Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Roles of serum and biliary CEA, CA19-9, VEGFR3, and TAC in differentiating between malignant and benign biliary obstructions.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Despite the presence of many diagnostic methods, the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant biliary obstructions is still not easy. We aimed to evaluate the role of serum/biliary carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3(VEGFR-3), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) tests in this differential diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients (n:225; 110♂, 115♀) with diagnosis of malignant (n:96) or benign (n:129) biliary obstruction were included in this cross-sectional study. Serum and biliary CEA, CA 19-9, VEGFR-3, and TAC tests were analyzed, statistics were obtained, and significance was defined as p<0.05. RESULTS Mean age was 54.9±16.4 for the benign and 54.2±19.6 for the malignant group (p=0.89). Head of pancreas cancer (18.2%), cholangiocarcinoma (11.4%) and choledochal stone (48%) were the most common etiologies. The area under the curve (AUC)s by ROC analysis of serum/biliary CA 19-9, VEGFR-3, and TAC and serum CEA were 0.701/0.616, 0.622/0.663, 0.602/0.581, and 0713, respectively. Serum TAC had higher sensitivity (61.1%) and CEA had lower sensitivity (42.7%), whereas CEA had higher specificity (89.9%) and TAC had lower specificity (60.5%). In biliary tumor markers, CA 19-9 had higher sensitivity (74%) and VEGFR-3 had lower sensitivity (56.2%); however, VEGFR-3 had higher specificity (79.1%) and CA 19-9 had lower specificity (34.1%). Additionally, combination of serum CEA (p<0.001), CA 19-9 (p<0.001), VEGFR-3 (p<0.001), and biliary CA 19-9 (p=0.028) markers achieved 95% estimation probability, and the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 88.5%, 45.7%, and 64%, respectively. CONCLUSION Serum and biliary CEA, CA 19-9, VEGFR-3, and TAC tests would not be useful in the differentiation between malignant and benign biliary obstructions.
Robust and adaptive strategies with pre-identification via sliding mode technique in LQ differential games

A finite time multi-persons linear-quadratic (LQ) differential game with bounded disturbances and uncertainties is considered. When players cannot measure these disturbances, the standard feedback Nash strategies are shown to yield to a quasi Nash-equilibrium depending on an uncertainty upper bound that confirms the robustness property of such standard strategies. In the case of periodic disturbances, another concept, namely adaptive concept, containing three different versions is suggested. They are sliding modes (SM), high order sliding modes (HOSM) and window integration (WI). All of them realize the identification of unknown periodic disturbances during an "identification period" when all participants apply the standard feedback Nash strategies with the, so-called, "shifting signal" generated only by a known external exciting signal. After that period the complete standard strategies with "pre-identification" including the recalculated shifting signal are activated. A numerical example dealing with a two participants game shows that the cost functional for each player achieves better values when the adaptive approach is applied
A Review of Commonly Used DC Arc Models

The dc arc hazard is a great concern to industry. Quantitative arc hazard assessments are performed on dc systems to determine a nearby worker's potential incident energy exposure during an arcing event. Four viable dc assessment methods are reviewed in this paper. The most widely used model for predicting dc incident energy is based on Lee's theoretical arc model; the electrical arc power is determined from the maximum power transfer theorem, and the arc is depicted as a spherical radiant source with uniform heat transmission in all directions. Like Lee's model, Ammerman's model assumes complete conversion of electrical arc energy into thermal energy, but arc power is determined from an iterative technique constrained by arc power and circuit characteristics. Ammerman incorporates multiplying factors which account for the higher incident energies associated with arcing in enclosures. Based on dc arc testing, the applicability of an existing software package has been extended to dc systems through multiplying factors, and equations for dc rail and transit systems have also been developed. Model derivation is examined in this paper for suitability to arcing in general and dc specifically. Model performance is assessed using the available limited data (ac or dc). Example calculations are provided.
El desarrollo de la autonomía: más allá del uso de las TIC para el trabajo independiente

