Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lymphocyte subsets in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE Although chronic myocardial inflammatory process mediated by viral and autoimmune factors has been postulated in the pathogenesis of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC), the role of autoimmune mechanisms still remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the rates of various T cell subsets and natural killer (NK) cells in peripheral blood in order to see whether they had a role in the immunoregulation of IDC. METHODS The surface markers of peripheral T and B lymphocytes were detected and percentages of pan T and B cells as well as helper (CD4+) and suppressor (CD8+) T lymphocytes subsets in the peripheral blood and their ratio (CD4+/CD8+) were determined in 27 patients with IDC and in 20 healthy controls. NK cell percentage was also studied. RESULTS There were no significant differences between IDC and control groups with respect to T and B cell percentages. The percentages of CD4+ T cell subsets were similar in both groups (48.7 +/- 8.7% vs. 43.5 +/- 9.7% respectively; p = 0.107). CD8+ T cell percentage was significantly decreased in patients with IDC than in controls (22.6 +/- 7.7% vs. 28.2 +/- 8.2%, respectively; p = 0.044). CD4+/CD8+ ratio was markedly higher in patients with IDC than controls (2.6 +/- 1.8 vs. 1.6 +/- 0.6, respectively; p = 0.006). There was no significant difference in the NK cell percentage between groups. CONCLUSION Decreased CD8+ T cell subset is the cause of increased CD4+/CD8+ ratio, which may imply decreased self-tolerance and an immunoregulatory defect in the pathogenesis of IDC.
Education as protector against dementia, but what exactly do we mean by education?

OBJECTIVES even though a great number of research studies have shown that high education has protective effects against dementia, some studies did not observe such a significant effect. In that respect, the aim of our study was to investigate and compare various operationalisation approaches of education and how they impact dementia risk within one sample. METHODS data were derived from the Leipzig longitudinal study of the aged (LEILA75+). Individuals aged 75 and older underwent six cognitive assessments at an interval of 1.5 years and a final follow-up 15 years after the baseline assessment. We operationalised education according to different approaches used in previous studies and analysed the impact on dementia incidence via multivariate cox regression modelling. RESULTS the results showed that whether education is identified as significant protector against dementia strongly depends on the operationalisation of education. Whereas the pure number of years of education showed statistically significant protective effects on dementia risk, other more complex categorical classification approaches did not. Moreover, completing >10 years of education or a tertiary level seems to be an important threshold to significantly reduce dementia risk. CONCLUSION findings suggest a protective effect of more years of education on a lower dementia risk with a particular critical threshold of completing >10 years of education. Further, the findings highlight that, when examining risks and protective factors of dementia, a careful consideration of the underlying definitions and operationalisation approaches is required.
Prospective Evaluation of Serum CA 125 Levels for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer

Detection of ovarian cancer at an early stage should reduce the mortality associated with this disease. Through the Stockholm Population Registry, 5550 apparently healthy women were enrolled in a study designed in part to define the use of the CA 125 radioimmunoassay (RIA) as an initial test for early detection of ovarian cancer. Women whose CA 125 levels were elevated and an equal number of age-matched controls with normal levels were followed by means of pelvic examinations, transabdominal sonography, and serial CA 125 determinations. Of the 175 women with high CA 125 levels, six were found to have ovarian cancer: two each in stages IA, IIB, and IIIC. Of those with normal-range CA 125 levels, three had ovarian cancer as identified through the Swedish Cancer Registry; all three were under 50 years of age. Ovarian cancer was diagnosed on laparotomy in six of the women age 50 or over. Using thresholds of 30 and 35 U/mL, the rates of specificity for the CA 125 RIA were 97 and 98.5%, respectively, for women age 50 or older, and 91 and 94.5%, respectively, for those younger than 50 years of age. Thus, the specificity of the CA 125 RIA is adequate in postmenopausal women to undertake a larger study to determine whether screening using CA 125 influences survival of patients with ovarian cancer.
Irinotecan (CPT-11) high-dose escalation using intensive high-dose loperamide to control diarrhea.

