Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Imatinib mesylate in advanced dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: pooled analysis of two phase II clinical trials.

PURPOSE Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a dermal sarcoma typically carrying a translocation between chromosomes 17 and 22 that generates functional platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB). PATIENTS AND METHODS Two distinct phase II trials of imatinib (400 to 800 mg daily) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic DFSP were conducted and closed prematurely, one in Europe (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer [EORTC]) with 14-week progression-free rate as the primary end point and the other in North America (Southwest Oncology Group [SWOG]) with confirmed objective response rate as the primary end point. In the EORTC trial, confirmation of PDGFB rearrangement was required, and surgery was undertaken after 14 weeks if feasible. The SWOG study confirmed t(17;22) after enrollment. RESULTS Sixteen and eight patients were enrolled onto the EORTC and SWOG trials, respectively. Tumor size ranged from 1.2 to 49 cm. DFSP was located on head/neck, trunk, and limb in seven, 11, and six patients, respectively, and was classic, pigmented, and fibrosarcomatous DFSP in 13, one, and nine patients, respectively. Metastases were present in seven patients (lung involvement was present six patients). Eleven patients (4%) had partial response as best response, and four patients had progressive disease as best response. Median time to progression (TTP) was 1.7 years. Imatinib was stopped in 11 patients because of progression, one patient because of toxicity, and two patients after complete resection of disease. Median overall survival (OS) time has not been reached; 1-year OS rate was 87.5%. CONCLUSION Imatinib is active in DFSP harboring t(17;22) including fibrosarcomatous DFSP, with objective response rate approaching 50%. Response rates and TTP did not differ between patients taking 400 mg daily versus 400 mg twice a day.
The influence of daytime inactivity and nighttime restlessness on cancer-related fatigue.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To identify indicators involving circadian activity/rest cycles associated with higher levels of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) during the first three chemotherapy cycles after surgery for stage I/II breast cancer. DESIGN Prospective, descriptive, repeated measures. SETTING Midwestern oncology clinics and subjects' homes. SAMPLE 72 women, ages 33-69 and free of unstable chronic illnesses, entered the study. Complete data were obtained from 30-47 subjects at each time. METHODS CRF was measured using the Piper Fatigue Scale at the start and midpoint of each chemotherapy cycle. Circadian activity/rest indicators were obtained using Mini-Motionlogger wrist actigraphs for 96 hours at the start of each treatment and for 72 hours at the midpoint of each chemotherapy cycle. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Fatigue and circadian activity/rest indicators. FINDINGS Women who were less active and had increased night awakenings reported higher CRF levels at all three cycle midpoints, with the strongest association being number of night awakenings. During the third chemotherapy cycle, women who were less active during the day, took more naps, and spent more time resting during a 24-hour period experienced higher CRF. CONCLUSIONS Women whose sleep is disrupted at cycle midpoints are at risk for CRF. The cumulative effects of less daytime activity, more daytime sleep, and night awakenings are associated with higher CRF levels. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE Assessment of CRF and night awakenings at the midpoints of each chemotherapy cycle and development of nursing interventions to promote daytime activity and nighttime rest are key to managing fatigue and preventing loss of biologic rhythmicity.
Effects of Simvastatin on Plasma Lipoproteins and Response to Arterial Injury in Wild-Type and Apolipoprotein-E-Deficient Mice

Objective: To test the non-lipid-lowering effects of simvastatin on the response to injury in normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic mice. Methods and Results: Wild-type (WT) mice (n = 40) and hyperlipidemic apolipoprotein-E-deficient (apoE–/–) mice (n = 40) received normal chow or chow containing simvastatin 100 mg/kg/day prior to bilateral femoral artery wire injury. Intimal hyperplasia and plasma cholesterol concentration were quantified after 4 weeks. Plasma cholesterol in WT mice treated or untreated with simvastatin was similar (100.9 ± 6.6 vs. 94.3 ± 17.5 mg/dl). Simvastatin did not affect intimal hyperplasia. In apoE–/– mice, intimal hyperplasia was increased 2.3-fold relative to WT mice (17,090 ± 4,998 vs. 39,490 ± 16,190; p < 0.001). In apoE–/– mice, simvastatin caused a paradoxical increase in plasma cholesterol (1,094 ± 60.3 vs. 658 ± 66.8 mg/dl; p < 0.001), confirmed by FPLC. This was associated with a further increase in intimal area (39,490 ± 16,190 vs. 55,420 ± 22,590 mm2; p < 0.01). Conclusions: (1) Simvastatin had no effect on plasma cholesterol or the response to arterial injury in normolipidemic WT mice; (2) hyperlipidemia was associated with markedly increased intimal hyperplasia, and (3) simvastatin treatment of apoE–/– mice caused paradoxical hyperlipidemia and increased intimal hyperplasia.
Acoustic Responses of Vestibular Afferents in a Model of Superior Canal Dehiscence

