Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuous infusion of 5-FU with split-dose cisplatin: an effective treatment for advanced squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine if a combination chemotherapy, using continuous intravenous infusion of fluorouracil (5-FU) in combination with split-dose cisplatin, in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous-cell could improve previously reported clinical outcomes. METHODS Forty-two patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous-cell cancer were treated by cisplatin (25 mg/m(2)/day on days 1-3) and 5-FU (750 mg/m(2)/day for 120 hours; continuous intravenous infusion on days 1 through 5) with a cycle that repeated every 3 weeks. RESULTS Of the 42 patients, 8 (19.1%) showed complete response and 12 (28.5%) demonstrated a partial response, giving an overall response rate of 47.6%. Response rates were significantly different for patients undergoing initial treatment vs. re-treatment:73.6% (14/19) vs. 25.9% (6/23), respectively (χ(2)=9.45, P < 0.05). Median time to progression was 7.2 months and median overall survival was 13.7 months. The 1 year survival was 57.1%. Toxicity mainly included myelo-suppression, mucositis, nausea and vomiting. CONCLUSION Chemotherapy with 5-FU by continuous intravenous infusion in combination with split-dose cisplatin is effective with a tolerable toxicity profile in patients with recurrent, or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of head and neck. The overall response was significantly higher in patients undergoing initial treatment in comparison with patients undergoing re-treatment after relapse.
The Impact of Capital Requirement on Bank Operating Efficiency: An Application of the Bootstrapped Truncated Regression Model

The Taiwan government has gradually instructed domestic banks to raise the quantity and quality of their capital adequacy ratio to meet the higher level of Basel III standard. This study employs the two-stage bootstrapped truncated regression to investigate the impacts on the efficiency of Taiwan domestic commercial banks due to the increases in required Core, Tier 1, and total capital adequacy ratios. The results show that, from 2011 to 2013, the increased Core and Tier 1 capital adequacy ratios have significant negative effects. Key words: Banking industry, capital requirement, two-stage DEA, bootstrap, truncated regression model
Detection of five novel mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene in Pakistani patients with cystic fibrosis: Y569D, Q98X, 296+12(T>C), 1161delC and 621+2(T>C)

We analysed DNA samples from 26 Pakistani patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) living in the United Kingdom (14 from patients residing in the north west of England, who were referred directly to the North West Regional Molecular Genetics Laboratory, and 12 from other regional molecular genetics laboratories). Of 56 mutations seen in native U.K. CF patients, only DeltaF508, R709X, and 2184insA were detected in the Pakistani patients. Combined SSCP/Heteroduplex analysis, DGGE, and direct DNA cycle sequencing revealed five novel mutations: Y569D, Q98X, 296+12(T>C), 1161delC, and 621+2(T>C), which appear to be specific to Pakistani CF families. In addition, a novel polymorphism, 297‐67(A/C), and three previously described rare mutations, 1525‐1(G>A), R560S, and 1898+1(G>T), were detected. In the 14 Pakistani CF patients from the north west of England, DeltaF508 accounted for ˜32% (9/28 chromosomes) and the overall detection rate of CF mutations in this group was ˜86% (24/28 chromosomes). Hum Mutat 11:152–157, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effects of UMTS Cellular Phones on Human Hearing: Results of the European Project “EMFnEAR”

