Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unusual short-term complete response to two regimens of cytotoxic chemotherapy in a patient with poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

CONTEXT Treatment modalities for progressive iodine-refractory poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas are not yet well defined. Molecular targeted therapy with multikinase inhibitors has recently shown promising results, and cytotoxic chemotherapy is generally considered of low efficacy. OBJECTIVE We report the case of a 57-yr-old woman with an advanced iodine-refractory poorly differentiated thyroid cancer who was treated sequentially between October 2006 and March 2011 with two different regimens of cytotoxic chemotherapy and three lines of multikinase inhibitors. METHODS Efficacy and adverse effects of the consecutive treatment modalities, i.e. vandetanib, doxorubicin-cisplatin combination, sorafenib, paclitaxel-carboplatin combination, and sunitinib, are reported. RESULTS The patient presented a complete tumor response to a doxorubicin-cisplatin combination lasting 10 months and to a paclitaxel-carboplatin regimen lasting 5 months and had no or limited response to kinase inhibitors, i.e. progression after 3 months of vandetanib, progression after 4 months of sorafenib, and stable disease for 8 months with sunitinib treatment. CONCLUSIONS When tumor progresses with kinase inhibitors, cytotoxic chemotherapy may be an alternative in selected cases of advanced iodine-refractory poorly differentiated thyroid cancer. For those rare cases, clinical management should benefit from a multidisciplinary team approach through specialized networks.
Comment on Gordon L. Clark and Ashby Monk, “Modernity, Imitation, and Performance: Sovereign Funds in the Gulf,” Business and Politics 14 (1, 2012): 1–22

Professors Gordon Clark and Ashby Monk's “Modernity, Imitation, and Performance: Sovereign Funds in the Gulf” represent a welcome departure from previous studies of Gulf Sovereign Wealth Funds by beginning to explore the origins and the changes in Gulf SWFs. However by way of critical commentary on their article, I sketch out a political economy approach to understanding Gulf SWFs and place these institutions within an historical and political setting.
A crucial role for Ras suppressor-1 (RSU-1) revealed when PINCH and ILK binding is disrupted

Summary PINCH, integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and Ras suppressor-1 (RSU-1) are molecular scaffolding proteins that form a physical complex downstream of integrins, and have overlapping roles in cellular adhesion. In Drosophila, PINCH and ILK colocalize in cells and have indistinguishable functions in maintaining wing adhesion and integrin to actin linkage in the muscle. We sought to determine whether the direct physical interaction between PINCH and ILK was essential for their functions using transgenic flies expressing a version of PINCH with a point mutation that disrupts ILK binding (PINCHQ38A). We demonstrate that the PINCH-ILK interaction is not required for viability, for integrin-mediated adhesion of the wing or muscle, or for maintaining appropriate localization or levels of either PINCH or ILK. These results suggest alternative modes for PINCH localization, stabilization and linkage to the actin cytoskeleton that are independent of a direct interaction with ILK. Furthermore, we identified a synthetic lethality in flies carrying both the PINCHQ38A mutation and a null mutation in the gene encoding RSU-1. This lethality does not result from PINCH mislocalization or destabilization, and illustrates a novel compensatory role for RSU-1 in maintaining viability in flies with compromised PINCH-ILK binding. Taken together, this work highlights the existence of redundant mechanisms in adhesion complex assembly that support integrin function in vivo.
The Gain from International Trade in Pool Goods and Private Goods

It is well known that perfectly competitive free trade is potentially beneficial for all countries if all goods are both rivalrous and excludable in consumption (“private goods”) and recently (2011) the proposition has been modified to accommodate non-rivalrous and non-excludable goods (“public goods”), as well as non-rivalrous and excludable goods (“club goods”). In the present paper the proposition is modified again, to accommodate rivalrous and non-excludable goods (“pool goods”). The primary focus is on ocean fisheries, access to which is shared (not necessarily equally) by all countries. However the central proposition to be established is valid for all international pool goods.
Lung transplantation affects expression of the chemokine receptor type 4 on specific T cell subsets

