Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transvaginal liver resection (NOTES) combined with minilaparoscopy.

OBJECTIVE to report on the first liver resection performed on a human being by a transvaginal NOTES approach combined with minilaparoscopy. PATIENTS AND METHODS a sixty-one-year-old woman with a history of Wertheim s hysterectomy for endometrial carcinoma 10 years ago, and malignant melanoma correctly treated in 2006, had suspected segment-V liver metastasis near the gallbladder by CT-scan and MRI. The indication for a laparoscopic approach was made, and a combined transvaginal and minilaparoscopic resection was offered and accepted by the patient. The procedure was performed by a multidisciplinary team composed of surgeons and gastroenterologists. It involved creating a pneumoperitoneum by placing a Veres needle in the umbilical fundus, followed by the insertion of a 5-mm trocar. A second, 3-mm trocar was placed in the right upper quadrant. A lot of pelvic adhesions were found in the major pelvis, and it was necessary to place a third, 5-mm trocar in the left abdominal side. It was employed only for the adhesions, not for liver resection. Adhesions were removed to reveal the minor pelvis and the vaginal fornix. A colpotomy was performed with a 12-mm trocar placed inside the vagina, which allowed the insertion of the videogastroscope as far as the liver hilum. RESULTS liver resection (segment-V partial resection) and cholecystectomy were performed by using a combination of working tools inserted through the entry port for the minilaparoscopy and the videogastroscope. The en bloc resection was removed transvaginally through the videogastroscope. There were no postoperative complications, and the patient was discharged after 48 hours. CONCLUSIONS transvaginal liver resection is possible and safe when performed by a multidisciplinary team. Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is an emerging modality that seeks to be less invasive, better tolerated, and more respectful of esthetics. It will probably open the way for very important medical and technological innovations.
From features to expression: High-density oligonucleotide array analysis revisited

One of the most popular tools for large scale gene expression studies are high-density oligonucleotide (GeneChip(R)) arrays. These currently have 16-20 small probe cells (``features'') for evaluating the transcript abundance of each gene. In addition, each probe is accompanied by a mismatched probe designed as a control for non-specificity. An algorithm is presented to compute comparative expression levels from the intensities of the individual features, based on a statistical study of their distribution. Interestingly, MM probes need not be included in the analysis. We show that our algorithm improves significantly upon the current standard and leads to a substantially larger number of genes brought above the noise floor for further analysis.
Enhancing the possibilities of corpus-based investigations: Word sense disambiguation on query results of large text corpora

Common large digital text corpora do not distinguish between different meanings of word forms, intense manual effort has to be done for disambiguation tasks when querying for homonyms or polysemes. To improve this situation, we ran experiments with automatic word sense disambiguation methods operating directly on the output of the corpus query. In this paper, we present experiments with topic models to cluster search result snippets in order to separate occurrences of homonymous or polysemous queried words by their meanings.
Molecular Insights into the Genetic Diversity of Hemarthria compressa Germplasm Collections Native to Southwest China

Start codon targeted polymorphism (SCoT) analysis was employed to distinguish 37 whipgrass (Hemarthria compressa L.) clones and assess the genetic diversity and population structure among these genotypes. The informativeness of markers was also estimated using various parameters. Using 25 highly reproducible primer sets, 368 discernible fragments were generated. Of these, 282 (77.21%) were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from five to 21, and the genetic variation indices varied. The polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.358, the Shannon diversity index (H) was 0.534, the marker index (MI) was 4.040, the resolving power (RP) was 6.108, and the genotype index (GI) was 0.782. Genetic similarity coefficients (GS) between the accessions ranged from 0.563 to 0.872, with a mean of 0.685. Their patterns observed in a dendrogram constructed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean analysis (UPGMA) based on GS largely confirmed the results of principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). PCoA was further confirmed by Bayesian model-based STRUCTURE analysis, which revealed no direct association between genetic relationship and geographical origins as validated by Mantel’s test (r = 0.2268, p = 0.9999). In addition, high-level genetic variation within geographical groups was significantly greater than that between groups, as determined by Shannon diversity analysis, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) and Bayesian analysis. Overall, SCoT analysis is a simple, effective and reliable technique for characterizing and maintaining germplasm collections of whipgrass and related species.
Partial Complements and Transposable Dispersions

