Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adjuvant PSK Immunotherapy in Patients with Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx

A controlled study using adjuvant PSK immunotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma was initiated with the aim of improving survival by enhancing the host immune system against tumour cells. A total of 38 patients were randomly selected, all of whom had previously received radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Eight patients in the PSK immunotherapy group (n=21) developed local recurrence, three of whom later died due to distant metastasis. In the control group (n=17) three patients developed local recurrence while six patients developed distant metastasis. All of these six patients later died due to disease progression. It seems that PSK exerts its antitumour effect systemically; the risk of distant metastasis occurring is decreased, but it is apparently ineffective in improving local disease control. The estimated median survival time of the PSK-treated group compared with the control was significantly increased (35 months versus 25 months, P=0.043). The 5-year survival rate was also significantly better in the PSK immunotherapy group (28% versus 15%, P=0.043). It is concluded that PSK deserves careful consideration as an important immunotherapeutic agent in the management of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Continuous noninvasive real‐time monitoring of stroke volume and cardiac output by thoracic electrical bioimpedance

Thoracic electrical bioimpedance (TEB) is a noninvasive method for the estimation of left ventricular stroke volume (SV). Objections to TEB in the past have included systematic overestimation of SV and cardiac output in normals, poor correlation in absolute terms with standard cardiac output reference techniques, motion and ventilation artifacts which distorted recorded waveforms except when patients remained in apnea during measurements, and lack of a computer to yield rapid beat-to-beat quantitation of SV and cardiac output. The present study entails real-time, beat-to-beat cardiac output determinations using TEB and assessing its agreement via a digital computer against a reference standard, thermodilution. A correlation coefficient of 0.88 is reported with 85% of data points falling within 20% confidence limits on either side of the line of identity.
Monolithically integrated filter-free wavelength converter with widely tunable double-ring resonator coupled laser

A filter-free widely tunable wavelength converter was developed by monolithically integrating a tunable laser based on a double-ring resonator and an optical gate based on a parallel amplifier structure. Wavelength conversion for a 10-Gbit/s NRZ signal is also demonstrated, tunable over a 40-nm range.
Selective cannabinoid-1 receptor blockade significantly benefits fatty acid and triglyceride 1 metabolism in weight-stable nonhuman primates 2

34 The goal of this study was to determine whether administration of the CB1-cannabinoid receptor 35 antagonist, rimonabant, would alter fatty acid flux in non-human primates. Five adult baboons (Papio 36 Sp), aged 12.1 ± 4.7y (body weight: 31.9 ± 2.1 kg) underwent repeated metabolic tests to determine fatty 37 acid and TG flux before and after 7 wks of treatment with rimonabant (15 mg/d). Animals were fed ad 38 libitum diets and stable isotopes were administered via diet (d31-tripalmitin) and intravenously (C439 palmitate, C1-acetate). Plasma was collected in the fed and fasted states and blood lipids analyzed by 40 GC/MS. DEXA was used to assess body composition and a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp used to 41 assess insulin-mediated glucose disposal. During the study, no changes were observed in food intake, 42 body weight, plasma and tissue endocannabinoid concentrations, or the quantity of liver-TG fatty acids 43 originating from de novo lipogenesis (19 ± 6% vs 16 ± 5%, for preand post-treatment respectively, 44 P=0.39). However, waist circumference was significantly reduced 4% in the treated animals (P<0.04), 45 glucose disposal increased 30% (P=0.03), and FFA turnover increased 37% (P=0.02). The faster FFA 46 flux was consistent with a 43% reduction in these fatty acids used for TRL-TG synthesis (40 ± 3% vs 23 47 ± 4%, P=0.02) and 2-fold increase in TRL-TG turnover (1.5 ± 0.9 vs 3.1 ± 1.4 μmol/kg/h, P=0.03). 48 These data support the potential for a strong effect of CB1 receptor antagonism at the level of adipose 49 tissue resulting in improvements in fasting turnover of fatty acids at the whole body level, central adipose 50 storage, and significant improvements in glucose homeostasis. 51 52
A new decentralized voltage control scheme of an autonomous microgrid under unbalanced and nonlinear load conditions