Alloreactive T cells that infiltrate the graft after lung transplantation (LTx) play a role in chronic rejection. Chemokines such as thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine (TARC), macrophage‐derived chemokine (MDC) and monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 (MCP‐1) are produced locally in the lung and attract T cells via chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4). In a TARC gradient, cells expressing CCR4++ migrate more efficiently than CCR4+‐expressing cells. In this study, we compared the CCR4 expression of T cells in blood from 20 lung transplant recipients to healthy controls. We then examined whether CCR4 expression is associated with the occurrence of chronic rejection. The CCR4++ expression was decreased on CD4 T cells from LTx patients (P < 0·0001) when compared to healthy controls. The analysis of CD4 T cell subsets showed that this decrease was present on central memory, effector memory and terminally differentiated T cells (P = 0·0007, P < 0·0001 and P = 0·05, respectively), while a trend was found for naive CD4 T cells (P = 0·06). Also, the expression of CCR4+ on regulatory T cells (Tregs) was decreased in LTx patients when compared to healthy controls (P = 0·02). Interestingly, the CCR4++ expression on CD4 effector memory T cells was decreased in patients developing chronic rejection sometimes more than a year before the clinical diagnosis when compared to patients who did not (P = 0·04). The analysis of CD8 T cell subsets only showed the CCR4+ expression to be increased significantly on effector memory and terminally differentiated CD8 T cells (P = 0·02, P = 0·03, respectively) in LTx patients, but no relation was found in chronic rejection. In conclusion, the expression of CCR4 on T cell subsets was altered after LTx and appears to be related to chronic rejection.
Shear viscosity via global control of spatiotemporal chaos in two-dimensional isoenergetic dense fluids.

We control the chaotic large-scale spatiotemporal fluctuations inherent in large-scale two-dimensional nonequilibrium flows by using global ergostats. We use isoenergetic nonequilibrium molecular dynamics to characterize the size dependence of both the shear viscosity and the largest Lyapunov exponent for two-dimensional globally controlled dense periodic fluids. Though uncontrolled fluctuations in such flows have often been thought to lead to divergent transport coefficients in two dimensions, our numerical evidence shows instead that the large-system ``thermodynamic limit'' can be extended to a convergent homogeneous ``hydrodynamic limit'' away from equilibrium, with finite transport coefficients, even in two dimensions.
Disclosure in the annual reports of Australian government departments : a research note.

Purpose – Annual reports are perceived to be important sources of information about government departments' performance, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness. This paper aims to report on an empirical study that explores the current disclosure practices by Australian government departments.Design/methodology/approach – To achieve the research aim, the paper assesses the 2005‐2006 annual reports of 56 Australia Government departments. It analyses 47 mandatory disclosures and 20 voluntary disclosures reported by the subject organizations. It employs a disclosure index to calculate the level of disclosures.Findings – The findings reveal that the voluntary disclosure level is higher than the mandatory disclosure in the subject departments. Further, it is found that the annual reports of government departments reveal a low level of disclosures in the areas of human resources, asset management, external scrutiny, purchasing, and contracting.Research limitations/implications – The study is based on publi.
Influence of adenosine triphosphate on the isolated perfused mesenteric artery of the rabbit.

The vascular effects of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were examined in the isolated perfused mesenteric arteries of the rabbit. Bolus injections of ATP (1 X 10(-8) to 10(-6) mol) induced a dose-dependent vasoconstrictor response at resting perfusion pressure, while continuous perfusion with ATP briefly elicited a vasoconstrictor response which was not maintained. Perfusion with phentolamine (2.65 X 10(-6) M, an alpha-adrenergic receptor blocker), indomethacin (8.37 X 10(-6) M, an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase), atropine (1 X 10(-7) M, a muscarinic receptor blocker), and hydralazine (2 X 10(-4) M, a vascular smooth muscle inhibitor) for a period of 1 h had no effect on vasoconstrictor responses to ATP. However, pretreatment with reserpine (2 mg X kg-1 X day-1 for 2 days), an agent which depletes catecholamines, potentiated responses to ATP. On the other hand, when vascular tone was increased with an isoosmotic 60 mM K+ depolarizing Krebs bicarbonate solution, bolus injections of ATP elicited a prominent dose-dependent vasoconstriction followed by a prominent vasodilation. The degree of vasodilation but not of vasoconstriction elicited by ATP was greater in small terminal arteries with branches (less than 0.5 mm outside diameter (o.d.) ) than in the medium size arteries (less than or equal to 1 mm o.d.) without terminal branches. Both the vasoconstrictor and vasodilator responses were unaffected by a perfusion with atropine, indomethacin, or eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA, 1 X 10(-4) M) for 1-2 h. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Marking Single–Family Property Values to Market

This paper is the text of the 2001 Presidential Address for the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association. House price prediction accuracy is a function of: (1) the procedure used to identify within-metropolitan-area housing submarket boundaries, (2) the econometric technique used to estimate the parameters of the house price model and (3) the characteristics of the local housing market. This paper empirically examines several procedures for delineating within-metropolitan-area housing submarket boundaries. In addition, the paper examines the increase in prediction accuracy that can be achieved by employing spatial econometric techniques to spatially adjust ordinary least squares house price predictions. Finally, the paper examines the influence that local housing market characteristics have on house price prediction accuracy. Housing market characteristics examined here are: (1) structural characteristics of neighborhood properties, (2) heterogeneity of the neighborhood housing stock and (3) housing market liquidity. Prediction accuracy is examined using hedonic house price equations with over 40,000 single-family transactions for Dallas, Texas. Copyright 2003 American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association
Validation of a self-administered, computerized tool for collecting and displaying the family history of cancer.

