Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sentinel Lymph Nodes and Breast Carcinoma: Which Micrometastases Are Clinically Significant?

Sentinel lymph node biopsy is changing surgical management of breast cancer and pathologic evaluation of lymph nodes. Although it has long been known that lymph nodes contain occult metastases, pathologists have not generally pursued their identification. Compared with level I-II axillary dissection, the reduced number of sentinel lymph nodes has made additional evaluation more attractive; however, the consequences of increased detection of micrometastases has not been fully explored or appreciated. National data suggest that the composition of traditional TNM stage groupings is changing, with a recent increase in node-positive, stage II breast cancer, most likely the result of increased pathologic scrutiny. Clinical management of this new group of stage II patients is complicated by the lack of a historic prognostic comparison group because many of these patients would have been classified as stage I, node-negative in the past. Early outcome data in sentinel lymph node biopsy suggest no adverse outcome for patients with metastases no larger than 2.0 mm, a finding aligned with the current definition of micrometastasis. When sentinel lymph nodes are sliced at 2.0-mm intervals and totally embedded, the probability of identifying all metastases >2.0 mm is high. Using reasonable sampling strategies, minute metastases have a nearly equal chance of being missed or detected. New staging guidelines have established a lower limit for micrometastases and defined metastases no larger than 0.2 mm as isolated tumor cells or tumor cell clusters; nodes with isolated tumor cells will be classified as node negative (pN0) for stage grouping. Rigorous strategies designed to reliably detect single cells or small cell clusters in sentinel nodes remain time-intensive and cost prohibitive.
Neuromuscular junction in abdominal muscles of Drosophila melanogaster during adulthood and aging

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) of Drosophila melanogaster has been established as a productive model for the study of synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, vesicle recycling, and other synaptic functions in embryos and larvae. It also has potential for the study of long‐term plasticity during adult life and degenerative processes associated with aging. Here we provide a detailed description of the morphology and ultrastructure of the NMJ on abdominal dorsal longitudinal muscles throughout adult life from eclosion to senescence. In contrast to the case in the larva, the predominant type of terminals in these muscles in the adult fly consists of only two or three branches with tightly packed synaptic boutons. We observed qualitative and quantitative changes as mean bouton size increased gradually during adulthood, and the largest boutons were present in the old fly. The length of nerve branches first increased and thereafter decreased gradually during most of adult life. Branch diameter also decreased progressively, but branch number did not change. The subsynaptic reticulum became progressively thinner, and “naked” boutons were found in old flies. Ultrastructural traits gave indications of an age‐associated increment in autophagy, larger synaptic vesicles, and impaired endocytosis. We propose that NMJ aging in the fly correlates with impaired endocytosis and membrane dynamics. This view finds a functional correlate in flies carrying a temperature‐sensitive mutation in shibire that reversible blocks endocytosis; age significantly reduces the time required for complete paralysis and increases the time of recovery, thus confirming the age‐dependent alteration in vesicle dynamics. J. Comp. Neurol. 501:498–508, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
SUICIDAL DEPRESSED PATIENTS RESPOND LESS WELL TO ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN THE SHORT TERM

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors could be associated to a poor response to antidepressant treatment, but the exclusion of suicidal patients from randomized clinical trials restricts the available knowledge. In this study, we aimed at defining more precisely the response to antidepressants among suicidal patients and the threshold of suicidality that best predicts a poor response.
Two for one: a self-management plan coupled with a prescription sheet for children with asthma.

BACKGROUND Despite strong recommendations in the asthma guidelines, the use of written self-management plans remains low among asthmatic patients. OBJECTIVES To develop a written self-management plan, based on scientific evidence and expert opinions, in a format intended to facilitate its dispensing by health care professionals, and to test the perception of its relevance and clarity by asthmatic children, adolescents and adults. METHODS Inspired by previously tested self-management plans, surveys of asthma educators, expert opinions and the 2004 Canadian Asthma Guidelines, the authors simultaneously developed French and English versions of a written self-management plan that coupled with a prescription. The self-management plan was tested in parents and their asthmatic children (aged one to 17 years), and it was revised until 85% clarity and perceived relevance was achieved. RESULTS Ninety-seven children and their parents were interviewed. Twenty per cent had a self-management plan. On the final revision, nearly all items were clear and perceived relevant by 85% or more of the interviewees. Two self-management plans were designed for clinics and acute care settings, respectively. The plans are divided into three control zones identified by symptoms with optional peak flow values and symbolized by traffic light colours. They are designed in triplicate format with a prescription slip, a medical chart copy and a patient copy. CONCLUSION The written self-management plans, based on available scientific evidence and expert opinions, are clear and perceived to be relevant by children, adolescents and their parents. By incorporating the prescription and chart copies, they were designed to facilitate dispensing by physicians in both clinics and acute care settings.
Unifying theory of tapping-mode atomic-force microscopy

