Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase III trial of weekly methotrexate or pulsed dactinomycin for low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: a gynecologic oncology group study.

PURPOSE There is no consensus on the best regimen for the primary treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). PATIENTS AND METHODS Two commonly used single-drug regimens were compared with respect to the proportion of patients meeting the criteria for a complete response (CR) in a randomized phase III trial conducted by the Gynecologic Oncology Group. Eligibility was purposefully broad to maximize the generalizability of the results and included patients with a WHO risk score of 0 to 6 and patients with metastatic disease (limited to lung lesions < 2 cm, adnexa, or vagina) or choriocarcinoma. RESULTS Two hundred forty women were enrolled, and 216 were deemed eligible. Biweekly intravenous dactinomycin 1.25 mg/m² was statistically superior to weekly intramuscular (IM) methotrexate 30 mg/m² (CR: 70% v 53%; P = .01). Similarly, in patients with low-risk GTN as defined before the 2002 WHO risk score revisions (risk score of 0 to 4 and excluding choriocarcinoma), response was 58% and 73% in the methotrexate and dactinomycin arms, respectively (P = .03). Both regimens were less effective if the WHO risk score was 5 or 6 or if the diagnosis was choriocarcinoma (CR: 9% and 42%, respectively). There were two potential recurrences; one at 4 months (dactinomycin) and one at 22 months (methotrexate). Not all patients completed follow-up. Both regimens were well tolerated. CONCLUSION The biweekly dactinomycin regimen has a higher CR rate than the weekly IM methotrexate regimen in low-risk GTN, a generally curable disease.
Behavioral Laterality and Aging: The Free-Recall Dichotic-Listening Right-Ear Advantage Increases With Age

The effect of aging on brain asymmetry was studied under consideration of possible confounding effects of known age-related decline in higher cognitive functioning. In a sample of 3,680 participants aged 20–79 years, laterality was assessed with a verbal, free-recall dichotic-listening paradigm with one stimulus pair presentation per trial, minimizing working-memory and cognitive-control demands during task performance. Laterality, reflected as right-ear preference for dichotic stimuli, was found to be increased in older age (above 60 years). This effect was due to a reduced report of left-ear stimuli, while the report of right-ear stimuli stayed on comparable levels across all ages.
Regrets Of Action And Inaction Across Cultures

When looking back on their lives, people in the United States tend to regret things they failed to do more than things they did. But is this tendency universal across cultures, or is it the product of the West's obsession with action and self-actualization? To address this question, the authors conducted five studies in three cultures thought to be less individualistic than the United States-China, Japan, and Russia. Respondents in all three cultures tended to regret-like their counterparts in the United States-inactions more than actions in the long term. Nor did the types of regrets reported by participants in these cultures-overwhelmingly involving the self exclusively rather than the social group-differ from the regrets reported by U.S. samples. These data support the universality of the tendency for inaction to generate greater long-term regret than action.
Manifestation of Precharge Faults in High Speed DRAM Devices

High speed DRAMs today suffer from an increased sensitivity to interference and noise problems. Signal integrity issues, caused by bit line and word line coupling, result in their own set of faults, and increase the complexity of already known faults. This paper describes the influence of bit line coupling on precharge faults, where the memory is rendered unable to set the proper precharge voltages at the end of each operation, which causes the memory to fail in subsequent read operations. This kind of bit line coupling effect on precharge behavior has been observed in high speed DRAMs at Qimonda. This paper gives a detailed analysis of the problem, and suggests effective tests to detect it. The paper also describes the results of an industrial test evaluation on actual DRAMs chips, performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed tests.
“Bad boys don't cry”: a thematic analysis of interpersonal dynamics in interview narratives of young offenders with psychopathic traits

