Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the colon and rectum: clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND/AIMS The aims of this study were to assess the prognosis and histopathological factors of poorly differentiated colorectal adenocarcinoma, and the clinical relevance of the proposed histopathological sub classifications. METHODOLOGY Fifty eight patients with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma were enrolled in this study. According to the lymphatic canal spread in tumor tissue, they were classified into lymphangitic type (tumor spread beyond the intra mucosal tumor space through the lymphatic canal widely) and non-lymphangitic type (tumor spread within that space). Next, they were sub classified into medullary, intermediate and scirrhous types according to the amount of fibrous stroma. In addition, immunohistological examinations were performed on the expression of an intercellular adhesion molecule (E-cadherin). RESULTS In 33 cases (57%) Lymphangitic type was present and in 25 cases non-lymphangitic type (43%) was present. In the lymphangitic types, 5 cases were medullary type (15%), 17 cases were intermediate type (52%) and 11 cases were scirrhous type (33%) that included 2 cases of signet ring cell carcinoma. In the non-lymphangitic types, medullary type was dominant (20 cases, 80%) while intermediate type and scirrhous type were 3 cases (12%) and 2 cases (8%), respectively. The survival rates were calculated for both types and a large difference was found in terms of 5-year survival rate; 0% for lymphangitic type and 72% for non-lymphangitic type (p<0.05). There was no correlation found between the expression of cadherin and the subclassification. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, a wide tumor infiltration and growth in lymphatic vessels appears to be an important prognostic factor for poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma compared to the metastasis patterns.
A Parallel Simulation Code for Synchronization of Spin Torque Oscillators for Microwave Applications

A parallel Fortran 90 code based on MPI is developed to study the synchronization of coupled spin torque oscillator (STO) network for applications in communication technology. The code is successfully implemented on the Dell Xeon cluster with a total of 442 nodes and simulations of up to 1600 serially connected STOs are carried out, which to date is the most STOs ever simulated. The performance of the MPI-based parallel code has been benchmarked and discussed.
Risk based Uncertainty (RibUt) Assessment of a Power System Using Bootstrap Technique

There are various approach used to prevent from the occurrence of power system blackout in order to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of energy supply. Generally, power system blackout can be mitigated by referring to the risk assessment of a power system. This paper presents the risk assessment of a power system performed by using the proposed bootstrap technique and the fuzzy set technique. The risk of the system is measured by using the expected energy not supplied (EENS) index as well as the probability of load curtailment (PLC) index. The application of bootstrap technique is important to assess the risk indices at every level of system uncertainty. The 24-bus IEEE Reliability Test System (RTS) and 2737-bus Polish system are used as a case study in the analysis of risk based EENS and PLC. Comparative studies have been made on the risk assessment determined by using the proposed bootstrap technique and the fuzzy set technique.
MUC5AC mucin is a component of the human precorneal tear film.

PURPOSE Mucins are important structural and functional components of the precorneal tear film, yet little is known of their composition and synthesis. The mRNAs of MUC1, MUC4, and MUC5AC have previously been identified in human conjunctiva. Of these, only MUC5AC mRNA appears to be associated with goblet cells. The purpose of the this study was to quantify MUC5AC transcript levels, to identify MUC5AC protein in conjunctiva, tears, and goblet cells and to determine whether this mucin is secreted in response to the calcium ionophore ionomycin. METHODS MUC5AC mRNA from normal human conjunctiva was identified, quantified, and compared with beta2-microglobulin levels using a competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. An antibody to a MUC5AC peptide was used to localize this mucin in conjunctival sections by immunohistochemistry. Anti-MUC5AC antiserum was used to label western blot analysis of conjunctiva and tears. Conjunctival tissues were incubated with ionomycin, and secreted mucins were detected with Helix pomatia agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase and with anti-MUC5AC antiserum. RESULTS MUC5AC and beta2-microglobulin transcripts were expressed at a ratio of approximately 1:500. Immunochemical labeling showed that MUC5AC was localized in conjunctival goblet cells and at the apical surface of the conjunctival epithelium. MUC5AC protein was present in conjunctiva and in the tear film. Ionomycin stimulation of conjunctival secretion resulted in a fourfold increase in total mucin secretion and in a corresponding increase in secreted MUC5AC. CONCLUSIONS MUC5AC is synthesized by goblet cells of the normal human conjunctiva, and this mucin is a component of conjunctival secretions and of normal human tears.
Binding of the Catabolite Repressor Protein CcpA to Its DNA Target Is Regulated by Phosphorylation of its Corepressor HPr*

Catabolite repression of a number of catabolic operons in bacilli is mediated by the catabolite control protein CcpA, the phosphocarrier protein HPr from the phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent sugar transport system (PTS), and a cis-acting DNA sequence termed the catabolite-responsive element (cre). We present evidence that CcpA interacts with HPr that is phosphorylated at Ser46 (Ser(P) HPr) and that these proteins form a specific ternary complex with cre DNA. Titration experiments following the circular dichroism signal of the cre DNA indicate that this complex consists of two molecules of Ser(P) HPr, a CcpA dimer, and the cre sequence. Limited proteolysis experiments indicate that the domain structure of CcpA is similar to other members of the LacI/GalR family of helix-turn-helix proteins, comprised of a helix-turn-helix DNA domain and a C-terminal effector domain. NMR titration of Ser(P) HPr demonstrates that the isolated C-terminal domain of CcpA forms a specific complex with Ser(P) HPr but not with unphosphorylated HPr. Based upon perturbations to the NMR spectrum, we propose that the binding site of the C-terminal domain of CcpA on Ser(P) HPr forms a contiguous surface that encompasses both Ser(P)46 and His15, the site of phosphorylation by enzyme I of the PTS. This allows CcpA to recognize the phosphorylation state of HPr, effectively linking the process of sugar import via the PTS to catabolite repression in bacilli.
Erectile dysfunction following cancer therapy: is there a role for penile rehabilitation?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a major issue following treatments for common male genitourinary cancers like those of the prostate. Placement of a penile prosthesis is the end stage of management in those men with ED post cancer therapy. Described nicely by Dadhich et al. (1), patients post-surgery for certain cancers require nuances during the placement of a penile prosthesis that are critical to success such as proper reservoir placement, curvature correction and concurrent placement of an artificial urinary sphincter.
Affective Processes in Decision Making by Older Adults

and use it in choice despite cognitive declines. Evidence in favor of such an explanation comes from studies examining performance using tasks such as the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and other similar tasks (Damasio, 1994), where age differences are often observed to be absent (e.g., MacPherson, Phillips, & Sala, 2002; Kovalchik, Camerer, Grether, Plott, & Allman, 2005; however in Denberg, Tranel, & Bechara, 2005, a subset of older adults performed significantly worse). In this task, subjects choose among decks of cards about which they initially know nothing. The decks vary in the amounts and frequencies of gains and losses and in overall
Study 1 A : Do Athletes Believe in the Hot Hand in Volleyball ?

The “hot hand” belief in sports refers to the conviction that a player has a higher chance of making a shot after two or three successful shots than after two or three misses (resulting in “streaks”). This belief is usually considered a cognitive fallacy, although it has been conjectured that in basketball the defense will attack a “hot” player and prevent streaks from occurring. To address this argument, we provide the first study on the hot hand in volleyball, where the net limits direct defensive counterstrategies, meaning that streaks can more likely emerge if a player is hot. We first establish that athletes believe in the hot hand in volleyball (Study 1A). Analyzing the top 26 first-division players, we then show that streaks do exist for half of the players (Study 1B). Coaches can detect players’ performance variability and use it to make strategic decisions (Study 2A). Playmakers are also sensitive to streaks and rely on them when deciding to whom to allocate the ball (Study 2B). We conclude that for volleyball the hot hand exists, coaches and playmakers are able to detect it, and playmakers tend to use it “adaptively,” which results in more hits for a team.
Glucose decreases steady state mRNA content of hydrophobic surfactant proteins B and C in fetal rat lung explants.

The streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-DB) rat model is associated with fetal hyperglycemia, but with low to normal plasma insulin concentration. Because surfactant protein (SP) mRNA content in fetal rat lung is decreased in STZ-DB pregnancy, we investigated the effect of increasing concentrations of glucose on SP gene expression in lung organ cultures. SP mRNA content (SP-A, SP-B, SP-C) was assessed by Northern blot analysis in fetal day 20 lung explants (term = 22 days) cultured for 44 hours in medium containing 10, 25, 50, or 100 mM glucose. Our findings were (1) No consistent alteration in SP-A mRNA content was observed at different glucose concentrations (P > .05); (2) SP-B and SP-C mRNA content were reduced in a dose-dependent manner when glucose concentration was increased from 10 mM to 100 mM. The mRNA content, compared to 10 mM glucose, decreased to 50-60% at 25 mM glucose, to 20-25% at 50 mM glucose, and to lower than 10% at 100 mM glucose (P < .01). These findings indicate that the decrease in SP-B and SP-C mRNA in fetuses of STZ-DB rats may be, in part, due to a direct effect of hyperglycemia, whereas the decrease in SP-A mRNA content in STZ-DB rats appears to be due to other effects of diabetes in pregnancy.
Design and Demonstration of Single and Coupled Embedded Toroidal Inductors for 48V to 1V Integrated Voltage Regulators