We propose a general method for describing tapping-mode atomic-force microscopy. The combined participation of attractive and repulsive interactions determines the multivalued nature of the resonance curve. This, in turn, implies the coexistence of two different stable oscillations for some excitation frequencies. The coexistence of two stable oscillations depends on the driving force and tip-surface separation. Increasing the driving force inhibits the low-amplitude oscillation state. Because resolution depends on the oscillation state, we propose that the absence of the low amplitude solution is responsible for the inconsistencies observed in high-resolution imaging of biomolecules.
Construction de descripteurs à partir du coclustering pour la classification supervisée de séries temporelles

Résumé. Nous présentons un processus de construction de descripteurs pour la classification supervisée de séries temporelles. Ce processus est libre de tout paramétrage utilisateur et se décompose en trois étapes : (i) à partir des données originales, nous générons de multiples nouvelles représentations simples ; (ii) sur chacune de ces représentations, nous appliquons un algorithme de coclustering ; (iii) à partir des résultats de co-clustering, nous construisons de nouveaux descripteurs pour les séries temporelles. Nous obtenons une nouvelle base de données objets-attributs dont les objets (identifiant les séries temporelles) sont décrits par des attributs issus des diverses représentations générées. Nous utilisons un classifieur Bayésien sur cette nouvelle base de données. Nous montrons expérimentalement que ce processus offre de très bonnes performances prédictives comparées à l’état de l’art.
Simplified 13C‐urea breath test with a new infrared spectrometer for diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection

Background and Aim: Infrared spectrometry has correlated excellently with mass spectrometry in detecting the ratio of 13CO2 to 12CO2 in breath samples. The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the 13C‐urea breath test (13C‐UBT) using a new model of infrared analyzer.
Barriers to hospice care and referrals: survey of physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions in a health maintenance organization.

INTRODUCTION Many proponents of hospice care believe that this service is underutilized. OBJECTIVE To determine physicians' perceptions of hospice utilization and of their own hospice referral pattern; their perceived and actual knowledge of appropriate hospice referral diagnoses; and perceived barriers to hospice referral. METHODS Surveys for anonymous response were distributed to 125 physicians in 2 internal medicine departments of a large not-for-profit health maintenance organization (HMO). Of these 125 physicians, 89% responded, including 91 staff physicians and 20 residents. RESULTS Of the 111 physician-respondents, 78% reported their belief that hospice care was underutilized; 84% were unable to identify appropriate hospice diagnoses; and 12% were aware of the "National Hospice Organization Medical Guidelines for Determining Prognosis in Selected Non-Cancer Diseases. " Difficulty of predicting death to within 6 months was cited by 37% as the foremost barrier to hospice referral. In addition, 28% expressed concern that patients or families would interpret hospice referral as a cost saving measure; 11% of respondents had been accused of using hospice referral for this purpose. CONCLUSION Our study-the first major survey of physician attitudes and practices regarding hospice utilization in an HMO setting-showed that barriers to hospice referral are similar to those in non-HMO settings; physicians have difficulty predicting life expectancy and lack knowledge of patient eligibility guidelines. Physician concern that patients or their family members would construe hospice referral as a cost-saving technique may be a barrier particularly troublesome in an HMO setting.
The emerging role of ACE2 in physiology and disease†

The renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) is a key regulator of systemic blood pressure and renal function and a key player in renal and cardiovascular disease. However, its (patho)physiological roles and its architecture are more complex than initially anticipated. Novel RAAS components that may add to our understanding have been discovered in recent years. In particular, the human homologue of ACE (ACE2) has added a higher level of complexity to the RAAS. In a short period of time, ACE2 has been cloned, purified, knocked‐out, knocked‐in; inhibitors have been developed; its 3D structure determined; and new functions have been identified. ACE2 is now implicated in cardiovascular and renal (patho)physiology, diabetes, pregnancy, lung disease and, remarkably, ACE2 serves as a receptor for SARS and NL63 coronaviruses. This review covers available information on the genetic, structural and functional properties of ACE2. Its role in a variety of (patho)physiological conditions and therapeutic options of modulation are discussed. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Loss of Cells—Loss of Self

