Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Wnt/β-catenin and RANKL/OPG in bone healing of diabetic Charcot arthropathy patients

Background and purpose — Charcot neuropathy is characterized by bone destruction in a foot leading to deformity, instability, and risk of amputation. Little is known about the pathogenic mechanisms. We hypothesized that the bone-regulating Wnt/β-catenin and RANKL/OPG pathways have a role in Charcot arthropathy. Patients and methods — 24 consecutive Charcot patients were treated by off-loading, and monitored for 2 years by repeated foot radiography, MRI, and circulating levels of sclerostin, dickkopf-1, Wnt inhibitory factor-1, Wnt ligand-1, OPG, and RANKL. 20 neuropathic diabetic controls and 20 healthy controls served as the reference. Results — Levels of sclerostin, Dkk-1 and Wnt-1, but not of Wif-1, were significantly lower in Charcot patients than in the diabetic controls at inclusion. Dkk-1 and Wnt-1 levels responded to off-loading by increasing. Sclerostin levels were significantly higher in the diabetic controls than in the other groups whereas Wif-1 levels were significantly higher in the healthy controls than in the other groups. OPG and RANKL levels were significantly higher in the Charcot patients than in the other groups at inclusion, but decreased to the levels in healthy controls at 2 years. OPG/RANKL ratio was balanced in all groups at inclusion, and it remained balanced in Charcot patients on repeated measurement throughout the study. Interpretation — High plasma RANKL and OPG levels at diagnosis of Charcot suggest that there is high bone remodeling activity before gradually normalizing after off-loading treatment. The consistently balanced OPG/RANKL ratio in Charcot patients suggests that there is low-key net bone building activity by this pathway following diagnosis and treatment. Inter-group differences at diagnosis and changes in Wnt signaling following off-loading treatment were sufficiently large to be reflected by systemic levels, indicating that this pathway has a role in bone remodeling and bone repair activity in Charcot patients. This is of particular clinical relevance considering the recent emergence of promising drugs that target this system.
A Canadian-Dutch Comparison of Teachers' Burnout

Scores on burnout among 631 Canadian and 1,180 Dutch teachers were compared with various demographic variables (sex and age) and factors related to work (experience in teaching, type of school, and number of hours employed). Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory of three dimensions, Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. Analysis indicated that, over-all, Canadian teachers reported higher scores on Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization than their Dutch peers. Differences in the number of hours employed were also significant: full-time Canadian teachers scored higher on Depersonalization than their Dutch colleagues. Across countries, sex and type of school appeared significantly related to burnout. Male teachers rated higher on Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization than the women. Especially with regard to the attitudinal components of burnout, i.e., Depersonalization and Personal Accomplishment, secondary school teachers reported higher scores than elementary school teachers. Age was not significantly related to measures.
A meta-analysis of combination therapy versus single-agent therapy in anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated metastatic breast cancer: results from nine randomized Phase III trials

Nowadays, the philosophy of treating metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is slowly evolving. Especially for the anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated MBC patients, no standard therapy exists in this setting. Whether to choose doublet agents or single agent as salvage treatment remains fiercely debated. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to resolve this problem. Databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library were searched for Phase III randomized clinical trials (published before August 2015) comparing the efficacy and adverse effects between the combination therapy and single-agent therapy in anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated MBC patients. The primary end point was the overall survival (OS), and the secondary end points were the progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR), and grade 3 or 4 toxicities. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) and pooled risk ratio (RR) were used to evaluate the efficacy. Analyses were also performed to estimate the side effects and safety of both groups. In all, nine eligible randomized clinical trials were included in this meta-analysis. Improvements were proven in the doublet agents group on OS (HR 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84–0.96, P=0.002), PFS (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.76–0.88, P<0.001), and ORR (RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.34–2.21, P<0.001). Notably, subgroup analysis failed to favor the targeted agent-based combination in terms of OS (HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.89–1.31, P=0.365), PFS (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.88–1.35, P=0.433), and ORR (RR 1.60, 95% CI 0.69–3.71, P=0.278) compared with single agent. In addition, although more hematological and gastrointestinal toxicities were observed in the doublet agents group, they were acceptable and manageable. Taken together, when compared with single-agent therapy, doublet agents should be considered a treatment option because of the superior efficacy and the manageable safety profile for the prior anthracycline- and taxane-treated MBC patients.
Illness intrusion and psychological adjustment to rheumatic diseases: a social identity framework.

