Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Clinical analysis of 17 cases of gastric small cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical data and prognosis of gastric small cell carcinoma (GSCC), summarize recent progress in diagnosis and therapy of this disease reported in the literature, and to provide the theoretical basis for its appropriate treatment. METHODS Clinicopathological data of 17 patients with pathologically confirmed GSCC, treated in our hospital between 1999 to 2012, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS There were 16 males and 1 female, ranged from 46 to 75 years (mean 64.6 years). The tumor was located in the gastric cardia in 13 cases, three in the gastric fundus, and one in the gastric body. All the 17 patients received surgery and 10 of them received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, one received preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Thirteen patients were followed up. Among them, two 1ived for 40 months all along, the other 3 cases died of recurrence and extensive metastasis in 6 month after operation. The median survival was 13.0 months. The median survival of the patients with and without lymph node metastasis were 42 months and 13 months, respectively. The median survival time of stage II and III patients were 24 months and 14 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS It is difficult to make a definite diagnosis before or during the operation for GSCC. Radical operation could be done according to other gastric cancers and lymph node dissection could be simplified. Postoperative chemotherapy with the same scheme as lung small cell carcinoma may help to improve the outcome and prolong the survival of the patients.
Evolutionary loss of cone photoreception in balaenid whales reveals circuit stability in the mammalian retina

The classical understanding of mammalian vision is that it occurs through “duplex” retinae containing both rod and cone photoreceptors, the signals from which are processed through rod‐ and/or cone‐specific signaling pathways. The recent discovery of rod monochromacy in some cetacean lineages provides a novel opportunity to investigate the effects of an evolutionary loss of cone photoreception on retinal organization. Sequence analysis of right whale (Eubalaena glacialis; family Balaenidae) cDNA derived from long‐wavelength sensitive (LWS) cone opsin mRNA identified several mutations in the opsin coding sequence, suggesting the loss of cone cell function, but maintenance of non‐photosensitive, cone opsin mRNA‐expressing cells in the retina. Subsequently, we investigated the retina of the closely related bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus; family Balaenidae) to determine how the loss of cone‐mediated photoreception affects light signaling pathways in the retina. Anti‐opsin immunofluorescence demonstrated the total loss of cone opsin expression in B. mysticetus, whereas light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and bipolar cell (protein kinase C‐α [PKC‐α] and recoverin) immunofluorescence revealed the maintenance of cone soma, putative cone pedicles, and both rod and cone bipolar cell types. These findings represent the first immunological and anatomical evidence of a naturally occurring rod‐monochromatic mammalian retina, and suggest that despite the loss of cone‐mediated photoreception, the associated cone signaling structures (i.e., cone synapses and cone bipolar cells) may be maintained for multichannel rod‐based signaling in balaenid whales. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:2873–2885, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Machines as Teammates: A Collaboration Research Agenda

Humans will soon need to adapt to a collaborative setting in which technology becomes a smart collaboration partner that works with a group to achieve its goals. It is therefore time for collaboration researchers to explore the vast opportunities afforded by smart technology and to test its utility for enhancing team processes and outcomes. In this paper, we take a long view on the implications of smart technology for collaboration process design, and propose a research agenda for the next decade of collaboration research. We create a reference model to frame the research agenda.
Automatic Selection of Optimal Sample Rate for Band-Pass Signals

Data acquisition systems (DAS) play a fundamental role in a lot of modern measurement solutions. One of the parameters characterizing a DAS is its maximum sample rate, which poses constraints on signals that can be alias-free digitized. Band-pass sampling theory singles out separated ranges of admissible sample rates which can be significantly lower than carrier frequency. But, how to choose the most convenient sample rate according to the purpose at hand? The paper proposes a method mandated to the automatic selection of optimal sample rate for band-pass signals, which takes also into account the effects of sample clock instability and limited resolution. The proposed method allows the user to choose the location of spectral replicas of the sampled signal in terms of normalized frequency, and the minimum guard-band between replicas, thus introducing a feature that no DAS currently available on the market seems to offer. Experimental tests on band-pass digitally modulated signals for communications are carried out to verify the concurrence of actual central frequency with the expected one
Running for elected office: Indigenous candidates, ambition and self-government

