Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thyroid Nodules, Polymorphic Variants in DNA Repair and RET-Related Genes, and Interaction with Ionizing Radiation Exposure from Nuclear Tests in Kazakhstan

Abstract Sigurdson, A. J., Land, C. E. , Bhatti, P., Pineda, M. , Brenner, A. , Carr, Z. , Gusev, B. I. , Zhumadilov, Z. , Simon, S. L. , Bouville, A. , Rutter, J. L. , Ron, E. and Struewing, J. P. Thyroid Nodules, Polymorphic Variants in DNA Repair and RET-Related Genes, and Interaction with Ionizing Radiation Exposure from Nuclear Tests in Kazakhstan. Radiat. Res. 171, 77–88 (2009). Risk factors for thyroid cancer remain largely unknown except for ionizing radiation exposure during childhood and a history of benign thyroid nodules. Because thyroid nodules are more common than thyroid cancers and are associated with thyroid cancer risk, we evaluated several polymorphisms potentially relevant to thyroid tumors and assessed interaction with ionizing radiation exposure to the thyroid gland. Thyroid nodules were detected in 1998 by ultrasound screening of 2997 persons who lived near the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in Kazakhstan when they were children (1949–1962). Cases with thyroid nodules (n = 907) were frequency matched (1:1) to those without nodules by ethnicity (Kazakh or Russian), gender and age at screening. Thyroid gland radiation doses were estimated from fallout deposition patterns, residence history and diet. We analyzed 23 polymorphisms in 13 genes and assessed interaction with ionizing radiation exposure using likelihood ratio tests (LRT). Elevated thyroid nodule risks were associated with the minor alleles of RET S836S (rs1800862, P = 0.03) and GFRA1 −193C>G (rs not assigned, P = 0.05) and decreased risk with XRCC1 R194W (rs1799782, P trend = 0.03) and TGFB1 T263I (rs1800472, P = 0.009). Similar patterns of association were observed for a small number of papillary thyroid cancers (n = 25). Ionizing radiation exposure to the thyroid gland was associated with significantly increased risk of thyroid nodules (age and gender adjusted excess odds ratio/Gy = 0.30, 95% CI 0.05–0.56), with evidence for interaction by genotype found for XRCC1 R194W (LRT P value = 0.02). Polymorphisms in RET signaling, DNA repair and proliferation genes may be related to risk of thyroid nodules, consistent with some previous reports on thyroid cancer. Borderline support for gene-radiation interaction was found for a variant in XRCC1, a key base excision repair protein. Other pathways such as genes in double-strand break repair, apoptosis and genes related to proliferation should also be pursued.
Gene Silencing of CD47 and Antibody Ligation of Thrombospondin-1 Enhance Ischemic Tissue Survival in a Porcine Model: Implications for Human Disease

Background:Insufficient tissue perfusion underlies many acute and chronic diseases. Tissue perfusion in turn requires adequate blood flow, determined in large part by the relative state of relaxation or constriction of arterial vessels. Nitric oxide (NO) produced by vascular cells modulates blood flow and tissue perfusion by relaxing and dilating arteries. Recently, we reported that the secreted protein thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), through its cell surface receptor CD47, limits the ability of NO to relax and dilate blood vessels and thus decreases tissue perfusion. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that blocking TSP1-CD47 signaling increases ischemic tissue survival in random cutaneous porcine flaps. Methods:Random cutaneous flaps 2 × 10 cm2 were raised in white hairless Yucatan miniature pigs and were treated with a monoclonal antibody to TSP1, an antisense morpholino oligonucleotide to CD47 or control agents and tissue survival assessed. Primary vascular smooth muscle cell cultured from Yucatan pigs were also treated with the same agents ± and an NO donor (DEA/NO) and cGMP quantified. Results:Antibody blockade of TSP1 or morpholino suppression of CD47 dramatically enhanced survival of random tissue flaps. These responses correlated with increased blood vessel patency and tissue blood flow on vessel injection studies. NO-stimulated cGMP flux in Yucatan vascular smooth muscle cell was abrogated after antibody or morpholino treatment. Conclusion:Antibody ligation of TSP1 or antisense morpholino knock down of CD47 greatly increased tissue survival to ischemia. Given the similarity between porcine and human soft tissues these results suggest significant therapeutic potential for people.
Discrepancies in parental and self-appraisals of prosocial characteristics predict emotional problems in adolescents.