Abstract The European project EMFnEAR was undertaken to assess potential changes in human auditory function after a short-term exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation produced by UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) mobile phones. Participants were healthy young adults with no hearing or ear disorders. Auditory function was assessed immediately before and after exposure to radiofrequency radiation, and only the exposed ear was tested. Tests for the assessment of auditory function were hearing threshold level (HTL), distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE), contralateral suppression of transiently evoked otoacoustic emission (CAS effect on TEOAE), and auditory evoked potentials (AEP). The exposure consisted of speech at a typical conversational level delivered via an earphone to one ear, plus genuine or sham RF-radiation exposure produced by a commercial phone controlled by a personal computer. Results from 134 participants did not show any consistent pattern of effects on the auditory system after a 20-min UMTS exposure at the maximum output of the phone with 69 mW/kg SAR in the cochlea region in a double blind comparison of genuine and sham exposure. An isolated effect on the hearing threshold at high frequencies was identified, but this was statistically nonsignificant after correction for multiple comparisons. It is concluded that UMTS short-term exposure at the maximum output of consumer mobile phones does not cause measurable immediate effects on the human auditory system.
The Major Plant-derived Cannabinoid Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Promotes Hypertrophy and Macrophage Infiltration in Adipose Tissue

Abstract Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists activate lipoprotein lipase and the formation of lipid droplets in cultured adipocytes. Here we extend this work by examining whether Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a major plant-derived cannabinoid, increases adipocyte size in vivo. Further, possibly as a consequence of hypertrophy, we hypothesize that THC exposure promotes macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue, an inflammatory state observed in obese individuals. Rats repeatedly exposed to THC in vivo had reduced body weight, fat pad weight, and ingested less food over the drug injection period. However, THC promoted adipocyte hypertrophy that was accompanied by a significant increase in cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C) expression, an enzyme important in packaging triglycerides. We also showed that THC induced macrophage infiltration and increased expression of the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in adipose tissue but did not induce apoptosis as measured by TUNEL staining. That THC increased adipocyte cell size in the absence of greater food intake, body weight and fat provides a unique model to explore mechanisms underlying changes in adipocyte size associated with a mild inflammatory state in fat tissue.
High output swing monolithic inverter with E-D mode MIS-HEMTs for GaN power integrated circuits

AlGaN/GaN power HEMT combined with partial AlGaN barrier recess and multiple CHF3 based fluorine plasma treatments onto ALD deposited Al2O3 gate dielectrics is able to bring a high gate threshold voltage (VTH) for the enhancement mode operations without much degradation on the maximum drain saturation current (IDMAX). This work reports integration of both the enhancement and depletion (E-D) modes AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMTs to construct a monolithic inverter. Experimental data show that the proposed power inverter provides large noise margin allowances of 4.9V and 3.2V, large output swing of 9.66V and satisfactory propagation switching delay time of 35ns. The configuration is found to be suitable for GaN power integrated circuits.
A novel tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer allowing gaseous collisional activation and surface induced dissociation.

A novel tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer is described that enables gaseous collision-induced dissociation (CID) and surface-induced dissociation (SID) experiments. The instrument consists of a commercially available triple quadrupole mass spectrometer connected to an SID region and an additional, orthogonal quadrupole mass analyser. The performance of the instrument was evaluated using leucine-enkephalin, allowing a comparison between CID and SID, and with previous reports of other SID instruments. The reproducibility of SID data was assessed by replicate determinations of the collision energy required for 50% dissociation of leucine-enkephalin; excellent precision was observed (standard deviation of 0.6 eV) though, unexpectedly, the reproducibility of the equivalent figure for CID was superior. Several peptides were analysed using SID in conjunction with liquid secondary-ion mass spectrometry or electrospray; a comparison of the fragmentation of singly protonated peptide ions and the further dissociation of y-type fragments was consistent with the equivalence of the latter fragments to protonated peptides. Few product ions attributable to high-energy cleavages of amino acid side-chains were observed. The SID properties were investigated of a series of peptides differing only in the derivatization of a cysteine residue; similar decomposition efficiencies were observed for all except the cysteic acid analogue, which demonstrated significantly more facile fragmentation.
Mixed-sensitivity based robust H∞ controller design for high-gain boost converter