This paper presents an effective voltage control strategy for the autonomous operation of a medium voltage (MV) microgrid under nonlinear and unbalanced load conditions. The main objectives of this strategy are to effectively compensate the harmonic and negative-sequence currents of nonlinear and unbalanced loads using distributed generation (DG) units. The proposed control strategy consists of a multi-proportional resonant controller (MPRC) whose parameters are assigned with particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The optimization function is defined to minimize the tracking error at the specific harmonics considering the stability limitations. In this paper the performance of the proposed controller is investigated for a single DG unit. Due to the fact that DG units can be decentralized, this strategy generalizes for multi-DG unit networks. The performance of the proposed control scheme is verified by using digital time-domain simulation studies in the PSCAD/EMTDC software environment.
Unknown object grasping using statistical pressure models

Grasping is one of the most fundamental and challenging tasks in robotics. Applications range from space missions (e.g., collection of rock samples) to industrial automation. In this work, we use a camera mounted on the end-effector of a manipulator to grasp an unknown object in the workspace. A novel deformable contour model is used to determine plausible grasp axes of the target object. Potential grasp point pairs are generated, ranked based upon measurements taken from the contour, and a vision-guided grasp of the object using the highest ranked grasp point pair is executed. Several experimental results are presented.
Intranasal administration of gentamicin in human subjects

The effectiveness of gentamicin administered by the intranasal route in healthy human volunteers was studied. Thirty minutes after gentamicin in a solution of 1% sodium glycocholate was administered at 2 mg/kg of body weight, gentamicin concentrations of 2.48 +/- 0.42 mg/ml were present in the sera. Serum concentrations decreased to 0.94 +/- 0.13 mg/ml at 180 min. No serious side effects were observed. There was slight local irritation after a single dose. When administered intranasally without glycocholate, gentamicin was not present in the sera in detectable amounts.
Concurrent lingual thyroid and undescended thyroglossal duct thyroid without orthotopic thyroid gland

Thyroglossal duct cyst and lingual thyroid are two common anomalies of thyroid gland development. Each may occur without the thyroid gland in the normal anatomic position, although the association of these three anomalies together is rare. Ectopic thyroid may function abnormally, and this determination can help guide surgical management. Therefore, early evaluation by an endocrinologist is an important part of the therapeutic approach. We report on the presentation and management of a 14‐year‐old girl with multiple foci of thyroid ectopia, absent orthotopic thyroid gland, and hypothyroidism. Laryngoscope, 2009
Evidence for Involvement of HMGB1 Protein in Human DNA Mismatch Repair*

Defects in human DNA mismatch repair predispose to cancer, but many components of the pathway have not been identified. We report here the identification and characterization of a novel component required for mismatch repair in human cells. A 30-kDa protein was purified to homogeneity by virtue of its ability to complement a depleted HeLa extract in repair of mismatched heteroduplexes. The complementing activity was identified as HMGB1 (the high mobility group box 1 protein), a non-histone chromatin protein that facilitates protein-protein interactions and recognizes DNA damage. Evidence is also presented that HMGB1 physically interacts with MutSα and is required at a step prior to the excision of mispaired nucleotide in mismatch repair.
Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy with Conventional Instruments: A Surgeon's Initial Experience

Purpose: Since the early 1990s, laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the gold standard for cholecystectomy. Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) is a rapidly evolving field as a bridge between traditional laparoscopic surgery and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic. The results are presented here of a single surgeon’s initial experience with single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy with conventional laparoscopic instruments through his first 11 cases. Materials and Methods: A single curved intra-umbilical 25-mm incision was made by pulling out the umbilicus. A 12-mm trocar was placed through an open approach, and the abdominal cavity was explored with a 10-mm laparoscope. One 10-mm and one 5-mm port were inserted laterally from the laparoscope port. Dissection was performed using a dissector, which was not articulated. The gallbladder was investigated with an Endograsper, which was not articulated either. The hilum was dissected, and the cystic duct and artery were clipped and divided. Results: The patients are comprised of 9 females and 2 males with a mean age of 43.3 years and mean body mass index (BMI) of 27.6 kg/m2. Open cholecystectomy was not required. The mean operative time was 69.9 min. Length of stay was only one day. All procedures were completed successfully without any perioperative or postoperative complications. In all cases, there was no need to extend the skin incision. Postoperative follow-up did not reveal any umbilical wound complications. The cosmetic results were scored as excellent by all patients. Conclusion: These results suggest that single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy is feasible, safe and effective and a promising alternative method to four-port and SILS-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy and as scarless abdominal surgery for the treatment of some patients with gallbladder disease with standard laparoscopic instruments.
Selection of Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus with Ciprofloxacin and Trovafloxacin