Most discussions of the social and interpersonal styles in individuals with strong psychopathic traits focus on their dangerousness or their affective and interpersonal deficiencies. This study has a different focus, and starts from the idea that such focus on the threat emanating from individuals with a psychopathic style might blind us from the logic inherent to their way of relating with the world. By means of a qualitative analysis (thematic analysis) of narratives from a Lacanian talking therapy, this study examines how 15 youngsters with strong psychopathic traits make sense of interpersonal events and relations. The main recurring theme across these narratives was that others in general are fundamentally distrustful antagonists that they have to protect themselves from. Especially the father figure, with whom identification seems to take place, is seen as a violent actor. Consequently, these youngsters develop multiple strategies of dealing with the threat they experience in relation to (significant) others. These relationship patterns also emerged within the therapeutic relationship, resulting in frequent testing of the therapist's trustworthiness. The results of this study, discussed in terms of Lacanian theory, might help therapists to develop treatment approaches that better fit with the interpersonal orientation of individuals with strong psychopathic traits.
Anaerobic blood culture isolates in a Norwegian university hospital: identification by MALDI‐TOF MS vs 16S rRNA sequencing and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles

We investigated 197 anaerobic isolates recovered from blood cultures in the period 2009–2013. The isolates included were Bacteroides spp. , Clostridium spp. , Prevotella spp. , Fusobacterium spp. and Gram‐positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC). Identification results by MALDI‐TOF MS were compared to those obtained by 16S rRNA sequencing, and the MICs of benzylpenicillin, clindamycin, piperacillin‐tazobactam, meropenem and metronidazole were determined by Etests. The MALDI‐TOF MS correctly identified 94.9% of the anaerobes to the genus level, and 86.8% to the species level, with errors mainly among the non‐fragilis Bacteroides spp. and GPAC. About 73.3% of the isolates were non‐susceptible to penicillin, mainly due to high resistance rates in the Bacteroides spp. (99.2%) and Prevotella spp. (69.2%). About 18.5% of the isolates were clindamycin resistant. Piperacillin‐tazobactam had an excellent activity against all anaerobes except the non‐fragilis Bacteroides spp. , of which 43.8% were non‐susceptible. The clinical significance of such a high resistance rate is unclear. Meropenem and metronidazole were the most active antibiotics, with 96.9% and 97.9% of the isolates being susceptible.
Subintimal Angioplasty in the Treatment of Chronic Lower Limb Ischemia

Objective To present our experience with subintimal angioplasty (SA) for treatment of chronic lower limb ischemia (CLLI) and to assess its effectiveness and durability. Materials and Methods From April 2003 through June 2005, we treated 40 limbs in 36 patients with CLLI by SA. Balloons with or without secondary stent placement appropriate in size to the occluded arteries were used for SA of all lesions, except for iliac lesions where primary stent placement was done. The patients were followed for 1-23 months by clinical examination and color Doppler ultrasound and/or CT angiography. Technical results and outcomes were retrospectively evaluated. The presence of a steep learning curve for performance of SA was also evaluated. Primary and secondary patencies were determined using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results Technical success was achieved in 32 (80%) of 40 limbs. There was no statistical difference between technical success rates of 75% (18/24) during the first year and 88% (14/16) thereafter. There were four complications (10%) in 40 procedures; two arterial perforations, one pseudoaneurysm at the puncture site, and one delayed hematoma at the SA site. Excluding initial technical failures, the primary patency rates at six and 12 months were 68% and 55%, respectively. Secondary patency rates at six and 12 months were 73% and 59%, respectively. Conclusion Subintimal angioplasty can be accomplished with a high technical success rate. It should be attempted in patients with CLLI as an alternative to more extended surgery, or when surgical treatment is not recommended due to comorbidity or an unfavorable disease pattern.
The WIS values scale and salience inventory: Cross-national development and use with adults in work-related situations

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Charity and Ideology: The Field Linguist as Social Critic

