Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of delayed palliative chemotherapy on survival of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer

For patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, the goals of chemotherapy include palliation of disease-related symptoms with minimum treatment-related side effects. However, there is currently a paucity of data regarding the initiation of palliative chemotherapy. This study aimed to compare the differences in survival rates and toxicities between patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who started palliative chemotherapy immediately versus those who received delayed chemotherapy. Through a retrospective chart review, patients who received more than three lines of chemotherapy were included. Based on the timing of third-line chemotherapy initiation, the patients were divided into two groups: delayed (DTG) and immediate (ITG) treatment groups. The chi-square test or Fisher’s exact tests, and t-test or Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparing variables, as appropriate. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Although there was no statistically significant difference, the total number of regimens and cycles was lower in the DTG than in the ITG. No differences in toxicities and survival rates were observed between the two groups. Overall, survival and toxicity did not differ significantly between the two groups. In a palliative care setting, our findings suggest that delaying the treatment had no adverse effect on survival. Despite the lack of evidence of a survival benefit with aggressive treatment, patients chose to continue chemotherapy. Because recurrent ovarian cancer is a complex condition, patients require sufficient explanation and time to fully understand the costs and benefits related to aggressive chemotherapy.
Efficacy of thymoquinone in the treatment of experimental lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury

Introduction Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are acute onset syndromes affecting the lungs, which develop for several reasons and are characterized by hypoxemia and diffuse lung infiltration. The activity of thymoquinone (TQ) is known in acute lung injury. It is considered that it could be effective in ALI/ARDS treatment by ensuring possible COX-2 inhibition. Aim By this study was to show the protective activity of TQ in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced acute lung injury. Material and methods: A total of 28 BALB/c male mice were randomized to 4 groups of 7 as the Control group, TQ group (3 mg/kg), LPS group (5 mg/kg) and TQ treatment group. TQ was administered intraperitoneally 1 hour before the intratracheal administration of LPS (5 mg/kg). The mice were sacrificed 6 hours after the LPS administration and the lungs were extracted for histopathological examination. All experimental procedures complied with the requirements of the Animal Care and Ethics Committee of Dokuz Eylul University. Results When all the study groups were compared, significant differences were found between the groups in terms of the degrees of neutrophil migration (p = 0.042), intra-alveolar hemorrhage (p = 0.004) and alveolar destruction (p < 0.0006). A significant recovery was observed in the lung histopathological changes (neutrophil migration, intra-alveolar hemorrhage and alveolar destruction) in the TQ treatment group. Conclusions The results of this study showed that TQ may have a protective effect against LPS-induced acute lung injury. The possible mechanism could be considered to be cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibition.
The mitophagy effector FUNDC1 controls mitochondrial reprogramming and cellular plasticity in cancer cells

FUNDC1 regulates mitochondrial morphology, localization, and function to support cancer cell proliferation. Suppressing metastasis for proliferation Cancer cells must halt proliferative pathways and reprogram their morphology and metabolism to metastasize from the primary tumor. Li et al. found that FUNDC1 played a role in suppressing the switch from proliferation to metastasis in cancer cells of different tissue origins. In mice, xenografts formed from FUNDC1-deficient cancer cells developed into smaller primary tumors but were more likely to metastasize. FUNDC1 promoted proliferation by suppressing fission and relocalization of mitochondria to the leading edge of migrating cancer cells, enhancing oxidative metabolism, and limiting mitochondrial ROS production. These effects required the stabilization of the mitochondrial protease LonP1 and components of the mitochondrial ATP synthase complex (also known as complex V) by FUNDC1. By regulating mitochondrial morphology, localization, and function, FUNDC1 confers the cellular and metabolic features that support cancer cell proliferation. Mitochondria are signaling hubs in eukaryotic cells. Here, we showed that the mitochondrial FUN14 domain–containing protein-1 (FUNDC1), an effector of Parkin-independent mitophagy, also participates in cellular plasticity by sustaining oxidative bioenergetics, buffering ROS production, and supporting cell proliferation. Targeting this pathway in cancer cells suppressed tumor growth but rendered transformed cells more motile and invasive in a manner dependent on ROS-mediated mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial repositioning to the cortical cytoskeleton. Global metabolomics and proteomics profiling identified a FUNDC1 interactome at the mitochondrial inner membrane, comprising the AAA+ protease, LonP1, and subunits of oxidative phosphorylation, complex V (ATP synthase). Independently of its previously identified role in mitophagy, FUNDC1 enabled LonP1 proteostasis, which in turn preserved complex V function and decreased ROS generation. Therefore, mitochondrial reprogramming by a FUNDC1-LonP1 axis controls tumor cell plasticity by switching between proliferative and invasive states in cancer.
Chronic Inhalant Dependence With Early Onset Cognitive Impairment, Depression and Psychotic Disorders: A Case Report

