Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary patterns and risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case–control study

Abstract Objective We conducted a hospital-based, case–control study to examine the association between dietary patterns and the risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Iran. Design A total of forty-seven patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and ninety-six controls underwent face-to-face interviews. Factor analysis was used to detect dietary patterns. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate OR and 95 % CI. Results We defined two major dietary patterns in this population: ‘healthy diet’ (high in vegetables, nuts, fruits, low-fat dairy and fish) and ‘western diet’ (high in solid oil, sugar, sweets, tea, eggs, pickles and processed meat). Both healthy and western pattern scores were divided into two categories (based on medians). Higher healthy pattern scores were significantly associated with decreased risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (high: second median v. low: first median, OR = 0·17, 95 % CI 0·19, 0·98). An increased risk of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma was observed with the western pattern (high: second median v. low: first median, OR = 10·13, 95 % CI 8·45, 43·68). Conclusions The results of the present study suggested that diet might be associated with oesophageal carcinoma.
A coupled subsample displacement estimation method for ultrasound-based strain elastography

Obtaining accurate displacement estimates along both axial (parallel to the acoustic beam) and lateral (perpendicular to the beam) directions is an important task for several clinical applications such as shear strain imaging, modulus reconstruction and temperature imaging, where a full description of the two or three-dimensional (2D/3D) deformation field is required. In this study we propose an improved speckle tracking algorithm where axial and lateral motion estimations are simultaneously performed to enhance motion tracking accuracy. More specifically, using conventional ultrasound echo data, this algorithm first finds an iso-contour in the vicinity of the peak correlation between two segments of the pre- and post-deformation ultrasound radiofrequency echo data. The algorithm then attempts to find the center of the iso-contour of the correlation function that corresponds to the unknown (sub-sample) motion vector between these two segments of echo data. This algorithm has been tested using computer-simulated data, studies with a tissue-mimicking phantom, and in vivo breast lesion data. Computer simulation results show that the method improves the accuracy of both lateral and axial tracking. Such improvements are more significant when the deformation is small or along the lateral direction. Results from the tissue-mimicking phantom study are consistent with findings observed in computer simulations. Using in vivo breast lesion data we found that, compared to the 2D quadratic subsample displacement estimation methods, higher quality axial strain and shear strain images (e.g. 18.6% improvement in contrast-to-noise ratio for shear strain images) can be obtained for large deformations (up to 5% frame-to-frame and 15% local strains) in a multi-compression technique. Our initial results demonstrated that this conceptually and computationally simple method could improve the image quality of ultrasound-based strain elastography with current clinical equipment.
Modulation of AMPA receptors by cAMP‐dependent protein kinase in PreBötzinger complex inspiratory neurons regulates respiratory rhythm in the rat

