Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surgical results of thyroid nodules according to a management guideline based on the BRAF(V600E) mutation status.

CONTEXT In Korea, where PTC comprises about 90-95% of the reported thyroid cancers, the prevalence of BRAF(V600E) mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is above 80%. OBJECTIVE We analyzed the surgical result according to a management guideline based on the BRAF(V600E) mutation status of thyroid nodules. DESIGN A total of 865 thyroid nodules were prospectively analyzed for their cytology and BRAF(V600E) mutation status by pyrosequencing. For the patients who had a diagnosis of atypical cells of undetermined significance (ACUS), we recommended surgery when there was positivity for BRAF(V600E) mutation or the nodules were clinically suspicious. RESULTS Among 865 cases, 504, 141, 54, 140, 10, and 16 were diagnosed as benign, ACUS, suspicious for malignancy, malignant, suspicious for follicular neoplasm, and nondiagnostic, respectively. None of the 504 benign, 45 (31.9%) of the 141 ACUS, 46 (85.2%) of the 54 suspicious for malignancy, 129 (92.1%) of the 140 malignant, and one (10%) of the 10 suspicious for follicular neoplasm cases showed BRAF(V600E) mutation. Surgery was recommended to all 45 patients with BRAF(V600E) mutation-positive ACUS nodules; among them, 30 patients underwent surgery, 29 had PTC, and one had nodular hyperplasia. All the patients diagnosed as suspicious for malignancy or malignant were advised to undergo an operation, and they turned out to have PTCs regardless of their BRAF(V600E) mutation status. CONCLUSIONS We found that performing BRAF(V600E) mutation analysis on the fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimens was of great help to make a therapeutic decision for thyroid nodules when the fine-needle aspiration biopsy results were equivocal.
An on-chip high-voltage generator circuit for EEPROMs with a power supply voltage below 2 V

We propose an on-chip high-voltage generator circuit for low-voltage EEPROMs composed of a pMOSFET-based charge pump circuit driven by bootstrapped clock generators. The voltage gain per unit stage does not suffer from the threshold voltage drop. The device implemented in a 1.2 /spl mu/m CMOS technology operates as low as 1 V.
The Two Worlds of Municipal Bonds: Are Lower‐Rated Bonds Punished More by Financial Crisis?

Since the inception of the financial crisis in late 2008, the municipal bond market has undergone tremendous disruption. While some parts of the market are returning to normal, other parts are still under pressure in the aftermath of the financial crisis. By comparing the yields on municipal bonds and comparable corporate bonds, we find that since the crisis, municipal bonds of lower investment grade ratings, those rated A and BBB, are now paying a significantly higher risk premium than their corporate counterparts as seen in light of the traditional yield spread between these two bond markets. This higher risk premium has negative implications for the municipal bond market. Factors for this perception of increased risk in the municipal bond market are discussed and potential solutions are suggested.
Characteristics of oncology clinical trials: insights from a systematic analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov.

IMPORTANCE Clinical trials are essential to cancer care, and data about the current state of research in oncology are needed to develop benchmarks and set the stage for improvement. OBJECTIVE To perform a comprehensive analysis of the national oncology clinical research portfolio. DESIGN All interventional clinical studies registered on ClinicalTrials.gov between October 2007 and September 2010 were identified using Medical Subject Heading terms and submitted conditions. They were reviewed to validate classification, subcategorized by cancer type, and stratified by design characteristics to facilitate comparison across cancer types and with other specialties. RESULTS Of 40 970 interventional studies registered between October 2007 and September 2010, a total of 8942 (21.8%) focused on oncology. Compared with other specialties, oncology trials were more likely to be single arm (62.3% vs 23.8%; P < .001), open label (87.8% vs 47.3%; P < .001), and nonrandomized (63.9% vs 22.7%; P < .001). There was moderate but significant correlation between number of trials conducted by cancer type and associated incidence and mortality (Spearman rank correlation coefficient, 0.56 [P = .04] and 0.77 [P = .001], respectively). More than one-third of all oncology trials were conducted solely outside North America. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There are significant variations between clinical trials in oncology and other diseases, as well as among trials within oncology. The differences must be better understood to improve both the impact of cancer research on clinical practice and the use of constrained resources.
Changes in properties of the medial gastrocnemius motor units in aging rats.

