Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sentinel node mapping for gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND Sentinel lymph node mapping is the standard of care for patients with malignant melanoma and breast cancer. Recently, SLN mapping was introduced to the field of gastric cancer. OBJECTIVES To evaluate SLN mapping in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS In 43 patients with gastric cancer, open intraoperative subserosal dye injection in four opposing peritumoral points was used. Ten minutes following dye injection, stained LNs were located, marked and examined postoperatively from the surgical specimen. RESULTS SLN mapping was performed in 43 patients with gastric cancer; 782 lymph nodes were harvested and evaluated. SLNs were stained in 34 of the patients (79.1%) with a mean of 2.85 SLNs per patient. The false negative rate was 20.9%, the positive predictive value 100%, the negative predictive value 78.6% and the sensitivity 86.9%. CONCLUSIONS SLN mapping in patients with gastric cancer is feasible and easy to perform. SLN mapping may mainly affect the extent of lymph node dissection, and to a lesser degree gastric resection. However, more data are needed.
Bateria Multidimensional de Inteligência Infantil: desenvolvimento de instrumento

Resumo O estudo objetivou elaborar um conjunto de testes, denominado “Bateria Multidimensional de Inteligencia Infantil” ou BMI, para avaliar capacidades do Modelo Cattell-Horn-Carroll. Entre as capacidades avaliadas estao as de inteligencia cristalizada, inteligencia fluida, velocidade de processamento cognitivo, memoria a curto prazo, armazenamento e recuperacao associativa a longo prazo e conhecimento quantitativo. A BMI foi composta por nove testes, apresentados a duas amostras de participantes. A primeira foi formada por 240 criancas, com idade entre sete e 12 anos. Constituida para que novos itens fossem testados, a segunda amostra foi formada por outras 206 criancas. Os resultados demonstraram a influencia altamente significativa da idade sobre o desempenho dos testes. Os testes Informacao Geral, Inducao, Desempenho em Matematica, Vocabulario Geral e Vocabulario Ilustrado apresentaram elevados coeficientes de precisao. A analise dos indices de dificuldade e do poder discriminativo permitiu a selecao do conjunto mais adequado de questoes para compor a configuracao final da Bateria. Palavras-Chave: Inteligencia; Testes; Modelo Cattell-Horn-Carroll, Avaliacao psicologica. Multidimensional Battery for Children’s Intelligence: Development of an instrument
Work-Family Conflict in Contemporary China

Conflict between their work and family roles may occur for women and men throughout the global economy. As a result, work-family conflict has been the subject of considerable research in recent years. However, prior studies of work-family conflict have been conducted primarily on American samples. Whether the theories on which these studies have been based and the findings that they have yielded are equally powerful when applied to other highly different cultural domains (e.g. Oriental cultures) is questionable. In this article, we first derive a theoretical framework from extant American-based research and then discuss work-family conflict in an Oriental society, contemporary China. On considering the distinctive work and family contexts in Chinese society, we conclude that Chinese workers experience work-family conflict in a manner not fully captured by an American perspective. Accordingly, we extend the American-based model of work-family conflict by incorporating culture-specific factors particularly relevant to how the Chinese experience work-family conflict in contemporary China.
Casein kinase I-like protein kinases encoded by YCK1 and YCK2 are required for yeast morphogenesis

Casein kinase I is an acidotropic protein kinase class that is widely distributed among eukaryotic cell types. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the casein kinase I isoform encoded by the gene pair YCK1 and YCK2 is a 60- to 62-kDa membrane-associated form. The Yck proteins perform functions essential for growth and division; either alone supports growth, but loss of function of both is lethal. We report here that casein kinase I-like activity is associated with a soluble Yck2-beta-galactosidase fusion protein in vitro and that thermolabile protein kinase activity is exhibited by a protein encoded by fusion of a temperature-sensitive yck2 allele with lacZ. Cells carrying the yck2-2ts allele arrest at restrictive temperature with multiple, elongated buds containing multiple nuclei. This phenotype suggests that the essential functions of the Yck proteins include roles in bud morphogenesis, possibly in control of cell growth polarity, and in cytokinesis or cell separation. Further, a genetic relationship between the yck2ts allele and deletion of CDC55 indicates that the function of Yck phosphorylation may be related to that of protein phosphatase 2A activity.
Comparison of selected nutrients and bacteria from common contiguous soils inside and outside swine lagoon effluent spray fields after long-term use.

