Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virological treatment failure of protease inhibitor therapy in an unselected cohort of HIV‐infected patients

Objective:To determine the rate of virological treatment failure with protease inhibitor therapy in unselected patients and to assess underlying risk factors. Design and setting:Retrospective study in two German tertiary care treatment centres. Patients:A total of 198 HIV-infected patients treated with protease inhibitors in 1996. Main outcome measures:Levels of HIV RNA 1–6 months after start of treatment; definition of treatment failure of < 1 log10 reduction in plasma HIV RNA within 6 months after starting protease inhibitor therapy; multivariate analysis of risk factors for treatment failures. Results:A total of 226 treatment episodes with protease inhibitors were evaluable (saquinavir, 83; ritonavir, 47; indinavir, 96). The rate of virological treatment failure was 44% (saquinavir, 64%; ritonavir, 38%; indinavir, 30%). In a multivariate analysis, the following independent risk factors for virological failure were found: CD4 cell count, pretreatment with antiretroviral drugs (number), and protease inhibitor (compound). The relative risk reduction for each CD4 cell count increase was 0.997 (P = 0.012), 2.64 for pretreatment with one or two drugs versus no drug (P = 0.05), 2.97 for pretreatment with more than two drugs versus no drug (P = 0.05), and 4.62 for treatment with saquinavir versus indinavir (P = 0.001). Conclusion:An unexpectedly high rate of virological treatment failure of protease inhibitor therapy was found in an unselected cohort of HIV-infected patients. Response to antiretroviral combination therapy in normal clinical practice may considerably differ from results of randomized clinical trials. Further studies are warranted to find optimal treatment strategies for both initial and salvage therapy.
Concurrent measurement of "real-world" stress and arousal in individuals with psychosis: assessing the feasibility and validity of a novel methodology.

BACKGROUND Psychosis has been repeatedly suggested to be affected by increases in stress and arousal. However, there is a dearth of evidence supporting the temporal link between stress, arousal, and psychosis during "real-world" functioning. This paucity of evidence may stem from limitations of current research methodologies. Our aim is to the test the feasibility and validity of a novel methodology designed to measure concurrent stress and arousal in individuals with psychosis during "real-world" daily functioning. METHOD Twenty patients with psychosis completed a 36-hour ambulatory assessment of stress and arousal. We used experience sampling method with palm computers to assess stress (10 times per day, 10 AM → 10 PM) along with concurrent ambulatory measurement of cardiac autonomic regulation using a Holter monitor. The clocks of the palm computer and Holter monitor were synchronized, allowing the temporal linking of the stress and arousal data. We used power spectral analysis to determine the parasympathetic contributions to autonomic regulation and sympathovagal balance during 5 minutes before and after each experience sample. RESULTS Patients completed 79% of the experience samples (75% with a valid concurrent arousal data). Momentary increases in stress had inverse correlation with concurrent parasympathetic activity (ρ = -.27, P < .0001) and positive correlation with sympathovagal balance (ρ = .19, P = .0008). Stress and heart rate were not significantly related (ρ = -.05, P = .3875). CONCLUSION The findings support the feasibility and validity of our methodology in individuals with psychosis. The methodology offers a novel way to study in high time resolution the concurrent, "real-world" interactions between stress, arousal, and psychosis. The authors discuss the methodology's potential applications and future research directions.
Trends in diagnostic imaging for low back pain: has MR imaging been a substitute or add-on?

PURPOSE To assess whether magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has replaced other diagnostic imaging modalities in the evaluation of persistent low back pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data on diagnostic imaging use in 2,374 adult patients with persistent low back pain in 1987-1990 were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the annual adjusted odds of lumbosacral spine radiography, MR imaging, unenhanced computed tomography (CT), or CT myelography use. The national cost of diagnostic imaging for persistent low back pain in 1990 relative to 1987 was estimated. RESULTS The adjusted odds of performing MR imaging in 1990 relative to 1987 was 3.44 (95% confidence interval, 2.63, 4.51), which reflects an estimated increase from 22 studies per 100 enrollees in 1987 to 75 studies per 100 enrollees in 1990. Use of MR imaging in combination with radiography, unenhanced CT, or CT myelography increased. The additional national cost of diagnostic imaging for persistent low back pain in 1990 relative to 1987 was estimated at $70-$176 million. CONCLUSION MR imaging was used primarily as an add-on rather than a substitute for other imaging modalities in the evaluation of persistent low back pain. Thus, the volume and cost of diagnostic imaging for persistent low back pain have increased.
Hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction in senescence‐accelerated mice: correction by long‐term, orally administered physiological levels of melatonin

