Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surgical cytoreduction and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy for thymic tumours with pleural spread is effective on survival: results from the multicentre German hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy study

Abstract OBJECTIVES Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITOC) is effective on survival for patients with pleural metastatic thymic tumours. METHODS Multicentre, retrospective analysis of patients with stage IVa thymic tumours treated with surgical resection and HITOC. Primary end point was overall survival, secondary end points were recurrence-/progression-free survival and morbidity/mortality. RESULTS A total of n = 58 patients (thymoma, n = 42; thymic carcinoma, n = 15; atypical carcinoid of the thymus, n = 1) were included, who had primary pleural metastases (n = 50; 86%) or pleural recurrence (n = 8; 14%). Lung-preserving resection (n = 56; 97%) was the preferred approach. Macroscopically complete tumour resection was achieved in n = 49 patients (85%). HITOC was performed with cisplatin alone (n = 38; 66%) or in combination with doxorubicin (n = 20; 34%). Almost half of the patients (n = 28; 48%) received high-dose cisplatin > 125 mg/m2 body surface area. Surgical revision was required in 8 (14%) patients. In-hospital mortality rate was 2%. During follow-up, tumour recurrence/progression was evident in n = 31 (53%) patients. Median follow-up time was 59 months. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 95%, 83% and 77%, respectively. Recurrence/progression-free survival rates were 89%, 54% and 44%, respectively. Patients with thymoma had significantly better survival compared to patients with thymic carcinoma (P-value ≤0.001). CONCLUSIONS Promising survival rates in patients with pleural metastatic stage IVa in thymoma (94%) and even in thymic carcinoma (41%) were achieved. Surgical resection and HITOC is safe and effective for treatment of patients with pleural metastatic thymic tumours stage IVa.
A new synthesis method for broadband dispersive 180adeg; reflecting arrays in SAW devices

An increasing number of SAW filter configurations contains 180d reflecting arrays. For broadband applications chirped reflectors are needed. The design of unweighted dispersive arrays yields unbearable deviations from a flat stopband. To tackle this problem we have worked out a sophisticated synthesis method using finger width- and phase-weighting which are the best suitable techniques for broadband reflectors. Using the stationary phase principle and the infinite array approximation we can compute the reflection factor of each finger in a dispersive array with slowly varying pitch. We present an iterative design procedure based on the relation between the frequency response of a dispersive array and the local reflectivity. The feasibility of our synthesis procedure is confirmed by experimental results
Longitudinal Alterations of Cerebral Blood Flow in High‐Contact Sports

Repetitive head trauma is common in high‐contact sports. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) can measure changes in brain perfusion that could indicate injury. Longitudinal studies with a control group are necessary to account for interindividual and developmental effects. We investigated whether exposure to head impacts causes longitudinal CBF changes.
Evaluation of the performance of KOMPSAT-3 stereo images in terms of positioning and the generation of digital surface models

