Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The percutaneous toxicokinetics of Sulphur mustard in a damaged skin porcine model and the evaluation of WoundStat™ as a topical decontaminant

This study used a damaged skin, porcine model to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of WoundStat™ for decontamination of superficial (non‐haemorrhaging), sulphur mustard‐contaminated wounds. The dorsal skin of 12 female pigs was subjected to controlled physical damage and exposed to 10 μL 14C–radiolabelled sulphur mustard (14C–SM). Animals were randomly assigned to either a control or a treatment group. In the latter, WoundStat™ was applied 30 s post exposure and left in situ for 1 h. Skin lesion progression and decontaminant efficacy were quantified over 6 h using a range of biophysical measurements. Skin, blood and organ samples were taken post mortem for histopathological assessment, 14C–SM distribution and toxicokinetic analyses. Application of SM to damaged skin without decontamination was rapidly followed by advanced signs of toxicity, including ulceration and decreased blood flow at the exposure site in all animals. WoundStat™ prevented ulceration and improved blood flow at the exposure site in all decontaminated animals (n = 6). Furthermore, significantly smaller quantities of 14C–SM were detected in the blood (45% reduction), and recovered from skin (70% reduction) and skin surface swabs (99% reduction) at 6 h post‐challenge. Overall, the distribution of 14C–SM in the internal organs was similar for both groups, with the greatest concentration in the kidneys, followed by the liver and small intestine. WoundStat™ significantly reduced the amount of 14C–SM recovered from the liver, a key organ for SM metabolism and detoxification. This study demonstrates that WoundStat™ is a suitable product for reducing the ingress and toxicity of a chemical warfare agent. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Wnt Inhibitory Factor 1 Decreases Tumorigenesis and Metastasis in Osteosarcoma

It has been reported that the progression of osteosarcoma was closely associated with the aberrant activation of canonical Wnt signaling. Wnt inhibitory factor-1 (WIF-1) is a secreted Wnt inhibitor whose role in human osteosarcoma remains unknown. In this study, WIF-1 expression in NHOst and osteosarcoma cell lines was determined by real-time reverse transcription-PCR, methylation-specific PCR, and Western blotting analysis. In addition, tissue array from patient samples was examined for WIF-1 expression by immunohistochemistry. Compared with normal human osteoblasts, WIF-1 mRNA and protein levels were significantly downregulated in several osteosarcoma cell lines. The downregulation of WIF-1 mRNA expression is associated with its promoter hypermethylation in these tested cell lines. Importantly, WIF-1 expression was also downregulated in 76% of examined osteosarcoma cases. These results suggest that the downregulation of WIF-1 expression plays a role in osteosarcoma progression. To further study the potential tumor suppressor function of WIF-1 in osteosarcoma, we established stable 143B cell lines overexpressing WIF-1. WIF-1 overexpression significantly decreased tumor growth rate in nude mice as examined by the s.c. injection of 143B cells stably transfected with WIF-1 and vector control. WIF-1 overexpression also markedly reduced the number of lung metastasis in vivo in an orthotopic mouse model of osteosarcoma. Together, these data suggest that WIF-1 exerts potent antiosteosarcoma effect in vivo in mouse models. Therefore, the reexpression of WIF-1 in WIF-1–deficient osteosarcoma represents a potential novel treatment and preventive strategy. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(3); 731–41
ExB Text Summarizer

We present our state of the art multilingual text summarizer capable of single as well as multi-document text summarization. The algorithm is based on repeated application of TextRank on a sentence similarity graph, a bag of words model for sentence similarity and a number of linguistic pre- and post-processing steps using standard NLP tools. We submitted this algorithm for two different tasks of the MultiLing 2015 summarization challenge: Multilingual Singledocument Summarization and Multilingual Multi-document Summarization.
Identification of Multiple Mechanisms of Resistance to Vemurafenib in a Patient with BRAFV600E-Mutated Cutaneous Melanoma Successfully Rechallenged after Progression