Abstract: Mitochondrial oxidative damage from free radicals may be a factor underlying aging. We investigated whether long‐term administration of physiological levels of melatonin, a direct free radical scavenger and indirect antioxidant, influences mitochondrial respiratory activity in liver of senescence‐accelerated mice (SAM). Liver was obtained in the middle of dark period of the daily light:dark cycle from SAMP8, a strain of mice prone to accelerated senescence, and from SAMR1, a senescence‐resistant strain, at 6 and 12 months of age. Respiratory control index (RCI), adenosine‐5‐diphosphate (ADP)/O ratio, State 3 respiration and dinitophenol (DNP)‐dependent uncoupled respiration exhibited significant age‐associated decreases in SAMP8. SAMP8 also showed significant age‐associated reductions in respiratory chain complex I and IV activities. No age‐related effects were found in these parameters in SAMR1. Daily oral melatonin administration (2 μg/mL of drinking fluid) beginning at 7 months of age significantly increased RCI, State 3 respiration, DNP‐dependent uncoupled respiration, and complex I and IV activities in both mouse strains when they were 12 months old. These results reveal age‐related reductions in mitochondrial function in SAM mice which are modified by melatonin; the most likely explanation for the corrective actions of melatonin relate to its antioxidative actions in mitochondria and other portions of the cell. The implication of the findings is that melatonin may be beneficial during aging as it reduces the deteriorative oxidative changes in mitochondria and other portions of the cell associated with advanced age.
Upfront VIP‐reinforced‐ABVD (VIP‐rABVD) is not superior to CHOP/21 in newly diagnosed peripheral T cell lymphoma. Results of the randomized phase III trial GOELAMS‐LTP95

Peripheral T‐Cell lymphomas (PTCL) are relatively rare diseases but appear to be highly aggressive and display worse remission and survival rates than B‐cell lymphomas. Despite unsatisfactory results with the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone (CHOP) regimen, it remains the reference front‐line therapy in these diseases, but has not been challenged in phase III trials. The Groupe Ouest Est d’Etude des Leucémies et Autres Maladies du Sang (GOELAMS) devised an alternative therapeutic schedule including etoposide, ifosfamide, cisplatin alternating with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (VIP‐reinforced‐ABVD; VIP‐rABVD) and compared it to CHOP/21 as front‐line treatment in non‐cutaneous PTCL. All newly diagnosed patients were eligible. The primary objective was to improve the 2‐year event‐free survival (EFS) rate. Secondary objectives were to compare the response rate, overall survival, and toxicities as well as identify prognostic factors. Eighty‐eight patients were identified between 1996 and 2002. Both arms were well balanced for patients’ characteristics in terms of histological and clinical presentation. No significant difference was observed between the two arms in terms of 2‐year EFS. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma type and Ann Arbor stage I–II were identified as two independent favourable prognostic factors influencing survival. VIP‐rABVD was not superior to CHOP/21 in terms of EFS as first‐line treatment of PTCL, confirming that CHOP/21 remains the reference regimen in these lymphomas.
Response Inhibition After Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Children: Impairment and Recovery