Swine (Sus scofa domestica) lagoon effluent is a valuable resource. In the U.S. Mid-South it is applied from April to September to fertilize grass hay in spray-irrigated fields. Lagoon levels of nutrients and bacteria, and soil levels of nutrients have been documented, but little was known of effluent bacterial levels in soil. The present study examined levels of selected effluent bacteria and nutrients in soils inside and outside spray fields after >15 yr of effluent irrigation. Samples were collected February to March 2009 from contiguous soils spanning adjacent irrigated and nonirrigated areas. Separate soil cores for bacterial and nutrient tests were collected in pairs <10 cm apart. Five cores each were collected at 15-m intervals and combined, respectively, to comprise inside and outside samples from each of 20 soils (four each from five farms/spray fields). Analyses of data combined across all soils showed higher pH and Mehlich-3-extracrable (M3-) P, Mg, K, Na, Cu, and Zn inside than outside spray fields, while total N, total C, M3-Ca, and M3-Mn did not differ. Bacterial levels were higher inside than outside spray fields for heterotrophic plate counts, thermotolerant coliforms, Staphylococcus spp. , and Clostridium perfringens, but levels of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. were not different. Cultural presence/absence tests for three pathogens (Listeria spp., Campylobacter spp., and Salmonella spp.) detected only Listeria spp. , which did not differ inside (23% positive samples) and outside (28% positive). Molecular tests detected all three pathogens at low levels that were not different inside and outside. We found no evidence of cumulative buildup of Campylobacter spp. , Listeria spp. , or Salmonela s. in spray field soils.
Children with unexplained chronic pain: substantial impairment in everyday life

Aims: To describe and quantify impairment in an outpatient population of children with chronic pain of unknown origin (UCP). Methods: A total of 149 children who presented with pain of at least three months’ duration and without a satisfactory explanation at presentation were studied. Number of somatic complaints (Children’s Somatisation Inventory, CSI), pain intensity (VAS, 0–10 cm), functional disability (Child Health Questionnaire (CHQ-CF) and clinical history), and general health perceptions (CHQ) were determined. Results: Mean age of the children was 11.8 years; 73% were girls. Overall, 72% suffered impairment in sports activities, 51% reported absence from school, 40% experienced limitations in social functioning, and 34% had problems with sleeping. Mean number of somatic symptoms differed significantly between boys (8.4) and girls (10.7). The CHQ-CF scores for physical functioning, role/social functioning, and general health perceptions were 76.4, 70.7, and 57.5, respectively, indicating substantial impairment on all domains. The mean pain intensity was 4.7 for current and 7.1 for worst pain. Children solely evaluated by a general practitioner prior to referral reported less, though still substantial, impairment. Low general health perceptions, impaired role/social functioning, high pain intensity, and having headache or musculoskeletal pain were independent predictors of having significant impairment. Conclusions: Referred children with UCP show substantial impairment on multiple domains in daily life.
Fas ligand expression in TM4 sertoli cells is enhanced by estradiol “in situ” production

The testis is an immunologically privileged site of the body where Sertoli cells work on to favor local immune tolerance by testicular autoantigens segregation and immunosuppressive factors secretion. Fas/Fas Ligand (FasL) system, expressed prevalently in Sertoli cells, has been considered to be one of the central mechanisms in testis immunological homeostasis. In different cell lines it has been reported that the proapoptotic protein FasL is regulated by 17‐β estradiol (E2). Thus, using as experimental model mouse Sertoli cells TM4, which conserve a large spectrum of functional features present in native Sertoli cells, like aromatase activity, we investigated if estradiol “in situ” production may influence FasL expression. Our results demonstrate that an aromatizable androgen like androst‐4‐ene‐3,17‐dione (Δ4) enhanced FasL mRNA, protein content and promoter activity in TM4 cells. The treatment with N6,2′‐O‐dibutyryladenosine‐3′‐5′‐cyclic monophosphate [(Bu)2cAMP] (simulating FSH action), that is well known to stimulate aromatase activity in Sertoli cells, amplified Δ4 induced FasL expression. Functional studies of mutagenesis, electrophoretic mobility shift (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays revealed that the Sp‐1 motif on FasL promoter was required for E2 enhanced FasL expression in TM4 cells. These data let us to recruit FasL among those genes whose expression is up‐regulated by E2 through a direct interaction of ERα with Sp‐1 protein. Finally, evidence that an aromatizable androgen is able to increase FasL expression suggests that E2 production by aromatase activity may contribute to maintain the immunoprivilege status of Sertoli cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 211: 448–456, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transport and processing of staphylococcal enterotoxin A

