Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Results of intensive chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem-cell rescue in 22 patients with refractory or recurrent primary CNS lymphoma or intraocular lymphoma.

PURPOSE To assess the feasibility and efficacy of intensive chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem-cell rescue (IC + HCR) in patients with refractory or recurrent primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) or intraocular lymphoma (IOL). PATIENTS AND METHODS IC consisted of thiotepa 250 mg/m(2)/d days -9 through -7, busulfan 10 mg/kg (total dose) days -6 through -4, and cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg/d days -3 and -2. Intravenous clonazepam 2 mg/d was given prophylactically from the day before initiation of busulfan therapy to the day after completion of busulfan therapy. Patients with refractory or recurrent PCNSL underwent IC + HCR only if they were chemosensitive to two cycles of salvage treatment with cytarabine (2 g/m(2)/d days 2 through 5 and 50 mg/m(2)/d days 1 through 5 in a 12-hour infusion) and etoposide (VP-16; 200 mg/m(2)/d days 2 through 5) (CYVE). Patients with IOL refractory to high-dose methotrexate (MTX) and cytarabine entered the IC + HCR program directly. RESULTS Twenty-two patients (10 with relapses, 12 with refractory disease) were enrolled. Twenty patients entered the IC + HCR program: twelve entered after CYVE treatment, seven entered directly, and one had previously been retreated with high-dose MTX. Before IC, eight patients were in complete remission (CR), four were in partial remission (PR), one had stable disease, and seven had refractory disease. After IC + HCR, 16 patients entered CR, two remained in PR, one had stable disease, and one had disease progression. Fourteen patients remained alive (median follow-up time, 41.5 months). The overall probability of survival at 3 years was 63.7%. After IC, that probability was 60% and the 3-year probability of event-free survival was 53%. Seven patients had neurologic adverse events during the entire procedure. CONCLUSION IC + HCR proved feasible and effective in patients with refractory or recurrent PCNSL or IOL. The entire procedure seemed to be most toxic in patients > or = 60 years. A prospective multicenter study is ongoing.
Impact of sideways and bottom-up control factors on bacterial community succession over a tidal cycle

In aquatic systems, bacterial community succession is a function of top-down and bottom-up factors, but little information exists on “sideways” controls, such as bacterial predation by Bdellovibrio-like organisms (BLOs), which likely impacts nutrient cycling within the microbial loop and eventual export to higher trophic groups. Here we report transient response of estuarine microbiota and BLO spp. to tidal-associated dissolved organic matter supply in a river-dominated estuary, Apalachicola Bay, Florida. Both dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen concentrations oscillated over the course of the tidal cycle with relatively higher concentrations observed at low tide. Concurrent with the shift in dissolved organic matter (DOM) supply at low tide, a synchronous increase in numbers of bacteria and predatorial BLOs were observed. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of small subunit rDNA, cloning, and sequence analyses revealed distinct shifts such that, at low tide, significantly higher phylotype abundances were observed from γ-Proteobacteria, δ-Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and high G+C Gram-positive bacteria. Conversely, diversity of α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, and Chlamydiales-Verrucomicrobia group increased at high tides. To identify metabolically active BLO guilds, tidal microcosms were spiked with six 13C-labeled bacteria as potential prey and studied using an adaptation of stable isotope probing. At low tide, representative of higher DOM and increased prey but lower salinity, BLO community also shifted such that mesohaline clusters I and VI were more active; with an increased salinity at high tide, halotolerant clusters III, V, and X were predominant. Eventually, 13C label was identified from higher micropredators, indicating that trophic interactions within the estuarine microbial food web are potentially far more complex than previously thought.
Environmental Change, Migration, and Conflict in Africa: A Critical Examination of the Interconnections

How should we understand the interconnections between environmental change, migration, and conflict in Africa? Should the rise of Islamic terrorism and Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria be directly linked to the drying of Lake Chad? Should cattle raiding in Kenya be seen as a result of drought across East Africa? Does the constrained migration of the pastoral Tuareg in the Sahel causally connect to desertification and their rebellion against governmental forces? Despite the compelling and often persuasive case for directly connecting environmental change to migration and conflict, there is a growing agreement in both the environment-migration and climate-conflict spheres that intervening variables determine if and how environmental change causes population movements and political violence. This article presents a case for migration as an intermediary and bidirectional causal variable. The article argues that close attention needs to be paid to local-level manifestations of conflict and (mal)adaptive forms of migration to understand the potential propensity of environmental change to lead to conflict in Africa.
Dissociable loss of the representations in visual short-term memory