Children who experience traumatic brain injury (TBI) often show cognitive impairments postinjury, some of which recover over time. We examined the recovery of motor response inhibition immediately following TBI and over 2 years. We assessed the role of injury severity, age at injury, and lesion characteristics on initial impairment and recovery while considering the role of pre-injury psychiatric disorder. Participants were 136 children with TBI aged 5–16 years. Latency of motor response inhibition was measured with the stop-signal task within 1 month of the injury and again at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. The performance of the TBI participants at each measurement occasion was standardized with 117 children of similar age, but without injury. Residualized latency scores were calculated. Growth curve analyses showed an initial impairment in response inhibition and improvement over the 2 years following injury. Younger TBI patients were initially more impaired although they exhibited greater recovery of response inhibition than did older TBI patients. Longer duration of coma, but not reactivity of pupils or Glasgow Coma Scale score, predicted initial deficit. Lesion characteristics or pre-injury attention deficit hyperactivity disorder did not predict initial impairment or recovery. Replication with longitudinal testing of a comparison group of children sustaining extracranial injury is necessary to confirm our findings.
Usefulness of CA 125 as a preoperative prognostic marker for transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

PURPOSE We evaluated the role of CA 125 as a prognostic marker in patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder undergoing uniform radical cystectomy with bilateral pelvic iliac lymphadenectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS From April 1996 to March 2001, 287 patients with a median age of 68 years (range 34 to 89) had preoperative CA 125 serum assays performed. All patients had high grade or invasive TCC and were scheduled to undergo radical cystectomy. Preoperative CA 125 was evaluated according to tumor grade and pathological subgroups (organ confined, extravesical and lymph node positive) as well as recurrence-free and overall survival. RESULTS Of the 287 patients 31 (10.8%) demonstrated increased serum CA 125 (greater than 35 U/ml). No significant association was found between increased CA 125 and recurrence-free survival or tumor grade. However, a statistically significant association was found among pathological tumor subgroups, namely 4.9% for organ confined, 11.3% for extravesical and 21.6% for lymph node positive disease (p <0.001). Furthermore, patients with lymph node positive disease or high grade tumors (grades III/IV and IV/IV) and increased CA 125 assays demonstrated significantly worse overall survival (p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS Increased CA 125 was seen in approximately 11% of patients with high grade or invasive TCC preoperatively. It was more commonly found in patients with locally advanced and lymph node positive disease, and it was associated with overall survival. However, recurrence-free survival was not associated with CA 125. Further studies are required to define the exact role of CA 125 in bladder cancer.
Selection of effective EEG channels in brain computer interfaces based on inconsistencies of classifiers

This paper proposed a novel method to select the effective Electroencephalography (EEG) channels for the motor imagery tasks based on the inconsistencies from multiple classifiers. The inconsistency criterion for channel selection was designed based on the fluctuation of the classification accuracies among different classifiers when the noisy channels were included. These noisy channels were then identified and removed till a required number of channels was selected or a predefined classification accuracy with reference to baseline was obtained. Experiments conducted on a data set of 13 healthy subjects performing hand grasping and idle revealed that the EEG channels from the motor area were most frequently selected. Furthermore, the mean increases of 4.07%, 3.10% and 1.77% of the averaged accuracies in comparison with the four existing channel selection methods were achieved for the non-feedback, feedback and calibration sessions, respectively, by selecting as low as seven channels. These results further validated the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Stabilization of the α2 Isoform of Na,K-ATPase by Mutations in a Phospholipid Binding Pocket*

