Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Significance of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Maximum Standardized Uptake Value in Stage I Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Observational Study

Background: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is often diagnosed at stage I. However, because of the poor prognosis of recurrent cases, even for stage Ia CCC, treatment strategies such as expansion of fertility-sparing treatment and omission of adjuvant chemotherapy have been carefully discussed in recent years. We previously reported the possibility of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) as a biomarker of CCC prognosis prediction at all stages. In this study, we confirmed differences in SUVmax within stage I CCC and considered treatment strategies. Methods: We selected all 31 patients with ovarian CCC stage I who underwent fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) before treatment between 2006 and 2013 at our institution. This retrospective study was based on their medical records. Results: Clinical tumor stage was Ia in 13 patients, and Ic in 18 (Ic (b) in 11, and Ic (1) + Ic (2) in seven). There were no differences in serum CA125 level, maximum tumor diameter or mural nodules. Median SUVmax was significantly higher in stage Ic (5.87) than stage Ia (3.08) cases (P = 0.02). Progression-free survival was longer in the low SUVmax group than the high SUVmax group (P = 0.08). Conclusions: SUVmax for primary lesions in CCC was significantly higher in stage Ic than stage Ia. As SUVmax represents a prognostic factor in stage I CCC, these findings may suggest SUVmax as an indicator for the application of fertility-sparing surgery and omission of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage Ia CCC.
Digestive efficiency and dry-matter digestibility in Steller sea lions fed herring, pollock, squid, and salmon

Dry-matter digestibility and energy digestive efficiency were measured in six juvenile Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) fed three diets each consisting of a single species: herring, pollock, and squid. Two of the animals were also fed pink salmon. Dry-matter digestibility (DMD) and digestive efficiency (DE) were measured using the energy and manganese concentration in fecal and food samples. DE values were high for all prey species (herring: 95.4 ± 0.7% (mean ± SD), pollock: 93.9 ± 1.4%, salmon: 93.4 ± 0.5%, squid: 90.4 ± 1.3%). Steller sea lions appear to digest prey of high energy density more efficiently than prey of low energy density. DMD values were also high for all prey species (herring: 90.1 ± 1.8%, pollock: 86.5 ± 3.4%, salmon: 87.3% ± 2.6, squid: 90.5 ± 1.2%). The low DMD value for pollock compared with herring and squid was due to the high proportion of bony material in pollock. There was a strong linear relationship between DE and DMD for each prey type, but the terms cannot be used interchange- ably. DE measures are more meaningful than DMD in conveying the energetic benefits derived by sea lions from dif- ferent types of prey. Species-specific measures of the digestible energy obtained from an array of prey items are a necessary component in understanding the bioenergetic consequences of consuming different prey species. Resume : Las digestibilite des matieres seches et l'efficacite de l'energie digestive ont ete mesurees chez six Otaries de Steller juveniles (Eumetopias jubatus) gardees a une diete monospecifique constituee de hareng, de goberge ou de calmar. Deux animaux ont aussi recu du Saumon rose en nourriture. La digestibilite des matieres seches (DMD) et
Linking northern fur seal dive behavior to environmental variables in the eastern Bering Sea

Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) breeding on the Pribilof Islands, Alaska have declined dramatically over the past 40 years. Effective conservation of northern fur seals depends on understanding the foraging behavior of adult females whose foraging success is linked to pup survival. We determined the foraging behavior for 11 tagged lactating female northern fur seals from the Pribilof Islands using a state-space modeling approach with an autoregressive movement model. To interpret at-sea behavior in the context of oceanic habitat, we spatially and temporally matched high-resolution reconstructed tracks to a set of environmental covariates that included: commercial groundfish catch, sea surface temperature, primary productivity, wind speed, depth and time of day. We used a Bayesian hierarchical framework to implement a multinomial regression model to link behavior to environmental covariates and account for the mismatch of scale between fur seal behavior and the environmental variables by incorporating an error-in-covariates approach into the hierarchical model. The Bayesian framework allowed us to build a single model to synthesize the information from all the northern fur seal foraging tracks and the available information about the underlying environmental conditions. Application of the approach indicated that the behavioral states for the northern fur seal were significantly related to the Alaska commercial groundfish catch, particularly walleye pollock (Gadus chalogramma).
Patterns in the horizontal structure of litter invertebrate communities in windbreak plantations in the steppe zone of the Ukraine

