Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Correlations of EGFR and LRP to chemotherapy resistance and prognosis of ovarian cancer].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE Abnormal expression and activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is closely related to the recurrence and poor prognosis of ovarian cancer, can promote chemotherapy resistance of tumor cells. Lung resistance protein (LRP), a multidrug resistance protein causing platinum-resistance, is an independent factor in predicting chemotherapy sensitivity to ovarian cancer. This study was to explore the correlations of EGFR and LRP to chemotherapy resistance and prognosis of ovarian cancer. METHODS Expressions of EGFR and LRP in 76 specimens of ovarian malignant tumor, nine borderline tumor, 17 benign tumor and 15 normal ovary were studied using immunohistochemistry. Patients with ovarian cancer were followed up. Correlations of EGFR and LRP to chemotherapy efficacy and survival time of patients with ovarian cancer after operation were analyzed. RESULTS The positive rates of EGFR and LRP in malignant specimens (73.68% and 71.79%) were significantly higher than those in normal and benign ones (P <0.01). EGFR was highly expressed in ovarian cancer patients at late stage (III-IV), with poor differentiation and ascites (P <0.05). The short-term efficacy rates of ovarian cancer were lower in patients with positive expressions of EGFR and LRP (57.14% and 53.70%) than in those with negative expressions (P<0.05). The positive rates of EGFR and LRP were significant higher in patients with chemotherapy resistance (92.86% and 85.71%) than in those sensitive to chemotherapy (P<0.05). The three-year survival rate of ovarian cancer patients was 53.00%. Patients with positive EGFR and LRP and poor short-term efficacy after chemotherapy had short survival time (P<0.01). CONCLUSION The expression of EGFR and LRP could be used to predict chemotherapy resistance and prognosis of ovarian cancer.
Elevated mRNA expression of PGF2α receptor splice variant 2(FP-V2) in human decidua is associated with incomplete mifepristone–misoprostol-induced early medical abortion by regulation of interleukin-8

Abstract Objective: The combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is an established method for the induction of early abortion, but 15% of women still experience the unpleasant side effect of incomplete medical abortion. The purpose of this study was to determine whether prostaglandin (PG) F2α receptor (FP) and its two isoforms (FP-V1 and FP-V2) in human decidua are associated incomplete abortion. Methods: Forty women who underwent medical abortion were recruited. Among them, there were 20 cases of incomplete abortion. The other 20 cases of complete abortion were used as controls. The expression levels of FP, FPV1 and FP-V2 in the decidua between of the two groups was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, FP-V2 was knocked down using specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in the primary cultures of decidual cells. The expression levels of cytokines in FP-V2 knockdown primary decidual cells and control decidual cells were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: The FP and FP-V2 mRNA expression in the incomplete group was significantly higher than that in the complete group (p < 0.05). IL-8 was up-regulated by FP-V2 knockdown in primary-cultured decidual cells (p < 0.05). Conclusions: These results suggested that the elevated expression of FP-V2 in human decidua is significantly associated with incomplete mifepristone-misoprostol-induced early medical abortion and that IL-8 could be lined to this process.
Upper limb pain in primary care: health beliefs, somatic distress, consulting and patient satisfaction.

