Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Revisions of the Fish Invasiveness Screening Kit (FISK) for its Application in Warmer Climatic Zones, with Particular Reference to Peninsular Florida

The initial version (v1) of the Fish Invasiveness Scoring Kit (FISK) was adapted from the Weed Risk Assessment of Pheloung, Williams, and Halloy to assess the potential invasiveness of nonnative freshwater fishes in the United Kingdom. Published applications of FISK v1 have been primarily in temperate‐zone countries (Belgium, Belarus, and Japan), so the specificity of this screening tool to that climatic zone was not noted until attempts were made to apply it in peninsular Florida. To remedy this shortcoming, the questions and guidance notes of FISK v1 were reviewed and revised to improve clarity and extend its applicability to broader climatic regions, resulting in changes to 36 of the 49 questions. In addition, upgrades were made to the software architecture of FISK to improve overall computational speed as well as graphical user interface flexibility and friendliness. We demonstrate the process of screening a fish species using FISK v2 in a realistic management scenario by assessing the Barcoo grunter Scortum barcoo (Terapontidae), a species whose management concerns are related to its potential use for aquaponics in Florida. The FISK v2 screening of Barcoo grunter placed the species into the lower range of medium risk (score = 5), suggesting it is a permissible species for use in Florida under current nonnative species regulations. Screening of the Barcoo grunter illustrates the usefulness of FISK v2 as a proactive tool serving to inform risk management decisions, but the low level of confidence associated with the assessment highlighted a dearth of critical information on this species.
Comprehensive Pathological Analyses in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Single Cell Invasion, Nuclear Diameter, and Tumor Budding Are Independent Prognostic Factors for Worse Outcomes

Introduction: For lung squamous cell carcinomas, there are no pathological findings that have been universally accepted as prognostic factors, with the exception of pathological stage. Tumor budding and nuclear grade have been recognized as a poor prognostic factor in other carcinomas. In this study, we investigated whether pathological findings could determine prognosis in lung squamous cell carcinomas. Methods: All available tumor slides from patients with surgically resected, solitary lung squamous cell carcinomas (1999–2009) were reviewed (n = 485; stage I/II/III, 281/136/68). Tumors were evaluated for differentiation, subtypes (keratinizing, nonkeratinizing, basaloid pattern, papillary growth, and clear cell feature), tumor nest size (tumor budding and single cell invasion), and nuclear grade (nuclear diameter and mitosis). Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method (stratified by pathological stage), and group differences were investigated using the stratified log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: OS was significantly decreased in patients with versus without single cell invasion (p = 0.002 for the entire tumor and p = 0.001 for tumor edge), with large versus small nuclei (p = 0.011), and with high versus low grade tumor budding (p < 0.001 for maximum and p = 0.007 for total). In multivariate analyses, single cell invasion (hazard ratio [HR], 1.47–1.49), nuclear diameter (HR, 1.09–1.33), and tumor budding (HR, 1.04) were independent prognostic factors of OS. However, histologic subtyping including keratinizing, nonkeratinizing, basaloid, and clear cell subtypes did not show prognostic significance. Conclusions: Pathological factors can help stratify prognosis in patients with lung squamous cell carcinomas.
A Combined Prognostic Serum Interleukin-8 and Interleukin-6 Classifier for Stage 1 Lung Cancer in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial

Background: The advent of low-dose helical computed tomography for lung cancer screening will likely lead to an increase in the detection of stage I lung cancer. Presently, these patients are primarily treated with surgery alone and approximately 30% will develop recurrence and die. Biomarkers that can identify patients for whom adjuvant chemotherapy would be a benefit could significantly reduce both patient morbidity and mortality. Herein, we sought to build a prognostic inflammatory–based classifier for stage I lung cancer. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 548 European American lung cancer cases prospectively enrolled in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian study. C-reactive protein, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, and IL-1&bgr; were measured using an ultrasensitive electrochemiluminescence immunoassay in serum samples collected at the time of study entry. Results: IL-6 and IL-8 were each associated with significantly shorter survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.64; p = 0.007; and HR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.09–1.67; p = 0.005, respectively). Moreover, a combined classifier of IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly associated with poor outcome in stage I lung cancer patients (HR, 3.39; 95% CI, 1.54–7.48, p = 0.002) and in stage 1 patients with more than or equal to 30 pack-years of smoking (HR, 3.15; 95% CI, 1.54–6.46, p = 0.002). Conclusions: These results further support the association between inflammatory markers and lung cancer outcome and suggest that a combined serum IL-6/IL-8 classifier could be a useful tool for guiding therapeutic decisions in patients with stage I lung cancer.
Barriers to treatment and service utilization in an internet sample of individuals with obsessive–compulsive symptoms