ABSTRACT Over the last 40 years, Indigenous communities in Canada have negotiated self-government agreements that allow them to express politically their unique identities, traditions and beliefs within the confines of the federal system. In this paper, we examine the motivations and range of candidates that have run for political office at the regional level in Nunatsiavut, an Inuit self-governing community in northern Labrador created through the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement in 2005. In particular, we examine whether existing political behavior theories are applicable to Indigenous candidates running for office in these kinds of regions. To do so, we qualitatively analyze data from Nunatsiavut elections held between 2006 and 2017, including 11 elite interviews with candidates that ran for the office of Ordinary Member in 2014 and 10 interviews with candidates from other years. Our findings suggest that gender, and to a lesser extent, family dynamics, as well as, public attitudes towards candidates and negative attacks, may be barriers to running for office.
Association of chronic disease prevalence and quality of life with suicide-related ideation and suicide attempt among Korean adults

Aims: The aim of this study is to find the association of chronic disease prevalence (CDP) with suicide-related ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA) and to determine the combined effect of CDP and quality of life (QoL) with SI or SA. Design: This was a cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: The data were collected from the nationally representative Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV and V (2007–2012). For the analysis, a total of 35,075 adult participants were selected as the final sample, which included 5773 participants with SI and 331 with SA. Statistical Analysis: Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the odds ratio after adjusting for age, sex, marital status, education, occupation, and household income. Results and Conclusion: SI was positively associated with selected CDP, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, ischemic heart disease (IHD), cancer, diabetes, renal failure, and depression, except hypertension. Subjects with CVD, IHD, renal failure, and depression were found likely to have increased odds for SA as compared to non-SA controls. Lower QoL strongly affected SI and SA. Furthermore, the likelihood of SI increased for depressed and cancer subjects who had low QoL in comparison to subjects with high QoL and without chronic disease. Similarly, statistically, significant interaction was observed between lower QoL and depression in relation to SA compared to non-SA controls. These data suggest that suicide-related behavior could be predicted by the prevalence of chronic disease and low QoL.
Nutritional factors affecting the fatty acid composition of bovine milk

The predominant fatty acids in milk are the long-chain fatty acids myristic, palmitic and stearic. These saturated fatty acids account for 75 % of the total fatty acids, with a further 21 % occurring as monounsaturated fatty acids of which the most prevalent is oleic acid. Only 4 g/lOO g of the milk fatty acids are polyunsaturated, occurring mainly as linoleic and linolenic acids. All milk fatty acids are derived, almost equally, from either de novo synthesis or directly from preformed fatty acids in the diet. There are four main dietary sources of fatty acids: forages, oilseeds, fish oil and fat supplements. The digestive tract exerts a profound influence on the fate of dietary fatty acids. The short-chain saturated free fatty acids are absorbed through the walls of the rumen or abomasum into the bloodstream. The medium- and longer-chain saturated fatty acids pass into the small intestine, diffuse across the membrane wall where they are incorporated into lipoproteins and enter the bloodstream via the lymphatic system. The majority of unsaturated fatty acids are extensively hydrogenated in the rumen. However, recent work has shown that the levels of certain saturated fatty acids can be reduced and the levels of oleic, linoleic and linolenic fatty acids increased by feeding oilseeds rich in mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, work reported here has confirmed that eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids can be transferred to milk when a diet containing fish oil is fed, but the transfer efficiencies are low
New media for the semiselective isolation and enumeration of Xanthomonas campestris pv. mangiferaeindicae, the causal agent of mango bacterial black spot

Aims: Mango bacterial black spot, caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. mangiferaeindicae, is a potentially severe disease in several tropical and subtropical areas. Data describing the life cycle of the pathogen are needed for improving integrated pest management strategies. Because of the important bacterial microflora associated with mango leaves, isolation of the pathogen is often difficult using nonselective agar media.
Repeatable measurement of local and zonal GFR in the rat kidney with aprotinin.