The article analyses the patterns in the horizontal structure of litter invertebrate communities in windbreak plantations in the Steppe zone of the Ukraine. The number of invertebrate species shows statistically insignificant changes depending on the extent of the litter horizon development. With an increase in litter mass from 300 to 900 g/m2 the number of invertebrate species increases. An increase in the total number of macrofauna is observed in areas having a minimum and maximum thickness of the litter layer. Maximum values in the Shannon diversity index were observed in areas with sparse litter (50-150 g/m2). An observed increase in the variety of macrofauna species were seen where there was sparse grass cover in windbreak planted areas. The total number of litter invertebrate individuals related to the percentage of projective cover of herbaceous plants shows a significant increase in plots with 20-28% cover, though this factor does not affect the number of Aranei, Carabidae, and Staphylinidae. There is a decrease in the num- ber of litter invertebrate species in areas with higher numbers of Lasius platythorax Seifert, 1991, while there is an insignificant change in the overall numbers of macrofauna. The abundance of Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander, 1846 does not show a significant influence on the number of litter macrofauna species. The minimum values of the Shannon biodiversity index for macrofauna were registered in plots with maximum numbers of M. scabrinodis. With an increase in the abundance of ants, the abundance of litter saprophages and phytophages decreases. There are also significant changes in the dominance structure of other taxonomic groups. Biotic factors have greater significance for the horizontal structure of litter macrofauna of steppe plantations than abiotic factors.
Reconstruction of Holocene hydroclimatic variability in subarctic treeline lakes using lake sediment grain-size end-members

Current climate trends are expected to result in the northward expansion of the subarctic treeline leading to changes in vegetation cover and permafrost distribution, as they did during the Holocene Climate Optimum when the treeline was 150 km north of its current position. The impacts of these changes on the region’s hydrology are still poorly understood. The grain-size distributions of treeline lake sediments provide an important proxy related to spring melt conditions that can be used to reconstruct hydroclimatic variability. End-member mixing analysis was used to model depositional end-members in 55 modern lake sediment samples and two sediment cores spanning the mid- to late Holocene collected from above and below the treeline in the central Northwest Territories, Canada. Cold climatic intervals (e.g. ‘Dark Ages Cold Period’, ‘Little Ice Age’) were characterised by an increase in the very coarse silt and the fine sand end-members. This was interpreted to be a response to degradation of vegetation cover and/or permafrost development. We observed increases in fine and coarse silt end-members during warmer climatic intervals (e.g. Medieval Climate Anomaly) and over the past c. 300 yr BP. This pattern is probably the result of extended melt seasons, with greater losses to evaporation and increased infiltration. The most pronounced palaeo-hydroclimatological change over the past c. 8000 yr BP was the abrupt increase in a very coarse silt end-member (mode = 50–200 µm) at c. 6300 yr BP. We interpreted the sedimentological change as an increase in winter precipitation and more energetic spring melt conditions, leading to the spring melt becoming the dominant lacustrine sediment delivery mechanism. These results place modern hydrological changes in a millennial context and show that analysis of temporal changes in the hydroclimatological system can provide insight into the future states of these sensitive subarctic ecosystems.
Identifying Taiwan real estate cycle turning points- An application of the multivariate Markov-switching autoregressive Model

The identification of real estate cycles has always been an important issue in the study of real estate. This paper selected as indicators the Composite Leading Index and Reference Cycle Index regarding the real estate cycles in Taiwan, as they incorporate real estate activities, such as investments, production, transactions and utilization. This paper applied the bivariate Markov-switching autoregressive model (MS-ARX) and the Markov-switching vector auto-regression model (MSVAR) to identify the turning points of real estate cycles. The empirical results indicate that both intercepts and variances were subject to the influence ofÂ unobservable variables. Also, the models with the best fit are MSIAH (2)-VAR (8) with the lags being 8 and L (1) â€“ MSIH (2)-AR (8) with the lags being 8 and the intercepts, coefficients and co-variances are subject to the influence of state variables. Both models showed that the real estate cycles in Taiwan are undergoing contraction rather than expansion. This is in line with the results published by Taiwan Real Estate Research Center. Generally speaking, L(1)-MSIH(2)-ARX(8) and MSIAH(2)-VAR(8) produced rather accurate results in terms of identifying the turning points of real estate cycles in Taiwan.
Cassini nightside observations of the oscillatory motion of Saturn's northern auroral oval

In recent years we have benefitted greatly from the first in‐orbit multi‐wavelength images of Saturn's polar atmosphere from the Cassini spacecraft. Specifically, images obtained from the Cassini UltraViolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) provide an excellent view of the planet's auroral emissions, which in turn give an account of the large‐scale magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling and dynamics within the system. However, obtaining near‐simultaneous views of the auroral regions with in situ measurements of magnetic field and plasma populations at high latitudes is more difficult to routinely achieve. Here we present an unusual case, during Revolution 99 in January 2009, where UVIS observes the entire northern UV auroral oval during a 2 h interval while Cassini traverses the magnetic flux tubes connecting to the auroral regions near 21 LT, sampling the related magnetic field, particle, and radio and plasma wave signatures. The motion of the auroral oval evident from the UVIS images requires a careful interpretation of the associated latitudinally “oscillating” magnetic field and auroral field‐aligned current signatures, whereas previous interpretations have assumed a static current system. Concurrent observations of the auroral hiss (typically generated in regions of downward directed field‐aligned current) support this revised interpretation of an oscillating current system. The nature of the motion of the auroral oval evident in the UVIS image sequence, and the simultaneous measured motion of the field‐aligned currents (and related plasma boundary) in this interval, is shown to be related to the northern hemisphere magnetosphere oscillation phase. This is in agreement with previous observations of the auroral oval oscillatory motion.
On the additivity of climate response to anthropogenic aerosols and CO2, and the enhancement of future global warming by carbonaceous aerosols

