Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time Course of Early Response to Chemotherapy in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with 18F-FDG PET/CT

PET and 18F-FDG have the potential to follow the early metabolic response to chemotherapy in patients with non–small cell lung cancer and to predict success or failure of the therapy. Methods: We studied 16 patients with non–small cell lung cancer as they followed 2 courses of docetaxel and carboplatin. Each patient was studied weekly for 7 wk, and tissue activity was assessed by the amount of radioactivity retained 90 min after the intravenous injection of 18F-FDG. In a prospective analysis, the linear least-squares method was used to evaluate the time course of metabolic activity in tumor and liver, bone marrow, and unaffected lung tissues; a metabolic response was defined as a response in which the slope of the regression was negative and significantly different from zero. Our hypothesis was that patients who exhibited a tumor metabolic response would survive longer than those who did not. In a retrospective examination of our data, we grouped our patients into those who survived <6 mo and those who survived longer and calculated the difference in the standardized uptake value (SUV) between day 7 and subsequent time points to determine the most appropriate timing of 2 PET studies in predicting response to therapy. Results: Fifteen of 16 patients completed the study. In the prospective study, 8 patients were classified as nonresponders as the slope of the regression of tumor SUV versus time was not different from zero; they all died within 35 wk of the end of their study. Seven patients were classified as responders; 5 survived and 2 died, one at 25 wk and the other at 76 wk. In the retrospective study, a decrease of 0.5 SUV between studies performed at 1 and 3 wk after the initiation of chemotherapy was predictive of those patients who survived >6 mo and in whom chemotherapy was presumably successful. Conclusion: Patients with non–small cell lung cancer who had a positive outcome, as exhibited by prolonged survival, were those who showed a tumor metabolic response assessed using weekly 18F-FDG PET studies. 18F-FDG PET studies performed at 1 and 3 wk after the initiation of chemotherapy allowed prediction of the response to therapy.
Max Weber An intellectual portrait

I. Career and Personal Orientation PART ONE GERMAN SOCIETY AND THE PROTESTANT ETHIC II. Weber's Early Studies and the Definition of His Intellectual Perspective III. Aspects of Economic Rationality in the West PART TWO SOCIETY, RELIGION, AND SECULAR ETHIC: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CIVILIZATIONS IV. Introduction V. Society and Religion in China VI. Society and Religion in India VII. Society and Religion in Ancient Palestine VIII. Max Weber's Sociology of Religion PART THREE DOMINATION, ORGANIZATION, AND LEGITIMACY: MAX WEBER'S POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY IX. Basic Concepts of Political Sociology X. Charismatic Leadership and Domination XI. Traditional Domination XII. Legal Domination: The Emergence of Legal Rationality XIII. Legal Domination (continued): The Modern Sate and Struggle for Power XIV. A Contemporary Perspective XV. Max Weber's Image of Society Index
Transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus: Evaluating the effect of the learning curve on the outcome

Background and Objectives: Initial experience with transcatheter closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) using detachable coils and Amplatzer duct occluder devices is reported. We evaluated the outcome, complications, and influence of the learning curve, and also assessed the need of surgical backup for such interventional procedures. Methods: From January 2000 to December 2004, 121 patients underwent transcatheter closure of PDA. Aortic angiogram was performed to evaluate the size, position, and shape of the duct for appropriately choosing the occluder device type and size. A second aortic angiogram was performed 10 minutes after device deployment. Echocardiography was repeated at intervals of 24 hours, then at 1, 3, and 6 months after the procedure to assess complications. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to assess the role of experience in improving the outcome of the procedure. Results: Of 121 cases, four patients had pulmonary artery embolization of the occluder device which was successfully retrieved in the catheterization laboratory, while two others had embolization that required surgical intervention. Four patients had temporary residual leak, nine had protrusion of the device into the aorta without significant Doppler pressure gradient or hemolysis on follow-up, and five had partial hemodynamically insignificant obstruction to the left pulmonary artery. Statistical analysis showed that the effect of the learning curve and experience was responsible for 93% improvement in the procedural outcome over the five-year study period. Conclusion: Transcatheter occlusion of PDA is safe and effective alternative to surgery. Complications occurred in those with unfavorable duct anatomy and with the use of multiple coils. Surgical backup was important for such interventional procedures. Experience played a major role in the proper choice of device type and size which greatly influenced the outcome of the procedure.
An evaluation of the POSSUM surgical scoring system