Background: The α2 isoform of Na,K-ATPase is unstable compared with α1 and α3. Results: Mutations in TM8–10 strongly stabilize α2. A novel phospholipid antagonist selectively inactivates α2, and mutations in TM8–10 protect against inactivation. Conclusion: A phosphatidylserine binding pocket within TM8–10 has been identified. Significance: Mechanistic insights into α2 instability and a possible physiological role have been obtained. The α2 isoform of Na,K-ATPase plays a crucial role in Ca2+ handling, muscle contraction, and inotropic effects of cardiac glycosides. Thus, structural, functional, and pharmacological comparisons of α1, α2, and α3 are of great interest. In Pichia pastoris membranes expressing human α1β1, α2β1, and α3β1 isoforms, or using the purified isoform proteins, α2 is most easily inactivated by heating and detergent (α2 ≫ α3 > α1). We have examined an hypothesis that instability of α2 is caused by weak interactions with phosphatidylserine, which stabilizes the protein. Three residues, unique to α2, in trans-membrane segments M8 (Ala-920), M9 (Leu-955), and M10 (Val-981) were replaced by equivalent residues in α1, singly or together. Judged by the sensitivity of the purified proteins to heat, detergent, “affinity” for phosphatidylserine, and stabilization by FXYD1, the triple mutant (A920V/L955F/V981P, called α2VFP) has stability properties close to α1, although single mutants have only modest or insignificant effects. Functional differences between α1 and α2 are unaffected in α2VFP. A compound, 6-pentyl-2-pyrone, isolated from the marine fungus Trichoderma gamsii is a novel probe of specific phospholipid-protein interactions. 6-Pentyl-2-pyrone inactivates the isoforms in the order α2 ≫ α3 > α1, and α2VFP and FXYD1 protect the isoforms. In native rat heart sarcolemma membranes, which contain α1, α2, and α3 isoforms, a component attributable to α2 is the least stable. The data provide clear evidence for a specific phosphatidylserine binding pocket between M8, M9, and M10 and confirm that the instability of α2 is due to suboptimal interactions with phosphatidylserine. In physiological conditions, the instability of α2 may be important for its cellular regulatory functions.
A study of consumer behavioral intention to use e-books: the Technology Acceptance Model perspective

Under the global trend of environmental protection, energy conservation and carbon reduction have become goals that are being pursued worldwide. Smartphones, Tablet PCs, and the Notebooks replacement wave have resulted in many research and development applications involving touch screens. As using the Internet platform has become a new learning trend, e-books have become indispensable teaching materials and are the focus of new technology applications with great market potential. The key factor for assessment of the “e-book” market is first to understand consumer behavioral intentions. To achieve this understanding, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) proposed by Davis (1989) was used as the main theoretical basis of this study. Three cognitive factors – “brand and service trust”, “perceived usefulness” and “perceived ease of use” – were used to measure the interactions among all factors and whether these factors have positive effects on “attitude toward using”, as well as whether “attitude toward using” has a possible effect on “behavioral intention to use”. Using convenience sampling, 213 effective samples were collected from consumers who are using or have had the experience of using e-books. After analysis, the study produced the following results: (1) Brand and service trust has a significantly positive effect on attitudes toward using e-books; (2) Perceived usefulness has a significantly positive effect on attitudes toward using e-books; (3) Perceived ease of use does not have a significantly positive effect on attitudes toward using e-books; (4) Attitudes toward using e-books has a significantly positive effect on behavioral intention to use e-books.
Barriers to colorectal cancer screening in Latino and Vietnamese Americans

AbstractOBJECTIVE: To identify current colorectal cancer (CRC) screening practices and barriers to screening in the Latino, Vietnamese, and non-Latino white populations. METHODS: We conducted a telephone survey of Latino, non-Latino white, and Vietnamese individuals living in San Jose, California. We asked about demographics, CRC screening practices, intentions to be screened, and barriers and facilitators to screening. RESULTS: Seven hundred and seventy-five individuals (40% white, 29.2% Latino, and 30.8% Vietnamese) completed the survey (Response Rate 50%). Overall, 23% of respondents reported receipt of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in the past year, 28% reported sigmoidoscopy (SIG) in the past 5 years, and 27% reported colonoscopy (COL) in the past 10 years. Screening rates were generally lower in Latinos and Vietnamese. Vietnamese were less likely than whites to have had SIG in the past 5 years (odds ratio [OR], 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09 to 0.72), but ethnicity was not an independent predictor of FOBT or COL. Only 22% of Vietnamese would find endoscopic tests uncomfortable compared with 79% of whites (P<.05). While 21% of Latinos would find performing an FOBT embarrassing, only 8% of whites and 3% of Vietnamese felt this way (P<.05). Vietnamese were more likely than whites to plan to have SIG in the next 5 years (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.15 to 4.38), but ethnicity was not associated with planning to have FOBT or COL. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of CRC screening are lower in ethnic minority populations than in whites. Differences in attitudes and perceived barriers suggest that culturally tailored interventions to increase CRC screening will be useful in these populations
Investigation of physical aging of carbon nanotube/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposites by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