La sociedad actual requiere que la educacion superior fomente la autonomia en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Una forma de lograrlo es articular el uso de las Tecnologias de Informacion y Comunicaciones (Tic), con nuevas practicas pedagogicas. El caso que se describe en este articulo corresponde a un ambiente de aprendizaje generado en una asignatura de Administracion de Empresas de una universidad colombiana privada, en la que se pretende que los estudiantes construyan una oportunidad de negocio mediante una metodologia propuesta por el profesor en un material digital. Se observaron diez clases durante un semestre academico. Se entrevistaron a 30 estudiantes y a su profesor, ademas de triangularse los datos para hacer una descripcion del ambiente de aprendizaje. El analisis de los datos muestra que las practicas pedagogicas adelantadas fueron tradicionales, centradas en el profesor y en sus conocimientos. A pesar de ello, los estudiantes trabajaron de forma independiente, situacion que evidencio un cierto nivel de autonomia en el aprendizaje. Los resultados del estudio muestran que gran parte del logro se debio a que las actividades y productos propuestos eran significativos para los estudiantes, sin embargo, los ambientes de aprendizaje son sistemas complejos en donde multiples factores inciden, simultaneamente, para el logro de los objetivos academicos.
New Plots, New Heroes in Staff Development.

S ink or swim beginnings. One-shot workshops injecting all with the same patent medicine. New truths delivered by faraway prophets. This year's episode of "bells and whistles to make our district a lighthouse," spon sored by the same folks who brought you last year's version. The frustration of trying new ideas alone while schools and classrooms run on old ones. There will be no true school restruc turing if we sit idly and listen to previ ously lived staff development stories. Permanent changes in the ways schools function will come only when the prac tices of teachers and administrators evolve into different school cultures. Recent staff development research defines systematic processes for ensuring positive and successful change (Joyce 1990; Schubert 1989, 1990; Sergiovanni 1990). But we must rewrite the plots of the staff development stories we now know. Following are some cautionary tales, some common stories of staff development, along with some newer elements of the knowledge base that could recast the plots and characters.
The Genomic Contributions of Avian H1N1 Influenza A Viruses to the Evolution of Mammalian Strains

Among the influenza A viruses (IAVs) in wild aquatic birds, only H1, H2, and H3 subtypes have caused epidemics in humans. H1N1 viruses of avian origin have also caused 3 of 5 pandemics. To understand the reappearance of H1N1 in the context of pandemic emergence, we investigated whether avian H1N1 IAVs have contributed to the evolution of human, swine, and 2009 pandemic H1N1 IAVs. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, we concluded that the polymerase gene segments (especially PB2 and PA) circulating in North American avian H1N1 IAVs have been reintroduced to swine multiple times, resulting in different lineages that led to the emergence of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 IAVs. Moreover, the similar topologies of hemagglutinin and nucleoprotein and neuraminidase and matrix gene segments suggest that each surface glycoprotein coevolved with an internal gene segment within the H1N1 subtype. The genotype of avian H1N1 IAVs of Charadriiformes origin isolated in 2009 differs from that of avian H1N1 IAVs of Anseriformes origin. When the antigenic sites in the hemagglutinin of all 31 North American avian H1N1 IAVs were considered, 60%-80% of the amino acids at the antigenic sites were identical to those in 1918 and/or 2009 pandemic H1N1 viruses. Thus, although the pathogenicity of avian H1N1 IAVs could not be inferred from the phylogeny due to the small dataset, the evolutionary process within the H1N1 IAV subtype suggests that the circulation of H1N1 IAVs in wild birds poses a continuous threat for future influenza pandemics in humans.
Demography and speciation history of the homoploid hybrid pine Pinus densata on the Tibetan Plateau

