Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Promoter hypermethylation of tumor‐related genes in gastric intestinal metaplasia of patients with and without gastric cancer

Promoter hypermethylation is an alternative mechanism of gene silencing in human cancers including gastric cancer. While intestinal metaplasia (IM) is generally regarded as a precancerous lesion of the stomach, our study examines the presence of gene promoter hypermethylation in IM of patients with and without gastric cancer. We examined 31 samples of gastric cancer, 36 gastric IM (21 associated with gastric cancer and 15 from noncancer patients) and 10 normal gastric biopsies. Tissues containing foci of IM were carefully microdissected from paraffin‐embedded section. Bisulfite‐modifiedDNA was examined for gene promoter hypermethylation in DAP‐kinase, E‐cadherin, GSTP1, p14, p15, p16, RASSF1A and hMLH1 by methylation‐specific‐PCR. None of the control gastric tissues had hypermethylation detected, but gene promoter hypermethylation was frequently detected in gastric cancer and IM. The mean number of methylated genes in cancer and IM was 3.0 and 1.4, respectively (p < 0.0001). Methylation in IM from cancer patients was all associated with concurrent methylation in the corresponding tumor samples. The numbers of methylated genes were similar in IM obtained from cancer and noncancer patients. By examining the methylation patterns of these genes, 3 differential methylation patterns were recognized: hypermethylation was more frequent in cancer than in IM (DAP‐kinase, p14, p15 and p16); comparable frequencies of methylation in cancer and IM (E‐cadherin and hMLH1); and no methylation (GSTP1). Aberrant methylation in tumor‐related genes is frequently detected in gastric IM of both cancer and noncancer patients, suggesting their early involvement in the multistep progression of gastric carcinogenesis. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Social media and the design of an innovative enterprise

In the Knowledge era, innovation and knowledge are intertwined, being innovation a knowledge intensive process that firms must manage to become innovative. This study aims to analyze the relationships between the design elements required to build an innovative enterprise and the implementation of social media. It investigates how the practices of knowledge management are affected and continuously renewed under the pressure of internal/external forces like new technological tools/ habits and marketplace imperatives. The paper adopts a conceptual analysis approach, exploring different domains of the literature. A comparative analysis of short cases, based on a documentary research, illustrates theoretical hypothesis. In the effort to design an innovative enterprise, social media are useful as support to foster interpersonal interactions, restoring the human dimension to the core of organizational concerns. They do not create innovation but they may spur efficiency, agility and innovation if appropriate governance and strategic intent are at play. JEL Codes: D89
"When Will They Ever Learn"? Why All Governments Produce Schooling

In (nearly) all countries the government directly produces schooling at all levels from primary to tertiary—and yet economists lack a compelling model of why any government produces any schooling. This paper presents a simple model, with just four elements, that can explain the universal direct production of schooling. First, formal schooling jointly produces skills and beliefs. Second, both citizens and regimes (the individuals or groups that exercise state power) care directly about the beliefs the schools promote. Third, regimes act autonomously subject to some citizen control. Fourth, since the inculcation of beliefs cannot be externally assessed and is not easily monitored direct production is the only feasible way to control instruction in beliefs (Pritchett 2002). In a model with these four features if regimes and citizens disagree about beliefs—about who should legitimately rule, about the desirable economic system, about the justice of the distribution of wealth, about loyalty to nation (versus region, ethnicity, clan, kin), about religion, about political ideology—then regimes will directly produce schooling in order to control instruction in beliefs. This model not only predicts direct production of schooling by (nearly) all governments but it also explains other features of educational policy that are otherwise puzzling (e.g. the lack of mandates, bans on private education), produces reasonable comparative static predictions, proposes new solutions to puzzles in the economics of schooling, and, hopefully, orients the search for solutions to practical problems like expanding access and improving quality of education.
Exploiting limited feedback in tomorrow's wireless communication networks

Recent research has demonstrated that by utilizing channel state information at the transmitter, the physical layer can be optimized to provide higher link capacity and throughput, more efficiently share the channel with multiple users, increase range by exploiting diversity due to spatial and frequency selectivity, and simplify multi-user receivers through known interference cancellation. Unfortunately, acquiring channel state information at the transmitter is difficult. In most systems, the only opportunity for the transmitter to learn about the channel is through a feedback control channel. Because feedback information is control overhead, the rate of the feedback channel is limited. This motivates the study of limited feedback techniques where only partial or quantized information from the receiver is conveyed back to the transmitter.
Snow Cover Maps with Satellite Borne SAR: A New Approach in Harmony with Fractional Optical SCA Retrieval Algorithms

