Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serrated adenoma in familial adenomatous polyposis: relation to germline APC gene mutation

Background: Serrated adenoma is a precursor of colorectal cancer. Aim: To clarify possible genotype-phenotype correlations of serrated adenomas in familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Patients: Eleven patients from eight families with FAP. Methods: We performed total colonoscopy with multiple biopsies in patients. Neoplasia with a serrated glandular structure was regarded as a serrated adenoma. In each patient, germline mutations of the APC gene were determined. Colonic phenotype was compared with germline mutations of the APC gene. Results: Serrated adenomas were found in three patients. These patients had macroscopic polyps <100 in number. Pedigrees with serrated adenomas had the truncating germline APC mutation at codon 161, 332, or 1556 while in the other pedigrees mutations were found between codons 554 and 1324. Conclusions: In FAP, serrated adenoma may be a phenotype characteristic of the attenuated form.
Personal Sensing Wear: The Role of Textile Sensors

Wearable sensors for fitness tracking are becoming increasingly popular and are set to increase as smartwatches begin to dominate the wearable technology market. Wearable technology provides the capacity to track long-term trends in the wearer’s health. In order for this to be adopted the technology must be easy to use and comfortable to wear. Textile based sensors are ideal as they conform to the body and can be integrated into the wearer’s everyday wardrobe. This work discusses fabric stretch sensors that can measure body movements. An application using a sensor glove for home assessment of Rheumatoid Arthritis is presented. This work is the result of a multidisciplinary effort, involving expertise in material science and functional design, computer science, human health and performance and influenced by the end user needs.
Phase II trial of docetaxel in patients with stage III and IV non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE This phase II study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Docetaxel was administered to 29 patients with unresectable stage III and IV NSCLC at a dose of 100 mg/m2 intravenously (IV) over 1 hour every 21 days. No premedication was given to the first 16 patients. Premedication with diphenhydramine was instituted for the remainder. No patient had previously received chemotherapy. Seven patients had undergone prior radiation therapy. RESULTS All patients were assessable for response and toxicity. Eleven of 29 patients (38%) had a major objective response (95% confidence interval, 21% to 58%). The median duration of response was 5.3 months. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 41% of patients and in 11% of 134 courses of docetaxel. Nonhematologic toxicities included infusion-related hypersensitivity reactions, fluid retention, rash, alopecia, and sensory neuropathy. Premedication with diphenhydramine did not decrease the incidence of infusion-related hypersensitivity reactions. CONCLUSION At this dose and schedule, docetaxel demonstrates significant antitumor activity in patients with advanced NSCLC. Further investigations of this agent in NSCLC are indicated.
Cell Membrane Reactivity of MIB-1 Antibody to Ki67 in Human Tumors: Fact or Artifact?

Ki67 immunohistochemistry is a widely used marker of the tumor proliferative fraction. Apart from the nuclear staining of dividing cells, MIB-1 monoclonal antibody was also found to stain the cell membrane of some tumor types. Indeed, such membrane reactivity was proposed as a diagnostic feature of hyalinizing trabecular tumor (HTT) of the thyroid. To verify the diagnostic role of Ki67 membrane pattern, 6 HTTs, 8 pulmonary sclerosing hemangiomas (SH), and 6 other human tumors with MIB-1 cell membrane immunoreactivity were stained by immunoperoxidase with 5 different anti-Ki67 antibodies in different experimental conditions. We show here that the cell membrane reactivity reported in HTT is produced only by MIB-1 and not by other antibodies to Ki67 (including commercially available mouse and rabbit monoclonal antibodies). In addition, this peculiar pattern is obtained only if the reaction is performed at room temperature, because automated immunostainers which operate at 37°C do not produce any MIB-1 membrane localization. The same findings were obtained in the other 6 tumors. Conversely, sclerosing hemangioma of the lung did not produce any MIB-1 cell membrane reactivity in our hands. A cross-reactivity of the MIB-1 monoclonal antibody with an epitope expressed at the cell membrane level (rather than an artifact) seems the most likely explanation for this finding, because the immunoreactivity is generally intense and uniform in the membrane positive tumors. We conclude that when Ki67 immunohistochemistry is used for diagnostic purposes in a suspected HTT, only MIB-1 clone at room temperature should be employed.
Give me a break, but not in mitosis