Pinus densata is an ecologically successful homoploid hybrid that inhabits vast areas of heterogeneous terrain on the south‐eastern Tibetan Plateau as a result of multiple waves of colonization. Its region of origin, route of colonization onto the plateau and the directions of introgression with its parental species have previously been defined, but little is known about the isolation and divergence history of its populations. In this study, we surveyed nucleotide polymorphism over eight nuclear loci in 19 representative populations of P. densata and its parental species. Using this information and coalescence simulations, we assessed the historical changes in its population size, gene flow and divergence in time and space. The results indicate a late Miocene origin for P. densata associated with the recent uplift of south‐eastern Tibet. The subsequent differentiation between geographical regions of this species began in the late Pliocene and was induced by regional topographical changes and Pleistocene glaciations. The ancestral P. densata population had a large effective population size but the central and western populations were established by limited founders, suggesting that there were severe bottlenecks during the westward migration out of the ancestral hybrid zone. After separating from their ancestral populations, population expansion occurred in all geographical regions especially in the western range. Gene flow in P. densata was restricted to geographically neighbouring populations, resulting in significant differentiation between regional groups. The new information on the divergence and demographic history of P. densata reported herein enhances our understanding of its speciation process on the Tibetan Plateau.
A Machine Learning Approach to Inductive Query by Examples: An Experiment Using Relevance Feedback, ID3, Genetic Algorithms, and Simulated Annealing

Information retrieval using probabilistic techniques has attracted significant attention on the part of researchers in information and computer science over the past few decades. In the 1980s, knowledge-based techniques also made an impressive contribution to intelligent information retrieval and indexing. More recently, information science researchers have turned to other newer inductive learning techniques including symbolic learning, genetic algorithms, and simulated annealing. These newer techniques, which are grounded in diverse paradigms, have provided great opportunities for researchers to enhance the information processing and retrieval capabilities of current information systems. In this article, we first provide an overview of these newer techniques and their use in information retrieval research. In order to familiarize readers with the techniques, we present three promising methods: The symbolic ID3 algorithm, evolution-based genetic algorithms, and simulated annealing. We discuss their knowledge representations and algorithms in the unique context of information retrieval. An experiment using a 8000-record COMPEN database was performed to examine the performances of these inductive query-by-example techniques in comparison with the performance of the conventional relevance feedback method. The machine learning techniques were shown to be able to help identify new documents which are similar to documents initially suggested by users, and documents which contain similar concepts to each other. Genetic algorithms, in particular, were found to out-perform relevance feedback in both document recall and precision. We believe these inductive machine learning techniques hold promise for the ability to analyze users' preferred documents (or records), identify users' underlying information needs, and also suggest alternatives for search for database management systems and Internet applications.
Vitamins and cardiovascular disease

CVD is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the Western world. In recent years its importance has expanded internationally and it is believed that by 2020 it will be the biggest cause of mortality in the world, emphasising the importance to prevent or minimise this increase. A beneficial role for vitamins in CVD has long been explored but the data are still inconsistent. While being supported by observational studies, randomised controlled trials have not yet supported a role for vitamins in primary or secondary prevention of CVD and have in some cases even indicated increased mortality in those with pre-existing late-stage atherosclerosis. The superiority of combination therapy over single supplementation has been suggested but this has not been confirmed in trials. Studies have indicated that β-carotene mediates pro-oxidant effects and it has been suggested that its negative effects may diminish the beneficial effects mediated by the other vitamins in the supplementation cocktail. The trials that used a combination of vitamins that include β-carotene have been disappointing. However, vitamin E and vitamin C have in combination shown long-term anti-atherogenic effects but their combined effect on clinical endpoints has been inconsistent. Studies also suggest that vitamins would be beneficial to individuals who are antioxidant-deficient or exposed to increased levels of oxidative stress, for example, smokers, diabetics and elderly patients, emphasising the importance of subgroup targeting. Through defining the right population group and the optimal vitamin combination we could potentially find a future role for vitamins in CVD.
Metavinculin Mutations Alter Actin Interaction in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Background—Vinculin and its isoform metavinculin are protein components of intercalated discs, structures that anchor thin filaments and transmit contractile force between cardiac myocytes. We tested the hypothesis that heritable dysfunction of metavinculin may contribute to the pathogenesis of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Methods and Results—We performed mutational analyses of the metavinculin-specific exon of vinculin in 350 unrelated patients with DCM. One missense mutation (Arg975Trp) and one 3-bp deletion (Leu954del) were identified. These mutations involved conserved amino acids, were absent in 500 control individuals, and significantly altered metavinculin-mediated cross-linking of actin filaments in an in vitro assay. Ultrastructural examination was performed in one patient (Arg975Trp), revealing grossly abnormal intercalated discs. A potential risk-conferring polymorphism (Ala934Val), identified in one DCM patient and one control individual, had a less pronounced effect on actin filament cross-linking. Conclusions—These data provide genetic and functional evidence for vinculin as a DCM gene and suggest that metavinculin plays a critical role in cardiac structure and function. Disruption of force transmission at the thin filament-intercalated disc interface is the likely mechanism by which mutations in metavinculin may lead to DCM.
Validity of the correlation of gallstones and pancreatic pathology

