Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Paclitaxel versus doxorubicin as first-line single-agent chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer: a European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Randomized Study with cross-over.

PURPOSE To compare the efficacy of paclitaxel versus doxorubicin given as single agents in first-line therapy of advanced breast cancer (primary end point, progression-free survival ¿PFS) and to explore the degree of cross-resistance between the two agents. PATIENTS AND METHODS Three hundred thirty-one patients were randomized to receive either paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2), 3-hour infusion every 3 weeks, or doxorubicin 75 mg/m(2), intravenous bolus every 3 weeks. Seven courses were planned unless progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred before the seven courses were finished. Patients who progressed within the seven courses underwent early cross-over to the alternative drug, while a delayed cross-over was optional for the remainder of patients at the time of disease progression. RESULTS Objective response in first-line therapy was significantly better (P =.003) for doxorubicin (response rate ¿RR, 41%) than for paclitaxel (RR, 25%), with doxorubicin achieving a longer median PFS (7.5 months for doxorubicin v 3.9 months for paclitaxel, P <.001). In second-line therapy, cross-over to doxorubicin (91 patients) and to paclitaxel (77 patients) gave response rates of 30% and 16%, respectively. The median survival durations of 18.3 months for doxorubicin and 15.6 months for paclitaxel were not significantly different (P =.38). The doxorubicin arm had greater toxicity, but this was counterbalanced by better symptom control. CONCLUSION At the dosages and schedules used in the present study, doxorubicin achieves better disease and symptom control than paclitaxel in first-line treatment. Doxorubicin and paclitaxel are not totally cross-resistant, which supports further investigation of these drugs in combination or in sequence, both in advanced disease and in the adjuvant setting.
First description and morphology of haemal nodes in piglets (Sus scrofa domestica)

In this study, the presence of haemal nodes, previously recognised especially in ruminants, was determined for the first time in piglets. The morphology of haemal nodes located in the abdominal cavity of seven piglets was studied by gross inspection and by histological methods. Haemal nodes reddish in colour and oval or round in shape were observed on the thin branches originating from the caudal and cranial mesenteric arteries. These nodes, having connection only with blood vessels, were covered with a thin connective tissue capsule. The haemal nodes had a hilus at the entrance of which large blood vessels were seen. These blood vessels extended into the inside of the nodes through trabeculae. Afferent and efferent lymph vessels were not observed in the haemal nodes. The nodes contained many sinuses formed by reticular fibres and reticular cells and filled by red blood cells. In the haemal nodes, lymphocytic infiltration was more commonly seen than lymph follicles.
Enhancement of anti-melanoma activity of a plasmid expressing HIV-1 Vpr delivered through in vivo electroporation

The development of novel treatment strategies for the effective delivery of new therapies directed against solid tumors, particularly metastatic melanoma, are required. A novel therapeutic property has previously been discovered for the HIV-1 accessory protein viral protein R (Vpr), based on the ability of this protein to induce G2 cell cycle arrest as well as apoptosis in various tumor cell lines. Likewise, in vivo electroporation has been utilized as an effective delivery platform for DNA plasmids expressing potentially therapeutic proteins and has been targeted to normal tissues as well as tumors. Our previous findings demonstrated that delivery of a Vpr expression plasmid (pVpr) to established subcutaneous B16.F10 melanoma tumors by in vivo electroporation yielded long-term complete tumor regression in a small percentage of mice. In this study, we modified the electroporation regimen for pVpr with the goal of enhancing the anti-tumor activity of Vpr. pVpr was injected intratumorally, three times at 2 day intervals, into established subcutaneous B16.F10 melanoma tumors followed by in vivo electroporation. Treatment with 100 µg of pVpr plus electroporation on the modified treatment days resulted in 50% of the mice undergoing complete tumor regressions coupled with long-term survival (i.e. greater than 100 days post treatment). Additional investigations established the intratumoral expression of Vpr and induction of apoptosis for a period of at least seven days after the modified pVpr treatment regimen. This report demonstrates that the anti-tumor activity of a pVpr plus electroporation regimen can be significantly enhanced by a modified treatment schedule. In addition, it appeared that this enhanced anti-tumor effect was correlated with prolonged Vpr expression and associated induction of intratumoral apoptosis.
Modification of recursive least squares algorithm for linear time-varying systems