Background: Despite the increasing dissemination of treatment for Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in the past decade, the majority of individuals with OCD are not receiving appropriate treatment. This study examined rates of treatment utilization and barriers to treatment in an internet sample of individuals with self‐reported OCD. Methods: One hundred and seventy‐five participants completed an online survey examining OCD symptoms, psychosocial measures, barriers to treatment, and treatment utilization. Results: Sixty percent of the sample reported receiving treatment for their OCD symptoms. The majority of participants who sought pharmacotherapy received SSRIs, whereas the majority who sought psychotherapeutic treatment received “talk therapy. ” The cost of treatment, lack of insurance coverage, shame, and doubt that treatment would be effective were the most commonly endorsed barriers to treatment among the sample. Conclusions: Findings demonstrated relatively low treatment utilization rates among the sample, with many participants receiving treatments other than the gold‐standard medication and psychotherapy treatments (i.e. SSRIs and cognitive behavioral therapy, respectively). Furthermore, a large portion of the sample endorsed many barriers to treatment seeking, such as logistic and financial barriers; stigma, shame, and discrimination barriers; and treatment perception and satisfaction barriers. This study highlights the need for more effective treatment dissemination in OCD. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The IASLC/ITMIG Thymic Epithelial Tumors Staging Project: Proposals for the N and M Components for the Forthcoming (8th) Edition of the TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors

Stage classification is an important underpinning of management of patients with cancer, and rests on a combination of three components: T for tumor extent, N for nodal involvement, and M for more distant metastases. This article details an initiative to develop proposals for the first official stage classification system for thymic malignancies for the 8th edition of the stage classification manuals. Specifically, the results of analysis of a large database and the considerations leading to the proposed N and M components are described. Nodal involvement is divided into an anterior (N1) and a deep (N2) category. Metastases can involve pleural or pericardial nodules (M1a) or intraparenchymal pulmonary nodules or metastases to distant sites (M1b).
A Novel Mechanism of EML4-ALK Rearrangement Mediated by Chromothripsis in a Patient-Derived Cell Line

Introduction: EML4-ALK is a driver oncogene in non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and has been developed into a promising molecular target for antitumor agents. Although EML4-ALK is reported to be formed by inversion of chromosome 2, other mechanisms of this gene fusion remain unknown. This study aimed to examine the mechanism of EML4-ALK rearrangement using a novel cell line with the EML4-ALK fusion gene. Methods: An EML4-ALK-positive cell line, termed JFCR-LC649, was established from pleomorphic carcinoma, a rare subtype of NSCLC. We investigated the chromosomal aberrations using fluorescence in situ hybridization and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). Alectinib/CH5424802, a selective ALK inhibitor, was evaluated in the antitumor activity against JFCR-LC649 in vitro and in vivo xenograft model. Results: We established an EML4-ALK-positive cell line, termed JFCR-LC649, derived from a patient with NSCLC and revealed that the JFCR-LC649 cells harbor variant 3 of the EML4-ALK fusion with twofold copy number gain. Interestingly, comparative genomic hybridization and metaphase-fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed that in addition to two normal chromosome 2, JFCR-LC649 cells contained two aberrant chromosome 2 that were fragmented and scattered. These observations provided the first evidence that EML4-ALK fusion in JFCR-LC649 cells was formed in chromosome 2 by a distinct mechanism of genomic rearrangement, termed chromothripsis. Furthermore, a selective ALK inhibitor alectinib/CH5424802 suppressed tumor growth of the JFCR-LC649 cells through inhibition of phospho-ALK in vitro and in vivo in a xenograft model. Conclusion: Our results suggested that chromothripsis may be a mechanism of oncogenic rearrangement of EML4-ALK. In addition, alectinib was effective against EML4-ALK-positive tumors with ALK copy number gain mediated by chromothripsis.
Modeling Tumor Dynamics and Overall Survival in Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Erlotinib

