Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyses of clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation in liver cancer adjacent to the gallbladder and its prognosis.

PURPOSE To explore the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in liver cancer adjacent to the gallbladder and to analyze its prognosis. METHODS 80 patients with liver cancer adjacent to the gallbladder, who were admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to April 2018, were enrolled and divided into the Observation group (n=40) and the Control group (n=40). All of the patients underwent cholecystectomy and lymph node dissection combined with postoperative chemotherapy. RFA was performed in the Observation group, while radical cholecystectomy and radical hepatectomy were conducted simultaneously in the Control group. Follow up was by telephone, and tumor-associated factor levels, liver function and cellular and humoral immune function-related indicators at 1 month after intervention, tumor size before and after treatment and cases of normal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level and tumor disappearance after treatment were compared between the two groups. The complications rates during treatment (increase in transaminases, elevation of bilirubin, intratumoral hemorrhage, bile duct injury and gastrointestinal perforation), clinical efficacy and 1-year survival in the two groups were statistically analyzed. RESULTS At 1 month after intervention, the Observation group had substantially lower levels of tumor-associated factors AFP, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (p<0.05), obviously lower levels of liver function indicators aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBIL), indirect bilirubin (IBIL) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) (p<0.05), but distinctly higher levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA and IgM, cluster of differentiation 4+ (CD4+), CD8+ and CD4+/CD8+ (p<0.05) than the Control group. Before and after treatment, the tumor size in the Observation group was smaller than in the Control group (p<0.05). The Observation group exhibited notably more cases of normal APF level and tumor disappearance after treatment (p<0.05), markedly lower incidence rates of increase in transaminases, elevation of bilirubin, intratumoral hemorrhage, bile duct injury and gastrointestinal perforation during treatment (p<0.05) than the Control group. Additionally, the rate of stable disease (SD) was notably higher and the 1-year survival rate was higher in the Observation group than in the Control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS RFA for liver cancer adjacent to the gallbladder can effectively lower the levels of tumor markers, improve liver function and enhance immunity, with a few operative complications and high efficacy, so it has a positive impact in prolonging the survival of patients.
DNMT1 mutations leading to neurodegeneration paradoxically reflect on mitochondrial metabolism

Abstract ADCA-DN and HSN-IE are rare neurodegenerative syndromes caused by dominant mutations in the replication foci targeting sequence (RFTS) of the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) gene. Both phenotypes resemble mitochondrial disorders, and mitochondrial dysfunction was first observed in ADCA-DN. To explore mitochondrial involvement, we studied the effects of DNMT1 mutations in fibroblasts from four ADCA-DN and two HSN-IE patients. We documented impaired activity of purified DNMT1 mutant proteins, which in fibroblasts results in increased DNMT1 amount. We demonstrated that DNMT1 is not localized within mitochondria, but it is associated with the mitochondrial outer membrane. Concordantly, mitochondrial DNA failed to show meaningful CpG methylation. Strikingly, we found activated mitobiogenesis and OXPHOS with significant increase of H2O2, sharply contrasting with a reduced ATP content. Metabolomics profiling of mutant cells highlighted purine, arginine/urea cycle and glutamate metabolisms as the most consistently altered pathways, similar to primary mitochondrial diseases. The most severe mutations showed activation of energy shortage AMPK-dependent sensing, leading to mTORC1 inhibition. We propose that DNMT1 RFTS mutations deregulate metabolism lowering ATP levels, as a result of increased purine catabolism and urea cycle pathways. This is associated with a paradoxical mitochondrial hyper-function and increased oxidative stress, possibly resulting in neurodegeneration in non-dividing cells.
CDC6 regulates both G2/M transition and metaphase-to-anaphase transition during the first meiosis of mouse oocytes