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are extremely cytotoxic with a single unrepaired DSB being sufficient to induce cell death. A complex signalling cascade, termed the DNA damage response (DDR), is in place to deal with such DNA lesions and maintain genome stability. Recent work by us and others has found that the signalling cascade activated by DSBs in mitosis is truncated, displaying apical, but not downstream, components of the DDR. The E3 Ubiquitin ligases RNF8, RNF168 and BRCA1, along with the DDR mediator 53BP1, are not recruited to DSB sites in mitosis, and activation of downstream checkpoint kinases is also impaired. Here, we show that RNF8 and RNF168 are recruited to DNA damage foci in late mitosis, presumably to prime sites for 53BP1 recruitment in early G1. Interestingly, we show that, although RNF8, RNF168 and 53BP1 are excluded from DSB sites during most of mitosis, they associate with mitotic structures such as the kinetochore, suggesting roles for these DDR factors during mitotic cell division. We discuss these and other recent findings and suggest how these novel data collectively contribute to our understanding of mitosis and how cells deal with DNA damage during this crucial cell cycle stage.
It's About Time: Effects of the Affordable Care Act Dependent Coverage Mandate on Time Use

One of the main purposes of recent healthcare reform (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - ACA) in the U.S. is to enable Americans to make more productive use of their time. We examine how the ACA's dependent care coverage mandate (DCM) affected young adults' time allocation. Based on more accurate measures from the American Time Use Surveys and difference-in-difference methods, we first confirm that the DCM reduced labor supply. The question then arises, what have these adults done with the extra time? We provide some of the first evidence on this issue. Estimates suggest that the DCM has reduced job-lock, as well as the duration of the average doctor's visit, including time spent waiting for as well as receiving medical care, among persons ages 19-25. The latter effect is consistent with substitution from hospital ER utilization to more routine physician care. The extra time has gone into socializing, and to a lesser extent, into educational activities and job search. A related question is whether these changes have made young adults better off. We find that the availability of insurance and change in work time appear to have increased their subjective well-being, enabling them to spend time on activities they view as more meaningful than those they did before insurance became available.
Characterization of the murine heat‐stable antigen: An hematolymphoid differentiation antigen defined by the J11d, M1/69 and B2A2 antibodies

The heat‐stable antigen (HSA) is a marker of hematopoietic differentiation in both the B and T cell lineages. The antigen is recognized by a series of monoclonal antibodies which includes J11d, M1/69 and B2A2, and in addition YBM 5.10. 4. We show here that all these antibodies recognize the same antigenic determinant which is expressed on a variably glycosylated membrane protein. Tunicamycin experiments show that the antigen is not carbohydrate in nature as it is expressed on two unglycosylated protein core molecules of molecular mass ca. 20 kDa and 17 kDa. Furthermore, the antigenic determinant appears to be lost following phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase C cleavage. Although the molecular mass of HSA appears to be heterogenous on cells of different lineages, these variations in size appear to be due primarily to differences in the extent of N‐linked glycosylation, since both protein core molecules were found in all cell types investigated which express the antigen. These findings have important implications for the structure and function of this antigen and its role in hematopoietic development.
Hierarchical clustering based zone formation in power networks

An efficient operation and control of a large power system is a tedious task for a system operator (SO). To facilitate this, the network is divided into finite number of smaller zones. This paper illustrates the formation of these clusters based on the intra- and inter-cluster distances between each node. The distance is derived from the Jacobian elements of a converged power flow solution. Cohesiveness indices are evaluated from these distances. Hierarchical clustering establishes the optimal number of clusters to be formed. The technique is implemented on IEEE 30 bus and IEEE 118 bus systems.
Size of circular chromatids and amounts of haploid DNA in the dinoflagellates Gyrodinium cohnii and Prorocentrum micans.