The problem I want to raise in this paper will not be a problem for anyone who does not share both the following concerns or prejudices. The first is that we should take a materialist, extensional approach to linguistic meaning, specifically, the approach that is suggested by the work of Donald Davidson. The second is that social analysis must be emancipatory, and that this requires the conceptual possibility of postulating social structures that are in some sense hidden by discourse. The problem I want to address lies in a possible conflict between these concerns, both of which I will clarify, though not justify (except in so far as we take their compatibility to be apart of their respective justifications). The problem is this: Does the methodological core of Davidson's semantics—the principle of charity—permit interpretation informed by a concept of ideological concealment? As with many of our philosophical problems, the existence of this one is quite precarious. We can avoid avoiding it only if we move along a rather specific route, which, I am afraid, will constitute a good chunk of my paper.
Broadband, wide-angle, low-scattering terahertz wave by a flexible 2-bit coding metasurface.

Expanding bandwidths and arbitrary control of technology remain key issues in the field of electromagnetic waves, especially in terahertz (THz) wave. In this paper, we propose a novel method to achieve broadband low-scattering THz characteristics with wide-angle and polarization independence by a 2-bit flexible and nonabsorptive coding metasurface. The coding metasurface is composed of four digital elements based on double cross metallic line for "00", "01", "10", and "11. " The reflection phase difference of neighboring elements is about 90° over a broad THz frequency band and wide incident angles. The low scattering coefficients below -10 dB were achieved over a wide frequency band from 0.8 THz to 1.5 THz when the incident angle is less than 50° by coding the four elements sequences. This superior property is maintained when the flexible coding metasurface is wrapped around a metallic cylinder with different dimensions. These results present a novel method to control THz waves freely and demonstrate significant scientific value in practical applications.
The cultural formation of teachers' class consciousness: teachers in the inner city

Currently the job of teaching is being reconstructed through a technicist and managerial account which bleaches out the ‘authentic’ voice of the teacher. This paper is an attempt to recover the commitments which a particular group of teachers (urban teachers) bring to their work and explore the way their perspectives are infused with their class histories, class consciousness and their teaching experiences. The paper is divided into two main sections. The first part briefly examines the contested classed position of teachers and argues that there is a need to distinguish between economic and subjective class identities. The second part draws on a small data set of interviews conducted with seven experienced and long-stay inner-city teachers and argues that (these) teachers do what they do because of their classed identities and subjectivities. While these sorts of teachers may always have been in a minority (Grace 1978), nevertheless they are still out there teaching in the city. Through their perceptions, values and sometimes their actions, they are contesting normalizing discourses of what it is to be a teacher.
Oxidative stress and stress signaling: menace of diabetic cardiomyopathy

AbstractCardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the diabetic population and is currently one of the leading causes of death in the United States and other industrialized countries. The health care expenses associated with cardiovascular disease are staggering, reaching more than US$350 billion in 2003. The risk factors for cardiovascular disease include high fat/cholesterol levels, alcoholism, smoking, genetics, environmental factors and hypertension, which are commonly used to gauge an individual's risk of cardiovascular disease and to track their progress during therapy. Most recently, these factors have become important in the early prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Oxidative stress, the imbalance between reactive oxygen species production and breakdown by endogenous antioxidants, has been implicated in the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases such as congestive heart failure and diabetes-associated heart dysfunction (diabetic cardiomyopathy). Antioxidant therapy has shown promise in preventing the development of diabetic heart complications. This review focuses on recent advances in oxidative stress theory and antioxidant therapy in diabetic cardiomyopathy, with an emphasis on the stress signaling pathways hypothesized to be involved. Many of these stress signaling pathways lead to activation of reactive oxygen species, major players in the development and progression of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Automatic Parameter Derivations in k2U Framework

