Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pathogenetic mechanisms of upper aerodigestive tract cancer in alcoholics

Chronic excessive alcohol consumption is the strongest risk factor for upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancer (oral cavity, pharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, esophagus). 1 In addition, alcohol also increases the risk for cancer of the liver, colorectum and breast.1 A great number of epidemiological studies have demonstrated a correlation between alcohol ingestion and the occurrence of cancer in these organs.1–9 These studies clearly show that the ingestion of all types of alcoholic beverages is associated with an increased cancer risk that suggests that ethanol itself is the crucial compound that causes that effect. The exact mechanism(s) of ethanol-associated carcinogenesis has remained obscure because ethanol by itself when given to animals is not carcinogenic.10 Multiple mechanisms are involved in alcohol-associated cancer development of the UADT including the effect of acetaldehyde (AA), the first metabolite of ethanol oxidation, induction of cytochrome P-4502E1 (CYP2E1) leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enhanced procarcinogen activation, modulation of cellular regeneration and nutritional deficiencies. In our minireview, major emphasis is laid on more recent developments including genetic aspects of ethanol metabolism, bacterial alcohol oxidation and nutritional deficiencies.
Macroeconomic Conditions and the Puzzles of Credit Spreads and Capital Structure

I build a dynamic capital structure model that demonstrates how business-cycle variations in expected growth rates, economic uncertainty, and risk premia influence firms' financing and default policies. Countercyclical fluctuations in risk prices, default probabilities, and default losses arise endogenously through firms' responses to the macroeconomic conditions. These comovements generate large credit risk premia for investment grade firms, which helps address the "credit spread puzzle" and "under-leverage puzzle" in a unified framework. The model generates interesting dynamics for financing and defaults, including "credit contagion" and market timing of debt issuance. It also provides a novel procedure to estimate state-dependent default losses.
A family cluster of infections by a newly recognized bunyavirus in eastern China, 2007: further evidence of person-to-person transmission.

BACKGROUND Seven persons in one family living in eastern China developed fever and thrombocytopenia during May 2007, but the initial investigation failed to identify an infectious etiology. In December 2009, a novel bunyavirus (designated severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus [SFTSV]) was identified as the cause of illness in patients with similar clinical manifestations in China. We reexamined this family cluster for SFTSV infection. METHODS We analyzed epidemiological and clinical data for the index patient and 6 secondary patients. We tested stored blood specimens from the 6 secondary patients using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), viral culture, genetic sequencing, micro-neutralization assay (MNA), and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). RESULTS An 80-year-old woman with fever, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia died on 27 April 2007. Between 3 and 7 May 2007, another 6 patients from her family were admitted to a local county hospital with fever and other similar symptoms. Serum specimens collected in 2007 from these 6 patients were positive for SFTS viral RNA through RT-PCR and for antibody to SFTSV through MNA and IFA. SFTSV was isolated from 1 preserved serum specimen. The only shared characteristic between secondary patients was personal contact with the index patient; none reported exposure to suspected animals or vectors. CONCLUSIONS Clinical and laboratory evidence confirmed that the patients of fever and thrombocytopenia occurring in a family cluster in eastern China in 2007 were caused by a newly recognized bunyavirus, SFTSV. Epidemiological investigation strongly suggests that infection of secondary patients was transmitted to family members by personal contact.
Constitutive activation of delayed‐rectifier potassium channels by a Src family tyrosine kinase in Schwann cells