Resistance to ciprofloxacin in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus emerges more rapidly than to ofloxacin, levofloxacin, or sparfloxacin (1, 2). We compared emergence of resistance to trovafloxacin with that to ciprofloxacin.
Application of meta-film surface impedance to equivalent transmission line model of meta-surface for scattering analysis

The basic design and analysis of scattering properties of meta-surfaces are usually performed by a transmission line model. The main idea is the decomposition of a periodic structure into a frequency selective surface(FSS) or a meta-film and dielectric slab as a spacing medium between the FSS and a ground plane. Hence, how precisely obtain the scattering property of the FSS is one of essential points. This paper modifies a surface impedance expression of the FSS composed of square patch array so as to enable us to apply for general case, and incorporates it into the equivalent transmission line model of the meta-surface. The effectiveness of the proposed model is numerically confirmed by comparing with the FDTD calculation.
Growth Profile and Toxigenicity of Bacillus cereus in Ready-to-eat Food Products of Animal Origin

The growth profile of Bacillus cereus in ready-to-eat (RTE) food products of animal origin was examined under different temperature and incubation conditions. In sandwiches and Kimbab, B. cereus did not grow or exhibited only minimal growth at 4 and 10 C, but it grew rapidly at ambient temperature. In sandwiches, B. cereus did not grow efficiently at 25 C, however, in ham, the main ingredient of sandwiches, B. cereus growth was observed at the same temperature, with bacterial levels reaching 7.94 Log CFU/g after incubation for 24 h at 25 C. Toxigenicity of B. cereus was observed only at temperatures above 25 C. In Kimbab, B. cereus produced toxin after 9 h at 30 C and after 12 h at 25 C. Ingredients of sandwiches and Kimbab were collected from 3 different Korean food-processing companies to investigate the source of contamination by B. cereus. Among the 13 tested food items, 6 items including ham were found to be contaminated with B. cereus. Of these ingredients, B. cereus isolates from 3 items produced enterotoxins. None of these isolates harbored the emetic toxin-producing gene. The findings of the present study can be used for risk assessments of food products, including ham and cheese, contaminated with B. cereus.
Point-Source Irradiation with Eccentric Rotation Causes Inhomogeneous Dose Distribution

Abstract Hafer, K. , Scuric, Z. , Iwamoto, K. S. and Schiestl, R. H. Point-Source Irradiation with Eccentric Rotation Causes Inhomogeneous Dose Distribution. Radiat. Res. 165, 616–620 (2006). Radioactive point sources are regularly used for irradiating cell culture and other biological materials. Eccentric rotation is often used to minimize dose disparities that arise from irradiating samples that span a distance from the point source. Rotation provides a great improvement in dose homogeneity compared to inert irradiation yet still presents an obvious shortcoming for exposures in which the sample completes only partial rotation or fractional rotation. In such cases, certain areas of the sample have a closer average distance to the radiation source than other areas within the same sample. This obstacle can be partially overcome by adjusting rotation speed so the sample traverses a full rotation (or multiple thereof) throughout the total irradiation time. Here we investigate the effects of irradiation with eccentric rotation on dose homogeneity. We show that due to the inverse square law that governs dose, even exposures with full rotation result in inhomogeneous dose distributions. This dose inhomogeneity can be substantial, especially for large samples and small source– sample distances. We observed a 33% difference in survival across 100-mm dishes and a 400% difference for 150-mm dishes. The dose inhomogeneity inherent to eccentric rotation increases the actual average dose delivered across the sample compared to that delivered at sample center. We offer a table of correction factors that account for this dose increase and correct the dose delivered at center to the actual average dose delivered across the entire sample.
Distributed event-triggered flocking control of nonlinear multi-agent systems