In this paper, a H∞ robust controller is designed for high-gain boost converter (HGBC) using mixed-sensitivity method. This controller design is based on the model, which uses a linear time-invariant approximation of nonlinear time-variant PWM converter that describes approximately the behavior of the system. The design of voltage-mode controller for boost converter is challenging, as its duty cycle to output voltage transfer function has a right half plane zero (RHPZ), shows non-minimum phase (NMP) behavior. Considering the mixed-sensitivity analysis into account the H∞ controller is designed to stabilize and guarantee a constant output voltage regardless of perturbations in input voltage and load. The closed-loop HGBC system is simulated in PSIM simulator, which shows excellent voltage regulation in presence of load and source disturbances. This clearly indicates that the mixed-sensitivity based H∞ controller yielding better performance and do not depend on the operating point of the converter.
Genome Sequence Analysis Indicates that the Model Eukaryote Nematostella vectensis Harbors Bacterial Consorts

ABSTRACT Analysis of the genome sequence of the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, reveals many genes whose products are phylogenetically closer to proteins encoded by bacteria or bacteriophages than to any metazoan homologs. One explanation for such sequence affinities could be that these genes have been horizontally transferred from bacteria to the Nematostella lineage. We show, however, that bacterium-like and phage-like genes sequenced by the N. vectensis genome project tend to cluster on separate scaffolds, which typically do not include eukaryotic genes and differ from the latter in their GC contents. Moreover, most of the bacterium-like genes in N. vectensis either lack introns or the introns annotated in such genes are false predictions that, when translated, often restore the missing portions of their predicted protein products. In a freshwater cnidarian, Hydra, for which a proteobacterial endosymbiont is known, these gene features have been used to delineate the DNA of that endosymbiont sampled by the genome sequencing project. We predict that a large fraction of bacterium-like genes identified in the N. vectensis genome similarly are drawn from the contemporary bacterial consorts of the starlet sea anemone. These uncharacterized bacteria associated with N. vectensis are a proteobacterium and a representative of the phylum Bacteroidetes, each represented in the database by an apparently random sample of informational and operational genes. A substantial portion of a putative bacteriophage genome was also detected, which would be especially unlikely to have been transferred to a eukaryote.
Negative Effects of Wage Claims on Labor Relations: An Experimental Study on a Gift Exchange Game

We examined how wage claims impact the principal–agent relationship between firms and workers with hidden action using laboratory experiments on a gift exchange game in which workers made payoff-irrelevant requests concerning their wage before the firm made a wage offer. We compared the experimental results of this game to those of a gift exchange game without wage claims and found that the wage claim detracted reciprocity regardless of the wage levels offered by the firm, resulting in shrinking economic surplus in their labor contracts. JEL Classification: C92, J3, J42
Clonal analysis of the population of chondrocytes from the swarm rat chondrosarcoma in agarose culture

Chondrocytes from the Swarm chondrosarcoma, a transplantable rat tumor, have been difficult to maintain in tissue culture for extended periods due to a time‐dependent alteration of the culture to a more fibroblastic pheno‐type. This feature precluded the use of these cultures to examine chronic conditions that may affect cell metabolism, and the homogeneity or heterogeneity of the tumor cells within the culture population could not be examined. Use of suspension culture in agarose stabilized the chondrocyte phenotype, permitting long‐term culture. Clones of tumor chondrocytes were established in agarose and were examined over 2–3 weeks for evidence that the cells were accumulating a proteoglycan‐rich extracellular matrix, as determined by positive staining by Alcian blue, and were undergoing cell division. Nearly 90% of the cloned cells exhibited a prominent extracellular matrix by day 7 of culture and greater than 99% did so by day 14. Cell division did not occur to any great extent until days 6–7 of culture. After this lag, the cells appeared to undergo logarithmic growth, with a cell generation time of about 12 days. By 20 days of culture, between 80 and 90% of the initial clones contained multiple cells, indicating that nearly all the cells were in, or had entered, the cell cycle. These results suggest that the chondrocytes from the rat chondrosarcoma form a homogeneous cell population with respect to their ability to synthesize an extracellular matrix and divide.
Inverse relationship between urinary markers of animal protein intake and blood pressure in Chinese: results from the WHO Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Comparison (CARDIAC) Study.

