Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Short-term course and prognosis of Crohn's disease

An analysis is presented of the course and outcome of the initial referred attack in a group of 332 patients with Crohn's disease treated at the General Infirmary at Leeds from 1939 to 1968 inclusive. A further 50 cases were excluded on the basis of insufficient diagnostic evidence: usually such patients had acute terminal ileitis. Only 5% of patients achieved full remission on conservative management, and most eventually came to surgery. The overall fatality rate was some 3·3% and this was affected chiefly by the severity of attack and the age of the patient. The severity of attack was classified as mild, moderate, or severe according to a system which took into account factors such as bowel habit, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, pulse rate, temperature, haemoglobin, and weight. In attacks graded as `mild', no deaths occurred; in those graded `severe' the fatality rate was 8·8%. Similarly, whilst no patient under 20 years of age died, the fatality rate in the over 60s was some 14·8%. Further comparison between the present group of 332 patients and an earlier series of 204 patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (Watts, de Dombal, Watkinson, and Goligher, 1966a) shows considerable differences in the course and prognosis of the two diseases. In particular 70% of patients with ulcerative colitis achieved remission on conservative management alone whereas only 5% of Crohn's disease patients did so. These differences, and in particular the poor response to conservative therapy, are discussed, together with their implications for management.
Feature extraction and rule classification algorithm of digital mammography based on rough set theory

Breast cancer represents the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today and it is the most common type of cancer in women. This paper presents an efficient classification algorithm in digital mammograms in the context of rough set theory. Feature extractions acquired in this work are derived from the gray-level co-occurrence matrix. The features are extracted, normalized and then the rough set dependency rules are generated directly from the real value attribute vector. Then the classification is built and the quadratic distance function used to determines similarity between a query and database image. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm performs well reaching over 85% in accuracy.
Context-Dependent Effects of Genome-Wide Association Study Genotypes and Macroenvironment on Time to Biochemical (Prostate Specific Antigen) Failure after Prostatectomy

Background: Disparities in cancer defined by race, age, or gender are well established. However, demographic metrics are surrogates for the complex contributions of genotypes, exposures, health care, socioeconomic and sociocultural environment, and many other factors. Macroenvironmental factors represent novel surrogates for exposures, lifestyle, and other factors that are difficult to measure but might influence cancer outcomes. Methods: We applied a “multilevel molecular epidemiology” approach using a prospective cohort of 444 White prostate cancer cases who underwent prostatectomy and were followed until biochemical failure (BF) or censoring without BF. We applied Cox regression models to test for joint effects of 86 genome-wide association study–identified genotypes and macroenvironment contextual effects after geocoding all cases to their residential census tracts. All analyses were adjusted for age at diagnosis and tumor aggressiveness. Results: Residents living in census tracts with a high proportion of older single heads of household, high rates of vacant housing, or high unemployment had shorter time until BF postsurgery after adjustment for patient age and tumor aggressiveness. After correction for multiple testing, genotypes alone did not predict time to BF, but interactions predicting time to BF were observed for MSMB (rs10993994) and percentage of older single heads of households (P = 0.0004), and for HNF1B/TCF2 (rs4430796) and census tract per capita income (P = 0.0002). Conclusions: The context-specific macroenvironmental effects of genotype might improve the ability to identify groups that might experience poor prostate cancer outcomes. Impact: Risk estimation and clinical translation of genotype information might require an understanding of both individual- and macroenvironment-level context. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(9); 2115–23. ©2010 AACR.
Enhanced mixing at inertial microscales using flow-induced flutter

Abstract Numerical simulations are used to explore the use of flow-induced flutter of a membrane as a mechanism for effective mixing at inertial microscales. A simple two-dimensional model of mixing in a channel is employed and fluid-structure interaction modeling with an immersed boundary method-based solver is used to explore the flow physics, flutter dynamics and scalar mixing of these flutter mixers. The performance of the mixers is characterized in terms of a mixing index and a non-dimensional head loss, and the effect of Reynolds and Schmidt numbers, as well as the membrane length on these performance indices, is examined. Simulations indicate that flow-induced flutter is capable of significantly enhancing mixing for channel Reynolds numbers as low as 15 and the relatively low associated pressure loss might make these flutter mixers a viable alternative for such applications.
The Measurement of Total Body Potassium in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