Purpose: To investigate the mechanism(s) of resistance to the RAF-inhibitor vemurafenib, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the genetic alterations occurring in metastatic lesions from a patient with a BRAFV600E-mutant cutaneous melanoma who, after a first response, underwent subsequent rechallenge with this drug. Experimental Design: We obtained blood and tissue samples from a patient diagnosed with a BRAFV600E-mutant cutaneous melanoma that was treated with vemurafenib and achieved a near-complete response. At progression, he received additional lines of chemo/immunotherapy and was successfully rechallenged with vemurafenib. Exome and RNA sequencing were conducted on a pretreatment tumor and two subcutaneous resistant metastases, one that was present at baseline and previously responded to vemurafenib (PV1) and one that occurred de novo after reintroduction of the drug (PV2). A culture established from PV1 was also analyzed. Results: We identified two NRAS-activating somatic mutations, Q61R and Q61K, affecting two main subpopulations in the metastasis PV1 and a BRAF alternative splicing, involving exons 4–10, in the metastasis PV2. These alterations, known to confer resistance to RAF inhibitors, were tumor-specific, mutually exclusive, and were not detected in pretreatment tumor samples. In addition, the oncogenic PIK3CAH1047R mutation was detected in a subpopulation of PV1, but this mutation did not seem to play a major role in vemurafenib resistance in this metastasis. Conclusions: This work describes the coexistence within the same patient of different molecular mechanisms of resistance to vemurafenib affecting different metastatic sites. These findings have direct implications for the clinical management of BRAF-mutant melanoma. Clin Cancer Res; 19(20); 5749–57. ©2013 AACR.
OCCURRENCE AND MECHANISMS OF WEED RESISTANCE TO GLYPHOSATE

Glyphosate is a nonselective foliar-applied herbicide that has been used for over 20 years for the management of annual, perennial, and biennial herbaceous species of grasses, sedges, and broadleaf weeds, as well as woody brush and tree species (Bradshaw et al. 1997). Commercialization of engineered glyphosate resistance in several crop species has further expanded the in-crop use of the herbicide (Padgette et al. 1996). In addition to being highly effective on a broad spectrum of annual and perennial weed species common to many cropping systems, glyphosate has other favorable environmental characteristics such as strong sorption to soil and very low toxicity to mammals, birds, and fish (Padgette et al. 1996). These factors have contributed to glyphosate being the most widely used herbicide in the world (Powles et al. 1997).
IL-17 and IL-22 genetic polymorphisms in HBV vaccine non- and low-responders among healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND Healthcare workers constitute a population at high risk for HBV infection. Efficient vaccination options are available; however, the individual response to HBV vaccination may vary widely between subjects, potentially due to cytokine profiles and genetic variations. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between IL-17 and IL-22 gene polymorphisms versus non- and low-responsiveness to HBV vaccination in healthcare workers. METHODS We selected the following IL-17 and IL-22 polymorphisms: rs4711998 (A/G) from IL-17 and rs2227501 (A/T), rs2227503 (A/G), rs1026786 (A/G) from IL-22 sequences genes. These were determined by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphisms. RESULTS The IL-17 rs4711998 GG genotype had a significantly lower frequency in non-responders compared to low-responders (p=0.025). However, we did not identify a relationship between IL-22 rs1026780, rs2227501 and rs2227503 genotypes and the anti-HBs response following HBV vaccination. CONCLUSION These data suggest that genetic variation in rs4711998 polymorphisms in the IL-17 cytokine may influence vaccine-induced immune responses to HBV vaccine in healthcare workers.
Review: From Data to Knowledge through Concept-oriented Terminologies: Experience with the Medical Entities Dictionary

Knowledge representation involves enumeration of conceptual symbols and arrangement of these symbols into some meaningful structure. Medical knowledge representation has traditionally focused more on the structure than the symbols. Several significant efforts are under way, at local, national, and international levels, to address the representation of the symbols though the creation of high-quality terminologies that are themselves knowledge based. This paper reviews these efforts, including the Medical Entities Dictionary (MED) in use at Columbia University and the New York Presbyterian Hospital. A decade's experience with the MED is summarized to serve as a proof-of-concept that knowledge-based terminologies can support the use of coded patient data for a variety of knowledge-based activities, including the improved understanding of patient data, the access of information sources relevant to specific patient care problems, the application of expert systems directly to the care of patients, and the discovery of new medical knowledge. The terminological knowledge in the MED has also been used successfully to support clinical application development and maintenance, including that of the MED itself. On the basis of this experience, current efforts to create standard knowledge-based terminologies appear to be justified.
Regional Decline of an Iconic Amphibian Associated with Elevation, Land‐Use Change, and Invasive Species

