Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor mRNA expression in patients with chronic hepatitis C and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may be involved in neovascularization of malignant tumors. Our aim was to determine whether there is an increased VEGF mRNA expression in liver from patients with HCC and premalignant hepatitis C virus (HCV) with differing severity of inflammation. VEGF mRNA (VEGF165, VEGF189) was detected by reverse transcription and semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification in all liver samples. There was no difference in VEGF mRNA expression ratios (corrected for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) among three groups: steatohepatitis, as a non-malignant non-viral control, 1. 05+/-0.35, n=8; chronic hepatitis C, 0.86+/-0.27, n=18; hepatocellular carcinoma, 1.06+/-0.43, n=10. VEGF mRNA expression was independent of the severity of HCV inflammation estimated by the histological activity index: low HAI (</=4, n=8) vs. high HAI (>/=10, n=10), 0.93+/-0.31 vs. 0.81+/-0.24, p=ns. There was no significant difference in mean VEGF expression between HCC tumor (1.06+/- 0.43) and adjacent tissue (0. 85+/-0.42) although the tumors tended to have higher expression than adjacent non-malignant tissues. In conclusion, all liver samples of steatohepatitis, chronic HCV infection and HCC expressed VEGF mRNA, VEGF mRNA may be uniformly expressed in liver tissue, the level of expression is probably not related to virus infection or the severity of inflammation. Other angiogenic or angiostatic factors might be more involved in angiogenesis in HCC.
Prevalence of dermatoses and skin sensitisation associated with use of pesticides in fruit farmers of southern Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: Agricultural workers are known to have occupational skin diseases. The prevalence and pattern of skin diseases are unknown in Taiwanese fruit farmers. The objective of this study is to determine the work exposure, prevalence of skin diseases, and sensitivity to common skin allergens and agricultural chemicals in fruit farmers of southern Taiwan. METHODS: 122 fruit farmers who regularly prepared and sprayed pesticides and a group of 63 printing press workers with no known exposure to pesticides were examined and patch tested with common skin allergens and agricultural chemicals. The farmers were also interviewed for their work habits, use of protective clothing, and exposure to pesticides. RESULTS: Most farmers reported regular use of hat, boots, and mask, but not gloves, raincoat, and goggles. This resulted in frequent skin contact with pesticides especially on the hands and face. About 30% of farmers had hand dermatitis, and more than two thirds had pigmentation and thickening on the hands. Fungal infection of the skin was noted in a quarter of subjects. By patch test, farmers and the printing press workers had a similar rate of sensitivity to common skin allergens. 40% of farmers were sensitive to agricultural chemical allergens, which was about twofold higher than that of the comparison group. Farmers were most frequently sensitive to Captofol, Folpet, and Captan which were associated with dermatitis on the volar aspects of the hands. CONCLUSIONS: Fruit farmers in southern Taiwan had a high prevalence of skin diseases related to use of pesticides, and appropriate protective measures and work practices should be taken to prevent such problems.
Interface designs for pen-based mobile video browsing

In this paper, we describe two interface designs for mobile video browsing on pen-based handheld devices. Both feature different interaction types, such as speed- and position-based navigation which enable users to interactively skim a video's content along the timeline at different granularity levels. The feasibility and usefulness of the proposed designs is demonstrated in a comparative user study.
Epidemiology of bovine brucellosis in Costa Rica: Lessons learned from failures in the control of the disease

Brucellosis, caused by Brucella abortus is a major disease of cattle and a zoonosis. In order to estimate the bovine brucellosis prevalence in Costa Rica (CR), a total 765 herds (13078 bovines) from six regions of CR were randomly sampled during 2012–2013. A non-random sample of 7907 herds (532199 bovines) of the six regions, arriving for diagnoses during 2014–2016 to the Costa Rican Animal Health Service was also studied. The prevalence estimated by Rose Bengal test (RBT) ranged from 10.5%-11.4%; alternatively, the prevalence estimated by testing the RBT positives in iELISA, ranged from 4.1%-6.0%, respectively. However, cattle in CR are not vaccinated with B. abortus S19 but with RB51 (vaccination coverage close to 11%), and under these conditions the RBT displays 99% specificity and 99% sensitivity. Therefore, the RBT herd depicted in the random analysis stands as a feasible assessment and then, the recommended value in case of planning an eradication program in CR. Studies of three decades reveled that bovine brucellosis prevalence has increased in CR. B. abortus was identified by biochemical and molecular studies as the etiological agent of bovine brucellosis. Multiple locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis-16 revealed four B. abortus clusters. Cluster one and three are intertwined with isolates from other countries, while clusters two and four have only representatives from CR. Cluster one is widely distributed in all regions of the country and may be the primary B. abortus source. The other clusters seem to be restricted to specific areas in CR. The implications of our findings, in relation to the control of the disease in CR, are critically discussed.
Health related quality of life and impact of infectious comorbidity in outpatient management of patients with acute leukemia

