Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors That Influence of Trabectome Surgery for Glaucoma Patients

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that influence the outcome of trabectome surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective nonrandomized study. Seventy-eight glaucoma patients (86 eyes) who underwent trabectome surgeries and were followed up for more than 12 months were included. We classified the subtypes of glaucoma as: primary open-angle glaucoma (23 eyes), pseudo-exfoliation glaucoma (58 eyes), and secondary glaucoma (5 eyes). Forty-seven eyes underwent cataract and trabectome surgeries simultaneously, and 39 underwent only trabectome surgery. We evaluated the possible influencing factors including age, sex, glaucoma index, preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), number of medications, visual field status, central corneal thickness, type of glaucoma and operation method (trabectome only or simultaneous cataract surgeries as well). Results: Trabectome surgeries significantly decreased the IOP from 23.0±6.7 to 12.5±3.0 mm Hg after 12 months (P<0.001). The success rate at 12 months was 73.3%. The results showed that a low preoperative IOP, thin central corneal thickness, prior non–selective laser trabeculoplasty history, and simultaneous cataract and trabectome surgeries were factors that contributed to the success rate. Conclusions: The success rate of trabectome surgery was higher for low-IOP glaucoma than high-IOP glaucoma. Trabectome could be a useful treatment for low-IOP glaucoma.
An Epistemic Approach to Compositional Reasoning about Anonymity and Privacy

In this paper, we present an epistemic logic approach to the compositionality of several privacy-related informationhiding/ disclosure properties. The properties considered here are anonymity, privacy, onymity, and identity. Our initial observation reveals that anonymity and privacy are not necessarily sequentially compositional; this means that even though a system comprising several sequential phases satisfies a certain unlinkability property in each phase, the entire system does not always enjoy a desired unlinkability property. We show that the compositionality can be guaranteed provided that the phases of the system satisfy what we call the independence assumptions. More specifically, we develop a series of theoretical case studies of what assumptions are sufficient to guarantee the sequential compositionality of various degrees of anonymity, privacy, onymity, and/or identity properties. Similar results for parallel composition are also discussed.
Chromosomal mapping of human armadillo genes belonging to the p120(ctn)/plakophilin subfamily.

Armadillo-like proteins are characterized by a series of armadillo repeats that are typically 42 to 45 amino acids in length. Three major subfamilies of Armadillo-like proteins can be distinguished on the basis of their number of repeats, their overall sequence similarity, and dispersion of the repeats throughout the protein. One of these is the p120(ctn)/plakophilin subfamily, which contains at least six members. We mapped the corresponding human genes by PCR on a monochromosomal cell hybrid mapping panel and by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The gene for plakophilin-1 (PKP1) was located at 1q32, the plakophilin-2 gene (PKP2) was located at 12p13, while the gene for p0071 was located at 2q23-q31. We confirmed the chromosomal localization of the p120(ctn) gene (CTNND1) at 11q11, the ARVCF gene at 22q11, and the delta-catenin/NPRAP gene (CTNND2) at 5p15. Although some of the Armadillo proteins are highly related to one another, the corresponding genes are dispersed throughout the human genome.
Regulation of pentraxin-3 by antioxidants

Background Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) may be a useful biomarker in sepsis, but its regulatory mechanisms are still unclear. Oxidative stress is well defined in patients with sepsis and has a role in regulation of inflammatory pathways which may include PTX3. We undertook an in vitro study of the effect of antioxidants on regulation of PTX3 in endothelial cells combined with a prospective observational pilot study of PTX3 in relation to markers of antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress in patients with sepsis. Methods Human endothelial cells were cultured with lipopolysaccharide 2 µg ml−1, peptidoglycan G 20 µg ml−1, tumour necrosis factor (TNF) α 10 ng ml−1, interleukin-1 (IL-1) β 20 ng ml−1, or killed Candida albicans yeast cells plus either N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 25 mM, trolox 100 mM, or idebenone 1 µM. Plasma samples were obtained from 15 patients with sepsis and 11 healthy volunteers. Results PTX3 levels in plasma were higher in patients with sepsis than in healthy people [26 (1–202) ng ml−1 compared with 6 (1–12) ng ml−1, P=0.01]. Antioxidant capacity was lower in patients with sepsis than healthy controls [0.99 (0.1–1.7) mM compared with 2.2 (1.3–3.3) mM, P=0.01]. In patients with sepsis, lipid hydroperoxide levels were 3.32 (0.3–10.6) nM and undetectable in controls. We found no relationship between PTX3 and antioxidant capacity or lipid hydroperoxides. Cell expression of PTX3 increased with all inflammatory stimulants but was highest in cells treated with TNFα plus IL-1β. PTX3 concentrations were lower in cells co-treated with antioxidants (all P<0.05), associated with lower nuclear factor κB expression for NAC and trolox (P<0.05). Conclusions PTX3 expression is down-regulated in vitro by antioxidants. Plasma levels of PTX3 are elevated in sepsis but seem to be unrelated to markers of oxidant stress or antioxidant capacity.
Protestant and Catholic: Is the Analogical Imagination Extinct?