Abstract: Ecological theory predicts that species with restricted geographic ranges will have the highest probability of extinction, but species with extensive distributions and high population densities can also exhibit widespread population losses. In the western United States populations of northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens)—historically one of the most widespread frogs in North America—have declined dramatically in abundance and geographic distribution. To assess the status of leopard frogs in Colorado and evaluate causes of decline, we coupled statewide surveys of 196 historically occupied sites with intensive sampling of 274 wetlands stratified by land use. We used an information‐theoretic approach to evaluate the contributions of factors at multiple spatial extents in explaining the contemporary distribution of leopard frogs. Our results indicate leopard frogs have declined in Colorado, but this decline was regionally variable. The lowest proportion of occupied wetlands occurred in eastern Colorado (2–28%), coincident with urban development and colonization by non‐native bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). Variables at several spatial extents explained observed leopard frog distributional patterns. In low‐elevation wetlands introduced fishes, bullfrogs, and urbanization or suburbanization associated negatively with leopard frog occurrence, whereas wetland area was positively associated with occurrence. Leopard frogs were more abundant and widespread west of the Continental Divide, where urban development and bullfrog abundance were low. Although the pathogenic chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) was not selected in our best‐supported models, the nearly complete extirpation of leopard frogs from montane wetlands could reflect the individual or interactive effects of Bd and climate patterns. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple, competing hypotheses to explain species declines, particularly when implicated factors operate at different spatial extents.
Effect of starch application into the proximal duodenum of ruminants on starch digestibility in the small and total intestine

Four Slovakian Black‐and‐white bulls (LW 410 ± 12 kg; Exp. 1) and four Slovakian Black‐and‐white non lactating dairy cows (LW 475 ± 14 kg; Exp. 2) with permanent ruminal cannulas, duodenal T‐cannulas and ileal re‐entrant cannulas were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to determine the postruminal capacity of starch digestion. In Exp. 1 bulls received 5.4 kg DM from corn silage and 3.6 kg DM from alfalfa hay, in Exp. 2 cows consumed only 2.1 kg DM corn silage and 1.9 kg DM alfalfa hay. Additionally, either 750 or 1500 g (Exp. 1) or resp. 1000 or 2000 g (Exp. 2) gelatinized corn or wheat starch per animal and day were applied as pulse doses or as infusion into the proximal duodenum. In both experiments the duodenal and ileal nutrient flow, as well as the faecal excretion without starch application, were measured in a pre‐period. After starting starch application ileal digesta and faeces were sampled over 120 h after 9 or 23 days of adaptation respectively. Cr2O3 was used as a flow marker. It was shown, that the capacity of starch utilisation in the small intestine was limited. The effect of different doses of bypass‐starch was more pronounced than the effect of different starch sources. Starch digestibility decreased with increasing amounts of starch in the intestine (Exp. 1: corn starch: from 74.3 to 68.0%, P < 0.001; wheat starch: from 76.7 to 67.4%, P <0.001; Exp. 2: corn starch: from 71.4 to 50.3%, P <0.001; wheat starch: from 73.8 to 53.1%, P <0.001). Corn starch was 0.6 to 2.4% units (P <0.05) and 2.4 to 2.8% units (P < 0.001) less digested than wheat starch in Exp. 1 and Exp. 2, respectively. The decreased starch digestibility in the small intestine with increasing amounts of starch at the duodenum was not totally compensated in the large intestine. The starch digestibility in the total intestine for the low and high amounts of applied starch was: 83.7 and 81.0% (P < 0.001, corn starch, Exp. 1), 86.0 and 81.7% (P < 0.001, wheat starch, Exp. 1), 95.5 and 79.1% (P < 0.001, corn starch, Exp. 2), 99.8 and 81.7% (P < 0.001, wheat starch, Exp. 2). Corn starch was 0.7 to 2.3% units (P <0.001) and 2.6 to 4.3% units (P <0.001) less digested than wheat starch in Exp. 1 and Exp. 2, respectively. Model calculations were used to quantify the efficiency of starch utilisation. The recommended maximal amount of bypass‐starch is supposed to be 1.3 to 1.8 kg per animal and day.
Causal Inference on Time Series using Restricted Structural Equation Models

