Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Current Status of Peroral Endoscopic Myotomy

Peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has been established as an optional treatment for achalasia. POEM is an endoluminal procedure that involves dissection of esophageal muscle fibers followed by submucosal tunneling. Inoue first attempted to use POEM for the treatment of achalasia in humans. Expanded indications of POEM include classic indications such as type I, type II, type III achalasia, failed prior treatments, including Botulinum toxin injection, endoscopic balloon dilation, laparoscopic Heller myotomy, and hypertensive motor disorders such as diffuse esophageal spasm, jackhammer esophagus. Contraindications include prior radiation therapy to the esophagus and prior extensive esophageal mucosal resection/ablation involving the POEM field. Most of the complications are minor and self-limited and can be managed conservatively. As POEM emerged as the main treatment for achalasia, various adaptations to tunnel endoscopic surgery have been attempted. Tunnel endoscopic surgery includes POEM, peroral endoscopic tumor resection, gastric peroral endoscopic pyloromyotomy. POEM has been widely accepted as a treatment for all types of achalasia, even for specific cases such as achalasia with failed prior treatments, and hypertensive motor disorders.
Hepatitis A Virus Mutant Spectra under the Selective Pressure of Monoclonal Antibodies: Codon Usage Constraints Limit Capsid Variability

ABSTRACT Severe structural constraints in the hepatitis A virus (HAV) capsid have been suggested as the reason for the lack of emergence of new serotypes in spite of the occurrence of complex distributions of mutants or quasispecies. Analysis of the HAV mutant spectra under immune pressure by the monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) K34C8 (immunodominant site) and H7C27 (glycophorin binding site) has revealed different evolutionary dynamics. Populations composed of complex ensembles of mutants with very low fitness or single dominant mutants with high fitness permit the acquisition of resistance to each of the MAbs, respectively. Deletion mutants were detected as components of the mutant spectra: up to 61 residues, with an average of 19, and up to 83 residues, with an average of 45, in VP3 and VP1 proteins, respectively. A clear negative selection of those replacements affecting the residues encoded by rare codons of the capsid surface has been detected through the present quasispecies analysis, confirming a certain beneficial role of such clusters. Since these clusters are located near or at the epitope regions, the need to maintain such clusters might prevent the emergence of new serotypes.
Chinese Internet Addiction Inventory: Developing a Measure of Problematic Internet Use for Chinese College Students

The current study developed a psychometrically sound multidimensional measure of Internet addiction: the Chinese Internet Addiction Inventory (CIAI). Data were collected from 1,029 Chinese undergraduate students from 14 universities and colleges. The initial sample was split randomly into two samples (N1=516; N2=513). An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted on the two samples respectively. Findings from the EFA suggest that this measure assesses three dimensions of Internet addiction: conflicts, mood modification, and dependence. Items in each dimension showed high internal consistency and acceptable test-retest reliability. Findings from the CFA further confirmed the three-factor measurement structure of CIAI. Test of criterion-related validity also showed good abilities for all three CIAI subscales to discriminate between an Internet addictive group and non-Internet addictive group. The theoretical and clinical implications of CIAI and its limitations are discussed.
Isoglycyrrhizinate Magnesium Enhances Hepatoprotective Effect of FK506 on Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Through HMGB1 Inhibition in a Rat Model of Liver Transplantation