Abstract Although survival has improved among patients with acute leukemia, there is still a considerable risk of severe complications throughout the course of treatment. This contrast increases the interest in monitoring health related quality of life (HRQOL) in these patients. This study presents a longitudinal HRQOL evaluation (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer core 30-item questionnaire; EORTC-QLQ C-30) and the impact of infectious comorbidity among 60 patients with leukemia (median age 47) treated in an outpatient management program at Copenhagen University Hospital. Significant improvement was seen on several HRQOL scores during follow-up. Explorative general linear models (GLMs) suggest that high cumulative severity of infectious comorbidity significantly reduces physical functioning and overall quality of life at treatment completion.
New Issues in Emerging Markets: Determinants, Effects, and Stock Market Performance of IPOs in Korea

This article investigates why Korean companiesgo public and their subsequent performance. Ex ante and ex post evidence suggests firms do notgo public to fund investment in fixed assets. Financially marginal firms are more likely to go public to take advantage of windows of opportunity. Financially healthier independents also go public to rebalance their portfolios. Chaebol (conglomerate) subsidiaries apparently use initial public offerings (IPOs) to fund equity investments and take advantage of windows of opportunity. Buy- and-hold returns show Korean IPOs outperformed the stock market—with the divergence widening over time—in contrast to developed markets.
Production of Recombinant Human Type I Procollagen Trimers Using a Four-gene Expression System in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae *

The expression of stable recombinant human collagen requires an expression system capable of post-translational modifications and assembly of the procollagen polypeptides. Two genes were expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to produce both propeptide chains that constitute human type I procollagen. Two additional genes were expressed coding for the subunits of prolyl hydroxylase, an enzyme that post-translationally modifies procollagen and that confers heat (thermal) stability to the triple helical conformation of the collagen molecule. Type I procollagen was produced as a stable heterotrimeric helix similar to type I procollagen produced in tissue culture. A key requirement for glutamate was identified as a medium supplement to obtain high expression levels of type I procollagen as heat-stable heterotrimers inSaccharomyces. Expression of these four genes was sufficient for correct assembly and processing of type I procollagen in a eucaryotic system that does not produce collagen.
ELL-focused content area professional learning in a community of practice: capturing perspectives and meeting needs

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.v LIST OF TABLES.vii CHAPTER 1 -STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM . 1 CHAPTER 2 -REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.6 CHAPTER 3 -METHODOLOGY.51 CHAPTER 4 -FINDINGS: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SESSIONS.79 CHAPTER 5 -FINDINGS: TEACHERS‘ PARTICIPATION.126 CHAPTER 6 -SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION . 221 REFERENCES . 258 APPENDICES A. Contact Summary Form.264 B. Document Summary Form . 265 C. Participants‘ Consent Forms.266 270 D. Study Codes . 271 273 E. Interview Guide . 274 276 F. Professional Learning Session Materials . 277 296
Docking and homology modeling explain inhibition of the human vesicular glutamate transporters

As membrane transporter proteins, VGLUT1–3 mediate the uptake of glutamate into synaptic vesicles at presynaptic nerve terminals of excitatory neural cells. This function is crucial for exocytosis and the role of glutamate as the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. The three transporters, sharing 76% amino acid sequence identity in humans, are highly homologous but differ in regional expression in the brain. Although little is known regarding their three‐dimensional structures, hydropathy analysis on these proteins predicts 12 transmembrane segments connected by loops, a topology similar to other members in the major facilitator superfamily, where VGLUT1–3 have been phylogenetically classified. In this work, we present a three‐dimensional model for the human VGLUT1 protein based on its distant bacterial homolog in the same superfamily, the glycerol‐3‐phosphate transporter from Escherichia coli. This structural model, stable during molecular dynamics simulations in phospholipid bilayers solvated by water, reveals amino acid residues that face its pore and are likely to affect substrate translocation. Docking of VGLUT1 substrates to this pore localizes two different binding sites, to which inhibitors also bind with an overall trend in binding affinity that is in agreement with previously published experimental data.
Influence of memory, attention, IQ and age on auditory temporal processing tests: preliminary study.