Cell division cycle protein CDC6 is essential for the initiation of DNA replication. CDC6 was recently shown to inhibit the microtubule-organizing activity of the centrosome. Here, we show that CDC6 is localized to the spindle from Pro-MI to MII stages of oocytes, and it plays important roles at two critical steps of oocyte meiotic maturation. CDC6 depletion facilitated the G2/M transition (GV breakdown, GVBD) through regulation of Cdh1 and cyclin B1 expression and CDK1 phosphorylation in a GVBD-inhibiting culture system containing milrinone. Furthermore, GVBD was significantly decreased after knockdown of cyclin B1 in CDC6-depleted oocytes, indicating that the effect of CDC6 loss on GVBD stimulation was mediated, at least in part, by raising cyclin B1. Knockdown of CDC6 also caused abnormal localization of γ-tubulin, resulting in defective spindles, misaligned chromosomes, cyclin B1 accumulation and spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) activation, leading to significant Pro-MI/MI arrest and PB1 extrusion failure. These phenotypes were also confirmed by time-lapse live cell imaging analysis. The results indicate that CDC6 is indispensable for maintaining G2 arrest of meiosis and functions in G2/M checkpoint regulation in mouse oocytes. Moreover, CDC6 is also a key player regulating meiotic spindle assembly and metaphase-to-anaphase transition in meiotic oocytes. Summary statement We show that CDC6 is indispensable for maintaining G2 arrest of mouse oocytes. Moreover, CDC6 is also a key player regulating meiotic spindle assembly and metaphase-to-anaphase transition in meiotic oocytes.
Wearable Dual-Frequency Vibrotactile System for Restoring Force and Stiffness Perception

Recently, there has been substantial progress in the mechatronic design and myoelectric control of active prostheses. However, a significant unmet need is the lack of sensory feedback in commercial prostheses for upper-limb amputees. The lack of sensory perception impacts on the control performance and embodiment, determining relatively high rejection rates. Previous research has been conducted to evaluate various non-invasive substitutional sensory channels, mainly to regenerate haptic perception. However, providing sensory channels for stiffness perception has been much less explored. In this short paper, we propose a non-invasive wearable sensory armband, named vibrotactile frequency modulation (V-FM) system. Using the V-FM, we implement a closed-loop myocontrol system with force and stiffness perception. A user study was conducted based on a repetitive two-forced alternative choice discrimination test in six able-bodied participants. The study was designed according to the method of constant stimuli. Results showed that using the V-FM armband, the participants recovered sensation comparable (in terms of difference threshold) to the natural stiffness perception. This demonstrated the potential of the proposed V-FM armband in restoring haptic and stiffness perception non-invasively.
Platelets and extracellular traps in infections

Abstract Platelets have a well-recognized role in hemostasis and thrombosis, and they are important amplifiers of inflammation and innate immune responses. The formation of DNA extracellular traps (ETs) is a complex cellular mechanism, which occurs in response to microbial infections and sterile inflammation, and results in the release of DNA complexed with histones and various granular proteins. ETs were first discovered in neutrophils (NETs); however, it is now accepted that other leukocytes, including eosinophils (EETs) and monocytes/macrophages (MoETs/METs), can also generate them. Moreover, several types of ETs have been described. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that platelets modulate the formation of ETs. This review summarizes recent findings about the physiopathological role of platelets in the formation of ETs during infection and future perspectives in the field.
Fanconi Anemia and the Underlying Causes of Genomic Instability.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disorder, characterized by birth defects, progressive bone marrow failure, and a predisposition to cancer. This devastating disease is caused by germline mutations in any one of the 22 known FA genes, where the gene products are primarily responsible for the resolution of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs), a type of DNA damage generally formed by cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. However, the identity of endogenous mutagens that generate DNA ICLs remains largely elusive. In addition, whether DNA ICLs are indeed the primary cause behind FA phenotypes is still a matter of debate. Recent genetic studies suggest that naturally occurring reactive aldehydes are a primary source of DNA damage in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), implicating that they could play a role in genome instability and FA. In addition, emerging lines of evidence indicate that the FA pathway constitutes a general surveillance mechanism for the genome by protecting against a variety of DNA replication stresses. Therefore, understanding the DNA repair signaling that is regulated by the FA pathway, and the types of DNA lesions underlying the FA pathophysiology is crucial for the treatment of FA and FA-associated cancers. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the relationship between reactive aldehydes, bone marrow dysfunction, and FA biology in the context of signaling pathways triggered during FA-mediated DNA repair and maintenance of the genomic integrity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Prognostic Value of Myogenic Differentiation in Dedifferentiated Liposarcoma

