Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rituximab in a child with relapsed Burkitt lymphoma

To the Editor: Prognosis of relapsed childhood Burkitt lymphoma is still poor, especially if relapse occurs within 6 months of diagnosis [1]. New therapeutic options are therefore still needed. One approach is antibody-targeted therapies with humanized monoclonal antibodies. We here report of our experience in a 4-year old child with relapsed Burkitt lymphoma who was successfully treated with intensive chemotherapy plus rituximab. A4-year old femalewas admitted to our hospitalwith complaints of abdominal and cheek swelling for 2 weeks. On physical examination, an immobile mass, 3 3 cm in diameter located on maxilla and a 10 10 cm in diameter in the abdomen were found. The results of the complete blood count were as follows: hemoglobin 11 g/dl, white blood cell count (WBC) 7,200/mm, and platelet count 291,000/mm. Serum biochemistry, coagulation parameters, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR: 18 mm/hr) were within normal range. Multiple lymphadenopathies in paraaortic region and thickened colonic wall were detected on her abdominal CTexamination. Bonemarrow examinationwas normal. There were many L3 type lymphoblasts on ascites fluid examination. Flow cytometric examination of ascites fluid revealed tumor cells positive for CD45 (91%) and CD20 (76%). Based on these findings, Burkitt lymphoma was diagnosed and LMB 89 Group B chemotherapy protocol was started. After the 5 days of chemotherapy, the size of intraabdominal and cheekmass gradually decreased. After the end of the chemotherapy protocol, complete remissionwas achieved. However, 1 month later, the abdominal and cheek masses were reappeared. Fine needle aspiration from the zygomatic mass revealed L3 type lymphoblasts. Although bonemarrow examination was normal, many lymphoblasts were seen on examination of CSF. NHLBFM90 (RiskGroup 3) chemotherapy protocol and rituximab (375 mg/m/dose/weekly) for 6 weeks were started and remission was achieved again. During the 2 years of follow-up, the patient is still in remission. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma recurs in about 20% of the patients almost always within the first year after diagnosis [2]. Aggressive salvage therapy is needed in relapsed Burkitt lymphoma [3]. Rituximab is a chimaerical murine/human anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. The efficacy of rituximab has been tested in only a small number of patients with relapsed aggressive Burkitt lymphoma [4–6]. Our patient received a total of six intravenous infusions of rituximab 375 mg/m in addition to NHL-BFM 95 chemotherapy protocol after which a complete remission was established. Rituximab was well tolerated and no major side effect was observed. Further studies are needed to clearly establish the clinical efficacy and safety of rituximab in pediatric relapse Burkitt lymphoma and to investigate its role in combination chemotherapy.
Increase in interphotoreceptor matrix gelatinase A (MMP-2) associated with age-related macular degeneration.

Matrix metalloproteinases have increasingly been shown to be associated with diseases involving neovascularization and/or abnormal cellular migration or proliferation. A number of diseases of this type affect the retina. In this study, the activity of gelatinase A (MMP-2), the most abundant matrix metalloproteinase in IPM (interphoto receptor matrix) and vitreous, was measured with respect to age in normal human donor eyes and compared to donors with age-related macular degeneration. IPM and vitreous were obtained from a total of 88 human donors. Samples for electrophoresis were normalized for protein content and subjected to quantitative gelatin zymography. The zymograms were scanned and then digitized and quantitated using the NIH 'Image' program. There was not a statistically significant change in the level of gelatinase A in IPM or vitreous as a function of age, although a slight downward trend was found in the total gelatinase A activity within the normal population. Likewise, when comparing normal and age-related macular degeneration donors, there was not a significant difference in the gelatinase A level in vitreous or in retina-associated IPM. However, the level of gelatinase A was nearly doubled specifically in retinal pigment epithelium-associated IPM from eyes with age-related macular degeneration [0.99 +/- 0.09 U mg-1 (56) vs 1.71 +/- 0.28 U mg-1 (14) (mean +/- S.E.M. (number), P < 0.0021; 1 unit = 1.0 ng gelatin cleaved h-1). Gelatinase A may be associated with the changes that occur in age-related macular degeneration, especially the neovascularization which accompanies the exudative ('wet') form of the disease.
Distortion Reduction in Singularity-Spreading Phase Unwrapping With Pseudo-Continuous Spreading and Self-Clustering Active Localization

Singularity-spreading phase unwrapping (SSPU) realizes low calculation-cost phase unwrapping by utilizing its nature completely free from the combinatorial problem of pairing singular points (SPs), which is unavoidable in conventional branch-cut methods. However, the SSPU sometimes suffers from low-frequency global distortion. It occurs when the singularity is spread to excessively large area. To solve this problem, in this paper, we propose two methods, namely, fully isotropic SSPU and nonhollow SSPU, both of which realize pseudo-continuous spreading. By extending these methods, we also propose self-clustering active localization. Experiments demonstrate successful reduction of the low-frequency distortion, showing about 2-3 dB improvement of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in generated digital elevation model (DEM) with only 1/4-1/3 calculation time of that in conventional SSPU. The performance is totally discussed among a branch-cut method, conventional SSPU method, and proposed SSPU methods.
Accelerating Physical Simulations Using Graphics Processing Units

Abstract Graphics processors are used in many fields of applications that require high computational power. Especially in scientific computing, the programming of graphics processing units is an active field of research. Because of their hardware characteristics, graphics processors are well-suited for regular parallelism, however the implementation of irregular problems requires more advanced strategies. In this article, the hardware architecture of graphics processors and different frameworks for graphics processor programming, such as CAL, Brook+, CUDA and OpenCL with their specific properties, are presented. Additionally, an overview of different physical applications that have been implemented successfully on graphics processors is given. The parallel implementation of a specific irregular physical application on graphics processors is presented in more detail. This application simulates anomalous diffusion in porous media using random walk on Random Sierpinski Carpets. Zusammenfassung Grafikprozessoren werden in vielen Anwendungsbereichen, in denen es auf hohe Rechenleistung ankommt, genutzt. Auch im Wissenschaftlichen Rechnen sind parallele Implementierungen auf Grafikprozessoren Gegenstand aktueller Forschung. Obwohl Grafikprozessoren besonders für reguläre Parallelität geeignet sind, werden zunehmend auch irreguläre Anwendungsprobleme betrachtet. Dieser Artikel stellt die Eigenschaften von Grafikprozessoren und verschiedene Frameworks zur Grafikprozessorprogrammierung wie CAL, Brook+, CUDA und OpenCL mit ihren spezifischen Eigenheiten vor. Weiter gibt der Artikel einen Überblick über verschiedene physikalische Anwendungen, die bereits erfolgreich auf Grafikprozessoren implementiert wurden. Die parallele Implementierung einer speziellen irregulären physikalischen Anwendung auf Grafikprozessoren wird detaillierter vorgestellt. Diese simuliert anomale Diffusion in porösen Materialien durch Random Walk auf zufälligen Sierpinski-Teppichen.
A Periplasmic Iron-binding Protein Contributes toward Inward Copper Supply*

Periplasmic substrate binding proteins are known for iron, zinc, manganese, nickel, and molybdenum but not copper. Synechocystis PCC 6803 requires copper for thylakoid-localized plastocyanin and cytochrome oxidase. Here we show that mutants deficient in a periplasmic substrate binding protein FutA2 have low cytochrome oxidase activity and produce cytochrome c6 when grown under copper conditions (150 nm) in which wild-type cells use plastocyanin rather than cytochrome c6. Anaerobic separation of extracts by two-dimensional native liquid chromatography followed by metal analysis and peptide mass-fingerprinting establish that accumulation of copper-plastocyanin is impaired, but iron-ferredoxin is unaffected in ΔfutA2 grown in 150 nm copper. However, recombinant FutA2 binds iron in preference to copper in vitro with an apparent Fe(III) affinity similar to that of its paralog FutA1, the principal substrate binding protein for iron import. FutA2 is also associated with iron and not copper in periplasm extracts, and this Fe(III)-protein complex is absent in ΔfutA2. There are differences in the soluble protein and small-molecule complexes of copper and iron, and the total amount of both elements increases in periplasm extracts of ΔfutA2 relative to wild type. Changes in periplasm protein and small-molecule complexes for other metals are also observed in ΔfutA2. It is proposed that FutA2 contributes to metal partitioning in the periplasm by sequestering Fe(III), which limits aberrant Fe(III) associations with vital binding sites for other metals, including copper.
Association between red meat consumption and colon cancer: A systematic review of experimental results

A role for red and processed meat in the development of colorectal cancer has been proposed based largely on evidence from observational studies in humans, especially in those populations consuming a westernized diet. Determination of causation specifically by red or processed meat is contingent upon identification of plausible mechanisms that lead to colorectal cancer. We conducted a systematic review of the available evidence to determine the availability of plausible mechanistic data linking red and processed meat consumption to colorectal cancer risk. Forty studies using animal models or cell cultures met specified inclusion criteria, most of which were designed to examine the role of heme iron or heterocyclic amines in relation to colon carcinogenesis. Most studies used levels of meat or meat components well in excess of those found in human diets. Although many of the experiments used semi-purified diets designed to mimic the nutrient loads in current westernized diets, most did not include potential biologically active protective compounds present in whole foods. Because of these limitations in the existing literature, there is currently insufficient evidence to confirm a mechanistic link between the intake of red meat as part of a healthy dietary pattern and colorectal cancer risk. Impact statement Current recommendations to reduce colon cancer include the reduction or elimination of red or processed meats. These recommendations are based on data from epidemiological studies conducted among cultures where meat consumption is elevated and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are reduced. This review evaluated experimental data exploring the putative mechanisms whereby red or processed meats may contribute to colon cancer. Most studies used levels of meat or meat-derived compounds that were in excess of those in human diets, even in cultures where meat intake is elevated. Experiments where protective dietary compounds were used to mitigate the extreme levels of meat and meat-derived compounds showed protection against colon cancer, with some essentially negating the impact of meat in the diet. It is essential that better-designed studies be conducted that use relevant concentrations of meat or meat-derived compounds in complex diets representative of the foods consumed by humans.
Modeling Agent Negotiation Via Fuzzy Constraints in E‐Business

In e‐business, disputes between two or more parties arise for various reasons and involve different issues. Thus, resolution of these disputes frequently relies on some form of negotiation. This article presents a general problem‐solving framework for modeling multi‐issue multilateral agent negotiation using fuzzy constraints in e‐business. Fuzzy constraints are thus used not only to define each agent's demands involving human concepts, but also to represent the relationships among agents. A concession strategy, based on fuzzy constraint‐based problem‐solving, is proposed to relax demands, and a trade‐off strategy is presented to evaluate existing alternatives. This approach provides a systematic method for reaching an agreement that benefits all agents with a high satisfaction degree of constraints. Meanwhile, by applying the method, agents can move toward an agreement more quickly, because their search focuses only on the feasible solution space. An example application to negotiate an insurance policy among agents is provided to demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Immune activation during acute HIV infection and the impact of early antiretroviral therapy

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to outline recent data pertaining to mechanisms of immune activation in acute infection and describe new developments that seek to determine if early antiretroviral treatment can mitigate chronic immune activation. Recent findingsFollowing the detection of HIV RNA, highly activated CD8+ T cells expand and peak approximately 2 weeks following peak viral load whereas levels of proinflammatory soluble markers coincide with a rise in viral load. Immune activation during acute infection is driven by many factors including pyroptosis, replicative capacity of the infecting virus, and loss of Th17 cells within the gut. Early antiretroviral therapy (ART), particularly if initiated in Fiebig I (HIV IgM−), preserved mucosal CD4+ T cells, possibly preventing the release of microbial products associated with immune activation. Viral reservoirs were restricted by the early initiation of ART, and heightened systemic immune activation was partially prevented compared with chronic HIV infection. A strong correlation was found between the size of the viral reservoir and cellular immune activation. SummaryThe timing of immune activation during acute infection occurs shortly after exposure. Recent studies demonstrated that ART mitigates inflammatory responses, preserves CD4+ T cells, and limits reservoir seeding if provided early in acute HIV infection.
The natural history of coronary collateral development.