BACKGROUND Diarrhea is a serious side effect that may prevent the administration of high doses of the antitumor drug Irinotecan (CPT-11). PURPOSE Intensive, high-dose loperamide was used in an attempt to control or downstage CPT-11-induced diarrhea and thus permit the use of higher dose intensities of CPT-11. METHODS Twenty-three patients with various cancers were treated with doses of CPT-11 ranging from 400 to 600 mg/m2, administered as a 30-minute intravenous infusion every 3 weeks. Starting 8 hours or more after the administration of CPT-11, any episode of diarrhea was treated with 2 mg of loperamide taken every 2 hours. Patients stopped taking loperamide only after a 12-hour diarrhea-free period. If diarrhea was not controlled after 3 consecutive days of nonstop loperamide intake, or if the patient was dehydrated, loperamide was stopped and the patient was hospitalized for intravenous fluids. If blood or mucus were found in the stools at any time during diarrhea, loperamide was stopped and the patient was hospitalized. RESULTS Seventeen of 23 patients had diarrhea while on CPT-11 treatment. Eighty-two CPT-11 cycles were administered to these 17 patients, and diarrhea occurred in 49 of these cycles, at a median time-to-onset of 6 days after CPT-11 administration. The loperamide protocol was followed in 46 of the 49 episodes of diarrhea, with 21 capsules of loperamide the median number being taken (range, 5-72). Only one patient was hospitalized for failure to respond to loperamide, and no major toxicity was associated with loperamide use. Fourteen of the 17 patients who experienced diarrhea were rechallenged with CPT-11 three or more times, and seven patients six or more times. CONCLUSIONS High-dose loperamide controlled diarrhea in patients receiving CPT-11 and allowed administration of higher doses of CPT-11. IMPLICATIONS The effectiveness of CPT-11 might be increased by higher dose intensities, which can be made tolerable by control of diarrhea with loperamide.
Game design: the mapping of cognitive task analysis and game discourse analysis in creating effective and entertaining serious games

Motivation -- Game design and instructional design have to be reconciled in order to create effective and engaging serious games. However, a methodology for this purpose is not yet available. Research approach -- Such a methodology should meet two requirements. It should provide (1) a taxonomy of categories that can be used to describe both information related to learning objectives (e.g., cognitive skills) and information describing the dynamics of the game, (2) guidelines to trigger learning naturally in the game. Findings/Design -- Our proposed methodology comprises two stages. First, a cognitive task analysis (CTA) is made of the task or the domain that has to be learned. Second, the information of this analysis has to be integrated with game-related information elements using our Game Discourse Analysis (GDA). We developed a taxonomy of information elements, types of relations and aggregates of information elements which form the tools for the GDA. We showcase the methodology in the domain of triage. In addition, we present two pilot studies to validate our claims. Research limitations/Implications -- Although the two pilot studies provide some evidence for our claims, more research is needed. Originality/Value -- Currently, the community of (serious) games designers lacks an instrument to design engaging serious games, to communicate about these games and to make comparisons between serious games. Our methodology fills in this gap. Take away message -- Serious game design requires a methodology (GDA) that enables designers to describe, visualize, understand and manipulate the information flow in games in order to create effective and engaging serious games.
Psychometric properties of the Stress and Crisis Inventory (SCI-93) in females with fibromyalgia and chronic widespread pain

Abstract Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic widespread pain (CWP) are commonly associated with symptoms such as fatigue, stiffness, tension, exhaustion and psychological distress. Research on biological markers of the degree of stress symptoms has been conducted for decades. However, biological markers do not offer sufficient information for clinical practice, and thus, validated rating scales are still the best assessment option. The Stress and Crisis Inventory-93 (SCI-93) was designed to assess the severity of symptoms that are primarily related to the autonomous nervous system. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the SCI-93 with regard to known-group validity, internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Methods: The study included 166 women with FM or CWP in addition to 157 age-matched healthy women. The test–retest reliability was investigated in 40 women with FM. Results: A one-factor solution was chosen, which explained 53% of the total variance; Cronbach's alpha was 0.98. The group of patients with FM and CWP showed significantly higher SCI-93 total scores than the healthy reference group (mean = 76.4 ± 24.9 vs. mean = 24.9 ± 21.3; P < 0.001), supporting known-group validity. In the test–retest reliability study, the intra class correlation for the SCI-93 total score was 0.95. Conclusions: The SCI-93 demonstrated satisfactory known-group validity and test–retest reliability. The instrument appears to reflect well the severity of autonomous symptoms.
Noise trauma alters D‐[3H]aspartate release and AMPA binding in chinchilla cochlear nucleus