Myogenic differentiation (MD) has been claimed to be a poor prognostic factor in dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS). To validate this, the prognostic significance of MD in a uniformly treated cohort of DDLPS was assessed. A cohort of patients that have been uniformly treated at one institution for DDLPS of the retroperitoneum and pelvis were stained with smooth muscle actin (SMA) and desmin and semiquantitatively scored for staining focality and strength. Clinical and survival data was collected, and the prognostic significance of MD was evaluated. A total of 50 patients with uniformly treated DDLPS were evaluated. SMA (P=0.052) and a combined score of MD (SMA+desmin) showed a statistically significant decrease in 5-year disease-free survival (P=0.002) in univariate analysis and in multivariate testing combined MD trended toward significance (P=0.052). Combined MD was associated with a decreased OS in multivariate analysis (P=0.004). In a uniformly treated cohort of DDLPS stained for myogenic markers, a combined myogenic score was associated with poor overall survival in multivariate analysis. However, the difference in groups was slight and the clinical application is limited.
Rho GTPases are Involved on Regulation of Cytodifferentiation of SCC-4 Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Line: A Preliminary Study

Objective: This study evaluated the involvement of Rho GTPases proteins in the regulation of cytodifferentiation of the SCC-4 human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line. Methods: Cytokeratin and vimentin immunofluorescence and F-actin staining, assays were performed with control cells and Clostridium difficile 1, 2 and 4 μg/mL Toxin A (Rho GTPases inhibitor) treated SCC-4 cells on three-dimensional MatrigelTM for 24 h. Samples were analyzed by using confocal laser microscopy. Significances were p<0.05. Results: In all concentrations studied, Toxin A treatment decreased percentage of cytokeratin positive cells (p<0.0001), otherwise, it increased percentage of vimentin positive cells (p<0.0001). There was a negative correlation between cytokeratin and vimentin immunoexpression (p<0.0001), the higher the amount of cytokeratin, the lower the amount of vimentin. Also F-actin polymerization is affected by Toxin A treatment. Conclusion: Although this is a preliminary study, our results suggest that Rho GTPases are involved on regulation of cytodifferentiation of the SCC-4 human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line.
Circular RNA; a new biomarker for breast cancer: A systematic review

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were recently discovered as a looped subset of competing endogenous RNAs, with an ability to regulate gene expression by microRNA sponging. There are several studies on their potential roles in cancer development, such as colorectal cancer and basal cell carcinoma. However, there is still a significant gap in the knowledge about circRNA functions in breast cancer (BC) progression. The current study systematically reviewed circRNA biogenesis and their potential roles as a novel biomarker in BC on published studies of the MEDLINE®/PubMed, Cochrane®, and Scopus® databases. The obtained results showed a general dysregulation of circRNAs expression in BC cells with a cell‐type and stage‐specific manner. The potential connection between circRNAs and BC cell proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and chemotherapy sensitivity and resistance were discussed.
Reproducibility of a ramping protocol to measure cerebral vascular reactivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging

Though individual differences in arterial carbon dioxide and oxygen levels inherently exist, the degree of their influence on cerebral vascular reactivity (CVR) is less clear. We examined the reproducibility of BOLD signal changes to an iso‐oxic ramping PetCO2 protocol. CVR changes were induced by altering PetCO2 while holding PetO2 constant using a computer‐controlled sequential gas delivery (SGD) device. Two MRI scans, each including a linear change in PetCO2, were performed using a 3‐Tesla (3T) scanner. This ramp sequence consisted of 1 min at 30 mmHg followed by 4 min period during where PetCO2 was linearly increased from 30 to 50 mmHg, 1 min at 51 mmHg, and concluded with 4 min at baseline. The protocol was repeated at a separate visit with 3 days between visits (minimum). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and coefficients of variation (CV) were used to verify reproducibility. Eleven subjects (6 females; mean age 26.5 ± 5.7 years) completed the full testing protocol. Good reproducibility was observed for the within‐visit ramp sequence (Visit 1: ICC = 0.82, CV = 6.5%; Visit 2: ICC = 0.74, CV = 6.4%). Similarly, ramp sequence were reproducible between visits (Scan 1: ICC = 0.74, CV = 6.5%; Scan 2: ICC = 0.66, CV = 6.1%). Establishing reproducible methodologies for measuring BOLD signal changes in response to PetCO2 alterations using a ramp protocol will allow researchers to study CVR functionality. Finally, adding a ramping protocol to CVR studies could provide information about changes in CVR over a broad range of PetCO2.
Getting to the Heart of Low Sensitivity to Alcohol: Context Moderates Low Cardiovascular Response to Alcohol in Persons With a Family History of Alcohol Use Disorder

Background Low sensitivity to alcohol in persons with a family history of alcoholism (FH+), compared to those without (FH−), contributes to risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). However, sensitivity of FH+ cardiovascular response to alcohol is not well understood. This gap is significant because cardiovascular processes contribute to emotional regulation and stress response problems theorized to be central to the development and persistence of AUD. This study compared changes in heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) between FH groups after consuming alcohol and control beverages and examined how these changes were moderated by emotional and alcohol‐related contexts. Methods Young adults (N = 165) with FH+ (n = 110) or FH− (n = 55) each completed 2 sessions, separated by 1 week. They received one of 3 different beverages (alcohol, placebo, and told‐no‐alcohol) in each session. Electrocardiogram data were recorded during pre–beverage consumption and post–beverage consumption baselines, and then during 4 picture cue tasks (neutral, positive, negative, and alcohol‐related). Generalized estimating equations were used to examine differences in cardiovascular reactivity (changes in HR and HRV power at ~ 0.1 Hz) across FH groups, beverage conditions, and picture cue tasks. Results A significant beverage condition × cue task × FH interaction effect on HRV was observed. The FH+ group, compared to the FH− group, showed (a) significantly less HRV suppression in specific cue contexts following alcohol, (b) a mixed pattern of more and less HRV suppression across cue contexts following placebo, and (c) a similar HRV reactivity pattern in the told‐no‐alcohol condition across cue tasks. For HR, there were no significant effects involving FH. Conclusions Diminished cardiovascular sensitivity to oral alcohol in FH+ persons varied within a given drinking episode depending on emotional and alcohol‐related features of the context, suggesting that environmental characteristics play a role in the expression of low sensitivity to alcohol among FH+ individuals.
CCK‐1 and CCK‐2 receptor agonism do not stimulate GLP‐1 and neurotensin secretion in the isolated perfused rat small intestine or GLP‐1 and PYY secretion in the rat colon

Gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK) are hormones released from endocrine cells in the antral stomach (gastrin), the duodenum, and the jejunum (CCK). Recent reports, based on secretion experiments in an enteroendocrine cell line (NCI‐H716) and gastrin receptor expression in proglucagon‐expressing cells from the rat colon, suggested that gastrin could be a regulator of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) secretion. To investigate these findings, we studied the acute effects of CCK‐8 (a CCK1/CCK2 (gastrin) receptor agonist) and gastrin‐17 (a CCK2(gastrin) receptor agonist) in robust ex vivo models: the isolated perfused rat small intestine and the isolated perfused rat colon. Small intestines from Wistar rats (n = 6), were perfused intraarterially over 80 min. During the perfusion, CCK (1 nmol/L) and gastrin (1 nmol/L) were infused over 10‐min periods separated by washout/baseline periods. Colons from Wistar rats (n = 6) were perfused intraarterially over 100 min. During the perfusion, CCK (1 nmol/L), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) (10 nmol/L), and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) (1 nmol/L) were infused over 10‐min periods separated by washout/baseline periods. In the perfused rat small intestines neither CCK nor gastrin stimulated the release of GLP‐1 or neurotensin. In the perfused rat colon, neither CCK or VIP stimulated GLP‐1 or peptide YY (PYY) release, but GIP stimulated both GLP‐1 and PYY release. In both sets of experiments, bombesin, a gastrin‐releasing peptide analog, served as a positive control. Our findings do not support the suggestion that gastrin or CCK participate in the acute regulation of intestinal GLP‐1 secretion, but that GIP may play a role in the regulation of hormone secretion from the colon.
Development of Stochastic Fatigue Model of Reinforcement for Reliability of Concrete Structures

