Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Socioeconomic Risk Factors for Breast Cancer: Distinguishing Individual- and Community-Level Effects

Background: Women are at higher risk of breast cancer if they have higher socioeconomic status (SES) or live in higher SES or urban communities. We examined whether women living in such communities remained at greater risk of breast cancer after controlling for individual education and other known individual-level risk factors. Methods: Data were from a population-based, breast cancer case-control study conducted in Wisconsin from 1988 to 1995 (n = 14,667). Data on community SES and urbanicity come from the 1990 census, measured at the census tract and zip code levels. We evaluated relationships between individual- and community-level variables and breast cancer risk using multilevel logistic regression models with random community intercepts. Results: After controlling for individual education and other individual-level risk factors (age, mammography use, family history of breast cancer, parity, age at first birth, alcohol intake, body mass index, hormone replacement use, oral contraceptive use, and menopausal status), women living in the highest SES communities had greater odds of having breast cancer than women living in the lowest SES communities (1.20; 95% confidence interval = 1.05–1.37). Similarly, the odds were greater for women in urban versus rural communities (1.17; 1.06–1.28). Conclusions: Community SES and urbanicity are apparently not simply proxies for individual SES. Future research should examine why living in such communities itself is associated with greater risk of breast cancer.
Rectangular coils modeling for inductive links in implantable biomedical devices

Wirelessly coupled coils are crucial for efficient power transmission in implantable biomedical devices. Previous design methods are only eligible for improving the efficiency of circular or square coils. This paper presents a method of characterizing and optimizing rectangular coils frequently used in inductively coupled systems. After a lumped component model is set up for inductive coils, the efficiency can be expressed in terms of geometrical parameters of the coils. Subsequently, the power efficiency can be plotted versus these parameters in Matlab, thus the desired coils for optimum power transfer can be obtained. With this design procedure from mathematical optimization, we eventually designed two rectangular coils spaced 10 mm apart, which achieves a power transmission efficiency of 46.4 % at a frequency of 3 MHz. The design methodology is verified by simulation and measurement.
STAT3 Pathway Is Activated in ALK-positive Large B-cell Lymphoma Carrying SQSTM1-ALK Rearrangement and Provides a Possible Therapeutic Target

ALK-positive large B-cell lymphomas usually harbor clathrin (CLTC)-ALK rearrangement or, more rarely, nucleophosmin (NPM)-ALK fusion gene. Here we report a large B-cell lymphoma with a peculiar pattern of diffuse and cytoplasmic immunohistochemical staining and carrying sequestosome 1 (SQSTM1)-ALK rearrangement, identified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis and Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends analysis and confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization with specific dual-color fusion probes. The gene fusion product and the transcription factor STAT3 are both phosphorylated, and thereby the pathogenetic mechanism of this case shows important analogies with that of NPM-ALK and CLTC-ALK lymphomas, in which STAT3 plays a central role in the lymphomagenesis. Consequently, STAT3 inhibition provides a possible therapeutic target also for lymphomas with SQSTM1-ALK variant translocation.
Comparative lower limb hemodynamics using neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) versus intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC)

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a life threatening condition and a serious concern among hospitalised patients, with death occurring in approximately 6% of cases. Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) is commonly used for DVT prevention, however suffers from low compliance and issues of usability and portability. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been shown to improve lower limb hemodynamics but direct comparison with IPC in terms of hemodynamics is rare but very important to determine the potential effectiveness of NMES in DVT prevention. Lower limb IPC was compared to calf NMES, in 30 healthy volunteers (18–23 years). Each intervention was carried out on each leg, on the popliteal vein measured using Doppler ultrasound. All interventions produced significantly greater haemodynamic responses compared to baseline. Calf-IPC and NMES produced significant increases in venous blood velocity (cm/s) and volume of blood ejected per cycle (1 cycle of NMES expels 23.22 ml compared to the baseline ejected volume of 2.52 ml, measured over 1 s (p < 0.001 versues baseline). Improving lower limb hemodynamics is vital in preventing DVT. NMES resulted in larger ejected volumes compared to IPC (x3 greater than foot-IPC and x1.7 greater than calf-IPC) more effectively emptying the veins and soleal sinuses. This is an important finding as DVT occurs predominantly in the soleal sinuses. NMES is silent and portable and thus does not suffer many of the issues associated with IPC. This work supports the potential widespread application of NMES in hospital and home settings where the risk of DVT formation is high.
Clinical Relevance of Quality of Life Outcome in Cochlear Implantation in Postlingually Deafened Adults