The notion of the "Protestant Ethic" is reconceptualized to reflect theoretical expectations about the difference between the "Dialectical Imagination" and the "Analogical Imagination. " Protestants are expected to be individualist because of an imagination of society as "sinful and God-forsaken. " Catholics are expected to be communitarian because of an imagination of society as sacramental, that is, revelatory of God. The research question is whether the analogical/communitarian imagination can persist in a world of industrialization, modernization, urbanization, and homogenization. The issue was tested against data from seven nations (36 variables) with the null hypothesis that denominational background does not predict value orientation. The null hypothesis was rejected. A replication was attempted with a different data set from seven nations (36 variables) and the null hypothesis was again rejected. Further testing with data and 13 hypotheses from only the United States tested the null hypothesis that differences in religious imagery could not account for some of the variance between Protestants and Catholics on value measures. This null hypothesis was also rejected.
Patient Views and Attitudes to Physician’s Actions After Medical Errors in China

Objectives To explore Chinese patients’ views on physician disclosure actions after an adverse event and their acceptance of different types of apologies from the physician who caused the event. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2009, collecting 934 valid responses (52% response rate) from inpatients and families in 3 Chinese hospitals. Respondents’ views on and attitudes toward physician actions after a medical error were elicited as responses to 2 fictitious adverse events (vignettes) with different levels of outcome severity. Results Chinese patients were more skeptical of physician disclosure actions after a case with a severe outcome than with a mild outcome. Recent experiences of suffering due to medical errors deteriorated patients’ trust in physician disclosure actions. Chinese patients would prefer to receive a “full” apology, which included explicit words of apology and an undertaking of hospital responsibility. The results revealed the most effective apology, which was a full apology with the hospital’s promise of taking preventive actions, and the least effective apology, a so-called “partial” apology in which the physician merely expresses sympathy for the event. Patient refusal of a physician’s apology became stronger with an increase in the level of outcome—mild versus severe. Conclusions Chinese patients’ suspicion about health-care staff disclosure actions is rather strong. In addition, a large difference was identified in the level of patient acceptance between a physician’s “full” or “partial” apology. Therefore, it is suggested that Chinese hospitals should adopt an “open” policy, which should include a “sincere” apology to the patient who experienced a medical error to maintain mutual trusts between the staff and patients.
How Does Liquidity React to Stress Periods in a Limit Order Market?

This paper looks at the interplay of volatility and liquidity on the Euronext trading platform during the December 2, 2002 to April 30, 2003 time period. Using transaction and order book data for some large- and mid-cap Brussels-traded stocks on Euronext, we study the ex-ante liquidity vs volatility and ex-post liquidity vs volatility relationships to ascertain if the high volatility led to decreases in liquidity and large trading costs. We show that the provision of liquidity remains adequate when volatility increases, although we do find that it is more costly to trade and that the market dynamics is somewhat affected when volatility is high.
Dimeric peroxiredoxins are druggable targets in human Burkitt lymphoma

