Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
End-to-End Versus End-to-Side Esophagogastrostomy After Esophageal Cancer Resection: A Prospective Randomized Study

Objective: To compare single-layered hand-sewn cervical end-to-side (ETS) anastomosis with end-to-end (ETE) anastomosis in a prospective randomized fashion. Background: The preferred organ used for reconstruction after esophagectomy for cancer is the stomach. Previous studies attempted to define the optimal site of anastomosis and anastomotic techniques. However, anastomotic stricture formation and leakage still remain an important clinical problem. Methods: From May 2005 to September 2007, 128 patients (64 in each group) were randomized between ETE and ETS anastomosis after esophagectomy for cancer with gastric tube reconstruction. Routine contrast swallow studies and endoscopy were performed. Anastomotic stricture within 1 year, requiring dilatation, was the primary endpoint. Secondary endpoints were anastomotic leak rate and mortality. Results: Ninety-nine men and 29 women underwent esophagectomy and gastric tube reconstruction. Benign stenosis of the anastomosis, for which dilatation was required, occurred more often in the ETE group (40% vs. ETS 18%, P < 0.01) after 1 year of follow-up. The overall (clinical and radiological) anastomotic leak rate was lower in the ETE group (22% vs. ETS 41%, P = 0.04). Patients with an ETE anastomosis suffered less often from pneumonia; 17% versus ETS 44%, P = 0.002 and had subsequently significantly shorter in-hospital stay (15 days vs. 22 days, P = 0.02). In-hospital mortality did not differ between both groups. Conclusion: ETS anastomosis is associated with a lower anastomotic stricture rate, compared to ETE anastomosis. However, prevention of stricture formation was at high costs with increased anastomotic leakage and longer in-hospital stay. This study is registered with the Dutch Trial Registry and carries the ID number OND1317772.
Climatic evolution across oceanic anoxic event 1a derived from terrestrial palynology and clay minerals (Maestrat Basin, Spain)

Abstract Studies dealing with the response of the continental biosphere to the environmental perturbations associated with Cretaceous oceanic anoxic events (OAEs) are comparatively rare. Here, a quantitative spore-pollen record combined with clay mineral data is presented, which covers the entire early Aptian OAE 1a interval (Forcall Formation, Maestrat basin, east Spain). The well-expressed OAE 1a carbon-isotope anomaly is paralleled by changes in the clay mineral assemblage and by a stepwise decline in the normalized frequency of Classopollis pollen (produced by xerophytic Cheirolepidiaceae) with lowest contents occurring during the positive δ13C shift. In contrast, Araucariacites and Inaperturopollenites pollen show a pronounced increase in relative abundance from low background values to become a significant component of the palynological assemblage during the Classopollis minimum. The observed changes in clay minerals and pollen distribution patterns are interpreted to reflect a major change in the composition of the hinterland vegetation of the Maestrat Basin, most probably due to short-lived but pronounced climatic cooling and changes in humidity. Temperature anomalies driven by organic carbon burial and associated CO2 decline have been postulated for all major Mesozoic OAEs. The palynomorph record from the Iberian Maestrat basins indicates that the climax of this cooling episode was significantly delayed in comparison to the end of organic carbon-rich deposition in the world oceans.
THE CYTOTOXIC EFFECT OF MOUSE MACROPHAGES ON SYNGENEIC AND ALLOGENEIC ERYTHROCYTES

A cytotoxic effect of mouse peritoneal macrophages against syngeneic and allogeneic erythrocytes was demonstrated by isotope release and release of hemoglobin. The cytotoxic effect was dependent on the contact between viable, activated macrophages and target cells. Activation was accomplished by prolonged cultivation of macrophages and by the presence of Zn++ and Con-A. Immunization did not prove necessary. Morphological observations as well as experiments with various salt concentrations indicate that the cytotoxic reaction may involve some kind of osmotic effect upon the target cells.
Genome-Wide Profiling of Yeast DNA:RNA Hybrid Prone Sites with DRIP-Chip

DNA:RNA hybrid formation is emerging as a significant cause of genome instability in biological systems ranging from bacteria to mammals. Here we describe the genome-wide distribution of DNA:RNA hybrid prone loci in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by DNA:RNA immunoprecipitation (DRIP) followed by hybridization on tiling microarray. These profiles show that DNA:RNA hybrids preferentially accumulated at rDNA, Ty1 and Ty2 transposons, telomeric repeat regions and a subset of open reading frames (ORFs). The latter are generally highly transcribed and have high GC content. Interestingly, significant DNA:RNA hybrid enrichment was also detected at genes associated with antisense transcripts. The expression of antisense-associated genes was also significantly altered upon overexpression of RNase H, which degrades the RNA in hybrids. Finally, we uncover mutant-specific differences in the DRIP profiles of a Sen1 helicase mutant, RNase H deletion mutant and Hpr1 THO complex mutant compared to wild type, suggesting different roles for these proteins in DNA:RNA hybrid biology. Our profiles of DNA:RNA hybrid prone loci provide a resource for understanding the properties of hybrid-forming regions in vivo, extend our knowledge of hybrid-mitigating enzymes, and contribute to models of antisense-mediated gene regulation. A summary of this paper was presented at the 26th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology, August 2013.
How Do Organizations Learn Lessons From Projects—And Do They?