In this paper, the problem of nonlinear multi-agent flocking systems with a virtual leader is studied. To save the limited communication bandwidth, a distributed event-triggered mechanism is introduced in the multi-agent flocking framework. The event-triggered flocking model is proposed, in which both the velocity and position information of the multi-agent system are used in the event triggered mechanism. A criterion is presented to ensure the considered multi-agent system with a switching network topology to be asymptotically stable without collision. The design method of the event-triggered mechanism is provided. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Pre-Evaluation and System Optimization of the Elecsys® Thyroid Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassays

Abstract We present the results of a pre-evaluation of the thyroid function test free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine and third generation TSH using the Elecsys® electrochemiluminescence immunoassay system. A collaborative field study between the development center of the manufacturer and a clinical chemistry laboratory addressed the reliability and comparability of the new Elecsys® assays to established methods under clinical laboratory conditions using samples from routine in vitro thyroid testing. Preliminary (reference) formulations of the reagents and several electrochemiluminescent pilot models were used for assay measurements, either in the company's research center or in the clinical setting. The new thyroid assays were compared with the respective Enzymun-Test® assays, performed on the ES 300 automated immunoassay analyzer. A WHO standard was used for standardization of TSH, whereas an equilibrium dialysis method was applied for free triiodothyronine. The free thyroxine assay was standardized against the Enzymun-Test® free thyroxine assay, which had previously been calibrated against equilibrium dialysis. The aim of this field study was to support the optimization of the technology used for Elecsys® in an early stage of development and thereby prepare the ground for the adaptation of the immunoassays to the final Elecsys® 2010 random access analyzer. A subsequent multicenter evaluation demonstrated that the requirements of routine thyroid testing in terms of reliability were fulfilled by the system.
Change in subgingival microbial profiles in adult periodontitis subjects receiving either systemically-administered amoxicillin or metronidazole.

AIM The current investigation evaluated changes in levels and proportions of 40 bacterial species in subgingival plaque samples during, immediately after and up to 1 year after metronidazole or amoxicillin therapy combined with SRP. METHOD After baseline clinical and microbiological monitoring, 17 adult periodontitis subjects received full mouth SRP and 14 days systemic administration of either metronidazole (250 mg, TID, n=8) or amoxicillin (500 mg, TID, n=9). Clinical measurements including % of sites with plaque, gingival redness, bleeding on probing and suppuration, pocket depth (PD) and attachment level (AL) were made at baseline, 90, 180 and 360 days. Subgingival plaque samples were taken from the mesial surface of all teeth in each subject at baseline, 90, 180 and 360 days and from 2 randomly selected posterior teeth at 3, 7, and 14 days during and after antibiotic administration. Counts of 40 subgingival species were determined using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization. Significance of differences over time was determined using the Quade test and between groups using ANCOVA. RESULTS Mean PD was reduced from 3.22+/-0.12 at baseline to 2.81+/-0.16 (p<0.01) at 360 days and from 3.38+/-0.23 mm to 2.80+/-0.14 mm (p<0.01) in the amoxicillin and metronidazole treated subjects respectively. Corresponding values for mean AL were 3.21+/-0.30 to 2.76+/-0.32 (p<0.05) and 3.23+/-0.28 mm to 2.94+/-0.23 mm (p<0.01). Levels and proportions of Bacteroides forsythus, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola were markedly reduced during antibiotic administration and were lower than baseline levels at 360 days. Counts (x10(5), +/-SEM) of B. forsythus fell from baseline levels of 0.66+/-0.16 to 0.04+/-0.02, 0.13+/-0.04, 0.10+/-0.03 and 0.42+/-0.19 in the amoxicillin group at 14, 90, 180 and 360 days respectively (p<0.001). Corresponding values for metronidazole treated subjects were: 1.69+/-0.28 to 0.02+/-0.01, 0.20+/-0.08, 0.22+/-0.06 and 0.22+/-0.08 (p<0.001). Counts of Campylobacter species, Eubacterium nodatum, Fusobacterium nucleatum subspecies, F. periodonticum and Prevotella nigrescens were also detected at lower mean levels during and immediately after therapy, but gradually increased after withdrawal of the antibiotics. Members of the genera Actinomyces, Streptococcus and Capnocytophaga were minimally affected by metronidazole. However, amoxicillin decreased the counts and proportions of Actinomyces species during and after therapy. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that metronidazole and amoxicillin are useful in rapidly lowering counts of putative periodontal pathogens, but must be accompanied by other procedures to bring about periodontal stability.
Development of adaptive perturb and observe-fuzzy control maximum power point tracking for photovoltaic boost dc-dc converter

