Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Common genetic variation at the IL 1 RL 1 locus regulates IL-33 / ST 2 signaling

Jennifer E. Ho,1,2 Wei-Yu Chen,3 Ming-Huei Chen,1,4 Martin G. Larson,1,5 Elizabeth L. McCabe,6 Susan Cheng,1,3 Anahita Ghorbani,7 Erin Coglianese,8 Valur Emilsson,9 Andrew D. Johnson,1 Stefan Walter,10,11,12 Nora Franceschini,13 Christopher J. O’Donnell,1,7 CARDIoGRAM Consortium, CHARGE Inflammation Working Group, Abbas Dehghan,12 Chen Lu,5 Daniel Levy,1 Christopher Newton-Cheh,1,7,14,15 CHARGE Heart Failure Working Group, Honghuang Lin,1,16 Janine F. Felix,12 Eric R. Schreiter,17,18 Ramachandran S. Vasan,1,19 James L. Januzzi,7 Richard T. Lee,3 and Thomas J. Wang1,7,20
How Does an Online Patient-Nurse Communication Service Meet the Information Needs of Men with Recently Diagnosed Testicular Cancer?

Online communication has become a potential means of communication between patients and health care providers, but so far few studies are published about online communication as part of nursing care. The aim of this study was to explore how an online patient-nurse communication (OPNC) service meets the information needs of men with newly diagnosed testicular cancer. We applied a qualitative approach by examining the content of online messages sent by patients to nurses in a specialist cancer unit. In addition, individual interviews were conducted with patients who had used the OPNC service. Four themes became distinct through a synthesis of the material from the interviews and the messages: “a means for managing illness-related concerns at home,” “a means for ensuring information flow,” “a means for strategic information seeking,” and “not yet available when needed most. ” Individualized information provided by nurses with access to their medical record was shown to be important to these patients. The findings of this study indicate that not only may access to an OPNC service help patients fulfill their otherwise unmet information needs, but also it may prevent delays and discontinuity in care due to informational gaps and lead to improved patient safety.
The Effect of Guided Reflection on Test Anxiety in Nursing Students

Background: Anxiety disorders are common and test stress affects many students. Guided reflection is a new and effective method for reducing stress. Objectives: To assess the effect of guided reflection on test anxiety in second and third-year nursing students of Fatima Nursing and Midwifery College, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Materials and Method: This study was designed to assess the effect of guided reflection on test anxiety among nursing students of second and third year of education in Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Data was collected using demographic data questionnaires and the Sarason and Abolghasemi test anxiety scale. Based on the latter questionnaire, of the 147 participants, 100 had test anxiety with scores ranging from 13-63 (mild-severe anxiety), of which 80 students were randomly selected and divided into case and control groups. We used Johns’s 9-stage guided reflection model through Q and A, lecture, and discussion. The case group participated in a 2-day guided reflection workshop for six hours each day. The control group received no intervention. Sarason and Abolghasemi’s test anxiety questionnaire was completed by the students at the beginning of the first session, immediately after and three months after intervention. Results: The test anxiety mean scores were 35.34 ± 9.50 and 35.47 ± 10.66 before the intervention in the control and intervention groups respectively. No significant difference was found between the two groups with respect to socio-demographic characteristics. The Mean ± SD of test anxiety scores increased to 36.48 ± 9.34 three months after the intervention in the control group (P = 0.1). However, in the intervention group, the Mean ± SD test anxiety scores reduced immediately after (16.31 ± 8.61) and three months after (27.72 ± 10.09) the intervention, compared to before the intervention (35.47 ± 10.66) (P < 0.001, paired T-test). Conclusions: Guided reflection is effective in reducing test anxiety in nursing students. This method can be used for reducing test anxiety and increasing learning and academic progress among students.
Comparative Aspects of Canine Melanoma