Hypothesis: Afferents innervating the superior semicircular canal are rendered especially sensitive to acoustic stimulation when there is a dehiscence of the superior canal. Other vestibular end organs are also more sensitive to acoustic stimulation. Background: Dehiscence of the superior semicircular canal is associated with vertigo and nystagmus caused by loud sounds (Tullio phenomenon) or changes in middle ear or intracranial pressures. The mechanisms by which acoustic stimuli act on the vestibular end organs are unclear. The nystagmus caused by acoustic stimuli generally aligns with the affected superior canal. Methods: Responses to acoustic stimuli in the superior vestibular nerves of anesthetized chinchillas were recorded before and after fenestration of the superior canal. Results: Two acoustic response patterns were seen: rapid phase locking and slow tonic changes in firing rate. Phasic responses principally occurred in irregular afferents and tonic responses in regular afferents. Afferents from all of the vestibular end organs encountered could respond to acoustic stimuli, even before fenestration. However, fenestration lowered the thresholds for acoustic stimulation in superior canal afferents with phasic responses and increased the magnitude of tonic responses. Conclusions: Superior canal dehiscence may render the irregular afferents innervating the superior canal particularly sensitive to loud sounds. Rapid phase-locking responses may explain the short latency of nystagmus seen in patients with superior canal dehiscence syndrome. The mechanisms by which acoustic stimuli activate the vestibular end organs may differ from the damped endolymph motion associated with head acceleration.
A methodology for assessing deployment trauma and its consequences in OEF/OIF/OND veterans: The TRACTS longitudinal prospective cohort study

Many US veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq have multiple physical and psychiatric problems. A major focus of research has been on determining the effects of mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), but mTBI is rarely diagnosed in the absence of co‐occurring conditions such as blast exposure, post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, substance abuse, etc. These potentially interactive psychological and physical conditions produce complex patterns of cognitive, psychological, and physical symptoms that impede civilian reintegration and complicate efficient and effective treatment planning. The Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS) has developed a multidisciplinary approach to the assessment of deployment trauma and its consequences in veterans of these wars. The prospective TRACTS longitudinal cohort study conducts state‐of‐the‐art assessments in the domains of biomedical function, lifetime head trauma, psychological function encompassing deployment experience and lifetime exposure to traumatic events, neuropsychological function, and structural and functional neuroimaging. The TRACTS longitudinal cohort study is the first of its kind to comprehensively evaluate lifetime incidence of TBI and PTSD in these veterans, in addition to those incurred during military deployment. The protocol has begun to reveal information that will help improve understanding of the complex pathophysiology associated with co‐occurring mTBI and related stress disorders.
Aspects of parasomnias in childhood and adolescence

The many parasomnias now officially described often occur in young patients. They are at risk of being confused with each other if their characteristic features are not well known and if they are not carefully assessed, mainly clinically. Accurate diagnosis is essential for choice of treatment, which varies considerably for different parasomnias. These points are illustrated mainly by reference to arousal disorders (including sleepwalking and sleep terrors) and the other parasomnias, such as nightmares and sleep-related epilepsies, from which they must be distinguished.
Variables That Affect Patient Throughput Times in an Academic Emergency Department

One of the most important parameters that influence patient satisfaction with emergency department care is their perception of throughput time. It is defined in our department as the time from patient arrival to time of discharge. Measurement of throughput time is one ob jective measure of efficiency that is feasible in most emer gency departments. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of certain demographic and resource utiliza tion factors on patient throughput times. Analysis of vari ants through multiple regression was used to determine associations between the average daily throughput time and factors commonly assumed to have significant influ ence on patient throughput time. Our data analysis found that patient throughput was significantly affected by the number of inpatient admissions from the emergency de partment, daily census in the main emergency depart ment, pediatric volume, and the number of ambulance arrivals. Several factors that were commonly assumed to affect patient throughput time, such as nursing hours worked and day of the week, were not significant.
Not “just” a coincidence: Frontal‐striatal interactions in working memory and interval timing

The frontal cortex and basal ganglia play central roles in working memory and in the ability to time brief intervals. We outline recent theoretical and empirical work to suggest that working memory and interval timing rely not only on the same anatomic structures, but also on the same neural representation of a specific stimulus. Specifically, cortical neurons may fire in an oscillatory fashion to form representations of stimuli, and the striatum (a basal ganglia structure) may detect those patterns of cortical firing that occur co‐incident to important events. Information about stimulus identity can be extracted from which cortical neurons are involved in the representation, and information about duration can be extracted from their relative phase. The principles derived from these biologically based models also fit well with a family of behaviourally based models that emphasise the importance of time in many working memory phenomena.
Ayurveda in Dentistry: A Review