This study presents an adaptive perturb and observe (P&O)-fuzzy control maximum power point tracking (MPPT) for photovoltaic (PV) boost dc-dc converter. P&O is known as a very simple MPPT algorithm and used widely. Fuzzy logic is also simple to be developed and provides fast response. The proposed technique combines both of their advantages. It should improve MPPT performance especially with existing of noise. For evaluation and comparison analysis, conventional P&O and fuzzy logic control algorithms have been developed too. All the algorithms were simulated in MATLAB-Simulink, respectively, together with PV module of Kyocera KD210GH-2PU connected to PV boost dc-dc converter. For hardware implementation, the proposed adaptive P&O-fuzzy control MPPT was programmed in TMS320F28335 digital signal processing board. The other two conventional MPPT methods were also programmed for comparison purpose. Performance assessment covers overshoot, time response, maximum power ratio, oscillation and stability as described further in this study. From the results and analysis, the adaptive P&O-fuzzy control MPPT shows the best performance with fast time response, less overshoot and more stable operation. It has high maximum power ratio as compared to the other two conventional MPPT algorithms especially with existing of noise in the system at low irradiance.
On the Mound of Macrotermes michaelseni as an Organ of Respiratory Gas Exchange

Patterns and rates of air movements in the mounds and nests of Macrotermes michaelseni were studied using tracer methods. Wind is a significant source of energy for powering nest ventilation, despite the mound being a completely enclosed structure. Nests are ventilated by a tidal movement of air driven by temporal variation in wind speed and wind direction. Density gradients sufficiently steep to drive bulk flow by natural convection will be rare. However, metabolism‐induced buoyant forces may interact with wind energy in a way that promotes homeostasis of the mound atmosphere.
An N-Linked Glycan Modulates the Interaction between the CD1d Heavy Chain and β2-Microglobulin*

Human CD1d molecules consist of a transmembrane CD1 (cluster of differentiation 1) heavy chain in association with β2-microglobulin (β2m). Assembly occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and involves the initial glycan-dependent association of the free heavy chain with calreticulin and calnexin and the thiol oxidoreductase ERp57. Folding and disulfide bond formation within the heavy chain occurs prior to β2m binding. There are four N-linked glycans on the CD1d heavy chain, and we mutated them individually to ascertain their importance for the assembly and function of CD1d-β2m heterodimers. None of the four were indispensable for assembly or the ability to bind α-galactosyl ceramide and to present it to human NKT cells. Nor were any required for the CD1d molecule to bind and present α-galactosyl ceramide after lysosomal processing of a precursor lipid, galactosyl-(α1-2)-galactosyl ceramide. However, one glycan, glycan 2 at Asn-42, proved to be of particular importance for the stability of the CD1d-β2m heterodimer. A mutant CD1d heavy chain lacking glycan 2 assembled with β2m and transported from the ER more rapidly than wild-type CD1d and dissociated more readily from β2m upon exposure to detergents. A mutant expressing only glycan 1 dissociated completely from β2m upon exposure to the detergent Triton X-100, whereas a mutant expressing only glycan 2 at Asn-42 was more stable. In addition, glycan 2 was not processed efficiently to the complex form in mature wild-type CD1d molecules. Modeling the glycans on the published structure indicated that glycan 2 interacts significantly with both the CD1d heavy chain and β2m, which may explain these unusual properties.