Modification of recursive least squares algorithm is presented for identification of linear time-varying systems. The basic idea is to divide the weighting vector into two part. One represents the main variation tendency of the time-varying parameters, while the other is a slowly varying vector. First the former is determined by a procedure based on the dependency of data, and then the remaining part is identified using recursive least squares algorithm with forgetting factor. The modified algorithm avoids the problems appeared in rapidly varying situations, with good tracking ability.
Identification of RCN1 and RSA3 as ethanol-tolerant genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a high copy barcoded library.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) encounters a multitude of stresses during industrial processes such as wine fermentation including ethanol toxicity. High levels of ethanol reduce the viability of yeast and may prevent completion of fermentation. The identification of ethanol-tolerant genes is important for creating stress-resistant industrial yeast, and S. cerevisiae genomic resources have been utilized for this purpose. We have employed a molecular barcoded yeast open reading frame (MoBY-ORF) high copy plasmid library to identify ethanol-tolerant genes in both the S. cerevisiae S288C laboratory and M2 wine strains. We find that increased dosage of either RCN1 or RSA3 improves tolerance of S288C and M2 to toxic levels of ethanol. RCN1 is a regulator of calcineurin, whereas RSA3 has a role in ribosome maturation. Additional fitness advantages conferred upon overproduction of RCN1 and RSA3 include increased resistance to cell wall degradation, heat, osmotic and oxidative stress. We find that the M2 wine yeast strain is generally more tolerant of stress than S288C with the exception of translation inhibition, which affects M2 growth more severely than S288C. We conclude that regulation of ribosome biogenesis and ultimately translation is a critical factor for S. cerevisiae survival during industrial-related environmental stress.
Expression of the Hantaan virus M genome segment by using a vaccinia virus recombinant

A cDNA containing the complete open reading frame of the Hantaan virus (HTN) M genome segment has been cloned into vaccinia virus. This recombinant virus expresses two glycoproteins which are similar to the HTN structural glycoproteins, G1 and G2, in molecular weight, cleavage pattern, and cellular distribution. Both HTN and recombinant vaccinia virus glycoproteins are exclusively associated with the Golgi apparatus of the cell. Despite this intracellular restriction, mice inoculated with the recombinant vaccinia virus raised neutralizing antibodies against HTN. The specificity of virus neutralization appears to reside in the HTN glycoproteins, since a vaccinia virus recombinant expressing the HTN nucleocapsid protein was unable to elicit a neutralizing antibody response.
Brain and cancer: The protective role of erythropoietin

Erythropoietin (Epo) is a pleiotropic agent, that is to say, it can act on several cell types in different ways. An independent system Epo/Epo receptor (EpoR) was detected in brain, leading to the hypothesis that this hormone could be involved in cerebral functions. Epo/EpoR expression changes during ontogenesis, thus indicating the importance of this system in neurodevelopment. Moreover, the hypoxia‐induced production of Epo in the adult brain suggests that it could exert a neurotrophic and neuroprotective effect in case of brain injury. Epo could also influence neurotransmission, inducing neurotransmitters (NT) release. Epo therapy in anemic cancer patients is still a controversial issue, because of its possible action as a growth and an angiogenic factor. In our speculative hypothesis Epo could be involved in a “two steps process” that, after a neovascularization phase, leads to its down regulation. Moreover, Epo‐activated signaling pathways could be modulated as possible targets to interfere in neoplastic cells cycle. In conclusion, treatment with rHuEpo could change therapeutical perspectives in different pathological conditions, such as central nervous system (CNS) diseases, but further studies are needed to clarify its physiopathological activities in different clinical fields. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Frequency of the MTHFR C677T Polymorphism in Yemeni Children with Sickle Cell Disease

The frequency of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase enzyme (MTHFR) C677T mutation was determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and with measurement of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, vitamins B6, B12 and disease severity in 102 SS children from Yemen. The homozygous TT genotype for MTHFR C677T was present in 2% (2/102), and heterozygous CT in 10.8% (11/102), giving an allele frequency of 7.35%. The T allele was not associated with raised plasma tHcy or increased disease severity. The mean [±SD (standard deviation)] tHcy was 2.8 ± 1.7 μmol/L, increased with age and was highest in children >10 years (3.6 ± 2.5 vs. 2.5 ± 1.2 μmol/L, p <0.05). Whole blood folate and plasma vitamin B12 levels were normal or elevated, and 4% had vitamin B6 deficiency. In Yemeni children with sickle cell disease the frequency of the MTHFR C677T mutation was not higher than expected in the general population and was not associated with disease severity.
A path to superior testing in the 21st century

Reaching the 21st century with superior test tools will require serious attention to three areas which are often under-emphasized in automatic test system (ATS) development the needs of users, powerful user interfaces, and data collection. When the needs of the various users are understood, a properly designed interface can be created which provides simple access to the test system functionality required to meet those needs. Keeping track of system performance and changes in the users' needs after a system is fielded must be an early design consideration to keep the user satisfied throughout the life of the system. This paper addresses the needs of users including technicians, software developers, software maintainers, and system engineers, with an emphasis on technicians. We discuss control and information presentation features which can be used to build a powerful user interface for test. Local maintenance data collection, creation and review of operator notes, and focal processing and analysis on automatic test systems can provide useful management tools in the maintenance environment. Such tools can help solve many data accuracy problems which now exist in large databases. These data collection concepts can get the users involved, improve maintenance data accuracy, and be a valuable source of operator feedback to software maintainers.
Single-center analysis of biopsy-confirmed posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder: incidence, clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors

Abstract Hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplant recipients diagnosed with biopsy-confirmed posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) at our institution from 1989 to 2010 were identified. Patient-, transplant- and disease-related characteristics, prognostic factors and outcome were collected and analyzed. One hundred and forty biopsy-proven cases of PTLD were included. Overall incidence in the transplant population was 2.12%, with heart transplant recipients carrying the highest risk. Most PTLDs were monomorphic (82%), with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma being the most frequent subtype. The majority of cases (70.7%) occurred > 1 year posttransplant, and 66% were Epstein–Barr virus positive. Following initial therapy the overall response rate was 68.5%. Three-year relapse-free and overall survivals were 59% and 49%, respectively. At last follow-up, 44% of the patients were alive. Multivariable analysis identified several classical lymphoma-specific poor prognostic factors for the different outcome measures. The value of the International Prognostic Index was confirmed in our analysis.
Investigation on the mutual inductance of on-chip transformers

The behavior related to mutual inductance of on-chip transformer has been discussed comprehensively in this work, the characterization includes the low and high frequency performances. At low frequency, the analytical formula is developed to predict the mutual inductance based on GMD (geometry mean distance) approach. Moreover, the corresponding equivalent circuit is proposed to describe the high frequency characteristic. Adopting the model extraction based on the proposed circuit, the behavior of mutual inductance with opposite excitation of input signal especially in high frequency can be understood completely.
Monilophyte mitochondrial rps1 genes carry a unique group II intron that likely originated from an ancient paralog in rpl2

Intron patterns in plant mitochondrial genomes differ significantly between the major land plant clades. We here report on a new, clade-specific group II intron in the rps1 gene of monilophytes (ferns). This intron, rps1i25g2, is strikingly similar to rpl2i846g2 previously identified in the mitochondrial rpl2 gene of seed plants, ferns, and the lycophyte Phlegmariurus squarrosus. Although mitochondrial ribosomal protein genes are frequently subject to endosymbiotic gene transfer among plants, we could retrieve the mitochondrial rps1 gene in a taxonomically wide sampling of 44 monilophyte taxa including basal lineages such as the Ophioglossales, Psilotales, and Marattiales with the only exception being the Equisetales (horsetails). Introns rps1i25g2 and rpl2i846g2 were likewise consistently present with only two exceptions: Intron rps1i25g2 is lost in the genus Ophioglossum and intron rpl2i846g2 is lost in Equisetum bogotense. Both intron sequences are moderately affected by RNA editing. The unprecedented primary and secondary structure similarity of rps1i25g2 and rpl2i846g2 suggests an ancient retrotransposition event copying rpl2i846g2 into rps1, for which we suggest a model. Our phylogenetic analysis adding the new rps1 locus to a previous data set is fully congruent with recent insights on monilophyte phylogeny and further supports a sister relationship of Gleicheniales and Hymenophyllales.
Maternity and bone mineral density

During pregnancy and lactation, changes occur in a variety of factors which have great potential to influence bone mineral density (BMD). Smoking habits, the level of alcohol consumption, the level of physical activity, body weight, soft tissue composition and hormone levels are all factors that change during the course of these conditions. Some of these factors are capable of increasing BMD, and some can reduce it. Due to these various changes, it is virtually impossible to predict the development in BMD that will occur during a pregnancy and lactation. However, longitudinal studies have suggested that both pregnancy and lactation are associated with a BMD loss of up to 5%, albeit that the BMD recovers after weaning. Cross-sectional studies have indicated that women with many children and a long total period of lactation have similar or higher BMD and similar or lower fracture risk than their peers who have not given birth. As the studies showing this trend have been observational and cross-sectional case-control studies, the conclusions can only be regarded as being suggestive, and no causality can be proven.
IP3 Receptor Types 2 and 3 Mediate Exocrine Secretion Underlying Energy Metabolism

Type 2 and type 3 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3R2 and IP3R3) are intracellular calcium-release channels whose physiological roles are unknown. We show exocrine dysfunction in IP3R2 and IP3R3 double knock-out mice, which caused difficulties in nutrient digestion. Severely impaired calcium signaling in acinar cells of the salivary glands and the pancreas in the double mutants ascribed the secretion deficits to a lack of intracellular calcium release. Despite a normal caloric intake, the double mutants were hypoglycemic and lean. These results reveal IP3R2 and IP3R3 as key molecules in exocrine physiology underlying energy metabolism and animal growth.
Cultivation and Fractionation of Leguminous Biomass for Lactic Acid Production