Burkitt lymphoma is a fast-growing tumor derived from germinal center B cells. It is mainly treated with aggressive chemotherapy, therefore novel therapeutic approaches are needed due to treatment toxicity and developing resistance. Disturbance of red-ox homeostasis has recently emerged as an efficient antitumor strategy. Peroxiredoxins (PRDXs) are thioredoxin-family antioxidant enzymes that scavenge cellular peroxides and contribute to red-ox homeostasis. PRDXs are robustly expressed in various malignancies and critically involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. To elucidate potential role of PRDXs in lymphoma, we studied their expression level in B cell-derived primary lymphoma cells as well as in cell lines. We found that PRDX1 and PRDX2 are upregulated in tumor B cells as compared with normal counterparts. Concomitant knockdown of PRDX1 and PRDX2 significantly attenuated the growth rate of lymphoma cells. Furthermore, in human Burkitt lymphoma cell lines, we isolated dimeric 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins as targets for SK053, a novel thiol-specific small-molecule peptidomimetic with antitumor activity. We observed that treatment of lymphoma cells with SK053 triggers formation of covalent PRDX dimers, accumulation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and AKT and leads to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Based on site-directed mutagenesis and modeling studies, we propose a mechanism of SK053-mediated PRDX crosslinking, involving double thioalkylation of active site cysteine residues. Altogether, our results suggest that peroxiredoxins are novel therapeutic targets in Burkitt lymphoma and provide the basis for new approaches to the treatment of this disease.
ROLE OF ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND‐GUIDED FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION (EUS‐FNA) FOR DIAGNOSIS OF SOLID PANCREATIC MASSES

Since it was developed in 1992, endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration (EUS‐FNA) has been widely used and has been adapted for gastrointestinal and perigastrointestinal lesions. A medical literature review to evaluate the role of EUS‐FNA for diagnosis of solid pancreatic masses showed a 78–95% sensitivity, 75–100% specificity, 98–100% positive predictive value, 46–80% negative predictive value and a 78–95% accuracy. The reported complication rates of EUS‐FNA for pancreatic solid masses were 0–2%, although the criteria for complications varied among the studies. Because of its high diagnostic yield and low complication rate, EUS‐FNA is cost‐effective and widely applicable for the diagnosis of solid pancreatic masses, and is the best initial and the preferred secondary method compared with other biopsy techniques, such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography‐guided biopsy, computed tomography/ultrasound‐FNA and surgery. Although EUS‐FNA is ‘a nearly perfected procedure,’ controversy remains, such as the most suitable diameter of the needle, the appropriate number of needle passes and the necessity of on‐site cytopathological evaluation. Recently investigators reported that using molecular analysis of EUS‐FNA samples can achieve a higher diagnostic efficacy. Further research is encouraged to optimize the EUS‐FNA procedure to reach its maximum diagnostic yield for solid pancreatic masses.
Family functioning in the families of psychiatric patients: a comparison with nonclinical families.

OBJECTIVE To examine family functioning in the families of psychiatric patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD Families of psychiatric patients and nonclinical families were compared. There were 60 families in each group. The instrument included a semistructured interview of family functioning and the Chulalongkorn Family Inventory (CFI), a self-report questionnaire designed to assess the perception of one's family. RESULTS From the assessment by semistructured interview, 83.3% of psychiatric families and 45.0% of nonclinical families were found to be dysfunctional in at least one dimension. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The average number of dysfunctional dimensions in the psychiatric families was significantly higher than in the nonclinical control group, 3.5 +/- 1.9 and 0.98 +/- 1.5 respectively, p < 0.0001. The CFI scores of the psychiatric families were significantly lower than the control group, reflecting poor family functioning. The dysfunctions were mostly in the following dimensions: problem-solving, communication, affective responsiveness, affective involvement, and behavior control. Psychiatric families faced more psychosocial stressors and the average number of stressors was higher than the control families, 88.3% vs. 56.7% and 4.2 +/- 2.7 vs. 1.3 +/- 1.47 stressors respectively, p < 0.0001. CONCLUSION Family functioning of psychiatric patients was less healthy than the nonclinical control. The present study underlined the significance of family assessment and family intervention in the comprehensive care of psychiatric patients.
Es muss zusammenkommen, was zusammengehört: Caritasarbeit im real existierenden Sozialismus in der ehemaligen DDR