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a devastating disease that profoundly changes emotion, self, and personality while initially sparing many aspects of cognitive functioning. This article reviews research that applies methods from basic affective science to obtain a more precise view of FTLD's impact on emotional functioning. This research indicates that simple forms of emotional reactivity are relatively preserved in the early stages of the disease. In contrast, more complex emotional processes, such as those involved with self-conscious emotions (e.g., embarrassment), emotion regulation, and recognizing emotions in others, are severely impaired. FTLD provides rich opportunities for increasing our understanding of the nature of emotion and of the emotional and social brain.
MicroRNA 21 Blocks Apoptosis in Mouse Periovulatory Granulosa Cells1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in many developmental processes, including cell differentiation and apoptosis. Transition of proliferative ovarian granulosa cells to terminally differentiated luteal cells in response to the ovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) involves rapid and pronounced changes in cellular morphology and function. MicroRNA 21 (miR-21, official symbol Mir21) is one of three highly LH-induced miRNAs in murine granulosa cells, and here we examine the function and temporal expression of Mir21 within granulosa cells as they transition to luteal cells. Granulosa cells were transfected with blocking (2′-O-methyl) and locked nucleic acid (LNA-21) oligonucleotides, and mature Mir21 expression decreased to one ninth and one twenty-seventh of its basal expression, respectively. LNA-21 depletion of Mir21 activity in cultured granulosa cells induced apoptosis. In vivo, follicular granulosa cells exhibit a decrease in cleaved caspase 3, a hallmark of apoptosis, 6 h after the LH/human chorionic gonadotropin surge, coincident with the highest expression of mature Mir21. To examine whether Mir21 is involved in regulation of apoptosis in vivo, mice were treated with a phospho thioate-modified LNA-21 oligonucleotide, and granulosa cell apoptosis was examined. Apoptosis increased in LNA-21-treated ovaries, and ovulation rate decreased in LNA-21-treated ovaries, compared with their contralateral controls. We have examined a number of Mir21 apoptotic target transcripts identified in other systems; currently, none of these appear to play a role in the induction of ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis. This study is the first to implicate the antiapoptotic Mir21 (an oncogenic miRNA) as playing a clear physiologic role in normal tissue function.
Serelaxin for the treatment of heart failure

ABSTRACT Outcomes for patients with acute heart failure remain suboptimal and treatments principally target improvement of symptoms. To date there has been no therapy approved for acute heart failure shown to improve mortality or readmission risk post-discharge. Serelaxin, a recombinant form of the naturally occurring polypeptide hormone relaxin, has demonstrated promise in preclinical and early clinical trials as a potentially novel therapy for acute heart failure. It is postulated through its anti-fibrotic and vasodilatory effects that this agent can improve outcomes in both the short and long term in these patients. Randomized clinical data has suggested that the medication is safe and well tolerated. However, definitive outcomes data is currently being assessed in a large multi-center trial.
Interaction of Guanine Nucleotides with [3H]Kainate and 6‐[3H]Cyano‐7‐Nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione Binding in Goldfish Brain

Abstract— Recent reports have suggested that a major proportion of [3H]kainate binding in goldfish brain is to a novel form of G‐protein‐linked glutamate receptor. Here we confirm that guanine nucleotides decrease [3H]kainate binding in goldfish brain membranes, but that binding is also reduced to a similar extent under conditions where G‐protein modulation should be minimised. Inclusion of GTPγS resulted in an approximately twofold decrease in the affinity of [3H]kainate binding and a 50% reduction in the apparent Bmax values in both Mg2+/Na+ and Mg2+/Na+‐free buffer when assayed at 0°c. The pharmacology of [3H]kainate binding is similar to that of well‐characterised ionotropic kainate receptors but unlike that of known me‐tabotropic glutamate receptors, with neither 1S,3R‐amino‐1,3‐cyclopentanedicarboxylic acid (1S,3R‐ACPD) nor ibo‐tenic acid being effective competitors. The molecular mass of the [3H]kainate binding protein, as determined by radiation inactivation, was 40 kDa, similar to the subunit sizes of other lower vertebrate kainate binding proteins that are believed to comprise ligand‐gated ion channels. Furthermore, GTP‐γS also inhibited the binding of the non‐NMDA receptor‐selective antagonist 6‐[3H]cyano‐7‐ni‐troquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione. These data strongly suggest that the regulatory interaction between guanine nucleotides and [3H]kainate and 6‐[3H]cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione binding is complex and involves competition at the agonist/antagonist binding site in addition to any G‐protein‐mediated modulation.
LC-MS/MS analysis and evaluation of the anti-inflammatory activity of components from BushenHuoxue decoction