Chronic inhalant dependence with early onset cognitive impairment, depression and psychotic disorders: a case report Inhalant substance dependence is generally seen at 14-15 years of age and its prevalence decreases in adulthood. Inhalant use is common among disadvantaged groups, street children, people with history of crime, depression, suicide, antisocial attitudes, history of abuse, violence and any other drug dependence. Psychosocial factors are important in the beginning of inhalant dependence. Medical and neurological problems are frequently seen in chronic inhalant users. The duration of inhalant use is positively correlated with morbidity and mortality. In this report, medical and neuropsychiatric results of chronic inhalant dependence will be discussed. In our patient, chronic inhalant use caused central and peripheral neuropathy, cognitive impairment, depression, psychotic disorder, upper motor neuron type destruction in muscles and mild anemia. Neuropsychiatric destructive effects are prominent in chronic abuse. Mirtazapine and olanzapine treatment decreased depressive and psychotic symptoms, but cognitive impairment, neuropathy, upper motor neuron type destruction didn’t recover completely. Given serious and sometimes irreversible consequences of chronic inhalant dependence, early medical and psychosocial interventions seem very important.
Contribution to adaptative sliding mode, fault tolerant control and control allocation of wind turbine system

The main challenges for the deployment of wind energy conversion systems (WECS) are to maximize the amount of good quality electrical power extracted from wind energy over a significantly wide range of weather conditions and minimize both manufacturing and maintenance costs. Wind turbine's efficiency is highly dependent on environmental disturbances and varying parameters for operating conditions, such as wind speed, pitch angle, tip-speed ratio, sensitive resistor and inductance. Uncertainties on the system are hard to model exactly while it affects the stability of the system. In order to ensure an optimal operating condition, with unknown perturbations, adaptive control can play an important role. On the other hand, a Fault Tolerant Control (FTC) with control allocation that is able to maintain the WECS connected after the occurrence of certain faults can avoid major economic losses. The thesis work concerns the establishment of an adaptive control and fault diagnosis and tolerant control of WECS. After a literature review, the contributions of the thesis are:In the first part of the thesis, a nonlinear uncertain model of the wind energy conversion system with a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) is proposed. A novel Lyapunov-based adaptive Sliding Mode (HOSM) controller is designed to optimize the generated power.In the second part, a new output integral sliding mode methodology for fault tolerant control with control allocation of linear time varying systems is presented. Then, this methodology has been applied in order to force the wind turbine speed to its optimal value the presence of faults in the actuator.
Calidad de vida y discapacidad en la enfermedad cerebrovascular: una entidad olvidada

Correspondencia: luisroaw10@yahoo.com La Enfermedad Cerebrovascular (ECV), es una de las principales causas de muerte y discapacidad en la poblacion adulta del mundo (1). Sin embargo; a pesar de los altos costos que representa la discapacidad generada por el Ataque Cerebro Vascular (ACV) para la economia de un pais, las tareas enfocadas en planeacion de estrategias de rehabilitacion y reincorporacion de estos pacientes a la vida cotidiana y laboral han dejado de ser parte de los objetivos de la medicina actual en nuestro pais, donde las politicas en salud enlentecen la atencion medica de la poblacion general.
Extinction of a Common Native Species by Hybridization with an Invasive Congener1

