Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mutual amplification of HNF4α and IL-1R1 composes an inflammatory circuit in Helicobacter pylori associated gastric carcinogenesis

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) is an environmental inducer of gastritis and gastric cancer (GC). The immune response to Hp and the associated changes in somatic gene expression are key determinants governing the transition from gastritis to GC. We show that hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) is upregulated by Hp infection via NF-κB signaling and that its protein and mRNA levels are elevated in GC. HNF4α in turn stimulates expression of interleukin-1 receptor 1(IL-1R1), which amplifies the inflammatory response evoked by its ligand IL-1β. IL-1β/IL-1R1 activates NF-κB signaling, thereby increasing HNF4α expression and forming a feedback loop that sustains activation of the NF-κB pathway and drives the inflammation towards GC. Examination of clinical samples revealed that HNF4α and IL-1R1 levels increase with increasing severity of Hp-induced gastritis and reach their highest levels in GC. Co-expression of HNF4α and IL-1R1 was a crucial indicator of malignant transformation from gastritis to GC, and was associated with a poorer prognosis in GC patients. Disruption of the HNF4α/IL-1R1/IL-1β/NF-κB circuit during Hp infection maybe an effective means of preventing the associated GC.
Psychological therapy in primary care: work in progress

This paper considers the benefits to the mental health of patients of the provision of psychological services in primary care. I describe by means of context, the development of such a service over the last 7 years. In the following section I discuss the question of who is 'the patient' who gets referred and who can benefit from psychological treatment in a primary care setting. More specifically I consider the spectrum of psychopathology of patients who are referred in primary care for psychological help and in relation to this question I discuss what would constitute a meaningful clinical intervention. In the last section, I look at the question of what needs to be in place for a successful psychological service in a primary care setting. I argue that, while benefits for mild to moderate psychological problems have been documented by research findings, clinical scrutiny of the interventions in primary care suggest that this is not necessarily the case when it comes to patients with more severe psychological problems. I further argue that there are still important issues to be considered and researched and structures to be put into place before we can safeguard the clinical effectiveness of psychological interventions in primary care.
Modelling Visual Neglect: Computational Insights into Conscious Perception

Background Visual neglect is an attentional deficit typically resulting from parietal cortex lesion and sometimes frontal lesion. Patients fail to attend to objects and events in the visual hemifield contralateral to their lesion during visual search. Methodology/Principal Finding The aim of this work was to examine the effects of parietal and frontal lesion in an existing computational model of visual attention and search and simulate visual search behaviour under lesion conditions. We find that unilateral parietal lesion in this model leads to symptoms of visual neglect in simulated search scan paths, including an inhibition of return (IOR) deficit, while frontal lesion leads to milder neglect and to more severe deficits in IOR and perseveration in the scan path. During simulations of search under unilateral parietal lesion, the model's extrastriate ventral stream area exhibits lower activity for stimuli in the neglected hemifield compared to that for stimuli in the normally perceived hemifield. This could represent a computational correlate of differences observed in neuroimaging for unconscious versus conscious perception following parietal lesion. Conclusions/Significance Our results lead to the prediction, supported by effective connectivity evidence, that connections between the dorsal and ventral visual streams may be an important factor in the explanation of perceptual deficits in parietal lesion patients and of conscious perception in general.
The potential role of PDGF, IGF-1, TGF-beta expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE To identify the role of cytokines involved in the development of lung fibrosis in patients with idiopathic-pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). METHODS Proteins and gene expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-A and -B, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) were measured in alveolar macrophages and open lung biopsies from patients with IPF using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH). RESULTS In specimens of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), PDGF-A, PDGF-B, IGF-1, TGF-beta were localized in alveolar macrophages. Evaluation of open lung biopsies from patients with IPF showed that IGF-1 was prominently present in pulmonary vessel walls in fibrotic lesions. PDGF and TGF-beta proteins were localized to hyperplastic bronchio-alveolar epithelial cells, alveolar macrophages, fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Our in situ hybridization results were consistent with that of immunohistochemistry except that PDGF-A and TGF-beta mRNA transcripts were not detected in bronchoalveolar epithelial cells. CONCLUSION These observations suggest that (1) alveolar macrophages play key roles not only in inflammation but also in the fibrotic process by releasing PDGF, IGF-1 and TGF-beta; (2) IGF-1 could be responsible for angiogenesis in IPF; (3) PDGF, TGF-beta are associated with fibroplasia and the deposition of extracellular matrix, as well as vessel remodeling and epithelial cell repopularization.
Effects of low-dose prenatal irradiation in humans: analysis of Chicago lying-in data and comparison with other studies.