Suppose A =fa(i;j)g; for i‚ 0 and j ‚ 0; is the dispersion of a strictly increasing sequence r = (r(0);r(1);r(2);:::) of integers; where r(0) = 1 and inflnitely many postive integers are not terms of r: Let R be the set of such sequences, and deflne t on R by tr(n) = a(0;n) for n ‚ 0: Let F be the subset of R consisting of sequences r satisfying ttr = r: The set F is characterized in terms of ordered arrangements of numbers i + jµ. For flxed i ‚ 0; the sequence a(i;j); for j ‚ 1; is the (i + 1)st partial complement of r: Central to the characterization of F is the role of the families of flgurate (or polygonal) number sequences and the centered polygonal number sequences. Finally, it is conjectured that for every r in R; the iterates t (2m) r converge to a sequence in F.
Effectiveness of local antibiotic delivery with an osteoinductive and osteoconductive bone-graft substitute.

BACKGROUND The morbidity associated with open fractures and open fracture treatment is well established. An osteoinductive and osteoconductive bone-graft substitute that prevents infection would decrease the number of procedures required to treat contaminated fractures by eliminating the need for surgical removal of cement beads and perhaps autograft harvest. We hypothesized that the combination of tobramycin-impregnated calcium sulfate pellets and demineralized bone matrix would prevent the establishment of infection in a contaminated fracture model. METHODS A unicortical 12-mm-diameter defect was created in the proximal tibial metaphysis of twenty-nine Spanish goats. After contaminating the wounds with an infective dose of Staphylococcus aureus, we divided the animals into four groups. The negative control group received no treatment, the positive control group received tobramycin-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate beads, the demineralized bone matrix group received 2.5 mL of demineralized bone matrix, and the experimental group received tobramycin-impregnated calcium sulfate pellets with 2.5 mL of demineralized bone matrix. Radiographs were made and intraosseous tissue cultures were performed on postoperative day 21. RESULTS The cultures showed no evidence of intramedullary infection in the experimental or the positive control group, but they were positive for Staphylococcus aureus in six of the seven goats in the negative control group and seven of the eight goats in the demineralized bone matrix group. CONCLUSIONS The combination of tobramycin-impregnated calcium sulfate pellets and demineralized bone matrix was effective in preventing intramedullary Staphylococcus aureus infection in a contaminated goat fracture model.
Biochemical study of muscle in progressive muscular dystrophy.

Current concepts of progressive muscular dystrophy hold that it is a disease in which, through genetic error, there are intrinsic defects in muscle metabolism, although the nature of these hypothetical defects remains unrecognized. It is the purpose of this report to describe one approach to the problem and to show that there are defects in the metabolism of isolated muscle from patients with progressive muscular dystrophy.
Epidemiological Aspects and World Distribution of HTLV-1 Infection