Abstract In this article, we summarize previous and ongoing work examining the population and genetical consequences of the introduction of smooth cordgrass, a tidal marsh grass native to the Atlantic, into the range of California cordgrass in San Francisco Bay, CA, in the 1970s. The two species hybridized. A subset of hybrid genotypes outcompetes the native species, overgrows its niche space, produces much seed, and sires the majority of seed on native flowers. The result is the loss of existing native cordgrass plants and the usurpation of cordgrass regeneration sites by copious hybrid seed. These processes could lead to the extinction of the native species. Nomenclature: California cordgrass, Spartina foliosa Trin. ; Smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora Lois. Additional index words: Cordgrass, invasive Spartina, Spartina alterniflora, Spartina foliosa. Abbreviations: MLW, mean low water; MSL, mean sea level; RAPD, random amplified polymorphic DNA.
Artificial Spider Silk

Id n the spring of 1881 I was a few feet distant from a couple of individuals who were quarreling," George Emery Goodfellow, a physician in Tombstone, Ariz. , scribbled in his diary more than a century ago. "They began shooting. " Two bullets pierced the breast of one gunman, who staggered, fired his pistol, and crumpled onto his back. Examining the body, Goodfellow found that, despite fatal injuries, "not a drop of blood had come from either of the two wounds. "From the wound in the breast a silk handkerchief protruded," he noted. But when he tugged on the handkerchief, he found the bullet wrapped within it. Evidently, the bullet had torn through the man's clothes, flesh, and bones but had failed to pierce his silk handkerchief, Goodfellow recounted in his "Notes on the Impenetrability of Silk to Bullets. " Fascinated by this, he documented other cases of silk garments halting projectiles-including one incident in which a silk bandanna tied around a man's neck kept a bullet from severing his carotid artery. "The life of this man was, presumably, saved by the handkerchief," Goodfellow wrote.
Thin Film Solar Cells: Current Status and Future Trends

Preface Status & Perspectives of Thin Film PV Introduction to Inorganic Thin Film Solar Cells Coevaporation of CIGS & Alternative Buffer Layers for CIGS Devices CIGS Absorber Layers by Sputtering Based Methods Electrical Characterization of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 - Based Thin Film Photovoltaic Devices CdTe Solar Cells by Low Temperature Processes Polycrystalline CdTe Thin Film Solar Cells Thin Film Silicon Solar Cells Organic & Hybrid Solar Cells Index.
α-ADDUCIN GENE AND ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION IN CHINA

Adducin is a membrane skeletal protein that is involved in the regulation of membrane ion transport and cellular signal transduction. Essential hypertension has been linked to α-adducin gene locus, and association of a polymorphism of the gene has been found in some studies, but results of linkage or association studies on α-adducin gene are controversial among different populations. This study was designed to examine the linkage between α-adducin gene locus and essential hypertension and to reveal the relationship between an α-adducin gene polymorphism (Gly460Trp) and essential hypertension in a Chinese population. For the linkage study, one hundred and six Chinese nuclear families were recruited, including 417 hypertensive patients in all 474 individuals. Those samples were genotyped at D4S412 and D4S3038. The distances between the two microsatellite markers and the α-adducin gene locus are less than 3cM. Parametric, non-parametric linkage (NPL) analyses using the GENEHUNTER software were carried out. Sib transmission-disequilibrium test (S-TDT), as well as transmission-disequilibrium test (TDT), was also implemented with TDT/S-TDT Program 1.1. Serum levels of uric acid, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), fasting glucose and lipids were determined as phenotypes. In an association study, 138 hypertensive and 121 normotensive subjects were genotyped at Gly460Trp of the α-adducin gene to examine a possible association between this polymorphism and blood pressure or other phenotypes. We fail to find the linkage between the two markers and essential hypertension by parametric, NPL analysis or TDT/S-TDT study. With the use of the simple association and the multivariate logistic regression analyses, we also fail to reveal a significant association between the Gly460Trp polymorphism in α-adducin gene and the blood pressure variation, or blood biochemical indices studied. The frequency of the 460Trp allele in Chinese (46–48%) is similar to that found in Japanese (54–60%) while the allele frequency is less common in Caucasian (13%–23%). These findings suggest that in our Chinese population, α-adducin 460Trp variant may not play an important role in the etiology of EH. And the negative results of linkage and TDT/S-TDT further supports this conclusion.
Ambient programming