Climate responses to aerosol forcing at present-day and doubledCO2-levels are studied based on equilibrium simulations with the CCM-Oslo atmospheric GCM coupled to a slab ocean. Aerosols interact on-line with meteorology through life-cycling of sulphate and black carbon (BC), and tables for aerosol optics and CCN activation. Anthropogenic aerosols counteract the warming by CO2 through a negative radiative forcing dominated by the indirect effect. Anthropogenic aerosols reduce precipitation by 4%, while CO2 doubling gives a 5% increase, mainly through enhanced convective activity, including a narrower ITCZ. Globally, the aerosol cooling is insensitive to CO2, and the effects of CO2 doubling are insensitive to aerosols. Hence, global climate responses to these sources of forcing are almost additive, although sulphate and BC burdens are slightly increased due to reduced stratiform precipitation over major anthropogenic source regions and a modified ITCZ. Regionally, positive cloud feedbacks give up to 5 K stronger aerosol cooling at present-day CO2 than after CO2 doubling. Aerosol emissions projected for year-2100 (SRES A2) strongly increase BC and change the sign of the direct effect. This results in a 0.3 K warming and 0.1% increase in precipitation compared to the year 2000, thus enhancing the global warming by greenhouse gases.
Ecogeographic patterns in a mainland-island system in Northern Europe as inferred from the rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) on Laeso island

Rove beetles (Staphylinidae) are used to explore the forces that shaped the terrestrial fauna on Laeso, a young ca. 3000 year old Danish oceanic island located in the Kattegat strait between mainland Denmark and Sweden. We compile a detailed list of species of rove beetles for Laeso (328 species) and the surrounding Danish and Swedish regions (altogether 1075 species), which includes a standardized inventory of their body sizes, and the habitat and microhabitat preference of each species. The composition of the fauna on Laeso and adjacent mainland regions points to North-Eastern Jutland as the main source of the rove beetles on Laeso. Although large beetles are more active and likely to disperse than small beetles, there is no bias towards large species on the island indicating that the sea separating Laeso from the mainland has not been a barrier for rove beetle dispersal. The statistical analysis of the habitat and microhabitat preferences of the species of the entire system studied has shown that Laeso, compared to the mainland areas, is distinctly more dominated by ecological generalists, especially by species adapted to ephemeral, temporary humid microhabitats. Presumably, the mosaic of mostly dry open habitats available on Laeso filters for species, that are able to populate these suboptimal habitats via patches of humid but ephemeral microhabitats. A comprehensive eco-faunistic dataset for the Staphylinidae compiled for this study is the first modern account of the rove beetle fauna on the Danish island of Laeso.
Nurse's psychological empowerment and perceived autonomy in university and teaching hospitals at Menofia Governorate/Egypt

Background : It is believed that, the greater nurses uncertainty is likely to negative attitude toward their organization and the quality of patient care. Staff nurses can be empowered at all levels of the organization, if management allows them the support, encouragement and rewards them. Empowerment is the process by which a leader shares power with others or enable them to act. Autonomy plays an important part in nurses’ job satisfaction and retention. Autonomy is defined as authority and accountability for one's decision and activities. Aim : To study the relationship between psychological empowerment and perceived autonomy of nurses in University and Teaching Hospitals at Menofia Governorate. Design : a descriptive correlational design. Setting : This study was conducted in two selected hospitals namely Menofia University Hospital and Shebine EL-Kom Teaching Hospital. Sample : A convenint sample of 550 nurses was included in the study. Tool : Two tools wereused to collect the data: 1- Psychological Empowerment Instrument. 2- Nurses’ autonomy questionnaire. Results: There was a highly statistical significant correlation between total psychological empowerment and perceived autonomy of nurses. A significant relation was founded between the levels of autonomy and nurses’ work place. While, there was insignificant relation between both of nurses’ psychological empowerment and autonomy according to their age, level of education and years of experiences. Recommendations : Staff development program for nurse managers to integrate staff nurses in decision-making and to deal effectively with new ideas to promote organizational climate and empowerment of nurses.
Inhibition of histamine receptor H3R suppresses prostate cancer growth, invasion and increases apoptosis via the AR pathway