In the nervous system, Src family tyrosine kinases are thought to be involved in cell growth, migration, differentiation, apoptosis, as well as in myelination and synaptic plasticity. Emerging evidence indicates that K+ channels are crucial targets of Src tyrosine kinases. However, most of the data accumulated so far refer to heterologous expression, and native K+‐channel substrates of Src or Fyn in neurons and glia remain to be elucidated. The present study shows that a Src family tyrosine kinase constitutively activates delayed‐rectifier K+ channels (IK) in mouse Schwann cells (SCs). IK currents are markedly downregulated upon exposure of cells to the tyrosine kinase inhibitors herbimycin A and genistein, while a potent upregulation of IK is observed when recombinant Fyn kinase is introduced through the patch pipette. The Kv1.5 and Kv2.1 K+‐channel α subunits are constitutively tyrosine phosphorylated and physically associate with Fyn both in cultured SCs and in the sciatic nerve in vivo. Kv2.1‐ channel subunits are found to interact with the Fyn SH2 domain. Inhibition of Schwann cell proliferation by herbimycin A and by K+‐channel blockers suggests that the functional linkage between Src tyrosine kinases and IK channels could be important for Schwann cell proliferation and the onset of myelination.
SEEDS — Strategic explorations of exoplanets and disks with the Subaru Telescope —

The first convincing detection of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun, or exoplanets, was made in 1995. In only 20 years, the number of the exoplanets including promising candidates has already accumulated to more than 5000. Most of the exoplanets discovered so far are detected by indirect methods because the direct imaging of exoplanets needs to overcome the extreme contrast between the bright central star and the faint planets. Using the large Subaru 8.2-m Telescope, a new high-contrast imager, HiCIAO, and second-generation adaptive optics (AO188), the most ambitious high-contrast direct imaging survey to date for giant planets and planet-forming disks has been conducted, the SEEDS project. In this review, we describe the aims and results of the SEEDS project for exoplanet/disk science. The completeness and uniformity of this systematic survey mean that the resulting data set will dominate this field of research for many years.
Pedagogical Praxis: The Professions as Models for Postindustrial Education

In this article, I propose a theory of pedagogical praxis. Pedagogical praxis begins with the premise that under the right conditions, computers and other information technologies can make it easier for students to become active participants in meaningful projects and practices in the life of their community and suggests that professional practices such as architecture, mediation, and journalism can provide constructive models for helping students learn from such experiences. In this vision, new technology reinvigorates Dewey's (1915) idea of linking school with society. Technology builds a bridge that allows young people to participate in the learning practices of professionals; in the process, they develop epistemological frameworks that organize the skills, habits, and understandings they need to thrive in a complex, postindustrial society. Although further work needs to be done to explore the processes through which such learning can take place, studies suggest that this perspective may be a productive avenue for continuing research. This article presents an overview of the theories and methods that inform such work.
Short-term group fission processes in macaques: a social networking approach

SUMMARY Living in groups necessarily involves a certain amount of within-group competition for food. Group members may have different motivations, implying the reaching of a consensus to stay cohesive. In some cases individuals fail to reach a common decision and the group splits; this can be temporary, as seen in fission–fusion dynamics, or even irreversible. Most studies on fission–fusion dynamics published to date have focused on the influence of environmental constraints on sub-grouping patterns, but little is known about how social relationships affect individual choices for sub-groups. In this study, we used an agent-based model to understand the mechanisms underlying group fission in two semi-free-ranging groups of macaques: one group of Tonkean macaques (Macaca tonkeana) and one of rhesus macaques (M. mulatta). The results showed that sub-grouping patterns were mainly influenced by affiliative relationships. Moreover, the species-specific social style appeared to affect the probability of choosing a particular sub-group. In the tolerant Tonkean macaques, mechanisms underlying sub-grouping patterns resembled anonymous mimetism, while in the nepotistic rhesus macaques, kinship influenced the mechanisms underlying group fissions. As previous studies have shown, fission–fusion society may be a way to avoid social conflicts induced either by food or by social competition.
Development of a Failure Model for the Adhesively Bonded Tubular Single Lap Joint