Ayurvedic medicine was considered to be world’s oldest medical system, which was originated in India dating back over thousands of years. There was a long history regarding plants for the improvement of dental health and oral hygiene. To study various plants and their products as effective medicines in the treatment of various ailments since ancient times. Data were performed in PubMed Central and Cochrane library using MeSH Terms - Dentistry, Herbal Medicine, Periodontitis. A total of 142 relevant articles were found in 2013 and 2014 followed by case reports. Various studies have mentioned the uses of herbs, which are found to be statistically significant in treatment and management of oral diseases. Current researches showed that herbal extracts are effective because of the interaction with specific chemical receptors within the body. Nowadays, there has been a sudden increase in the use of herbal extracts or plant products as an alternative approach to modern day medicines.
Caspase-9, Bcl-XL, and Apaf-1 Form a Ternary Complex*

Genetic analysis of apoptosis in the nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans has revealed the cell death machine to be composed of three core interacting components. CED-4 (equivalent to mammalian Apaf-1) is a nucleotide binding molecule that complexes with the zymogen form of the death protease CED-3, leading to its autoactivation and cell death. CED-9 blocks death by complexing with CED-4 and attenuating its ability to promote CED-3 activation. An equivalent ternary complex was found to be present in mammalian cells involving Apaf-1, the mammalian death protease caspase-9, and Bcl-XL, an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family. Consistent with a central role for caspase-9, a dominant negative form effectively inhibited cell death initiated by a wide variety of inducers.
The Effects of Household Corrosive Chemicals on Human Dentition *

Abstract: There is a gap in the literature concerning the chemical effects that household products may produce on human remains. The present study examines the effects of household chemical products on teeth. A total of eight chemicals were utilized for this experiment. The corrosive chemical categories include: hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and sodium hydroxide. Two products with each chemical were used, each representing varying concentrations of the corrosive product. Two human teeth were allocated for emergence in the chemical throughout a 24‐h period of exposure. Results demonstrate hydrochloric acid as the most detrimental chemical to the dental samples. Sulfuric acid enacted minimal alterations to the teeth, although some etching and discoloration were noticeable. Phosphoric acid resulted in variable changes of the organic and inorganic contents of teeth. Lastly, exposure of sodium hydroxide resulted in little to no change. As hypothesized, distinct effects are observable of each chemical.
Diagnosis of portopulmonary hypertension in candidates for liver transplantation: A prospective study

Portopulmonary hypertension represents a major risk factor for transplantation; therefore, preoperative detection is crucial. The aims of this study were to determine (1) whether Doppler echocardiography performed at evaluation is a reliable tool for detecting portopulmonary hypertension and (2) the incidence of acquired portopulmonary hypertension profile after evaluation. One hundred sixty‐five patients had Doppler echocardiography and right heart catheterization at evaluation over a 9‐year period. All patients had a prospective follow‐up, and the results of catheterization at evaluation were compared with those obtained at the time of transplantation. Seventeen of 165 patients met the criteria for portopulmonary hypertension on Doppler echocardiography. Portopulmonary hypertension was confirmed by catheterization in 10 patients and ruled out in 7. There were no false negatives for echocardiography. Mean pulmonary artery pressure was significantly higher during the initial phase of transplantation than at evaluation (17.8 ± 4.3 vs. 20.3 ± 5.5 mm Hg, respectively, P < .0001), and there was no significant correlation between values obtained at these 2 time points. Three patients showed to have acquired portopulmonary hypertension profile while waiting for a graft within time intervals ranging from 2.5 to 5 months. In conclusion, Doppler echocardiography is a highly sensitive tool for detecting portopulmonary hypertension. However, because this technique has a poor positive predictive value, right heart catheterization is recommended for confirming portopulmonary hypertension. In addition, the absence of portopulmonary hypertension at evaluation does not exclude the occasional occurrence of acquired portopulmonary hypertension profile after listing.
17.6% Conversion Efficiency At 60 GHz with IMPATT Diodes ?

