Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Over 10,000 Cases Finds No Association between Previously Reported Candidate Polymorphisms and Ovarian Cancer Outcome

Background: Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women. In an effort to understand contributors to disease outcome, we evaluated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) previously associated with ovarian cancer recurrence or survival, specifically in angiogenesis, inflammation, mitosis, and drug disposition genes. Methods: Twenty-seven SNPs in VHL, HGF, IL18, PRKACB, ABCB1, CYP2C8, ERCC2, and ERCC1 previously associated with ovarian cancer outcome were genotyped in 10,084 invasive cases from 28 studies from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium with over 37,000-observed person-years and 4,478 deaths. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between candidate SNPs and ovarian cancer recurrence or survival with and without adjustment for key covariates. Results: We observed no association between genotype and ovarian cancer recurrence or survival for any of the SNPs examined. Conclusions: These results refute prior associations between these SNPs and ovarian cancer outcome and underscore the importance of maximally powered genetic association studies. Impact: These variants should not be used in prognostic models. Alternate approaches to uncovering inherited prognostic factors, if they exist, are needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(5); 987–. ©2013 AACR.
Molecular genetic analysis among subspecies of two Eurasian sturgeon species, Acipenser baerii and A. stellatus

Two species, the Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii, and stellate sturgeon, A. stellatus, were studied using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (D‐loop, cytochrome b (cyt‐b) and ND5/6 genes) sequencing to determine whether traditionally defined subspecies correspond to taxonomic entities and conservation management units. Initially, several mtDNA regions for each taxon (A. baerii: 737 bp D‐loop, 750 bp ND5, 200 bp ND6, and 790 bp cyt‐b;A. stellatus: 737 bp D‐loop and 600 bp ND5) were examined. The D‐loop was the most variable region and was sequenced for 35 A. baerii and 82 A. stellatus individuals. No fixed, diagnostic differences were found between any of the subspecies. Geographical structuring of haplotypes was observed within A. baerii, and gene flow estimates suggest isolation of the A. baerii baicalensis subspecies and the Yenisie and Lena River populations. No intraspecific subdivisioning was found within the genetic data for A. stellatus. The use of the phylogenetic criterion (fixed diagnostic differences) for identifying conservation units is compared to the rationale and results of other methods. Overall, morphologically and geographically based subspecies designations within Acipenseridae may not directly correspond to the biological entities appropriate for management and should not be used for conservation programmes without genetic support.
Extensible Endoprostheses for Bone Tumors of the Proximal Femur in Children

Between 1983 and 1996, nine children were treated with extensible endoprosthetic replacements of the proximal femur after resection of primary bone tumors. Four patients died of their disease. The remaining five patients were observed for an average follow-up period of 7.6 years. In these five patients, the authors performed an average of 10.2 operations per patient, including five lengthenings and a mean total extension of 69.7 mm per patient. Acetabular loosening and hip dislocations were the most frequent complications. Only two patients have not had a revision or a major complication. Despite this, four children are alive with a functioning lower limb and a mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society functional score of 77.6%. Extensible endoprosthesis of the proximal femur is a viable alternative to hip disarticulation and in selected children offers an opportunity for near-normal development of the lower limb by allowing equalization of limb length and the ability to walk without the use of mobility aids.
Cosmic gravitational-wave background: Limits from millisecond pulsar timing.

We use seven years of millisecond pulsar-timing data to derive rigorous upper bounds on a cosmic gravitational-wave background. The energy density per logarithmic frequency interval near {ital f}=0.14 yr{sup {minus}1} must be {lt}9{times}10{sup {minus}8} (68% confidence), or {lt}4{times}10{sup {minus}7} (95% confidence) of the density required to close the Universe. We detect a red-noise signal in the residuals for one pulsar. Its spectrum appears flatter than the {ital f}{sup {minus}5} power law expected for a gravity-wave background; likely noise sources include changes in the interstellar medium and pulsar rotational instabilities.
Mutational analysis of the FIGLA gene in women with idiopathic premature ovarian failure

ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to identify the association of FIGLA (factor in the germ line &agr;) gene variants with premature ovarian failure (POF) in the Indian population. MethodsTwo hundred nineteen women with idiopathic POF and 230 healthy controls were recruited for this study. All exons, intron-exon boundaries, and untranslated regions of the FIGLA gene were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. All FIGLA variants were analyzed in silico, using PolyPhen, SIFT, MutationTaster, PMUT, I-Mutant, Mupro, Align-GVGD, PROVEAN, and HOPE software, to predict pathogenicity and changes in protein stability. ResultsSeven different FIGLA variants were detected among women with POF. Two exon 3 variants, c.427G→C and c.557C→T, showed strong association between cases and controls (P = 0.02 and P = 0.02, respectively). Significant differences in both of these variants were observed between cases and controls in genotype and dominant models. No significant difference between controls and women with POF was found on haplotype analysis. A nonsynonymous variant, p.(Arg83Cys), was found only in POF cases. Variant p.(Arg83Cys) lies in the functional domain of the FIGLA gene (basic helix-loop-helix), and protein alignments reveal that it is highly conserved among mammals. In silico analysis suggests the functional involvement of p.(Arg83Cys) and p.(Ser141Thr) variants in POF pathogenesis. ConclusionsWe have established a strong association between FIGLA gene variants and POF in Indian women, which may be a potential genetic risk factor in the development of idiopathic POF. However, further independent genetic and functional studies are necessary to confirm our findings.
“A Safe Way to Explore”

Internet use provides a vital opportunity for sexual-minority youth to learn about sexual desires and pursue partnerships otherwise publically stigmatized. Researchers, however, have portrayed the Internet as an inherently risky venue for HIV or sexually transmitted infection (STI) transmission among young gay men (YGM). We therefore investigated how YGM use the Internet during adolescence and emerging adulthood. In the course of 34 in-depth, semistructured interviews with a sample of self-identified YGM, 18 to 24 years of age, we inquired about initial experiences of online dating. We found that YGM benefit online through exploration of their sexual identities, while simultaneously encountering and negotiating sources of risk. In examining YGM’s perceptions of risk, we hope to reach a greater understanding of the opportunities for HIV prevention and health promotion among YGM.
Microarray analysis of postmortem temporal cortex from patients with schizophrenia

To examine molecular mechanisms associated with schizophrenia this study measured expression of approximately 12,000 genes in the middle temporal gyrus from 12 subjects with schizophrenia and 14 matched normal controls. Among the most consistent changes in genes with robust expression were significant decreases in the expression of myelination‐related genes MAG, PLLP (TM4SF11), PLP1, ERBB3 in subjects with schizophrenia. There was also altered expression of genes regulating neurodevelopment (TRAF4, Neurod1, histone deacetylase 3), a circadian pacemaker (PER1), and several other genes involved in regulation of chromatin function and signaling mechanisms. These findings support the hypothesis that schizophrenia is associated with abnormalities in oligodendroglia and provide initial evidence suggesting a role for epigenetic mechanisms and altered circadian rhythms in this disorder. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Incorporación de n-gramas discriminativos para mejorar un reconocedor de idioma fonotáctico basado en i-vectores

Este articulo describe una nueva tecnica que permite combinar la informacion de dos sistemas fonotacticos distintos con el objetivo de mejorar los resultados de un sistema de reconocimiento automatico de idioma. El primer sistema se basa en la creacion de cuentas de posteriorgramas utilizadas para la generacion de i-vectores, y el segundo es una variante del primero que tiene en cuenta los n-gramas mas discriminativos en funcion de su ocurrencia en un idioma frente a todos los demas. La tecnica propuesta permite obtener una mejora relativa de 8.63% en Cavg sobre los datos de evaluacion utilizados para la competicion ALBAYZIN 2012 LRE.
Extraction and separation of titanium(IV) with D2EHPA and PC-88A from aqueous perchloric acid solutions