This paper presents recent contributions to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network titled INFRASTAR (Innovation and Networking for Fatigue and Reliability Analysis of Structures-Training for Assessment of Risk) in the field of reliability approaches for decision-making for wind turbines and bridges . Stochastic modeling of uncertainties for fatigue strength parameters is an important step as a basis for reliability analyses. In this paper, the Maximum Likelihood Method (MLM) is used for fitting the statistical parameters in a regression model for the fatigue strength of reinforcement bars. Furthermore, application of the Bootstrapping method is investigated. The results indicate that the latter methodology does not work well in the considered case study because of run-out tests within the test data. Moreover, the use of the Bayesian inference with the Markov Chain Monto Carlo approach is studied. These results indicate that a reduction in the statistical uncertainty can be obtained, and thus, better parameter estimates are obtained. The results are used for stochastic modelling in reliability assessment of a case study with a composite bridge. The reduction in statistical uncertainty shows high impact on the fatigue reliability in a case study on the Swiss viaduct Crêt De l’Anneau.
Main Predictors of School Problems among Foster Care Youth

Recent research studies have shown that foster care youth are lagging behind other children in the classroom (Collins, 2004; DeAngelis, 2004; Dilley, Weiner, Martinovich, & Lyons, 2004). Thus, this research study proposes to explore aggregate of factors responsible for the academic struggles of foster care youth. Older Youth from diverse ethnic background in foster care often mediate the impact potentiated by adverse life circumstances on harmful developmental outcomes (Osgood, Foster, Flanagan & Ruth, 2005). Relevant Research study literature shows this group is the most over represented and under serviced members of the child welfare system (O'Brien, Williams, Pecora, English, & Kessler, 2009). The Urban Institute (2014), states that in the past decade foster-care expenditures for children from diverse ethnic background totaled $14.4 billion. In addition, each year, 30,000 alumni "age out" of foster care. These are alumni who exit the foster-care system only because they reach the age of 18, not because they are reunited with their families, are adopted, or leave to attend college. Prior longitudinal research has shown that the nearly 80% of the alumni who are emancipated at the age of 18 failed to obtain a high school diploma. This paper used Binary Logistic regression analysis to examine the predictive relationships between the variables and test the study research question.
Artificial Techniques for Language Disorders

This review focuses on artificial techniques which include the artificial intelligent techniques and applications, the robot technology and the serious games supporting the procedure of learning and teaching of language disorders and deficits as well the evolution of speech. Especially, the written language, the oral language and the phoneme pronunciations, the communication and consequently the social interaction are benefited and are assisted by these achievements of technology.
Leveraging Smartwatches to Estimate Students' Perceived Difficulty and Interest in Online Video Lectures

Online videos have become a popular medium for delivering educational materials. Analyzing video interaction log can provide valuable educational insights. However, for small-sized online courses, due to the small size of samples, analyzing online log is often not enough for modeling students' learning behaviors. In this study, we aim to explore the feasibility of utilizing commercial smartwatches to augment building of such models. We collected online video interaction log as well as physiological data from smartwatches and built models to estimate the perceived difficulty and interest of students while watching online video lectures. The results show that smartwatch data could significantly improve the amount of explained variance in their perceived difficulty and interest by 100% and 64% respectively. We hope the result could inform the application of a smartwatch for students' in online video learning.