ABSTRACT KOMPSAT-3 is an optical high-resolution earth observation satellite launched on 19 May 2012. It provides panchromatic optical images at a nominal ground sampling distance (GSD) of 70 cm. This letter provides geometric accuracy evaluation of KOMPSAT-3 stereo images, including position determination and automated digital surface model (DSM) generation. Bias-compensated KOMPSAT-3 stereo achieved positioning accuracy of 0.65 m and 0.70 m in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. Bias-compensated KOMPSAT-3 images were utilized for automated DSM generation. A DSM showed height errors of about 3.8 m (RMS) when all grids were compared with reference LIDAR data. Geometric performance of KOMPSAT-3 images was also compared with that of WorldView-1 images whose nominal GSD is 46 cm, over the same test area. The positioning accuracy and the accuracy of DSM generation from KOMPSAT-3 were slightly inferior to those of WorldView-1. However, overall performance of the two satellite images was comparable, when the difference of GSD is taken into account.
Sequential Ubiquitination and Phosphorylation Epigenetics Reshaping by MG132‐Loaded Fe‐MOF Disarms Treatment Resistance to Repulse Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Abnormal epigenetic regulation is identified to correlate with cancer progression and renders tumor refractory and resistant to reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐based anti‐tumor actions. To address it, a sequential ubiquitination and phosphorylation epigenetics modulation strategy is developed and exemplified by the well‐established Fe‐metal‐organic framework (Fe‐MOF)‐based chemodynamic therapy (CDT) nanoplatforms that load the 26S proteasome inhibitor (i.e., MG132). The encapsulated MG132 can blockade 26S proteasome, terminate ubiquitination, and further inhibit transcription factor phosphorylation (e.g., NF‐κB p65), which can boost pro‐apoptotic or misfolded protein accumulations, disrupt tumor homeostasis, and down‐regulate driving genes expression of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Contributed by them, Fe‐MOF‐unlocked CDT is magnified to considerably elevate ROS content for repulsing mCRC, especially after combining with macrophage membrane coating‐enabled tropism accumulation. Systematic experiments reveal the mechanism and signaling pathway of such a sequential ubiquitination and phosphorylation epigenetics modulation and explain how it could blockade ubiquitination and phosphorylation to liberate the therapy resistance to ROS and activate NF‐κB‐related acute immune responses. This unprecedented sequential epigenetics modulation lays a solid foundation to magnify oxidative stress and can serve as a general method to enhance other ROS‐based anti‐tumor methods.
Freeform Curve and Surface Modeling using Three Dimensional Measured Points.

The purpose of this study is to generate surface patches which are useful throughout the product-design-process using the three dimensional point data measured by commercially obtainable measuring instruments. Delaunay Triangulation is introduced to construct triangular mesh from the three dimensional measured points. Pseudo normal vectors are calculated using triangular mesh in a very short time. Using pseudo normal vectors, product-designers are able to examine the designed surface patches precisely by shading or newly developed color striped shading. Then product-designers are able to select the point data which correspond to the filleted or characteristic part, and generate the surface patches which are easy to manipulate for narrowing down to the final design. A golf club design-process from the measured points is shown as an actual example.
Clonal expansion of intra‐epithelial T cells in breast cancer revealed by spatial transcriptomics

The spatial distribution of tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) predicts breast cancer outcome and response to systemic therapy, highlighting the importance of an intact tissue structure for characterizing tumors. Here, we present ST‐FFPE, a spatial transcriptomics method for the analysis of formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded samples, which opens the possibility of interrogating archival tissue. The method involves extraction, exome capture and sequencing of RNA from different tumor compartments microdissected by laser‐capture, and can be used to study the cellular composition of tumor microenvironment. Focusing on triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), we characterized T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, fibroblasts and endothelial cells in both stromal and intra‐epithelial compartments. We found a highly variable spatial distribution of immune cell subsets among tumors. This analysis revealed that the immune repertoires of intra‐epithelial T and B cells were consistently less diverse and more clonal than those of stromal T and B cells. T‐cell receptor (TCR) sequencing confirmed a reduced diversity and higher clonality of intra‐epithelial T cells relative to the corresponding stromal T cells. Analysis of the top 10 dominant clonotypes in the two compartments showed a majority of shared but also some unique clonotypes both in stromal and intra‐epithelial T cells. Hyperexpanded clonotypes were more abundant among intra‐epithelial than stromal T cells. These findings validate the ST‐FFPE method and suggest an accumulation of antigen‐specific T cells within tumor core. Because ST‐FFPE is applicable for analysis of previously collected tissue samples, it could be useful for rapid assessment of intratumoral cellular heterogeneity in multiple disease and treatment settings.
Design of mobile phone lens with extended depth of field based on point-spread function focus invariance