The liquid-liquid extraction of Ti(IV) from perchlorate media using, di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) and 2-ethylhexyl prosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (PC-88A) in toluene as the extractant was studied. Quantitative extraction of Ti(IV) was observed in the lower acidity range of 0.01 to 0.1 mol dm - 3 with 0.003 mol dm - 3 D2EHPA and 0.01 mol dm - 3 PC-88A in toluene, respectively, and in the higher acidity range of 9.0 to 10.0 mol dm - 3 with 0.1 mol dm - 3 D2EHPA and PC-88A in toluene. Ti(IV) was completely stripped from the metal loaded organic phase of both the extractants with 3% H 2 O 2 in 1 M H 2 SO 4 and determined spectrophotometrically. The stoichiometry of the extracted species was determined on the basis of slope analysis. The extraction in the lower acidity range was found to proceed by a cation-exchange mechanism with the extracted species being TiOR 2 2HR, while in the higher acidity range it was by solvation with the extracted species being Ti(OH) 3 ClO 4 . 4HR. Separation of Ti(IV) was also carried out from some associated metals like Fe(III), Al(III), V(V), Ce(IV), Mg(II) and Mn(II). The developed methods were extended for the detemination of Ti(IV) in real samples like ilmenite, magnetite and red mud in order to show the practical utility of the extractants.
An Approximate Algorithm for Min‐Based Possibilistic Networks

Min‐based (or qualitative) possibilistic networks are important tools to efficiently and compactly represent and analyze uncertain information. Inference is a crucial task in min‐based networks, which consists of propagating information through the network structure to answer queries. Exact inference computes posteriori possibility distributions, given some observed evidence, in a time proportional to the number of nodes of the network when it is simply connected (without loops). On multiply connected networks (with loops), exact inference is known as a hard problem. This paper proposes an approximate algorithm for inference in min‐based possibilistic networks. More precisely, we adapt the well‐known approximate algorithm Loopy Belief Propagation (LBP) on qualitative possibilistic networks. We provide different experimental results that analyze the convergence of possibilistic LBP.
Bangladesh J . Genet Pl . Breed . , 21 ( 1 ) : 01-06 , 2008 MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF FIVE SELECTED BRINJAL ( Solanum melongena L ) GENOTYPES USING SSR MARKERS

Five brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) genotypes were selected for characterization using Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers. All the genotypes showed considerable variation in respect of morphological, anatomical and biochemical aspects. For study of relatedness, plant genomic DNA was extracted by CTAB based method using 11 randomly selected primers produced from Calgene Inc. USA. The primers developed 22 bands through PCR amplification out of which 15 from 3 primers and were polymorphic. Genetic similarities of SSR profiles were estimated based on Jaccard’s coefficient value. The dendrogram generated two clusters and they were clearly distinct and separated from each other. Cluster-I consisted of genotypes TURBO and BL009; and cluster-II comprised of genotypes EG058, EG075 and ISD006. Genotype TURBO and BL009 were identified as the diverse genotype and showed a maximum of 17% dissimilarity from EG058, EG075 and ISD006. The similarity value ranged from 0.83 to 1.00 which indicated the presence of narrow range of genetic diversity at molecular level but have still a possibility of crossing among the genotypes of two clusters. The banding pattern of different genotypes could be utilized as reference for further comparisons.
Climatic and landscape correlates for potential West Nile virus mosquito vectors in the Seattle region

ABSTRACT Climatic and landscape patterns have been associated with both relative mosquito abundance and transmission of mosquitoborne illnesses in many parts of the world, especially warm and tropical climes. To determine if temperature, precipitation, or degree of urbanization were similarly important in the number of potential mosquito vectors for West Nile virus in the moderately temperate climate of western Washington, mosquitoes were collected using CDC carbondioxide/light traps set throughout the Seattle region during the summers of 2003 and 2004. The type and abundance of recovered species were compared to ecological correlates. Temperature and mosquito abundance were positively correlated, while precipitation was not strongly correlated with numbers of mosquitoes. Potential WNV mosquito vectors were most abundant in urban and suburban sites, including sites near communal roosts of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos). Exurban sites had the greatest vector species diversity, and Culex pipiens was the most abundant species throughout the region.
Advance care planning in residential care.