The human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), identified as the first human oncogenic retrovirus 30 years ago, is not an ubiquitous virus. HTLV-1 is present throughout the world, with clusters of high endemicity located often nearby areas where the virus is nearly absent. The main HTLV-1 highly endemic regions are the Southwestern part of Japan, sub-Saharan Africa and South America, the Caribbean area, and foci in Middle East and Australo-Melanesia. The origin of this puzzling geographical or rather ethnic repartition is probably linked to a founder effect in some groups with the persistence of a high viral transmission rate. Despite different socio-economic and cultural environments, the HTLV-1 prevalence increases gradually with age, especially among women in all highly endemic areas. The three modes of HTLV-1 transmission are mother to child, sexual transmission, and transmission with contaminated blood products. Twenty years ago, de Thé and Bomford estimated the total number of HTLV-1 carriers to be 10–20 millions people. At that time, large regions had not been investigated, few population-based studies were available and the assays used for HTLV-1 serology were not enough specific. Despite the fact that there is still a lot of data lacking in large areas of the world and that most of the HTLV-1 studies concern only blood donors, pregnant women, or different selected patients or high-risk groups, we shall try based on the most recent data, to revisit the world distribution and the estimates of the number of HTLV-1 infected persons. Our best estimates range from 5–10 millions HTLV-1 infected individuals. However, these results were based on only approximately 1.5 billion of individuals originating from known HTLV-1 endemic areas with reliable available epidemiological data. Correct estimates in other highly populated regions, such as China, India, the Maghreb, and East Africa, is currently not possible, thus, the current number of HTLV-1 carriers is very probably much higher.
The mitotic-to-endocycle switch in Drosophila follicle cells is executed by Notch-dependent regulation of G1/S, G2/M and M/G1 cell-cycle transitions

The Notch signaling pathway controls the follicle cell mitotic-to-endocycle transition in Drosophila oogenesis by stopping the mitotic cycle and promoting the endocycle. To understand how the Notch pathway coordinates this process, we have identified and performed a functional analysis of genes whose transcription is responsive to the Notch pathway at this transition. These genes include the G2/M regulator Cdc25 phosphatase, String; a regulator of the APC ubiquitination complex Hec/CdhFzr and an inhibitor of the CyclinE/CDK complex, Dacapo. Notch activity leads to downregulation of String and Dacapo, and activation of Fzr. All three genes are independently responsive to Notch. In addition, CdhFzr, an essential gene for endocycles, is sufficient to stop mitotic cycle and promote precocious endocycles when expressed prematurely during mitotic stages. In contrast, overexpression of the growth controller Myc does not induce premature endocycles but accelerates the kinetics of normal endocycles. We also show that Archipelago (Ago), a SCF-regulator is dispensable for mitosis, but crucial for endocycle progression in follicle epithelium. The results support a model in which Notch activity executes the mitotic-to-endocycle switch by regulating all three major cell cycle transitions. Repression of String blocks the M-phase, activation of Fzr allows G1 progression and repression of Dacapo assures entry into the S-phase. This study provides a comprehensive picture of the logic that external signaling pathways may use to control cell cycle transitions by the coordinated regulation of the cell cycle.
A comparative study of partial discharges under power and very low frequency voltage excitation

Very low frequency (VLF) testing refers to AC testing in the frequency range of 0.01 Hz up to 1 Hz. VLF testing is increasingly becoming popular as an alternative approach for test objects which require significant reactive power such as power cables. However, reliable diagnosis of partial discharge characteristics under VLF voltage excitation is still lacking. The paper presents a comparative study between testing at normal power frequency and at VLF. Corona and surface discharges were produced using a needle/bowl and a short section of 11kV XLPE cable. Experiments were conducted over a range of frequencies from 50 Hz down to 0.08 Hz and the results were analyzed. They showed some similarity of PD characteristics in terms of their phase-resolved patterns. The discrepancies of PD results are described in details.
The penguin: using the web as a database for descriptive and dynamic grammar and spell checking

In consequence of emergent limitations of traditional spell and grammar checkers, the Penguin prototype system has been designed to be a descriptive and dynamic tool for computer based writing. Rather than relying on a static dictionary, the web is used as a database to handle language artifacts out of the ordinary, such as idioms, colloquialisms, names, and slang expressions; a common source of concern especially for second language speakers.
Binary adder architectures for cell-based VLSI and their synthesis

