Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term outcome of almost 3,000 patients with carcinoma of the esophagus: Evaluation of the new UICC/AJCC staging system.

64 Background: In the new 7th edition of the TNM classification for cancers of the esophagus, the UICC stage groups are still based on the anatomic extent of the tumor alone. In contrast, the AJCC prognostic groupings is the first staging system for esophageal cancer to add histologic tumor type, tumor site and grade. METHODS Data of a single center cohort of 2,920 patients operated for cancers of the esophagus were analyzed. Statistical methods to evaluate survival of the patients and the prognostic performance of the new staging systems included Kaplan-Meier analyzes and time dependent ROC-analysis. RESULTS UICC stage, R-status, histologic tumor type and age were identified as independent prognostic factors for cancers of the esophagus. Grade and tumor site, additional parameters in the new AJCC prognostic groupings, were not significantly correlated with survival. Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma had a significantly better long-term prognosis after resection than patients with squamous cell carcinoma (p < 0.0001). The new number-dependent N- classification proved superior to the former site-dependent classification with significantly decreasing prognosis with increasing number of lymph node metastases (p < 0.001). The new subclassification of T1 tumors also revealed significant differences in prognosis between pT1a and pT1b patients (p < 0.001). However, the multiple new UICC and AJCC subgroupings did not prove distinctive for survival between stages IIA and IIB, IIIA and IIIB, and between IIIC and IV. CONCLUSIONS The new 7th edition of the TNM classification improved the predictive ability for cancers of the esophagus, however, stage groups could be condensed to a clinically relevant number. Differences in patient characteristics, pathogenesis and especially survival clearly identify adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus as two separate tumor entities requiring differentiated therapeutic concepts. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Determining equivalence and the impact of sample size in anti-infective studies: a point to consider.

The problem of establishing the equivalence of an experimental treatment to a control with respect to a binary ("success" or "failure") response variable may be solved using an approximate (1-alpha) 100% confidence interval for the difference in the response rates (i.e., success probabilities). If the goal is to show that the experimental treatment is not sufficiently worse than the control, then a decision rule based on the magnitude of one confidence limit can be used. A procedure suggested by the Food and Drug Administration allows the value to which the confidence limit is to be compared to depend on the data. The consequences of determining the sample size assuming that the aforementioned value is fixed are examined. The probability of declaring equivalence and exact sample sizes are also presented for the procedure.
High-resolution multiphoton tomography of human skin with subcellular spatial resolution and picosecond time resolution.

High-resolution four-dimensional (4-D) optical tomography of human skin based on multiphoton autofluorescence imaging and second harmonic generation (SHG) was performed with the compact femtosecond laser imaging system DermaInspect as well as a modified multiphoton microscope. Femtosecond laser pulses of 80 MHz in the spectral range of 750 to 850 nm, fast galvoscan mirrors, and a time-correlated single-photon counting module have been used to image human skin in vitro and in vivo with subcellular spatial and 250-ps temporal resolution. The nonlinear induced autofluorescence originates from naturally endogenous fluorophores and protein structures such as reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, flavins, collagen, elastin, porphyrins, and melanin. Second harmonic generation was used to detect collagen structures. Tissues of patients with dermatological disorders such as psoriasis, fungal infections, nevi, and melanomas have been investigated. Individual intratissue cells and skin structures could be clearly visualized. Intracellular components and connective tissue structures could be further characterized by fluorescence excitation spectra, by determination of the fluorescence decay per pixel, and by fluorescence lifetime imaging. The novel noninvasive multiphoton autofluorescence-SHG imaging technique provides 4-D (x,y,z,tau) optical biopsies with subcellular resolution and offers the possibility of introducing a high-resolution optical diagnostic method in dermatology.
An Integrated Index Combined by Dynamic Hyperinflation and Exercise Capacity in the Prediction of Morbidity and Mortality in COPD