We have recently developed a general schedulability test framework, called k2U, which can be applied to deal with a large variety of task models that have been widely studied in real-time embedded systems. The k2U framework provides several means for the users to convert arbitrary schedulability tests (regardless of platforms and task models) into polynomial-time tests with closed mathematical expressions. However, the applicability (as well as the performance) of the k2U framework relies on the users to index the tasks properly and define certain constant parameters. This report describes how to automatically index the tasks properly and derive those parameters. We will cover several typical schedulability tests in real-time systems to explain how to systematically and automatically derive those parameters required by the k2U framework. This automation significantly empowers the k2U framework to handle a wide range of classes of real-time execution platforms and task models, including uniprocessor scheduling, multiprocessor scheduling, self-suspending task systems, real-time tasks with arrival jitter, services and virtualizations with bounded delays, etc.
Role of Rac1 GTPase in salt-sensitive hypertension

Purpose of review The aldosterone/mineralocorticoid receptor system plays an important role in the long-term blood pressure control through Na homeostasis. Its overactivation has been implicated in salt-sensitive hypertension. Excessive salt intake augments the function of mineralocorticoid receptor, despite lowering circulating aldosterone levels, but the mechanism had long been elusive. Recently, Rac1, a member of Rho family small GTP-binding proteins, has emerged as a novel ligand-independent modulator of mineralocorticoid receptor activity. In this review, the roles of Rac1 in the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension and kidney injury have been summarized. Recent findings Genetic engineering studies have highlighted the new aspects of Rac1 and its regulators in salt-sensitive hypertension and cardiac and renal disease. New evidence shows the essential roles of Rac1 in salt-evoked paradoxical mineralocorticoid receptor activation observed in salt-sensitive models and in renal tubular Na reabsorption through reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-mediated oxidative stress or direct regulation of Na transporters. Summary The emerging concept of ‘ligand-independent aberrant mineralocorticoid receptor activation by Rac1’ in the pathogenesis of salt-sensitive hypertension and kidney injury has been reviewed. Rac inhibition, in addition to mineralocorticoid receptor blockade and salt restriction, would be a new promising strategy for the treatment of salt-sensitive hypertension.
Depression, beliefs, voice content and topography: A cross-sectional study of schizophrenic patients with auditory verbal hallucinations

Twenty-one people diagnosed as schizophrenic by SCAN and hearing auditory hallucinations were assessed for depression and the nature of the voice content and beliefs about these using the Beck Depression Inventory, Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire, the Cognitive Assessment Schedule and the Topographical Voices Scale. Examples of content were rated as either derogatory or nonderogatory by the author and a blind rater, with a kappa of 0.6. Depression was linked to both derogatory voice content ( p =0.0004) and malevolent beliefs and/or resistance coping strategies ( p =0.0176) as well as voice intrusiveness and loudness. There was a positive relationship between SCAN depressive and positive symptoms ( p =0.013). A cognitive-behavioural model is proposed and it is recommended that schizophrenic hallucinators with derogatory content and/or malevolent beliefs are screened for depression and suicidal ideation.
Repaglinide in the Management of New‐Onset Diabetes Mellitus After Renal Transplantation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of the short‐acting insulin secretion drug repaglinide in new‐onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) after renal transplantation. Twenty‐three Caucasian patients with NODM after renal transplantation were selected to receive repaglinide therapy and were followed for at least 6 months. A control group treated with rosiglitazone was chosen for comparison. Successful repaglinide treatment was defined as a significant improvement of blood glucose concentrations and HbA1c <7% in the absence of glucosuria and without the need for the addition of further anti‐diabetic agents. After 6 months of treatment with repaglinide, 14 of the 23 patients were successfully treated. Mean HbA1c decreased from 7.6 ± 0.6% to 5.8 ± 0.6% in 14 patients treated successfully. In nine patients, hyperglycemia persisted, and they were switched to insulin treatment (HbA1c 8.5 ± 2.9% at the beginning to 7.4 ± 2.2%). Mean serum creatinine levels, cyclosporine A and tacrolimus blood levels did not change significantly following institution of repaglinide therapy. The rate of successful treatment and the degree of HbA1c decrease were similar compared to rosiglitazone‐treated control patients. The data from our observational study indicate that repaglinide can be an effective treatment option in Caucasian patients with NODM after renal transplantation.
A Hierarchical Fusion Strategy based Multimodal Biometric System