BACKGROUND To provide optimal care for our ageing population, some form of advance care planning (ACP) is essential. Overseas data suggest that the process of ACP and the use of advance care directives (ACD) is suboptimal in residential care institutions. By comparison there are few Australian data. AIM To study the process of ACP and the prevalence of ACD in residential care. METHODS Cross-sectional study using a questionnaire in the Hunter area, NSW, Australia. RESULTS Very low levels of formal advance directives were found (available for only 0.2%). Only 1.1% of residents had 'no-CPR' orders documented in the medical record, while 5.6% had a formal guardian and 2.8% had an enduring guardian. Informal processes of advance planning were much more prevalent. Sixty-five per cent had a 'person responsible' recorded to make decisions for them while in 13% of cases, there was 'staff consensus' as to the optimal care for the patient. However, in 10.6% there was no clear process for medical decision making identified. CONCLUSIONS Advanced directives are infrequently used in residential care. Further qualitative and quantitative studies are warranted to explore current processes of decision making.
Multiscale nonlocal means method for ultrasound despeckling

Speckle noise is inherent in ultrasound imaging where it causes reduced contrast resolution and degrades the detectability of small structures. In this paper we propose a real-time multiscale despeckling filter based on the recently proposed Nonlocal Means (NL-means) filter. Our proposed despeckling method applies a cascade of NL-means filters from fine to coarse scale. It has been tested using an optimized OpenCL GPU implementation. We apply the filter to the US image prior to scan conversion to allow a more uniform filter response and better adaption to the point spread function of the imaging system. The filter compares favourably to other state-of-the-art methods according to three quantitative image measures on a simulated ultrasound image. On real ultrasound images the filter achieved good smoothing of speckle, while preserving small and low contrast features. The running time is between 10-20 ms on typical image sizes using a mid-range GPU.
Physiological and Biomechanical Fatigue Responses in Karate: A Case Study

Knowledge of the fatigue process in karate sport is essential to improve the performance of top athletes. The physiological and biomechanical behavior during the Karate Specific Aerobic Test (KSAT) fatigue protocol in karate was investigated. PCR, lactate, glucose and cortisol were collected before and after the fatigue protocol application in karate, besides that, and heart rate and technical speed were measured. The results indicated increase in C protein reactive (60%), creatine kinase (25%), cortisol (30%), lactate dehydrogenase (90.9%) and decrease in glucose (21.2%). The maximum speed was: in kizami zuki, 5.75 ± 0.31 m/s; in mawashi geri, 9.0 ± 0.24 m/s, in gyako zuki, 7.23 ± 0.54 m/s and in kizami mawashi geri, 6 ± 0.34 m/s. The mean time for each set was 2.99 ± 0.17 s. There was reduction in speed and duration of set for all techniques, especially in the final sets (p
Isolation and analysis of the genes for cytochrome c oxidase in Paracoccus denitrificans

Synthetic oligonucleotide probes were used to clone two loci from the chromosomal DNA of Paracoccus denitrificans that contain the genes for cytochrome c oxidase (cytochrome aa3). One locus seems to contain four or five genes probably forming an operon. Two of these code for the oxidase subunits II and III. Three open reading frames are found between the COII and COIII genes. The other locus codes for the subunit I. A short open reading frame is found upstream of this gene. All three subunits of the Paracoccus enzyme show remarkable homology to the corresponding subunits of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase. Possible protein products of the open reading frames have not yet been identified.
Equipment Note MUPRO: A MULTIPURPOSE ROBOT