In a necropsy survey of 724 patients from the Hebrew University Hospital (1964-67) 107 patients were found with gallstones. Ninety-five patients matched according to age and sex served as controls. No difference was found between control and gallstone patients with regard to the incidence and type of pancreatic pathology, except for intestinal metaplasia which was more frequent in the controls. Significantly more pancreatic pathology was found in Ashkenazi-born patients without gallstones than in the respective non-Ashkenazi group. In patients with gallstones no difference in pancreatic pathology was found between the two ethnic groups. Females with gallstones had significantly more hepatic disease than females without gallstones. This difference was not found in males. Hepatic disease alone was associated with a higher incidence of pancreatic pathology.
Prospective Randomized Study Comparing Sentinel Lymph Node Evaluation With Standard Pathologic Evaluation for the Staging of Colon Carcinoma: Results From the United States Military Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Group Study GI-01

Background:The principal role of sentinel lymph node (SLN) sampling and ultrastaging in colon cancer is enhanced staging accuracy. The utility of this technique for patients with colon cancer remains controversial. Purpose:This multicenter randomized trial was conducted to determine if focused assessment of the SLN with step sectioning and immunohistochemistry (IHC) enhances the ability to stage the regional nodal basin over conventional histopathology in patients with resectable colon cancer. Patients and Methods:Between August 2002 and April 2006 we randomly assigned 161 patients with stage I–III colon cancer to standard histopathologic evaluation or SLN mapping (ex vivo, subserosal, peritumoral, 1% isosulfan blue dye) and ultrastaging with pan-cytokeratin IHC in conjunction with standard histopathology. SLN-positive disease was defined as individual tumor cells or cell aggregates identified by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and/or IHC. Primary end point was the rate of nodal upstaging. Results:Significant nodal upstaging was identified with SLN ultrastaging (Control vs. SLN: 38.7% vs. 57.3%, P = 0.019). When SLNs with cell aggregates ≤0.2 mm in size were excluded, no statistically significant difference in node-positive rate was apparent between the control and SLN arms (38.7% vs. 39.0%, P = 0.97). However, a 10.7% (6/56) nodal upstaging was identified by evaluation of H&E stained step sections of SLNs among study arm patients who would have otherwise been staged node-negative (N0) by conventional pathologic assessment alone. Conclusion:SLN mapping, step sectioning, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) identifies small volume nodal disease and improves staging in patients with resectable colon cancer. A prospective trial is ongoing to determine the clinical significance of colon cancer micrometastasis in sentinel lymph nodes.
Setting the Standard for Farmland Preservation: Do Preservation Criteria Motivate Citizen Support for Farmland Preservation?