Abstract The accurate calculation of the stresses and torque capacities of adhesively bonded joints is not possible without understanding the failure phenomena of the adhesive joints and the nonlinear behavior of the adhesive. In this paper, an adhesive failure model of the adhesively bonded tubular single lap joint with steel-steel adherends was proposed to predict the torque capacity accurately. The model incorporated the nonlinear behavior of the adhesive and the different failure modes in which the adhesive failure mode changed from bulk shear failure, via transient failure, to interfacial failure between the adhesive and the adherend, according to the magnitudes of the residual thermally-induced stresses from fabrication.
The Mutual Influence of Gaze and Head Orientation in the Analysis of Social Attention Direction

Three experiments are reported that investigate the hypothesis that head orientation and gaze direction interact in the processing of another individual's direction of social attention. A Stroop-type interference paradigm was adopted, in which gaze and head cues were placed into conflict. In separate blocks of trials, participants were asked to make speeded keypress responses contingent on either the direction of gaze, or the orientation of the head displayed in a digitized photograph of a male face. In Experiments 1 and 2, head and gaze cues showed symmetrical interference effects. Compared with congruent arrangements, incongruent head cues slowed responses to gaze cues, and incongruent gaze cues slowed responses to head cues, suggesting that head and gaze are mutually influential in the analysis of social attention direction. This mutuality was also evident in a cross-modal version of the task (Experiment 3) where participants responded to spoken directional words whilst ignoring the head/gaze images. It is argued that these interference effects arise from the independent influences of gaze and head orientation on decisions concerning social attention direction.
Improved low-density parity-check codes using irregular graphs and belief propagation

We construct new families of low-density parity-check codes, which we call irregular codes. When decoded using belief propagation, our codes can correct more errors than previously known low-density codes. Our improved performance comes from using codes based on irregular random bipartite graphs, based on the work of Luby et al. (1997). Previously studied low-density codes have been derived from regular bipartite graphs. Initial experimental results for our irregular codes suggest that, with improvements, irregular codes may be able to match turbo code performance.
Long-term Results of Intraoperative Electron Beam Irradiation (IOERT) for Patients With Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer

Summary Background Data:To analyze the effects of a treatment program of intraoperative electron beam radiation therapy (IOERT) and external beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy on the outcome of patients with unresectable or locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods:From 1978 to 2001, 150 patients with unresectable and nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer received IOERT combined with external beam radiation therapy and 5-fluorouracil–based chemotherapy for definitive treatment. Results:The 1-, 2-, and 3-year actuarial survival rates of all 150 patients were 54%, 15%, and 7%, respectively. Median and mean survival rates were 13 and 17 months, respectively. Long-term survival has been observed in 8 patients. Five patients have survived beyond 5 years and 3 more between 3 and 4 years. There was a statistically significant correlation of survival to the diameter of treatment applicator (a surrogate for tumor size) used during IOERT. For 26 patients treated with a small-diameter applicator (5 cm or 6 cm), the 2- and 3-year actuarial survival rates were 27% and 17%, respectively. In contrast, none of the 11 patients treated with a 9-cm-diameter applicator survived beyond 18 months. Intermediate survival rates were seen for patients treated with a 7- or 8-cm-diameter applicator. Operative mortality was 0.6%, and postoperative and late complications were 20% and 15%, respectively. Conclusions:A treatment strategy employing IOERT has resulted in long-term survival in 8 of 150 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. Survival benefit was limited to patients with small tumors. Enrollment of selected patients with small tumors into innovative protocols employing this treatment approach is appropriate.
A Metaheuristic Approach to the Graceful Labeling Problem of Graphs

In this paper, an algorithm based on ant colony optimization metaheuristic is proposed for finding solutions to the well-known graceful labeling problem of graphs. Despite the large number of papers published on the theory of this problem, there are few particular techniques introduced by researchers for gracefully labeling graphs. The proposed algorithm is applied to many classes of graphs, and the results obtained have proven satisfactory when compared to those of the existing methods in the literature
Gastrin Stimulates Cyclooxygenase-2 Expression in Intestinal Epithelial Cells through Multiple Signaling Pathways