The aim of this article was to describe an apparatus, called multipurpose neck robot (MUPRO), designed to record both the forces exerted at head level and the head rotations in the horizontal plane in the behaving monkey. It consists of a mechanical device, comprising a cardan joint, a potentiometer, an electromagnetic brake, and four flexion load cells, plus an oleodynamic system allowing head rotation in the horizontal plane between - 20° These components are assembled on a column bolted to the primate s chair. An electrical device provides DC power for the potentiometer and the brake. The apparatus enables us to measure both the force fields and the head movements during training sessions and electrophysiological investigations.
Gaussian Mixture Models Clustering using Markov Random Field for Multispectral Remote Sensing Images

Multispectral images provide detailed data with information in both the spatial and spectral domains. Many clustering methods for multispectral images are based on a per-pixel classification, while uses only spectral information and ignores spatial information. In this work, a new clustering algorithm for multispectral images, based on both spectral and spatial information, is presented. This algorithm is integrated with generalized mixture Gaussian model (GMM) and Markov random field (MRF). The number of clusters is automatically identified by using the pseudolikelihood information criterion (PLIC). We examine the behavior of this model when applied to multispectral remote sensing images
Towards an improved resolution of radiotherapy, scheduling

In any cancer treatment, waiting times are critical, the faster you treat, the more effective the treatment is. Minimizing waiting times is especially difficult in the context of radiotherapy where material and human resources are usually scarce. Although healthcare scheduling is extensively documented, few studies have addressed the specific radiotherapy problem. In this paper we develop an integer linear optimization of a non-block scheduling strategy to improve existing models accuracy. After analyzing the weakness of the previous works, we suggest a new mathematical model, which better fits the reality. First we increase the planning horizon to ensure efficiency over several weeks then we take into account several new constraints such as critical human resources and protocol-dependant constraints while using near real-life data from the studied hospital. Results achieved show an improvement of radiotherapy treatment room utilization, a higher number of patients treated along with a decrease in patient waiting times.
Indirect magnetic field directional method of Brushless doubly-fed machine with wish reluctance rotor based on slip frequency rotating frame

The active and reactive components of the power winding current were controlled by the control winding current, which could make power winding current only providing active current component, and the power winding supplying the dynamic torque. The exciting field for the power winding was completely provided by the control winding. On the basis of dq-rotating reference frame of brushless doubly-fed machine (BDFM), the mathematical model was put forward based on the slip frequency rotating reference frame. The indirect magnetic field directional method of BDFM was put forward based on the mathematical model of BDFM in slip frequency rotating reference frame. The contrast of simulation results between indirect magnetic field directional control method and V/f (voltage ratio frequency) method indicates that the performance of this vector control method has exceeded the V/f control method.
Intraoperative Electrophysiologic Identification of the Nervus Intermedius

Objective: Although enormous attention has been directed to the localization and preservation of the facial nerve in acoustic neuroma surgery, the nervus intermedius has largely been ignored. In this article, we describe a method for intraoperative electrophysiologic identification of the nervus intermedius. Study Design: Retrospective case review. Setting: University hospital (tertiary care center). Patients: Thirty-three patients who underwent intraoperative facial nerve monitoring for various cerebellopontine angle procedures. Recording electrodes were placed in the orbicularis oculi and orbicularis oris muscles. A constant-voltage stimulator was used to stimulate both the facial nerve and the nervus intermedius. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measure: Electrophysiologic response after stimulation of the nervus intermedius. Results: Stimulation of the nervus intermedius produced long-latency, low-amplitude response recorded only on the orbicularis oris channel. The response had a mean threshold 0.4 V, a mean latency of 11.1 ms, and a mean amplitude of 11.1 μV, all significantly different from responses to stimulation the facial nerve. Conclusion: Knowledge of electrophysiologic features of nervus intermedius stimulation can help protect the facial nerve during cerebellopontine angle surgery. The surgeon must recognize that stimulation of the nervus intermedius can cause electromyographic activity in the facial nerve monitoring channels, but the main trunk of the facial nerve may lie in entirely different location in the cerebellopontine angle.