Chromosomal DNA of two dinoflagellate species, Gyrodinium cohnii and Prorocentrum micans, were studied electron microscopically. As suggested earlier, chromosomal DNA was shown to be composed of circular DNA molecules each representing a single chromatid of the polytenic chromosomes of these species. The chromatids released by dodecyl sulphate lysis were highly twisted and consequently the number of superhelical turns per circle could not be determined. Chromatids of Gyrodinium ranged from 25 μm to 35 μm and were 130–160 μm in Prorocentrum. Calculations based on quantitative DNA analysis and chromosome numbers suggest that the degree of polyteny in Gyrodinium is about 700 and in Prorocentrum about 1300. Their haploid DNA amounts are 3000 μm of double helix in Gyrodinium and 9860 μm in Prorocentrum or 2.1 and 7.0 times, respectively, that of the bacterium Escherichia coli.
Niosome: A future of targeted drug delivery systems

Over the past several years, treatment of infectious diseases and immunisation has undergone a revolutionary shift. With the advancement of biotechnology and genetic engineering, not only a large number of disease-specific biological have been developed, but also emphasis has been made to effectively deliver these biologicals. Niosomes are vesicles composed of non-ionic surfactants, which are biodegradable, relatively nontoxic, more stable and inexpensive, an alternative to liposomes. This article reviews the current deepening and widening of interest of niosomes in many scientific disciplines and, particularly its application in medicine. This article also presents an overview of the techniques of preparation of niosome, types of niosomes, characterisation and their applications.
Large-Scale Heterogeneous Representation of Sound Attributes in Rat Primary Auditory Cortex: From Unit Activity to Population Dynamics

Recent evidence indicates the existence of pyramidal cells (PCs) and interneurons with nontrivial tuning characteristics for sound attributes in the primary auditory cortex (A1) of mammals. These neurons are functionally distributed into layers and sparsely organized at a small scale. However, their topological locations at a large scale in A1 have not yet been investigated. Furthermore, these neurons are usually classified from fine maps of attribute-dependent spiking activity, and not much attention is paid to population postsynaptic potentials related to their activity. We used extracellular recordings obtained from multiple sites in A1 of adult rats to determine neuronal codifiers for sound attributes defined by coarse representations of the population dose–response curves. We demonstrated that these codifiers, majorly involving PCs, are heterogeneously distributed along A1. Spiking activity in these neurons during stimulation was correlated to β (12–25 Hz) and low γ (25–70 Hz) postsynaptic oscillations in the infragranular layer, whereas in the supragranular layer, better correlations were found with high γ (70–170 Hz) oscillations. The time-frequency analysis of the postsynaptic potentials showed a transient broadband power increase in all layers after the stimulus onset that was followed by a sustained high γ oscillation in the supragranular layer, fluctuations in the laminar content of the low-frequency oscillations, and a global attenuation in the low-frequency powers after the stimulus offset that happened together with a long-lasting strengthening of the β oscillations. We concluded that, for rats, sounds are codified in A1 by segregated networks of specialized PCs whose postsynaptic activity impinges on the emergence of sparse/dense spiking patterns.
Meeting Report: “Metagenomics, Metadata and Meta-analysis” (M3) Workshop at the Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing 2010

This report summarizes the M3 Workshop held at the January 2010 Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing. The workshop, organized by Genomic Standards Consortium members, included five contributed talks, a series of short presentations from stakeholders in the genomics standards community, a poster session, and, in the evening, an open discussion session to review current projects and examine future directions for the GSC and its stakeholders.
Frictional and Mechanical Properties of Surface Modified Nickel-Titanium Orthodontic Archwires