Objectives: To evaluate the benefits of cochlear implantation in postlingually deafened adults and estimate the clinical relevance of these benefits. Study Design: Prospective intervention study. Setting: Tertiary referral hospital. Patients: Forty-four postlingually deafened adults. Interventions: Cochlear implantation with a Clarion CII HiFocus 1 or HiRes 90K. Main Outcome Measures: The Health Utility Index Mark II (HUI2) and Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire were administered to quantify health-related QoL (HRQoL); utilities were obtained from the HUI2 and time trade-off instrument. Speech perception scores were analyzed. Patient factors were correlated with postimplant HRQoL and speech perception scores. Clinical significant benefit was estimated using the minimal clinically significant difference (MID) and effect size (ES). Results: The results show a significant improvement in HRQoL and speech perception (p < 0.001). The improvement in HRQoL is mainly obtained in the first months after implantation and is largest in the categories concerning physical functioning (hearing). A shorter duration of deafness (p = 0.003) and higher educational level (p = 0.015) were significant predictors of better speech perception. Cochlear implantation proved to be a cost-effective procedure. By using the MID and ES, we found important clinical improvements on 6 health domains of the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire and on the sensation domain of the HUI2 in most patients; all but 1 of the ESs were large. Conclusion: Cochlear implants have a large and significant positive impact on HRQoL and speech perception and are cost-effective. These improvements are clinically relevant as measured by the MID.
Hotspots and the conservation of evolutionary history

Species diversity is unevenly distributed across the globe, with terrestrial diversity concentrated in a few restricted biodiversity hotspots. These areas are associated with high losses of primary vegetation and increased human population density, resulting in growing numbers of threatened species. We show that conservation of these hotspots is critical because they harbor even greater amounts of evolutionary history than expected by species numbers alone. We used supertrees for carnivores and primates to estimate that nearly 70% of the total amount of evolutionary history represented in these groups is found in 25 biodiversity hotspots.
Intermittent hypoxia training as non-pharmacologic therapy for cardiovascular diseases: Practical analysis on methods and equipment

The global industrialization has brought profound lifestyle changes and environmental pollutions leading to higher risks of cardiovascular diseases. Such tremendous challenges outweigh the benefits of major advances in pharmacotherapies (such as statins, antihypertensive, antithrombotic drugs) and exacerbate the public healthcare burdens. One of the promising complementary non-pharmacologic therapies is the so-called intermittent hypoxia training (IHT) via activation of the human body's own natural defense through adaptation to intermittent hypoxia. This review article primarily focuses on the practical questions concerning the utilization of IHT as a non-pharmacologic therapy against cardiovascular diseases in humans. Evidence accumulated in the past five decades of research in healthy men and patients has suggested that short-term daily sessions consisting 3–4 bouts of 5–7 min exposures to 12–10% O2 alternating with normoxic durations for 2–3 weeks can result in remarkable beneficial effects in treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. Special attentions are paid to the therapeutic effects of different IHT models, along with introduction of a variety of specialized facilities and equipment available for IHT, including hypobaric chambers, hypoxia gas mixture deliver equipment (rooms, tents, face masks), and portable rebreathing devices. Further clinical trials and thorough evaluations of the risks versus benefits of IHT are much needed to develop a series of standardized and practical guidelines for IHT. Taken together, we can envisage a bright future for IHT to play a more significant role in the preventive and complementary medicine against cardiovascular diseases.
Using the Rate of Genetic Change and the Population Structure of Cattle to Better Target Genetic Progress