A prospective long-term follow-up study of about 1000 firstborn children exposed in utero to diagnostic pelvimetry examinations, along with suitable controls, was carried out. In other studies, x-ray examinations were always prompted by some medical indication; in the present study, the examinations were obtained on a routine basis. Data on all significant illnesses and hospitalizations were collected and analyzed, and no conclusive evidence of a radiation effect was found. A statistically significant discrepancy exists between the results of the present study and that of Diamond and Lilienfeld regarding the death rate from all causes for white children exposed to diagnostic x-rays in utero. Discrepancies also exist between the results of earlier studies of in utero or preconception exposure to diagnostic x-rays on the one hand, and atomic bomb radiation on the other hand, with regard to the rate of incidence of leukemia or other forms of cancer, Down's syndrome, the sex ratio of offspring, and the death rate from all causes. This suggests the possibility that the various reported effects of prenatal exposure to diagnostic x-rays might have been due not to the exposure, but rather to the result of biasing factors introduced by the selection of irradiated subjects onmore » the basis of medical indication. (auth)« less
Language and content in the modern foreign languages degree: a students' perspective

This paper reports on a small-scale qualitative study of students' experience of their Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) degrees with particular regard to the relationship between language and content learning. It is framed by the identification in the recent Worton Report on MFL studies in UK higher education and elsewhere of a dualism between language and culture in MFL degrees, which is reflected in the structure of the curriculum, its delivery and staffing. While this study reports the views of only a small number of students in one university, it adds to our understanding of how students' expectations on entering the degree programme (mainly being that they will improve their linguistic competence) are linked to their experience of the degree and their evaluation of what they have gained from it. Their weak appreciation of connections between language form, language use and moments of culture (whether textual, cognitive or in the form of cultural practices) and intercultural communication, and of other beneficial outcomes of a modern languages degree, appears to be associated with a curriculum that does not promote an integration of language and content. To this extent the dualism identified in the literature appears to be associated with a negative aspect of these students' experience. Some suggestions are made for what could be done to manage the separation between language and cultural content.
Shear Bond Strength of Porcelain to a Base-Metal Compared to Zirconia Core

Statement of Problem: Recent clinical results for Zirconia all-ceramic restorations have revealed that the fracture rate 6-15% of the Zirconia framework is so low and the core of Zirconia has high stability. However, chipping-off fractures of porcelain are the most common reason for failures of Zirconia in the fixed partial dentures. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the shear bond strength (SBS) of porcelain in the porcelain fused to metal and all-ceramic crowns with Zirconia core. Materials and Methods: Two groups were selected: porcelain fused to metal (PFM) and porcelain fused to Zirconia (PFZ) (n = 30). In the PFM group, a wax model (10 × 10 × 10mm)was used to cast metal base (Ni_Cr alloy). In the PFZ group, an acrylic cubic model (10 × 10 × 10mm) was made as Zirconia model for scanning.15 cubic Zirconia samples were milled by CAD-CAM. The procedure of porcelain veneering was conducted by the conventional layering technique up to 2 mm thickness (2.5 × 2.5 × 2 mm). All specimens were stored in water for 48 hrs. Thermal cycling was conducted for 20000 cycles between 55°C and 5ºC alternatively for 30s.All samples were mounted in acrylic resin and the SBS test was performed, using a universal testing machine. The analysis of data was performed at a significance level of 0.05 using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Mann-Whitney U-test. Results: Mean of SBS in PFM and PFZ was 24.57 and 20.88, respectively. The results of Mann-Whitney test showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups of porcelain fused to metal and Zirconia in item shear bond strength (p = 0.455). Conclusions: There was no significant difference between the two groups of PFM and PFZ in the item SBS.
Animal-Assisted Therapy and Rogers’ Core Components Among Middle School Students Receiving Counseling Services: A Descriptive Study