Due to the application of mobile phone lens, the clear image for the different object distance from infinity to close-up creates a new bargaining. We found that wave-front coding applied to extend the depth of field may solve this problem. By means of using cubic phase mask (CPM), the blurred point-spread function (PSF) is substantially invariant to defocus. Thus, the ideal hyperfocal distance condition can be satisfied as long as the constant blurred image can eventually be recovered by a simple digital signal processing. In this paper, we propose a different design method of computational imaging lens for mobile phone up to ideal depth of field based on PSF focus invariance. Because of the difficulty for comparing the similarity to different PSFs, we define a new metric, of correlation, to evaluate and optimize the PSF similarity. Besides, by means of adding the anti-symmetric free form phase plate at aperture stop and using the correlation and Strehl ratio as the two major optimization operands, we can get the optimum phase plate surface to achieve the required extended depth of field (EDoF). The resulted PSF on focal plane is significantly invariant to object distance varying from infinity to 10cm.
Chemical Characterization of Different Extracts from Artemisia annua and Their Antioxidant, Enzyme Inhibitory and Anti‐Inflammatory Properties

Artemisia annua L. (Asteraceae Family) is an important plant in Asia that has been used for treating different diseases, including fever due to malaria, wounds, tubercolisis, scabues, pain, convulsions, diabetes, and inflammation. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of different polarity extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, ethanol/water (70 %) and water) from A. annua against the burden of inflammation and oxidative stress occurring in colon tissue exposed to LPS. In parallel, chemical composition, antiradical, and enzyme inhibition effects against α‐amylase, α‐glucosidase, tyrosinase, and cholinesterases were evaluated. The water extract contained the highest content of the total phenolic with 34.59 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract, while the hexane had the highest content of the total flavonoid (20.06 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g extract). In antioxidant assays, the polar extracts (ethanol, ethanol/water and water) exhibited stronger radical scavenging and reducing power abilities when compared to non‐polar extracts. The hexane extract showed the best AChE, tyrosinase and glucosidase inhibitory effects. All extracts revealed effective anti‐inflammatory agents, as demonstrated by the blunting effects on COX‐2 and TNFα gene expression. These effects seemed to be not related to the only phenolic content. However, it is worthy of interest to highlight how the higher potency against LPS‐induced gene expression was shown by the water extract ; thus suggesting a potential phytotherapy application in the management of clinical symptoms related to inflammatory colon diseases, although future in vivo studies are needed to confirm such in vitro and ex vivo observations.
Etude par chromatographie gazeuse inverse de l'influence de la température sur l'aire de molécules adsorbées

Plusieurs modeles theoriques de calcul des aires des molecules adsorbees ont ete proposes et testes experimentalement a l’aide de la chromatographie gazeuse inverse a dilution infinie et de la technique tensiometrique de l’angle de contact dynamique. Les resultats obtenus confirment l’effet de la temperature. Les aires a(T) des molecules polaires adsorbees sur du PTFE ont ete calculees en fonction de la temperature T et varient toutes lineairement en fonction de la temperature :a(T) = a0 - Ω Tavec W la pente de la droite a(T) et a0 l’aire de la sonde extrapolee a 0°C.Trois classes de molecules adsorbees ont ete obtenues :1 -molecules faiblement acides de pente Ω [math] comme le tetrachlorure du carbone et le benzene ou l’agitation thermique n’a pas une grande influence sur leurs aires. 2 -molecules fortement acides ou amphoteres de pente Ω comprise entre [math] et [math], comme le dichloromethane, le chloroforme et l’acetate d’ethyle dont les aires decroissent plus rapidement que les precedentes lorsque la temperature augmente. 3 -molecules de pente Ω valant environ [math] telles que l’acetone, i’acetonitrile et l’ethanol ayant des aires qui dependent fortement de la temperature. Ces trois molecules presentent plutot un caractere amphotere.
Elastic and viscoelastic characterization of inhomogeneous polymers by bimodal atomic force microscopy