The standard method for retrieving snow-covered area with C-band SAR is based on thresholding the ratio between a wet snow SAR image and a dry snow reference scene. A new approach is suggested here, where the snow cover fraction is retrieved by using a gradual transition between snow free and snow covered conditions. The paper discusses the method and applies it on a set of Radarsat data acquired in Norway in May 2003. A near simultaneous aerial optical image and data from field campaigns are used to verify the results.
Safety, activity, and pharmacokinetics of GLQ223 in patients with AIDS and AIDS-related complex

GLQ223 is a highly purified single-chain ribosome-inactivating protein with selective effects against a variety of cells, including macrophages infected with human immunodeficiency virus. We evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, and immunologic effects of multiple doses of GLQ223 in 22 patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex; CD4+ T-cell counts were between 100 and 350/mm3. GLQ223 was administered intravenously at doses of 8, 16, 24, 36, and 50 micrograms/kg of body weight; the drug was administered by constant infusion over 3 h to achieve a concentration in serum of 50 ng/ml; this concentration is known to be associated with anti-HIV effects in vitro. All patients reported a flu-like syndrome characterized by muscle and joint aches and an increase in creatinine kinase levels; symptoms were controlled easily. For patients who received 36 and 50 micrograms/kg, target concentrations in serum were achieved and an increase in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was sustained; this sustained increase persisted for at least 28 days after the last infusion. beta 2-Microglobulin levels increased during the infusions and then declined when the infusions ended. Repeat infusions of GLQ223 were safe and relatively well tolerated. The target concentration of GLQ223 in serum was achieved and sustained. Our results suggest that GLQ223 may have activity in treating patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.
Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Personal Identity: Ethical Considerations

As noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technology advances, these methods may become increasingly capable of influencing complex networks of mental functioning. We suggest that these might include cognitive and affective processes underlying personality and belief systems, which would raise important questions concerning personal identity and autonomy. We give particular attention to the relationship between personal identity and belief, emphasizing the importance of respecting users' personal values. We posit that research participants and patients should be encouraged to take an active approach to considering the personal implications of altering their own cognition, particularly in cases of neurocognitive “enhancement. ” We suggest that efforts to encourage careful consideration through the informed consent process would contribute usefully to studies and treatments that use NIBS.
Constrained-control of a quadrotor helicopter for trajectory tracking under wind-gust disturbances

In this paper a Constrained Finite Time Optimal Controller (CFTOC) for the problem of trajectory tracking of an Unmanned quadrotor Helicopter (UqH) is presented. The controller is designed based on a Piecewise modeling of the quadrotor for the rotational angles, that are inherently coupled to the translation equations of motion. The proposed CFTO-control scheme is able to take under certain factors that degrade the performance of the helicopter such as the physical and mechanical constraints of the system. Simulation studies illustrate the efficacy of the proposed scheme and also its ability to attenuate external disturbances that are introduced from environmental causes such as wind gusts.
A Fairness Justification of Utilitarianism

Differences in preferences are important to explain variation in individuals’ behavior. There is however no consensus on how to take these differences into account when evaluating policies. While prominent in the economic literature, the standard utilitarian criterion faces two major difficulties. First, it requires cardinal measurability and unit comparability of individuals’ utilities, which cannot be inferred from individuals’ observed behavior. Second, it is normatively controversial as it might support unfair policies. In this paper, we propose an alternative criterion, named opportunity-equivalent utilitarian, that overcomes these difficulties. First, our criterion ranks social alternatives on the basis of individuals’ ordinal preferences, which can be estimated from individuals’ observed behavior. Second, our criterion avoids the conventional critiques to utilitarianism by satisfying the following three fairness axioms: possibility of trade-offs sets a limit to the influence any individual can exert on the social ranking; non discrimination means that no individual is considered to be more deserving than any other; equal-preference transfer requires society to value positively a multicommodity progressive transfer among individuals with the same preferences. We show that, together with efficiency, continuity, and separability, these axioms force the welfare criterion to be the sum of specific indices of well-being that are cardinally measurable, interpersonally comparable, and represent each individual’s preferences.
ESD circuit synthesis and analysis using TCAD and SPICE