1. The properties of motor units were investigated in the medial gastrocnemius (MG) of old rats [27.5 +/- 1.6 (SD) mo old, n = 18]. Individual motor units were functionally isolated by ventral root fiber splitting and grading stimulus intensity. The muscle-unit portion of the motor unit was identified by the glycogen depletion method. The physiological properties of 77 motor units in 6 animals and the histological results of 7 slow-twitch (type S) muscle units were compared with data from motor units in the same muscle of middle-aged rats (12.8 +/- 1.6 mo old, n = 33). 2. The motor units were classified into four types of categories [FF (fast-twitch motor units with a fatigue index less than or equal to 0.5), FI (fast-twitch motor units with a fatigue index greater than 0.5 but less than 0.75), FR (fast-twitch motor units with a fatigue index greater than or equal to 0.75), S (slow-twitch motor units with a fatigue index greater than 0.75)] using the same criteria (i.e., presence or absence of the "sag" property and fatigability) used for middle-aged rats. No significant difference in the relative distributions of these unit types was detected, although the MG muscle in old rats exhibited a relatively high proportion of type S units and fewer type FR units. 3. The mean tetanic tensions for type FF + FI and FR units were significantly smaller than those in the middle-aged rats. On the other hand, type S motor units produced more tension than in the middle-aged rats. 4. The conduction velocity of motor axons was considerably slower in any unit type of old motor units, and the most marked change was found in type FR units. 5. The general morphological features of the old rat MG were fiber-type grouping, disseminated atrophic or angulated fibers, a decrease in the total number of muscle fibers, and an increase in the number of type I muscle fibers. The major distribution patterns of fibers of different types were the same as those in the middle-aged MG. 6. Seven type S units that produced large tetanic tension were depleted of glycogen in the muscle-unit portions. These units had a large innervation ratio compared with those in the middle-aged rats, whereas the mean cross-sectional area of muscle fibers and the calculated specific tension remained unaltered. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Epidemiological, biological and clinical features of HIV-related lymphomas in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

The association between HIV infection and the development of lymphoma was noted in the early phases of the AIDS epidemic. Since the outbreak of AIDS in 1981, the incidence of AIDS-related nonHodgkin's lymphomas (AIDS±NHL) has been increasing steadily, and in 1986 the Centers for Disease Control recognized NHL as an AIDS-de®ning illness [1]. In the era preceding the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), NHL represented the second most frequent cancer associated with AIDS after Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). In contrast to KS, which predominated in homosexual individuals, AIDS±NHL distributed homogeneously throughout the spectrum of HIV risk groups, including haemophiliac patients in whom KS was exceeded by AIDS± NHL. In addition, whereas KS was generally an early manifestation of HIV infection, most AIDS±NHL tended to develop relatively late in the natural history of the disease. More recently, the epidemiological differences between AIDS±NHL and KS have been reinforced by the striking reduction in the incidence of KS in HAART-treated patients, whereas the frequency of systemic AIDS±NHL has remained substantially the same despite more effective antiretroviral therapy [2].
Identifying Agile Requirements Engineering Patterns in Industry

Agile Software Development (ASD) is gaining in popularity in today's business world. Industry is adopting agile methodologies both to accelerate value delivery and to enhance the ability to deal with changing requirements. However, ASD has a great impact on how Requirements Engineering (RE) is carried out in agile environments. The integration of Human-Centered Design (HCD) plays an important role due to the focus on user and stakeholder involvement. To this end, we aim to introduce agile RE patterns as main objective of this paper. On the one hand, we will describe our pattern mining process based on empirical research in literature and industry. On the other hand, we will discuss our results and provide two examples of agile RE patterns. In sum, the pattern mining process identifies 41 agile RE patterns. The accumulated knowledge will be shared by means of a web application.
Citrus flavonoids and lipid metabolism

Purpose of review Citrus flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds with powerful biological properties. This review aims to summarize recent advances towards understanding the ability of citrus flavonoids to regulate lipid metabolism and other metabolic parameters relevant to the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Recent findings Citrus flavonoids, including naringenin, hesperidin, nobiletin and tangeretin, have emerged as promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of metabolic dysregulation. Epidemiological studies report that intake of citrus flavonoid-containing foods attenuates cardiovascular diseases. Experimental and a limited number of clinical studies reveal lipid-lowering, insulin-sensitizing, antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory properties. In animal models, citrus flavonoid supplements prevent hepatic steatosis, dyslipidemia and insulin sensitivity primarily through inhibition of hepatic fatty acid synthesis and increased fatty acid oxidation. Citrus flavonoids blunt the inflammatory response in metabolically important tissues including liver, adipose tissue, kidney and the aorta. The mechanisms underlying flavonoid-induced metabolic regulation have not been completely established. In mouse models, citrus flavonoids show marked suppression of atherogenesis through improved metabolic parameters and also through direct impact on the vessel wall. Summary These recent studies suggest an important role of citrus flavonoids in the treatment of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, obesity and atherosclerosis. The favorable outcomes are achieved through multiple mechanisms. Human studies focussed on dose, bioavailability, efficacy and safety are required to propel the use of these promising therapeutic agents into the clinical arena.
The Relationship Between Visual Perspective Taking and Imitation Impairments in Children with Autism

