments. One of the main goals in designing a Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) network is to find optimal locations for deployment of all the RSUs. The objective in our case is to cover all the road parts that have the highest car density using a limited number of wireless access points (the number of available RSUs is an input parameter in our formulation). Such design improves data delivery to moving vehicles by maximizing the network coverage and enabling higher data rates. To deal with the RSU deployment problem we propose a methodology which starts by characterizing the mobility of cars using real data traffic. In this step the parts of the road that have the highest average car density over a long period of time are identified. This data is used as input for the formulated nonlinear integer programming problem. The solution to this problem determines the optimal location for RSUs deployment given a fixed budget for networking equipment. Numerical results show that our formulation provides a more optimal solution for RSUs deployment when compared with other deployment strategies proposed in the literature.
Phylogenetic signal, feeding behaviour and brain volume in Neotropical bats

Comparative correlational studies of brain size and ecological traits (e.g. feeding habits and habitat complexity) have increased our knowledge about the selective pressures on brain evolution. Studies conducted in bats as a model system assume that shared evolutionary history has a maximum effect on the traits. However, this effect has not been quantified. In addition, the effect of levels of diet specialization on brain size remains unclear. We examined the role of diet on the evolution of brain size in Mormoopidae and Phyllostomidae using two comparative methods. Body mass explained 89% of the variance in brain volume. The effect of feeding behaviour (either characterized as feeding habits, as levels of specialization on a type of item or as handling behaviour) on brain volume was also significant albeit not consistent after controlling for body mass and the strength of the phylogenetic signal (λ). Although the strength of the phylogenetic signal of brain volume and body mass was high when tested individually, λ values in phylogenetic generalized least squares models were significantly different from 1. This suggests that phylogenetic independent contrasts models are not always the best approach for the study of ecological correlates of brain size in New World bats.
Molecular Characterization of Korean Bacillus anthracis Isolates by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis and Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem Repeat Analysis

ABSTRACT We analyzed the genetic relationships and molecular characteristics of 34 Bacillus anthracis isolates from soil and clinical samples in various regions of Korea and 17 related Bacillus species, using the amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and multilocus variable-number tandem repeat (MLVA) approaches. Triplicate AFLP profiles of these strains showed high reproducibility and identified 376 polymorphisms. AFLP phylogenetic analysis of B. anthracis isolates showed a high level of similarity, 0.93, and this monomorphic fragment profile proved to be useful to differentiate B. anthracis strains from other Bacillus species. The B. cereus group was separated from other Bacillus species at a level of similarity of 0.68. Among them, some B. cereus strains showed genetic interspersion with B. thuringiensis strains. The evolutionary pattern of nucleotide differences among B. anthracis strains with the eight MLVA markers showed nine MLVA types. Three MLVA types, M1 to M3, were pathogenic B. anthracis isolates and were assigned as new genotypes belonging to the A4 and B3 clusters, compared with 89 genotypes deduced from previous data. This indicates that differences in cluster prevalence and distribution may be influenced more by MLVA markers on two plasmids loci and human activity. Consequently, we suggest that the novel MLVA type may represent significant evidence for historic adaptation to environmental conditions of the Asian continent, particularly Korea. Therefore, MLVA techniques may be available for molecular monitoring on anthrax-release-related bioterrorism and further study is required for the continuous epidemiological study of variable anthrax collections.