BACKGROUND Beliefs and mental well-being could influence decisions to consult about upper limb pain and satisfaction with care. OBJECTIVES To describe beliefs about upper limb pain in the community and explore associations of beliefs and mental health with consulting and dissatisfaction. METHODS Questionnaires were mailed to 4998 randomly chosen working-aged patients from general practices in Avon. We asked about upper limb pain, consulting, beliefs about symptoms, dissatisfaction with care, somatizing tendency (using elements of the Brief Symptom Inventory) and mental well-being (using the Short-Form 36). Associations were explored by logistic regression. RESULTS Among 2632 responders, 1271 reported arm pain during the past 12 months, including 389 consulters. A third or more of responders felt that arm pain sufferers should avoid physical activity, that problems would persist beyond 3 months, that a doctor should be seen straightaway and that neglect could lead to permanent harm. Consulters were significantly more likely to agree with these statements than other upper limb pain sufferers. The proportion of consultations attributable to such beliefs was substantial. Dissatisfaction with care was commoner in those with poor mental health: the OR for being dissatisfied (worst versus best third of the distribution) was 3.2 (95% CI 1.2-8.5) for somatizing tendency and 2.4 (95% CI 1.3-4.7) for SF-36 score. Both factors were associated with dissatisfaction about doctors' sympathy, communication and care in examining. CONCLUSIONS Negative beliefs about upper limb pain are common and associated with consulting. Somatizers and those in poorer mental health tend, subsequently, to feel dissatisfied with care.
Multidisciplinary Standardized Care for Acute Aortic Dissection: Design and Initial Outcomes of a Regional Care Model

> “No physician can diagnose a condition he never thinks about. ” > > — Michael DeBakey Patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD) have an in-hospital mortality of 26%, and for those patients with type A AAD, the mortality risk is 1% to 2% per hour until emergency surgical repair is performed.1,2 It is therefore critical that AAD be recognized promptly and that surgical care be provided expeditiously. Data from the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) indicate that the median time from emergency department (ED) presentation to definitive diagnosis of AAD is 4.3 hours, with an additional 4 hours between diagnosis and surgical intervention for type A patients.2,3 A portion of the delay to surgery is often the result of the patient's presenting to smaller community hospitals underequipped to manage emergent AAD. Transfer to high-volume aortic care centers with highly specialized facilities and expertise is routine, but even at such centers, current surgical mortality is 25%. 4 In an effort to address factors that delay AAD recognition and optimal management, a standardized, quality-improvement protocol for the regional treatment of AAD was developed and implemented with the goal of providing consistent, integrated, and coordinated care for patients with AAD throughout all phases of care. Modeled, in part, after a successful regional program for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction,5, the specific aims of the program were to decrease the time from hospital arrival to diagnosis and treatment and to improve clinical outcomes for patients with AAD. A collaborative team designed program elements directed at (1) increasing awareness and knowledge of AAD among emergency care providers, (2) standardizing optimal care for AAD through the use of a formal protocol, (3) improving care coordination and communication across disciplines, and (4) providing …
New Hosts for Equine Herpesvirus 9

Equine herpesvirus 9 was detected in a polar bear with progressive encephalitis; the source was traced to 2 members of a potential equid reservoir species, Grevy’s zebras. The virus was also found in an aborted Persian onager. Thus, the natural host range is extended to 6 species in 3 mammalian orders.
THE UPTAKE OF FLUORESCENT ALBUMIN BY PINOCYTOSIS IN Amoeba proteus

Holter and Marshall (7) demonstrated the uptake of fluorescein-labelled globulin by pinocytosis in the large ameba Chaos chaos (Pelomyxa carolinensls) and followed the fate of the ingested material in the cell by measurement of fluorescence and by observations on centrifuged amebae; their uptake experiments were made at pH 6.8. Brandt (1), also using fluorescein-labelled globulin at a similar pH, in the same species, showed that the plasmalemma and the walls of the pinocytotic vacuoles adsorbed the protein; he confirmed these results with specific antibody tests. Marshall, Schumaker, and Brandt (11) have discussed the importance of binding of protein to the surface of cells engaged in pinocytosis. A review by Holter (9) summarizes recent advances in this field. That many different types of protein induce pinocytosis has been shown by Chapman-Andresen and Prescott (5), and the effect of the pH of albumin solutions on the intensity of pinocytosis in Amoeba proteus, as determined by the number of channels observed, has been demonstrated by Chapman-Andresen (3); in aqueous solutions of bovine plasma albumin, pinocytosis is very intense at pH 4.1 to 4.8, while at pH 5.5 or above, it is completely absent. It was thought worthwhile to check the effects of pH on pinocytosis in amebae using fluoresceinlabelled albumin. The amoebae were immersed in fluorescent protein solutions at acid and at neutral pH, and by employing different conditions for washing the amebae after removal from the fluorescent protein solution, attempts were made to investigate the conditions for the binding of the protein to plasmalemma. The experiments reported here were designed to explore these possibilities in a qualititive manner; quantitative experiments involving counting of pinocytosis channels and measurements of fluorescence in groups of amebae have been planned and are in progress.
Empowering Community Health: An Educational Approach