Perspective taking (or role taking) refers to the ability of individuals to distinguish their own perspectives from those of others, and to make correct judgments about the latter. It comprises both the visual (perceptual) level at which the individual imagines what another person can see from a contrasting vantage point (Kurdek & Rodgon, 1975) and the socialcognitive (conceptual) level at which he or she assesses another person’s mental state (also referred to as the “Theory of Mind” or ToM; Baron-Cohen, Leslie, & Frith, 1985). Visual perspective taking (VPT) is further differentiated into two levels, namely, the ability to understand that people have selective visual fields (Level-1) and the ability to understand that they have different views of the same object (Level-2) (Flavell, Everett, Croft, & Flavell, 1981). According to the hypothesis put forward by Baron-Cohen and colleagues (Baron-Cohen, 1988; Frith & Happe, 1999; Leslie & Frith, 1988), individuals with autism may suffer selective deficit to infer mental representations (referred to as meta-representation, Leslie, 1987), which may affect their ability to infer other’s mental state (ToM) and their own mental state (self-consciousness). However, they can still indicate other’s view in VPT tasks. Empirical evidence generally supports the hypothesis of a theory of mind deficit in autism (e.g., Baron-Cohen et al., 1985; Leslie & Frith, 1988; Perner, Frith, Leslie, & Leekam, 1989; Reed, 1994), but the results on VPT tests have been inconsistent. Some studies have demonstrated VPT deficit in autism (Hamilton, Brindley, & Frith, 2009; Reed, 2002; Warreyn, Roeyers, Oelbrandt, & de Groote, 2005; Yirmiya, Sigman, & Zacks, 1994), but others have found no such deficit (Baron-Cohen, 1989; Dawson & Fernald, 1987; Hobson, 1984; Leekam, Baron-Cohen, Perrett, Milders, & Brown, 1997; Leslie & Frith, 1988; Reed & Peterson, 1990; Tan & Harris, 1991). These contradictory findings may be due to differences in the task demands (Reed, 2002) and age of participants (Warreyn et al., 2005) among the studies, or to such methodological issues as the ceiling effect (Yirmiya et al., 1994). The first aim of the current study is thus to explore the possible reasons for these inconsistent results.
Visualization of Ca2+ entry through single stretch-activated cation channels

Stretch-activated channels (SACs) have been found in smooth muscle and are thought to be involved in myogenic responses. Although SACs have been shown to be Ca2+ permeable when Ca2+ is the only charge carrier, it has not been clearly demonstrated that significant Ca2+ passes through SACs in physiological solutions. By imaging at high temporal and spatial resolution the single-channel Ca2+ fluorescence transient (SCCaFT) arising from Ca2+ entry through a single SAC opening, we provide direct evidence that significant Ca2+ can indeed pass through SACs and increase the local [Ca2+]. Results were obtained under conditions where the only source of Ca2+ was the physiological salt solution in the patch pipette containing 2 mM Ca2+. Single smooth muscle cells were loaded with fluo-3 acetoxymethyl ester, and the fluorescence was recorded by using a wide-field digital imaging microscope while SAC currents were simultaneously recorded from cell-attached patches. Fluorescence increases at the cell-attached patch were clearly visualized before the simultaneous global Ca2+ increase that occurred because of Ca2+ influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels when the membrane was depolarized by inward SAC current. From measurements of total fluorescence (“signal mass”) we determined that about 18% of the SAC current is carried by Ca2+ at membrane potentials more negative than the resting level. This would translate into at least a 0.35-pA unitary Ca2+ current at the resting potential. Such Ca2+ currents passing through SACs are sufficient to activate large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels and, as shown previously, to trigger Ca2+ release from intracellular stores.
Cardiac autonomic neuropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus: current perspectives

Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a common and often-underdiagnosed complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). CAN is associated with increased mortality, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and morbidity in patients with DM, but despite these significant consequences CAN often remains undiagnosed for a prolonged period. This is commonly due to the disease being asymptomatic until the later stages, as well as a lack of easily available screening strategies. In this article, we review the latest developments in the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, consequences, and treatments of CAN in patients with DM.
Taking India to the World: CEOs’ Perspectives on the Internationalization of Indian IT Multinationals

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to deal with the purpose, process and prospects pertaining to the rapid internationalization of the Indian information technology (IT) services multinational corporations (MNCs) with a view to explore the issues, challenges and strategies of MNCs from emerging economies.Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the key findings of in‐depth interviews with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the top three Indian IT MNCs on a range of issues pertaining to international management.Findings – The findings suggest that the Indian IT multinationals are typical born‐global MNCs that have successfully leveraged on the availability of large and low‐cost Indian IT talent pools and have pioneered the global services delivery model from a global network of development centers. They are currently diversifying into emerging markets where they realize that they need to localize their workforce and business models. They face several challenges in globalizing their talent pool .
Joined-up government