In the decades ahead, biomass is expected to gradually replace fossil resources. The chemical industries will increase the proportion of renewable resources in their production accordingly. It is estimated that from 2012 until 2017 the total chemical sales of biotechnological products will double worldwide.1 To achieve this, products of a constantly high quality are required, which the concept of biorefinery aims to assure. “Biorefinery is the sustainable processing of biomass into a spectrum of marketable products (food, feed, materials, chemicals) and energy (fuels, power, heat). ”2 A special type is the Green Biorefinery, where the focus is on using fresh or ensiled wet biomass as feedstock.3 Fractionation of this green biomass into press juice and press cakes is essential for the Green Biorefinery, and the new resulting feedstock constitutes valuable products for various industrial uses. Green Biorefinery facilitates the multiple use of fresh green biomass.4 Press cakes can be used as solid fuel5 or fibrous composite materials.6 In addition, fodder pellets can be produced if raw materials with high protein content, such as legumes, are processed.4 Legumes, i.e. alfalfa and clover, are typical fodder plants.4 Originally, press juices were the residue from green fodder pellet production. They were used as fertilizers on fields, but caused eutrophication.7 Being aware of the valuable contents of press juice, a number of approaches for industrial use were developed. Thomsen et al. explored a method for producing a feed concentrate from residual juices that is also suitable for non-ruminants.5 Chemical industries can use press juices as a universal fermentation medium.7 Either fresh or silage press juices can be used as such an inexpensive nutrient source. The juices, featuring a variety of nitrogen-containing compounds and inorganic salts, can act as a substitute for synthetic nutrients.8,9 Already existing processes, like the microbial PHA-production, can become more efficient due to lower feedstock costs.10 Numerous investigations have been made into alfalfa press juices. These studies demonstrate that alfalfa press juices can act as a substitute for MRS, a synthetic nutrient, in lactic acid production, cutting processing costs.8,9,11 Cultivation and Fractionation of Leguminous Biomass for Lactic Acid Production
Foraging behavior and predation success of the sand viper (Cerastes vipera)

Activity levels and foraging success of ectotherms are dependent both on extrinsic factors (e.g., ambient temper- ature) and intrinsic factors (e.g., hunger level). We focus here on activity and foraging of sand vipers (Cerastes vipera (L., 1758)) (Squamata: Viperidae) in the northwestern Negev desert of Israel. Viper activity is bounded by a specific thermal range, but within this range, temperature does not affect the distance moved. Movement distances are, however, positively correlated with relative humidity. The capture success of lizards, the main prey of this viper, is strongly related both to movement distances of the snake and to the number of the lizard burrows scanned. Body size and shape have a direct ef- fect on the number of burrows scanned and on the number of lizards captured. The increase in capture success with size is probably due to the consequent increase in the range of prey items the sand viper can subdue or handle. Vipers are larger and have a higher mass to length ratio in one of the three study sites, characterized by higher mean annual rainfall and vegetation cover. Finally, females tend to have a higher mass to length ratio than males, which may provide some space within the female body for reproductive materials such as eggs. Resume´ : Les niveaux d'activiteet de recherche de nourriture des ectothermes dependent ala fois de facteurs extrinseques (par ex., la temperature ambiante) et de facteurs intrinseques (par ex., l'intensitede la faim). Nous nous interessons ici a l'activiteet la recherche de nourriture de la vipere des sables (Cerastes vipera (L., 1758)) (Squamata : Viperidae) dans le nord-ouest du desert du Neguev en Israel. L'activitede la vipere est restreinte aune gamme specifique de temperatures, mais dans cette gamme, la temperature n'affecte pas la distance des deplacements. Il y a cependant une correlation posi- tive entre la distance des deplacements et l'humiditerelative. Il existe une forte relation positive entre le succes de la cap- ture de lezards, les proies principales de cette vipere, et a la fois la distance des deplacements du serpent et le nombre de terriers de lezards examines. La taille et la forme du corps ont un effet direct sur le nombre de terriers examinese t le nombre de lezards captures. L'accroissement des captures en fonction de la taille s'explique probablement par l'augmen- tation relieeala taille de l'entendue des types de proies que la vipere des sables peut maoˆtriser oumanipuler. Les viperes sont plus grandes et possedent un rapport masse/longueur plus elevedans l'un des trois sites d'etude, caracterisepar des precipitations moyennes annuelles plus elevees et une couverture vegetale plus importante. Enfin, les femelles ont tendance aavoir un rapport masse/longueur plus eleveque celui des males, ce qui peut fournir aux femelles de l'espace a l'interieur du corps pour les produits de la reproduction, tels que les œufs. (Traduit par la Redaction)