OBJECTIVES Parental appraisals of an adolescent may have an effect upon the adolescent's well-being and likelihood of emotional problems. However, the impact of these parental appraisals is likely to be partly determined by the young person's self-appraisal. It was predicted that a discrepancy in self- and parent appraisals of positive, prosocial qualities would be associated with an increased risk of emotional problems. DESIGN The study employed a cross-sectional design within a large sample of adolescent and caregiver dyads (N = 3,976, aged 11-17 years), drawn from the 'Mental health of children and young people in Great Britain, 2004' survey. METHOD Two separate measures of prosociality were used to ensure that effects were not specific to one measure. The analysis explored the discrepancy in parent and self-ratings on these measures via interactions within a logistic regression framework. Potential confounds, including gender, parental mental health, conduct and hyperkinetic problems were controlled for in the analysis. RESULTS The logistic regression analyses demonstrated significant interactions between self- and parent ratings of prosocial qualities in predicting the odds of emotional disorder (i.e., depression and anxiety). This effect occurred across both measures of prosocial qualities whilst controlling for confounds. The pattern of the interactions suggested that low parental appraisals had a more detrimental effect on well-being when self-appraisals were highly positive. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that moderately high self-appraised positive traits may carry a cost of leaving young people more vulnerable to discrepant, negative parental appraisals. This has important implications for the meaning attributed to self-appraised positive traits in clinical contexts. PRACTITIONER POINTS Clinicians should be aware that the association between parental perceptions of a child's prosociality and emotional disorder may be influenced by the adolescents' self-perceptions. Clinicians should therefore endeavour to assess both parental and adolescent appraisals. Discrepancies may be clinically meaningful, in terms of the risk of emotional problems, rather than simply being a nuisance. This study is cross-sectional, so although discrepancies may be linked to risk of emotional problems, the direction of this effect requires elucidation. The current study only focusses on the parent-adolescent dynamic and so may not extend to discrepancy effects in other areas of positive functioning or in other relational contexts.
The Transformation of Ownership Policy and Structure in Sweden: Convergence towards the Anglo-Saxon Model?

We investigate the dramatic transformation of ownership policies and ownership structure in Sweden during the postwar period. After WWII, Swedish ownership policies were guided by a socialist vision where the ultimate goal was abolition of private ownership. These policies came to an end in the early 1980s. Since then a large number of Swedish firms have been acquired by foreign owners or merged with foreign firms and the foreign ownership share on the Swedish Stock Exchange has increased rapidly. A central question is whether this fast transformation is merely a logical consequence of current globalization, or whether this tendency has been rein­forced by economic policies vis-a-vis the business sector in Sweden. We show that until the late 1980s, Swedish economic policy – aimed at discouraging private wealth accumulation and favor­ing institutional ownership and debt financing – effectively precipitated the rapid takeover of the Swedish business sector by foreign owners that gained momentum in the 1990s. Policy measures intended to create a system of “capitalism without capitalists” can be said to have “packaged” large Swedish corporations in terms of ownership and financing structure, so that foreign takeover was facilitated. The article ends with a discussion as to whether the dramatic change in ownership structure in the Swedish business sector may result in the demise of the old corporatist model of industrial relations, giving way to a new trend towards a liberal market economy of the current Anglo-Saxon variety.
Ganglion blocks as a treatment of pain: current perspectives

The inputs from sympathetic ganglia have been known to be involved in the pathophysiology of various painful conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome, cancer pain of different origin, and coccygodynia. Sympathetic ganglia blocks are used to relieve patients who suffer from these conditions for over a century. Many numbers of local anesthetics such as bupivacaine or neurolytic agents such as alcohol can be chosen for a successful block. The agent is selected according to its duration of effect and the purpose of the injection. Most commonly used sympathetic blocks are stellate ganglion block, lumbar sympathetic block, celiac plexus block, superior hypogastric block, and ganglion Impar block. In this review, indications, methods, effectiveness, and complications of these blocks are discussed based on the data from the current literature.
Trajectory generation of robotic fingers based on tri-axial tactile data for cap screwing task

In a previous paper, we developed a robotic finger equipped with optical three-axis tactile sensors, of which the sensing cell can separately detect normal and shearing forces. With appropriate precision, the robotic finger was able to perform three tasks: scanning flat specimens to obtain the friction coefficient, following the contour of objects, and manipulating a parallelepiped case put on a table by sliding it on the table. In the present study, designed as a follow-up to the above study, a robotic hand is composed of two robotic fingers. Not only tri-axial force distribution directly obtained from the tactile sensor but also the time derivative of the shearing force distribution are used for the hand control algorithm: if grasping force measured from normal force distribution is lower than a threshold, grasping force is increased; the time derivative is defined as slippage; if slippage arises, grasping force is enhanced to prevent fatal slippage between the finger and an object. In the verification test, the robotic hand screws a bottle cap to close it. Although input finger trajectories were a rectangular roughly decided to touch and screw the cap, a segment of the rectangular was changed from a straight line to a curved line to fit the cap contour. We concluded that higher order tactile information such as tri-axial tactile data can reduce the complexity of the control algorithm.
Improving Strand Pairing Prediction through Exploring Folding Cooperativity