PURPOSE A detailed family history is important for cancer risk assessment, but obtaining it is time consuming and infrequently accomplished in practice. The Genetic Risk Easy Assessment Tool (GREAT) conducts a computer-administered family history interview and immediately generates a pedigree diagram in digital form. The purpose of this study was to validate family cancer histories produced by patients using the computer tool in comparison with pedigrees made by genetic counselors. METHODS Patients scheduled for genetics consultation recorded their family histories using the GREAT, separate from their genetic counseling session. The presence of each relative; presence, type, and age at diagnosis of cancers; and cancer geneticist's risk assessment were compared for 120 pairs of pedigrees produced by counselors versus computer tool. RESULTS The automated telephone interview took a mean of 33.5 minutes and was highly acceptable to respondents. Ninety-four percent of first-degree relatives, 67% of second-degree relatives, and 38% of third-degree relatives were identical on paired pedigrees; computer-generated pedigrees included additional relatives. Sixty-three percent of all cancers were identified by both family histories, with 90% agreement on the type of cancer. There was very good agreement (kappa = 0.70; correlation = 0.77) between the geneticist's breast cancer risk assessments based on computer versus counselors' pedigrees. In a subsample of 61 users, test-retest reliability for the computer-administered questionnaire was high (phi = 0.94 for cancers in first-degree and phi = 0.91 in second-degree relatives). CONCLUSION The GREAT computer-administered questionnaire provides an acceptable, reliable, and valid way of collecting an unverified but extensive family history of cancer and displaying it as a pedigree, in an entirely automated process.
No evidence for synergy between human papillomavirus genotypes for the risk of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in a large population-based study.

BACKGROUND Multiple human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes may be independently or synergistically associated with risk of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). We evaluated the risk of HSIL in women concomitantly infected with multiple HPV genotypes. METHODS A population-based stratified sample of 59 664 cervical cytology specimens from women residing in New Mexico were evaluated for cytologic abnormalities and HPV genotypes. We calculated the risk of HSIL in women infected with a single HPV genotype and the risk in those infected with multiple HPV genotypes. RESULTS The highest risk of HSIL was observed for HPV-16 (0.036), followed by HPV-33 (0.028), HPV-58 (0.024), and HPV-18 (0.022). For most types, we observed a greater risk of HSIL in women infected with multiple carcinogenic HPV types. In contrast, the risk of HSIL was similar in women infected with HPV-16 and other types, compared with women infected with HPV-16 only. We observed an increased but plateauing risk of HSIL in women infected with multiple types, compared with those infected with a single type, with risk ratios of 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.8), 1.7 (95% CI, 1.3-2.4), and 1.4 (95% CI, 0.83-2.5) for women infected with 2, 3, and ≥4 genotypes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In the largest population-based study of HPV genotypes and cytologic outcomes so far, we did not see more than additive effects of HPV types on the risk of HSIL in women infected with multiple types.
Ethnic and gender differences in the use of coronary artery revascularisation procedures in New Zealand.

AIMS To examine ethnic and gender variations in the use of coronary artery revascularisation procedures in New Zealand and to determine whether the introduction of priority scores affected intervention trends. METHODS Analysis of the National Minimum Database for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) intervention rates for New Zealand Pacific, Maori and other men and women aged 40 years and over during the decade 1990-1999. RESULTS Coronary artery revascularisation rates were lower in women than in men in all ethnic groups and in Pacific and Maori men compared with other New Zealand men. Compared to all men, the mean age-standardised CABG and PTCA intervention rate ratios in all women were 0.34 and 0.36. Compared to other New Zealand men, the mean age-standardised CABG and PTCA intervention rate ratios were 0.64 and 0.25 in Pacific and 0.40 and 0.29 in Maori men respectively. Compared to other New Zealand women, the rate ratios for CABG and PTCA were 0.73 and 0.21 in Pacific and 0.74 and 0.43 in Maori women respectively. Introducing priority scores was neither associated with reduced cardiac procedures nor significantly reduced variation in procedures across all ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS Although Pacific and Maori peoples had higher rates of coronary artery disease morbidity and mortality, revascularisation rates were lower in both groups. Strategies beyond the use of priority scores are needed to address ethnic and gender disparities in coronary artery revascularisation procedures in New Zealand.
Fentanyl decreases propofol requirement for laryngeal mask airway insertion

Background: Since fentanyl is a potent depressant of the upper airway reflex, preadministration of fentanyl may facilitate insertion of the laryngeal mask airway (LMATM) using propofol. Accordingly, we tested the hypothesis that fentanyl pretreatment would reduce the dose of propofol required for the LMA insertion.
Trigger vs. Substrate: Multi-Dimensional Modulation of QT-Prolongation Associated Arrhythmic Dynamics by a hERG Channel Activator