In der ehemaligen DDR konnte die Katholische Kirche eine breite Caritasarbeit aufbauen, die weitgehend die Ressourcen der Gemeinden nutzte und damit eine enge Verbindung zu den Pfarrgemeinden hatte. Es waren nicht nur Hilfen auf Gemeindebasis moglich, sondern auch durch eine Vielzahl von Einrichtungen, wie Altenpflegeheime, Krankenhauser, Heime fur geistig Behinderte, Kindergarten und Erholungsheime. Diese wurden auch gern von Menschen angenommen, die nicht zur Kirche gehorten. Diese Arbeit konnte die Kirche eigenverantwortlich leisten ohne staatliche Steuerung. Viele finanzielle und fachliche Hilfen von der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz, dem Deutschen Caritasverband, dem Bonifatiuswerk der deutschen Katholiken und einzelnen Personen haben dieses Wirken entscheidend unterstutzt und ermoglicht. Als nach der Wiedererlangung der Einheit Deutschlands die Caritas der einzelnen ostdeutschen Jurisdiktionsbezirke wieder formell Mitglied im Deutschen Caritasverband werden konnten, vollendete sich ein langer gemeinsamer Weg, der durch die Politik schwierig, aber nicht unmoglich gemacht wurde.
The Impact of Social Types within Information Communities: Findings from Technical Newsgroups

We explored whether Fisher and Durrance’s [11] framework of information communities applies to online technical newsgroups and the impact of particular social types on information flow within digital economy. Data collection methods included content analysis of discussion threads from six technical newsgroups over an eighteen month period, along with focus groups, participant observation and interviews with key informants, and analysis of quantitative data obtained from Microsoft Research’s Netscan project. Findings support and expand the information communities framework. Four social types were identified: (1) members, (2) mentors, (3) managers and (4) moguls. Newsgroups facilitated social and information exchanges among individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and geographic locations as they posted and replied to messages publicly available for viewing. The interaction of the social types within the communities thus fostered information flow as people solicited, disseminated and exchanged information on varied topics.
Students' Satisfaction with Service Delivery in Federal Universities in South-South Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria.

The study was designed to investigate the level of students’ satisfaction with service delivery in federal universities in South-south geopolitical zone of Nigeria in terms of educational, library, security, medical, transport, hostel, and ICT services. Survey design was used to carry out the study, the hypothesis was formulated and literature reviewed. Using the stratified random sampling technique 1,700 students out of a population of 70,808 formed the study’s sample. They were Years One, Two, Three and Four regular undergraduate students of the 2008/2009 to 2011/2012 academic years in federal universities in south-south Nigeria. Data collected for this study were obtained through a face-validated Students’ Satisfaction with Service Delivery Questionnaire (SSSDQ) which had a test-retest reliability estimate of 0.83. The instrument was administered to the 1,700 respondents, but only 1,450 copies were properly filled and used to assess students’ satisfaction with the delivery of the highlighted services in their universities. Data collected were analyzed using both descriptive statistics and a single-mean population t-test. The findings of the study showed that students’ satisfaction with educational, security, and medical services was significantly high; while students’ satisfaction with library, hostel, transport, and ICT services was not significantly high. Based on the findings, various staff and facilities that contributed to effective service delivery to students were to be made available, adequate and be quality-imbued in universities. Key words: Students, staff, service delivery, educational, library, hostel, transport, medical security, ICT services.
A Dynamical System Model of Microgenetic Changes in Performance, Efficacy, Strategy Use and Value during Vocabulary Learning

This paper describes the development of a dynamical systems model of self-regulated learning, which explains the practically and theoretically important dynamic relationships among three student-engagement constructs and performance during learning. This work mined data from computerized adaptive flashcard learning to create this dynamical systems model. This flashcard practice included pop-up survey questions on the student’s experience of recent easiness, strategy use, and usefulness, in addition to the correctness performance data for the practice. Using this dynamical systems model, we were then able to simulate various user profiles to predict how they would experience the flashcard system. These simulations show how strategy use in this task is crucial because of the ways it influences performance, particularly over time. In the model, this result is shown by a bifurcation into two different regions for higher and lower strategy use, where the higher strategy-use equilibrium state is accompanied by performance predictions suggesting learning that is more efficient.
Influence of Physicochemical Properties of Rice Flour on Oil Uptake of Tempura Frying Batter