♦ Objectives To assess the validity of measuring total body potassium (TBK) to estimate fat-free mass (FFM) and body cell mass (BCM) in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). ♦ Methods We studied 29 patients on PD (14 men, 15 women) and 30 controls (15 men, 15 women). We calculated TBK by using a whole-body counter to measure 1.46 MeV gamma-ray emissions from naturally occurring 40K. We measured total body water (TBW) by deuterium oxide dilution, and extracellular water (ECW) from bromide dilution. These measurements allowed us to estimate intracellular water (ICW), fat-free mass dilution (FFMDilution), and body cell mass dilution (BCMDilution). ♦ Results The FFMTBK in male PD patients (55.7 ± 7.0 kg) did not differ from that in male controls (57.0 ± 10.9 kg). The FFMTBK in female PD patients (38.4 ± 6.8 kg) was less than that in female controls (44.7 ± 4.5, p < 0.01). The FFMDilution did not differ from the FFMTBK. Correlation of FFMTBK and FFMDilution was r = 0.90, p < 0.0001 for all subjects; r = 0.90, p < 0.0001 for PD patients; and r = 0.90, p < 0.0001 for controls. Bland–Altman comparison of FFMDilution with FFMTBK in individuals showed bias 0.6 kg, range –8.5 kg to 9.7 kg for the whole group; bias 1.4 kg, range –7.9 kg to 10.7 kg for PD patients; and bias –0.2 kg, range –9.0 kg to 8.6 kg for controls. The BCMTBK in male PD patients (30.1 ± 4.5 kg) did not differ from that in male controls (31.9 ± 6.2 kg). The BCMTBK in female PD patients (19.0 ± 4.4 kg) was less than that in female controls (23.1 ± 2.9 kg, p < 0.01). The BCMDilution results did not differ from those for the BCMTBK. Correlation of BCMTBK and BCMDilution was r = 0.90, p < 0.0001 for all subjects; r = 0.87, p < 0.0001 for PD patients; and r = 0.93, p < 0.0001 for controls. Bland–Altman comparison of BCMDilution with BCMTBK in individuals showed bias 0.1 kg, range –5.9 kg to 6.1 kg for the whole group; bias 0.0 kg, range –6.9 kg to 6.9 kg for PD patients; and bias 0.1 kg, range –5.0 kg to 5.2 kg for controls. The [K+]ICW did not differ between PD patients and controls (148.0 ± 25.1 mmol/L vs 148.1 ± 14.3 mmol/L, p = nonsignificant). ♦ Conclusions Total body potassium is a valid, noninvasive technique for measuring FFM and BCM in PD patients. In our PD patient group, depletion of FFM and BCM as compared with controls was identified in the women but not in the men.
Examining the Familial Link Between Positive Affect and Empathy Development in the Second Year

Within a sample of 584 twins aged 12 to 25 months (292 pairs) studied longitudinally, positive affect measured through two laboratory pleasure episodes and maternal report at 12 and 22 months significantly predicted empathy-related helping and hypothesis testing assessed between 19 and 25 months. Girls showed significantly more concern than did boys, whereas boys engaged in hypothesis testing significantly more than did girls. Behavior-genetic analyses indicated substantial shared environmental influences for positive affect and empathy composites of helping and concern. Genetics and the nonshared environment influenced empathy-related hypothesis testing. The best fitting bivariate model included shared and nonshared environmental influences on positive affect and helping, with environment accounting for the covariation between the two traits. The covariation between positive affect and hypothesis testing was genetically influenced.
Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme Inhibition and Angiotensin AT1 Receptor Blockade Downregulate Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme Expression and Attenuate Renal Injury in Streptozotocin‐Induced Diabetic Rats

Angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) is upregulated in the diabetic kidney and contributes to renal injury. This study investigates the possible beneficial effects of the ACE inhibitor (ACEI), enalapril and the AT1 receptor blocker (ARB), valsartan, on renal ACE expression, renal structure, and function in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were allocated into four groups: control, STZ‐diabetic rats, and STZ‐diabetic rats treated with either enalapril (10 mg/kg/day) or valsartan (50 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks. Enalapril and valsartan reduced renal ACE mRNA and protein expression, Na+/K+‐ATPase activity, oxidative stress, and serum transforming growth factor‐β1 levels compared to the diabetic group. Both treatments normalized renal nitrate/nitrite levels and ameliorated the observed histopathological changes. In conclusion, ACE downregulation by ACEI and ARB indicates that angiotensin II upregulates ACE through AT1 receptor. Prevention of diabetes‐induced changes in ACE expression and Na+/K+‐ATPase activity could be a new explanation of the renoprotective effects of ACEIs and ARBs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J BiochemMol Toxicol 27:378‐387, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.21500
Pre-Equalization in the Downlink of a Multicarrier Wireless Network Under Utility and Sum-Rate Optimization

This paper studies the problem of downlink pre-equalization in a multicarrier wireless network under utility and sum-rate maximization. The network utility depends on two main factors: an efficiency mapping which is a function of the signal-to-interference-noise ratio (SINR), and the power of the pre-equalization variables. Meanwhile, the sum-rate index is constructed by the summation of a logarithmic function of the SINRs of the active users. The network utility and sum-rate maximization problems are formulated here by assuming that the data estimation at the mobile units (MUs) is carried out by a simple matched filter. The optimal solutions are derived in this work for the pre-equalization factors by following a strategy that is distributed with respect to the channel state information (CSI) and data rates, but centralized with respect to the spreading sequences of all active users. The construction of these optimal solutions requires in each case a two step procedure. First, the optimal SINR is computed for the maximum utility and sum-rate solutions based on the efficiency mapping and on the bound of the transmission power, respectively. Then, exploiting the induced diversity by the multiple subcarriers, the pre-equalization algorithms cancel the multiple-access interference (MAI) and channel distortions, minimize the transmission power and achieve the optimal SINR after signal detection. A comprehensive numerical evaluation is presented at the end of the paper to validate the analytical derivations. Applications of the proposed pre-equalization schemes could be associated among others to cellular communication systems, and wireless networks of actuators.
Lineage-specific transformation after differentiation of multipotential murine stem cells containing a human oncogene

We transfected the human EJ bladder carcinoma oncogene (Ha-rasEJ-1) into multipotential embryonal carcinoma cell line P19. The transgenic P19(ras+) cells expressed high levels of both the mRNA and the p21EJ protein derived from the oncogene. When cultured in the presence of retinoic acid, P19(ras+) cells differentiated and developed into the same spectrum of differentiated cell types as the parental P19 cells (namely, neurons, astrocytes, and fibroblast-like cells). Thus, it seems unlikely that the Ha-ras-1 proto-oncogene product plays a role in initiation of differentiation or in the choice of differentiated cell lineage. Most of the P19(ras+)-derived differentiated cells contained relatively low levels of p21EJ and were nontransformed, whereas certain cells with fibroblast-like morphology continued to express the Ha-rasEJ-1 gene at high levels and were transformed (i.e., immortal and anchorage independent). Fibroblasts derived from P19 cells did not become transformed following transfection of the Ha-rasEJ-1 oncogene, suggesting that transformation of the fibroblast cells only occurred if the oncogene was present and expressed during the early stages of the developmental lineage.
Deep-depletion CCDs with improved UV sensitivity

This paper presents results obtained on backside-illuminated deep-depletion CCDs developed for ultra-violet (UV) and X-ray imaging. Through appropriate backside treatments the CCD structure was optimized for high quantum efficiency in the UV-region of the spectrum. At 1216Å, where the photon absorption length is very short (∼70Å), a maximum quantum efficiency of 16-20% was obtained on the best devices as compared with less than 1% efficiency for devices without backside treatment.
Real-time life expectancy estimation in power modules