ABSTRACT The present study investigated in what manner the information in visual short-term memory (VSTM) is lost. Participants memorized four items, one of which was given higher priority later by a retro-cue. Then participants were required to detect a possible change, which could be either a large or small change, occurred to one of the items. The results showed that the detection performance for the small change of the uncued items was poorer than the cued item, yet large change that occurred to all four memory items could be detected perfectly, indicating that the uncued representations lost some detailed information yet still had some basic features retained in VSTM. The present study suggests that after being encoded into VSTM, the information is not lost in an object-based manner; rather, features of an item are still dissociable, so that they can be lost separately.
A kinematic and electromyographic study of grip in extension in a clinical setting

Abstract Aim: Grip, including grip in extension, is an essential element in human beings. The functional evaluation scales of the hand require a greater number of objective variables in order to offer an overall perspective. Devices such as surface electromyography and inertial sensors can be used in evaluation and tasks. Such equipment can lead to new variables for analysis and offer different approaches for treatment. Methods: Six participants were selected randomly from a sample of healthy population. Each participant made the grip in extension, which was parameterized in real time. This movement was analyzed and recorded in a synchronized manner with surface electromyography and accelerometer-type inertial sensors in the hand. Results: After analyzing and processing the data, it was possible to detect five phases within the movement thanks to in-depth analysis of the module vector of the index finger along with electromyography of the musculature of the first dorsal interosseous. Conclusions: Parameterization is possible in real time for the grip in extension based on surface electromyography and accelerometer, offering new analysis variables on hand operation while providing a suitable complement to standardized assessments. Implications for Rehabilitation The use of surface electromyography and accelerometry in the arm synchronously, allows clinicians to identify new intervention and treatment variables. The protocol developed can be used in clinical practice because it is non-invasive, the enabled devices do not cause damage on the subject. According to the results, the muscles of the hypothenar region and the first dorsal interosseous have greater activation in the hand during grip extension. The wrist extensor muscles and flexor carpi ulnaris have more activation during the approach phase to grip. These are the muscles that should be prioritized for rehabilitation. The variation of the acceleration allows you to differentiate between the phases of rest and movement of the hand. If the variation of the acceleration at rest is higher than 0.3g, this could indicate the presence of abnormal movements or tremor.
Willingness to Learn: Cultural Intelligence Effect on Perspective Taking and Multicultural Creativity

Technological development has intensified interconnectivity in the global sphere creating highly diverse markets and workplaces making increasingly challenging for contemporary organizations to manage culturally diverse environments while benefiting from them. Hence, fostering employees’ ability to produce both novel and useful ideas within cross-cultural environments has gained enormous importance. This research attempts to better understand the relationship between cultural intelligence (CQ), perspective taking, and multicultural creativity. Data analysis from a causal, descriptive, non-experimental network survey, containing a remote associates test, supports the proposed theoretical framework in which cultural intelligence has an influence on the relationship between perspective taking and the individuals’ capability of drawing upon knowledge from distinct cultures. The results of the study show that two dimensions of cultural intelligence, motivational CQ and behavioral CQ, positively influence individuals’ multicultural creativity. These findings have positive implications when facing the urgent necessity of cross-cultural collaboration.
Pain Management Experiences and the Acceptability of Cognitive Behavioral Strategies Among American Indians and Alaska Natives

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to explore the chronic pain experience and establish cultural appropriateness of cognitive behavioral pain management (CBPM) techniques in American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Design: A semistructured interview guide was used with three focus groups of AI/AN patients in the U.S. Southwest and Pacific Northwest regions to explore pain and CBPM in AI/ANs. Findings: The participants provided rich qualitative data regarding chronic pain and willingness to use CBPM. Themes included empty promises and health care insufficiencies, individuality, pain management strategies, and suggestions for health care providers. Conclusion: Results suggest that there is room for improvement in chronic pain care among AI/ANs and that CBPM would likely be a viable and culturally appropriate approach for chronic pain management. Implications: This research provides evidence that CBPM is culturally acceptable and in alignment with existing traditional AI/AN strategies for coping and healing.
Accountability in Islamic Financial institution: the role of the Shari’ah Supervisory Board Reports

The rapid growth of the Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) indicates the global recognition of the emerging role of these institutions in contributing to the development of responsible and ethical banking. However, this growth is not in match with the demand for Islamic finance products. For instance, quoting Ernst & Young, the Financial Times reported in 2012 (3 November, 2012) that the global supply of sukuk (Shari’ah-compliant bonds) is less than half that of investor demand. IFIs operate according to the jurisprudence and the rules of the economic and social order of Islam, by applying the Shari’ah business code of conduct. In the early period of development, this type of financial services was used individually between different traders. However, this has been changed and they are now representatives of a new wave of corporations whose social goals are largely as important as profit-making (Haniffa and Hudaib, 2007b). IFIs have expanded worldwide and the system continues to grow at the rate of 15–20 per cent annually (Hussain et al., 2016).
Differences in tumor microvessel density between squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell carcinomas may relate to their different biologic behavior