We hypothesize that phosphorylation of AMPA receptors or associated synaptic proteins modulates the excitability of respiratory neurons in the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC), affecting respiratory rhythm. Using neonatal rat medullary slices that spontaneously generate respiratory rhythm, we examined the role of the cAMP–PKA pathway (PKA:cAMP‐dependent protein kinase) in modulating glutamatergic synaptic transmission, the excitability of inspiratory neurons in the preBötC and respiratory rhythm. Microinjection of forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, into the preBötC with or without the phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3‐isobutyl‐1‐methylxanthine (IBMX), decreased the period (increased the frequency) of respiratory‐related rhythmic motor output in the hypoglossal nerve (XIIn) to 84 % (without IBMX) and to 72% (with IBMX) of the pre‐injection baseline. In the presence of MK‐801, a non‐competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, microinjection of forskolin plus IBMX decreased the period to 66% of baseline levels. Microinjection of Rp‐adenosine 3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphothioate (Rp‐cAMPS), a PKA inhibitor, increased the period to 145% of baseline levels. Concurrent microinjection of Rp‐cAMPS and forskolin had no effect on the period. Bath application of 7β‐deacetyl‐7β‐[γ‐(morpholino)butyryl]‐forskolin hydrochloride (7Db‐forskolin, a water‐soluble derivative of forskolin): (1) decreased the period to 67% of baseline levels without affecting the amplitude of integrated XIIn inspiratory discharge, (2) induced a tonic inward current of 29 pA and enhanced inspiratory drive current (the amplitude increased to 183% and the integral increased to 184% of baseline) in voltage‐clamped (holding potential =−60 mV) preBötC inspiratory neurons and (3) increased the frequency to 195 % and amplitude to 118% of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) during expiratory periods. Dideoxy‐forskolin did not have these effects. Intracellular perfusion with the catalytic subunit of PKA (cPKA) into preBötC inspiratory neurons progressively enhanced inspiratory drive currents and, in the presence of TTX, increased the inward currents induced by local ejection of AMPA; the latter currents were blocked by 1,2,3,4‐tetrahydro‐6‐nitro‐2,3‐dioxo‐benzo[f]quinoxaline‐7‐sulphonamide (NBQX, an AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist). The effects of cPKA were blocked by co‐application of PKA inhibitor (6–22) amide (PKI). These results suggest that phosphorylation of postsynaptic AMPA receptors through the cAMP–PKA pathway modulates both tonic and phasic excitatory amino acid synaptic transmission and excitability of inspiratory neurons in the preBötC and, therefore, regulates respiratory rhythm. Moreover, the basal level of endogenous PKA activity appears to be a determinant of resting respiratory frequency.
Ticlopidine and Antiplatelet Therapy

OBJECTIVE: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, and toxicity of ticlopidine. Comparisons with other antiplatelet agents are presented, with an emphasis on efficacy, and a recommendation is provided regarding ticlopidine's place in therapy. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE literature retrieval of English-language journal articles from 1987 to January 1993 and references identified from bibliographies of review articles and clinical trials. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized, blind, controlled studies of ticlopidine and other antiplatelet agents were preferentially selected. DATA EXTRACTION: Clinical trials were reviewed in terms of study design, efficacy results, and toxicity. DATA SYNTHESIS: Ticlopidine is a new antiplatelet agent with a distinct mechanism of action. In the largest trial of the drug for the prevention of stroke, it was found to be more effective than aspirin in reducing the risk of stroke or death. Clinical trials have also shown ticlopidine to decrease the rate of vascular death and myocardial infarction in patients with unstable angina, and to maintain venous graft patency after coronary artery bypass grafting. The use of ticlopidine in diabetic microangiopathy and peripheral vascular disease appears promising, but further studies are needed. Adverse reactions most commonly reported with ticlopidine are gastrointestinal complaints; the most severe reaction is transient neutropenia, which is seen in approximately 2.3 percent of patients and is severe in nearly 1 percent. CONCLUSIONS: Ticlopidine is a reasonable alternative for use in preventing stroke among patients unable to take aspirin or those who do not benefit from aspirin therapy. Its use as first-line therapy is limited by its high cost and the occurrence of hematologic adverse effects.
Optimal design of measurement-type current transformer using particle swarm optimization

In this paper a new approach based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) for measurement-type current transformer design has been proposed. This algorithm presents design parameters of current transformer in order to minimize ratio and phase displacement errors to 1.2 times of rated current and also construction cost. It has better performance in comparison with common methods of CT designing that are mainly based on trial and error. In this research, effects of burden change have been taken into consideration and finally, the rated burden of transformer to reach the expected measuring accuracy has been obtained. At the end, several current transformers with different rated values are designed using this method. Results show that the proposed approach can be used for optimal design of current transformer perfectly.
A New Approach for Multi-System/Sensor Decision Fusion Based on Joint Measures