The environmental and operating conditions applied to power electronic modules, such as temperature changes, load cycling, vibration, etc., cause degradation and ultimately failure in particular at interfaces between dissimilar materials, such as wire bonds and in solder layers. In this paper a compact real-time thermal model is used to predict the temperatures of the active device junctions and inaccessible locations such as solder layers within the power module. The temperature estimates are combined with lifetime based reliability models to provide a tool for life consumption monitoring. A rainflow counting method is applied to the temperature vs. time data to extract the occurrence frequencies of different thermal cycling ranges. Knowledge of the life consumed for each different cycle then allows the remaining life time to be estimated under arbitrary operational conditions through application of the Palmgren-Miner accumulated damage rule. Example results for life consumption in power module substrate solder layers are presented.
Determinants of Burnout Among Transplant Surgeons: A National Survey in the United States

Burnout is a response to chronic strain within the workplace characterized by feelings of inefficacy (reduced personal accomplishment), cynicism (depersonalization) and emotional exhaustion. The purpose of this study was to report prevalence and explore organizational and interpersonal contributors of burnout in transplant surgeons. We performed a national cross‐sectional survey of 218 transplant surgeons on sociodemographics, professional characteristics, frequency of difficult patient interactions and comfort in dealing with difficult patient interactions, decisional authority, psychological job demands, supervisor and coworker support, with burnout as the outcome. 40.1% reported high levels of emotional exhaustion, 17.1% reported high levels of depersonalization and 46.5% reported low personal accomplishment. Greater emotional exhaustion was predicted by lower decisional authority, higher psychological work demands, and lower coworker support. Greater discomfort with difficult patient interactions and lower coworker support predicted depersonalization. Lastly, lower decisional authority, lower coworker support, less frequent difficult patient interactions but greater discomfort with difficult patient interactions predicted lower personal accomplishment. The findings of this study show that unsupportive environments with little decisional control and high work‐related demands contribute to the development of burnout in transplant surgeons. Implications for interventions aimed at prevention of burnout in transplant surgeons are discussed.
The cardiovascular system as coupled oscillators?

Based on physiological knowledge, and on an analysis of signals related to its dynamics, we propose a model of the cardiovascular system. It consists of coupled oscillators. Each of them describes one of the subsystems involved in the regulation of one passage of blood through the circulatory system. The flow of blood through the system of closed tubes—the blood vessels—is described by wave equations.
H∞ control design for systems with input and output imprecision

This paper considers the problem of dynamic output feedback H∞ controller design for linear systems with input and output imprecision. In the controlled systems, the measurement and control signal transmissions from the plant to the controller and the controller to the plant, respectively, are assumed to be imprecise, and norm-bounded uncertainties are utilized to model the phenomenon of the imprecise transmissions. Attention is focused on the design of an H∞ controller such that the closed-loop system is asymptotically stable and has a prescribed H∞ performance with respect to the imprecision effects. A linear fractional transformation approach is proposed to obtain LMI-based design conditions for the H∞ controller. Finally, the usefulness of the developed approach will be demonstrated by a numerical example.
Altered Ca2+ Regulation of Yop Secretion in Yersinia enterocolitica after DNA Adenine Methyltransferase Overproduction Is Mediated by Clp-Dependent Degradation of LcrG

ABSTRACT DNA methylation by the DNA adenine methyltransferase (Dam) interferes with the coordinated expression of virulence functions in an increasing number of pathogens. While analyzing the effect of Dam on the virulence of the human pathogen Yersinia enterocolitica, we observed type III secretion of Yop effector proteins under nonpermissive conditions. Dam alters the Ca2+ regulation of Yop secretion but does not affect the temperature regulation of Yop/Ysc expression. The phenotype is different from that of classical “Ca2+-blind” mutants of Yersinia, as Dam-overproducing (DamOP) strains still translocate Yops polarly into eukaryotic cells. Although transcription of the lcrGV and yopN-tyeA operons is slightly upregulated, LcrG is absent from lysates of DamOP bacteria, while the amounts of YopN and TyeA are not changed. We present evidence that clpXP expression increases after Dam overproduction and that the ClpP protease then degrades LcrG, thereby releasing a block in type III secretion. This is the first example of posttranslational regulation of type III secretion by the Clp protease and adds a new flavor to the complex regulatory mechanisms underlying the controlled release of effector proteins from bacterial cells.
Activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK‐3β) by platelet activating factor mediates migration and cell death in cerebellar granule neurons