The need to learn from one project to the next is clearly of vital importance, but is often neglected. Furthermore, there are fundamental issues within projects that inhibit such learning, such as the temporary nature of project organizations and the fundamental complexity of projects. This paper surveys the diverse literature that can help explain these factors and help projects to learn, and describes a large survey of project managers to look at what actual practice is and how successful it is perceived, as well as some empirical work. From this, a number of general conclusions are drawn as to how to create project organizations that are learning organizations.
Arabidopsis CAND1, an Unmodified CUL1-Interacting Protein, Is Involved in Multiple Developmental Pathways Controlled by Ubiquitin/Proteasome-Mediated Protein Degradation

Ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated protein degradation controls various developmental pathways in eukaryotes. Cullin-containing complexes are both versatile and abundant groups of RING family ubiquitin E3 ligases, whose activities are subject to control by RUB/Nedd8 (for related to ubiquitin/neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally downregulated 8) modification of their cullin subunits. Here, we report the identification of an Arabidopsis thaliana counterpart of human CAND1 (cullin-associated and neddylation-dissociated) and demonstrate that it can preferentially interact with unmodified CUL1. The Arabidopsis cand1-1 null mutant displays distinct phenotypes, including late flowering, aerial rosettes, floral organ defects, low fertility, dwarfism, loss of apical dominance, and altered responses to multiple plant hormones. Molecular analyses show that many of these defects are because of compromised activity of CUL1-containing ubiquitin E3 ligases, indicating that CAND1 is required for their optimal activity. Furthermore, the cand1-1 mutant displays a partial constitutive photomorphogenic phenotype and has defects in HY5 degradation in the absence of light, a process mediated by a different RING family E3, COP1. Thus, our data provides genetic support for a critical role of CAND1 in regulating various ubiquitin E3 ligases and their targeted cellular and developmental pathways.
The Impact of Pathogen-Disgust Sensitivity on Vaccine and GM Food Risk Perceptions: Some Evidence for Skepticism

Recently scholars and popular commentators have suggested that disgust plays an important role in generating conflict over the risks of both GM foods and universal-childhood vaccinations. This paper presents evidence that calls that conclusion into doubt. Results from a large, diverse sample of U.S. adults corroborate that that anxiety over GM foods and over vaccines correlates with the standard pathogen disgust scale (PDS). But so do a multitude of perceived risks that are not plausibly related to disgust — including fear of flying in commercial airliners, worry about elevator crashes in high-rise buildings, and distress over children drowning in swimming pools. Indeed, these correlations tend to be larger than the ones between PDS and vaccine-risk perceptions and at least as large as the ones between PDS and GM-food-risk perceptions. Because what PDS tells us about disgust-driven fears is confounded with the scale’s sensitivity to a generalized fear of all manner of risks, it is difficult to draw any confident inferences about what drives the modest correlations between PDS and GM-food and vaccine risk perceptions.
Association between PDCD1 Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Three Main Ethnic Groups of the Malaysian Population

The programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1) gene encodes for the PD-1 (programmed death 1) molecule, which negatively regulates self-reactive T- and B-cells in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance. A previous report had shown the development of lupus-like phenotypes in PD-1-deficient C57BL/6 mice, was suggestive to the role of PDCD1 in predisposing to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Hence, we aimed to investigate the association between PDCD1 and SLE susceptibility in the Malaysian population. A TaqMan-based real-time PCR was employed to screen for PD1.1, PD1.3, PD1.5 and PD1.6 in both SLE and healthy control groups of 200 samples each. The observed frequency for PD1.5C/C genotype was significantly higher in Indian SLE patients and Malay controls (p < 0.01). On the other hand, the PD1.5C/T genotype might predispose the Malays to SLE, but confer a protective effect among the Indians (p < 0.01). The PD1.1, PD1.3 and PD1.6 were, however, not correlated to genetic predisposition of SLE in our Malaysian population. In conclusion, PD1.5 variant was significantly associated to SLE susceptibility in our Malaysian cohort. Our failure in replicating the association between other investigated PDCD1 variants and risk of getting SLE might due to ethnic and geographic variations in the distribution of these genetic variants.
Patients’ and Psychiatrists’ Perceptions of Clinical Decisions During Schizophrenia Treatment