Abstract Context: BushenHuoxue decoction (BSHXD) is a Chinese medicine prescription, which is composed of nine Chinese medical materials, used to treat osteoarthritis (OA). Objective: This study develops sensitive and convenient LC-MS/MS methods to analyze chemical components from BSHXD, and assess the anti-inflammatory activities thereof. Materials and methods: The chemical composition from BSHXD water extract was qualitative analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS). Twelve reference compounds were analyzed by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Anti-inflammatory activities of target components were assessed by ELISA at 20 and 100 μg/mL. Results: It is the first time that 88 compounds were qualitatively identified from BSHXD, of which 12 with potential in treating OA according to the literature were quantified. Within BSHXD the contents of quercetin, isopsoralen, icarisideII, osthole, and isoimperatorin increased remarkably compared with those in single herb which make up BSHXD, the contents were 0.1999, 0.4634, 0.0928, 0.5364, and 0.1487 mg/g. ELISA data displayed that BSHXD and the five compounds mentioned inhibited the expressions of TNF-α, IL-6 and NO released from LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cell, with maximum inhibition rates of 104.05% (osthole, 100 μg/mL), 100.03% (osthole, 100 μg/mL), and 93.46% (isopsoralen, 20 μg/mL), respectively. Discussion and conclusion: Content changes of 12 compounds in BSHXD and single herbs which comprise the prescription were measured and analyzed. Contents of five compounds increased may be explained by solubilization between drugs and chemical reaction. ELISA results reported that the increased contents of the five compounds could inhibit expression of the inflammatory factors.
Muscular microRNA expressions in healthy and myopathic horses suffering from polysaccharide storage myopathy or recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small endogenous noncoding interfering RNA molecules (18-25 nucleotides) regarded as major regulators in eukaryotic gene expression. They play a role in developmental timing, cellular differentiation, signalling and apoptosis pathways. Because of the central function of miRNAs in the proliferation and differentiation of the myoblasts demonstrated in mouse and man, it is assumed that they could be present in equine muscles and their expression profile may be related to the muscle status. OBJECTIVE To identify miRNA candidates in the muscles of control and affected horses suffering from polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) and recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER). METHODS Muscle biopsies were collected in the gluteus medius of horses allocated into 4 groups: French Trotters (3 control-TF vs. 3 RER-TF) and Norman Cob (5 control-Cob vs. 9 PSSM-Cob). Blood samples were collected for miRNA analysis. Total RNA were extracted and real time quantitative RT-QPCR analysis were conducted using 10 miRNA assays (mir-1-23-30-133-181-188-195-206-339-375). RESULTS All the miRNA candidates were significantly detected in the muscles and some in blood samples. Variance analysis revealed highly significant (P < 0.0001) effects of the miRNA type, breed and pathology on the miRNA expression. A specific miRNA profile was related to each myopathy: a higher expression of mir-1, 133, 23a, 30b, 195 and 339 in RER-TF vs. control-TF (P < 0.05); a higher expression of mir-195 in PSSM-Cob vs. control-Cob (P < 0.05). The miRNA profile was different between breeds for mir-181, 188 and 206 (P < 0.05). The mir-1, 133, 181, 195 and 206 were detected in blood of control-Cob and PSSM-Cob horses. CONCLUSIONS This first study about muscular miRNA profile in equine myopathies indicated that it is possible to discriminate pathological from control horses according to their miRNA profile. The RER miRNA profile was more specific and contrasted than the PSSM profile.
Dowry and Intrahousehold Bargaining : Evidence from China Philip

This paper investigates the effects of dowry in determining wife’s welfare in China via a cooperative Nash bargaining framework. The analysis implements a two stage least squares identification strategy that controls for both simultaneity and omitted variables bias that has troubled much of the previous research; the two instruments employed – lagged historical deviation from trend in provincial per capita grain yield and sibling sex composition – are highly correlated with dowry while remaining plausibly exogenous to intrahousehold allocation decisions. I find that dowry has a robustly positive impact on a variety of household resource allocations of interest to the wife, including the time that her husband allocates to performing specific household chores, the wife’s leisure time, the share of household spending allocated to women’s goods, and the probability that wives self-identify as being satisfied with their lives. I also find that dowry impacts the degree to which the wife has the final authority when disputes over household issues arise, a direct measure of her bargaining position. These findings provide considerable evidence for the theoretical literature linking control of resources to marital outcomes. Acknowledgements This paper has benefited from the insights and suggestions of Albert Park, David Lam, Jan Svejnar, and Bob Willis. I am also grateful for helpful comments from Rachel Connelly, Yang Du, Charlene Kalenkoski, Yun Li, Bill Parish, Rohini Somanathan, Sangui Wang, Mingren Zhao, participants of the University of Michigan Comparative Economic Development Seminar in Ann Arbor, participants of the 2002 RAND Economic Development Workshop in Atlanta, and seminar participants at Northwest Normal University in Lanzhou, China. JEL Classifications: 012, J12, D12, P36
Induced Action for Conformal Higher Spins from Worldline Path Integrals

Conformal higher spin (CHS) fields, yet being non unitary, provide a remarkable example of a consistent interacting higher spin theory in flat space background, that is local to all orders. The non-linear action is defined as the logarithmically UV divergent part of a one-loop scalar effective action. In this paper we take a particle model, that describes the interaction of a scalar particle to the CHS background, and compute its path integral on the circle. We thus provide a worldline representation for the CHS action, and rederive its quadratic part. We plan to come back to the subject, to compute cubic and higher vertices, in a future work.