Children with vertically acquired HIV‐1 can present with a rapidly progressive encephalopathy and neuronal apoptosis in the first 12–18 months of life. Furthermore, abnormal prenatal platelet activating factor (PAF) signalling may result in lissencephaly, a disorder of neuronal migration. PAF, produced from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) ‐infected brain‐resident macrophages, induces neuronal apoptosis in cultured cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) in part by activating glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK‐3β). However, PAF can also inhibit migration of CGNs that are dispersed and allowed to reaggregate. Therefore, we investigated the biological effects following activation of GSK‐3β by PAF, and whether these effects were dependent on the culture conditions of the CGNs. We show here that activation of neuronal GSK‐3β by PAF is receptor‐specific, with similar kinetics of activation in both monolayer cultures of CGNs that have ceased to migrate and reaggregate cultures of CGNs that are actively migrating. However, PAF receptor activation in reaggregated CGNs inhibits neuronal migration and induces approximately half the level of neuronal apoptosis compared with PAF‐treated CGN cultures that have ceased to migrate. PAF‐mediated inhibition of neuronal migration in reaggregated CGNs or induction of apoptosis in CGNs that have ceased to migrate can be reversed by either PAF receptor antagonists, or the GSK‐3β inhibitors lithium or valproic acid, in a dose‐dependent manner. Abnormal PAF signalling that results in GSK‐3β overactivation may represent a common mechanism for pathological defects in neuronal migration in the prenatal period and neuronal apoptosis in the postnatal period.
Digital Gene Expression Signatures for Maize Development1[W][OA]

Genome-wide expression signatures detect specific perturbations in developmental programs and contribute to functional resolution of key regulatory networks. In maize (Zea mays) inflorescences, mutations in the RAMOSA (RA) genes affect the determinacy of axillary meristems and thus alter branching patterns, an important agronomic trait. In this work, we developed and tested a framework for analysis of tag-based, digital gene expression profiles using Illumina’s high-throughput sequencing technology and the newly assembled B73 maize reference genome. We also used a mutation in the RA3 gene to identify putative expression signatures specific to stem cell fate in axillary meristem determinacy. The RA3 gene encodes a trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase and may act at the interface between developmental and metabolic processes. Deep sequencing of digital gene expression libraries, representing three biological replicate ear samples from wild-type and ra3 plants, generated 27 million 20- to 21-nucleotide reads with frequencies spanning 4 orders of magnitude. Unique sequence tags were anchored to 3′-ends of individual transcripts by DpnII and NlaIII digests, which were multiplexed during sequencing. We mapped 86% of nonredundant signature tags to the maize genome, which associated with 37,117 gene models and unannotated regions of expression. In total, 66% of genes were detected by at least nine reads in immature maize ears. We used comparative genomics to leverage existing information from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) in functional analyses of differentially expressed maize genes. Results from this study provide a basis for the analysis of short-read expression data in maize and resolved specific expression signatures that will help define mechanisms of action for the RA3 gene.
Planning Training Loads to Develop Technique and Rhythm in the 400m Hurdles using RBF Network

In this paper training loads to develop technique and rhythm in hurdles are presented. The training loads were generated using an artificial neural networks model with radial basis functions. The analysis included 21 hurdlers who were members of the Polish National Team. The calculations for the neural model were made using 48 training programmes. The evaluation of the models was carried out using the cross-validation method. Five independent variables (age, body height, body weight, current result and expected result) and four dependent variables representing the selected training loads were analyzed. The determined model generated training loads with an error of approximately 21%. Experimental results showed the training programme for a hypothetical athlete. The analysis shows that all the examined training loads are of a non-linear nature. The proposed solution can be used as a tool to support planning for selected training loads in 400 m hurdles.