OBJECTIVE To examine the extent to which arthritis intruded upon 4 social roles (spouse, homemaker, parent, worker). In accordance with propositions set forth by social identity theory and the identity-relevant stress hypothesis, we hypothesized that 1) illness intrusion would predict psychological well-being and 2) role importance would moderate the relationship between illness intrusion and psychological adjustment, such that intrusion into highly valued roles would be the most psychologically distressing. METHODS Participants were recruited from the practices of rheumatologists affiliated with a major urban hospital. A total of 113 individuals (73% women) with diagnosed rheumatic disease completed a mailed questionnaire. RESULTS For all 4 roles, illness intrusion was related to decreased psychological well-being. In the worker and parent roles, the effects of illness intrusion on adjustment were moderated by whether respondents valued these particular roles. For example, psychological well-being was lowest among those individuals whose illness intruded greatly upon work and who highly valued their worker role identity. CONCLUSION The findings highlight the advantages of assessing both domain-specific illness intrusion and role importance in predicting psychological well-being among persons with rheumatic diseases. Importantly, results also demonstrate the utility of applying a social identity framework in understanding adjustment processes among persons with chronic illness.
Optimized generation of high resolution breast anthropomorphic software phantoms.

PURPOSE The authors present an efficient method for generating anthropomorphic software breast phantoms with high spatial resolution. Employing the same region growing principles as in their previous algorithm for breast anatomy simulation, the present method has been optimized for computational complexity to allow for fast generation of the large number of phantoms required in virtual clinical trials of breast imaging. METHODS The new breast anatomy simulation method performs a direct calculation of the Cooper's ligaments (i.e., the borders between simulated adipose compartments). The calculation corresponds to quadratic decision boundaries of a maximum a posteriori classifier. The method is multiscale due to the use of octree-based recursive partitioning of the phantom volume. The method also provides user-control of the thickness of the simulated Cooper's ligaments and skin. RESULTS Using the proposed method, the authors have generated phantoms with voxel size in the range of (25-1000 μm)(3)∕voxel. The power regression of the simulation time as a function of the reciprocal voxel size yielded a log-log slope of 1.95 (compared to a slope of 4.53 of our previous region growing algorithm). CONCLUSIONS A new algorithm for computer simulation of breast anatomy has been proposed that allows for fast generation of high resolution anthropomorphic software phantoms.
Recommended Mass Spectrometry-Based Strategies to Identify Ricin-Containing Samples

Ricin is a protein toxin produced by the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) together with a related protein known as R. communis agglutinin (RCA120). Mass spectrometric (MS) assays have the capacity to unambiguously identify ricin and to detect ricin’s activity in samples with complex matrices. These qualitative and quantitative assays enable detection and differentiation of ricin from the less toxic RCA120 through determination of the amino acid sequence of the protein in question, and active ricin can be monitored by MS as the release of adenine from the depurination of a nucleic acid substrate. In this work, we describe the application of MS-based methods to detect, differentiate and quantify ricin and RCA120 in nine blinded samples supplied as part of the EQuATox proficiency test. Overall, MS-based assays successfully identified all samples containing ricin or RCA120 with the exception of the sample spiked with the lowest concentration (0.414 ng/mL). In fact, mass spectrometry was the most successful method for differentiation of ricin and RCA120 based on amino acid determination. Mass spectrometric methods were also successful at ranking the functional activities of the samples, successfully yielding semi-quantitative results. These results indicate that MS-based assays are excellent techniques to detect, differentiate, and quantify ricin and RCA120 in complex matrices.
Antecedents of the Quality of Online Customer Information