The purpose of this study was to investigate the surface hardness, frictional force and load-deflection characteristic of three types of nickel-titanium archwires; DLC-coated, CH4-PBII and CF4-PBII NiTi orthodontic archwires. The NiTi wires were deposited with DLC films and were implanted with CH4 and CF4 using Plasma-Based Ion Implantation and Deposition (PBIID) method. These archwires and upper canine brackets with slot dimension of 0.022-inch were used in this study. Surface hardness of three types of surface modified NiTi orthodontic archwires was measured using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Frictional resistance was determined using a Universal Testing Machine with a load cell of 50 N. The custom-fabricated friction-testing device was designed and bonded each bracket in an accurate position. Load-deflection characteristic was evaluated by conducting the three-point bending test with universal testing machine. The results showed that DLC-coated NiTi wires had the lowest mean of frictional force followed by CH4-PBII, CF4-PBII and conventional NiTi wires. DLC-coated NiTi wires had the highest mean of surface hardness and there was no significant difference in the unloading force at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mm of the load-deflection graphs between different types of NiTi orthodontic archwires. The results can be concluded that the surfaces of nickel-titanium orthodontic archwires can be successfully modified by the PBIID method to increase surface hardness and reduce frictional force between stainless steel brackets and NiTi archwires. The load-deflection characteristics of three types of surface modified archwires remain unchanged.
Design and analysis of brushless doubly fed reluctance machine suitable for wind generation applications

One of the more promising generator options for renewable energy sources such as wind energy is the brushless doubly fed reluctance generator. Various benefits include partial rating converter, absence of rotor winding and brushless operation, which makes it very interesting for investigation in detail for commercialization. This paper highlights certain design aspects and critical areas in design of such machine. A laboratory prototype of three phase brushless doubly fed reluctance generator is designed and fabricated to examine various aspects. The analysis of this machine is carried out by using finite element method along with simulation studies at steady state level. The results obtained are presented and inferences are drawn.
Quantifying the sensitivity of camera traps: an adapted distance sampling approach

1. Abundance estimation is a pervasive goal in ecology. The rate of detection by motion‐sensitive camera traps can, in principle, provide information on the abundance of many species of terrestrial vertebrates that are otherwise difficult to survey. The random encounter model (REM, Rowcliffe et al. 2008 ) provides a means estimating abundance from camera trap rate but requires camera sensitivity to be quantified.
Planetary gear fault diagnosis using stacked denoising autoencoder and gated recurrent unit neural network under noisy environment and time-varying rotational speed conditions

Owing to high transmission ratio and compact structure, planetary gearboxes are widely used in industrial applications. However, due to running under noisy environment and time-varying rotational speed conditions, the acquired vibration signals are nonstationary, which seriously degrade the performance of fault diagnosis methods of planetary gears. To address this problem, a fault diagnosis method of planetary gears using a stacked denoising autoencoder (SDAE) and a gated recurrent unit neural network (GRUNN) is proposed in this paper. First, a hybrid model based on SDAE and GRUNN is developed to remove noise components from input data and process pre- and post-correlation time-series data. The training samples for planetary gear fault diagnosis are regarded as the input data of the developed hybrid model to automatically extract robust fault features. Then, the training process of the developed hybrid model is presented. The Adam optimization algorithm is utilized to optimize the parameters, and the dropout technique is employed to prevent from overfitting. Finally, a softmax classifier is employed to identify planetary gear states in test samples. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through a fault diagnosis experiment of planetary gears. The experimental results show that the proposed method possesses strong anti-noise ability and adaptability to time-varying rotational speed.
Reform of public administration in Greece: evaluating structural reform of central government departmentsin Greece: application of the DEA methodology