Histamine h3 receptor (H3R) is expressed in numerous types of tumor and is associated with tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion. However, whether H3R is expressed in prostate cancer remains unknown. Therefore, the expression and function of H3R in prostate cancer was investigated. Immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting all indicated overexpression of H3R in prostate cancer. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), migration and invasion assays demonstrated that overexpressed H3R is associated with cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Inhibition of H3R induced cell apoptosis, however, androgen receptor protein expression was decreased. Overall, the results suggest that H3R is overexpressed in prostate cancer and associated with cell proliferation, migration and invasion. These results may broaden our understanding of the underlying pathological mechanisms of prostate cancer and aid the discovery of novel treatments for prostate cancer. These findings suggest that inhibition of H3R may have favorable application prospects in the treatment of prostate cancer.
Stratified Cox Regression Analysis of Survival under CIMAvax ® EGF Vaccine

Background: The Center of Molecular Immunology (CIM) is a center in Cuba devoted to the research, development and manufacturing of biotechnological products. CIMAvax? EGF is a vaccine for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCL). Purpose: The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of some potential prognostic factors on the overall survival of patients treated with CIMAvax? EGF vaccine, based on data collected in a phase II and a phase III clinical trials. Methods: The stratified Cox regression model is used to evaluate the effects of these prognostic factors, based on separate analysis for each trial, and on the combined data from both trials. Results: Patients with Performance status 0 or 1, with IV stage of tumor and male under 60 years obtain more benefit in terms of overall survival if they receive CIMAvax? EGF. Conclusions: Vaccinated group has a better performance if patients have a performance status 0 or 1, stage IV and age under 60 years. These prognostic factors influence overall survival in a positive way for those patients that received CIMAvax? EGF.
Two-dimensional anti-scatter grids for computed tomography detectors

The use of two-dimensional, focused, anti-scatter-grids (ASGs) in computed tomography is one essential solution to reduce the scatter radiation for large area detectors. A detailed analysis of the requirements and related image quality aspects lead to the specification of the two-dimensional focused geometry of the X-ray absorbing grids. Scatter simulations indicated trade-off conditions and provided estimations for the expected scatter reduction performance. Different production technologies for focused two-dimensional structures have been evaluated. The presented technology of Tomo Lithographic Molding (TomoTM) shows good fulfilment of the specifications. TomoTM is a synthesis of lithographic micromachining, precision stack lamination, molding, and casting processes with application-specific material systems. Geometry, material properties, and scatter performance have been investigated. Different analysis methods will be presented and results of the investigations demonstrate the performance capability of this two-dimensional grid technology. Material composition of the tungsten-polymer composite, homogeneity of wall thickness, and precision of the focusing have the biggest influence on the X-ray behavior. Dynamic forces on the anti-scatter-grid during CT operations should not lead to dynamic shadowing or intensity modulation on the active pixel area. Simulations of the wall deformation have been done to estimate the maximum position deviation. Prototype two-dimensional ASGs have been characterized and show promising results.
Function of renin angiotensin system on heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a major public health problem that is defined as a clinical syndrome that results when the heart is unable to provide sufficient blood flow to meet metabolic requirements or accommodate systemic venous return. Some systems participate as compensatory mechanisms, these include neurohumoral, Cellular immune activation and renin angiotensin system changes that lead to maladaptive condition. Several treatment strategies have been developed based upon the understanding of these compensatory mechanisms. In this paper, we review the general compensatory mechanisms, they lead to a maladaptive condition and the role that plays each component of renin angiotensin aldosterone system play in the development of heart failure. Renin angiotensin system role on heart failure During the past two decades we have witnessed the advances of knowledge over renin angiotensin system. Although originally perceived as a classical humoral system in which biologically active molecules are secreted from a dedicated gland to reach their target tissue via the bloodstream, a number of observations have indicated that local renin angiotensin systems are complete with respect to all the components of the enzymatic pathway, may reside within individual organs or tissues. This is due in part to the advent of molecular biological methods that for the first time, allowed unequivocal confirmation of local synthesis of the elements have demonstrated the importance of a RAS in the brain, heart, peripheral blood vessels, adrenal glands, and kidney.
Real convergence and regime-switching among EU accession countries

Real convergence among the ten EU 2004 accession economies is investigated with respect to long-run real interest parity. We employ a novel approach where unitroot tests for real interest differentials are embedded within a Markov regimeswitching framework. Whereas standard univariate unit-root tests provide mixed support for parity, we find parity is present in all cases where differentials either switch between regimes of stationary and non-stationarity behavior, or between alternative regimes of stationarity characterized by differing degrees of persistence. Further insights are obtained from the inferred probabilities of being in each regime, and the regime-switching nature of the differential variances.