Gastrin is a hormone produced by G-cells in the normal gastric antrum. However, colorectal carcinoma cells may aberrantly produce gastrin and exhibit increased expression of cholecystokinin B (CCK-B)/gastrin receptors. Gastrin is trophic for the normal gastric oxyntic mucosa and exerts a growth-promoting action on gastrointestinal malignancy. Thus, gastrin may act as an autocrine/paracrine or endocrine factor in the initiation and progression of colorectal carcinoma. The molecular mechanisms involved have not been elucidated. Hypergastrinemia induced byHelicobacter pylori infection is associated with increased cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in gastric and colorectal tissues, suggesting the possibility that gastrin up-regulates COX-2 expression in these tissues; this has not been confirmed. We report here that gastrin significantly increases the expression of COX-2 mRNA and protein, the activity of the COX-2 promoter, and the release of prostaglandin E2 from a rat intestinal epithelial cell line transfected with the CCK-B receptor. These actions were dependent upon the activation of multiple MAPK signal pathways, including ERK5 kinase; transactivation of the epidermal growth factor receptor; and the increased expression and activities of transcription factors ELK-1, activating transcription factor-2, c-Fos, c-Jun, activator protein-1, and myocyte enhancer factor-2. Thus, our findings identify the signaling pathways coupling the CCK-B receptor with up-regulation of COX-2 expression. This effect may contribute to this hormone-dependent gastrointestinal carcinogenesis, especially in the colon.
Bearings-only tracking with fusion from heterogenous passive sensors: ESM/EO and acoustic

The performance of the conventional bearings-only tracking (BOT) from a single passive sensor largely depends on the sensor platform maneuvers. This paper presents a new BOT approach based on fusion from two heterogenous bearings-only sensors residing on the same moving or stationary platform. The two sensors are an ESM/EO with negligible propagation delay and an acoustic sensor with significant propagation delay. Since target range information is contained in the acoustic propagation delay, the problem is therefore observable even when the platform is stationary. An out-of-sequence measurement fusion from the acoustic and ESM/EO sensors (OOSM-AE) is developed to estimate the target trajectory. It consists of an unscented Kalman filter (UKF) to handle in-sequence ESM/EO measurements and an OOSM unscented Gauss-Helmert filter (OOSM-UGHF) to handle out-of-sequence acoustic measurements. Simulation tests are conducted to demonstrate the performance of this new BOT approach.
Ultrastructural Localization of a Voltage‐gated K+ Channel a Subunit (Kv1.2) in the Rat Cerebellum

A highly specific monoclonal antibody and pre‐embedding immunocytochemistry were employed to examine the distribution of the K+ channel a subunit Kv1.2 in the rat cerebellum. At the light microscopic level, the heaviest immunoreactivity was seen in the basket cell pinceau at the base of Purkinje cells, with lighter staining of basket and Golgi cell bodies and a punctate pattern in the granule cell and molecular layers. Electron microscopy was performed to identify the ultrastructural location of Kv1.2 α subunit in these labelled structures. This revealed that the labelling of the pinceau was confined to the preterminal axonal plexus, the area immediately around the Purkinje axon initial segment being relatively devoid of staining. Basket cell parent axons were not immunostained, but gave rise to heavily stained fine processes. Immunoreactivity was also seen in myelinated axons in the granule cell layer and in the medial cerebellar nucleus, the staining being most concentrated at the juxtaparanodal regions of the axons. An unusual pattern of staining was seen in some mossy fibre terminals, with staining restricted to fine protuberances of mossy fibre glomeruli. Structures contacted by these protuberances included adjoining glial processes. Immunostaining was absent from Purkinje cell bodies, dendrites, their axon initial segments and their terminals in the medial cerebellar nucleus. In this study, the a subunit Kv1.2 was localized to a number of different cell types in the cerebellum. Each neuronal type displays a distinct subcellular distribution of the subunit.
Improving Acute Stress Responses