For the use in mobile systems high efficiency V-band IMPATT diodes for CW operation are developed. The design is based on a numerical large signal drift diffusion model. Flat-profile and low-high-low structures are simulated and the layers are grown by silicon molecular beam epitaxy. Solid circular and ring structures are fabricated. During the RF tests frequency dependent differences in the measured power levels using thermistor mounts and diode power sensors are observed: The RF tests yield a maximum efficiency of 17.6 % at 67 GHz with a double low-higlh-low diode measured with a manufacturer calibrated diode sensor. The efficiency drops to 13.5 % measured with a thermistor. With ring diodes high output powers (800 mW/59 GHz, no differences between different power sensors) at a very low junction temperature rise (140 K) can be obtained. At higher junction temperatures up to 1.4 Watt are achieved.
Investigating the Collaborative Process of Subtitles Creation and Sharing for Videos on the Web

In this paper we concentrate on the study of the collaborative practices of enthusiasts that create and share subtitles for third-party videos. Based on preliminary results from interviews with some volunteers, we formalize the subtitles creation and sharing process using a business process management model and compare it with other collaborative and crowdsourcing models. We expect that our initial observations can bring a new understanding of the process and, thus, help in the design of next generation video enriching tools.
Role of the feline immunodeficiency virus L‐domain in the presence or absence of Gag processing: Involvement of ubiquitin and Nedd4‐2s ligase in viral egress

RNA‐enveloped viruses bud from infected cells by exploiting the multivesicular body (MVB) pathway. In this context, ubiquitination of structural viral proteins and their direct interaction with cellular factors involved in the MVB biogenesis through short proline rich regions, named late domains (L‐domains), are crucial mechanisms. Here we report that, in contrast with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a non‐primate lentivirus, is strictly dependent for its budding on a “PSAP”‐type L‐domain, mapping in the carboxy‐terminal region of Gag, irrespective of a functional viral protease. Moreover, we provide evidence that FIV egress is related to Gag ubiquitination, that is, linked to the presence of an active L‐domain. Finally, although FIV Gag does not contain a PPxY motif, we show that the Nedd4‐2s ubiquitin ligase enhances FIV Gag ubiquitination and it is capable to rescue viral mutants lacking a functional L‐domain. In conclusion, our data bring to light peculiar aspects of FIV egress, but we also demonstrate that a non‐primate lentivirus shares with HIV‐1 a novel mechanism of connection to the cellular budding machinery. J. Cell. Physiol. 218: 175–182, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Translocation of Pesticide Residues in Tomato, Mango and Pineapple Fruits

Pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables have become a major concern in chemically related food safety issues. Translocation of pesticides in tomato, mango and pineapple fruits in local produced samples was investigated using Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrophotometer (GC/MS) procedures. Samples were fractionated with respect to distance from the skin to the core and prepared for analysis. Results showed that organochlorine, organophosphate and synthetic pyrethroid residues were translocated in all fruit samples analyzed. With respect to tomato fractions, the peels retained more residues compared to the pulp and the central core. On the chemical species, organochlorines were retained more in the peels of tomato than the other fractions of the fruit. More organophosphate and organochlorine residues were detected in pineapple peels compared to the pulp. Synthetic pyrethroid residues were evenly distributed in the pineapple fruit. In mangoes, the pulp retained more chemical residues than other fractions of the fruit. More organochlorine residues were retained in the pulp of mango than in the other fractions of the fruit. Synthetic pyrethroid residues were evenly distributed throughout the mango fruit. All the chemical species identified were translocatable across the fractional parts of all the fruits. There were significant differences in translocation and residue accumulation of pesticides among the fractional parts of all samples analyzed.
Assembly of the oncogenic DNA‐binding complex LMO2‐Ldb1‐TAL1‐E12

The nuclear proteins TAL1 (T‐cell acute leukaemia protein 1) and LMO2 (LIM‐only protein 2) have critical roles in haematopoietic development, but are also often aberrantly activated in T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. TAL1 and LMO2 operate within multifactorial protein–DNA complexes that regulate gene expression in the developing blood cell. TAL1 is a tissue‐specific basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) protein that binds bHLH domains of ubiquitous E‐proteins, (E12 and E47), to bind E‐box (CANNTG) DNA motifs. TAL1bHLH also interacts specifically with the LIM domains of LMO2, which in turn bind Ldb1 (LIM‐domain binding protein 1). Here we used biophysical methods to characterize the assembly of a five‐component complex containing TAL1, LMO2, Ldb1, E12, and DNA. The bHLH domains of TAL1 and E12 alone primarily formed helical homodimers, but together preferentially formed heterodimers, to which LMO2 bound with high affinity (KA ∼ 108M−1). The resulting TAL1/E12/LMO2 complex formed in the presence or absence of DNA, but the different complexes preferentially bound different Ebox‐sequences. Our data provide biophysical evidence for a mechanism, by which LMO2 and TAL1 both regulate transcription in normal blood cell development, and synergistically disrupt E2A function in T‐cells to promote the onset of leukaemia. Proteins 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.