When the concept of Customer Relationship Management emerged in the 1990s, the need for high quality data became of paramount importance in order to adequately address customers. Individualization strategies were developed to improve relationships with existing customers and therefore generate more revenue. In order to fine-tune those strategies, demographic as well as psychographic information and previous buying behavior may be used. However, a lot of resistance against providing personal information on the side of the customers exists, which is evidenced by consciously supplied false information. This paper analyzes some important constructs which can be seen as antecedents for the provision of correct personal data. A research framework is developed and empirically tested with an online survey. The results indicate that the benefits from individualized communication, trust in the secure data submission over the Internet and the degree of information available to customers as to how companies treat personal data, significantly influence users' attitudes toward providing correct information.
Mining constrained gradients in large databases

Many data analysis tasks can be viewed as search or mining in a multidimensional space (MDS). In such MDSs, dimensions capture potentially important factors for given applications, and cells represent combinations of values for the factors. To systematically analyze data in MDS, an interesting notion, called "cubegrade" was recently introduced by Imielinski et al. [2002], which focuses on the notable changes in measures in MDS by comparing a cell (which we refer to as probe cell) with its gradient cells, namely, its ancestors, descendants, and siblings. We call such queries gradient analysis queries (GQs). Since an MDS can contain billions of cells, it is important to answer GQs efficiently. We focus on developing efficient methods for mining GQs constrained by certain (weakly) antimonotone constraints. Instead of conducting an independent gradient-cell search once per probe cell, which is inefficient due to much repeated work, we propose an efficient algorithm, LiveSet-Driven. This algorithm finds all good gradient-probe cell pairs in one search pass. It utilizes measure-value analysis and dimension-match analysis in a set-oriented manner, to achieve bidirectional pruning between the sets of hopeful probe cells and of hopeful gradient cells. Moreover, it adopts a hypertree structure and an H-cubing method to compress data and to maximize sharing of computation. Our performance study shows that this algorithm is efficient and scalable. In addition to data cubes, we extend our study to another important scenario: mining constrained gradients in transactional databases where each item is associated with some measures such as price. Such transactional databases can be viewed as sparse MDSs where items represent dimensions, although they have significantly different characteristics than data cubes. We outline efficient mining methods for this problem.
Women’s Language Features Used by Indonesian Female Bloggers

The study entitled Women’s Language Features Used by Indonesian Female Bloggers aims to investigate women’s language features, the frequency of the features, and the possible reasons of using the features by female bloggers. The data were in the form of written text of Blogspot.com , published from October 2011 to September 2012, which consists of several bloggers’ activities such as their routines, business, fashion, and special events. The main theory of Robin Lakoff (1975) was used to analyze the data. Lakoff (1975) proposed ten women’s language features but this study only adopted nine features in the form of written text namely lexical hedges or fillers , tag question , empty adjectives , precise color terms , intensifiers , hypercorrect grammar , superpolite forms , avoidance of strong swear words , and emphatic stress. The findings reveal that there were ninety-seven postings which can be categorized into eight features. However, intensifiers tend to be the most frequent feature used by the female bloggers (34.92%), followed by empty ajectives (5.71%), and the least is avoidance of strong swear words (0.27%). Moreover, regarding the reasons by using the features is most respondents claimed that they use those features because they tend to reflect uncertainty and reflect women’s lack of confidence in conversation. In contrast, only few of respondents who stated that they use those features because women have higher level of vocabularies than men. Keyword : Women’s language features; Blog
Gramian-Preserving Frequency Transformation and Its Application to Analog Filter Design