This article describes the joint measures method as a new powerful method for the development of a high performance multi-sensor data/image fusion scheme at the decision level. The images are received from distributed multiple sensors, which sense the targets in different spectral bands including visible, infrared, thermal and microwave. At first, we study the decision fusion methods, including voting schemes, rank based algorithm, Bayesian inference, and the Dempster-Shafer method. Then, we extract the mathematical properties of multi-sensor local classification results and use them for modeling of the classifier performances by the two new measures, i.e. the plausibility and correctness. Then we establish the plausibility and correctness distribution vectors and matrices for introducing the two improvements of the Dempster-Shafer method, i.e. the DS (CM) and DS (PM) methods. After that we introduce the joint measures decision fusion method based on using these two measures jointly. The Joint Measures Method (JMM) can deal with any decision fusion problem in the case of uncertain local classifiers results as well as clear local classifiers results. Finally, we deploy the new and previous methods for the fusion of the two different sets of multispectral image classification local results and we also compare their reliabilities, the commission errors and the omission errors. The results obviously show that the DS (PM), DS (CM) and JMM methods which use the special properties of the local classifiers and classes, have much better accuracies and reliabilities than other methods. In addition, we show that the reliability of the JMM is at least 3% higher than all other methods.
Immunocytochemical Mapping of the Amidating Enzyme PAM in the Developing and Adult Mouse Lung

The enzyme PAM is required for activation of many peptide hormones. In adult mouse lung, immunostaining for PAM was located in Clara cells, which constitute most of the epithelial cells of the mouse bronchial/bronchiolar tree. Immunoreactivity appeared for the first time in the epithelium on gestational Day 16, being slight and mostly restricted to the apical cytoplasm. As the lung developed, the labeling became gradually stronger and extended throughout the cell. Smooth muscle of airways and blood vessels, and some parenchymal cells, probably macrophages, also showed PAM immunoreactivity. Of the two enzymatically active domains of PAM, only PHM and not PAL immunoreactivity was found at all stages studied. The early appearance of PAM in developing mouse lung, as well as its presence in a variety of tissues, probably indicates a complex role of this enzyme in pulmonary development and function.
Clinical significance of impaired relaxation pattern in middle-aged and elderly adults in the general population.

INTRODUCTION The prevalence of diastolic dysfunction in the general population is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of impaired relaxation pattern with normal ejection fraction (IRPNEF) in a population health survey and to analyze associated characteristics. METHODS This was a cross-sectional evaluation of 739 community participants aged 45 years or older, randomly selected from the general population. Subjects with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction < 45%), moderate or severe valvular disease or restrictive pattern were excluded, resulting in 653 individuals (age 61.4 +/- 10.3 years, 60.8% women). Diastolic dysfunction was classified according to transmitral inflow pulsed Doppler data. RESULTS Overall, 215 (32.9%) had impaired relaxation. IRPNEF was associated with older age (p < 0.001), arterial hypertension (p < 0.001), diabetes (p = 0.03), coronary artery disease (p = 0.006) and metabolic syndrome (p = 0.014). The echocardiographic characteristics associated with IRPNRF were LV hypertrophy (p < 0.001) and left atrial diameter index (p = 0.008). No relation was found between IRPNEF and the clinical syndrome of heart failure or increased BNP level. Nevertheless, exertion dyspnea was more prevalent among subjects with IRPNEF (p = 0.004). In stratified analysis, arterial hypertension, metabolic syndrome and echocardiographic LV hypertrophy were associated with IRPNEF in subjects younger than 65 years, but not in the elderly. Among younger subjects, in multivariate logistic regression analysis, hypertension was a significant predictor of IRPNEF even when adjusting for LV hypertrophy (OR 2.23 [95% CI 1.33-3.73]). CONCLUSIONS We found a high prevalence of IRPNEF in the general population, in most cases unaccompanied by overt heart failure. IRPNEF was associated with hypertension in younger subjects but not in the elderly, in agreement with the concept that in older subjects it represents a physiologic phenomenon. IRPNEF was not associated with neurohumoral activation.
The nucleolar phosphatase Cdc14B is dispensable for chromosome segregation and mitotic exit in human cells