BACKGROUND This issue of the relationship between animal protein intake and blood pressure (BP) is unsolved. We examined the associations between urinary 3-methylhistidine (3MH) excretion (a biological marker of animal protein intake) and BP in 11 Chinese population samples (Urumqi, Altai, Lhasa, Tulufan, Hetian, Guiyang, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Shijiazhuang and Taipei). METHODS This was a multi-centre cross-sectional study. In each centre, 100 men and 100 women aged 48-56 years were selected randomly from the general population. 3-methylhistidine in 24-hour (24-h) urine collections was measured by an Amino Acid Analyzer (Hitachi 835, Ibaragi, Japan). The total study sample included 966 men and 1025 women. Subjects who failed to collect complete 24-h urine samples were excluded in data analyses regarding associations between 3MH and BP. RESULTS The results showed that: (1) for within-centre analyses of individuals, the 3MH and 3MH to creatinine ratios (3MH:cre) were significantly and negatively associated with BP and hypertension. These associations remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, sodium to potassium ratio, body mass index, calcium and magnesium. The pooled regression coefficients (SE) of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) on 3MH were -0.020 (0.01) and -0.018 (0.01), and of SBP and DBP on 3MH:cre were -0.022 (0.01) and -0.016 (0.01), respectively. Subjects with lower 3MH excretion had higher relative risks of hypertension than those who had higher 3MH excretion. (2) In cross-centre analyses, mean SBP and DBP were significantly and negatively associated with the mean 3MH:cre across the 11 population samples (R(2) = 0.56, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The results provide strong evidence that animal protein intake is associated inversely with BP in Chinese populations.
Aligned neurite bundles of granule cells regulate orientation of Purkinje cell dendrites by perpendicular contact guidance in two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional mouse cerebellar cultures

To identify structures that determine the 90° orientation of thin espalier dendritic trees of Purkinje cells with respect to parallel fibers (axonal neurite bundles of granule cells) in the cerebellar cortex, we designed five types of two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional cell and tissue cultures of cerebella from postnatal mice and analyzed the orientation of Purkinje cell dendrites with respect to neurite bundles and astrocyte fibers by immunofluorescence double or triple staining. We cultured dissociated cerebellar cells on micropatterned substrates and preformed neurite bundles of a microexplant culture two‐dimensionally and in matrix gels three‐dimensionally. Dendrites, but not axons, of Purkinje cells extended toward the neurites of granule cells and oriented at right angles two‐dimensionally to aligned neurite bundles in the three cultures. In a more organized explant proper of the microexplant culture, Purkinje cell dendrites extended toward thin aligned neurite bundles not only consistently at right angles but also two‐dimensionally. However, in the “organotypic microexplant culture,” in which three‐dimensionally aligned thick neurite bundles mimicking parallel fibers were produced, Purkinje cell dendrites often oriented perpendicular to the thick bundles three‐dimensionally. Astrocytes were abundant in all cultures, and there was no definite correlation between the presence of and orientation to Purkinje cell dendrites, although their fibers were frequently associated in parallel with dendrites in the organotypic microexplant culture. Therefore, Purkinje cells may grow their dendrites to the newly produced neurite bundles of parallel fibers in the cerebellar cortex and be oriented at right angles three‐dimensionally mainly via “perpendicular contact guidance. ” J. Comp. Neurol. 499:274–289, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cytochrome P450/redox partner fusion enzymes: biotechnological and toxicological prospects

Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) are versatile oxidase catalysts that play pivotal roles in drug metabolism. They are highly regarded as biotechnological tools for their capacity to perform regio- and stereo-selective oxidations. Human CYPs source electrons for oxygen activation from one or more separate redox partner enzymes. However, several CYP enzymes are now known in which the CYP is covalently linked to a reductase system. Some of these systems offer distinct advantages over typical CYPs as efficient, self-contained units capable of important biotransformations, including synthesis of high value chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Protein engineering has been widely applied to produce variant CYP fusions with desirable activities. The review focuses on the nature and diversity of CYP/redox partner fusion enzymes and their biocatalytic potential.
FEC for VoIP using dual-delay streaming codes