Causal inference uses observational data to infer the causal structure of the data generating system. We study a class of restricted Structural Equation Models for time series that we call Time Series Models with Independent Noise (TiMINo). These models require independent residual time series, whereas traditional methods like Granger causality exploit the variance of residuals. This work contains two main contributions: (l) Theoretical: By restricting the model class (e.g. to additive noise) we provide general identifiability results. They cover lagged and instantaneous effects that can be nonlinear and unfaithful, and non-instantaneous feedbacks between the time series. (2) Practical: If there are no feedback loops between time series, we propose an algorithm based on non-linear independence tests of time series. We show empirically that when the data are causally insufficient or the model is misspecified, the method avoids incorrect answers. We extend the theoretical and the algorithmic part to situations in which the time series have been measured with different time delays. TiMINo is applied to artificial and real data and code is provided.
(0,2) Mirror Symmetry and Heterotic Gromov-Witten Invariants

Shortly after the construction of the ten-dimensional heterotic string theories, it was realized that a compactification of these theories on Calabi-Yau manifolds could yield four-dimensional supersymmetric Poincareinvariant vacua with the massless spectrum consisting of minimal supergravity coupled to a chiral non-abelian gauge theory. This was a remarkable development in theoretical physics, as it connected a heterotic string theory—believed to be a consistent theory of quantum gravity—to a chiral gauge theory remarkably similar to the Standard Model. Despite this beautiful relation, it was understood that a number of issues remained to be addressed. For example, it was difficult to produce either the Standard Model gauge group or a grand unified model with couplings that would lead to the Standard Model. Moreover, the construction was perturbative in two senses: the results required small string coupling and the large radius limit, the former being a statement about string perturbation theory, while the latter requiring the compactification geometry to be a smooth manifold with volume large compared to the string length. Both of these issues are intimately tied to the existence of moduli—parameters introduced by the compactification, such as Kahler and complex structures on the Calabi-Yau manifold. What is the structure of this moduli space? How do physical quantities depend on the moduli? Are there heterotic compactifications without a large radius limit? Can one obtain a Standard Model gauge group or a favorable grand unified theory? Does an understanding of these issues teach us something about non-perturbative effects in the heterotic string? The answers to these questions inevitably lead to new mathematical structures. Broadly speaking, the purpose of the workshop was to bring together researchers who are developing the mathematical structures and applying them to the physical questions. Major themes of the workshop were:
Subjective and objective measures of adult bimodal users' listening

Inconsistencies exist between traditional objective measures such as speech recognition and localization, and subjective reports of bimodal benefit. The purpose of this study was to expand the set of objective measures of bimodal benefit to include non-traditional listening tests, and to examine possible correlations between objective measures of auditory perception and subjective satisfaction reports.
Serum lactate and base deficit as predictors of mortality in normotensive elderly blunt trauma patients.