In yeast, the protein phosphatase Cdc14 promotes chromosome segregation, mitotic exit, and cytokinesis by reversing M-phase phosphorylations catalyzed by Cdk1. A key feature of Cdc14 regulation is its sequestration within the nucleolus, which restricts its access to potential substrates for much of the cell cycle. Mammals also possess a nucleolar Cdc14 homolog, termed Cdc14B, but its roles during mitosis and cell division remain speculative. Here we analyze Cdc14B’s subcellular dynamics during mitosis and rigorously test its functional contributions to cell division through homozygous disruption of the Cdc14B locus in human somatic cells. While Cdc14B is initially released from nucleoli at the start of mitosis, the phosphatase quickly redistributes onto segregating sister chromatids during anaphase. This relocalization is mainly driven by Cdk1 inactivation, as pharmacologic inhibition of Cdk1 in prometaphase cells redirects Cdc14B onto chromosomes. However, in sharp contrast to yeast cdc14 mutants, human Cdc14BΔ/Δ cells were viable and lacked defects in spindle assembly, anaphase progression, mitotic exit, and cytokinesis, and continued to segregate ribosomal DNA repeats with near-normal proficiency. Our findings reveal substantial divergence in mitotic regulation between yeast and mammalian cells, as the latter possess efficient mechanisms for completing late M-phase events in the absence of a nucleolar Cdc14-related phosphatase.
Incorporating Movement Patterns to Improve Survival Estimates for Juvenile Bull Trout

Abstract Populations of many fish species are sensitive to changes in vital rates during early life stages, but our understanding of the factors affecting growth, survival, and movement patterns is often extremely limited for juvenile fish. These critical information gaps are particularly evident for bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, a threatened Pacific Northwest char. We combined several active and passive mark–recapture and resight techniques to assess migration rates and estimate survival for juvenile bull trout (70–170 mm total length). We evaluated the relative performance of multiple survival estimation techniques by comparing results from a common Cormack–Jolly–Seber (CJS) model, the less widely used Barker model, and a simple return rate (an index of survival). Juvenile bull trout of all sizes emigrated from their natal habitat throughout the year, and thereafter migrated up to 50 km downstream. With the CJS model, high emigration rates led to an extreme underestimate of apparent survival, a com.
Psych 204 Report : Bayesian Network Properties With Complex Network Topologies

Bayesian networks are a formalism for a subset of all probabilistic programs. We investigate some large bayesian networks already created as cognitive models, mostly MUNIN, a probabilistic model for the use of electromyography in diagnosis, in order to find whether the recurrent patterns of other complex networks, such as a skewed degree distribution and certain graph properties, appear. We have mixed results, and discuss cognitive implications.
Intervention with substance-abusing runaway adolescents and their families: results of a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES To examine the efficacy of 3 theoretically distinct interventions among substance-abusing runaway adolescents and to explore individual differences in trajectories of change. METHOD Adolescents (N = 179) between the ages of 12 and 17 were recruited from a runaway shelter in a midwestern city. The sample included 94 females (52.5%) and 85 males (47.5%); the majority of the adolescents were African American (n = 118, 65.9%). Adolescents were randomly assigned to the Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA, n = 57), Motivational Interviewing (MI, n = 61), or Ecologically-Based Family Therapy (EBFT, n = 61). Substance use was assessed at baseline, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months via Form 90 and urine screens. RESULTS Hierarchical linear modeling revealed statistically significant improvement in frequency of substance use among runaways in all 3 treatment groups, with a slight increase at posttreatment. Latent trajectory profile analysis explored individual differences in change trajectories and yielded a 3-class model. The majority of adolescents (n = 136, 76%) showed reductions in substance use over time, with a slight increase at follow-up (Class 1: Decreasing). Twenty-four (13.4%) adolescents had shown high levels of substance use over time with patterns of increase and decrease (Class 2: Fluctuating high users), and 19 (10.6%) decreased but returned to baseline levels by 2 years postbaseline (Class 3: U shaped). Few differences among treatment conditions were noted; within the "decreasing" group, adolescents in MI treatment showed a quicker decline in their substance use but a faster relapse compared with those receiving EBFT. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that CRA, EBFT, and MI are viable treatments for runaway substance-abusing adolescents.
Lower Bounds for thecd-index of Odd-dimensional Simplicial Manifolds