Increasingly powerful and tiny electronics are finding their way into clothing, accessories, and everyday environments. It is becoming common to find computers in shoes, bracelets, hats, walls, pendants, and so on. However, the domain of computer programming has remained on the desktop: in order to customize their behavior, one must still connect these artifacts to a larger, general-purpose computer, ironically taking one out of the very physical context of use that ambient computing is intended for. This document addresses the notion of end-user programmability of ambient artifacts. Specifically, it discusses how we may customize the behavior of a variety of embedded computational devices, some wearable and highly portable, and others part of the built environment. It builds on the rich tradition of end-user programming research, and introduces some ideas about how the nature of programming might change when users are empowered with new kinds of ambient interfaces and input sources. Ambient programming might be seen as a natural corollary to ambient computing: the advent of a plethora of small, embedded, and mobile computational devices facilitates the creative expansion of informal techniques for communicating symbolic information to those devices. In contrast with the notions of traditional programming (e.g.) as a highly structured, abstract, and sedentary activity, ambient programming suggests a reconception of the practice of programming as (at least partially) informal, opportunistic, physically active, and playful. As the advent of embeddable computers helped change the traditional desktop-centric notions of computing, ambient programming suggests a new and potentially quite powerful means to challenge, complement, and extend the traditional desktop-centric notions of programming itself.
Efficacy of Bt Transgenic Sugar Beet Lines Expressing cry1Ab Gene Against Spodoptera littoralis Boisd. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The sugar beet, Beta vulgaris L. , has some key pests in Iran that causes losses in crops. One of these pests is Egyptian leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd). In addition to southern regions of Iran especially in Khuzestan province, this pest is distributed throughout the countries around the Mediterranean region. One of the most effective controlling measures against this pest is planting Bt transgenic sugar beet, expressing an insecticidal-protein gene from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Berliner). Larval mortality, larval weight loss, and leaf weight loss as a damage index of this pest on 10 lines of transgenic and 2 non-transgenic sugar beet were studied. In each treatment, 40 larvae of the Egyptian leaf worm (10 larvae/replication) were fed on the leaves of the transgenic lines in glass petri dishes. Larval mortality, weight of the alive larvae, and weight loss of the leaves were recorded after 3 and 6 days. ANOVA results revealed that there were significant differences between the treatments at the 1% probability level considering all evaluated factors. Therefore, mean comparisons were carried out using Duncan’s multiple range tests. Based on the results, all of the examined transgenic lines were more effective than non-transgenic line. In addition, the transgenic line S 37-3 was the most effective line among evaluated transgenic lines.
Diurnal variation of Δ13CO2, ΔC18O16O and evaporative site enrichment of δH218O in Piper aduncum under field conditions in Trinidad

Concurrent measurements of gas exchange, instantaneous isotope discrimination (Δ) against 13 CO2 and C 18 O 16 O, and extent of 18 O enrichment in H2O at the evaporative sites, were followed in a tropical forest pioneer, Piper aduncum, on two different days in Trinidad during February 1995. Δ 13 CO2 differed from that predicted from measurements of internal:external CO2 concentration (Ci/Ca) and showed a wide range of values which decreased throughout the course of the day. Derivation of Cc (the CO2 concentration at the carboxylation site) was not possible using carbon isotope discrimination under field conditions in situ and was derived assuming a constant value of internal transfer conductance (gw). Under low rates of assimilation the derived Cc/Ca, like Ci/Ca, remained relatively stable over the course of both days and ΔC 18 O 16 O followed evaporative demand. Lower values of ΔC 18 O 16 O on day 2 occurred in response to the indirect effect of increased leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficits (VPD) and reduced stomatal conductance. For the first time, direct determination of the δH2 18 O of transpired water vapour (δt) allowed derivation of evaporative site enrichment without the prerequisite of isotopic steady state (ISS) defined in the Craig and Gordon model. Generally, δt was less enriched than the source water (δs) in the morning and more enriched in the afternoon, which would be predicted from an increase and decrease in ambient VPD, respectively. On both days, leaves of P. aduncum approached ISS (indicated where δt ∪ δs) between 1300 and 1500 h. Evaporative site enrichment was maintained into the late afternoon, despite a decrease in ambient VPD. The data presented provide a greater insight into the natural variation in isotopic discrimination under field conditions, which may help to refine models of terrestrial biome discrimination.
The diagnostic certainty levels of junior clinicians: A retrospective cohort study