The addition of two binary numbers is the fundamental and most often used arithmetic operation on microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSP), and data-processing application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). Therefore, bi¬ nary adders are crucial building blocks in very large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuits. Their efficient implementation is not trivial because a costly carry-propagation operation involving all operand bits has to be performed. Many different circuit architectures for binary addition have been proposed over the last decades, covering a wide range of performance characteristics. Also, their realization at the transistor level for full-custom circuit implemen¬ tations has been addressed intensively. However, the suitability of adder archi¬ tectures for cell-based design and hardware synthesis — both prerequisites for the ever increasing productivity in ASIC design — was hardly investigated. Based on the various speed-up schemes for binary addition, a compre¬ hensive overview and a qualitative evaluation of the different existing adder architectures are given in this thesis. In addition, a new multilevel carry-increment adder architecture is proposed. It is found that the ripple-carry, the carry-lookahead, and the proposed carry-increment adders show the best overall performance characteristics for cell-based design. These three adder architectures, which together cover the entire range of possible area vs. delay trade-offs, are comprised in the more general prefix adder architecture reported in the literature. It is shown that this universal and flexible prefix adder structure also allows the realization ofvarious customized adders and of adders fulfilling arbitrary timing and area constraints. A non-heuristic algorithm for the synthesis and optimization of prefix adders is proposed. It allows the runtime-efficient generation of area-optimal adders for given timing constraints.
Type 2 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents in a 2-Year Follow-Up: Insufficient Adherence to Diabetes Centers

Background/Aims: To study the 2-year course of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in general practice to present (1) the treatment modalities, (2) patient adherence, and (3) the occurrence of comorbidities. Methods: HBA1c, lipids, blood pressure, treatment modalities, occurrence of retinopathy and nephropathy were analyzed in 129 children and adolescents with T2DM (median age 13.4 years, 75% female) in specialized diabetes centers in Germany. Results: Seventy-eight (60%) children dropped out of care after a mean of 7.1 months. Drug treatment was not stopped in any of the 64 children initially treated with antidiabetic drugs. Sixteen (12%) children were treated solely by lifestyle intervention over the 2-year course. In the 51 children with complete follow-up, median HbA1c was 7.7% at diagnosis and 6.3% after 2 years. Less than 5% of all children were treated with antihypertensive or lipid-lowering drugs, while 65% suffered from hypertension and 44% from dyslipidemia. Over the course of the disease, retinopathy was not observed, while microalbuminuria occurred in 25%. Conclusions: In general practice, many children and adolescents with T2DM were lost of follow-up. Lifestyle intervention as sole treatment was not often useful for long-term metabolic control. Dyslipidemia and hypertension were seldom treated as recommended.
Parkinson’s Disease Progression: Implicit Acquisition, Cognitive and Motor Impairments, and Medication Effects

Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms have been collectively ascribed to malfunctioning of dopamine-related nigro-striatal and cortico-striatal loops. However, some doubts about this proposition are raised by controversies about the temporal progression of the impairments, and whether they are concomitant or not. The present study consists of a systematic revision of literature data on both functional PD impairments and dopaminergic medication effects in order to draw a coherent picture about the disease progression. It was done in terms of an explanatory model for the disruption of implicit knowledge acquisition, motor and cognitive impairments, and the effects of dopaminergic medication on these functions. Cognitive impairments arise at early stages of PD and stabilizes while disruption of implicit knowledge acquisition and motor impairments, are still in progression; additionally, dopaminergic medication reduces motor impairments and increases disruption of implicit knowledge acquisition. Since this model revealed consistency and plausibility when confronted with data of others studies not included in model’s formulation, it may turn out to be a useful tool for understanding the multifaceted characteristics of PD.
The serotonin syndrome in a patient receiving sertraline after an ankle block.

Sertraline is a new antidepressant categorized as a selective serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) (1). This class of drugs reversibly blocks the reuptake of 5-HT in the synaptic cleft (1). Sertraline is efficacious in the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive, eating, and personality disorders (2). It is safe and well tolerated based upon worldwide experience (3). We report, however, a case of prolonged myoclonus in a patient who underwent a minor orthopedic procedure under an ankle regional anesthetic block and sedation and who was taking sertraline for depression. We propose that she exhibited the serotonin syndrome, a disorder of 5-HT hyperstimulation, most commonly associated with serotonergic drugs (4).
Coping with Salt Water Habitats: Metabolic and Oxidative Responses to Salt Intake in the Rufous-Collared Sparrow