Understanding the structure of the beef cattle industry is important for driving genetic improvement. Knowledge of the dynamics of the pedigreed population is the first step toward making genetic improvement recommendations (Koots and Crow, 1989). In beef cattle populations, not all herds contribute the same amount of genetics to the breed. There are two different kinds of herds make up beef production in the United States: pedigreed or seedstock herds and herds that sell their product commercially for slaughter (Baker and Davey, 1960; Lush, 1946). The pedigreed portion of the beef cattle industry is made up of more than one type of breeder. This sector includes the “nucleus” herds that supply genetics to the rest of the “multiplier” herds. These multiplier herds in turn supply genetic material to commercial producers (Lush, 1946). There is overlap between the two, as many of the nucleus herds also sell animals to the commercial herds.
Effects of vesnarinone on peripheral circulating levels of cytokines and cytokine receptors in patients with heart failure: a report from the Vesnarinone Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Proinflammatory cytokines may contribute to disease progression in heart failure by virtue of the direct toxic effects that these molecules exert on the heart and the circulation. Accordingly, there is interest in developing therapeutic agents with anticytokine properties that might be used as adjunctive therapy to modulate proinflammatory cytokine levels in patients with heart failure. Previous experimental studies suggested that vesnarinone has potent anticytokine properties in vitro. Therefore, we examined the effects of vesnarinone on circulating levels of cytokines and cytokine receptors in a large-scale, multicenter, clinical trial of patients with moderate-to-advanced heart failure: the Vesnarinone Trial (VEST). METHODS Circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, soluble TNF-receptor type 1, soluble TNF-receptor type 2, as well as interleukin (IL)-6 and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) were measured on plasma samples by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline and at 24 weeks in patients who were receiving placebo (n = 352), 30 mg of vesnarinone (n = 367), and 60 mg of vesnarinone (n = 327). RESULTS Treatment with 30 mg and 60 mg of vesnarinone had no effect on circulating levels of cytokines or cytokine receptors in patients with advanced heart failure over a 24-week period. CONCLUSIONS In contrast to the potent anticytokine effects observed with vesnarinone in experimental studies in vitro, the results of this clinical study suggest that vesnarinone does not have any measurable anticytokine effects in vivo in patients with moderate-to-advanced heart failure.
Unruptured Large and Giant Carotid Artery Aneurysms Presenting with Cranial Nerve Palsy: Comparison of Clinical Recovery after Selective Aneurysm Coiling and Therapeutic Carotid Artery Occlusion

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms may present with cranial nerve dysfunction. Therapeutic ICA occlusion, when tolerated, is an effective treatment resulting in improvement or cure of symptoms in most patients. When ICA occlusion is not tolerated, selective endovascular aneurysm occlusion can be considered. We compare recovery of cranial nerve dysfunction in patients treated with selective coil occlusion and with therapeutic ICA occlusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 16 patients with 17 large or giant (11–45 mm) unruptured ICA aneurysms presenting with dysfunction of cranial nerves (CN) II, III, IV, or VI, selective coil occlusion was performed. From a cohort of 39 patients with ICA aneurysms treated with ICA occlusion and long-term follow-up, we selected 31 patients with aneurysms presenting with cranial nerve dysfunction. Clinical recovery at follow-up from oculomotor dysfunction and visual symptoms was compared for both treatment modalities. RESULTS: Of 17 aneurysms treated with selective coiling, symptoms of cranial nerve dysfunction resolved in 3, improved in 10, and remained unchanged in 4. In 9 of 17 patients, additional coiling during follow-up was required. Of 31 aneurysms treated with carotid artery occlusion, cranial nerve dysfunction resolved in 19, improved in 9, and remained unchanged in 3. These differences were not significant. There were no complications of treatment. CONCLUSION: Recovery of ICA aneurysm-induced cranial nerve dysfunction occurs in most patients, both after ICA occlusion and after selective coiling. In patients who cannot tolerate ICA occlusion, selective aneurysmal occlusion with coils is a valuable alternative.
Do Adolescent Perceptions of Parents’ Alcohol Consumption Undermine or Enhance What Parents Say About Alcohol? The Interaction Between Verbal and Nonverbal Messages