Melanomas are malignant neoplasms originating from melanocytes. They occur in most animal species, but the dog is considered the best animal model for the disease. Melanomas in dogs are most frequently found in the buccal cavity, but the skin, eyes, and digits are other common locations for these neoplasms. The aim of this review is to report etiological, epidemiological, pathological, and molecular aspects of melanomas in dogs. Furthermore, the particular biological behaviors of these tumors in the different body locations are shown. Insights into the therapeutic approaches are described. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and the outcomes after these treatments are presented. New therapeutic perspectives are also depicted. All efforts are geared toward better characterization and control of malignant melanomas in dogs, for the benefit of these companion animals, and also in an attempt to benefit the treatment of human melanomas.
Improving the Performance of Sampled-Grating DBR Laser-Based Analog Optical Transmitters

In this paper, the available analog link performance of integrated transmitters containing a sampled-grating distributed Bragg reflector laser, a semiconductor optical amplifier, and a modulator is evaluated. It is found that to provide a link gain and a low-noise figure, an RF preamplifier is required, and for this reason, spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) including a preamplifier has been evaluated. An SFDR of 110-dBHz2/3, a noise figure of 5.4 dB, and link gain of 6.9 dB at 5 GHz is obtained. It is further investigated how link SFDR can be improved by linearization techniques. Two novel approaches are proposed and demonstrated: first, predistortion by extraction of nonlinear components from an integrated second modulator exposed to the same wavelength, optical power and temperature for matched nonlinear terms; second, a novel linearized modulator configuration balancing electroabsorption and Mach-Zehnder modulation that can reach a null for both second- and third-order intermodulation products at a single bias point.
Chromosomal duplication is a transient evolutionary solution to stress

Aneuploidy, an abnormal number of chromosomes, is a widespread phenomenon found in unicellulars such as yeast, as well as in plants and in mammalians, especially in cancer. Aneuploidy is a genome-scale aberration that imposes a severe burden on the cell, yet under stressful conditions specific aneuploidies confer a selective advantage. This dual nature of aneuploidy raises the question of whether it can serve as a stable and sustainable evolutionary adaptation. To clarify this, we conducted a set of laboratory evolution experiments in yeast and followed the long-term dynamics of aneuploidy under diverse conditions. Here we show that chromosomal duplications are first acquired as a crude solution to stress, yet only as transient solutions that are eliminated and replaced by more efficient solutions obtained at the individual gene level. These transient dynamics of aneuploidy were repeatedly observed in our laboratory evolution experiments; chromosomal duplications gained under stress were eliminated not only when the stress was relieved, but even if it persisted. Furthermore, when stress was applied gradually rather than abruptly, alternative solutions appear to have emerged, but not aneuploidy. Our findings indicate that chromosomal duplication is a first evolutionary line of defense, that retains survivability under strong and abrupt selective pressures, yet it merely serves as a “quick fix,” whereas more refined and sustainable solutions take over. Thus, in the perspective of genome evolution trajectory, aneuploidy is a useful yet short-lived intermediate that facilitates further adaptation.
Role for Toll-Like Receptor 2 in the Immune Response to Streptococcus pneumoniae Infection in Mouse Otitis Media

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common pathogen associated with otitis media. To examine the role of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) in host defense against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in the middle ear, wild-type (WT; C57BL/6) and TLR2-deficient (TLR2−/−) mice were inoculated with Streptococcus pneumoniae (1 × 106 CFU) through the tympanic membrane. Nineteen of 37 TLR2−/− mice showed bacteremia and died within 3 days after the challenge, compared to only 4 of 32 WT mice that died. Of those that survived, more severe hearing loss in the TLR2−/− mice than in the WT mice was indicated by an elevation in auditory-evoked brain stem response thresholds at 3 or 7 days postinoculation. The histological pathology was characterized by effusion and tissue damage in the middle ear, and in the TLR2−/− mice, the outcome of infection became more severe at 7 days. At both 3 and 7 days postchallenge, the TLR2−/− mice had higher blood bacterial titers than the WT mice (P < 0.05), and typical bacteria were identified in the effusion from both ears of both mouse groups by acridine orange staining. Moreover, by 3 days postchallenge, the mRNA accumulation levels of NF-κB, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1β, MIP1α, Muc5ac, and Muc5b were significantly lower in the ears of TLR2−/− mice than in WT mice. In summary, TLR2−/− mice may produce relatively low levels of proinflammatory cytokines following pneumococcal challenge, thus hindering the clearance of bacteria from the middle ear and leading to sepsis and a high mortality rate. This study provides evidence that TLR2 is important in the molecular pathogenesis and host response to otitis media.
Mechanics of Composite Materials with MATLAB