Collaborative efforts among community members, health care professionals, and faith-based institutions can prove valuable in efforts to improve community health. This study used data obtained from before and after health risk assessment surveys to assess participant's knowledge of risk factors leading to chronic diseases among African Americans in an underserved community of Alabama. Data obtained from activity logs and health screening sessions was used to assess effect of knowledge gained on lifestyle practices. The study findings support the need for ongoing population-specific education program development in religious institutions located inside underserved communities.
CNS irradiation in pediatric acute myleoid leukemia: Equal results by 12 or 18 Gy in studies AML‐BFM98 and 2004

The impact of preventive central nervous system irradiation (CNS‐RT) in childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still discussed. As results of study AML‐BFM87 revealed an increased risk for relapse when CNS‐RT was not performed, studies AML‐BFM98 and ‐2004 randomized CNS‐RT of 18 or 12 Gy in order to evaluate the efficacy of the lower dose and to reduce late effects.
Mapping of the major psoriasis-susceptibility locus (PSORS1) in a 70-Kb interval around the corneodesmosin gene (CDSN).

Numerous putative susceptibility loci have been described for psoriasis. Among the loci confirmed in the literature, PSORS1 (the major histocompatibility complex at 6p21.3) has the strongest effect. Recent studies have highlighted a 200-kb candidate region. However, this region has not been well delimited, mainly because of the strong linkage equilibrium among the associated alleles. To finely map PSORS1, we set up a study using 17 polymorphic markers in a 525-kb interval around the human leucocyte antigen C locus (HLA-C). The results uncovered five loci with alleles strongly associated with psoriasis (Sidak-corrected P [P(c)] values from 1.8 x 10(-7) to . 003), all structured in a psoriasis-susceptibility haplotype (PSH). Subsequent analysis of extended haplotypes showed that the PSH was not only present on the traditional psoriasis-susceptibility extended haplotypes (HLA-Cw6-B57, HLA-Cw6-B37, and HLA-Cw6-B13) but also on a haplotype of Sardinian origin (HLA-Cw7-B58) found to be associated with psoriasis (Pc=.0009) because of an ancestral recombination with one of the susceptibility haplotypes carrying the HLA-Cw6 allele. Comparisons of the regions identical by descent among associated and nonassociated haplotypes highlighted a minimum region of 70 kb not recombinant with PSORS1, around the corneodesmosin (CDSN) gene.
Essays in financial crises

This thesis explores the power of deterministic dynamic model in capturing the qualitative attributes of nancial crises and statistical features of the nancial time series. It is shown that, even without any random processes/variables, the deterministic dynamic model performs well in generating crises of di¤erent patterns which are distinguished by their durations and accumulative depth and in reproducing a wide range of stylized facts that are common across nancial markets. Such good performance is ascribed to the innovative modeling of investorsbeliefs. Speci cally, investorsbeliefs are regime-dependent, they are updated according to various psychological trading regimes enclosed by di¤erent support and resistance prices. Chapter 1 describes three types of nancial crises, namely sudden crisis, smooth crisis and disturbing crisis and addresses the motivation of this thesis. Chapter 2 examines various types of nancial crises and conjectures their underlying mechanisms using a deterministic heterogeneous agent model (HAM). In a market-maker framework, forward-looking investors update their price expectations according to psychological trading windows and cluster themselves strategically to optimize their expected pro ts. The switches between trading strategies lead to price dynamics in market that subsequently move price up and down, and in the extreme case, cause nancial crises. The model suggests that both fundamentalists and chartists could potentially contribute to the nancial crises. Chapter 3 applies the nonlinear deterministic heterogeneous agent model proposed in Chapter 2 to simultaneously reproduce a wide range of stylized facts that are common across nancial markets, namely, fat tails, volatility clustering, long range dependence and leverage e¤ect. It is inferred from the model that (i) the magnitude of the most negative return is greater than that of the most positive return as the net buying force of fundamentalists is not comparable with the collective selling force of chartists and (ii) gradual bubbles and sudden crashes could be
Bridging the interaction gulf: understanding the factors that drive public interactive display usage