This paper describes the development of a SPICE sub-circuit model for an avalanche triggered SCR used for ESD protection. The approach for developing the model is presented, including the extensive use of TCAD tools, which provides physical insight. This is the first SPICE model presented for an avalanche triggered SCR demonstrating accurate terminal behavior under both steady state and transient triggering conditions. It is intended for use in a design environment for examining ESD circuit behavior at the chip level.
Survival analysis of breast cancer patients in northwest Iran.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer among Iranian women; however limited studies have been conducted to address survival rates. OBJECTIVE The objective was to examine survival rates in Tabriz (Northwest of Iran) and compare with those of data reported from other cities and countries. METHODS Survival rates were calculated for one, three, five, seven and ten years for 271 breast cancer patients referred to one university clinic during 1997-2008. RESULTS Survival analysis demonstrated a lower survival rate compared to western countries. CONCLUSIONS Survival rates for our patients are similar/better than other cities in Iran, but lower than certain European countries and the US. Further studies with a higher number of patients are now required.
Single Photon Avalanche Detectors in Standard CMOS

We report an improved design and successful demonstration of single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detectors fabricated in a standard nwell 0.5 mum CMOS technology. The detectors are implemented as circular junctions between p+ and nwell regions. Two techniques are used to suppress perimeter breakdown: guard rings at the edges of the junctions, formed using lateral diffusion of adjacent nwell regions, and a poly-silicon control gate over the diffused guard rings and surrounding regions. The detectors exhibit a breakdown voltage of -16.85 V, ~4 V higher than simple diode structures in the same technology. The detector exhibits a thermal event rate of 16000 counts/s at room temperature at an excess bias voltage of 1.15 V.
Seroprevalence and vaccination coverage of vaccine-preventable diseases in perinatally HIV-1-infected patients.

Background Even in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV-infected subjects are at higher risk of complications from vaccine-preventable diseases than those uninfected. The current international guidelines strongly recommend that these patients should receive all the routine childhood vaccinations. Although these children represent an appropriate target for immunization, the available data indicate suboptimal coverage rates. Methods To evaluate seroprotection/seropositivity rates and vaccination coverage against the common vaccine-preventable diseases, all patients with vertically transmitted HIV-1 infection who attended San Martino Hospital were enrolled. Blood samples were collected for testing antibodies against diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis A and B viruses by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay and polioviruses by microneutralization test. In order to assess immunization coverage, retrospectively was recorded the vaccination history collecting data from Regional Immunization Database. Results A total of 39 perinatally HIV-1 infected patients were included in the study. At the time of serum was obtained, the mean age was 18,1 years (range: 6-28). The median CD4+ T-lymphocyte count was 702 cells/mm 3 (2-1476 cells/mm 3). Twenty-nine (74.4%) patients were found with HIV RNA load<50 copies/mL. The proportion of subjects with protective anti-tetanus and anti-HBs were 43.6% and 30.8%, respectively. Seroprotection rates about 20% against rubella and measles were found, less than 20% against all the other antigens investigated. In particular, all patients resulted susceptible to mumps. High immunization rates were observed for polio and HBV (100% and 92.3%, respectively) and suboptimal for diphtheria-tetanus (84.6%). For the other recommended vaccines the rates were generally low. None of the patients received varicella vaccine doses. Conclusions As in the HAART era the vertically acquired HIV infection has become a chronic treatable disease, the vaccine-induced long-term protection plays an increasingly significant role; despite good initial response to primary vaccination, subsequent decline and loss of detectable antibodies may be prevented by additional strategies for booster doses of vaccines in adolescents and young adults.
Assessment of Mitral Regurgitation: Mechanism, Severity, and...Timing?!?