Background: Prolongation of the QT interval of the electrocardiogram (ECG), underlain by prolongation of the action potential duration (APD) at the cellular level, is linked to increased vulnerability to cardiac arrhythmia. Pharmacological management of arrhythmia associated with QT prolongation is typically achieved through attempting to restore APD to control ranges, reversing the enhanced vulnerability to Ca2+-dependent afterdepolarisations (arrhythmia triggers) and increased transmural dispersion of repolarisation (arrhythmia substrate) associated with APD prolongation. However, such pharmacological modulation has been demonstrated to have limited effectiveness. Understanding the integrative functional impact of pharmacological modulation requires simultaneous investigation of both the trigger and substrate. Methods: We implemented a multi-scale (cell and tissue) in silico approach using a model of the human ventricular action potential, integrated with a model of stochastic 3D spatiotemporal Ca2+ dynamics, and parameter modification to mimic prolonged QT conditions. We used these models to examine the efficacy of the hERG activator MC-II-157c in restoring APD to control ranges, examined its effects on arrhythmia triggers and substrates, and the interaction of these arrhythmia triggers and substrates. Results: QT prolongation conditions promoted the development of spontaneous release events underlying afterdepolarisations during rapid pacing. MC-II-157c applied to prolonged QT conditions shortened the APD, inhibited the development of afterdepolarisations and reduced the probability of afterdepolarisations manifesting as triggered activity in single cells. In tissue, QT prolongation resulted in an increased transmural dispersion of repolarisation, which manifested as an increased vulnerable window for uni-directional conduction block. In some cases, MC-II-157c further increased the vulnerable window through its effects on INa. The combination of stochastic release event modulation and transmural dispersion of repolarisation modulation by MC-II-157c resulted in an integrative behavior wherein the arrhythmia trigger is reduced but the arrhythmia substrate is increased, leading to variable and non-linear overall vulnerability to arrhythmia. Conclusion: The relative balance of reduced trigger and increased substrate underlies a multi-dimensional role of MC-II-157c in modulation of cardiac arrhythmia vulnerability associated with prolonged QT interval.
Plasma metamaterials, and their reconfigurable and nonlinear properties

Plasma metamaterials, which are composed of discharge plasmas and solid metamaterials, show various distinguishable properties that conventional metamaterials cannot exhibit. In this report, we review their reconfigurable properties in permittivity and refractive index, and show recent results on nonlinear properties such as bifurcated transitions and harmonic wave generation.
A New Result on $H_{\infty }$ State Estimation of Delayed Static Neural Networks

This brief presents a new guaranteed <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H_{\infty } $ </tex-math></inline-formula> performance state estimation criterion for delayed static neural networks. To facilitate the use of the slope information about activation function, the estimation error of activation function is separated into two parts for the first time. Then, a novel Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) is constructed, which has fully captured the slope information of the activation. Based on the new LKF, a less conservative design criterion of estimator is derived to ensure the asymptotic stability of estimation error system with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H_{\infty } $ </tex-math></inline-formula> performance. The desired estimator gain matrices and the performance index are obtained by solving a convex optimization problem. The simulation results show that the proposed method has much better performance than the most recent results.
Fuzzy Decision Making in Modeling and Control

Fuzzy Decision Making Fuzzy Decision Functions Fuzzy Aggregated Membership Control Modeling and Identification Fuzzy Decision Making for Modeling Fuzzy Model-Based Control Performance Criteria Model-Based Control with Fuzzy Decision Functions Derivative-Free Optimization Advanced Optimization Issues Application Example Future Developments Appendices: Model-Based Predictive Control Nonlinear Internal Model Control.
Membrane-Permeant 3-OH-Phosphorylated Phosphoinositide Derivatives.

A crucial role in the regulation of epithelial chloride secretion is played by the phosphoinositide PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 . Membrane-permeant derivatives of this and other naturally occurring phosphoinositides have been synthesized. These derivatives, which can be bioactivated, were used in investigations on nasal epithelia of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis.
Finding the hidden hands: a case study of detecting organized posters and promoters in SINA weibo

With the development of online social networks, a special group of online users named organized posters (or Internet water army, Internet paid posters in some literatures) have flooded the social network communities. They are organized in groups to post with specific purposes and sometimes even confuse or mislead normal users. In this paper, we study the individual and group characteristics of organized posters. A classifier is constructed based on the individual and group characteristics to detect them. Extensive experimental results on three real datasets demonstrate that our method based on individual and group characteristics using SVM model (IGCSVM) is effective in detecting organized posters and better than existing methods. We take a first look at finding the promoters based on the detected organized posters of our IGCSVM method. Our experiments show that it is effective in detecting promoters.