Background Ischemia-reperfusion injury after liver transplantation (LT) impairs graft function and affects prognosis of recipients. Isoglycyrrhizinate magnesium (Iso) is a hepatoprotective drug usually used after liver injury. In this study, we intended to explore whether Iso alone have protective effect after ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat model of liver transplantation. We also aimed to study whether Iso could enhance the hepatoprotective effect of FK506 (tacrolimus) and underlying mechanism. Methods Rats after LT were treated with different concentration of FK506 with or without, Iso or lower-dose FK506 plus Iso. Alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and albumin level were measured after 48 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days. A cell ischemic/reperfusion model was established to further study the mechanism of hepatoprotective effect of FK506 and Iso. Results Iso treatment alone had no effect on liver grafts after LT, but lower-dose FK506 + Iso was better for maintenance of liver function than lower-dose FK506 alone at 48 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days after LT. In terms of mechanism, FK506 induced autophagy which resulted in significantly reduced apoptosis and maintained proliferative potential. However, autophagy induced by FK506 also lead to high-mobility group box (HMGB) 1 release from nuclei, resulting in hepatocyte injury through triggering of p38 phosphorylation and chemokine release. Iso effectively inhibited the release of HMGB1 and downstream inflammatory cytokines. Conclusions Iso could inhibit release of HMGB1 by FK506 and enhance the hepatoprotective effect of FK506 in rat LT. Combining Iso with FK506 would be promising for the patients after LT.
Accelerated Corrosion Analysis of Nonchromate Conversion Coatings on Aluminum Alloys 5083, 7039, and 6061 for DoD Applications

Abstract : This study examines the effectiveness of six nonchromate conversion coatings on aluminum alloys 5083, 7039, and 6061. Evaluation methods included ASTM B117 (American Society for Testing and Materials. 'Standard Method of Salt Spray Fog Testing'. ASTM B117-90, 1990) salt fog, General Motors 9540P (General Motors. General Motors Engineering Standard, Accelerated Corrosion Test. GM 9540P, July 1991) cyclic salt spray, wet adhesion, and dry adhesion on painted test panels. Conversion-coated panels without paint were also screened to assess quality and pretreatment characteristics. Differences in behavior were noted between the salt fog data and the cyclic salt spray data obtained on scribed panels. How these data may relate with implementation of nonchromate pretreatments for military vehicles is discussed.
Short spacing between the Shine–Dalgarno sequence and P codon destabilizes codon–anticodon pairing in the P site to promote +1 programmed frameshifting

Programmed frameshifting in the RF2 gene (prfB) involves an intragenic Shine–Dalgarno (SD) sequence. To investigate the role of SD–ASD pairing in the mechanism of frameshifting, we have analysed the effect of spacing between the SD sequence and P codon on P‐site tRNA binding and RF2‐dependent termination. When the spacing between an extended SD sequence and the P codon is decreased from 4 to 1 nucleotide (nt), the dissociation rate (koff) for P‐site tRNA increases by > 100‐fold. Toeprinting analysis shows that pre‐translocation complexes cannot be formed when the spacer sequence is ≤ 2 nt. Instead, the tRNA added secondarily to fill the A site and its corresponding codon move spontaneously into the P site, resulting in a complex with a 3 nt longer spacer between the SD–ASD helix and the P codon. While close proximity of the SD clearly destabilizes P‐site tRNA, RF2‐dependent termination and EF‐Tu‐dependent decoding are largely unaffected in analogous complexes. These data support a model in which formation of the SD–ASD helix in ribosomes stalled at the in‐frame UGA codon of prfB generates tension on the mRNA that destabilizes codon–anticodon pairing in the P site and promotes slippage of the mRNA in the 5′ direction.
miR-342-5p promotes Zmpste24-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts proliferation by suppressing GAS2