Sir We read with interest the article by Dr Alle and colleagues (Br J Surg 1996; 83: 992-3). The paper raises the question as to whether conservative management of this condition is safe or indeed will be accepted by the majority of women if the facts are explained to them in a clear manner. It also questions the ideal frequency and duration of follow-up if the lesion is managed conservatively. We raised concern over the diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination, mammography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy in young women presenting with a discrete breast lump in 1991’. This paper retrospectively reviewed a series of 2820 women presenting over a 19-year period with histologically proven breast cancer, 81 of whom were under the age of 36 years. We agree that the most reliable single diagnostic investigation, particularly in this age group, is fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). In our study the overall sensitivity was 78 per cent and no false-positive results were obtained. Clinical examination by a consultant was correct in 58 per cent of patients and mammography in only 45 per cent. During the study period, however, xeromammography was replaced by conventional mammography. Interestingly, in ten (16 per cent) of 63 patients in whom all three modalities had been employed, all were falsely negative. This led us to conclude that, where there was any doubt regarding the nature of the lesion, excision biopsy should be performed and that centres without combined mammographic and cytological facilities should proceed directly to excision biopsy without prior investigation. The operative approach, as well as having the advantages discussed by Dr Alle, also negates the need for 3-monthly follow-up’. Currently accepted protocols state that fibroadenomas over 4 cm in diameter should be excised. Conservative management is recommended in those under this size, where the patient is under the age of 40 years and assessment by clinical examination, ultrasonography and FNAC suggests fibroadenoma as the diagnosis, unless the patient requests excision’. In our experience this size is rarely attained; the mean size of tumours presenting in our study was 3 cm. Our study also indicated that the upper age limit for conservative management of clinically benign discrete breast lesions would be better set at 25years, as suggested by Cant et aL4, because only four of the 81 patients with carcinoma were below this age. We support the conclusions put forward by Dr Alle and his group and would strongly emphasize to any patient deciding on conservative management the possibility of false-negative triple assessment.
Feature Selection for Video Traffic Identification with Competitive Swarm Optimizer

To identify video types in the network traffic, we identified the game video from a large number of videos as an imbalanced problem. An imbalanced data gravitation-based classifier (IDGC) was used to solve the classification of the video type in this study. We collected different types of videos and extracted the original feature dataset of two types of video traffic. We extracted 256 features and then used a competitive swarm optimizer (CSO) to select the effective feature from the origin feature data set. We selected the features by their weights. We experimented collected dataset. The developed feature selection method in this study successfully classified video traffic.
International Journal of Health Geographics Open Access Research a Multilevel Non-hierarchical Study of Birth Weight and Socioeconomic Status

Background: It is unclear whether the socioeconomic status (SES) of the community of residence has a substantial association with infant birth weight. We used multilevel models to examine associations of birth weight with family-and community-level SES in the Cape Cod Family Health Study. Data were collected retrospectively on births to women between 1969 and 1983 living on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The sample included siblings born in different residences with differing community-level SES. Methods: We used cross-classified models to account for multiple levels of correlation in a non-hierarchical data structure. We accounted for clustering at family-and community-levels. Models included extensive individual-and family-level covariates. SES variables of interest were maternal education; paternal occupation; percent adults living in poverty; percent adults with a four year college degree; community mean family income; and percent adult unemployment. Results: Residual correlation was detected at the family-but not the community-level. Substantial effects sizes were observed for family-level SES while smaller magnitudes were observed for community-level SES. Overall, higher SES corresponded to increased birth weight though neither family-nor community-level variables had significant associations with the outcome. In a model applied to a reduced sample that included a single child per family, enforcing a hierarchical data structure, paternal occupation was found to have a significant association with birth weight (p = 0.033). Larger effect sizes for community SES appeared in models applied to the full sample that contained limited covariates, such as those typically found on birth certificates. Conclusions: Cross-classified models allowed us to include more than one child per family even when families moved between births. There was evidence of mild associations between family SES and birth weight. Stronger associations between paternal occupation and birth weight were observed in models applied to reduced samples with hierarchical data structures, illustrating consequences of excluding observations from the cross-classified analysis. Models with limited covariates showed associations of birth weight with community SES. In models adjusting for a complete set of individual-and family-level covariates, community SES was not as important. Background Birth weight is a measure of overall infant health and a predictor of death and long-term disability [1]. Previous research has shown that family socioeconomic status (SES) is positively associated with birth weight; [2,3] however after adjusting for this and other known predic-tors, substantial variability in birth weight remained. Increased rates of low birth weight (< 2500 g) have been observed in impoverished areas [4-6] leading to the
Inflammatory markers and IL-6 polymorphism in peripheral arterial disease with and without diabetes mellitus