February 2016 • Volume 122 • Number 2 www.anesthesia-analgesia.org 299 Copyright © 2016 International Anesthesia Research Society DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000001095 The assessment of mitral regurgitation (MR) remains one of the most common and important uses of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Accurate characterization of the cause and severity of MR along with the determination of valve repairability represent critical goals of the TEE examination. Broadly, MR may be characterized as degenerative or functional. Degenerative MR includes conditions in which primary structural abnormalities of the mitral valve such as prolapsing or flail leaflets lead to incompetence. Functional MR, however, describes a condition in which left ventricular remodeling and annular dilation decrease the coaptation of relatively normal mitral leaflets. In either condition, a careful preoperative assessment of MR severity is critical in determining the timing and nature of any possible surgical intervention. Certainly, any assessment of MR requires an appreciation of the differences in both the pathoanatomic changes in valvular or ventricular anatomy and the pathophysiologic aspects of valve leakage between patients with MR because of functional and degenerative mechanisms. To that end, the currently accepted systematic approach to assess MR by TEE focuses on a careful determination of its severity and the identification of the mechanism of MR and the precise location of mitral pathology. In this issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, Cobey et al.1 used sophisticated 3-dimensional (3D) TEE imaging with offline analysis to precisely define not only the size and shape of the regurgitant orifice (RO), but also the timing of maximal RO in patients with MR. Important temporal differences were noted between the regurgitant jets of those with functional versus those with degenerative MR. Published guidelines recommend the use of multiple echocardiographic modalities in the assessment of MR.2 Echocardiographers often evaluate MR qualitatively based on characteristics of the color Doppler jet as well as 2-dimensional (2D) assessment of valve architecture and chamber size. Quantification of MR volume and effective regurgitant orifice area (ROA) are possible using either the continuity equation or the proximal isovelocity surface area (PISA) method.3 Measurement of the vena contracta (VC) is another semiquantitative means of grading MR severity. The VC width, the narrowest width of the regurgitant jet located at or just downstream from the RO, is identified using color Doppler imaging, and its width is recorded with electronic calipers. Although it is a linear dimension, the VC width is assumed by many to accurately grade MR severity irrespective of jet orientation and mechanism of regurgitation.4 Assuming a perfectly circular shape, the ROA can be calculated using the VC width as the diameter4 such that:
Bcl-2-like Protein 11 (BIM) Expression Is Associated with Favorable Prognosis for Patients with Cervical Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM Bcl-2-like protein 11 (BIM) is a pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 protein family. BIM elicits cell death by binding to pro-survival Bcl-2 proteins. Even though the association of BIM expression with cell death has been investigated, its clinical survival significance in cervical cancer has not. In the current study, the prognostic significance of BIM in cervical cancer was investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included normal cervical tissues (n=254), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) tissues (n=275), and invasive cervical cancer (n=164). In order to identify BIM expression, immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed, and IHC scoring by quantitative digital image analysis was determined. Then, the association of BIM with prognostic factors was investigated. RESULTS BIM expression was higher in cervical cancer than normal cervical tissues (p<0.001). Well and moderate differentiation indicated higher BIM expression than did poor differentiation (p=0.001). Also, BIM expression was high in radiation-sensitive cervical cancer relative to radiation-resistant cancer (p=0.049). High BIM expression showed better 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates (p=0.049 and π=0.030, respectively) than did low expression. In a multivariate analysis, BIM was shown to be an independent risk factor for DFS and OS in cervical cancer, with hazard ratios of 0.22 (p=0.006) and 0.46 (p=0.046), respectively. CONCLUSION BIM is associated with favorable prognostic markers for prediction of DFS and OS in cervical cancer. High BIM expression is a potential prognostic marker as well as a chemotherapeutic target for cervical cancer.
Adaptive hysteresis compensation on an experimental nanopositioning platform

ABSTRACT This paper presents a novel adaptive approach for hysteresis compensation applied to a piezoelectric actuator in one axis of an STM-like lab-made micro-/nanopositioning platform. The idea is to identify a compensating static parametric model, which imitates directly the inverse model of the nonlinearity. In this way, the approach is less complex than those based on model inversion. In addition, the identification is made online, allowing to consider a simple polynomial model, and to adapt its parameters according to the actual hysteresis curve which is faced (ascending or descending path, varying input amplitude, etc.). In order to be able to track possibly fast parameter variations, an original adaptation algorithm is proposed within the Bayesian framework, and including an exponential forgetting factor with optimal data-driven tuning. Illustrative experimental results are finally presented for tracking both triangular and sinusoidal reference signals with varying amplitude.
The Anxiety Sensitivity Index: Item Analysis and Suggestions for Refinement

Anxiety sensitivity is the fear of anxiety-related sensations, and is measured by the 16-item Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; Reiss, Peterson, Gursky, & McNally, 1986). Despite the popularity and utility of the ASI in research, a number of studies have provided evidence for the inadequacy of several items, and item-to-scale correlations for the ASI have not been published. In this study, a converging set of analyses to evaluate the item adequacy and factor structure of the ASI was used. The results of these multiple analyses converged nicely suggesting that Items 1, 5, 7, 8, and 13 should be considered for removal from the instrument. The impact of removing these problematic items from the scale was explored through the reanalysis of data from 3 previously published studies that compared the original ASI with the new 11-item version (the ASI minus the 5 problematic items). The results of these analyses suggest that the 2 scales function comparably in many respects but that the new version may be a more precise measure of anxiety sensitivity. The 11-item ASI appears to tap 2 primary aspects of anxiety sensitivity: fears of somatic sensations of anxiety and fears of loss of mental control. Suggestions for further development of the ASI are offered.