Cellular senescence is an irreversible growth arrest of cells that maintain their metabolic activities. Premature senescence can be induced by different stress factors and occurs in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from Zmpste24 metalloproteinase-deficient mice, a progeria mouse model of Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Previous studies have shown that miR-342-5p, an intronic microRNA (miRNA/miR) reportedly involved in ageing associated diseases, is downregulated in Zmpste24−/− MEFs. However, whether miR-342-5p is associated with the premature senescence phenotype of Zmpste24−/− MEFs remains unclear. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of miR-342-5p on cellular senescence and cell proliferation in Zmpste24−/− MEFs. The results showed that miR-342-5p overexpression ameliorated the cellular senescence phenotype to a certain extent, promoted cell proliferation and increased the G2+M cell cycle phase in Zmpste24−/− MEFs. Nonetheless, it was difficult to observe the opposite cell phenotypes in wild-type (WT) MEFs transfected with the miR-342-5p inhibitor. Growth-arrest-specific 2 (GAS2) was identified as a target gene of miR-342-5p in Zmpste24−/− MEFs. In addition, miR-342-5p was identified to be downregulated in WT MEFs during replicative senescence, while Gas2 was upregulated. Taken together, these findings suggest that downregulated miR-342-5p is involved in regulating cell proliferation and cell cycles in Zmpste24−/− MEFs by suppressing GAS2 in vitro.
A predictive performance comparison of machine learning models for judicial cases

Artificial intelligence is currently in the center of attention of legal professionals. In recent years, a variety of efforts have been made to predict judicial decisions using different machine learning models, but no realistic performance comparison between them is available. In this paper, we conducted experiments comparing five well-known machine learning models: Ã-NN, logistic regression, bagging, random forests and SVM. Our experimental results show that the SVM model outperforms the other models over all the different settings, and the semantic information of the text in cases plays an important role in selecting features for the predicting models.
The Role of the Business Press as an Information Intermediary

ABSTRACT This paper investigates whether the business press serves as an information intermediary. The press potentially shapes firms' information environments by packaging and disseminating information, as well as by creating new information through journalism activities. We find that greater press coverage reduces information asymmetry (i.e., lower spreads and greater depth) around earnings announcements, with broad dissemination of information having a bigger impact than the quantity or quality of press-generated information. These results are robust to controlling for firm-initiated disclosures, market reactions to the announcement, and other information intermediaries. Our findings suggest that the press helps reduce information problems around earnings announcements. Copyright (c), University of Chicago on behalf of the Accounting Research Center, 2009.
On the impact of downlink feedback on LoRa performance

Recently, the role of Low-Power Wide Area Networks (LPWANs) as enablers of the Internet of Things (IoT) is emerging. However, many concerns arise on the performance of LPWANs if higher Quality of Service (QoS) requirements are needed by certain classes of IoT services. In this work, we will focus on one of the most prominent of these technologies, i.e., Long-RangeTM (LoRa). Our aim is to study to what extent a LoRa network is able to support uplink (UL) traffic that requires to be confirmed by the Network Server (NS). The simulation results show that the network performance is severely impacted by the downlink (DL) traffic generated by feedback packets.
Signed reward prediction errors drive declarative learning

Reward prediction errors (RPEs) are thought to drive learning. This has been established in procedural learning (e.g., classical and operant conditioning). However, empirical evidence on whether RPEs drive declarative learning–a quintessentially human form of learning–remains surprisingly absent. We therefore coupled RPEs to the acquisition of Dutch-Swahili word pairs in a declarative learning paradigm. Signed RPEs (SRPEs; “better-than-expected” signals) during declarative learning improved recognition in a follow-up test, with increasingly positive RPEs leading to better recognition. In addition, classic declarative memory mechanisms such as time-on-task failed to explain recognition performance. The beneficial effect of SRPEs on recognition was subsequently affirmed in a replication study with visual stimuli.
Germination characteristics of Rhinanthus minor influence field emergence, competitiveness and potential use in restoration projects.