1. Introduction 2. The Idea of Joined-Up Government: A Historical Perspective 3. Joined-Up Government in the West Beyond Britain: A Provisional Assessment 4. JASP Meets JUG: Lessons of the 1975 Joint Approach to Social Policy for Joined-Up Government 5. Joined-Up Government and Cabinet Government 6. Joined-Up Government and the Civil Service 7. Joined-Up Government and Local and Regional Institutions 8. Joined-Up Government: Past, Present and Future
Decreasing hospitalizations in patients on hemodialysis: Time for a paradigm shift

Hospitalizations drive up to 35% of the astronomical costs of care for patients on hemodialysis and are associated with poor outcomes. We describe outpatient care‐sensitive categories of hospitalization risks in an effort to engage stakeholders and patients, as stakeholders, in mitigating hospitalizations. These categories include: (1) fluid (interdialytic weight gain (IDWG) and chronic volume status), (2) infection (vascular access and malnutrition/inflammation resilience), and c) psychosocial (poor social support, poor self‐efficacy, and mood disorders) risks. Barriers to improving hospitalization outcomes, especially as they relate to above risk categories, exist at multiple stakeholder levels and include: (1) dialysis facilities (strict shift changes, personnel challenges), (2) nephrologists (static dialysis prescriptions and protocols based on dialysis facility metrics), and (3) patients (lack of engagement and self‐efficacy). System‐level elements, such as payment models, help to propagate these barriers. In this article, we seek to shift the care paradigm discussion to patient trajectories and long‐term outcomes, and to active engagement of patients as self‐managers, through which we hope to impact on high inpatient resource utilization. We will also focus attention on the complex interplay of practices that have become acceptable care structures, but that may be deleterious to outcomes. Only after thorough consideration of these topics can we hope to impact on this important problem.
Muscle blood flow, hypoxia, and hypoperfusion.

Blood flow increases to exercising skeletal muscle, and this increase is driven primarily by vasodilation in the contracting muscles. When oxygen delivery to the contracting muscles is altered by changes in arterial oxygen content, the magnitude of the vasodilator response to exercise changes. It is augmented during hypoxia and blunted during hyperoxia. Because the magnitude of the increased vasodilation during hypoxic exercise tends to keep oxygen delivery to the contracting muscles constant, we have termed this phenomenon "compensatory vasodilation. " In a series of studies, we have explored metabolic, endothelial, and neural mechanisms that might contribute to compensatory vasodilation. These include the contribution of vasodilating substances like nitric oxide (NO) and adenosine, along with altered interactions between sympathetic vasoconstriction and metabolic vasodilation. We have also compared the compensatory vasodilator responses to hypoxic exercise with those seen when oxygen delivery to contracting muscles is altered by acute reductions in perfusion pressure. A synthesis of our findings indicate that NO contributes to the compensatory dilator responses during both hypoxia and hypoperfusion, while adenosine appears to contribute only during hypoperfusion. During hypoxia, the NO-mediated component is linked to a β-adrenergic receptor mechanism during lower intensity exercise, while another source of NO is engaged at higher exercise intensities. There are also subtle interactions between α-adrenergic vasoconstriction and metabolic vasodilation that influence the responses to hypoxia, hyperoxia, and hypoperfusion. Together our findings emphasize both the tight linkage of oxygen demand and supply during exercise and the redundant nature of the vasomotor responses to contraction.
Research and implementation of a single phase stand-alone photovoltaic inverter with parallel topology

A system scheme of the stand-alone photovoltaic inverter based on parallel charge topology for the purpose of improving the energy conversion efficiency and optimizing the battery management was introduced. A novel circuit topology of the DC-AC inverter with the soft switching property using IGBTs and MOSFETs was presented. A modified P&O algorithm for better tracking performance with adaptive step length adjustment was proposed. And a comprehensive strategy for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) with the Constant Voltage Tracking (CVT) algorithm and the modified adaptive Perturbation and Observation (P&O) algorithm was developed. A prototype was implemented to very the feasibility of the proposed scheme.
The Development of mWellcare, an mHealth System for the Integrated Management of Hypertension and Diabetes in Primary Care

This paper describes development of mhealth application "mWellcare" for the integrated management of hypertension and diabetes in public primary health care settings. mWellcare application was developed in four phases: identifying gaps in usual care; identifying components of intervention; developing intervention; evaluating acceptability and feasibility through pilot testing. Final version of mWellcare application is capable of computing personalized evidence-based management plan for hypertension, diabetes and co-morbid conditions (depression and alcohol use disorder).