This paper presents a new state-space formulation of the frequency transformation of linear continuous-time systems. We call this formulation “Gramian-preserving frequency transformation,” which enables us to convert a given prototype state-space system into other systems that have the same controllability/observability Gramians as those of the prototype system. As a practical application of this result, we propose a new method for the design of analog filters of which basic building blocks are integrators. It is demonstrated that the analog filters designed by the Gramian-preserving frequency transformation have the same structural properties with respect to the Gramians as those of the prototype filter, and that the performance such as the dynamic range and the sensitivity of the designed filters is retained even if the filter specification is changed. In addition to presenting this result, we also address the physical meaning of the Gramian-preserving frequency transformation. It is shown that the Gramian-preserving frequency transformation is derived from the state-space model that is obtained by replacing each integrator of a prototype filter with a reactance function, where the structure of this reactance function is given as the scaled version of the Foster canonical form.
Teachers as Political Actors: From Reproductive Theory to the Crisis of Schooling

Critical theories of education, in focusing on the social reproductive function of school systems, often fail to emphasize the potential of teachers as agents of educational and social change. Dennis Carlson criticizes this tendency as he reviews and analyzes the treatment of teachers in influential forms of critical theory. In laying the basis for a view of teachers as an important force for transformative change in the schools, the author also reviews the historical development of teachers' professional and trade-union movements, locating them in a general analysis of U.S. work culture. He argues that since teachers are victims of the current system of public education, their collective interests as workers are more compatible with transformative than with merely reformist change.
Using the TBox to Optimise SPARQL Queries

We present an approach for using schema knowledge from the TBox to optimise the evaluation of SPARQL queries. The queries are evaluated over an OWL ontology using the OWL Direct Semantics entailment regime. For conjunctive instance queries, we proceed by transforming the query into an ABox. We then show how the TBox and this (small) query ABox can be used to build an equivalent query where the additional query atoms can be used for reducing the set of possible mappings for query variables. We also consider arbitrary SPARQL queries and show how the concept and role hierarchies can be used to prune the search space of possible answers based on the polarity of variable occurrences in the query.
ESC Guidelines on the management of cardiovascular diseases during pregnancy

Authors/Task Force Members Vera Regitz-Zagrosek (Chairperson) (Germany)*, Carina Blomstrom Lundqvist (Sweden), Claudio Borghi (Italy), Renata Cifkova (Czech Republic), Rafael Ferreira (Portugal), Jean-Michel Foidart† (Belgium), J. Simon R. Gibbs (UK), Christa Gohlke-Baerwolf (Germany), Bulent Gorenek (Turkey), Bernard Iung (France), Mike Kirby (UK), Angela H. E. M. Maas (The Netherlands), Joao Morais (Portugal), Petros Nihoyannopoulos (UK), Petronella G. Pieper (The Netherlands), Patrizia Presbitero (Italy), Jolien W. Roos-Hesselink (The Netherlands), Maria Schaufelberger (Sweden), Ute Seeland (Germany), Lucia Torracca (Italy).
Impact of Donor-to-Recipient Weight Ratio on Survival After Heart Transplantation: Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Database