A larger-molecular-weight precursor of enterotoxin A was found in membranes of Staphylococcus aureus and was shown to be the kinetic precursor to the extracellular form of the toxin. Subcellular fractionation revealed that mature enterotoxin A was transiently associated with the cell wall before being released to the extracellular environment.
A novel reconfigurable antenna with multiple radiation patterns

This paper presents a novel reconfigurable antenna with multiple radiation patterns which can concentrate the energy to one or more directions. The antenna is constructed by N patches. Each patch connects with two PIN diodes. By switching the states of PIN diodes, we can get at most 2N kinds of radiation patterns. Compared to conventional reconfigurable antennas, the proposed antenna has simple feeding and control network. In this paper, the antenna of N=6 is presented and the operating frequency is 2.4 GHz. The simulation results of S11 and E plane radiation patterns of some working states are given.
Volunteer tourism: Motivations of German participants in South Africa

Abstract This paper examined the motivations of German volunteers that were recruited for the South African Volunteer programme by German companies. In order to collect the data for this study a quantitative approach was used, which consisted of a web‐based questionnaire that was set up as an online link and distributed by three German Organisations. The survey utilised key push and pull motivational factors that were often cited in the literature. The results suggested that the five most important factors of motivation of the German volunteers were: ‘to experience something different, something new'; ‘meet African people'; ‘to learn about another country and cultures'; ‘to live in another country’ and ‘to broaden one's mind (cultural experiences)’. Four of these were push factors. Volunteer perceptions of ‘best’ experience were linked to the concepts of self interest and altruism; whereas ‘worst’ experiences highlighted the themes of poverty, crime and violence.
Configurable VLSI Architecture for Deblocking Filter in H.264/AVC

In this paper, we study and analyze the computational complexity of the deblocking filter in H.264/AVC baseline decoder based on SimpleScalar/ARM simulator. The simulation result shows that the memory reference, content activity check operations, and filter operations are known to be very time consuming in the decoder of this new video coding standard. In order to improve overall system performance, we propose a configurable, extensible, and synthesizable window-based processing architecture which simultaneously processes the horizontal filtering of vertical edge and vertical filtering of horizontal edge. As a result, the memory performance of the proposed architecture is improved by four times when compared to previous designs. Moreover, the system performance of our window-based architecture significantly outperforms the previous designs from 7 times to 20 times.
The Central Melanocortin System and Fever

Abstract: Fever is a phylogenetically ancient response that is mounted upon exposure of the host to pathogens or inflammatory agents. Melanocortin agonists act centrally to inhibit fever by acting at receptors, including the melanocortin‐4 receptor, which is prominently expressed in key hypothalamic thermoregulatory centers. Furthermore, endogenous melanocortins act centrally as physiological modulators of fever, recruited during the febrile response to restrain its intensity. Functionally, these actions lie at the interface between the anti‐inflammatory effects of melanocortins, which involve suppression of the synthesis and actions of proinflammatory cytokines, and the central control of thermoregulation. Considering the extensive neuroanatomic and functional overlaps between central pathways and peripheral effectors involved in thermoregulation and energy balance, it is not surprising that melanocortins have been found to influence the metabolic economy profoundly in pathological as well as normal states. For example, despite suppressing endotoxin‐induced fever, endogenous melanocortins appear to mediate the associated anorexia, a classic component of the “illness syndrome” accompanying acute infections, and promote a negative energy balance. The thermoregulatory actions of melanocortins are in several respects functionally opposed, and are remarkably dependent on physiological state, indicating that responsiveness to melanocortins is a physiologically modulated variable. Elucidating the anti‐inflammatory and thermoregulatory roles of central melanocortin receptors during inflammatory states may lead to novel pharmacotherapeutic targets based on selective targeting of melanocortin receptor subtypes, for clinical benefit in human disease states involving neuroinflammatory components and metabolic wasting.
A Novel Vehicle Reversing Speed Control Based on Obstacle Detection and Sparse Representation