The basic polypeptide aprotinin (Ap), mol. wt 6513, is freely filtered in glomeruli and completely reabsorbed by the proximal tubules. Cellular processing is slow with return to plasma of breakdown products beginning after 20-30 min. When corrected for Gibbs-Donnan distribution of Ap between glomerular filtrate and plasma (i.e. 0.65 at a plasma protein concentration of 50 mg ml-1), the renal clearance of [125I]Ap, estimated as the ratio of kidney uptake and integrated non-protein bound plasma 125I concentration, equals that of [51Cr]EDTA (urine + kidney content). Zonal GFR per gram tissue was obtained from uptake in three to six samples from outer and inner cortex (OC, IC) and the cortico-medullary border zone, 5-30 min after i.v. injection in rats. Control GFR in OC was 2.05 (SD 0.39) ml g-1 min-1 and the IC/OC ratio 0.66 (SD 0.14). Repeated local clearances (CI and CII) were obtained by injecting a second tracer (i.e. [131I]Ap) 15 min after the first injection (i.e. [125I]Ap), which by then had a low plasma concentration. The kidneys were removed at 30 min, frozen and dissected. During control conditions CII/CI averaged 1.06 in OC and IC, and the coefficient of variation (CV) between CII/CI ratios of individual tissue samples was 2% in both zones. Lowering left renal arterial pressure before the second injection reduced GFR proportionally in both zones (34 and 37%) with a CV of intersample CII/CI ratios of 5%. We conclude that the method allows precise and repeatable measurements of local and zonal GFR.
Distention of the colon is associated with initiation of propagated contractions in children

Abstract The presence of high‐amplitude propagating contractions (HAPCs) has been identified as a marker of colonic neuromuscular integrity. The physiologic mechanisms of HAPCs initiation have yet to be determined. Distention secondary to colonic filling has been hypothesized as physiologic initiator. The aim of this study was to study the effect of intraluminal balloon distention in the colon of children with defecatory disorders. Colonic manometry was performed with a polyethylene balloon situated at the proximal end of the catheter, which was placed in the most proximal colonic segment reached during colonoscopy. A stepwise pressure controlled distention of the balloon was performed using barostat computer (10–50 mmHg). Propagated contractions were defined as those that migrated over at least three recording sites. They were divided into HAPCs, amplitude >60 mmHg and low‐amplitude propagating contractions (LAPCs), amplitude <60 mmHg. Children with spontaneous HAPCs or HAPCs after bisacodyl provocation were considered to have normal motility. Twenty children completed the study. Among the 14 children with normal colonic motility, balloon distention elicited HAPCs in four and LAPCs in 10 children. No HAPC were elicited in six children with abnormal motility and LAPCs were seen in four of them. The balloon‐induced propagated contractions had similar characteristics as those occurring spontaneously and after bisacodyl provocation but the pressure needed to elicit them and their amplitude was inconsistent. These findings suggest that intraluminal distention can trigger propagated contractions in children. This mechanism of action for induction of propagated contractions is not as consistent as the motor response found in response to bisacodyl administration.
Attracting young academics into the field of psychiatry and psychotherapy in Switzerland – The Zurich ‘study focus on psychiatry’ and training concept for medical psychotherapy