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is an effective counseling method, yet the reasons for this effectiveness are not well understood. It has been theorized but not empirically verified that AAT participants view therapy animals as possessing Carl Rogers’s core counselor characteristics (Friesen, 2010; Parish-Plass, 2008). This study examined the degree to which 312 middle school students in Grades 4 through 8 rated an AAT dog on Rogers’s core counselor characteristics using the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory (1962). The findings show that the AAT dog was rated highly on the 3 Rogerian traits level of regard, empathy, and congruence.
Relation between Development of Cardiovascular Disease and the C242T CYBA Polymorphism of the NADPH Oxidase in ESRD Patients

Background: The development of cardiovascular disease in ESRD patients is considered to be associated with oxidative stress. NAD(P)H oxidase has attracted attention as mechanisms of generating oxidative stress. We investigated the relation between the genotype of the C242T CYBA polymorphism of the NADPH oxidase and the development of cardiovascular disease in ESRD patients. Methods: A total of 289 ESRD patients were recruited and allocated to one of the two groups: patients without cardiovascular disease (group N; n=192) and patients developing cardiovascular disease (group D; n=97). The C242T CYBA polymorphism was determined by RFLP-PCR methods. Results: The frequency of the C242T CT+TT genotype was significantly lower in group D than in group N (9.1 vs. 20.2%). In multiple Logistic regression analysis, systolic blood pressure, smoking history and this gene polymorphism were shown to be independent variables for the development of cardiovascular disease in ESRD patients. Conclusions: These results suggest that assessment of the C242T CYBA polymorphism of the NADPH oxidase may be useful in identifying the risk for developing cardiovascular disease in ESRD patients.
Dexmedetomidine-Induced Sedation in Volunteers Decreases Regional and Global Cerebral Blood Flow

Dexmedetomidine is a selective &agr;2-agonist approved for sedation of critically ill patients. There is little information on the effects of dexmedetomidine on cerebral blood flow (CBF) or intracranial hemodynamics, despite considerable other pharmacodynamic data. We hypothesized that therapeutic doses of dexmedetomidine would decrease CBF. Therefore, nine supine volunteers, aged 24–48 yr, were infused with a 1 &mgr;g/kg IV loading dose of dexmedetomidine, followed by an infusion of 0.2 &mgr;g · kg−1 · h−1 (LOW DEX) and 0.6 &mgr;g · kg−1 · h−1 (HIGH DEX). Hemodynamic and CBF (via positron emission tomography) measurements were determined at each experimental time point. Dexmedetomidine decreased both cardiac output and heart rate during and 30 min after drug administration. Blood pressure decreased from 12% to 16% during and after the dexmedetomidine administration. Global CBF was decreased significantly from baseline (91 mL · 100 g−1 · min−1 [95% confidence interval, 72–114] to 64 mL · 100 g−1 · min−1 [51–81] LOW DEX and 61 mL · 100 g−1 · min−1 [48–76] HIGH DEX). This decrease in CBF remained constant for at least 30 min after the dexmedetomidine infusion was discontinued, despite the plasma dexmedetomidine concentration decreasing 40% during this same time period (628 pg/mL [524–732] to 380 pg/mL [253–507]).
Coccidioidomycosis: a reemerging infectious disease.