Tumor microvessel density (TMVD) has been recognized as an important indicator for the metastatic risk in certain tumors. The purpose of this study was to analyse whether there is an association of TMVD in epithelial neoplasms of the skin with their clinical behavior. Paraffin sections of keratoacanthomas (KA, n=10), squamous cell carcinomas (SCC, n=9), nodular (nod‐BCC, n=13), and sclerosing (scl‐BCC, n=12) basal cell carcinomas were immunohistochemically stained for factor‐VIII‐related antigen and TMVD was determined. In all SCC, KA and nod‐BCC, TMVD significantly exceeded perilesional skin microvessel density (PSMVD) (SCC:TMVD/PSMVD = 20.54:11.25, p < 0.0001; KA:TMVD/PSMVD = 20.90:12.17, p < 0.0001; nod‐BCC:TMVD/PSMVD = 16.77:13.34, p=0.03). In contrast, no significant difference between TMVD and PSMVD was found in scl‐BCC (15.44:12.86, p=0.22). TMVD was significantly higher in SCC and KA compared to nod‐BCC (p=0.036 and 0.006, respectively). Our data demonstrate that SCC and KA are highly vascularized tumors. The fact that TMVD does not differ significantly between SCC and KA (p=0.80) suggests that MVD is not an indicator for the metastatic risk or aggressive growth behavior of epithelial skin tumors. The finding that MVD in both nod‐ and scl‐BCC is significantly lower than in SCC and KA, might at least in part explain the slow growth of BCC.
The accuracy of colonoscopic localisation of colorectal tumours: a prospective, multi-centred observational study

Background and aims Colonoscopy is essential for accurate pre-operative colorectal tumour localisation, but its accuracy for localisation remains undetermined due to limitations of previous work. This study aimed to establish the accuracy of colonoscopic localisation and to determine how frequently inaccuracy results in altered surgical management. Method A prospective, multi-centred, powered observational study recruited 79 patients with colorectal tumours that underwent curative surgical resection. Patient and colonoscopic factors were recorded. Pre-operative colonoscopic and radiological lesion localisations were compared to intra-operative localisation using pre-defined anatomical bowel segments to determine accuracy, with changes in planned surgical management documented. Results Colonoscopy accurately located the colorectal tumour in 64/79 patients (81%). Five out of 15 inaccurately located patients required on-table alteration in planned surgical management. Pre-operative imaging was unable to visualise the primary tumour in 23.1% of cases, a finding that was more prevalent amongst bowel screener patients compared to symptomatic patients (45.8% vs. 13%; p = 0.003). Conclusion Colonoscopic lesion localisation is inaccurate in 19.0% of cases and occurred throughout the colon with a change in on-table surgical management in 6.3%. With CT unable to visualise lesions in just under a quarter of cases, particularly in the screening population, preoperative localisation is heavily reliant on colonoscopy.
The Arabidopsis cyclin-dependent kinase gene cdc2bAt is preferentially expressed during S and G2 phases of the cell cycle.

Cell cycle progression is regulated by cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Arabidopsis thaliana contains two cdk genes, cdc2aAt and cdc2bAt. This paper compares the developmental and cell cycle phase-dependent transcription of both cdk genes. In situ hybridizations revealed that cdc2bAt steady-state mRNAs, much like cdc2aAt, are found both in meristematic cells and cells with a high proliferative competence. Cdc2aAt is expressed in every meristematic cell whereas cdc2bAt is found to be expressed in a patchy pattern. An even smaller number of meristematic cells express the mitotic cyc1At. These data indicate that cdc2bAt and cyc1At mRNAs accumulate in a particular cell cycle phase in agreement with evidence provided by hybridization experiments of flow cytometrysorted nuclei and the use of cell cycle blockers on roots. The data indicate that cdc2bAt is preferentially expressed in S and G2 phases whereas cdc2aAt expression is constitutive throughout the cell cycle, as shown previously. The existence of two distinct CDK classes in plants is proposed: (i) constitutively expressed CDKs containing a PSTAIRE motif (e.g. cdc2aAt) and (ii) CDKs with divergent motifs which are expressed during a limited interval of the cell cycle (e.g. cdc2bAt).
Employment Outcomes for Graduates of Washington State's Applied Baccalaureate Degree Programs.