The topology of beta-sheets is defined by the pattern of hydrogen-bonded strand pairing. Therefore, predicting hydrogen bonded strand partners is a fundamental step towards predicting beta-sheet topology. At the same time, finding the correct partners is very difficult due to long range interactions involved in strand pairing. Additionally, patterns of aminoacids involved, in beta-sheet formations are very general and therefore difficult to use for computational recognition of specific contacts between strands. In this work, we report a new strand pairing algorithm. To address above mentioned difficulties, our algorithm attempts to mimic elements of the folding process. Namely, in addition to ensuring that the predicted hydrogen bonded strand pairs satisfy basic global consistency constraints, it takes into account hypothetical folding pathways. Consistently with this view, introducing hydrogen bonds between a pair of strands changes the probabilities of forming hydrogen bonds between other pairs of strand. We demonstrate that this approach provides an improvement over previously proposed algorithms. We also compare the performance of this method to that of a global optimization algorithm that poses the problem as integer linear programming optimization problem and solves it using ILOG CPLEX package.
Exploring the impact of empowering leadership on knowledge sharing, absorptive capacity and team performance in IT service

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the mechanism through which empowering leadership of a team leader might influence the team performance in IT service. Design/methodology/approach – The data of 315 individuals collected from 85 different IT projects through online survey is used to empirically test the hypotheses. Findings – The results confirm that team leader′s empowering leadership raises the level of knowledge sharing among team members and increase the absorptive capacity of the team, and lead to better team performance. Research limitations/implications – This research theoretically presented and demonstrated the middle- and long-term impacts of empowering leadership resulting from the development of absorptive capacity as the effects of knowledge sharing in an IT project team are produced through absorptive capacity. Practical implications – The findings indicate that more effective in increasing the performance of IT project teams can be to strengthen empowering le.
Stable long‐term risk of leukaemia in patients with severe congenital neutropenia maintained on G‐CSF therapy

In severe congenital neutropenia (SCN), long‐term therapy with granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) has reduced mortality from sepsis, revealing an underlying predisposition to myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukaemia (MDS/AML). We have reported the early pattern of evolution to MDS/AML, but the long‐term risk remains uncertain. We updated a prospective study of 374 SCN patients on long‐term G‐CSF enrolled in the Severe Chronic Neutropenia International Registry. Long‐term, the annual risk of MDS/AML attained a plateau (2·3%/year after 10 years). This risk now appears similar to, rather than higher than, the risk of AML in Fanconi anaemia and dyskeratosis congenita.
Reliability of vascular geometry factors derived from clinical MRA

Recent work from our group has demonstrated that the amount of disturbed flow at the carotid bifurcation, believed to be a local risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis, can be predicted from luminal geometric factors. The next step along the way to a large-scale retrospective or prospective imaging study of such local risk factors for atherosclerosis is to investigate whether these geometric features are reproducible and accurate from routine 3D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEMRA) using a fast and practical method of extraction. Motivated by this fact, we examined the reproducibility of multiple geometric features that are believed important in atherosclerosis risk assessment. We reconstructed three-dimensional carotid bifurcations from 15 clinical study participants who had previously undergone baseline and repeat CEMRA acquisitions. Certain geometric factors were extracted and compared between the baseline and the repeat scan. As the spatial resolution of the CEMRA data was noticeably coarse and anisotropic, we also investigated whether this might affect the measurement of the same geometric risk factors by simulating the CEMRA acquisition for 15 normal carotid bifurcations previously acquired at high resolution. Our results show that the extracted geometric factors are reproducible and faithful, with intra-subject uncertainties well below inter-subject variabilities. More importantly, these geometric risk factors can be extracted consistently and quickly for potential use as disturbed flow predictors.
Increasing Incidence and Altered Presentation in a Population-based Study of Pediatric Celiac Disease in North America

Objectives: Celiac disease (CD) is a common immune-mediated disorder that affects up to 1% of the general population. Recent reports suggest that the incidence of CD has reached a plateau in many countries. We aim to study the incidence and altered presentation of childhood CD in a well-defined population. Methods: Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project, we retrospectively reviewed Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center medical records from January 1994 to December 2014. We identified all CD cases of patients ages 18 years or younger at the time of diagnosis. Incidence rates were calculated by adjusting for age, sex, and calendar year and standardizing to the 2010 US white population. Results: We identified 100 patients with CD. Incidence of CD has increased from 8.1 per 100,000 person-years (2000–2002) to 21.5 per 100,000 person-years (2011–2014). There was an increase in CD prevalence in children from 2010 (0.10%) to 2014 (0.17%). Thirty-four patients (34%) presented with classical CD symptoms, 43 (43%) had nonclassical CD, and 23 (23%) were diagnosed by screening asymptomatic high-risk patients. Thirty-six patients (36%) had complete villous atrophy, 51 (51%) had partial atrophy, and 11 (11%) had increased intraepithelial lymphocytes. Two patients were diagnosed without biopsy. Most patients (67%) had a normal body mass index, 17% were overweight/obese, and only 9% were underweight. Conclusions: Both incidence and prevalence of CD have continued to increase in children during the past 15 years in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Clinical and pathologic presentations of CD are changing over time (more nonclassical and asymptomatic cases are emerging).
Atg7 Modulates p53 Activity to Regulate Cell Cycle and Survival During Metabolic Stress