PURPOSE To investigate the existence of correlations between the performance of children in auditory temporal tests (Frequency Pattern and Gaps in Noise--GIN) and IQ, attention, memory and age measurements. METHOD Fifteen typically developing individuals between the ages of 7 to 12 years and normal hearing participated in the study. Auditory temporal processing tests (GIN and Frequency Pattern), as well as a Memory test (Digit Span), Attention tests (auditory and visual modality) and intelligence tests (RAVEN test of Progressive Matrices) were applied. RESULTS Significant and positive correlation between the Frequency Pattern test and age variable were found, which was considered good (p<0.01, 75.6%). There were no significant correlations between the GIN test and the variables tested. CONCLUSIONS Auditory temporal skills seem to be influenced by different factors: while the performance in temporal ordering skill seems to be influenced by maturational processes, the performance in temporal resolution was not influenced by any of the aspects investigated.
Capitalizing on Language Learners' Individuality: From Premise to Practice

Introduction 1. Anxiety: From Premise - to Practice 2. Beliefs: From Premise - to Practice 3. Cognitive Abilities: From Premise - to Practice 4. Motivation: From Premise - to Practice 5. Learning Strategies: From Premise - to Practice 6. Learning Styles: From Premise - to Practice 7. Willingness to Communicate: From Premise - to Practice Epilogue
When Mothers Stay: Adjusting to Loss After Relocation Disputes

In determining what outcome is likely to be in the best interests of children, it is necessary to try to predict how each of the parents and the children, will respond to, and cope with, the decision that is made. That is particularly difficult in relocation cases. This article reports on the experiences of 15 mothers over a 4-5 year period following the conclusion of a relocation dispute, and for whom the initial outcome was that they did not move away as they had sought to do. Eight out of fifteen of the mothers indicated that in hindsight, it had been better for their children to stay in close proximity to their father. All of these mothers said the children were "fairly close" or "very close" to their father at the final interview or before. The mothers varied in how well they had coped with the decision, some accepting it, others having adjusted as best they could without accepting it, and a few adjusting poorly. Four factors seemed to have made the most difference in terms of being able to adjust, or not, to the adverse outcome: the degree of control they were able to exercise over their own future; their recognition that the children benefited from a close relationship with their father; the father’s degree of involvement with, and responsibility for, the children, and the level of toxicity in the father-mother relationship. The article concludes by considering possible implications for better decision-making in relocation cases.
Scavenging of nitric oxide by an antagonist of adenosine receptors

Chronic treatment of rats with 1,3‐dipropyl‐8‐sulfophenylxanthine (DPSPX), an antagonist of adenosine receptors, causes hypertension, cardiovascular hypertrophy and hyperplasia and impaired endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation. An accelerated degradation of nitric oxide (NO) by scavenging molecules could account for endothelial dysfunction and trophic changes in this hypertension. Our aim was to determine whether DPSPX is a scavenger of NO and if this putative effect is shared by caffeine (1,3,7‐trimethylxanthine) and DPCPX (1,3‐dipropyl‐8‐ciclopentylxanthine), which are also adenosine receptor antagonists but do not induce hypertension in rats. This effect was evaluated by electrochemical and spectrofluorometric assays. Urinary NOx (nitrate + nitrite) excretion was also evaluated in controls and DPSPX‐treated rats as a marker for NO bioavailability. DPSPX behaved as a scavenger of NO in a concentration‐dependent manner in the electrochemical and spectrofluorometric assays. Caffeine and DPCPX had no scavenging effect. DPSPX‐treated rats had decreased excretion of urinary nitrites. We can conclude that: DPSPX has NO scavenging properties that may be involved in the alterations described for DPSPX‐hypertensive rats; this NO‐scavenging effect is not shared by caffeine and DPCPX, which are also xanthine derivatives and adenosine antagonists.
Incidence of breast cancer among postmenopausal, hypertensive women

Elevated blood pressure has been proposed to be a risk factor for breast cancer but the results remain controversial. In this study, the incidence of breast cancer among 9,112 postmenopausal, hypertensive women included in the community‐based hypertension register of the North Karelia project was assessed through the Finnish Cancer Registry. The mean follow‐up time was 27 years. The incidence of breast cancer in hypertensive women in our cohort was similar to the age and period specific population‐based rates for Eastern Finland [the standardised incidence ratio 0.96 (95% confidence interval 0.86–1.05)]. In the Cox regression analysis, there was no association between blood pressure levels, or use of antihypertensive (AH) drugs, and breast cancer incidence, when all women were considered. There was a statistically significant interaction of the use of AH drugs at baseline and the diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Among women who were not using AH drugs at baseline, the DBP level was positively associated with the subsequent risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio 1.26/10 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval 1.06–1.46). In women with AH drugs at baseline, the DBP had an opposite effect of borderline significance (hazard ratio 0.90/10 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval 0.78–1.01). In conclusion, breast cancer incidence among postmenopausal hypertensive patients in general does not differ from that of general population. Elevated DBP levels may be associated with an increased breast cancer risk among nonpharmacologically treated women. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Resistance among Escherichia coli to sulphonamides and other antimicrobials now little used in man.