Contrary to lay beliefs, physiological changes that co-occur with stress are not necessarily bad. Much can be done during stressful experiences to promote adaptive responses. In this article, we review recent research on one method for improving acute stress responses: reappraising arousal. A growing body of research suggests that cognitive appraisals are powerful tools that help shift negative stress states to more positive ones. Arousal reappraisal instructs individuals to think of stress arousal as a tool that helps maximize performance. By reframing the meaning of the physiological signals that accompany stress, arousal reappraisal breaks the link between negative affective experiences and malignant physiological responses. We demonstrate how this approach can benefit physiological reactivity, attention, and performance and explore its potential applications.
Risk Adjustment of Medicare Capitation Payments Using the CMS-HCC Model

This article describes the CMS hierarchical condition categories (HCC) model implemented in 2004 to adjust Medicare capitation payments to private health care plans for the health expenditure risk of their enrollees. We explain the model's principles, elements, organization, calibration, and performance. Modifications to reduce plan data reporting burden and adaptations for disabled, institutionalized, newly enrolled, and secondary-payer subpopulations are discussed.
Wegner estimate and level repulsion for Wigner random matrices

We consider $N\times N$ Hermitian random matrices with independent identically distributed entries (Wigner matrices). The matrices are normalized so that the average spacing between consecutive eigenvalues is of order $1/N$. Under suitable assumptions on the distribution of the single matrix element, we first prove that, away from the spectral edges, the empirical density of eigenvalues concentrates around the Wigner semicircle law on energy scales $\eta \gg N^{-1}$. This result establishes the semicircle law on the optimal scale and it removes a logarithmic factor from our previous result \cite{ESY2}. We then show a Wegner estimate, i.e. that the averaged density of states is bounded. Finally, we prove that the eigenvalues of a Wigner matrix repel each other, in agreement with the universality conjecture.
Akt-Mediated Survival of Oligodendrocytes Induced by Neuregulins

Neuregulins have been implicated in a number of events in cells in the oligodendrocyte lineage, including enhanced survival, mitosis, migration, and differentiation. At least two signaling pathways have been shown to be involved in neuregulin signaling: the phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3 kinase and the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. In the present studies, we examined the signaling pathway involved in the survival function of heregulin, focusing on heregulin-induced changes in Akt activity in cultured glial cells, and the consequences of Akt activation in cells in the oligodendrocyte lineage. Heregulin binds erbB receptors, and in our studies, primary cultures of both oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and differentiating oligodendrocytes expressed erbB2, erbB3, and erbB4 receptors. In C6 glioma cells and primary cultures of oligodendrocytes, heregulin induced time- and dose-dependent Akt phosphorylation at Ser473 in a wortmannin-sensitive manner. To investigate further the signaling pathway for heregulin in glial cells, BAD was overexpressed in C6 glioma cells. In these cells, heregulin induced phosphorylation of BAD at Ser136. Apoptosis of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells induced by growth factor deprivation was effectively blocked by heregulin in a wortmannin-sensitive manner. Overexpression of dominant negative Akt but not of wild-type Akt by adenoviral gene transfer in primary cultures of both oligodendrocytes and their progenitors induced significant apoptosis through activation of the caspase cascade. The present data suggest that the survival function of heregulin is mediated through the PI-3 kinase/Akt pathway in cells in the oligodendrocyte lineage and that the Akt pathway may be quite important for survival of cells in this lineage.
A theoretical model on thermal hysteresis activity of type III antifreeze protein

According to the properties of type III antifreeze protein (AFPIII) within the interfacial region of ice and water, the theoretical model of the large ligands binding on one-dimensional homogeneous lattice have been extended to two-dimensional lattice-like surface(ice surface). By using of this two-dimensional model, the fractions of the ice crystal surface covered by two type AFPIII variants that have different ice-binding face are calculated respectively. The thermal hysteresis activities of these proteins are obtained. The theoretical results are agreement with the reported experimental data.