Starvation and Autophagy Starvation stimulates withdrawal from the cell cycle, as well as stimulating autophagy. Are these two events connected? Lee et al. (p. 225) show a direct and nutrient-sensitive interaction between the tumor suppressor p53 and the essential autophagy gene Atg7. Further, in the absence of Atg7, the p53-dependent induction of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 is inhibited. This leads to Atg7-deficient cells being unable to properly withdraw from the cell cycle under starved conditions. While Atg7 deletion leads to an impairment of p53-mediated cell-cycle arrest, the Atg7-deficient cells hyperactivate p53-mediated cell-death pathways. The physiological importance of this hyperactivation is underscored by the observation that genetic blocking of p53-mediated cell death significantly extended neonatal survival of mice in which Atg7 had been deleted. When the autophagy protein tg7 is absent, nutrient withdrawal does not stop the cell cycle. Withdrawal of nutrients triggers an exit from the cell division cycle, the induction of autophagy, and eventually the activation of cell death pathways. The relation, if any, among these events is not well characterized. We found that starved mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking the essential autophagy gene product Atg7 failed to undergo cell cycle arrest. Independent of its E1-like enzymatic activity, Atg7 could bind to the tumor suppressor p53 to regulate the transcription of the gene encoding the cell cycle inhibitor p21CDKN1A. With prolonged metabolic stress, the absence of Atg7 resulted in augmented DNA damage with increased p53-dependent apoptosis. Inhibition of the DNA damage response by deletion of the protein kinase Chk2 partially rescued postnatal lethality in Atg7−/− mice. Thus, when nutrients are limited, Atg7 regulates p53-dependent cell cycle and cell death pathways.
Use of atorvastatin in systemic lupus erythematosus in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE Statins reduce atherosclerosis and cardiovascular morbidity in the general population, but their efficacy and safety in children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are unknown. This study was undertaken to determine the 3-year efficacy and safety of atorvastatin in preventing subclinical atherosclerosis progression in pediatric-onset SLE. METHODS A total of 221 participants with pediatric SLE (ages 10-21 years) from 21 North American sites were enrolled in the Atherosclerosis Prevention in Pediatric Lupus Erythematosus study, a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, between August 2003 and November 2006 with 36-month followup. Participants were randomized to receive atorvastatin (n=113) or placebo (n=108) at 10 or 20 mg/day depending on weight, in addition to usual care. The primary end point was progression of mean-mean common carotid intima-media thickening (CIMT) measured by ultrasound. Secondary end points included other segment/wall-specific CIMT measures, lipid profile, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) level, and SLE disease activity and damage outcomes. RESULTS Progression of mean-mean common CIMT did not differ significantly between treatment groups (0.0010 mm/year for atorvastatin versus 0.0024 mm/year for placebo; P=0.24). The atorvastatin group achieved lower hsCRP (P=0.04), total cholesterol (P<0.001), and low-density lipoprotein (P<0.001) levels compared with placebo. In the placebo group, CIMT progressed significantly across all CIMT outcomes (0.0023-0.0144 mm/year; P<0.05). Serious adverse events and critical safety measures did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that routine statin use over 3 years has no significant effect on subclinical atherosclerosis progression in young SLE patients; however, further analyses may suggest subgroups that would benefit from targeted statin therapy. Atorvastatin was well tolerated without safety concerns.
Temporary Clusters and Communities of Practice in the Creative Economy: Festivals as Temporary Knowledge Networks

The article explores the role of art festivals as platforms for knowledge and network development in the creative industries and creative policy intervention using the case of a small street art festival (Fuse Festival in Medway, UK). The analysis provides a broader perspective on the current research and debate on the impact and role played by arts festivals in local economic and cultural development—which usually concentrate on either their socioeconomic impact on local communities—to focus instead of their role in building knowledge communities and communities of practice. The results highlight the key role played by the festival in supporting and commissioning artistic work. The results also expose the temporary and explorative nature of many artistic practices and the role of interaction with audiences and other creative producers. Following a network perspective, the findings highlight the role of temporary clusters not only in shaping career opportunities for artists but also in drawing new pathways for local economic development for contexts undergoing regeneration.