BACKGROUND: Dynamic hyperinflation (DH) and exercise limitation develop in patients with COPD; however, there is lack of knowledge about their long-term clinical consequences. We aimed to assess the impact of DH and exercise capacity in predicting mortality and also morbidity, as evaluated by emergency visits and hospital admissions in COPD patients during a 4-year period. METHODS: We recruited 73 stable COPD patients. The relationships of different respiratory parameters (FEV1%, body mass index, 6 min walk test distance [6MWD], static hyperinflation as measured by the ratio of inspiratory capacity to total lung capacity (IC/TLC) at rest, DH as measured by the change between the post- and pre-exercise values of IC/TLC [ΔIC/TLC], PaO2, and PaCO2) with emergency visits and hospital admissions because of exacerbations and also with respiratory and all-cause mortality were assessed. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 47 months (IQR 45–48 months, n = 73). During the follow-up there were 8 (11%) deaths. The ΔIC/TLC value was 3.9 ± 4.6%. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the cumulative survival rate was significantly lower in the patients with ΔIC/TLC > 4 and with 6MWD ≤ 439.56 m, using these values as thresholds. (The rates for sensitivity were 100% and 87.5%, and for specificity were 56.92% and 87.69%, respectively). The Cox proportional hazards model showed that DH (hazard ratio = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.09–1.84, P = .009) and 6MWD (hazard ratio = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.97–0.99, P = .006) were independent predictors of all-cause and respiratory mortality. 6MWD, FEV1%, IC/TLC, and ΔIC/TLC were found to be significantly related to emergency visits (r = −0.28, r = −0.41, r = −0.24, and r = 0.38, respectively) and hospital admissions (r = −0.41, r = −0.45, r = −0.36, and r = 0.28, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: DH and exercise capacity are reliable and independent predictors for mortality and morbidity in COPD patients. We propose that DH and exercise capacity be considered in the assessment of long-term clinical consequences of COPD patients.
Transmission of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis during a long airplane flight.

BACKGROUND In April 1994, a passenger with infectious multi-drug resistant tuberculosis traveled on commercial-airline flights from Honolulu to Chicago and from Chicago to Baltimore and returned one month later. We sought to determine whether she had infected any of her contacts on this extensive trip. METHODS Passengers and crew were identified from airline records and were notified of their exposure, asked to complete a questionnaire, and screened by tuberculin skin tests. RESULTS Of the 925 people on the airplanes, 802 (86.7 percent) responded. All 11 contacts with positive tuberculin skin tests who were on the April flights and 2 of 3 contacts with positive tests who were on the Baltimore-to-Chicago flight in May had other risk factors for tuberculosis. More contacts on the final, 8.75-hour flight from Chicago to Honolulu had positive skin tests than those on the other three flights (6 percent, as compared with 2.3, 3.8, and 2.8 percent). Of 15 contacts with positive tests on the May flight from Chicago to Honolulu, 6 (4 with skin-test conversion) had no other risk factors; all 6 had sat in the same section of the plane as the index patient (P=0.001). Passengers seated within two rows of the index patient were more likely to have positive tuberculin skin tests than those in the rest of the section (4 of 13, or 30.8 percent, vs. 2 of 55, or 3.6 percent; rate ratio, 8.5; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.7 to 41.3; P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS The transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that we describe aboard a commercial aircraft involved a highly infectious passenger, a long flight, and close proximity of contacts to the index patient.
Orientation dependence in fluorescent energy transfer between Cy3 and Cy5 terminally attached to double-stranded nucleic acids

We have found that the efficiency of fluorescence resonance energy transfer between Cy3 and Cy5 terminally attached to the 5′ ends of a DNA duplex is significantly affected by the relative orientation of the two fluorophores. The cyanine fluorophores are predominantly stacked on the ends of the helix in the manner of an additional base pair, and thus their relative orientation depends on the length of the helix. Observed fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) efficiency depends on the length of the helix, as well as its helical periodicity. By changing the helical geometry from B form double-stranded DNA to A form hybrid RNA/DNA, a marked phase shift occurs in the modulation of FRET efficiency with helix length. Both curves are well explained by the standard geometry of B and A form helices. The observed modulation for both polymers is less than that calculated for a fully rigid attachment of the fluorophores. However, a model involving lateral mobility of the fluorophores on the ends of the helix explains the observed experimental data. This has been further modified to take account of a minor fraction of unstacked fluorophore observed by fluorescent lifetime measurements. Our data unequivocally establish that Förster transfer obeys the orientation dependence as expected for a dipole–dipole interaction.
Attitudes of Medical Students From Different Countries About Organ Donation.

OBJECTIVES Although there have been some case studies that measure the medical students' knowledge and attitude about organ donation, there is no such global survey in the literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS An online questionnaire was prepared to measure the knowledge and attitudes about organ donation. RESULTS A total of 1541 medical students from 104 different countries responded to the questionnaire. The participants who have received education before were more successful, had a higher self-donation rate, and showed a more-positive attitude toward organ donation than did those who did not receive an education, or a higher self-donation rate, or a more-positive attitude toward organ donation. Opposition against promotion of the organ donation by medical doctors was more widespread among men, preclinical students, African participants, and participants who did not support organ donation. The two most important decisions about increasing the level of organ donation involved in achieving support of the media and the education of the health care workers. CONCLUSIONS Educational programs would improve the knowledge and attitudes of medical students about organ donation and transplantation.
A Multi-Stage Interleaved Synchronous Buck Converter with Integrated Output Filter in a 0.18/spl mu/ SiGe process