The physicochemical properties of rice flour and wheat flour influenced the oil uptake of tempura frying batter. Rice flour was better than wheat flour in the overall quality and crispness of the fried tempura batter. Rice flour resisted oil absorption more than wheat flour, and a higher level of apparent starch amylose and higher consistency/breakdown ratio of the pasting properties led to a lower oil uptake of the batter. Super hard EM10 rice showed the highest apparent amylose content and higher consistency/breakdown ratio than the other flour samples, the batter from EM10 revealing the lowest oil content after frying among all the batters examined. The apparent amylose content, consistency/breakdown ratio and oil absorption index are proposed as useful guides for oil absorption when frying from among the physicochemical properties that influence the oil content of fried batter. Our proposal for the “oil absorption index” could be a simple, although not perfect method for estimating the oil content of batter flour.
Arabidopsis thaliana

In higher plants, shoots show negative gravitropism and roots show positive gravitropism. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of root and hypocotyl gravitropism, we segregated the second mutation from the original phyB1 mutant line which impaired both root and hypocotyl gravitropism and characterized this novel mutation named rhg (for root and /zypocotyl gravitropism). The rhg is a single recessive nuclear mutation and it is mapped on the lower part of the chromosome 1. Analyses on the gravitropic responses of the rhg mutant indicate that root and hypocotyl gravitropism are severely impaired but inflorescence stem gravitropism is not affected by the rhg mutation. In the rhg mutant seedlings, amyloplasts (statoliths for gravity-perception) were present in the presumptive statocytes of roots and hypocotyls. Phototropism by roots and hypocotyls was not impaired in the rhg mutant. These results suggest that the RHG gene product probably acts on the gravityperception and/or the gravity-signal transduction in root and hypocotyl gravitropism. This is the first report about the genetic locus specifically involved in both root and hypocotyl gravitropism but not inflorescence stem gravitropism, supporting our hypothesis that the mechanisms of gravitropism are genetically different between hypocotyls and inflorescence stems.
Facilitation of parental-strain marrow engraftment by T cells of neonatally-tolerant mice.

T cells present in bone marrow cell (BMC) grafts promote engraftment in histoincompatible hosts, but they or other T cells may also initiate lethal graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD). The purpose of this study was to determine whether T cells from donors tolerant of host alloantigens were able to prevent natural killer (NK) cell-mediated rejection of BMC grafts without causing GVHD. Previous studies have shown that H2d C.B-17 SCID BMC grafts were rejected by (BALB/c x B6)F1 (CB6F1,H2d/b) host NK cells, and that this rejection was reversed by adding H2d T cells to the donor inoculum. T cells tolerant of H2d/b alloantigens were produced by irradiating (3 Gy) BALB/c newborn mice, and infusing CB6F1 BMCs. Tolerance was assessed by donor (H2b+) cell chimerism, acceptance of CB6F1 skin grafts, the inability of adoptively transferred lymphocytes to initiate GVHD in irradiated CB6F1 mice, and the inability of spleen or thymus cells to generate cytolytic T lymphocytes against H2b target cells in vitro. Whole or H2-Kb-depleted BMCs isolated from tolerant donors were able to proliferate in both BALB/c and H2b/d (C57BL/6 x DBA/2)F1 hosts as determined by incorporation of a radiolabelled DNA precursor in the spleen. Furthermore, thymocytes from tolerant donors were able to prevent rejection of H2d SCID BMCs. Because the percentage of donor F1 cells was so high in these chimeras, we generated BALB/c to CB6F1 SCID BMC chimeras; the percentage of BALB/c cells was approximately 100%, the BMCs grew well in irradiated CB6F1 hosts, and their lymph node cells failed to cause a graft-vs.-host (GVH) reaction in CB6F1 hosts. Thus, GVHD may be prevented without inhibiting the ability of donor T cells to promote engraftment. Perhaps separate T cells, or separate functions of a common T cell subset, induce GVHD and enhance engraftment of stem cells.