Abstract For several years the demand regarding psychiatrists in Switzerland can only be satisfied by recruiting colleagues from other countries. Given the global increase of mental disorders, initiatives encouraging young academics to choose psychiatry as their speciality, and enhancing the attractiveness of our field, are urgently needed. Two projects for the promotion of young academics are presented in this paper, one working with medical students, the other with residents in psychiatry. The Zurich ‘Study Focus on Psychiatry’ provides medical students with knowledge and key competencies in psychiatry at an early stage of their undergraduate training. This way, students are offered an opportunity to have a thorough look into psychiatry as a clinical specialism and as a science. The three-year psychotherapy training curriculum in medical psychotherapy provides residents in psychiatry and psychotherapy with specific training in either cognitive behavioural, or psychodynamic, or systemic psychotherapy. Additionally, and independent of the psychotherapeutic orientation they have chosen, all trainees attend joint sessions focusing on generic elements of psychotherapy and facilitating a hands-on transfer of psychotherapeutic principles into their clinical routine. These two projects aim at enhancing the attractiveness of psychiatry and psychotherapy as a speciality, and thus contributing to the promotion of young academics.
Recovery of Infectious Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus from Suckling Mice after Direct Inoculation with In Vitro-Transcribed RNA

ABSTRACT We assayed the infectivity of naked foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) RNA by direct inoculation of suckling mice. Our results demonstrate that transcripts generated from full-length cDNA clones were infectious, as was virion-extracted RNA. Interestingly, infectious virus could be recovered from a mutant transcript encoding amino acid substitution L-147→P in capsid protein VP1, known to be noninfectious for BHK-21 cells. The model described here provides a useful tool for virulence studies in vivo, bypassing possible selection of variants during viral replication in cell culture.
Cell‐Free Plasma DNA as a Prognostic Marker in Intensive Treatment Unit Patients

Abstract: Recent evidence suggests that cell‐free plasma DNA has potential use as a prognostic marker in many clinical settings. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of cell‐free plasma DNA in the prediction of clinical outcome in intensive treatment unit (ITU) patients. Cell‐free plasma DNA was measured by real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay for the β‐globin gene and SOFA score, APACHE II score, CRP concentrations, and clinical outcome (duration of stay, ventilation time, and mortality) were noted in 94 patients on admission to the ITU. The median plasma DNA concentration in ITU patients was 5493 GE/mL and this was significantly (P <0.001) higher than the DNA concentration in healthy subjects (1970 GE/mL). DNA concentration demonstrated a significant correlation with serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) (r= 0.363) concentration and S epsis‐related O rgan F ailure A ssessment (SOFA) (r= 0.360) score (P <0.001 for both by Pearson correlation) but not with A cute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score. Patients on ventilation had significantly higher DNA concentrations compared to nonventilated patients (7362 GE/mL versus 4479 GE/mL; P= 0.004). The median DNA concentration in nonsurvivors was 9148 GE/mL, and this was 2.3‐fold greater than that in survivors (3921 GE/ml, P <0.001). ROC analysis of the data indicated a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 80% when DNA concentration of 6109 GE/mL was taken as a predictor of death. The data suggest that cell‐free plasma DNA concentration is potentially useful as a prognostic marker in ITU patients.
A Mellin transform approach to barrier option pricing

A barrier option is an exotic path-dependent option contract that, depending on terms, automatically expires or can be exercised only if the underlying asset ever reaches a predetermined barrier price. Using a partial differential equation approach, we provide an integral representation of the barrier option price via the Mellin transform. In the case of knock-out barrier options, we obtain a decomposition of the barrier option price into the corresponding European option value minus a barrier premium. The integral representation formula can be expressed in terms of the solution to a system of coupled Volterra integral equations of the first kind. Moreover, we suggest some possible numerical approaches to the problem of barrier option pricing.
Does infiltration of neutrophils in peritubular capillaries indicate humoral rejection? A case displaying a characteristic lesion of a significantly high amount of neutrophils in peritubular capillaries at 1‐h graft biopsy during transplant operation