We introduce a new class of forward error correction (FEC) codes for VoIP communications which support different recovery delay depending on the channel conditions. Specifically, our proposed class of Dual-Delay (DD) codes can recover from challenging long bursts of losses with close to theoretical minimum delay so as to meet playback deadlines for recovered packets. They further improve conversational interactivity by achieving lower recovery delay during periods of random isolated losses. These DD codes are shown to achieve lower residual loss rates when compared to existing codes over a wide range of parameters of the Gilbert-Elliott channel. Experiments over real world packet traces further show performance gains of DD codes in terms of perceptually motivated ITU-T G.107 E-model.
Factors driving the location investment decision of South African MNEs: Senior executives’ perceptions

As trade barriers fell, South African enterprises faced new competition in their previously protected home market. With established markets becoming saturated, multinational enterprises (MNEs) steered towards emerging markets abroad. Geographically, South Africa is an intrinsic part of Africa, and psychic distance, defined as consisting of, inter alia, differences in language, culture and business practices, can disturb the flow of business between an enterprise and the world. Physical proximity to countries makes it easier for enterprises to understand the culture and business practices, and reduces the uncertainty and risk of the new market. Perceived distance into Africa and elsewhere is also influenced by the specific consumer attributes and behaviours. Enterprises perform best in foreign markets where consumer behaviour is most receptive to a company’s goods and services. The study empirically investigated perceptions of psychic distance and foreign consumer factors in FDI decision making by senior executives of South African MNEs. The findings suggest that psychic distance is relatively unimportant and foreign consumer factors relatively important in FDI decision making
Suicide mortality trends in Galicia, Spain and their relationship with economic indicators

Background. Recent research has shown an association between unemployment and suicide, but the mediating factors in this relationship are still unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of unemployment and economic recession on suicide rates in the Spanish region of Galicia between 1975 and 2012 Method. We analysed age-standardised suicide rates in men and women and in four age groups: less than 25 years, 25–45 years, 45–65 years and more than 65 years and performed a joinpoint analysis to determine trend changes throughout 1975–2012 period. Also we analysed the association between suicide, recession and unemployment by means of a temporal trend model with a Generalised Additive Model. Results. Suicide rates increased from 145 suicides in 1975 to a high in 1993, with 377 deaths by suicide, representing 1.38% of all causes of death, and thereafter they tend to decrease to 335 suicides in 2012. Joinpoint analyses revealed that suicide rates changed differently across sex and age groups. For men, the annual percentage of change (APC) between 1975 and 1988 (CI 95% 1986–1994) was 5.45 (CI 95% = 3.5, −7.2) but from 1988 the APC became negative [−0.66 (CI 95% = −1.3, −0.1)]. For women, APC between 1974 and 1990 (CI 95% 1986–1992) was 4.86 (CI 95% = 3.2, −6.4) and −1.46 subsequently (CI 95% = −2.2, −0.5). Women aged 24 years or less showed stable suicide rates while men from 45–65 years showed two incidence peaks. When we studied the independent correlation between unemployment, recession and suicide, we found a significant association between unemployment and suicide, but not between recession and suicide for both sexes together and for men while for women there was no significant correlation between suicide and unemployment or recession. Finally, when we studied the effect of the interaction between unemployment and recession on suicide we found economic recession and unemployment interacted with regards to suicide rates (F = 5.902; df = 4.167; p = 0.00098) and after adjusting by sex, the effect was confirmed among men (F = 4.827; df = 2.823; p = 0.0087), but not among women (F = 0.001; df = 1.000; p = 0.979). Conclusions. Although suicide rates in Galicia are gradually decreasing in the last decades, there are important sex and age differences. Unemployment was related with suicide during economic recession periods according to our results.