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis, recognized as an inflammatory disease of the vessel wall, probably accelerated by diabetes mellitus (DM). Elevated interleukin (IL)-6 levels have been associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and a common polymorphism has been identified in the promoter region of the IL-6 gene. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate inflammatory mediators in PAD patients (±DM) and to investigate a possible relationship to the IL-6 gene polymorphism. Five groups of patients (DM, intermittent claudication ±DM, critical limb ischemia (CLI) ±DM) and a control group of 20 individuals each were included. Hemoglobin, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), creatinine, blood lipids, white blood cells (WBC); CD11b/CD18; vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM-1), sE-selectin, sP-selectin; IL-6, IL-8, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α, sTNFα-R1 and sTNFα-R2 were analysed. The IL-6 gene polymorphism was determined in all groups and also compared with 200 healthy controls from a larger study of blood donors. In a multiple regression analysis, adjusted for gender, smoking and age, the effect of CLI was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with elevated levels of the WBC count, hsCRP, proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNFα-R1-2) and endothelial (sICAM, sVCAM) and WBC (CD11b gran) markers. The effect of less advanced PAD (intermittent claudication) was related to an increased concentration of sVCAM-1 and the number of monocytes and granulocytes. DM or leg ulcers were not significantly related to any of the markers. No significant difference in frequency of the various IL-6 genotypes was found between the groups or when compared with the group of 200 blood donors (p > 0.3). Activation of cytokines, endothelial cells and WBC was related to the Fontaine stage of PAD but not to the presence of DM or ulcers. No association was found between the polymorphism in the IL-6 promoter region and PAD.
Dominance and age-related changes in the play fighting of intact and post-weaning castrated male rats (Rattus norvegicus)

The play fighting behaviour of male rats (Rattus norvegicus) castrated at weaning was compared to that of intact controls during the juvenile and post-pubertal phases of development. Following puberty, both the castrated and intact animals exhibited an age-related change in their play fighting; the frequency of initiating play fighting decreased and juvenile patterns of playful defense were replaced by more adult-like patterns. As these changes occurred even in the absence of the pubertal surge of gonadal hormones, they were more likely to result from the organizational effects of gonadal hormones in the perinatal period than the activational effects of these hormones at puberty. Although the castrated animals exhibited the age-related changes in behaviour, they did not exhibit the asymmetries in play associated with dominance relationships. As demonstrated in previous studies, in pairs of intact rats, the animal that attacks the most and uses more juvenile defenses during play fighting and weighs the least is typically the subordinate. In the castrates, asymmetries in weight and playful defense are not related to play frequency, indicating the absence of a dominance relationship. Although the characteristic changes in male play fighting at puberty are independent of the activational effects of gonadal hormones, dominance relationships and their associated changes in play fighting are dependent on these hormones. Therefore, in the perinatal period gonadal hormones most likely organize the age-related changes in play behaviour, whereas post-pubertally gonadal hormones activate dominance relationships and thus, indirectly modify play fighting by affecting dominance-associated assymetries in behaviour. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bilingual schooling of the Canadian Francophone minority: a cultural autonomy model

Abstract The article gives an overview of the sociopolitical context that led to the provision of educational rights to Francophone minorities outside Quebec. It also presents a conceptual framework that distinguishes between French immersion, a bilingual program intended to promote additive bilingualism for majority group members, and French schooling, an approach developed to foster additive bilingualism for minority group members. French schooling is described as a cornerstone to cultural autonomy, a process that leads to cultural survival and ethnolinguistic vitality. The concept of cultural autonomy is defined as well as each of its components: social proximity, institutional completeness, and ideological legitimacy. Finally, the article discusses the challenges of the Canadian Francophone minorities in their quest for cultural autonomy. This cultural autonomy model of minority education is seen as unique and as an approach to minority education that could be applied to other linguistic minorities.
Retrospective Study of Continuation Electroconvulsive Therapy in 50 Patients