In this work, thin films based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT)- poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) were prepared by solution mixing method. The dispersions were deposited on a flexible thin polyimide Kapton-HN 500 substrate by drop casting technique. The physical aging effect on the thin films as a function of MWCNT concentration ranging from 0.025 wt. % to 0.1 wt. % were investigated at room temperature by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) over a wide range of frequency from 40 Hz to 110 MHz. It was found that the MWCNT concentration has a considerable influence not only on the conductivity but also on the aging rate of the nanocomposite films. It was also observed that the influence of aging on the electrical properties of the nanocomposites decreases with increasing amount of MWCNT concentration, due to the electron restriction mobility in the polymer chains at the vicinity of PEDOT:PSS/MWCNT interfaces. While the relative resistance change in the pure PEDOT:PSS polymer is 21.2 %, this change is found to be 6.8 % at 0.1 wt. % of MWCNT. Moreover, the aging effect on the MWCNT/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposites was considered within an equivalent complex R-C circuit model based on the obtained impedance data. This model was used to extract the electrical fitting parameters of the nanocomposites at different MWCNT concentrations.
What's in an ontology for spoken language understanding

Current Spoken Language Understanding systems rely either on hand-written semantic grammars or on flat attribute-value sequence labeling. In both approaches, concepts and their relations (when modeled at all) are domain-specific, thus making it difficult to expand or port the domain model. To address this issue, we introduce: 1) a domain model based on an ontology where concepts are classified into either predicative or argumentative; 2) the modeling of relations between such concept classes in terms of classical relations as defined in lexical semantics. We study and analyze our approach on a corpus of customer care data, where we evaluate the coverage and relevance of the ontology for the interpretation of speech utterances.
Cost‐effectiveness of imatinib versus interferon‐α plus low‐dose cytarabine for patients with newly diagnosed chronic‐phase chronic myeloid leukemia

Despite a lack of long‐term data, imatinib has become standard therapy for patients with newly diagnosed chronic‐phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who are not candidates for allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In the current study, the authors estimated the incremental cost‐effectiveness of imatinib versus interferon‐α plus low‐dose cytarabine (IFN+LDAC) as first‐line therapy for these patients.
Effects of inbreeding on morphological and life history traits of the sand cricket, Gryllus firmus

Inbreeding depression can cause substantial decreases in trait values. For colonizing organisms, which are likely to suffer relatively high levels of inbreeding at frequent intervals, inbreeding depression could significantly influence the evolution of traits and their genetic architecture. In the present paper, I examine inbreeding depression in the cricket Gryllus firmus, an inhabitant of ephemeral habitats such as sand dunes. Two questions are addressed: (i) do some traits show high levels of inbreeding depression; and (ii) do life history traits show higher levels of inbreeding depression than morphological traits? Growth rate and fecundity show very high levels of inbreeding depression (8–16% for the former, 14% for the latter). These rates of depression could potentially have significant effects on the survival probability of newly established populations. Overall, life history traits show significantly higher inbreeding depression (5.3%) than morphological traits (0.4%).
Extended-State-Observer-Based Control of Flexible-Joint System With Experimental Validation

In this paper, a feedback linearization (FL)-based control law made implementable using an extended state observer (ESO) is proposed for the trajectory tracking control of a flexible-joint robotic system. The FL-based controller cannot be implemented unless the full transformed state vector is available. The design also requires exact knowledge of the system model making the controller performance sensitive to uncertainties. To address these issues, an ESO is designed, which estimates the state vector, as well as the uncertainties in an integrated manner. The FL controller uses the states estimated by ESO, and the effect of uncertainties is compensated by augmenting the FL controller with the ESO-estimated uncertainties. The closed-loop stability of the system under the proposed observer-controller structure is established. The effectiveness of the ESO in the estimation of the states and uncertainties and the effectiveness of the FL + ESO controller in tracking are demonstrated through simulations. Lastly, the efficacy of the proposed approach is validated through experimentation on Quanser's flexible-joint module.