In this paper we present a vehicle safety method for reversing speed control based on obstacle detection and sparse representation. The proposed system consists of three main steps, namely, binocular camera obstacle detection and segmentation, obstacle tracking and recognition, and vehicle reversing speed control algorithm. First of all, a binocular camera system is used to detect obstacles as a vehicle is reversing. Using disparity computation and triangulation, we can get all objects' distance information in the rear of a vehicle. Second, the framework of particle filter and sparse representation are used to track and identify the main obstacles such as human or animal bodies, vehicles, or any other objects. Finally, the vehicle reversing speed control algorithm, which controls the electronic throttle opening and automatic braking prior to collisions, makes the reversing control safer and more reliable. This system has been field tested on a Dodge sport utility vehicle by which the final performance evaluation demonstrates the validity of the proposed vehicle reversing speed control.
The disposition of 6‐deoxyacyclovir, a xanthine oxidase‐activated prodrug of acyclovir, in the isolated perfused rat liver

The antiviral drug, acyclovir, has been used in the treatment of chronic type B hepatitis. High serum concentrations of acyclovir are required to achieve inhibition of hepatitis B viral replication. Because only 15 to 20% of an oral dose is absorbed, it is necessary to administer acyclovir by intravenous infusion. 6‐Deoxyacyclovir, an analog of acyclovir, is well absorbed when given orally, and is converted to acyclovir by xanthine oxidase which is present in the gut and liver. This study has examined the hepatic disposition of 6‐deoxyacyclovir in a 100 ml recirculating (12 ml per min) perfused rat liver system. Following administration of a bolus dose of 5 μmoles 6‐deoxyacyclovir to the reservoir, perfusate concentrations of 6‐deoxyacyclovir declined monoexponentially, as the metabolite acyclovir appeared in the perfusate. Addition of the xanthine oxidase inhibitor allopurinol (5 mg) to the perfusate reservoir prior to the administration of 6‐deoxyacyclovir resulted in impaired hepatic metabolism of 6‐deoxyacyclovir, as demonstrated by a 47% reduction in systemic clearance rate (4.5 ± 0.4 to 2.4 ± 0.9 ml per min; p < 0.05) (mean ± S.E., n = 6) and a 1.8‐fold increase in terminal elimination half‐life of 6‐deoxyacyclovir (23.5 ± 2.7 to 42.7 ± 4.1 min; p < 0.05), accompanied by a 30% reduction in appearance of acyclovir. The efficient hepatic conversion of 6‐deoxyacyclovir to the active antiviral drug, acyclovir, provides a rationale for trials of oral 6‐deoxyacyclovir in the treatment of chronic type B hepatitis.
Performance of the ETL processes in terms of volume and velocity in the cloud: State of the art

The ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) consists of extracting data from various sources, transforming and loading them into a place called datawarehouse. ETL is a mandatory step in the projects which implement decision-making information systems or knowledge management systems within organizations. But it is also a long and costly step in the use of human and IT resources. However, in the context of big data, characterized by 4V (Variety, Velocity, Volume and Veracity), the speed of processing has become a decisive factor in search of competitiveness. In order to facilitate the implementation of the ETL the solution is then to use the infrastructures of cloud computing whose resources in computation and storage are unlimited. This has resulted in considerable progress in terms of availability and scalability for the success of projects. But it remains a major problem: the cost can quickly become prohibitive with “pay-per-use” model of the cloud. So, in this case, how to find ETL solutions built on the cloud at a lower cost? A great deal of suggestions have been made. In this article, we have reviewed these works by highlighting the performance aspects of data processing in terms of volume and velocity.
The effects of muscle‐building exercise on Vitamin D and mineral metabolism