Objectives: To examine patient and treatment characteristics in continuation electroconvulsive therapy (c-ECT), defined as prolonged treatment with ECT with a maximum frequency of once a week to prevent relapse. Methods: Medical charts of 50 patients (mean age, 59 years; 74% were female) undergoing c-ECT were examined retrospectively for patient and treatment characteristics. Electrical stimulus dosage, seizure duration, and postictal suppression indices between the first and the last 4 ECT sessions were compared, and their associations with the time interval between c-ECT sessions were analyzed. Results: Almost all the patients (n = 46; 92%) experienced recurrent medication-resistant mood disorders. During a median c-ECT period of 393 days (interquartile rate, 211-677 days), the frequency of c-ECT ranged from once a week (n = 15; 30%) to once every 4 to 6 weeks (n = 17; 34%), and ECT was administered almost exclusively bifrontotemporally (n = 46, 92%). The mean (SD) time interval between consecutive c-ECT sessions was 19 (11) days. The number of days between c-ECT sessions correlated positively with median seizure duration (motor activity: r = 0.390, P = 0.005; electroencephalographic activity: r = 0.351, P = 0.013). Conclusions: In 50 patients with long-standing, recurrent, medication-resistant mood disorders who were treated with c-ECT, increased time interval between consecutive c-ECT sessions was correlated with increased seizure duration. Whether bifrontotemporal c-ECT requires a lower frequency to sustain remission compared with unilateral c-ECT needs further investigation.
Genome Sequence and Annotation of Trichoderma parareesei, the Ancestor of the Cellulase Producer Trichoderma reesei

ABSTRACT The filamentous fungus Trichoderma parareesei is the asexually reproducing ancestor of Trichoderma reesei, the holomorphic industrial producer of cellulase and hemicellulase. Here, we present the genome sequence of the T. parareesei type strain CBS 125925, which contains genes for 9,318 proteins.
ΔNp73, A Dominant-Negative Inhibitor of Wild-type p53 and TAp73, Is Up-regulated in Human Tumors

p73 has significant homology to p53. However, tumor-associated up-regulation of p73 and genetic data from human tumors and p73-deficient mice exclude a classical Knudson-type tumor suppressor role. We report that the human TP73 gene generates an NH2 terminally truncated isoform. ΔNp73 derives from an alternative promoter in intron 3 and lacks the transactivation domain of full-length TAp73. ΔNp73 is frequently overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, but not in normal tissues. ΔNp73 acts as a potent transdominant inhibitor of wild-type p53 and transactivation-competent TAp73. ΔNp73 efficiently counteracts transactivation function, apoptosis, and growth suppression mediated by wild-type p53 and TAp73, and confers drug resistance to wild-type p53 harboring tumor cells. Conversely, down-regulation of endogenous ΔNp73 levels by antisense methods alleviates its suppressive action and enhances p53- and TAp73-mediated apoptosis. ΔNp73 is complexed with wild-type p53, as demonstrated by coimmunoprecipitation from cultured cells and primary tumors. Thus, ΔNp73 mediates a novel inactivation mechanism of p53 and TAp73 via a dominant-negative family network. Deregulated expression of ΔNp73 can bestow oncogenic activity upon the TP73 gene by functionally inactivating the suppressor action of p53 and TAp73. This trait might be selected for in human cancers.
Effectiveness and Safety of Autologous Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Transplantation After Ischemic Stroke: A Meta-Analysis

Background Autologous bone marrow stromal cells (BM-SCs) transplantation might be a potential therapy for stroke. Although a series of clinical trials were performed to assess the effectiveness and safety of BM-SCs transplantation after ischemic stroke, the results are still conflicting. This study aimed to pool previous controlled trials to assess the effectiveness of BM-SCs-based cell therapy after ischemic stroke. Material/Methods Relevant studies were searched among online databases. Barthel index (BI) or modified Barthel index (mBI), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and Rankin Score (mRS) were used to assess therapeutic effects. The frequencies of adverse events were extracted for assessing safety of stem cell therapy. Data analysis was performed by using Review Manager 5.3. Results Patients who received cell therapy had significantly lower NIHSS score (−1.85) than the controls. In addition, there might be some benefits in daily activity measured by mBI, but this meta-analysis failed to demonstrate significant benefits of BM-SCs-based cell therapy in increasing the proportion of mRS ≤2 patients. We did not find any severe adverse events associated with BM-SCs-based cell therapy. Conclusions Although BM-MNCs/MSCs transplantation might generate some benefits in lowering the grade of impairment caused by ischemic stroke, large RCTs are required to further confirm the effectiveness of BM-MSCs/MNCs-based cell therapy and to optimize the conditions require for best therapeutic effects.
Multilevel MATE for efficient simultaneous solution of control systems and nonlinearities in the OVNI simulator

This paper presents the solution approach for simulation of control systems and nonlinearities used in UBC's Object Virtual Network Integrator (OVNI) power system simulator. OVNI is aimed at simulation of full-size power system networks in real time using integrated software/hardware solutions. The software solution is based on the Multiarea Thevenin Equivalent (MATE) network partitioning framework. Multilevel MATE expands the concept of MATE to a subsystem level, allowing for the efficient inclusion of controllers' equations and nonlinearities