Utilizing a focus theory of normative conduct and primary socialization theory, this study hypothesized that parents’ references to the negative consequences of alcohol use, to their own past use, to conditional permissive messages about use, and to drinking responsibly (all from the adolescents’ perspectives) are indirectly related to adolescents’ intention to drink alcohol through their pro-alcohol norms. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that parents’ alcohol consumption, as perceived by the adolescents, would moderate these indirect associations. Using cross-sectional survey data from 259 high school students, parents’ references to the negative consequences of alcohol use were related to weaker pro-alcohol norms, and in turn, weaker alcohol-use intention. By contrast, parents’ conditional permissive messages and references to drinking responsibly were related to stronger pro-alcohol norms, and in turn, stronger alcohol-use intention. Adolescents’ perceptions of their mother’s and father’s alcohol consumption were significant moderators of what they said to their children about alcohol.
Sperm-Associated Antigen 9, a Novel Biomarker for Early Detection of Breast Cancer

To date, there have been no tumor biomarkers validated and incorporated into oncologic practice for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. Recently, we showed that sperm-associated antigen 9 (SPAG9), a member of cancer testis (CT) antigen family, is associated with ovarian carcinomas. In the present study, we investigated SPAG9 expression and humoral immune response in breast cancer. We further evaluated the diagnostic potential of autoantibodies to SPAG9 protein in various stages, grades, and histotypes of breast cancer. We analyzed the association of SPAG9 immunoreactivity score (IRS) with predicted risk of breast cancer recurrence over 10 years. Our reverse transcription-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses revealed SPAG9 expression in 88% breast cancer specimens independent of tumor stages and grades. Further, the humoral immune response against SPAG9 was detected in 80% breast cancer patients with SPAG9-expressing tumors. The linear regression modeling predicted a direct relationship between presence of lymphovascular invasion and high SPAG9 IRS, whereas the univariate and multivariate logistic regression models predicted a strong association of SPAG9 IRS with tumor grade. Further, our data indicated a significant higher trend of SPAG9 IRS with the predicted high risk of breast cancer recurrence. The present investigation reports for the first time SPAG9 expression and humoral immune response in early stages and low-grade breast cancer. Although our data indicated that autoantibodies against SPAG9 represent a promising approach for the development of biomarker, further large-scale validation studies are required to establish its potential use in early diagnosis and monitoring of breast cancer recurrence. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(2):630–9)
A Novel Complex Mutant β-Lactamase, TEM-68, Identified in a Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolate from an Outbreak of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiellae

ABSTRACT Twenty-two Klebsiella pneumoniae and two K. oxytoca extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing isolates were collected in 1996 from patients in two pediatric wards of the University Hospital in Wrocław, Poland. Molecular typing has revealed that the K. pneumoniae isolates represented four different epidemic strains. Three kinds of enzymes with ESBL activity (pI values of 5.7, 6.0, and 8.2) were identified. The pI 6.0 β-lactamases belonged to the TEM family, and sequencing of theblaTEM genes amplified from representative isolates revealed that these enzymes were TEM-47, previously identified in K. pneumoniae isolates from pediatric hospitals in Łódź and Warsaw. One of the TEM-47-producing strains from Wrocław was very closely related to the isolates from the other cities, and this indicated countrywide spread of the epidemic strain. The pI 5.7 β-lactamase was produced by a single K. pneumoniae isolate for which, apart from oxyimino-β-lactams, the MICs of β-lactam–inhibitor combinations were also remarkably high. Sequencing revealed that this was a novel TEM β-lactamase variant, TEM-68, specified by the following combination of mutations: Gly238Ser, Glu240Lys, Thr265Met, and Arg275Leu. The new enzyme has most probably evolved from TEM-47 by acquiring the single substitution of Arg275, which before was identified only twice in enzymes with inhibitor resistance (IR) activity. TEM-68 was shown to be a novel complex mutant TEM β-lactamase (CMT-2) which combines strong ESBL activity with relatively weak IR activity and, when expressed inK. pneumoniae, is able to confer high-level resistance to a wide variety of β-lactams, including inhibitor combinations. This data confirms the role of the Arg275Leu mutation in determining IR activity and documents the first isolation of K. pneumoniae producing the complex mutant enzyme.
RTN and PBTI-induced time-dependent variability of replacement metal-gate high-k InGaAs FinFETs