Inagaki H, Takeda A, Sato T, Watanabe I, Katayama A, Haba T, Tominaga Y, Uchida K, Oikawa T, Morozumi K. Does infiltration of neutrophils in peritubular capillaries indicate humoral rejection? A case displaying a characteristic lesion of a significantly high amount of neutrophils in peritubular capillaries at 1‐h graft biopsy during transplant operation. Clin Transplantation 2001: 15 (Supplement 5): 35–40. ©Munksgaard, 2001
Autocrine Growth Factor Regulation of Lysyl Oxidase Expression in Transformed Fibroblasts*

Lysyl oxidase catalyzes oxidative deamination of peptidyl-lysine and hydroxylysine residues in collagens and lysine residues in elastin to form peptidyl aldehydes that are required for the formation of covalent cross-links in normal extracellular matrix biosynthesis. Lysyl oxidase in addition has tumor suppressor activity, and phenotypic reversion of transformed cell lines is accompanied by increased lysyl oxidase expression. The mechanism of low expression of lysyl oxidase in tumor cells is unknown. The present study investigates the hypothesis that autocrine growth factor pathways maintain low lysyl oxidase expression levels in c-H-ras-transformed fibroblasts (RS485 cell line). Autocrine pathways were blocked with suramin, a general inhibitor of growth factor receptor binding, and resulted in more than a 10-fold increase in lysyl oxidase expression and proenzyme production. This regulation was found to be reversible and occurred at the transcriptional level determined using lysyl oxidase promoter/reporter gene assays. Function blocking anti-fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) antibody enhanced lysyl oxidase expression in the absence of suramin. Finally, the addition of FGF-2 to suramin-treated cells completely reversed suramin stimulation of lysyl oxidase mRNA levels. Data support that an FGF-2 autocrine pathway inhibits lysyl oxidase transcription in the tumorigenic-transformed RS485 cell line. This finding may be of therapeutic significance and, in addition, provides a new experimental approach to investigate the mechanism of the tumor suppressor activity of lysyl oxidase.
Convergence analysis of weight-controlled nonlinear soft interference cancellation methods for DS-CDMA systems

In this paper, the convergence behaviors of the weight-controlled nonlinear successive and parallel interference cancellation methods are investigated. These algorithms are shown to converge to the same solution if the interference cancellation weights satisfy some requirements decided by the eigenvalues of the correlation matrix. Due to the presence of interference cancellation weight, both algorithms have much better convergence properties than the conventional nonlinear successive and parallel interference cancellation methods. Alternatively, they can help to reduce the computational complexities and the processing delay considerably for practical systems.
Nutrient-specific compensatory feeding in a mammalian carnivore, the mink, Neovison vison

Balancing of macronutrient intake has only recently been demonstrated in predators. In particular, the ability to regulate carbohydrate intake is little studied in obligate carnivores, as carbohydrate is present at very low concentrations in prey animal tissue. In the present study, we determined whether American mink (Neovison vison) would compensate for dietary nutritional imbalances by foraging for complementary macronutrients (protein, lipid and carbohydrate) when subsequently given a dietary choice. We used three food pairings, within which two macronutrients differed relative to each other (high v. low concentration), while the third was kept at a constant level. The mink were first restricted to a single nutritionally imbalanced food for 7 d and then given a free choice to feed from the same food or a nutritionally complementary food for three consecutive days. When restricted to nutritionally imbalanced foods, the mink were willing to overingest protein only to a certain level (‘ceiling’). When subsequently given a choice, the mink compensated for the period of nutritional imbalance by selecting the nutritionally complementary food in the food choice pairing. Notably, this rebalancing occurred for all the three macronutrients, including carbohydrate, which is particularly interesting as carbohydrate is not a major macronutrient for obligate carnivores in nature. However, there was also a ceiling to carbohydrate intake, as has been demonstrated previously in domestic cats. The results of the present study show that mink regulate their intake of all the three macronutrients within limits imposed by ceilings on protein and carbohydrate intake and that they will compensate for a period of nutritional imbalance by subsequently selecting nutritionally complementary foods.