The facultative root hemi-parasite Rhinanthus minor is often used in grassland habitat restoration projects to regulate ecosystem structure and function. Its impact on community productivity and diversity as a function of resource supply, sward composition and management has been widely investigated. However, there is a lack of information about the possible influence of seed quality on the efficacy of the hemi-parasite. Ten seed lots from commercial sources were sown in the field and their germination characteristics investigated in the laboratory. Seeds from four lots were also germinated and sown in pots alongside plants of two host species, Lotus corniculatus and Holcus lanatus. Plant establishment, height and flowering density were evaluated for the hemi-parasite, while plant biomass was measured for both R. minor and its host. Two aspects of seed quality influenced the field emergence of seed lots of R. minor, the radicle emergence (%) and the length of the lag period from the beginning of imbibition to germination (mean germination time), which indicates seed vigour. A longer lag period (lower vigour) was associated with higher levels of seedling mortality and lower plant vigour, in terms of plant height and biomass accumulation and was also reflected in the parasitic impact of the seed lots. Seed quality, specifically germination and vigour, can influence the establishment, survival, subsequent plant productivity and parasitic impact of R. minor in vegetation restoration projects. Seed quality is discussed as a key factor to consider when predicting the impact of the hemi-parasite on community productivity and diversity.
Using a Facilitation Model to Achieve Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition

This article describes how a facilitation model that included a partnership between a Community Care of North Carolina network and undergraduates at a regional university supported rural primary care practices in transforming their practices to become National Committee for Quality Assurance–recognized patient-centered medical homes. Health care management and preprofessional undergraduate students worked with 14 rural primary care practices to redesign practice processes and complete the patient-centered medical home application. Twelve of the practices participated in the evaluation of the student contribution. A semistructured interview guide containing questions about practice characteristics, student competencies, and the value of the student’s contribution to their practice’s achievement of patient-centered medical home recognition was used to interview practice managers or their designee. Analysis included item-descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis of narrative content. All 12 participating practices achieved 2011 National Committee for Quality Assurance patient-centered medical home recognition, with 4 practices achieving level 3, 5 practices achieving level 2, and 3 practices achieving level 1. The facilitation model using partnerships between health care agencies and universities might be an option for enhancing a practice’s internal capacity for successful transformation and should be explored further.
Characterization of the protein fraction of the temporary adhesive secreted by the tube feet of the sea star Asterias rubens

Sea stars are able to make firm but temporary attachments to various substrata by secretions released by their tube feet. After tube foot detachment, the adhesive secretions remain on the substratum as a footprint. Proteins presumably play a key role in sea star adhesion, as evidenced by the removal of footprints from surfaces after a treatment with trypsin. However, until now, characterisation was hampered by their high insolubility. In this study, a non-hydrolytic method was used to render most of the proteins constituting the adhesive footprints soluble. After analysis by SDS-PAGE, the proteins separated into about 25 bands, which ranged from 25 to 450 kDa in apparent molecular weight. Using mass spectrometry and a homology-database search, it was shown that several of the proteins are known intracellular proteins, presumably resulting from contamination of footprint material with tube foot epidermal cells. However, 11 protein bands, comprising the most abundant proteins, were not identified and might correspond to novel adhesive proteins. They were named ‘Sea star footprint proteins’ (Sfps). Tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the protein bands yielded 43 de novo-generated peptide sequences. Most of them were shared by several, if not all, Sfps. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against one of the peptides (HEASGEYYR from Sfp-115) and were used in immunoblotting. They specifically labelled Sfp-115 and other bands with lower apparent molecular weights. The different results suggest that all Sfps might belong to a single family of related proteins sharing similar motifs or, alternatively, they are the products of polymerization and/or degradation processes.
Funding is related to the quality, conduct, and reporting of trial reports in musculoskeletal physical therapy: A survey of 210 published trials

ABSTRACT Background: The relationship between trial funding and methodological quality, the conduct and reporting of trials has been investigated in several medical disciplines, but remains unclear in musculoskeletal physical therapy trials. The aim of this study was to determine the association between funding and research team composition, sample size, quality, and journal impact factor of randomized controlled trial reports in musculoskeletal physical therapy. Methods: A survey of 210 trial reports in musculoskeletal physical therapy, which were randomly selected from those published in 2011–2013 and indexed on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), is performed. Total PEDro score and citation details of the trial reports were downloaded from PEDro. Pairs of assessors independently extracted information about funding, sample size, and composition of the research team. Journal impact factor was downloaded by one reviewer. Results: Trial funding was associated with having multiple departments in the research team (odds ratio: 1.89, 95% confidence interval: 1.03–3.49), larger sample size (median: n = 72 versus n = 50), higher quality (mean PEDro score: 6.06 versus 5.11), and publication in journals with higher impact factors (median: 2.12 versus 1.78). Conclusion: Trial funding was positively associated with having multiple departments represented in the research team, larger sample size, higher quality, and publication in higher impact factor journals.
Enhanced Electrically Conductive Polypropylene/Nano Carbon Black Composite