OBJECTIVES We investigated whether sulphonamide resistance in Escherichia coli remained prevalent in 2004, 9 years since the formal introduction of a UK prescribing restriction on co-trimoxazole. Resistance to other agents no longer in common use was also examined. METHODS Consecutive urinary E. coli isolates were obtained at the diagnostic microbiology laboratory of the Royal London Hospital from January to March 2004. The presence of the sulphonamide resistance genes, sul1, sul2 and sul3, and the class I integrase gene, int1, were determined by PCR. RESULTS Of the 391 E. coli isolates recovered in 2004, 45.5% were sulphonamide-resistant compared with 46.0% in 1999 and 39.7% in 1991. The sul2 gene remained the most prevalent sulphonamide resistance determinant, present in 81% of resistant isolates in 2004 compared with 79% and 67% in 1999 and 1991, respectively; 28% of resistant isolates carried both sul1 and sul2 genes; sul3 was not found. Resistance to streptomycin also remained common, whereas resistance to chloramphenicol and kanamycin had decreased since 1999. CONCLUSION Sulphonamide resistance in E. coli persists undiminished despite the prolonged withdrawal of this antibiotic in the UK; resistance to streptomycin also seems stable whilst that to chloramphenicol and kanamycin is declining.
Investigation of Mechanical Loss Components and Heat Transfer in an Axial-Flux PM Machine

This paper investigates components of mechanical loss together with heat transfer effects in an axial-flux permanent-magnet motor. The mechanical loss components generated within electrical machines are well known; however, their prediction or derivation has not been widely reported in the literature. These, together with the electromagnetic loss sources and heat transfer effects, are crucial and must be accounted for when considering high-power-density, high-speed, and/or compact machine designs. This research is focused on separating the mechanical loss components to gain a more in-depth understanding of the effects and their importance. Both experimental and theoretical techniques have been employed in the analysis of a machine demonstrator. In particular, hardware tests with dummy rotors have been performed to measure the bearing and windage/drag loss components. These have been supplemented with computational fluid dynamics analysis to theoretically evaluate the aerodynamic effects occurring within the mechanical air gap accounting for loss and heat transfer. It has been identified that the analyzed hardware demonstrator suffered bearing loss significantly higher than that suggested by the bearing manufacturer. This has been attributed to design of the mechanical assembly accommodating bearings, which resulted in inappropriate bearing preload. The excessive bearing loss had a significant detrimental effect on the machine thermal behavior. In contrast, the aerodynamic effects have been found to have less pronounced effects here, due to fully enclosed and naturally cooled machine construction.
Culture in School Learning: Revealing the Deep Meaning

Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1. The Centrality of Culture and Social Ideology in School Learning 2. The Deep Meaning of Culture 3. Personalizing Cultural Diversity 4. Learning About Diverse Populations of Students 5. Reframing the Curriculum 6. Redesigning Instruction 7. A Framework for Understanding Cultural Diversity in the Classroom 8. Putting it all Together 9. Transforming Professional Practice References Author Index Subject Index
Linking C5 Deficiency to an Exonic Splicing Enhancer Mutation

As an important component of the innate immune system, complement provides the initial response to prevent infections by pathogenic microorganisms. Patients with dysfunction of C5 display a propensity for severe recurrent infections. In this study, we present a patient with C5 deficiency demonstrated by immunochemical and functional analyses. Direct sequencing of all C5 exons displayed no mutation of obvious functional significance, except for an A to G transition in exon 10 predicting an exchange from lysine to arginine. This sequence alteration was present in only one allele of family members with a reduced serum C5 concentration and in both alleles of the patient with almost complete C5 deficiency, suggesting that this alteration may be producing the phenotype. Recent findings indicate that distinct nucleotide sequences, termed exonic splicing enhancers (ESEs), influence the splicing process. cDNA from all family members harboring the mutated allele showed skipping of exon 10, which resulted in a premature STOP codon, explaining the lack of C5 in the propositus. Sequence analysis of the mutated region revealed the substitution to be located within an ESE, as predicted by the RESCUE-ESE program. The altered ESE sequence is located close to the 5′ splicing site and also lowers the predicted strength of the splice site itself. This apparently inconsequential sequence alteration represents a noncanonical splicing mutation altering an ESE. Our finding sheds a new light on the role of putative silent/conservative mutations in disease-associated genes.
Links between Physical Appearance and Wage Discrimination: Further Evidence

Unlike the work of Hamermesh and Biddle (1994) where personal appearance is linked to subjective factors such as beauty, this work tries to focus more objectively, relating appearance to certain physical characteristics such as weight, height, and physical disability which can influence an individual’s wage. This article intends to search for additional evidence concerning the possibility of the occurrence of wage discrimination originated by the individual's physical appearance.