Previous HCI studies have identified challenges when designing public displays that often result in users ignoring them. In this paper, we explore the factors that drive passers-by to become active users and provide suggestions to guide the design of public interactive displays (PIDs). We contrast the findings from two different studies: (1) an observation of existing non-research PIDs to understand the issues currently facing displays in the wild; and (2) a field study of a PID research prototype. Based on the findings from both studies, the paper concludes with a discussion of three factors that have an effect on the utilisation of PIDs: position, content and function.
Provider bias in the selection of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and protease inhibitor-based highly active antiretroviral therapy and HIV treatment outcomes in observational studies

Objective: To compare the characteristics of patients prescribed non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) and protease inhibitors (PI), and evaluate treatment outcomes in a setting in which nevirapine has been preferentially recommended since 1998. Methods: A population-based analysis of antiretroviral-naive adults who started highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) between 1 August 1996 and 31 July 2000, and who were followed until 31 March 2002. We compared baseline characteristics, and evaluated virological responses and mortality. Results: Overall, 439 patients (28.8%) started HAART with NNRTI (94.1% used nevirapine), 100 (6.6%) used a double PI, and 983 (64.6%) used a single PI-based regimen. Substantial differences were observed between the baseline clinical characteristics of these populations. In adjusted analyses, in comparison with single PI therapy, only the use of NNRTI was associated with more rapid HIV-RNA suppression [relative hazard (RH) 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22–1.65; P < 0.001]. A total of 204 deaths were identified in the study population [42 (9.6%) NNRTI; 11 (11%) double PI; 151 (15.4%) single PI, respectively]. In adjusted analysis, NNRTI (RH 1.01; 95% CI 0.71–1.45) and double PI-based HAART (RH 0.74; 95% CI 0.40–1.39) had similar mortality rates to the single PI reference category. Conclusion: NNRTI use was associated with more rapid virological suppression, whereas similar rates of rebound and mortality were found. Nevertheless, major baseline differences existed between patients prescribed the various initial regimens. As such, it is likely that similar selection factors may explain why our findings contrast with several non-randomized studies showing worse clinical outcomes of patients prescribed nevirapine.
Energy Cooperative Multiple Access Channels with Energy Harvesting Transmitters and Receiver

In this work, we study energy cooperation in a two-user Gaussian multiple access channel (MAC), where the transmitters and the receiver are powered by energy harvesters. In particular, the receiver consumes the harvested energy in decoding the received data and bidirectional energy cooperation is allowed between any two nodes in order to facilitate data transmission and decoding. Our objective is to maximize the number of decoded bits at the receiver, assuming offline knowledge of the channel state information (CSI) and the energy harvesting profiles. We first show that the original problem can be decomposed into an inner problem in which we optimize over the energy transfer variables and an outer problem that characterizes the optimal power allocation. For the inner problem, we derive analytical expressions for the energy transfer variables in terms of the fading coefficients and the energy transfer efficiencies between the nodes. On the other hand, the outer problem is solved using a generalized iterative directional water-filling algorithm. The numerical results show that transmitters and receiver energy cooperation can significantly enhance the system performance.
Expression profiling in laser‐microdissected hippocampal subregions in rat brain reveals large subregion‐specific differences in expression