We study RTN and PBTI in nanoscale InGaAs FinFETs fabricated on 300mm Si wafers. The average instability is found to be comparable to planar structures, but significantly larger when compared to Si devices. Although the novel devices follow the same time-dependent variability statistics and the corresponding area-scaling as their Si counterparts, a larger stochastic impact of single defects on the device characteristic is found to induce larger aging-related variance. We ascribe this to a more percolative channel conduction induced by still excessive interface and channel defectivity.
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy of Chernozem Humic Acid and Their Fractions Obtained by Coupled Size Exclusion Chromatography—Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SEC-PAGE)

A humic acid extracted from a chernozem soil was fractionated combining size exclusion chromatography and polyacrylamide electrophoresis (SEC-PAGE). Three fractions named A, B, and C+D, with different electrophoretic mobilities and molecular sizes (MS), were obtained and subsequently characterized by thermochemolysis and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The data confirmed that fraction A, with the higher MS, was more aliphatic than fractions B and C+D and, in turn, fractions with lower MS (B and C+D) denoted an enrichment in lignin residues. These structural features explain conformational changes when varying the pH in the humic fraction A and indicated that combination of the two techniques is a good approach for characterizing humic substances.
Evolution of a microwave instrument for analysis and thermal ablation of organic tissue

The evolution from a 1D array to a dual mode microwave instrument for the analysis and thermal ablation treatment of organic tissue is presented. The initial prototypes were bulky and could only detect the dielectric properties of organic tissue. Extensive work was done to reduce the size of the devices to include them in a minimal invasive tool and create a second operation mode were the tissue could also be ablated with the same device by controlling the input power and resonance frequency. The final prototypes are able to create a tailored ablation zone with a very low power of 10W, in comparison to other similar techniques.
Evaluation of T lymphocyte effector function in immunodeficiency diseases: abnormality in mitogen-stimulated interferon in patients with selective IgA deficiency.

Interferon production in response to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed was studied as a new index of the competence of thymus-derived (T) lymphocyte effector function in patients with various immunodeficiency states. The results indicated that three of four patients with selective IgA deficiency and normal T cell proliferative response had a depressed T cell interferon response. Two patients who had received successful thymus transplants had a normal T cell interferon response. Before transplantation one had been diagnosed as severe combined immunodeficiency, and the other, thymic hypoplasia with normal serum immunoglobulin levels. By contrast, a patient with thymic hypoplasia and absent serum IgA, low IgM and normal IgG levels, who had had an unsuccessful thymic graft, had a markedly depressed interferon response. Normal T cell interferon responses were seen in one patient with congenital sex-linked hypogammaglobulinemia and three patients with acquired hypogammaglobulinemia.
The rubella virus RNA binding activity of human calreticulin is localized to the N-terminal domain

The rubella virus RNA 3' cis-acting element, which is essential for viral negative-strand RNA synthesis, is specifically bound by autophosphorylated calreticulin. Autophosphorylation in recombinant human calreticulin occurs on serine and threonine residues. The RNA-binding and autophosphorylation activities were localized to the N-terminal 180 amino acids. Furthermore, N-terminal deletions revealed that the RNA-binding activity of calreticulin is abrogated upon deletion of the first 10 residues, whereas the autophosphorylation activity resides between amino acids 60 and 180. These results indicate that both the rubella virus RNA-binding and autophosphorylation activities of calreticulin are present in the N-terminal domain.