In this work, a porous polypropylene (PP)/nano carbon black (CB) composite was facilely fabricated via immiscible co-continuous polymer blend and subsequent dissolution process. The porous structure was generated from co-continuous polymer blend, which was exploited as the substrate for depositing nano CB. The interconnected micro pores of the co-continuous polymer blend and nano pores derived from agglomerated CB resulted in a significant enhancement of conductivity. Comparing with the conventional carbon composite obtained through dual-percolation method, the electrical conductivity of PP/CB composite increased 10 orders of magnitude with CB loading ranged from 1 wt% to 5 wt%. Moreover, it was found that the percolation threshold of PP/CB composite decreased nearly 80% compared with that of as-mixed sample. The enhanced conductivity and much lower percolation make this novel method a potential way for fabricating porous conductive materials for advanced application.
Analysis of Notch Lacking the Carboxyl Terminus Identified in Drosophila Embryos

The cell surface receptor Notch is required during development of Drosophila melanogaster for differentiation of numerous tissues. Notch is often required for specification of precursor cells by lateral inhibition and subsequently for differentiation of tissues from these precursor cells. We report here that certain embryonic cells and tissues that develop after lateral inhibition, like the connectives and commissures of the central nervous system, are enriched for a form of Notch not recognized by antibodies made against the intracellular region carboxy-terminal of the CDC10/Ankyrin repeats. Western blotting and immunoprecipitation analyses show that Notch molecules lacking this region are produced during embryogenesis and form protein complexes with the ligand Delta. Experiments with cultured cells indicate that Delta promotes accumulation of a Notch intracellular fragment lacking the carboxyl terminus. Furthermore, Notch lacking the carboxyl terminus functions as a receptor for Delta. These results suggest that Notch activities during development include generation and activity of a truncated receptor we designate NΔCterm.
Estimating Parameters of Nonlinear Systems Using the Elitist Particle Filter Based on Evolutionary Strategies

In this paper, we present the elitist particle filter based on evolutionary strategies (EPFES) as an efficient approach to estimate the statistics of a latent state vector capturing the relevant information of a nonlinear system. Similar to classical particle filtering, the EPFES consists of a set of particles and respective weights which represent different realizations of the latent state vector and their likelihood of being the solution of the optimization problem. As main innovation, the EPFES includes an evolutionary elitist-particle selection scheme which combines long-term information with instantaneous sampling from an approximated continuous posterior distribution. In this paper, we propose two advancements of the previously published elitist-particle selection process. Further, the EPFES is shown to be a generalization of the widely-used Gaussian particle filter and thus evaluated with respect to the latter: First, we consider the univariate nonstationary growth model with time-variant latent state variable to evaluate the tracking capabilities of the EPFES for instantaneously calculated particle weights. This is followed by addressing the problem of single-channel nonlinear acoustic echo cancellation as a challenging benchmark task for identifying an unknown system of large search space: the nonlinear acoustic echo path is modeled by a cascade of a parameterized preprocessor (to model the loudspeaker signal distortions) and a linear FIR filter (to model the sound wave propagation and the microphone). By using long-term information, we highlight the efficacy of the well-generalizing EPFES in estimating the preprocessor parameters for a simulated scenario and a real smartphone recording. Finally, we illustrate similarities between the EPFES and evolutionary algorithms to outline future improvements by fusing the achievements of both fields of research.