High-efficiency High-Voltage Integrated Voltage Regulators (HV-IVR) will allow the next generation of data centers and servers to operate with higher efficiency while delivering more computing power. High-density embedded inductors operating at frequencies over 10 MHz allows the miniaturization of power modules enabling their integration closer to the SoC. However, single stage 48V to 1V IVR present new challenges that are not seen in low voltage converter such as 3.3V or 1.7V to 1V. In this work, a novel expandable interleaved toroidal inductor cell with vias-in-slot thru magnetic sheet is presented. In addition, we present a new metric for magnetic material and inductor technologies to describe their efficiency under different duty cycle conditions. Using the analysis of two available magnetic sheets with permeability 50 and 150 at 10MHz, we present the magnetic properties of a magnetic sheet to obtain 95% of inductor efficiency, an inductance density of 113 nH/mm3 at 10 MHz, a saturation current over 2.5A, and DC resistance around 20 mΩ. These inductor requirements are given by the possible power stage topologies that can be used to achieve 48V to 1V, where some of them use single inductor while others use coupled or tapped inductors. The efficiency conditions for the inductor presented in this work must be matched by the power stage topology, leading to a co-design between power inductor and the power stage topology. In this work we present why the duty cycle must be extended by a factor of 4 in order to obtain a 95% efficiency in the inductor. We provide a process for the fabrication of these inductors. Finally, a test inductor is fabricated that shows an inductance density of 77 nH/mm3 and correlates well with the simulation model. This allows to predict with good accuracy the inductor performance with the proposed inductor design and magnetic sheet properties.
Comparative study of Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. pollens allergenicity in two regions of Bushehr province in Iran

Pollen grains can play an important role in allergic diseases and many studies have revealed that allergenicity increases in industrial cities. In Bushehr province in Iran Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh. has grown in two regions, Bordekhoon (Mond protected Area) and Assaluyeh (Marine National Park of Nayband). Assaluyeh (polluted area) is an industrial region with petrochemical factories that pollute area but Bordekhoon (control area) is devoid of petrochemical pollutants. Avicennia marina pollens from each region were collected and examined by scanning electron microscopy. In order to study allergenic properties of Avicennia marina pollens and effect of air pollution on it, extracts of control and polluted area pollens were prepared in PBS (phosphate buffered saline) and were performed on Balb/c mice. As an experimental model, 40 female 6-8 week- old Balb/c mice were divided in four groups (n = 10). First and second groups (control groups) received PBS and Aluminum hydroxide (Alum) respectively. Third and forth groups treated by control area and polluted area pollen extracts plus Alum respectively. All injections were performed intraperitoneally for four times. Intradermal skin tests with pollen extracts of two regions, PBS and histamine acid phosphate (negative and positive controls ) were also done and wheal diameter were measured after 30 min. Eosinophil rate in blood smears and total serum IgE level were detected in mice of each group. Our results showed that exine surfaces of two regions were different. Allergic reactions (wheal diameter of intradermal skin tests, eosinophil rate in blood smears and total serum IgE level) in mice treated by pollen extracts of two regions were higher than control groups. Allergic reactions in mice treated by polluted area pollen extract were more than the mice treated by control area pollen extract but this increasing in total serum IgE level was significant. Therefore Avicennia marina pollens have allergenic properties and air pollution can increase allergenic properties of Avicennia marina pollens.
Spike-Adding in Parabolic Bursting : the Role of Folded-Saddle Canards

Understanding how neural systems integrate sensory signals to perceive time is a fundamental problem. However, the basic neuronal mechanism of temporal perception is still far from clear. Currently, there is a debate on whether a specialized clock is needed for time perception (TP). Our view is that TP can be a general property of neural networks endowed with short-term synaptic plasticity (STSP) and enough recurrent connections. Recent simulation studies of anticipative dynamics (one form of TP) support this later mechanism. The goals of our proposed experiments are: i) to demonstrate that STSP is crucial in the anticipative dynamics in the retina of frogs and ii) to induce anticipative dynamics in a cortical neuronal culture of rats by using a recently invented photo-sensitive technique based on the organic semi-conducting polymers, P3HT, and the optogenetic tool, Channelrhodosin-2. Since there are no special clock circuits in the retina and the cortical culture, results our proposed works will help to clear some of the controversies in the perception of time.
Staphylococcus aureus among insulin-injecting diabetic patients. An increased carrier rate.

IN EARLIER studies, we attempted to define the source of the organism causing staphylococcal endocarditis in drug abusers who used the needle. Street heroin and injection paraphernalia were not implicated. 1 We then found a 300% increase in the carrier rate of Staphylococcus aureus among those who had recently used drugs parenterally, compared to a control population who had not. Users who had not injected any drug for two weeks or more had the same carrier rate as the control group. 2 The reason for the increased carrier rate in recent drug users was not apparent, although we suspected that it might have been related to the effect of drugs on resistance to the Staphylococcus or on such epidemiologic factors as poor hygiene or frequent needle use. To examine the possibility that epidemiologic factors were involved, we have examined members of another group of patients who inject themselves regularly with
Blockade of the Fas‐triggered intracellular signaling pathway in human melanomas is circumvented by cytotoxic lymphocytes

Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) have been found both in lymphoid and in non‐lymphoid malignancies, and are thought to play a role in the interplay between tumors and the immune system. Here we investigated Fas/FasL expression, function and intracellular signalling pathways in human melanomas. Of 5 melanoma cell lines, 3 expressed Fas at their surface, and all of them expressed FasL. FasL was functional, since it triggered Fas‐induced apoptosis of human T lymphocytes clones. Conversely, cross‐linking of Fas molecule with a specific monoclonal antibody failed to induce apoptosis in any of the melanomas tested, or ceramide intracellular accumulation or caspase‐3 activation, pointing to an early alteration in the Fas‐triggered signaling cascade. All melanomas retained the ability to undergo apoptosis induced by cytotoxic lymphocytes, which was mediated by the granule exocytosis mechanism. This suggests that melanoma cells evade immune‐mediated Fas‐triggered apoptosis via a selective blockade of the Fas apoptotic pathway. Cytotoxic lymphocytes, however, may circumvent tumor resistance to Fas‐induced death via granzyme‐mediated apoptosis, further supporting the development of immunotherapeutic strategies in the treatment of cancer. Int. J. Cancer 81:573–579, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Similarity of stress distribution in bone for various implant surface roughness heights of similar form.

BACKGROUND Surface roughness effects on osseointegration can be considered from two viewpoints: purely mechanical effects of stresses attributable to roughness and cell and molecular response to surface roughness. PURPOSE The goal of this study is to provide a theoretical basis to understand the effects of surface roughness size on the osseointegration of implants. The emphasis is primarily on the purely mechanical effects. METHODS Mathematical proofs of some similarity principles are provided. RESULTS The main result is that if the geometric form of the roughness or thread cross-section is held constant, then the peak elastic stress depends on the form but not on the size of the roughness or thread height. CONCLUSION The purely mechanical effects of surface roughness are well understood on a theoretical basis. The interpretation for clinical procedures, however, needs careful attention. Considering the present state of knowledge and clinical experience, no change in the roughness height of current practice is recommended.
A hybrid approach for optimal automatic segmentation of White Matter tracts in HARDI

Whole brain tractography generates a very huge dataset composed by various tracts of different shapes, lengths, positions. Then clustering them into anatomically meaningful bundles is a challenge. Until now, several clustering methods have been proposed such as methods based on similarity measures or methods based on anatomical information, but no optimal clustering criteria were found yet. All methods have deficiencies. The combination of appropriate and distinguishable aspects of both methods is recommended to improve the results. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a new combined approach that incorporates various features in order on one hand to overcome the size and the complexity of the tractography datasets and the other for more efficacy and precision of clustering results. We propose a hybrid approach for automatic segmentation of White Matter (WM) tracts in HARDI that combines two complementary levels. The first level of our contribution is based on a similarity measure which aims to reduce the dimensionality of the data. The second level embeds a priori knowledge represented by a subject bundle atlas constructed in this work to improve the result of the clustering. Our method is able to well extract 13 major WM bundles. The results accuracy are measured by a Kappa analysis between the proposed method results and bundle atlas. The average Kappa values is superior to 0.70, it suggests substantial agreement.
Treatment Patterns in Asthma- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Overlap Syndrome

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap syndrome (ACOS) is a complex disease entity with limited guidance surrounding medication therapy. Objective: To evaluate a patient population with possible ACOS and their medication regimen based on the Global Initiative for Asthma and Global Initiative for COPD joint statement for ACOS. Methods: This was a retrospective study based at a large clinical practice within a school of medicine. The sample included adults 40 to 85 years old who had an active concurrent diagnosis of asthma and COPD. Patients were considered to have likely inconsistent therapy (only preventive, no rescue medication), inconsistent therapy (neither preventive nor rescue medication), and likely consistent therapy (both preventive and rescue medication or rescue medication alone). Results: A total of 513 patients were included the study. The majority of the sample were female (75%) and white (87.1%), with an average age of 61 years. About 7% of patients had likely inconsistent therapy, whereas 7.7% had inconsistent therapy to control their airway disease. Never smokers were more likely than former smokers to have inconsistent therapy (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 4.54; CI = 1.86-11.04). Adults 65 years and older were more likely than those aged 40 to 49 years to be in the likely inconsistent therapy group (adjusted OR = 4.01; CI = 1.04-15.34). Patients without any comorbid conditions were more likely than those with 2 or more comorbid conditions to be in the likely inconsistent group (adjusted OR = 3.50; CI = 1.39-8.77). Conclusion: As the disease definition and treatment recommendations evolve, future studies should continue to monitor ACOS treatment patterns and outcomes.