Introduction: Pharmacostatistical models can quantify different relationships and improve decision making in personalized medicine and drug development. Our objectives were to develop models describing non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) dynamics during first-line treatment with erlotinib, and survival of the cohort. Methods: Data from patients with advanced NSCLC (n = 39) treated first-line with erlotinib (150 mg/day) were analyzed using nonlinear mixed effects modeling. Exposure-driven disease-drug models were built to describe tumor metabolic and proliferative dynamics evaluated by positron emission tomography (PET) using 2′-deoxy-2′-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) and 3′-[18F]fluoro-3′-deoxy-L-thymidine (FLT), respectively, at baseline, weeks 1 and 6 after starting erlotinib treatment. A parametric time-to-event model was built to describe overall survival (OS). Demographics, histology, mutational, smoking, and baseline performance statuses were tested for their effects on models developed, in addition to tumor dynamics on survival. Results: An exponential relationship described progression, and a concentration-driven drug effect model described erlotinib effect. An activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation increased the drug effect as assessed using FDG-PET by 2.19-fold (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.35–4.44). An exponential distribution described the times-to-death distribution. Baseline FDG uptake (p=0.0005; hazard ratio [HR] =1.26 for every unit increase, 95%CI: 1.13–1.42) and relative change in FDG uptake after 1 week of treatment (p=0.0073; HR=0.84 for every 10% drop, 95%CI: 0.71–0.91) were significant OS predictors irrespective of the EGFR mutational status. FLT-PET was statistically less significant than FDG-PET for OS prediction. Conclusion: Models describing tumor dynamics and survival of advanced NSCLC patients first-treated with erlotinib were developed. The impacts of different covariates were quantified.
Suicide risk and its correlate in adolescents who experienced typhoon‐induced mudslides: a structural equation model

Background: The aims of this study were to examine the direct and indirect effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), disaster‐exposure experience, gender, and perceived family support on suicide risk (including suicide ideation and attempt) in adolescents 3 months after they had experienced Typhoon Morakot‐associated mudslides in Taiwan using a structural equation model (SEM). Methods: Two hundred and seventy‐one adolescents in the worst affected mountainous regions of southern Taiwan were recruited. Suicide risk and diagnoses of PTSD and MDD were assessed using the Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents. The direct and indirect effects of PTSD, MDD, disaster‐exposure experience, gender, and perceived family support on suicide risk were examined using SEM. Results: The results of SEM indicated that increased disaster‐exposure experience and female gender had direct influences on an increased suicide risk and indirect influences on increased suicide risk that were mediated by PTSD and MDD. Perceived high family support directly decreased suicide risk. Both PTSD and MDD had direct influences on an increased suicide risk, and PTSD had an indirect influence on an increased suicide risk that was mediated by MDD. Conclusions: Gender, disaster‐exposure experience, perceived high family support, PTSD, and MDD all had effects on suicide risk in adolescents who had experienced the threat of mudslides caused by Typhoon Morakot. The results provide healthcare professionals with a comprehensive understanding to develop intervention programs to prevent and intervene in suicide risk. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hyaluronic acid-modified didecyldimethylammonium bromide/ d-a-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate mixed micelles for delivery of baohuoside I against non-small cell lung cancer: in vitro and in vivo evaluation