Shared decision making is advocated for patients with schizophrenia. However, there is limited knowledge as to which events are actually considered to be decisions by psychiatrists and patients. Semistructured interviews with regard to clinical decisions of the preceding week were performed with psychiatrists and inpatients with schizophrenia. There was good correspondence between patients and psychiatrists regarding decisional topics but poor correspondence regarding individual decisions. Medication issues were the most prominent, but other topics were also frequently cited. Not being included in decisions was associated with patients’ desire to make the decisions differently. Patients treated involuntarily felt more often that they were not included in decisions and wanted to make different decisions. Thus, many patients do not feel involved in treatment decisions and are at the risk of noncompliance since they state that they would have made decisions differently from their psychiatrists. This is especially true of those being treated involuntarily.
Surface charge modification decreases Pseudomonas aeruginosa adherence in vitro and bacterial persistence in an in vivo implant model

Chronic, persistent infections complicate otologic procedures utilizing implantable devices such as cochlear implants or tympanostomy tubes. These infections are thought to be due to the establishment of microbial biofilms on implant surfaces. To address this issue, we hypothesized that surface charge modification may inhibit the formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on implant surfaces in vitro and in vivo.
Induction of drug‐metabolizing enzymes in human pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer have both been linked with occupational exposure to organic chemicals. These chemicals are known to be metabolized within the liver by the cytochrome P‐450 family of enzymes, and indeed are able to induce levels of these enzymes as evidence of their interaction. The purpose of this study was therefore to see if these enzyme systems were altered in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Immunocytochemistry of four phase I drug‐metabolizing enzymes (cytoxhromes P‐450 IIIA1, P‐450IIE, P‐450 IA2, and NADPH cytochrome P‐450 oxido‐reductase) and one phase II enzyme [glutathione S‐transferase (GST) 5‐5] was therefore performed on pancreas and/or liver biopsy samples from organ donors and compared with patients with chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer. In samples from donor subjects, the types and levels of drug‐metabolizing enzymes in hepatocytes were similar to those seen in pancreatic acinar cells. In material from patients with chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer, cytochrome P‐450 enzyme levels were greater in both the liver and the pancreas than those seen in the donor group, while GST levels were unchanged. Islets of Langerhans showed high levels of P‐450 IA2 in the donor group, with clear induction of P‐450 IIIA1 and NADPH cytochrome P‐450 oxidoreductase in patients with chronic pancreatitis but not in the pancreatic cancer group. Levels of GST 5‐5 were also induced in the islets. The present findings raise the possibility of an aetiological relationship between elevated levels of drug‐metabolizing enzymes and the subsequent development of disease.
Agency in Action: Entrepreneurs' Networking Style and Initiation of Economic Exchange

This multimethod study investigates the effects of entrepreneurs' interpersonal networking style on the initiation of interorganizational exchange ties. I use inductive theorizing to make a distinction between interpersonal networking actions aimed at adding new contacts (network-broadening actions) versus managing existing contacts (network-deepening actions). I reason that because networking actions alter the cost-benefit calculus of using referrals, the extent to which entrepreneurs rely on referrals when searching for new exchange partners should vary with their networking actions. I then propose that entrepreneurs are likely to add fewer new exchange partners when they rely more on referrals to search. The empirical analysis employs a longitudinal design using data coded from the business cards of new contacts formed over a two-month period by a panel of Indian entrepreneurs operating business-to-business ventures. This study makes a theoretical contribution by identifying decision makers' networking style as a distinct mechanism shaping partner selection for their organization. Specifically, the study shows entrepreneurs using more network-deepening actions initiate fewer new economic exchanges, due (in part) to their increased reliance on referral-based search, whereas entrepreneurs using more network-broadening actions initiate more new economic exchanges due (in part) to their decreased reliance on referral-based search.
S100 protein CP‐10 stimulates myeloid cell chemotaxis without activation

Leukocyte recruitment to inflammatory foci is generally associated with cellular activation. Recent evidence suggests that chemotactic agents can be divided into two classes, “classical chemoattractants” such as FMLP, C5a, and IL‐8, which stimulate directed migration and activation events and “pure chemoattractants” such as TGF‐β1 which influence actin polymerisation and movement but not oxidative burst and associated granular enzyme release. The studies reported here demonstrate that the murine S100 chemoattractant protein, CP‐10, belongs to the “non‐classical” group. Despite its potent chemotactic activity for neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages, CP‐10 failed to increase [Ca2+]i in human or mouse PMN, although chemotaxis was inhibited by pertussis toxin, confirming the suggestion of a novel Ca2+‐independent G‐protein‐coupled pathway for post‐receptor signal transduction triggered by “pure chemoattractants. ” The co‐ordinated up‐regulation of Mac‐1 and down‐regulation of L‐selectin induced by FMLP on human PMN in vitro was not observed with CP‐10. Quantitative changes in immediate (30 s) actin polymerisation occurred with FMLP and CP‐10‐treated human PMN. The relative F‐actin increases induced in WEHI 265 monocytoid cells by FMLP and CP‐10 was optimal at 60 s and declined over 120 s. F‐actin changes reflected the concentration and potencies of the agonists required to provoke chemotaxis. After 90 min, CP‐10 profoundly altered cell shape and increased both cell size and F‐actin within pseudopodia. These changes are typical of those mediating leukocyte deformability, and CP‐10 may mediate leukocyte retention within microcapillaries and thereby contribute to the initiation of inflammation in vascular beds. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Randomized controlled trial of a dementia care programme for families of home-resided older people with dementia.