Linear Elastic Stress-Strain Relations. - Elastic Constants Based on Micromechanics. - Plane Stress. - Global Coordinate System. - Elastic Constants Based on Global Coordinate System. - Laminate Analysis - Part I. - Laminate Analysis - Part II. - Effective Elastic Constants of a Laminate. - Failure Theories of a Lamina. - to Homogenization of Composite Materials. - to Damage Mechanics of Composite Materials.
Lexical–semantic priming effects during infancy

When and how do infants develop a semantic system of words that are related to each other? We investigated word–word associations in early lexical development using an adaptation of the inter-modal preferential looking task where word pairs (as opposed to single target words) were used to direct infants’ attention towards a target picture. Two words (prime and target) were presented in quick succession after which infants were presented with a picture pair (target and distracter). Prime–target word pairs were either semantically and associatively related or unrelated; the targets were either named or unnamed. Experiment 1 demonstrated a lexical–semantic priming effect for 21-month olds but not for 18-month olds: unrelated prime words interfered with linguistic target identification for 21-month olds. Follow-up experiments confirmed the interfering effects of unrelated prime words and identified the existence of repetition priming effects as young as 18 months of age. The results of these experiments indicate that infants have begun to develop semantic–associative links between lexical items as early as 21 months of age.
Seasonal variations in the sex-steroid hormones and behavior of one humped male camel ( Camelus dromedarius ) in Punjab , Pakistan

26 Abstract Dromedary camel is a seasonal breeder showing aggressive behavior during winter. Present study was intended to study the season-wise serum steroid hormone pattern and characterized the sexual behavior of camel in Punjab, Pakistan during 2010-11. The blood samples were collected at regular monthly intervals and behavioral observations were made for at least two hours interval for a week during beginning, mid and end of each season. Serum samples were analyzed for the steroid hormones by Radioimmunoassay (RIA) using commercially available kits. Steroid hormones were recorded as significantly higher (P<0.01) during the cooler months (rutting season of camel) at all the experimental areas which affect the male behavior. Regional variations were recorded in the hormonal profile and behavior. Serum testosterone started decreasing during spring and reached baseline during summer, maintained almost same during autumn at Faisalabad zone however increased again in autumn at Attock and Bhakkar zones. Serum estradiol 17-β started declining in spring and summer; little increased level was observed in the month of June but again sloped down in July and remained on baseline till end of autumn. Study revealed that seasonal changes have direct correlation with the serum steroid hormones which alter the sexual behavior of camels.
Identification of and Correction for Publication Bias

Some empirical results are more likely to be published than others. Selective publication leads to biased estimates and distorted inference. We propose two approaches for identifying the conditional probability of publication as a function of a study’s results, the first based on systematic replication studies and the second on meta-studies. For known conditional publication probabilities, we propose bias-corrected estimators and confidence sets. We apply our methods to recent replication studies in experimental economics and psychology, and to a meta-study on the effect of the minimum wage. When replication and meta-study data are available, we find similar results from both. (JEL C13, C90, I23, J23, J38, L82)
Low Oxygen Tension Maintains Multipotency, Whereas Normoxia Increases Differentiation of Mouse Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