Abstract Baohuoside I is an effective but a poorly soluble antitumor drug. In this study, we prepared baohuoside I-loaded mixed micelles with didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and d-a-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) (DTBM) and active targeting mixed micelles (HDTBM) with hyaluronic acid (HA) as the targeting ligand on the surface of the mixed micelles. We performed a systematic comparative evaluation of the antiproliferative effect, cellular uptake, antitumor efficacy, and in vivo tumor targeting of these micelles using A549 cells. HDTBM showed improved cellular uptake and had a greater hypersensitizing effect on A549 cell lines than baohuoside I; half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 8.86 versus 20.42 μg/mL, respectively. Results of the antitumor efficacy study and the imaging study for in vivo targeting showed that the mixed-micelle formulation had higher antitumor efficacy and achieved effective and targeted drug delivery. Therefore, our results indicate that HA/baohuoside I-M may be used as a potential antitumor formulation.
Cisplatin and paclitaxel co-delivered by folate-decorated lipid carriers for the treatment of head and neck cancer

Abstract Context: For head and neck cancer therapy, co-delivery of two drugs, cisplatin (DDP) plus paclitaxel (PTX), are more effective than single drug therapy. Lipid carriers are promising drug carriers for anti-cancer delivery. Objective: The aim of this study is to construct a folate (FA) decorated nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) as nanocarriers for DDP and PTX delivery. Materials and methods: In this study, DDP and PTX were incorporated into NLCs. Folate-PEG-DSPE (FA-PEG-DSPE) was synthesized and decorated the drugs-loaded NLCs (FA-DDP/PTX NLCs). Their average size, zeta potential, drug encapsulation efficiency, drug loading capacity, and in vitro drug release were evaluated. Head and neck cancer cells (FaDu cells) were used for the testing of in vitro cytotoxicity, and in vivo transfection efficiency of NLC was evaluated on mice bearing FaDu cells model. Results: The size of FA-DDP/PTX NLCs was around 127 nm, with a positive zeta potential of 26.7 mV. FA-DDP/PTX NLCs showed the highest cytotoxicity and synergistic effect of two drugs in head and neck cancer cells (FaDu cells) in vitro. The in vivo study revealed the greatest anti-tumor activity than all the other formulations in murine-bearing head and neck cancer model. Discussion and conclusion: FA-DDP/PTX NLCs effectively improves anticancer efficiency for head and neck cancer in vitro and in vivo. The constructed NLCs could be used as a novel carrier to co-delivery DDP and PTX for head and neck cancer therapy.
Proposed Modification of Nodal Staging as an Alternative to the Seventh Edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Tumor-Node-Metastasis Staging System Improves the Prognostic Prediction in the Resected Esophageal Squamous-Cell Carcinoma

Introduction: The 7th American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) tumor-node-metastasis staging system for esophageal cancer defined N classification based on the number of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs). However, this classification might neglect the extent of LNs metastasis. This study aimed to revise N classification based on the extent of LNs metastasis and propose a modification to the current AJCC staging system for better representing the prognostic characteristics of Chinese esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 1993 ESCC patients who underwent curative resection. The proposed N categories based on the number of LNs metastasis stations were compared with the current staging system by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Homogeneity, discriminatory ability, and monotonicity of gradients of two staging systems were compared using likelihood ratio &khgr;2 statistics and Akaike information criterion calculations. Results: The survival differences were not significant for N2 versus N3 category (p = 0.231) and stages IIIB versus IIIC (p = 0.713) based on the 7th AJCC staging system. When the modified staging system was adopted, the survival difference for N2 versus N3 and IIIB versus IIIC could be well discriminated. Statistical analysis showed that the modified staging system had higher likelihood ratio &khgr;2 scores and smaller Akaike information criterion values than the 7th AJCC staging system, which represented the optimum prognostic stratification. Conclusions: The modified staging system with the revised N categories based on the number of LNs metastasis stations better predicts the survival of Chinese ESCC population than the 7th AJCC staging system. Further studies are required to confirm this result.
Thermosensitive porphyrin-incorporated hydrogel with four-arm PEG-PCL copolymer (II): doxorubicin loaded hydrogel as a dual fluorescent drug delivery system for simultaneous imaging tracking in vivo