AIM This paper reports a study to examine the effectiveness of a 6-month dementia care programme for Chinese families living with and caring for a relative with dementia, compared with routine family support services in Hong Kong. BACKGROUND Recognizing the adverse psychosocial health effects inherent in dementia care, different psychosocial interventions provided preliminary evidence of their effectiveness in improving family members' knowledge and skills in caregiving and delaying dementia sufferers' illness deterioration and institutionalization. Little is known about the effects of such interventions for family caregivers' psychosocial health conditions, particularly in non-Western populations. METHODS A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 92 Chinese families of a relative with dementia in two dementia care centres in Hong Kong. They were randomly selected from a dementia client list and then randomly assigned to receive either the dementia family care programme (n=46), or routine care only (n=46). Clients' symptoms and institutionalization, and caregivers' quality of life, burden and social support at recruitment, 1 week, and 12 and 18 months following intervention were measured and compared between the study groups using repeated measures MANOVAS followed by Helmert's contrast tests. Data was collected over a period of 24 months, between September 2007 and August 2009. RESULTS Results of the MANOVAS and contrast tests indicated that at 18-month follow-up, participants in the family programme reported significantly greater improvements in clients' symptoms and institutionalization rates, and caregivers' quality of life and burden, when compared with their counterparts in the routine care group. CONCLUSION These findings provide evidence that the dementia care family programme can improve the psychosocial functioning of both clients with dementia and their family caregivers in a Chinese population. Further research is recommended to investigate whether this intervention can also apply to families with different socio-economic backgrounds and across cultures.
Collection tree protocol

This paper presents and evaluates two principles for wireless routing protocols. The first is datapath validation: data traffic quickly discovers and fixes routing inconsistencies. The second is adaptive beaconing: extending the Trickle algorithm to routing control traffic reduces route repair latency and sends fewer beacons. We evaluate datapath validation and adaptive beaconing in CTP Noe, a sensor network tree collection protocol. We use 12 different testbeds ranging in size from 20--310 nodes, comprising seven platforms, and six different link layers, on both interference-free and interference-prone channels. In all cases, CTP Noe delivers > 90% of packets. Many experiments achieve 99.9%. Compared to standard beaconing, CTP Noe sends 73% fewer beacons while reducing topology repair latency by 99.8%. Finally, when using low-power link layers, CTP Noe has duty cycles of 3% while supporting aggregate loads of 30 packets/minute.
Poliovirus Sabin type 1 neutralization epitopes recognized by immunoglobulin A monoclonal antibodies

Immunity to poliomyelitis is largely dependent on humoral neutralizing antibodies, both after natural (wild virus or vaccine) infection and after inactivated poliovirus vaccine inoculation. Although the production of local secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibody in the gut mucosa may play a major role in protection, most of information about the antigenic determinants involved in neutralization of polioviruses derives from studies conducted with humoral monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) generated from parenterally immunized mice. To investigate the specificity of the mucosal immune response to the virus, we have produced a library of IgA MAbs directed at Sabin type 1 poliovirus by oral immunization of mice with live virus in combination with cholera toxin. The epitopes recognized by 13 neutralizing MAbs were characterized by generating neutralization-escape virus mutants. Cross-neutralization analysis of viral mutants with MAbs allowed these epitopes to be divided into four groups of reactivity. To determine the epitope specificity of MAbs, virus variants were sequenced and the mutations responsible for resistance to the antibodies were located. Eight neutralizing MAbs were found to be directed at neutralization site N-AgIII in capsid protein VP3; four more MAbs recognized site N-AgII in VP1 or VP2. One IgA MAb selected a virus variant which presented a unique mutation at amino acid 138 in VP2, not previously described. This site appears to be partially related with site N-AgII and is located in a loop region facing the VP2 N-Ag-II loop around residue 164. Only 2 of 13 MAbs proved able to neutralize the wild-type Mahoney strain of poliovirus. The IgA antibodies studied were found to be produced in the dimeric form needed for recognition by the polyimmunoglobulin receptor mediating secretory antibody transport at the mucosal level.