Background: Clinical decision-making is influenced by many factors, including clinicians’ perceptions of the certainty around what is the best course of action to pursue. Objective: To characterise the documentation of working diagnoses and the associated level of real-time certainty expressed by clinicians and to gauge patient opinion about the importance of research into clinician decision certainty. Method: This was a single-centre retrospective cohort study of non-consultant grade clinicians and their assessments of patients admitted from the emergency department between 01 March 2019 and 31 March 2019. De-identified electronic health record proformas were extracted that included the type of diagnosis documented and the certainty adjective used. Patient opinion was canvassed from a focus group. Results: During the study period, 850 clerking proformas were analysed; 420 presented a single diagnosis, while 430 presented multiple diagnoses. Of the 420 single diagnoses, 67 (16%) were documented as either a symptom or physical sign and 16 (4%) were laboratory-result-defined diagnoses. No uncertainty was expressed in 309 (74%) of the diagnoses. Of 430 multiple diagnoses, uncertainty was expressed in 346 (80%) compared to 84 (20%) in which no uncertainty was expressed. The patient focus group were unanimous in their support of this research. Conclusion: The documentation of working diagnoses is highly variable among non-consultant grade clinicians. In nearly three quarters of assessments with single diagnoses, no element of uncertainty was implied or quantified. More uncertainty was expressed in multiple diagnoses than single diagnoses. Implications: Increased standardisation of documentation will help future studies to better analyse and quantify diagnostic certainty in both single and multiple working diagnoses. This could lead to subsequent examination of their association with important process or clinical outcome measures.
Apprendre de la littérature scientifique : Les réseaux de signalisation en biologie systémique (Literature-based discovery: Signaling Systems in Systemic Biology)

Cet article a pour but de montrer la faisabilité d’un système de fouille de texte pour alimenter un moteur d’inférences capable de construire, à partir de prédicats extraits des articles scientifiques, un réseau de signalisation en biologie systémique. Cette fouille se réalise en deux étapes : la recherche de phrases d’intérêt dans un grand corpus scientifique, puis la construction automatique de prédicats. Ces deux étapes utilisent un système de cascades de transducteurs.
Habitat use of inter‐tidal chitons – role of colour polymorphism

This study presents a new approach to examining European chiton habitat use according to morphological characteristics. Time-search transects were conducted on four Portuguese rocky shores at two shore levels. The chiton species, abundance and individual morphometric features were recorded and related to the substratum dominant epiphytes and surface roughness. The chiton Lepidochitona cinerea (Linnaeus 1767) was the dominant species (77%), followed by Leptochiton algesirensis (Capellini 1859) (15%) and Acanthochitona crinita (Pennant 1777) (8%). Species abundance did not vary significantly with shore level or amongst shores. Six colour morphs were considered for Lepidochitona cinerea, four for A. crinita and one for Lepidochiton algesirensis. Substratum characteristics significantly explained the variation in species and colour morph distribution. There was a high correlation between the presence/absence and type of epiphytic algae and the substratum surface roughness level. We hypothesize that three mechanisms operating either independently or in interaction may explain the non-random distribution of colour polymorphisms according to their habitat characteristics: (i) presence of algae that are part of their diet; (ii) use of rock as shelter – for instance, crevices and cover resulting from algae fronds and; (iii) morph–rock colour matching as a camouflage mechanism to reduce predation pressure.