We obtain lower bounds on the coefficients of the cd -index of any (2k? 1)-dimensional simplicial manifold (or, more generally, any Eulerian Buchsbaum complex)? These bounds imply that many of the coefficients of the cd -index of such ? are positive and thatformula? denotes the reduced Euler characteristic ands0 , s1, . are reduced Betti numbers of ?
Superscalar processor with multi-bank register file

Register files in highly parallel superscalar processors tend to have large chip area and many access ports. This trend causes problems with chip-size, access time and power consumption. As one of the methods for solving these problems, we have proposed a multi-bank register file which realizes small area, high speed and low power consumption. We have proved effectiveness of this method by software simulation, and by detail designing it as synthesizable Verilog-HDL description with a full custom designed multi-bank register file. In this paper, we show the detail architecture of a superscalar processor with the multi-bank register file and its evaluation results.
Alternating radiation patterns in patch antennas based MIMO terminals

The analysis of MIMO schemes using antennas with different radiation patterns in an interleaved manner has been proposed. They demonstrated to be advantageous from the point of view on robustness when the scenario is changing as it is the case for mobile terminals. In this sense, they can be a simple alternative solution to the use of adaptive antenna. The required opposite radiation patterns can be easily obtained with patch antennas.
A hybrid framework for coordinated voltage control of power systems

Modeling and simulation of increasingly complex power systems is becoming more important for design, implementation and validation of power system on-line management. Current special-purpose tools are generally weak in the sense that they are mostly block-oriented and thus demand a huge amount of manual rewriting to get the equations into explicit form. Moreover, modification and examination of their encapsulated component models is very time-consuming and often practically impossible. This paper describes an efficient hybrid framework for modeling and simulation of power systems in the interest of coordinated voltage control and stability analysis using Modelica as a general-purpose object-oriented language. The proposed hybrid framework has been tested on a 12-bus power system. Simulation results show that the interaction between continuous dynamics of the power system and hybrid automata representing the discrete logical controllers and also nonlinear behavior of load dynamics can easily be studied in the proposed framework. On the other hand, the high speed of the simulator allows any coordinated control strategy to be effectively verified as countermeasure to arrest voltage collapse.
Generation of cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific CD4 T cell lines devoid of alloreactivity, by use of a mixture of CMV-phosphoprotein 65 peptides for reconstitution of the T helper repertoire.

BACKGROUND CD8 cells specific for cytomegalovirus (CMV) provide valuable support in immunocompromised patients. Recent studies have focused on the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) lines by use of new biotechnological techniques. Yet CD4 cells have been neglected, even though they contribute to the persistence of adoptively transferred CTLs. METHODS We identified novel T helper (Th) peptides recognized by CD4 cells on the immunodominant protein pp65. These peptides were used as a mixture to generate CD4 cell lines. RESULTS The peptide library, which, theoretically, is recognized by 85% of white individuals on the basis of the frequency of the relevant human leukocyte antigen class II alleles, was stimulatory for 82% of pp65 responders. T cell lines generated by use of the pool recognized protein antigens. Selection for CMV-specific cells resulted in rapid depletion of allospecific T cells. Selection with individual peptides allowed further selection against potential cross-alloreactivity. Cultured CD4 cells showed no signs of functional senescence. CD4 cells activated by use of a Th peptide helped expand CMV-specific CTLs. CONCLUSIONS By use of a simple procedure, an immunodominant peptide library can generate T cell lines from allodonors, for the perspective reconstitution of the Th repertoire in immunocompromised hemopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients.