Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hand-sewn vs linearly stapled esophagogastric anastomosis for esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis.

AIM To compare the outcomes of hand-sewn (HS) and linearly stapled (LS) esophagogastric anastomosis for esophageal cancer. METHODS Before beginning this study, a rigorous protocol was established according to the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration. Databases and references were searched for all randomized controlled trials and comparative clinical studies that compared LS with HS esophagogastric anastomosis for esophageal cancer. The primary outcomes compared were anastomotic leak and stricture. Subgroup analyses were performed according to site of anastomosis. RESULTS Fifteen studies were used, comprising 3203 patients (n = 2027 LS and 1176 HS). Primary outcome analysis revealed a significant decrease in anastomotic leakage (RR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.41-0.65; P < 0.00001) associated with LS anastomosis. A significantly reduced rate of anastomotic stricture associated with LS was also found (RR = 0.56, 95%CI: 0.49-0.64; P < 0.00001). A subgroup analysis according to the site of anastomosis revealed a significantly reduced rate of anastomotic stricture (P < 0.00001). Although there was no significant difference in the decrease in thoracic anastomotic leakage, there was a significant decrease in cervical anastomotic leakage associated with LS (P < 0.00001). CONCLUSION This meta-analysis indicates that the LS technique contributes to a reduced rate of leakage and stricture compared with the HS method.
Effect of a 42.2-km footrace and subsequent rest or exercise on muscular strength and work capacity.

This study 1) quantitates the effect of a 42.2-km footrace (marathon) on leg extensor strength (maximal peak torque, MPT) and work capacity (WC, measured during a leg extensor fatigue test), and 2) describes the effect of either a rest or exercise regimen for 1 wk after the marathon on the recovery of MPT and WC. Ten trained male runners performed personal records in a marathon and were then randomly assigned to either a rest or exercise-recovery group. The rest group did not train, whereas the exercise group ran 20-45 min/day at their selected intensity of exercise [50-60% maximal O2 consumption (Vo2max)] during the recovery week. MPT was measured at 1.1, 3.2, and 5.3 rad X s-1. The total work generated during a 50-contraction active extension-passive flexion fatigue test conducted at 3.2 rad X s-1 was defined as WC. Reports of perceived soreness of the quadriceps were obtained before each strength-testing session. These measurements were obtained before the marathon and 15-20 min and 1, 3, 5, and 7 days postmarathon. A significant reduction in MPT and WC resulted and continued 1 day postmarathon. MPT of both groups improved through day 5 postmarathon at 1.1 and 3.2 rad X s-1. MPT of the rest group improved through day 7 postmarathon but remained less than premarathon MPT. Recovery of MPT was impaired in the exercise group through days 5-7 postmarathon after 40-45 min exercise at 60% Vo2max. WC was recovered 3 days postmarathon in the rest group but was still impaired 7 days postmarathon in the exercise group. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Regulation of predation by prey density: the protozoan-Rhizobium relationship.

Tetramitus rostratus and strains of Hartmanella, Naegleria, and Vahlkampfia consumed large numbers of Rhizobium meliloti cells in a salt solution, but protozoan multiplication and the bacterial decline stopped when the prey density fell to about 10-6 to 10-7 cells/ml. At higher prey densities, the maximum numbers of Hartmanella sp. and Naegleria sp. were proportional to the quantity of R. meliloti initially provided to the amoebas. When supplemental rhizobia were supplied to Hartmanella sp. or Naegleria sp. after their active feeding had terminated, presumably because the remaining 10-6 or 10-7 bacteria/ml could not be captured, replication of the protozoa was initiated. The rate of elimination of rhizobia present in large populations was proportional to the initial abundance of Naegleria sp. , but the final numbers of amoebas and surviving R. meliloti cells were independent of initial numbers of predators. The surviving bacteria were not intrinsically resistant to attack because 98% of the survivors, when concentrated, were consumed. It is suggested that large populations of bacteria in nature may be reduced in size by predatory protozoa, but many of the prey cells will not be eliminated.
Memory‐based smooth pursuit: neuronal mechanisms and preliminary results of clinical application

Using a memory‐based smooth‐pursuit task, macaque monkeys were trained to pursue (i.e., go) or not pursue (i.e., no‐go), a cued direction, based on the memory of visual motion‐direction and a go/no–go instruction. Task‐related neuronal activity was examined in the supplementary eye fields, caudal frontal eye fields, cerebellar floccular region, dorsal vermis lobules VI–VII, and caudal fastigial nuclei. Different cerebral and cerebellar areas carried distinctly different signals during memory‐based smooth pursuit. Chemical inactivation of these areas produced effects consistent with the differences in signals represented in each area. This task was applied to patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD), because impaired visual working memory has been reported during cognitive tasks in PD. None of the PD patients tested exhibited impaired working memory of motion‐direction and/or go/no–go selection, but they had difficulty in preparing for and executing smooth‐pursuit eye movements, suggesting a selective motor‐related disturbance in Parkinson's disease.
Purification of polysaccharide from artificially cultivated Anoectochilus roxburghii (wall.) Lindl. by high-speed counter current chromatography and its antitumor activity.

To establish a systematic method for the extraction, purification, characterization and antitumor activity study of polysaccharide from artificially cultivated Anoectochilus roxburghii (wall.) Lindl. (AC-ARPS). High-speed counter current chromatography with two-phase aqueous systems was successfully applied to purify AC-ARPS after one-step separation. The purity of the AC-ARPS obtained by phenol/sulfuric acid method was 95.01%. The chemical structures of AC-ARPS were identified by a series of analytical methods including high-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. High-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry indicated that AC-ARPS was mainly composed of mannose, ribose, glucose, galactose and arabinose with a molar ratio of 1.00:8.47:47.30:1.17:1.19. AC-ARPS is a homogeneous polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 25 681 Da. The antitumor effect of AC-ARPS was evaluated on lung cancer A549, osteosarcoma 143B, rat adrenal pheochromocytoma PC 12, breast cancer MCF-7, acute leukemia HL 60, chronic leukemia K562, colon cancer SW620, esophageal cancer OE 19, liver cancer HepG2, and neuroglioma U251 cells in vitro. AC-ARPS showed the best inhibitory effect on OE 19 cells, and the IC50 value was 5.67 ± 0.831 μmol/L. Fluorescence analysis and flow cytometry results showed that AC-ARPS induced apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest in OE 19 cells.
An ontology for privacy policy management in ubiquitous environments

The SOHand (service oriented handover) architecture supports ubiquitous systems handovers, allowing the user to take control of the session and to migrate, transparently, between wireless technologies and providers (access and content ones). To ensure that the handovers will be done with no problems while users are using services, such architecture uses a set of ontologies called DOHand (domain ontology for handovers). The ontologies will help the negotiation process between the different agents involved. Additionally, as users migrate in their daily duties and activities, they will eventually want to communicate with each other, in an ad-hoc way, to exchange information or to share device/network resources, such as memory, processing, email and bandwidth, in opportunistic ways in a strategy named PSN (pocket switched network). Be it in an infra-structured or ad-hoc way, during the interactions the users need to have a good notion of risk and trust to their partners. They need to define privacy policies that must be negotiated between the parts during the inter-providers handovers; and they need to assess the potential of danger during an opportunistic exchange. In this paper, we describe PrOHand (privacy ontology for handovers), which is an extension of DOHand privacy concept. PrOHand supports privacy policies management, handling information and services used by the SOHand users during infrastructured and PSN interactions. A case study is described in which PrOHand is instantiated for the haggle architecture.
Cross-Canada survey of resistance of 2747 aerobic blood culture isolates to piperacillin/tazobactam and other antibiotics.

OBJECTIVE To compare the activity of piperacillin/tazobactam with that of other broad parenteral antibiotics against aerobic and facultative anaerobic blood culture isolates in a Canada-wide survey. DESIGN Fifty-eight laboratories in nine provinces each contributed up to 50 consecutive clinically significant aerobic and facultative anaerobic isolates for susceptibility testing. SETTING Participating hospitals included both tertiary care and community hospitals. MATERIALS AND METHODS Testing was performed in five regional centres by using the same microbroth dilution method, and results were interpreted according to National Commitee for Clinical Laboratory Standards M7-A3 and M100-S5 guidelines. RESULTS Piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem were both active against more than 99% of the 1616 strains of Enterobacteriaceae species tested. The minimum inhibitory concentration of 90% of isolates (MIC(90)) of all Enterobacteriaceae species was 2 mg/L for piperacillin/tazobactam compared with 64 mg/L for piperacillin alone. Seventeen per cent of strains of Enterobacteriaceae species were susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam but resistant to piperacillin. Piperacillin/tazobactam was highly active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, inhibiting 99.1% of strains. MIC(90) was 8 mg/L. Nine per cent of P aeruginosa strains were not susceptible to imipenem. Most of these strains had a MIC of 8 mg/L, which falls in the intermediate category. Ninety-seven per cent of P aeruginosa were susceptible to ciprofloxacin and 97.3% to tobramycin. Ninety-six per cent of strains of Actinobacter species were susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam, whereas only 76% of strains were susceptible to piperacillin alone. Overall, piperacillin/tazobactam was the most active agent tested; 98% of all strains were susceptible, followed closely by imipenem, to which 97.8% of strains were susceptible. CONCLUSIONS Aerobic blood culture isolates from Canadian centres continue to be highly susceptible to a variety of antibiotics. The broad spectrum of activity of piperacillin/tazobactam suggests that this combination should be considered for empirical treatment of sepsis while awaiting results of cultures and susceptibility testing.
The acoustic signature of decaying resonant phospholipid microbubbles

Sub-capillary sized microbubbles offer improved techniques for diagnosis and therapy of vascular related disease using ultrasound. Their physical interaction with ultrasound remains an active research field that aims to optimize techniques. The aim of this study is to investigate whether controlled microbubble disruption upon exposure to consecutive ultrasound exposures can be achieved. Single lipid-shelled microbubble scattered echoes have been measured in response to two consecutive imaging pulses, using a calibrated micro-acoustic system. The nonlinear evolution of microbubble echoes provides an exact signature above and below primary and secondary resonance, which has been identified using theoretical results based on the Mooney–Rivlin strain softening shell model. Decaying microbubbles follow an irreversible trajectory through the resonance peak, causing the evolution of specific microbubble spectral signatures. The characteristics of the microbubble motion causes varying amounts of shell material to be lost during microbubble decay. Incident ultrasound field parameters can thus accurately manipulate the regulated shedding of shell material, which has applications for both imaging applications and localized drug delivery strategies.
On generalized downlink beamforming with NOMA

Recently, nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been studied to increase the spectral efficiency of downlink in a multiuser system by exploiting the notion of superposition coding with successive interference cancellation (SIC). NOMA can be employed with downlink beamforming for downlink transmissions from a base station (BS) equipped with an antenna array, which results in NOMA beamforming. In this paper, we formulate a multiuser NOMA beamforming problem as a semidefinite programming (SDP) problem and generalize it in order to include the conventional (multiuser) beamforming. A low-complexity approach to decide SIC sets for the generalized NOMA beamforming is studied using the correlation between channel vectors for better performance. From analysis and simulation results, we show that the (generalized) NOMA beamforming can outperform the conventional beamforming, especially under limited scattering environments.
Treatment of Acute Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

Hospitalization for nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH) is still common with an incidence of 100/100,000 adults/year. Mortality rates range between 8 and 14%. The most common etiologies of acute UGIH are gastric and duodenal ulcers which are associated with older age, Helicobacter pylori gastritis and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Approximately 70% of UGIH stop spontaneously, 10% bleed continuously and about 20% rebleed in the first 24–72 h. Mortality and the probability of rebleeding have been related to the ulcers’ stigmata (Forrest) and to a variety of clinical findings (hematemesis, low initial hemoglobin, signs of shock, coagulopathy and liver disease). It is well established that only patients with continued bleeding or with a risk of rebleeding benefit from endoscopic or medical treatment. Endoscopic treatment (including heater probe, bipolar electrocoagulation, laser and injection therapy) control active bleeding in up to 90% and reduce significantly the rates of further bleeding, the need for blood transfusions, hospital costs and emergency surgery. Medical treatment is still controversial although positive results for somatostatin and octreotide have been found. A meta-analysis including 1,829 patients from 14 randomized trials showed the relative risk for continued bleeding or rebleeding of 0.53 (95% CI, 0.43–0.63) in favor of somatostatin and octreotide. Interventional endoscopy is the first line of treatment for UGIH. Somatostatin and its analogue octreotide may be a useful adjunct to endoscopic management or alternative when endoscopy is unsuccessful, contraindicated or unavailable.
Gastric Cancer and Allium Vegetable Intake: A Critical Review of the Experimental and Epidemiologic Evidence

There are suggestions of an anticancerogenic effect of allium vegetables and their associated organosulfur components against several cancer types, including gastric cancer, but the issue remains open to discussion and quantification. The present critical review discussed the history, the health properties, the chemistry, the anticancerogenic evidences from experimental studies, and the anticancer mechanisms of allium vegetables. We also summarized findings from epidemiological studies concerning the association between different types of allium vegetables and gastric cancer risk, published up to date. Available data, derived mainly from case-control studies, suggested a favorable role of high intakes of allium vegetables, mainly garlic and onion, in the etiology of gastric cancer. In particular, of 10 studies, 7 suggested a favorable role of high intake of total allium vegetables and gastric cancer. All 14 studies on garlic and most studies on onion (more than 80%) reported a beneficial role of these allium types against gastric cancer. However several limitations, including possible publication bias and the difficulty to establish a dose-risk relationship, suggest caution in the interpretation. Evidences on other types of allium vegetables, as well as on the influence of different gastric cancer anatomical and histological types, are less consistent.
Open Reduction for Congenital Hip Dislocation: The Risk of Avascular Necrosis with Three Different Approaches

A review of 49 hips with congenital dislocation that were treated with anterior open reduction after traction and arthrogram showed that partial avascular necrosis can occur even when adequate decompression of the femoral head is obtained. When femoral osteotomy is done in conjunction with open reduction, the rate of avascular necrosis is not greater than for open reduction alone. Open reduction combined with innominate osteotomy had the highest rate of partial avascular necrosis and also the highest rate of additional surgery required.
effSense: A Novel Mobile Crowd-Sensing Framework for Energy-Efficient and Cost-Effective Data Uploading

Energy consumption and mobile data cost are two key factors affecting users' willingness to participate in mobile crowd-sensing tasks. While data-plan (DP) users are mostly concerned with energy consumption, non-data-plan (NDP) users are more sensitive to data cost. Traditional ways of data uploading in mobile crowdsensing tasks often go to two extremes: either in real time or completely offline after the whole task is over. In this paper, we propose effSense-an energy-efficient and cost-effective data uploading framework, which utilizes adaptive uploading schemes within fixed data uploading cycles. In each cycle, effSense empowers the participants with a distributed decision making scheme to choose the appropriate timing and network to upload data. effSense reduces data cost for NDP users by maximally offloading data to Bluetooth/WiFi gateways or DP users encountered; it reduces energy consumption for DP users by piggybacking data on a call or using more energy-efficient networks rather than initiating new 3G connections. By leveraging the predictability of users' calls and mobility, effSense selects proper uploading strategies for both user types. Our evaluation with the MIT reality mining and Nodobo datasets shows that effSense can reduce 55%-65% energy consumption for DP users, and 48%-52% data cost for NDP users, respectively, compared to traditional uploading schemes.
Assessing placement of controllers and nonlinear behavior using normal form analysis

Normal form (NF) theory is used to characterize and quantify nonlinear modal interaction near critical equilibria. This study focuses on the analysis of second-order modal interaction and the study of nonlinear aspects of system behavior which are of interest to the design and location of system controllers. A systematic approach to deriving second-order NF representations in the neighborhood of equilibrium points is presented. On the basis of this model, nonlinear interaction measures are then obtained to assess the extent and distribution of nonlinearity in the system. Analytical criteria are developed to predict the existence of nonlinear modal interactions that significantly affect system dynamic performance. To demonstrate the effect of nonlinear interaction, a case study of locating controllers to damp electromechanical oscillations is developed. Examples of application of the developed approaches on a two-area four-machine test system are presented to determine the strength of nonlinear interactions in the system response, and estimating its effects on system dynamic performance and control design.
Genetic analysis of 987P adhesion and fimbriation of Escherichia coli: the fas genes link both phenotypes

The 987P fimbrial gene cluster has recently been shown to contain eight genes (fasA to fasH) clustered on large plasmids of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and adjacent to a Tn1681-like transposon encoding the heat-stable enterotoxin STIa. Different genetic approaches were used to study the relationship between 987P fimbriation and adhesion. TnphoA mutagenesis, complementation assays, and T7 RNA polymerase-promoted gene expression indicated that all of the fas genes were involved in fimbrial expression and adhesion. In contrast to other fimbrial systems, the lack of expression of any single fas gene never resulted in the dissociation of fimbriation and adhesion, indicating that the adhesin is required for fimbrial expression and suggesting that FasA, the fimbrial structural subunit itself, is the adhesin. In addition, fimbrial length was shown to be modulated by the levels of expression of different fas genes.
Development and validation of a sport-specific exercise protocol for elite youth soccer players.

AIM The aims of the current study were, firstly, to quantify the motion characteristics of professional youth soccer players and, secondly, to develop and validate a soccer-specific exercise protocol (SSEP). METHODS The motion characteristics of 12 first team members and 12 scholars (under 19s), signed to an English Premiership club were determined via motion analysis. Motion profiles from the analysis were then used to develop a SSEP for a non-motorised treadmill. Validity of the protocol was checked with 6, healthy, male soccer players who completed the SSEP and, on a separate occasion, a soccer match. Heart rates were recorded during both trials, in addition, capillary blood and expired air samples were taken, and RPE recorded, during the SSEP. RESULTS Youth team players covered 10274+/-609 m, compared to 9741+/-882 m by the first team players (t=1.72, p>0.05; 95% CI for the difference = -1174 m to 109 m). The trend for greater mean distance covered by youth players could be attributed to the distances covered while jogging and running. Mean heart rate response was 166+/-9 beatsxmin(-1) during match play and 166+/-12 beatsxmin(-1) during the SSEP (t=0.164, p>0.05). Mean . VO(2) during the SSEP was 70+/-3% of . VO(2max). Blood lactate concentration fell from a mean value of 5.37+/-1.15 mmol x L(-1) during the first half to 4.74+/-1.25 mmol x L(-1) during the 2(nd) half (t=2.52, p<0.05). CONCLUSION The findings of this study suggest that the protocol developed induced a similar physiological load to soccer match play and provides the opportunity to study the physiological demands of soccer.
Racial discrimination, psychological distress, and self-rated health among US-born and foreign-born Black Americans.

OBJECTIVES We investigated associations among racial discrimination, psychological distress, and self-rated health among US-born and immigrant Black Americans. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a cohort of employed working-class Black Americans (193 US-born, 275 foreign-born). RESULTS Both US-born and foreign-born Black participants had high levels of exposure to poverty (51% and 57%, respectively) and racial discrimination (76% and 60%) and reported high levels of severe psychological distress (14% and 16% had a Kessler 6 [K6] score of 13 or greater); 17% and 7% reported fair or poor health. After controlling for relevant covariates, their risk parameters for racial discrimination (high vs no exposure) were 4.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.3, 5.6) and 3.3 (95% CI = 2.1, 4.5), respectively, for continuous K6 score; corresponding odds ratios for severe psychological distress were 6.9 (95% CI = 1.4, 35.7) and 6.8 (95% CI = 2.5, 18.3). No associations existed between racial discrimination and self-reported health, suggesting that an underlying propensity to report adversity does not account for our psychological distress findings. CONCLUSIONS Our results attest to the salience of racial discrimination, nativity, and socioeconomic position in understanding the experiences and psychological health of Black Americans.