Background— Generally accepted donor criteria for heart transplantation limit allografts from donors within approximately 20% to 30% of the recipient’s weight. We analyzed the impact of donor-to-recipient weight ratio on survival after heart transplantation. Methods and Results— Adult heart transplant recipients reported to the United Network for Organ Sharing from 1999 to 2007 were divided into 3 groups based on donor-to-recipient weight ratio: <0.8, 0.8 to 1.2, and >1.2. Kaplan–Meier methodology was used to estimate survival. Propensity-adjusted Cox regression modeling was used to analyze predictors of mortality. A total of 15 284 heart transplant recipients were analyzed; 2078 had weight ratio of <0.8, 9684 had 0.8 to 1.2, and 3522 had >1.2. Kaplan–Meier survival was not statistically different between groups at 5 years (P=0.26). Among patients with weight ratio <0.8, 5-year survival was lower for recipients with high pulmonary vascular resistance (>4 Woods units; P=0.02). Among recipients with high pulmonary vascular resistance, 5-year survival was similar for those with weight ratio 0.8 to 1.2 and >1.2 (P=0.44). Furthermore, male recipients with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance who received hearts from female donors had a significantly worse survival than males who received hearts from male donors (P=0.01). Propensity-adjusted multivariable analysis demonstrated that weight ratio <0.8 did not predict mortality (hazard ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.27; P=0.21). Five-year survival after propensity matching was not statistically different between those with weight ratio <0.8 versus ≥0.8 (P=0.37). Conclusions— Weight ratio did not predict mortality after heart transplantation. However, recipients with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance who received undersized hearts had poor survival. Furthermore, in the setting of high pulmonary vascular resistance, male recipients who received hearts from female donors had worse survival than those who received hearts from male donors. Extending donor criteria to include undersized hearts in select recipients should be considered.
Distinct role of PLCβ3 in VEGF-mediated directional migration and vascular sprouting

Endothelial cell proliferation and migration is essential to angiogenesis. Typically, proliferation and chemotaxis of endothelial cells is driven by growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). VEGF activates phospholipases (PLCs) – specifically PLCγ1 – that are important for tubulogenesis, differentiation and DNA synthesis. However, we show here that VEGF, specifically through VEGFR2, induces phosphorylation of two serine residues on PLCβ3, and this was confirmed in an ex vivo embryoid body model. Knockdown of PLCβ3 in HUVEC cells affects IP3 production, actin reorganization, migration and proliferation; whereas migration is inhibited, proliferation is enhanced. Our data suggest that enhanced proliferation is precipitated by an accelerated cell cycle, and decreased migration by an inability to activate CDC42. Given that PLCβ3 is typically known as an effector of heterotrimeric G-proteins, our data demonstrate a unique crosstalk between the G-protein and receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) axes and reveal a novel molecular mechanism of VEGF signaling and, thus, angiogenesis.
Neural Mechanisms of Verb Argument Structure Processing in Agrammatic Aphasic and Healthy Age-matched Listeners

Processing of lexical verbs involves automatic access to argument structure entries entailed within the verb's representation. Recent neuroimaging studies with young normal listeners suggest that this involves bilateral posterior peri-sylvian tissue, with graded activation in these regions on the basis of argument structure complexity. The aim of the present study was to examine the neural mechanisms of verb processing using fMRI in older normal volunteers and patients with stroke-induced agrammatic aphasia, a syndrome in which verb, as compared to noun, production often is selectively impaired, but verb comprehension in both on-line and off-line tasks is spared. Fourteen healthy listeners and five age-matched aphasic patients performed a lexical decision task, which examined verb processing by argument structure complexity, namely, one-argument [i.e., intransitive (v1)], two-argument [i.e., transitive (v2)], and three-argument (v3) verbs. Results for the age-matched listeners largely replicated those for younger participants studied by Thompson et al. [Thompson, C. K. , Bonakdarpour, B. , Fix, S. C. , Blumenfeld, H. K. , Parrish, T. B. , Gitelman, D. R. , et al. Neural correlates of verb argument structure processing. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 19, 1753–1767, 2007]: v3 − v1 comparisons showed activation of the angular gyrus in both hemispheres and this same heteromodal region was activated in the left hemisphere in the (v2 + v3) − v1 contrast. Similar results were derived for the agrammatic aphasic patients, however, activation was unilateral (in the right hemisphere for three participants) rather than bilateral, likely because these patients' lesions extended to the left temporo-parietal region. All performed the task with high accuracy and, despite differences in lesion site and extent, they recruited spared tissue in the same regions as healthy subjects. Consistent with psycholinguistic models of sentence processing, these findings indicate that the posterior language network is engaged for processing verb argument structure and is crucial for semantic integration of argument structure information.