Exposure of adults to loud noise can overstimulate the auditory system, damage the cochlea, and destroy cochlear nerve axons and their synaptic endings in the brain. Cochlear nerve loss probably results from the death of cochlear inner hair cells (IHC). Additional degeneration in the cochlear nucleus (CN) is hypothesized to stem from overstimulation of the system, which may produce excitotoxicity. This study tested these predictions by exposing one ear of anesthetized adult chinchillas to a loud noise, which damaged the ipsilateral cochlea and induced degeneration in the glutamatergic cochlear nerve. During the first postexposure week, before cochlear nerve axons degenerated, glutamatergic synaptic release in the ipsilateral CN was elevated and uptake was depressed, consistent with hyperactivity of glutamatergic transmission and perhaps with the operation of an excitotoxic mechanism. By 14 days, when cochlear nerve fibers degenerated, glutamatergic synaptic release and uptake in the CN became deficient. By 90 days, a resurgence of transmitter release and an elevation of AMPA receptor binding suggested transmission upregulation through plasticity that resembled changes after mechanical cochlear damage. These changes may contribute to tinnitus and other pathologic symptoms that precede and accompany hearing loss. In contrast, the other ear, protected with a silicone plug during the noise exposure, exhibited virtually no damage in the cochlea or the cochlear nerve. Altered glutamatergic release and AMPA receptor binding activity in the CN suggested upregulatory plasticity driven by signals emanating from the CN on the noise‐exposed side. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Translationally controlled tumor protein: A protein identified in several nontumoral cells including erythrocytes

The translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is a growth‐related protein which is regulated at the translational level. It is present in mammals, higher plants and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This study was undertaken to localize and further characterize the TCTP in human cell lysates using two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis, monoclonal antibodies, and 45Ca‐gel overlay. TCTP was found in several healthy and tumoral cells including erythrocytes, hepatocytes, macrophages, platelets, keratinocytes, erythroleukemia cells, gliomas, melanomas, hepatoblastomas, and lymphomas. It could not be detected in kidney and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). A monoclonal antibody raised against TCTP detected three isoforms likely due to post‐translational modifications. A calcium binding property was found as well as heat stability and cytoplasmic localization. The high degree of homology from plants to man and its expression in many tissues suggests that TCTP most likely has a cell housekeeping function.
Melatonin or l‐tryptophan accelerates healing of gastroduodenal ulcers in patients treated with omeprazole

Abstract: Melatonin and l‐tryptophan (Trp) are highly gastroprotective in humans, but no study has assessed their impact on healing of chronic gastroduodenal ulcers in humans. Three groups (A, B and C) of 14 idiopathic patients in each treatment group with gastroduodenal chronic ulcers were treated with omeprazole (20 mg twice daily) combined either with placebo (group A), melatonin (group B) or with Trp (group C). The rate of ulcer healing was determined by gastroduodenoscopy at day 0, 7, 14 and 21 after initiation of therapy. Plasma melatonin, gastrin, ghrelin and leptin were measured by RIA. On day 7, omeprazole by itself (group A) had not healed any ulcers, but four ulcers were healed with omeprazole plus melatonin and two with omeprazole plus tryptophan. At day 21, all ulcers were healed in patients treated with melatonin or Trp, but only 10–12 ulcers were healed in placebo‐treated patients. After treatment with omeprazole plus melatonin (group B) or Trp (group C), plasma melatonin levels rose several‐fold above initial values. Plasma gastrin level also rose significantly during treatment with omeprazole plus melatonin or Trp, but it was also significantly increased in patients treated with omeprazole plus placebo. Plasma ghrelin levels did not change significantly after treatment with melatonin or Trp, while plasma leptin increased significantly in patients treated with melatonin or Trp but not with placebo. We conclude that melatonin or Trp, when added to omeprazole treatment, accelerates ulcer healing and this likely depends mainly upon the significant increments in plasma melatonin.
Benefits of intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy during curative surgery in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer

Background There is little information on the impact of intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy on gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer and undergoing curative resection, with a focus on evaluating survival benefits and tolerance of intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinicopathological data for 264 consecutive patients who underwent curative resection for gastric cancer at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2002 to January 2007. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan‐Meier method and compared using log‐rank tests. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazard model. Results Patients who received intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy had higher 5‐year overall survival and 5‐year disease‐free survival rates (P=0.019 and 0.010, respectively) than patients who did not receive intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy. In the subgroup analysis, systemic intra‐operative chemotherapy benefited the 5‐year overall survival and disease‐free survival rates for patients with cancer of stage pTNM IB‐IIIB, but not stage pTNM IIIC. Patients who received intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy in combination with post‐operative chemotherapy had higher 5‐year overall survival and 5‐year disease‐free survival rates (P=0.046 and 0.021, respectively) than patients who only received postoperative chemotherapy. However, the difference in these rates between patients who received only intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy and patients who only received curative surgery was not statistically significant (P=0.150 and 0.170, respectively). Multivariate analyses showed that intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy was a favorable prognostic factor for the overall survival and disease‐free survival rates (P =0.048 and 0.023, respectively). No grade 4 toxicities related to intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy were recorded within the 4 weeks after surgery. Conclusion Intra‐operative systemic chemotherapy during curative surgery may benefit patients with stage pTNM IB‐IIIB gastric cancer in terms of both overall survival and disease‐free survival.
Biobehavioral Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults Prenatally Exposed to Cocaine: Evidence From Animal Models