Exercise and muscle strength are important determinants of bone mass. Studies were carried out in normal young adult white males to determine the effects of exercise on vitamin D and mineral metabolism. Fourteen men who had engaged in regular muscle‐building exercises for at least 1 year and 14 age‐matched controls (age range, 19–36 year) were hospitalized on a metabolic ward and were given a constant daily diet estimated to contain 400 mg of calcium, 900 mg of phosphorus, 110 mEq of sodium, 65 mEq of potassium, and 18 mEq of magnesium. Body weight averaged 78 ± 3 kg in the exercisers and 72 ± 2 kg in the controls (NS). Serum calcium, ionized calcium, phosphate, magnesium, somatomedin‐C, and immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (PTH) were not different in the two groups, whereas serum Gla‐protein (39 ± 5 vs. 24 ± 2 ng/ml, p < 0.01), 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (23 ± 2 vs. 16 ± 2, p < 0.05) and 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] (40 ± 2 vs. 29 ± 2 pg/ml, p < 0.01) were higher in the exercisers than in the controls. Urinary calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, creatinine clearance, and norepinephrine were not different in the two groups, whereas urinary magnesium (12.6 ± 1.0 vs. 9.4 ± 0.5 mEq/d, p < 0.01) and urinary cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate (cyclic AMP) (2.52 ± 0.19 vs. 1.72 ± 0.20 nM/dl glomerular filtrate, p < 0.01) were higher in the exercisers than in the controls. There were positive correlations between serum 1,25(OH)2D and urinary calcium (r = 0.544, p < 0.01) and between serum 1,25(OH)2D and urinary magnesium (r = 0.407, p < 0.05) in all subjects. The results indicate that muscle‐building exercise is associated with increases in serum Gla‐protein, serum 1,25(OH)2D, and urinary cyclic AMP. The increase in serum Gla‐protein suggests that this form of exercise enhances bone formation.
Reflections on Chinese Traditional Ideas of Nature

In traditional Christian theology, an individual must fight with his fate and struggle for atonement in order to return to the embrace of God. He places his faith in the value of life on God, on a spiritual joy beyond the world, which might be attained by suffering from great physical and mental torment. The concept of original sin, which has been challenged since the Renaissance, once dominated the West and still influences Western ideas and actions today, despite an intervening age of scientific rationality. It is, perhaps, why Jesus on the bloody cross has been so worshipped. Compared with Western culture, a Chinese philosopher characterized Chinese culture as optimistic. ' Indeed, it is hard to find the elevated religious spirit of the West in Chinese culture. Confucius begins his Analects with an expression of joy in living: "How happy to learn something and to review it all the time! How happy to be visited by friends from a distance! " This enthusiasm permeates his philosophy. "Work energetically and forget eating, be happy and forget sadness, don't even realize that old age is coming to me! Have vegetables to eat and water to drink, crook my arm as a pillow to sleep, what joy! " In questioning his students, Confucius taught the necessity of appreciating this world: "How can you understand death without knowing life? How can you serve the spirit before serving man? "2
Learning about Different Ways of Expressing Number in the Development of Palestinian Arabic

The paper describes the acquisition of three number categories - sound feminine noun plurals, duals, collectives - in a dialect of Palestinian Arabic spoken in the north of Israel. The study population consisted of 58 children aged 3;6-4;6, 5;0-6;0, 6;0-7;0, and 7;0-8;0, all monolingual speakers of Palestinian Arabic as their mother tongue. Thirty noun stimuli denoting fruits and vegetables familiar to young children were presented in pictures to elicit plural, dual and collective forms. Analysis of the correct results showed two different acquisition patterns: clear development in production of sound feminine nouns and dual nouns, and no increase above the initial 50% in producing collective nouns. Dual contexts elicited constructions preceded by the numeral `two'. Collectives and sound feminine plurals tended to replace each other. The study highlights children's perception of noun reference through their learning of how to express number distinctions in a sparsely investigated language that challenges its speakers by marking number in multiple and often opaque ways.