COMINOLE, MELISSA BIBER. Employment Outcomes for Graduates of Washington State's Applied Baccalaureate Degree Programs. (Under the direction of Dr. Stephen R. Porter). As of 2017, 24 states allow community colleges to confer bachelor's degrees, mostly in applied and technical fields. There are several reasons for allowing community colleges to confer bachelor's degrees; to improve access to baccalaureate education for students for whom a public four-year institution is geographically inaccessible, students who face challenges transferring credits to a four-year institution with an applied associate's degree, and those for whom the desired program is not offered by a public four-year institution. Community college bachelor's degrees also provide a more affordable option for obtaining a bachelor’s degree. Critics contend that a bachelor's degree conferred by a community college will be of lesser quality than one conferred by a four-year institution, placing graduates at a disadvantage when they seek employment or graduate education. To date, no study has compared employment outcomes of students who graduated with a bachelor's degree from a community college with those who graduated from a four-year institution. Using longitudinal administrative data from Washington State, this study is the first to estimate the causal effect of earning a community college bachelor's degree in nursing or business administration with instrumental variables and fixed effects regressions. Results provide no evidence that community college bachelor's degree graduates suffer a penalty in short-term employment outcomes (employment status and median hourly wages) measured in the year after degree completion. Implications for research and policy are discussed. © Copyright 2017 Melissa Biber Cominole All Rights Reserved Employment Outcomes for Graduates of Washington State's Applied Baccalaureate Degree Programs by Melissa Biber Cominole A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Educational Research and Policy Analysis Raleigh, North Carolina 2017
Improving the speed and power of compilable SRAM using dual-mode self-timed technique

A long bitline precharge time in the write operation and a wide wordline pulse width in the read operation dominate the cycle time of large-capacity compilable SRAMs. A data-dependent bitline leakage current causes timing skew and erodes the sensing margin of conventional replica-column controlled embedded SRAM. A dual-mode self-timed (DMST) technique is proposed to generate two individual timing for the read and write operations, unlike in conventional SRAMs, in which they have the same control timing, to reduce the cycle time and power consumption of the SRAM. The RC delay on bitlines, variations in the write response time of a bitcell and data-dependent bitline leakage current are considered in the DMST. The DMST technique reduces the cycle time and the write active power consumption by 16%~30.7% and 15%~22.7%, respectively for a 65 nm 512 Kb SRAM.
Aortic calcification in urolithiasis patients

Objective. To examine the relationship between urolithiasis and calcification of the aortic artery. Material and methods. We examined the relationship between urolithiasis and calcification of the aortic artery in 181 patients with urinary calcium stones (stone group) and in 181 without a history of urolithiasis (control group). All patients underwent abdominal CT to score the degree of calcification at the aortic arterial wall, as follows: 0, none; 1, <120° calcification; 2, ≥120° to <240° calcification; and 3, ≥240° calcification. Both the stone and control groups were further classified into three groups each according to gender and age. Results. Aortic calcification scores differed significantly between the stone and control groups in males aged ≥20–<40 years (0.43±0.50 vs 0.13±0.35, respectively) and in females aged ≥60 years (1.81±0.74 vs 1.44±0.64, respectively). Conclusion. These findings suggest that common causative factors are associated with urolithiasis and arteriosclerosis and that adult males with arteriosclerosis develop urolithiasis more easily than those without.
Production of a monoclonal antibody to an attachment protein derived from human cementum

Cementum is the mineralized structure that covers the surface of the roots of teeth; it serves as the attachment site for collagen fibers of adjacent soft connective tissues. Very little is known about how cementum formation is regulated or how it affects other periodontal structures. We have raised a monoclonal antibody that may aid in studies to determine the biology and function of cementum. Mice were immunized with a 55‐kDa attachment protein partially purified from human cementum and a monoclonal antibody, H166, was produced. Incubation of tissue sections with this antibody and fluorescein isothiocyanate‐conjugated secondary antibody revealed that it immunostains cementum but not dentin, gingiva, or periodontal ligament. Alveolar bone did not bind the antibody, although a few paravascular cells were positive. Long bones, kidney, liver, skin, and several other tissues were negative. Protein fractions separated from cementum extracts by binding to immobilized H166 column contained 55‐, 49‐, 39‐, 29‐ to 31‐, and 23‐to 26‐kDa components that cross‐reacted with the antibody in Western blots; these components were previously shown to be derived from a common precursor. We conclude that the antibody recognizes a group of proteins related to 55‐kDa attachment protein in cementum. Our data show that the antibody could serve as a marker for cementum. — Arzate, H. ; Olson, S. W. ; Page, R. C. ; Gown, A. M. , Narayanan, A. S. Production of a monoclonal antibody to an attachment protein derived from human cementum. FASEB J. 6: 2990‐2995; 1992.