The elastic and viscoelastic responses of inhomogeneous polymers upon interacting with an atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe are simultaneously characterized by a bimodal AFM approach namely the amplitude- and frequency-modulation (AM–FM) method. In this approach, the AFM probe is operated in the AM mode at the first flexural frequency and in the FM mode at a higher flexural frequency. The AM mode provides information about the viscoelasticity of polymers in terms of the mechanical loss tangent, whereas the modulus of polymers is obtained as a function of the frequency shift of flexural frequencies in both modes. For a glassy polymer blend, the AM–FM method provides a consistent result in both the elastic modulus and loss tangent in comparison with those obtained by other methods. Moreover, a significant improvement of the contrast and lateral resolution in the AM–FM modulus image can be observed. However, the current approach shows a substantial increase in the modulus of rubbery polymers.
Conformational change of Plasmodium TRAP is essential for sporozoite migration and transmission

Eukaryotic cell adhesion and migration rely on surface adhesins connecting extracellular ligands to the intracellular actin cytoskeleton. Plasmodium sporozoites are transmitted by mosquitoes and rely on adhesion and gliding motility to colonize the salivary glands and to reach the liver after transmission. During gliding, the essential sporozoite adhesin TRAP engages actin filaments in the cytoplasm of the parasite, while binding ligands on the substrate through its inserted (I) domain. Crystal structures of TRAP from different Plasmodium species reveal the I domain in closed and open conformations. Here, we probe the importance of these two conformational states by generating parasites expressing versions of TRAP with the I domain stabilized in either the open or closed state with disulfide bonds. Strikingly, both mutations impact sporozoite gliding, mosquito salivary gland entry, and transmission. Absence of gliding in sporozoites expressing the open TRAP I domain can be partially rescued by adding a reducing agent. This suggests that dynamic conformational change is required for ligand binding, gliding motility, and organ invasion and hence sporozoite transmission from mosquito to mammal.
A note on the stability of a family of space-periodic Beltrami flows

The linear stability of the ‘ABC’ flows u = (A sinz + C cosy, B sinx + A cosz, C siny + B cosx) is investigated numerically, in the presence of dissipation, for the case where the perturbation has the same 2π-periodicity as the basic flow. Above a critical Reynolds number, the flows are in general found to be unstable, with a growth time that becomes comparable to the dynamical timescale of the flow as the Reynolds number becomes large. The fastest-growing disturbance field is spatially intermittent, and reaches its peak intensity in features which are localized within or at the edge of regions where the undisturbed flow is chaotic, as occurs in the corresponding MHD problem.
Drive in the Moment: An evaluation of a web-based tool designed to reduce smartphone use among young drivers

Abstract Objective Young drivers are overrepresented in road traffic crashes and fatalities. Distracted driving, including use of a smartphone while driving (SWD), is a major risk factor for crashes for this age group. We evaluated a web-based tool (Drive in the Moment or DITM) designed to reduce SWD among young drivers. Methods A pretest-posttest experimental design with a follow-up was used to assess the efficacy of the DITM intervention on SWD intentions and behaviors, and perceived risk (of having a crash and of being apprehended by the police) associated with SWD. One hundred and eighty young drivers (aged 17-25 years old) were randomly assigned to either the DITM intervention or a control group where participants completed an unrelated activity. Self-reported measures of SWD and perceptions of risk were obtained pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and at a follow-up 25 days after the intervention. Results Participants who engaged with the DITM showed a significant reduction in the number of times they used their SWD at follow-up compared to their pre-intervention scores. Future intentions to SWD were also reduced from pre-intervention to post-intervention and follow-up. There was also an increase in the perceived risk of SWD following the intervention. Conclusions Our evaluation of DITM suggests that the intervention had an impact on reducing SWD among young drivers. Further research is needed to establish which particular elements of the DITM are associated with reductions in SWD and whether similar findings would be identified in other age groups.
Contemporary Trends in Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Utilization in the Medicare Population by Specialty