The focus of this study is the evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of Central Government Departments (CGDs) in Greece. Measurements are compared with those defined by the Administrative Reform 2013 (AR2013) to assess whether the reforms introduced by the AR2013 to the CGDs attain the objectives of efficiency and effectiveness. The efficiency and effectiveness measurements of 19 CGDs drew on four Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models (i.e. Variable Returns to Scale DEA; Targeted factor-oriented radial DEA; Stochastic DEA; and Quality-driven Efficiency-adjusted DEA). This analytical methodology does more than merely attempt to defend or argue against the AR2013. It rather provides a concrete analytical framework for evaluating the performance of public organisations across the board, suggesting reforms that promote efficiency and effectiveness, and advance managerial capacity.
[Characteristics of polymorphism of 129th amino acid in PRNP among Han and Uighur Chinese].

BACKGROUND An amino acid polymorphism for Met to Val has been identified at PrP codon 129 from different human races. In this study,the characteristics of polymorphism of PRNP 129th amino acid in Han and Uighur Chinese have been investigated. METHODS Human DNAs were extracted from peripheral lymphocytes and PrP gene fragments were amplified with a specific PCR protocol. The distribution of 129th amino acid in PRNP was determined by a PCR-RFLP and the results were analyzed with software SAS for Windows 6.12. RESULTS The frequencies of the allele 129 Met and 129 Val were 97.0% and 3.0% in Han Chinese, whereas 91.4% and 8.6% in Uighur Chinese. The frequency of 129 M/M phenotypes in Han Chinese was significantly higher than that in Uighur Chinese (P=0.0490). Comparing the phenotype distributions of codon 129 of Han Chinese with that of Japanese and Caucasian, there was significant difference with Caucasian (P=0.0005),but there was no difference with Japanese (P=0.5040). CONCLUSIONS The polymorphism of 129th amino acid in PRNP of Han Chinese is similar to Japanese, but different from Uighur Chinese.
Bronchoscopic thermal vapour ablation therapy in the management of heterogeneous emphysema

The need for a less invasive procedure than surgical lung volume reduction that can produce consistent improvements with reduced morbidity remains a medical goal in patients with emphysema. We sought to determine the effect of bronchoscopic thermal vapour ablation (BTVA) on lung volumes and outcomes in patients with emphysema. 44 patients with upper lobe-predominant emphysema were treated unilaterally with BTVA. Entry criteria included: age 40–75 yrs, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) 15–45% predicted, previous pulmonary rehabilitation and a heterogeneity index (tissue/air ratio of lower lobe/upper lobe) from high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) ≥1.2. Changes in FEV1, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), 6-min walk distance (6MWD), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea score, and hyperinflation were measured at baseline, and 3 and 6 months post-BTVA. At 6 months, mean±se FEV1 improved by 141±26 mL (p<0.001) and residual volume was reduced by 406±113 mL (p<0.0001). SGRQ total score improved by 14.0±2.4 points (p<0.001), with 73% improving by ≥4 points. Improvements were observed in 6MWD (46.5±10.6 m) and mMRC dyspnoea score (0.9±0.2) (p<0.001 for both). Lower respiratory events (n=11) were the most common adverse event and occurred most often during the initial 30 days. BTVA therapy results in clinically relevant improvements in lung function, quality of life and exercise tolerance in upper lobe predominant emphysema.
Will there be Deflation and Current Account Surpluses

In this study we show that inflation rate and current account evolved in line with some historical patterns, once the global financial and economic crisis hit Romania in the latter part of 2008. Core inflation declined at a relatively fast pace for a long period of time. It reached negative values in October 2013 and has remained negative since then. The current account deficit also narrowed sharply, turning into a surplus in the first part of 2013 for the first time in the past 24 years, before reaching a record-low of 1 percent of GDP at end-2013. We show that in Romania the cumulated exports-tocumulated imports index signals the closing (opening) of a deflationary (contractionary) GDP gap when it starts decreasing (increasing). GDP growth moves to relatively high and stable rates two years before a complete closure of a deflationary output gap.