Expression profiling in the hippocampus is hampered by its cellular heterogeneity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using laser‐microdissected hippocampal subregions for expression profiling to improve detection of transcripts with a subregion‐specific expression. Cornu ammonis (CA)3 and dentate gyrus (DG) subregions were isolated from rat brain slices using laser microdissection, subjected to two rounds of linear amplification and hybridized to rat GeneChips containing approximately 8000 transcripts (RG_U34A; Affymetrix). Analysis of the data using significance analysis of microarrays revealed 724 genes with a significant difference in expression between CA3 and DG with a false discovery rate of 2.1%, of which 264 had higher expression in DG and 460 in CA3. Several transcripts with known differential expression between the subregions were included in the dataset, as well as numerous novel mRNAs and expressed sequence tags. Sorting of the differentially expressed genes according to gene ontology classification revealed that genes involved in glycolysis and general metabolism, neurogenesis and cell adhesion were consistently expressed at higher levels in CA3. Conversely, a large cluster of genes involved in protein biosynthesis were expressed at higher levels in DG. In situ hybridization was used to validate differential expression of a selection of genes. The results of this study demonstrate that the combination of laser microdissection and GeneChip technology is both technically feasible and very promising. Besides providing an extensive inventory of genes showing differential expression between CA3 and DG, this study supports the idea that profiling in hippocampal subregions should improve detection of genes with a subregion‐specific expression or regulation.
The Profitability of Five Popular Variations of Moving Averages on Indian Market Index S&P CNX Nifty 50 During January 2004-December 2014

This research paper aims to investigate the profitability of five popular variations of moving averages: simple (also referred to as arithmetic), exponential, triangular, variable, and weighted as the main tool of technical analysis on the end of the day data on Indian market index S&P CNX Nifty 50 from January 2004 to December 2014. Moving averages performance is checked with three basic rules of trading using moving average, first with direction of moving average, second with price & moving average crossover and third rule is crossover of two moving averages of different period. An optimization technique is used to find the most profitable trading system among all the moving averages. The results show that trading rules based short term moving average generate more profit with less drawdown and outperform buy-and-hold strategy for almost all type of moving averages.
Electoral Choices and Core Value Change: The 1992 Presidential Campaign

Theory: The recent scholarly literature on core political values has paid relatively little attention to how values change over time. Drawing on studies in social psychology that find that values are reformulated as individuals take on new identities and roles or process new political information, I argue that choosing sides during a major national election campaign provokes shifts in core political values. Furthermore, in keeping with Philip Converse's (1964) discussion of dynamic attitude constraint, value change following electoral mobilization is expected to lead to new positions regarding particular government policies. Hypotheses: Backing Bill Clinton in 1992 led citizens to become more committed to egalitarianism and less attached to moral traditionalism; the reverse is hypothesized to have occurred for supporters of George Bush. In turn, changes in levels of egalitarianism caused shifts in support for federal social welfare spending; new positions on moral traditionalism led to changes regarding abortion policy. Methods: Maximum likelihood (LISREL) measurement and structural models are estimated using a CPS panel survey of the mass public in 1990 and 1992. Results: As hypothesized, presidential preferences in 1992 led to changes in core value stands, even when measurement error and reciprocity between value positions and candidate choice were factored in. As the respondents' values changed, moreover, their positions on several concrete policy items were also significantly modified.
Advanced active output filter for low acoustic noise adjustable speed drive (ASD) system

In recent years, manufactures of adjustable speed drive (ASD) make effort to reduce the acoustic noise emitted by electric motors. Traditionally, LC passive filters can be employed to mitigate the pulse-width modulation (PWM) generated current harmonics in the audible noise range. However, the bulky passive filters contribute to additional volume and cannot effectively eliminate harmonics at low switching frequency. In this paper, an active output filter (AOF) is proposed to replace passive filters to achieve higher power density and lower acoustic noise. The proposed AOF can be envisioned as a power semiconductor filter block and is implemented by the harmonic injection strategy, which can compensate voltage/current harmonics at the arbitrary frequency. Advanced wide-band gap devices can be employed in AOF to achieve low power loss and high switching frequency. Experimental results from a 2/3 horsepower ASD prototype verifies the advantages of the proposed AOF.