Biometric performance improvement is a challenging task. In this paper, a hierarchical strategy fusion based on multimodal biometric identification systems is presented. This strategy relies on a combination of several biometric traits using a multi-level biometric fusion hierarchy. The multi-level biometric fusion includes a pre-classification fusion with optimal feature selection and a post-classification fusion based on the similarity of maximum of scores. The proposed solution enhances biometric recognition performances based on suitable feature selection and reduction such as principal component analysis (PCA), as much as not all of the feature vectors components support the performance improvement degree.
B Cell–attracting Chemokine 1, a Human CXC Chemokine Expressed in Lymphoid Tissues, Selectively Attracts B Lymphocytes via BLR1/CXCR5

Although most leukocytes, T lymphocytes in particular, respond to several different chemokines, there is virtually no information on chemokine activities and chemokine receptors in B lymphocytes. A putative chemokine receptor, BLR1, that is expressed in Burkitt's lymphoma cells and B lymphocytes was cloned a few years ago. Deletion of the gene for BLR1 yielded mice with abnormal primary follicles and germinal centers of the spleen and Peyer's patches, reflecting the inability of B lymphocytes to migrate into B cell areas. By screening expressed sequence tag DNA sequences, we have identified a CXC chemokine, termed B cell–attracting chemokine 1 (BCA-1), that is chemotactic for human B lymphocytes. BCA-1 cDNA encodes a protein of 109 amino acids with a leader sequence of 22 residues. The mature protein shares 23–34% identical amino acids with known CXC chemokines and is constitutively expressed in secondary lymphoid organs. BCA-1 was chemically synthesized and tested for activity on murine pre–B cells 300-19 transfected with BLR1 and on human blood B lymphocytes. In transfected cells, BCA-1 induced chemotaxis and Ca2+ mobilization demonstrating that it acts via BLR1. Under the same conditions, no activity was obtained with 10 CXC and 19 CC chemokines, lymphotactin, neurotactin/fractalkine and several other peptide ligands. BCA-1 was also a highly effective attractant for human blood B lymphocytes (which express BLR1), but was inactive on freshly isolated or IL-2–stimulated T lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils. In agreement with the nomenclature rules for chemokine receptors, we propose the term CXCR5 for BLR1. Together with the observed disturbance of B cell colonization in BLR1/ CXCR5-deficient mice, the present results indicate that chemotactic recruitment by locally produced BCA-1 is important for the development of B cell areas of secondary lymphoid tissues.
Synthesis and Early Development of Hexadecyloxypropylcidofovir: An Oral Antipoxvirus Nucleoside Phosphonate

Hexadecyloxypropyl-cidofovir (HDP-CDV) is a novel ether lipid conjugate of (S)-1-(3-hydroxy-2-phosphonoylmethoxypropyl)-cytosine (CDV) which exhibits a remarkable increase in antiviral activity against orthopoxviruses compared with CDV. In contrast to CDV, HDP-CDV is orally active and lacks the nephrotoxicity of CDV itself. Increased oral bioavailability and increased cellular uptake is facilitated by the lipid portion of the molecule which is responsible for the improved activity profile. The lipid portion of HDP-CDV is cleaved in the cell, releasing CDV which is converted to CDV diphosphate, the active metabolite. HDP-CDV is a highly effective agent against a variety of orthopoxvirus infections in animal models of disease including vaccinia, cowpox, rabbitpox and ectromelia. Its activity was recently demonstrated in a case of human disseminated vaccinia infection after it was added to a multiple drug regimen. In addition to the activity against orthopoxviruses, HDP-CDV (CMX001) is active against all double stranded DNA viruses including CMV, HSV-1, HSV-2, EBV, adenovirus, BK virus, orf, JC, and papilloma viruses, and is under clinical evaluation as a treatment for human infections with these agents.