A fully integrated 0.18mum SiGe synchronous buck DC/DC converter with an on-chip LC output filter supporting a maximum output current of 200mA and efficiency of 64% is presented. The converter utilizes a 10mum-thick electroplated copper layer for integrated inductors and gate capacitors. High switching frequency of 45MHz, multi-phase interleaved operation, and fast hysteretic control reduces the filter inductor and capacitor sizes by two orders of magnitude enabling a fully integrated converter
Post‐exercise muscle soreness after eccentric exercise: psychophysical effects and implications on mean arterial pressure

The aim of the study was to examine the time course of changes in pressure pain threshold (PPT), visual analogue scale (VAS) pain and tenderness scores, McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) descriptors, pain areas, skin temperature and mean arterial pressure (MAP) following intensive eccentric exercise. In 11 healthy male subjects, eccentric exercise of the first dorsal interosseous muscle (FDI) of the right hand with 114% maximum voluntary contraction weight (MVC) was used to induce post‐exercise muscle soreness (PEMS) in the right hand, while the left hand served as a control. At 24 h to 48 h all the pain profiles indicated the presence of PEMS in the right hand when compared to before exercise (P<0.05). MPQ and pain area assessments also indicated PEMS immediately after the exercise, while the pain assessment by PPT and tenderness VAS showed insignificant pain immediately after the exercise. Skin temperature measured in the first web space of the hand did not change at any time. MAP was significantly reduced at 48 h. It is concluded that eccentric exercise of a small hand muscle is followed by PEMS and a reduced MAP after 48 h that may suggest a role of central mechanisms in the PEMS, thereby giving further insight into clinical aspects of muscle pain.
Evaluation of Cytogenetic Effects of -Cyfluthrin in Swiss Albino Mice

Worldwide application of pesticides is increasing continually to the extent that they have become an integral part of the ecosystem. Approximately 5.6 billion pounds of active pesticide ingredients are used annually throughout the world (USEPA, 2001). Post market surveillance has revealed that as many as 25 million agricultural workers worldwide experience unintentional pesticide poisoning each year (Alavanja et al., 2004). It has been reported that pesticides available in the market may cause cancer in humans (Alavanja et al., 2004; 2005; Bonner et al., 2005; Beane-Freeman et al., 2006; Hou et al., 2006; Van et al., 2008). Zahm and Ward (1998) showed that childhood cancers such as leukemia, neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, soft tissue sarcoma, Ewing s sarcoma, non-Hodgkin s lymphoma and cancers of brain and testes are linked to pesticide exposure. Synthetic pyrethroids are the most widely used pesticides and comprise approximately 25% of worldwide insecticide market (Casida and Quistad, 1998). Human exposure to pyrethroids is well documented (Heudorf and Angerer 2001; Schettgen et al., 2002) ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 6 (2013) pp. 30-40 http://www.ijcmas. com
IPRs protection's influences on FDI — Based on bertrand competition

A duopoly two-stage gambling model is set, composed by enterprises in the developed and the developing countries, based on Bertrand competition, in order to clear the relationship between the IPR protection degree and the firm's market performance in non-heated price competition. The model supposes that products have the horizontal and vertical difference, the developed country enterprise carries on the product R&D investment. The non-cooperation Cournot-equilibrium solution is found adopting backward induction. Influences of IPR protection degree in non-developed countries on market performance is examined when non-developed countries whether there exists or not production cost advantages. Influence of IPR protection of non-developed countries on market performance is studied when product R&D input is conducted by developed countries. The study indicates that the IPR protection degree of non-developed countries, the country in which the product market exists and the cost advantage size of non-developed countries will impact on whether the developed countries make the decision to input product R&D and impact on the firm's market performance when the products have the horizontal and vertical difference.
Ammianus and the Great Tsunami*

With this striking and bravura narrative of the earthquake and tsunami of 21 July A.D. 365 Ammianus Marcellinus ends Book 26 of his Res Gestae. Though displaying many of the features characteristic of Ammianus – daunting linguistic variation, brilliant observation of detail, a dazzling and blurred sequence of discrete pictures — this passage also stands out from the main body of the narrative. Most notably, the historian distorts chronological sequence: an event which occurred before Procopius' usurpation in September A.D. 365 is not narrated until after his capture and execution by Valens in the following year. It is also given a prominent position at the close of a book. Ammianus' perspective goes far beyond the normal limits of historiographical propriety — indeed is little short of omniscience. Finally, the tale of incredible events stands out for concluding with the historian's own personal testimony. Though Ammianus famously included lengthy accounts of his military adventures in earlier portions of his history, first person interventions in the later books are exceptional and always calculatedly striking.
Online Estimation of State of Charge in Li-Ion Batteries Using Impulse Response Concept