Optimization of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) culture conditions is of great importance for their more successful application in regenerative medicine. O2 regulates various aspects of cellular biology and, in vivo, MSC are exposed to different O2 concentrations spanning from very low tension in the bone marrow niche, to higher amounts in wounds. In our present work, we isolated mouse bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) and showed that they contained a population meeting requirements for MSC definition. In order to establish the effect of low O2 on cellular properties, we examined BSMC cultured under hypoxic (3% O2) conditions. Our results demonstrate that 3% O2 augmented proliferation of BMSC, as well as the formation of colonies in the colony-forming unit assay (CFU-A), the percentage of quiescent cells, and the expression of stemness markers Rex-1 and Oct-4, thereby suggesting an increase in the stemness of culture when exposed to hypoxia. In contrast, intrinsic differentiation processes were inhibited by 3% O2. Overall yield of differentiation was dependent on the adjustment of O2 tension to the specific stage of BMSC culture. Thus, we established a strategy for efficient BMSC in vitro differentiation using an initial phase of cell propagation at 3% O2, followed by differentiation stage at 21% O2. We also demonstrated that 3% O2 affected BMSC differentiation in p53 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) independent pathways. Our findings can significantly contribute to the obtaining of high-quality MSC for effective cell therapy.
Otago Home‐Based Strength and Balance Retraining Improves Executive Functioning in Older Fallers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES: To primarily ascertain the effect of the Otago Exercise Program (OEP) on physiological falls risk, functional mobility, and executive functioning after 6 months in older adults with a recent history of falls and to ascertain the effect of the OEP on falls during a 1‐year follow‐up period.
Effect of Blend Ratio on Phase Morphology and Mechanical Properties of High Density Polyethylene and Poly (Butylene Succinate) Blend

In this work, the effect of HDPE and PBS blend ratio on mechanical properties and phase morphology of the blend was investigated. HDPE/PBS blends were prepared at HDPE content of 20, 30, and 40 wt. % via melt mixing process and then molded using an injection machine. HDPE/PBS blend was an immiscible blend with a type of dispersed in matrix morphology and coalescence phase morphology depending on HDPE content. The blend morphology of 20 wt. % HDPE/PBS blend was a type of spherical domain dispersed in the PBS matrix. As increase HDPE content, the dispersed HDPE particles became larger and the shape turned into worm-like and elongated structure. In addition, at 40 wt. % HDPE, coalescence phase morphology was obtained. It was found that the PBS blends containing 30-40 wt. % HDPE did not show yield point; they exhibited brittle failure behavior. For tensile properties, yield strength and stress at break of HDPE/PBS blend gradually decreased with increasing HDPE content. However, addition of HDPE into PBS matrix resulted in an increase of Youngs modulus of the PBS blend. Impact strength of the blends was much lower than that of neat PBS but the impact strength of the blend insignificant changed with 30-40 wt. % HDPE comparing to that with 20 wt. % HDPE.
Xylem cavitation in roots and stems of Douglas-fir and white fir.

Roots of hardwoods have been shown to be more vulnerable to xylem cavitation than stems. This study examined whether this pattern is also observed in a conifer species. Vulnerability to cavitation was determined from the pressure required to inject air into the vascular system of hydrated roots and stems, and reduce hydraulic conductance of the xylem. According to the air-seeding hypothesis for the cavitation mechanism, these air pressures predict the negative xylem pressure causing cavitation in dehydrating stems. This was evaluated for stems of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and white fir (Abies concolor (Gord. & Glend.) Lindl. ). The air-injection method was applied to roots and stems of different sizes and positions in Douglas-fir trees. Roots, especially smaller roots with a xylem diameter < 5 mm, were more vulnerable to cavitation than stems. Mean cavitation pressure for smaller roots was -2.09 +/- 0.42 versus -3.80 +/- 0.19 MPa for larger roots (> 8 mm diameter). Within the shoot system, smaller stems (< 5 mm diameter) were most vulnerable to cavitation, having a mean cavitation pressure of -4.23 +/- 0.565 versus -5.27 +/- 0.513 MPa for large stems (> 8 mm diameter). There was no correlation between tracheid diameter and mean cavitation pressure within root or stem systems, despite larger tracheid diameters in roots (23.3 +/- 3.9 micro m) than in stems (9.2 +/- 1.6 micro m). Smaller safety margins from cavitation in roots may be beneficial in limiting water use during mild drought, and in protecting the stem from low xylem pressures during extreme drought.
Vibrio spp., the dominant flora in shrimp hatchery against some fish pathogenic viruses.