Abstract Visualization of a drug delivery system could reveal the pharmacokinetic properties, which is essential for the design of a novel drug delivery system. In vivo optical imaging offers an advanced tool to monitor the drug release process and the therapeutic effect by the combination of fluorescence imaging and bioluminescence imaging. Multispectral fluorescence imaging can separate the drug and the carrier without interference. Herein, a dual fluorescent anti-tumor drug delivery system was monitored with the doxorubicin-loaded hydrogel to further explore the application of the porphyrin-incorporated hydrogel with four-arm PEG-PCL copolymer as a drug carrier, based on the beneficial fluorescence and good biocompatibility of the porphyrin incorporated hydrogel. Using nude mice bearing luciferase expressed hepatic tumor as models, the whole process from the drug delivery to the tumor therapeutic effects were real time visualized simultaneously after administration at interval from 0 to 18 d. The imaging results suggest that the fluorescence signals of the drug and the carrier can be separated and unmixed from the drug-loaded hydrogel successfully, avoiding the interference of the fluorescence signals. The tumor growth or inhibition can be real time tracked and analyzed quantitatively by bioluminescence imaging. Noninvasive continuous tracking the in vivo drug delivery process simultaneously is a potential trend for the precise drug delivery and treatment.
Effective intraperitoneal gene transfection system using nanobubbles and ultrasound irradiation

Abstract In this study, we demonstrate the low toxicity and highly efficient and spatially improved transfection of plasmid DNA (pDNA) with liposomal nanobubbles (bubble liposomes [BLs]) using ultrasound (US) irradiation in mice. Naked pDNA with BLs was intraperitoneally injected, followed by US irradiation. The injection volume, the duration of US irradiation, and the dose of BLs were optimized. Both BLs and US irradiation were essential to achieve high transgene expression from naked pDNA. We observed transgene expression in the entire peritoneal tissues, including the peritoneal wall, liver, spleen, stomach and small and large intestines. The area of transfection could be controlled with focused US irradiation. There were few changes in the morphology of the peritoneum, the peritoneal function or serum alanine aminotransferase levels, suggesting the safety of BLs with US irradiation. Using a tissue-clearing method, the spatial distribution of transgene expression was evaluated. BLs with US irradiation delivered pDNA to the submesothelial layer in the peritoneal wall, whereas transgene expression was restricted to the surface layer in the liver and stomach. Therefore, BLs with US irradiation could be an effective and safe method of gene transfection to the peritoneum.
MICROALBUMINURIA AS A MARKER OF CARDIOVASCULAR AND RENAL RISK IN TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS

AIM OF THE STUDY: With a global increase in the diabetes epidemic, it is inevitable that diabetic complications become a major issue in the future. Diabetic kidney disease is under diagnosed and under treated even now, when detection of early stages is simple. The earliest clinically detectable stage of Diabetic kidney disease is microalbuminuria. Microalbuminuria represents the earliest clinical evidence of diabetic nephropathy and it is a marker of increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. STUDY DESIGN: A cross sectional study was done during the period of March 2011 to November, 2011. The present study included fifty (50) patients of type 2 DM out of them, 23(46%) had microalbuminuria and 27(54%) are normoalbuminurics. The study also included 50 healthy control subjects who are age matched. The biochemical parameters studied were urine microalbumin, urine creatinine, Serum Total Cholesterol, serum Triglycerides, LDL, VLDL, HDL, Blood Urea, Serum creatinine. All the cases were segregated into 2 groups as cases with microalbuminuria and without microalbuminuria (based on urinary albumin level of 30-300μg/mg of Creatinine) RESULTS: As per the results obtained it is found that microalbumin /creatinine ratio is increased in microalbuminurics when compared to normoalbuminurics. In the present study microalbuminurics are overweight; (BMI = 23, overweight) and has increased diastolic blood pressure, Fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, Triglycerides and VLDL than normoalbuminurics. CONCLUSIONS: Early detection of microalbuminuria allows the implementation of individualized and aggressive intervention programs to reduce renal and cardiovascular risk factors.