BACKGROUND Base deficit (BD) and lactate are used as markers of mortality, injury severity, and resource utilization in the general trauma population. No study has defined the role of these markers in the triage and management of the normotensive injured elderly patient. METHODS Retrospective cohort study of the trauma registry from a Level I trauma Center during the period of January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2006. Inclusion criteria were age > or = 65 years, initial systolic blood pressure > or = 90 mm Hg; blunt mechanism of trauma. Lactate was categorized as 0 to 2.4 mmol/L (normal), 2.5 to 4.0 mmol/L (moderately elevated), or > 4.0 mmol/L (severely elevated). BD was categorized as > 0 mEq/L (normal), 0 to -6 mEq/L (moderate), or < -6 mEq/L (severe). The primary outcome was inhospital mortality. RESULTS Mean lactate was higher in nonsurvivors compared with survivors (2.8 mm/L +/- 1.8 mm/L vs. 2.0 mm/L +/- 1.0 mm/L, p < 0.001). Normal, moderately elevated, and severely elevated lactate was associated with mortality rates of 15% (95% confidence interval [CI] 12-18.8%), 23.4% (95% CI 2-32.4%), and 39.6% (95% CI 26.5-52.8%), respectively. Compared with the normal lactate group, patients in the severely elevated lactate group had 4.2 increased odds of death. BD was more abnormal in nonsurvivors compared with survivors (-2.3 mEq/L +/- 5.2 mEq/L vs. 0.28 mEq/L +/- 1.0 mEq/L, p < 0.001). Normal, moderate, and severe BD were associated with mortality rates of 14% (95% CI 10.3-17.1%), 27% (95% CI 20.1-34.2%), and 40% (95% CI 24.9-54.1%), respectively. Compared with the normal BD group, patients in the severe group had 4.1 increased odds of death. CONCLUSIONS Both lactate and BD were associated with significantly increased mortality in normotensive elderly blunt trauma patients. However, because of the high baseline mortality rates in elderly trauma patients, "normal" lactate does not offer complete reassurance to the clinician.
Assessment of physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging findings of hamstring injury as predictors for recurrent injury.

STUDY DESIGN Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE To examine clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of hamstring muscle injury to determine if any are predictive for recurrent injury. BACKGROUND Hamstring muscle strain injury and subsequent recurrent injury are common. Little information exists on factors that may increase the risk for recurrent injury. METHODS AND MEASURES The subjects were athletes from 3 professional Australian Rules football teams (n = 162). Anthropometric measurements, clinical signs, convalescent interval, and MRI assessment and measurement were undertaken and recorded in athletes with hamstring muscle strain injury. Athletes were followed for the presence, or absence, of recurrent injury to the same-side posterior thigh over the same and subsequent playing seasons. RESULTS Thirty athletes met criteria for hamstring injury. Twelve (40%) of 30 athletes had recurrent injury within the same season, with an additional 7 athletes having recurrent injury in the subsequent season. None of the features examined were associated with increased recurrent injury risk within the same playing season. Statistical analysis demonstrated that when combining the same with the subsequent playing season a larger size of initial hamstring injury, as measured by MRI, was associated with an increased risk for recurrent injury (P<.01). A measured transverse size of injury greater than 55% of the muscle, or calculated volume of injury greater than 21.8 cm3, resulted in an increased risk for hamstring recurrence of 2.2 (95% CI, 0.88-5.32) and 2.3 (95% CI, 0.94-5.81) times, respectively, when compared to athletes with hamstring injuries below these measurements. CONCLUSIONS A larger size of hamstring injury was indicative of higher risk for recurrent injury but only after the subsequent playing season was considered along with the same playing season. None of the other parameters tested, including a shorter convalescent interval and clinical features, were associated with an increased risk for recurrent injury. However, due to low sample size the certainty of these conclusions may be limited.
Improved Stability Criterion for Linear Systems with Time-Varying Delay

This paper investigates the stability analysis problem for linear systems with time-varying delay. The state delay is assumed to be varying within a given interval. By constructing a novel Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and developing new techniques, an improved delay-interval-dependent criterion is derived to ensue the stability of the systems. The stability condition is presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities, which can be easily solved by means of standard numerical software. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Voltage Stability Index of Radial Distribution Networks by Considering Distributed Generator for Different Types of Loads

The paper presents an approach on voltage stability analysis of distribution networks for loads of different types. A voltage stability index is proposed for identifying the node, which is most sensitive to voltage collapse. It is shown that the node, at which the value of voltage stability index is maximum, is more sensitive to voltage collapse. For the purpose of voltage stability analysis, constant power, constant current, constant impedance and composite load modeling are considered. Distributed generation can be integrated into distribution systems to meet the increasing load demand. It is seen that with the insertion of distributed generator DG, load capability limit of the feeder has increased for all types of loads. By using this voltage stability index, one can measure the level of voltage stability of radial distribution systems and thereby appropriate action may be taken if the index indicates a poor level of stability. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through two examples.