Coccidioides immitis, the primary pathogenic fungus that causes coccidioidomycosis, is most commonly found in the deserts of the southwestern United States and Central and South America. During the early 1990s, the incidence of coccidioidomycosis in California increased dramatically. Even though most infections are subclinical or self-limited, the outbreak is estimated to have cost more than $66 million in direct medical expenses and time lost from work in Kern County, California, alone. In addition to the financial loss, this pathogen causes serious and life-threatening disseminated infections, especially among the immunosuppressed, including AIDS patients. This article discusses factors that may be responsible for the increased incidence of coccidioidomycosis (e.g., climatic and demographic changes and the clinical problems of coccidioidomycosis in the immunocompromised) and new approaches to therapy and prevention.
Sixteen-Session Group Treatment for Children and Adolescents With Parental Alienation and Their Parents

This study reports the findings of a 16-session parallel group therapy program for 22 children with parental alienation and their parents. The children's level of anxiety and depression decreased significantly following the therapeutic intervention. Families who had participated in the treatment protocol were found to have improved practical parameters of parental collaboration 12 months following the completion of treatment than a control group of families with parental alienation treated with standard community treatment. Parental object relation scores were negatively correlated with children's level of anxiety and depression at pretreatment and with the decrease in anxiety and depression level along the treatment.
CFS Working Paper No . 2004 / 17 Legality and Venture Governance Around the World

We analyze governance with a dataset on investments of venture capitalists in 3848 portfolio firms in 39 countries from North and South America, Europe and Asia spanning 1971-2003. We find that cross-country differences in Legality have a significant impact on the governance structure of investments in the VC industry: better laws facilitate faster deal screening and deal origination, a higher probability of syndication and a lower probability of potentially harmful co-investment, and facilitate board representation of the investor. We also show better laws reduce the probability that the investor requires periodic cash flows prior to exit, which is in conjunction with an increased probability of investment in high-tech companies. JEL Classification: G24, G31, G32
Acute Pain on and off the Battlefield: What We Do, What We Know, and Future Directions

Although acute pain medicine has undergone a rapid evolution in recent conflicts, past conflicts have provided the foundation on which these developments have occurred. The philosophy of battlefield pain control has been limited throughout our history primarily due to the lack of appreciation that pain itself represents a disease process with intricate pathological processes in the periphery, spinal, and supraspinal levels. It was not until recent conflicts that the ‘‘pain as a disease’’ philosophy has been integrated into U.S. military medicine’s approach to battlefield pain control. From the Revolutionary War until the present, opioid-based analgesia has dominated battlefield pain management. With the introduction of morphine for pain during the Civil War, many soldiers developed opioid dependence in the setting of poorly managed battlefield pain that was termed, ‘‘Soldier’s Disease. ’’ The first population-based studies on battlefield pain were not conducted until World War II. These studies were in reaction to a growing number of soldiers suffering from opioid overdose received for pain that resulted in death in many cases. Interestingly, little research on pain issues in wounded soldiers has been conducted since. Notwithstanding the paucity of evidence, opioids have remained the cornerstone of battlefield pain management.
Basic Human Values in the Swiss Population and in a Sample of Farmers

Basic human values were investigated in Swiss farmers. The main objective was to take a first step toward elucidating the structure and profile of basic human values in farmers. Data from the first three rounds (2002, 2004, 2006) of the European Social Survey were used. Value orientations were assessed with Shalom H. Schwartz’s 21-item Portrait Values Questionnaire (2003b). The value orientations of the farmers (n = 125) were compared with those of the general Swiss population (n = 5,055) in terms of structure. In addition, the farmers’ scores in four higher-order value types were compared with those of the general population, managers of small enterprises (n = 103), and production and operations managers (n = 155). The structure of Schwartz’s four higher-order value types were replicated in the Swiss population as well as in the farmer sample. The farmers showed the highest score in conservation, followed by self-transcendence, self-enhancement, and lastly, openness to change. Their value profile differe.
Diversity and productivity of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes in biogeochemically distinct regions of the South East Pacific Ocean