Many physiological adjustments occur in response to salt intake in several marine taxa, which manifest at different scales from changes in the concentration of individual molecules to physical traits of whole organisms. Little is known about the influence of salinity on the distribution, physiological performance, and ecology of passerines; specifically, the impact of drinking water salinity on the oxidative status of birds has been largely ignored. In this study, we evaluated whether experimental variations in the salt intake of a widely-distributed passerine (Zontotrichia capensis) could generate differences in basal (BMR) and maximum metabolic rates (Msum), as well as affect metabolic enzyme activity and oxidative status. We measured rates of energy expenditure of birds after 30-d acclimation to drink salt (SW) or tap (fresh) water (TW) and assessed changes in the activity of mitochondrial enzymes (cytochrome c oxidase and citrate synthase) in skeletal muscle, heart, and kidney. Finally, we evaluated the oxidative status of bird tissues by means of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and superoxide dismutase activities and lipid oxidative damage (Malondialdehyde, MDA). The results revealed a significant increase in BMR but not Msum, which resulted in a reduction in factorial aerobic scope in SW- vs. TW-acclimated birds. These changes were paralleled with increased kidney and intestine masses and catabolic activities in tissues, especially in pectoralis muscle. We also found that TAC and MDA concentrations were ~120 and ~400% higher, respectively in the liver of animals acclimated to the SW- vs. TW-treatment. Our study is the first to document changes in the oxidative status in birds that persistently drink saltwater, and shows that they undergo several physiological adjustments that range that range in scale from biochemical capacities (e.g., TAC and MDA) to whole organism traits (e.g., metabolic rates). We propose that the physiological changes observed in Z. capensis acclimated to saltwater could be common phenomena in birds and likely explain selection of prey containing little salt and habitats associated with low salinity.
The effect of ferrous-chelating hairtail peptides on iron deficiency and intestinal flora in rats.

BACKGROUND Chelating agents, such as small peptides, can decrease free iron content and increase iron bioavailability. They may have promising therapeutic potential and may prevent the pro-oxidant effects of low molecular weight iron. Hairtail is a species of fish that is rich in easily digestible proteins. We extended this strategy for iron delivery by using an enzymatic hydrolysate of hairtail as the chelating agent and found that the ferrous-chelating hairtail peptides have anti-anaemic activity in Sprague-Dawley rats with anaemia. RESULTS The anti-anaemic activity of ferrous-chelating hairtail peptides prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis of the hairtail and ferrous chelation was studied in rat models of iron deficiency anaemia. After the end of the 35 d experiment, we noted significant differences in haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, haemoglobin distribution width, and ferritin concentrations between those animals supplemented with ferrous-chelating hairtail peptides and FeSO4 and healthy animals. There were no negative side effects on the animals' growth or behaviour. There was no obvious inflammation in the intestinal mucosa lamina propria and no unbalance of intestinal flora. CONCLUSION The novel ferrous-chelating hairtail peptides may be a suitable fortificant for improving iron-deficiency status. Our findings demonstrated that this multi-tracer technique has many applications in nutritional research. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
Realization of a Special Class of Admittances with One Damper and One Inerter for Mechanical Control

In this note, we investigate the realization problem of a special class of positive-real admittances, which is common in vehicle suspension designs. The number of inerters and dampers is restricted to one in each case and the number of the springs is arbitrary. To solve the problem, we first convert a previous result by to a more direct form. A necessary and sufficient condition for realizability is then derived and explicit circuit arrangements are provided by assuming that the three-port network consisting of only springs after extracting the damper and the inerter has a well-defined impedance. To remove the assumption on the existence of a well-defined impedance, a condition is established on the topological property of the n -port network without a well-defined impedance to obtain an equivalent class of such networks so that the realizability condition is derived with realization. By combining the conditions with and without a well-defined impedance, the final realization result is obtained.