The multifunctional set of services provided by farmland complicates the task of identifying which farmland should be preserved. For this reason many states and local governments establish criteria to rank and select parcels of farmland for protection. This study examines whether criteria commonly used by state programs to guide purchases of agricultural conservation easements influence public demand for farmland preservation. The results provide policy makers with additional information to assess current ranking criteria that set the standard for farmland preservation.
Inactivation of the Sodium Channel

A B S X R A C T Gating current (I~) has been studied in relation to inactivation of the Na channels. No component of lg has the time course of inactivation; apparent ly little or no charge movement is associated with this step. Inactivation nonetheless affects Ig by immobilizing about two-thirds of gating charge. Immobilization can be followed by measuring ON charge movement dur ing a pulse and compar ing it to OFF charge after the pulse. The OFF:ON ratio is near 1 for a pulse so short that no inactivation occurs, and the ratio drops to about one-third with a time course that parallels inactivation. Other correlations between inactivation and immobilization are that: (a) they have the same voltage dependence; (b) charge movement recovers with the time course of recovery from inactivation. We interpret this to mean that the immobilized charge returns slowly to "off' position with the time course of recovery from inactivation, and that the small current generated is lost in base-line noise. At -150 mV recovery is very rapid , and the immobilized charge forms a distinct slow component of current as it re turns to off position. After destruction of inactivation by pronase, there is no immobilization of charge. A model is presented in which inactivation gains its voltage dependence by coupling to the activation gate.
Implementing Domain-Specific Languages for Heterogeneous Parallel Computing

Domain-specific languages offer a solution to the performance and the productivity issues in heterogeneous computing systems. The Delite compiler framework simplifies the process of building embedded parallel DSLs. DSL developers can implement domain-specific operations by extending the DSL framework, which provides static optimizations and code generation for heterogeneous hardware. The Delite runtime automatically schedules and executes DSL operations on heterogeneous hardware.
The Ionic Basis of the Resting Potential in a Cross-Striated Muscle of the Aquatic Snail Lymnaea Stagnalis

The mean resting potential in the heart ventricle muscle cells of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis was found to be −61.2±3.5 (˙˙) mV (ranging from −56mV to −68mV). The average intracellular potassium concentration was estimated to be 51.5±14.6(˙˙) m (ranging from 27.8 m to 77.3 m). The membrane of the heart ventricle muscle cells appears to be permeable to both potassium and chloride, as changes in the extracellular concentration of either of these ions resulted in a change in the membrane potential. A ten-fold change in the extracellular potassium concentration was associated with a 50.4±3.8(˙˙) mV slope when the potassium concentration was above about 6 m. Deviations from the straight-line relation predicted for a potassium electrode could be accounted for by introducing a term for sodium permeability. The ionic basis of the membrane potential in these cells can be described by a modified form of the Goldman-Hodgkin- Katz equation.
Human Articular Cartilage Proteoglycans Are Not Undersulfated in Osteoarthritis

Chondroitin sulfate is the major constituent of cartilage. Inadequate sulfate availability results in the production of undersulfated proteoglycans. In osteoarthritis, there is a net loss of articular cartilage proteoglycans. Theoretically, it is possible that during the progress of disease undersulfated glycosaminoglycans are synthesized producing proteoglycans with poorer biological properties. In this study, we tested whether in early human osteoarthritic articular cartilage (Mankin's score of 2 and 3) or more advanced disease (Mankin's score over 3), there are proteoglycans that contain a higher relative amount of nonsulfated chondroitin disaccharide isomer in their chondroitin sulfate chains by analyzing the molar ratios of chondroitin sulfate disaccharide isoforms with fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis. Our results indicated that the nonsulfated disaccharide of chondroitin sulfate formed in average only 1–2% of the total chondroitin sulfate. More important, the molar ratio of nonsulfated disaccharide did not appear to be increased in the osteoarthritic articular cartilage. We conclude that undersulfation of articular cartilage proteoglycans is not present in the human osteoarthritic joint.