Picophytoplankton, including photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPE) and unicellular cyanobacteria, are important contributors to plankton biomass and primary productivity. In this study, phytoplankton composition and rates of carbon fixation were examined across a large trophic gradient in the South East Pacific Ocean (SEP) using a suite of approaches: photosynthetic pigments, rates of 14C‐primary productivity, and phylogenetic analyses of partial 18S rRNA genes PCR amplified and sequenced from flow cytometrically sorted cells. While phytoplankton >10 μm (diatoms and dinoflagellates) were prevalent in the upwelling region off the Chilean coast, picophytoplankton consistently accounted for 55–92% of the total chlorophyll a inventories and >60% of 14C‐primary productivity throughout the sampling region. Estimates of rates of 14C‐primary productivity derived from flow cytometric sorting of radiolabeled cells revealed that the contributions of PPE and Prochlorococcus to euphotic zone depth‐integrated picoplankton productivity were nearly equivalent (ranging 36–57%) along the transect, with PPE comprising a larger share of picoplankton productivity than cyanobacteria in the well‐lit (>15% surface irradiance) region compared with in the lower regions (1–7% surface irradiance) of the euphotic zone. 18S rRNA gene sequence analyses revealed the taxonomic identities of PPE; e.g., Mamiellophyceae (Ostreococcus) were the dominant PPE in the upwelling‐influenced waters, while members of the Chrysophyceae, Prymnesiophyceae, Pelagophyceae, and Prasinophyceae Clades VII and IX flourished in the oligotrophic South Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Our results suggest that, despite low numerical abundance in comparison to cyanobacteria, diverse members of PPE are significant contributors to carbon cycling across biogeochemically distinct regions of the SEP.
Trust in the Internet as an experience technology

Trust in the Internet and related information and communication technologies – ‘cybertrust’ – could be critical to the successful development of ‘e-services’, such as e-government, e-commerce, e-learning and democratic participation in the rapidly expanding online public sphere. This paper explores trust in cyberspace based on an analysis of data from an Oxford Internet Survey conducted by the Oxford Internet Institute using a multi-stage, national probability sample in Great Britain. The paper highlights various perspectives on the meaning of trust and draws on findings from the Oxford Internet Survey to explore and refine key social determinants of cybertrust. Evidence from this research provides fresh insights into the factors shaping trust in the Internet, arguing that cybertrust, defined as a confident expectation, is influenced by experience, defined operationally by several indicators of proximity to the Internet, in ways shaped by educational background. The potential for using these results to better understand the role of trust on Internet use is addressed, as well as the more indirect implications for reinforcing digital divides.
METABOLISM OF MOMETASONE FUROATE AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF THE METABOLITES

To better evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the new inhaled glucocorticoid mometasone furoate (MF), the metabolism of MF was evaluated in rat and human tissues and in rat after i.v. administration. Metabolic studies with 3H-MF in human and rat plasma and S9 fractions of human and rat lung showed relatively high stability and a degradation pattern similar to that seen in buffer systems. MF was efficiently metabolized into at least five metabolites in S9 fractions of both rat and human liver. There were, however, quantitative differences in the metabolites between the two species. The apparent half-life of MF in the S9 fraction of human liver was found to be 3 times greater compared with that in rat. MET1, the most polar metabolite, was the major metabolite in rat liver fractions, whereas both MET1 and MET2 were formed to an equal extent in human liver. Metabolism and distribution studies in rats after intravenous and intratracheal administration of [1,2-3H]MF revealed that most of the radioactivity (∼90%) was present in the stomach, intestines, and intestinal contents, suggesting biliary excretion of MF and its metabolites. Radiochromatography showed that most radioactivity was associated with MET1, MET2, and MET 3. Fractionation of the high-performance liquid chromatography eluate (MET1-5) revealed that only MF [relative binding affinity (RBA) 2900] and MET2 (RBA 700) had appreciable glucocorticoid receptor binding affinity. These results suggest that MF undergoes distinct extrahepatic metabolism but generates active metabolites that might be in part responsible for the systemic side effects of MF.