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction constitutes a leading cause of pain and disability. Although surgical arthrodesis is traditionally performed under open approaches, the past decade has seen a rise in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques and new federally approved devices for MIS approaches. In addition to neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons, proceduralists from nonsurgical specialties are performing MIS procedures for SI pathology. Here, we analyze trends in SI joint fusions performed by different provider groups, along with trends in the charges billed and reimbursement provided by Medicare. METHODS: We review yearly Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary data from 2015 to 2020 from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for all SI joint fusions. Patients were stratified as undergoing MIS or open procedures. Utilization was adjusted per million Medicare beneficiaries and weighted averages for charges and reimbursements were calculated, controlling for inflation. Reimbursement-to-charge (RCR) ratios were calculated, reflecting the proportion of provider billed amounts reimbursed by Medicare. RESULTS: A total of 12 978 SI joint fusion procedures were performed, with the majority (76.5%) being MIS procedures. Most MIS procedures were performed by nonsurgical specialists (52.1%) while most open fusions were performed by spine surgeons (71%). Rapid growth in MIS procedures was noted for all specialty categories, along with an increased number of procedures offered in the outpatient setting and ambulatory surgical centers. The overall RCR increased over time and was ultimately similar between spine surgeons (RCR = 0.26) and nonsurgeon specialists (RCR = 0.27) performing MIS procedures. CONCLUSION: Substantial growth in MIS procedures for SI pathology has occurred in recent years in the Medicare population. This growth can largely be attributed to adoption by nonsurgical specialists, whose reimbursement and RCR increased for MIS procedures. Future studies are warranted to better understand the impact of these trends on patient outcomes and costs.
Biochemical Markers of Calcium and Bone Metabolism during and after Lactation in Ugandan Women with HIV on Universal Maternal Antiretroviral Therapy

We reported accentuated lactational decreases in areal bone mineral density and only partial skeletal recovery after lactation in Ugandan women with HIV (WWH) initiated on tenofovir disoproxil fumarate‐based antiretroviral therapy (TDF‐based ART) during pregnancy compared to women without HIV (REF). WWH also had higher breast milk calcium in the first months of lactation. To investigate the mechanisms, we measured bone turnover markers (bone resorption: C‐terminal telopeptide [CTX]; bone formation: procollagen type 1 N‐terminal propeptide [P1NP], bone‐specific and total alkaline phosphatase [BALP, TALP]), hormones (parathyroid hormone [PTH], intact fibroblast growth factor 23 [FGF23], 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D]), vitamin D status (25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25OHD]), and indices of mineral metabolism and renal function. Blood and urine samples collected at 36 weeks of gestation, 14 and 26 weeks of lactation, and 3–6 months after lactation were analyzed. Mean 25OHD was >50 nmol/L throughout. Both groups experienced similar biochemical changes during pregnancy and lactation to women in other settings, but within these patterns, the two groups differed significantly. Notably, WWH had higher PTH (+31%) and lower 1,25(OH)2D (−9%) and TmP/GFR (−9%) throughout, lower P1NP (−27%) and plasma phosphate (−10%) in pregnancy, higher CTX (+15%) and BALP (+19%), and lower eGFR (−4%) during and after lactation. P1NP/CTX ratio was lower in WWH than REF in pregnancy (−21%), less so in lactation (−15%), and similar after lactation. Additionally, WWH had lower plasma calcium (−5%), lower FGF23 (−16%) and fasting urinary calcium (−34%) at one or both lactation timepoints, and higher fasting urinary phosphate (+22%) at 26 weeks of lactation and after lactation. These differences resemble reported TDF effects, especially raised PTH, increased bone resorption, decreased bone formation, and decreased renal function, and may explain the observed differences in bone mineral density and breast milk calcium. Further studies are needed to determine whether HIV and TDF‐based ART have long‐term consequences for maternal bone health and offspring growth. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).