Two strains of Vibrio spp. , NICA 1030 and NICA 1031, which are the dominant flora in shrimp hatcheries, were studied for antiviral activity by exposing them to the infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and Oncorhynchus masou virus (OMV) before being inoculated to the CHSE-214 cells. Antiviral activities were exhibited as plaque reduction percentages of 98 and 92% for the NICA 1030 and of 99 and 62% for the NICA 1031, respectively.
Effects of 5 minutes of neck-muscle vibration immediately before occupational therapy on unilateral spatial neglect

Purpose. To evaluate the effects of neck-muscle vibration for 5 min before occupational therapy (OT) on unilateral spatial neglect (USN). Method. In this multiple-baseline design study for 6 weeks (A1–B–A2 design: A1, A2; conventional OT without neck-muscle vibration, B; neck-muscle vibration before OT together with conventional OT), we examined 11 right brain-damaged patients in the post-acute phase of stroke who showed USN. Sessions A1 and A2: conventional OT for 40 min once daily for 5 days a week. Session B: the left posterior neck muscles of the patient were subjected to vibration for 5 min, without confirming the appearance of a kinaesthetic illusion, immediately before OT, and then the same OT programme as in sessions A1 and A2 was performed. Each session lasted 2 weeks. USN and activities of daily living (ADL) were evaluated at 2-week intervals by the Behavioural Inattention Test (BIT) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM), respectively. Results. Significant increases in the total scores in both the conventional subtest and behavioural subtest of the BIT were only seen during session B. FIM scores increased significantly during both sessions A1 and B. Conclusions. The application of neck-muscle vibration before OT may have positive effects on USN, but the specific effect on the improvement of ADL is not clear.
Suppression of the transformed phenotype and induction of differentiation‐like characteristics in cultured ovarian tumor cells by chronic treatment with progesterone

Epidemiological evidence suggests that elevated levels of the pregnancy hormone progesterone might play a role in the reduced risk of women to develop ovarian cancer. In vitro studies have supported this hypothesis by demonstrating negative effects of this hormone on the growth and proliferation of cultured ovarian carcinoma cells. However, little is known about the underlying molecular processes and how progesterone might decrease the risk for ovarian tumors. Therefore, we investigated the effects of chronic hormone treatment on the cell‐cycle and transformed phenotype of ovarian carcinoma cell lines in vitro. We found that long‐term treatment of these cells with progesterone caused a concomitant reduction of cyclin‐dependent kinase (CDK) activity. In parallel, these cells lost their transformed phenotype as indicated by the acquisition of contact inhibition and the loss of anchorage‐independence, as well as the reduced expression of tumor markers such as heat shock protein (HSP) 72 and carcinoma antigen (CA) 125. In addition, progesterone‐treated cells exhibited characteristics that resembled a more differentiated phenotype. Taken together, our data indicated that progesterone was able to suppress the transformed phenotype of ovarian tumor cells. This observation could serve to explain progesterone's alleged protective effect in ovarian carcinogenesis. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The TvLEGU-1, a Legumain-Like Cysteine Proteinase, Plays a Key Role in Trichomonas vaginalis Cytoadherence

The goal of this paper was to characterize a Trichomonas vaginalis cysteine proteinase (CP) legumain-1 (TvLEGU-1) and determine its potential role as a virulence factor during T. vaginalis infection. A 30-kDa band, which migrates in three protein spots (pI~6.3, ~6.5, and ~6.7) with a different type and level of phosphorylation, was identified as TvLEGU-1 by one- and two-dimensional Western blot (WB) assays, using a protease-rich trichomonad extract and polyclonal antibodies produced against the recombinant TvLEGU-1 (anti-TvLEGU-1r). Its identification was confirmed by mass spectrometry. Immunofluorescence, cell binding, and WB assays showed that TvLEGU-1 is upregulated by iron at the protein level, localized on the trichomonad surface and in lysosomes and Golgi complex, bound to the surface of HeLa cells, and was found in vaginal secretions. Additionally, the IgG and Fab fractions of the anti-TvLEGU-1r antibody inhibited trichomonal cytoadherence up to 45%. Moreover, the Aza-Peptidyl Michael Acceptor that inhibited legumain proteolytic activity in live parasites also reduced levels of trichomonal cytoadherence up to 80%. In conclusion, our data show that the proteolytic activity of TvLEGU-1 is necessary for trichomonal adherence. Thus, TvLEGU-1 is a novel virulence factor upregulated by iron. This is the first report that a legumain-like CP plays a role in a pathogen cytoadherence.