Cocaine has been a popular illicit drug among drug-using pregnant women over the last three decades. Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) has significant effects on children's development throughout early childhood. Very few human studies, however, report the effects of PCE on adolescent or early-adult development. As knowledge about early childhood effects in human children was informed by animal studies, this review considers the effects of PCE on behavioral outcomes in adolescent and young adult animals and provides potential guidance for research in human children. Animal models prenatally exposed to cocaine manifest play deficits, decreased social interaction, and increased aggression during competition in adolescence and young adulthood. Altered behavioral adaptation after stress exposure, including hormonal response change, is also evident. Attention deficits are reported in adult offspring with PCE, not only in a novel environment, but also in a final task session, indicating effects of PCE on transition and maintenance of attention. Animal studies support that PCE effects may extend beyond early childhood and continue to adolescence and adulthood. Additionally, some studies highlight that behavioral changes in offspring with PCE born without teratogenesis remain latent and reveal themselves during adulthood when animals are under stress conditions. Based on the evidence from animal models, well-designed human studies are needed to elucidate the effects of PCE on older human children. Research models that combine behavioral measures with stressful challenges may hold potential in discerning a longer term influence of PCE.
Research on the digital coupon of mobile two-dimensional code based on RSA digital signature

digital coupon is an application system which makes the coupon circulating on internet by the digital forms. The real commercial system hasn't presented yet in current domestic. The problem lies in the function realization of transferring, prevention of repeated consumption and non-repudiation. In this research, the author puts forward with a set of solutions for digital coupon system based on authentication technology of digital signature, and carried by mobile two-dimensional code by analyzing the relevant studies at home and aboard, and integrating the current popular encryption and transmission technology. The testing system resulted by this study is with innovation, good implementation efficiency and practicality. The obtained theory and experience can be a meaningful reference to other studies in relevant fields.
Measurement of Electrical Current Perception Threshold of Sensory Nerves for Pruritus in Atopic Dermatitis Patients and Normal Individuals with Various Degrees of Mild Damage to the Stratum corneum

Background: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) are well known to be sensitive to irritation from the environment due to the impaired function of the stratum corneum (SC). Electrical current perception threshold (CPT) evaluation quantifies the sensory threshold to transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the sensory nerves. Objective: To study the CPT in a noninvasive fashion using Neurometer® CPT/C, together with measurements of various functions of the SC. Methods: We measured the CPT on the flexor forearm and cheek of AD patients and normal individuals. Subsequently, we evaluated the CPT and skin sensitivity to a 30% aqueous solution of lactic acid after the infliction of various mildly disruptive measures on the SC on the flexor forearm of healthy individuals by the following three methods: (1) removal of the superficial sebum with acetone/ether, (2) scarification with a needle and (3) tape stripping of the SC. Finally, we examined the effect of topical applications of emollients such as petrolatum or a moisturizing cream to the scratched skin. Results: AD patients showed a lower barrier function and lower CPT than normal individuals. In subsequent studies conducted in normal individuals, the CPT was found to be inversely correlated with transepidermal water loss (TEWL) levels after tape stripping. However, most of all, the partial superficial scarification with a needle decreased the CPT and increased the lactic acid stinging response. Prolonged removal of lipids from the SC with acetone/ether for 30 min that increased the TEWL levels for only 1 day decreased the high-frequency conductance value for 2 days and the CPT only on the 2nd day after treatment. Topical applications of emollients were effective to prevent the increased sensitivity caused by scratching. Conclusions: AD patients showed functional abnormalities of the SC and tended to have more sensitive skin on the cheek and flexor forearm than healthy controls. Even focal SC damage caused by superficial cracking may lead to further disruption of the already damaged SC in AD patients, by eliciting scratching and facilitating the permeation of various environmental allergens and also the induction of hypersensitive skin.
Special session: quality-configurable memory hierarchy through approximation

The memory subsystem is a major contributor to the overall performance and energy consumption of embedded computing platforms. The emergence of "killer" applications such as data-intensive recognition, mining, and synthesis (RMS) applications puts even more stress on the memory subsystem and exacerbates its energy consumption. Traditional mechanisms to ensure data integrity deploy overdesign (e.g., redundancy and error detection/correction) and/or guard-banding that consumes a significant part of the energy consumed in the memory subsystem. We explore opportunities for energy efficiency by exploiting the intrinsic tolerance of a vast class of approximate computing applications to some level of error in the on-chip memory hierarchy. We present two exemplars outlining the typical software and hardware mechanisms that are required for different components in the memory hierarchy, implemented in varying technologies such as SRAM and STT-MRAM.