Lithium-ion batteries exhibit high levels of energy and power density among electrochemical batteries. These attributes make them suitable as the energy storage system in electric, hybrid electric vehicle, and plug-in vehicles (EV/HEV/PHEV). One of the important requirements in automotive batteries is to monitor their real time state-of-charge (SOC) and state-of-health (SOH). Open circuit voltage, as one parameter used for predicting the SOC in the battery, is not readily available during charge and discharge cycles. In this paper a new method for prediction of the terminal voltage in li-ion batteries based on the impulse response concept has been proposed. By obtaining the impulse response of the li-ion battery, one can use the terminal current to predict the output voltage of the battery. Online comparison of the predicted and measured terminal voltage provides a tool for online monitoring of the SOH and SOC.
Roles of conformational stability and colloidal stability in the aggregation of recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor

We studied the non‐native aggregation of recombinant human granulocyte stimulating factor (rhGCSF) in solution conditions where native rhGCSF is both conformationally stable compared to its unfolded state and at concentrations well below its solubility limit. Aggregation of rhGCSF first involves the perturbation of its native structure to form a structurally expanded transition state, followed by assembly process to form an irreversible aggregate. The energy barriers of the two steps are reflected in the experimentally measured values of free energy of unfolding (ΔGunf) and osmotic second virial coefficient (B22), respectively. Under solution conditions where rhGCSF conformational stability dominates (i.e., large ΔGunf and negative B22), the first step is rate‐limiting, and increasing ΔGunf (e.g., by the addition of sucrose) decreases aggregation. In solutions where colloidal stability is high (i.e., large and positive B22 values) the second step is rate‐limiting, and solution conditions (e.g., low pH and low ionic strength) that increase repulsive interactions between protein molecules are effective at reducing aggregation. rhGCSF aggregation is thus controlled by both conformational stability and colloidal stability, and depending on the solution conditions, either could be rate‐limiting.
On the effect of vertical spatial diversity on V2V communication for three different platooning scenarios

In this paper the effect of spatial diversity in the vertical direction on V2V communications is evaluated for three different platooning scenarios. Using active ETSI ITS-G5 radios RSSI is monitored for multi links between four trucks. Three trucks drive in a consistent platooning formation and a fourth is used for creating scenarios of meeting, joining or leaving a Platoon. Conclusions are drawn about which scenarios can benefit from vertical spatial diversity and which cannot.
Physical inactivity as a contributing factor for onset of idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Abstract Conclusion: Despite limitations arising from a questionnaire-performed study, it seems that nonspecific physical activity can protect against benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), possibly by relocating loosened otoconia from the semicircular canals. Objectives: Mechanical factors might play a role in the onset of the idiopathic form of BPPV. We performed a structured questionnaire study of physical activity in patients with BPPV and controls. Methods: Sixty-three consecutive patients with idiopathic BPPV participated in the study. Their mean age was 59.2 ± 14.5 years; 14 were men and 49 were women. Sixty-four age- and sex-matched generally healthy individuals served as controls. Levels of physical activity were assessed by the PASE questionnaire, which consists of 12 items quantifying physical activity during leisure, household, and occupational activities over a 7-day period. Results: The total physical score activity was significantly lower in BPPV patients than in controls. Differences were found mainly in household and leisure activity, while occupational activity was similar in both groups, regardless of gender. Patients older than 60 years had significantly lower PASE scores than controls, whereas patients aged 60 years or younger reported similar physical activity to controls. No differences were found between physical activity scores in different types of BPPV or in patients with a first versus recurrent attack of vertigo.
The evolution of coenzyme Q

In the 50 years since the identification of coenzyme Q as an electron carrier in mitochondria, it has been identified with diverse and unexpected functions in cells. Its discovery came as a result of a search for electron carriers in mitochondria following the identification of flavin and cytochromes by Warburg, Keilin, Chance and others. As a result of investigation of membrane lipids at D.E. Green's laboratory at University of Wisconsin coenzyme Q was identified as the electron carrier between primary flavoprotein dehydrogenases and the cytochromes. Then Peter Mitchell identified the role of transmembrane proton transfer as a basis for ATP synthesis. The general distribution of coenzyme Q in all cell membranes then led to the recognition of a role as a primary antioxidant. The protonophoric function was extended to acidification of Golgi and lysosomal vericles. A further role in proton release through the plasma membrane and its relation to cell proliferation has not been fully developed. A role in generation of H2 O2 as a messenger for hormone and cytokine action is indicated as well as prevention of apoptosis by inhibition of ceramide release. Identification of the genes and proteins required for coenzyme Q synthesis has led to a basis for defining deficiency. For 50 years Karl Folkers has led the search for deficiency and therapeutic application. The development of large scale production, better formulation for uptake, and better methods for analysis have furthered this search. The story isn't over yet. Questions remain about effects on membrane structure, breakdown and control of cellular synthesis and uptake and the basis for therapeutic action.