• The subject of the coronary collateral circulation has a long and interesting history (1-3). Postmortem injection studies 40-50 years ago established that the coronary arteries in the normal dog heart are not end arteries but have many collateral connections at all levels of the atria and ventricles (4). There are many such connections of similar size, varying in diameter from 35M to 350^ with a majority between 100/t and 200/i in man, and they are distributed throughout the myocardium except for the epicardial surface (5, 6). These injectable vessels increase greatly in size and number at all levels of the myocardium in man following naturally occurring stimuli such as coronary occlusion, anemia, and valvular disease (7) and in the dog during experimentally induced coronary insufficiency (8, 9). These observations have been repeatedly confirmed over the years.
Spatial mode analysis of an elliptical-core, few-mode, optical fiber for MIMO-less space-division-multiplexing

We measure the mode coupling matrix for a 0.5km elliptical-core few-mode fiber supporting six spatial modes (HG<sub>00</sub>, HG<sub>01</sub>, HG<sub>10</sub>, HG<sub>02</sub>, HG<sub>20</sub>, and HG<sub>11</sub>) at 980nm. We demonstrate low crosstalk <;-16dB between any pairs of modes even under severe bending. EC-FMFs are suitable for short-reach MIMO-less transmission.
EFFECT OF SMS 201–995, A LONG‐ACTING SOMATOSTATIN ANALOGUE, ON THE SECRETION AND MORPHOLOGY OF A PITUITARY GROWTH HORMONE CELL ADENOMA

The present study reports the effects of SMS 201–995, a long‐acting somatostatin analogue, on blood GH levels, glucose tolerance and tumour morphology in a 36‐year‐old, previously untreated acromegalic woman. Treatment (50 μg s.c, 8‐hourly) resulted in marked suppression of GH concentration and an improvement in glucose tolerance. After 10 d of treatment, the tumour was removed by transsphenoidal surgery and studied by histology, immunohisto‐chemistry, transmission electron microscopy and morphometry. Histologically, the tumour was an acidophilic adenoma which contained immunoreactive GH in many adenoma cells. By electron microscopy, the tumour was composed of densely granulated somatotrophs containing numerous large secretory granules and many lysosomes showing crinophagy. No cell necrosis or vascular impairment were evident. Using morphometry, the tumour was compared with 10 densely granulated somatotroph adenomas, removed from acromegalic patients not treated with somatostatin. The nuclear and cytoplasmic areas of the adenoma subjected to SMS 201–995 treatment were smaller, and the lysosomes occupied more of the cytoplasmic volume than those of controls. The nuclear/ cytoplasmic ratio, cytoplasmic volume densities of endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, secretory granules and secretory granule diameters were within the range of control adenomas. In vitro, treated adenoma cells secreted GH and retained responsiveness to both GRH stimulation and somatostatin suppression. The morphologic findings after SMS 201–995 treatment, are consistent with suppression of GH release. There is no evidence that somatostatin has any direct cytotoxic or vasotoxic effects. It appears that SMS 201–995 represents a potent and promising drug in the medical treatment of acromegaly, however, more is needed to elucidate the mechanism of somatostatin suppression and to provide evidence for adenoma shrinkage.
The tactile contact lens

This paper introduces a device for enhancing tactile perception of surface undulation. This device, which we call a "tactile contact lens," is composed of a sheet and numerous pins arranged on one side of the sheet. Our experimental results show that a small bump on a surface can be detected more accurately through this device than by bare finger and than through a flat sheet. A mathematical analysis of this phenomenon suggests two causes of this phenomenon. One cause is a lever-like behavior of the pins, which converts the local inclination of the object surface into the tangential displacement on the skin surface. The second cause is the spatial aliasing effect resulting from the discrete contact, by which the temporal change in the skin surface displacement is efficiently transduced into the temporal change in the skin tissue strain. The result of the analysis is discussed in relation to other sensitivity-enhancing materials, tactile sensing mechanisms, and tactile/haptic display devices.
Evaluation of CO2-baited traps for survey of Amblyomma maculatum Koch and Dermacentor variabilis Say (Acarina: Ixodidae).

The use of CO2-baited traps for surveying lone star ticks has been described by Wilson et al. (1972, J. Med. Ent. 9 : 245–52) and Semtner & Hair (1973, J. Med. Ent. 10 : 618–28). These papers also review the use of CO2 for the collection of other tick species.
A human-system interaction framework and algorithm for UbiComp-based smart home

Current smart home is a ubiquitous computing environment consisting of multiple agent-based autonomous spaces, and it brings both advantage and challenge that a service interacting with users can be performed with multiple choices of configuration in space, hardware, software, and quality. And besides being smart in the technology phase, a smart home should also satisfy the ldquohomerdquo feeling when interacting with its inhabitants. In this work, from the perspective of human-computer interaction, we analyze the relationship between services, spaces, and users, and then propose a framework as well as a corresponding algorithm to model their interaction, thus for a smart home to behave both smart and as a home when interacting with its inhabitants.
Lower urinary tract symptoms in Thai women attending the menopause clinic: prevalence and associated factors.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms and associated factors in women attending the menopause clinic. METHOD Nine hundred and fifty-six women attending the menopause clinic, Ramathibodi Hospital were interviewed regarding their general health issues and lower urinary tract symptoms by means of an anonymous questionnaire. Demographic data, obstetric history, and underlying diseases were analysed by using Student t-test, Chi-square and Fisher exact test. P < 0.05 was considered as a level of significance. RESULTS A total of 956 women, mean age 52.89 +/- 5.80 years, completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of stress incontinence, nocturia, urgency, frequency, and urge incontinence were 58.3%, 40.3%, 33.9%, 22.7%, and 6.6%, respectively. Lower urinary tract symptoms was found to be associated with marital status, coexisting medical diseases, menopausal status, previous term delivery, and vaginal delivery (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Lower urinary tract symptoms was a common problem among women attending the menopause clinic. Marital status, coexisting medical diseases, menopausal status, parity, and mode of delivery were associated with this problem.
Cytokine and oxidative responses to maximal cycling exercise in sedentary subjects.

INTRODUCTION The simultaneous determination of the time course and magnitude of oxidative stress indicators and cytokine changes elicited by maximal incremental exercise has not yet been published for healthy sedentary subjects. PURPOSE The determination of normal exercise-induced changes in oxidant-antioxidant status and plasma cytokine represents a fundamental step before exploring patients suspected of altered biochemical responses. METHODS Fifteen healthy sedentary subjects performed an incremental cycle exercise until volitional exhaustion with measurement of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), two cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-alpha), and three indicators of oxidative stress (plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), reduced erythrocyte glutathione (GSH), and reduced plasma ascorbic acid (RAA)). RESULTS At VO2max, we noted a significant increase in plasma IL-6 and TNF-alpha concentrations, concomitant with the decrease in plasma RAA level. Besides, the plasma TBARS increase and erythrocyte GSH decrease respectively occurred at the 5th and 10th minutes of recovery. The exercise-induced variations of all blood indicators were completed within the 20th minute of the recovery period. We found significant positive correlations between VO2max and the peak increases in IL-6 (but not TNF-alpha) and TBARS. The corresponding variations of IL-6 and TBARS were also correlated. CONCLUSION This study indicates that blood samples for analyses of changes in both oxidant-antioxidant status and cytokine levels in response to maximal cycling exercise must be performed within the first 20 min of the postexercise recovery period.