Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteomic analysis of plasma derived from platelet buffy coats during storage at room temperature. An application of ProteoMiner™ technology

The present study was aimed at revealing new insights into the analysis of storage-related processes occurring in the supernatants of platelet concentrates (PCs) derived from pooled buffy coats suspended in whole plasma. To reduce the dynamic range of plasma protein concentrations and access low-abundance proteins, we made use of a solid-phase combinatorial peptide ligand library, known under the trade name of ProteoMiner™. Afterwards, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) was coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) to reveal changes in proteomic profiles. Several storage-induced protein alterations were identified including changes to major plasma proteins. In particular, a precursor of the secretory form of clusterin was shown to accumulate during storage of PC supernatants, together with platelet-derived tropomyosin, suggesting a progressive loss of platelet integrity. Platelet-released proteins following activation have also been detected (alpha-1-B-glycoprotein, kininogen-1, and serpin proteinase inhibitor 8). Moreover, specific protein fragments (vitronectin, plakoglobin, hornerin, and apolipoprotein A-IV) were found to be modulated upon storage, possibly indicating a time-dependent buffy-coat PC deterioration. Globally, our findings provided the disclosure of unique proteins in PC supernatants with respect to previous studies conducted in similar experimental conditions, suggesting ProteoMiner enrichment technology to be a possible complementary tool in the identification of diagnostically relevant proteins as age/quality biomarkers of therapeutic products.
Trade unions and collective bargaining

The authors assert that changing world markets and new technologies are driving industrial restructuring. The ability of developing countries and the new transitional economies to compete in the global marketplace will depend on their ability to transform industrial relations policies involving trade unions and collective bargaining so that they promote flexibility in the workplace and encourage the formation and effective use of human resources. History has shown, they say, that there are certain key moments of transition in industrial relations systems. After that time, systems get set and are hard to modify. Often these key moments are the result of legislative changes (such as the National Labor Relations Act and the emergence of public sector unions after the burgeoning of public sector legislation in the United States). Sometimes they are the result of key historical or economic junctures (such as the postwar reconstruction in Japan and Germany, and independence movements in the developing world). Recent pressures for structural change in the developing world present an opportunity for major transitions in industrial relations. Drawing on the Japanese and German experiences, as well as experiences in the developing world, the authors focus on lessons that can be applied in guiding this transformation. Workers participation in decisionmaking, they contend, is critical for bringing about the essential popular acceptance of changes that will come with industrial restructuring. It is also important to coordinate and integrate industrial relations policy with other social, legal, economic, and educational policies. The education system, for example, should not be overproducing college graduates when there is an undersupply of unskilled and skilled workers.
Nuclear Factor Kappa B Activation Occurs in the Amnion Prior to Labour Onset and Modulates the Expression of Numerous Labour Associated Genes

Background Prior to the onset of human labour there is an increase in the synthesis of prostaglandins, cytokines and chemokines in the fetal membranes, particular the amnion. This is associated with activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB). In this study we characterised the level of NFκB activity in amnion epithelial cells as a measure of amnion activation in samples collected from women undergoing caesarean section at 39 weeks gestation prior to the onset of labour. Methodology/Principal Findings We found that a proportion of women exhibit low or moderate NFκB activity while other women exhibit high levels of NFκB activity (n = 12). This activation process does not appear to involve classical pathways of NFκB activation but rather is correlated with an increase in nuclear p65-Rel-B dimers. To identify the full range of genes upregulated in association with amnion activation, microarray analysis was performed on carefully characterised non-activated amnion (n = 3) samples and compared to activated samples (n = 3). A total of 919 genes were upregulated in response to amnion activation including numerous inflammatory genes such cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, 44-fold), interleukin 8 (IL-8, 6-fold), IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAP, 4.5-fold), thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1, 3-fold) and, unexpectedly, oxytocin receptor (OTR, 24-fold). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of the microarray data reveal the two main gene networks activated concurrently with amnion activation are i) cell death, cancer and morphology and ii) cell cycle, embryonic development and tissue development. Conclusions/Significance Our results indicate that assessment of amnion NFκB activation is critical for accurate sample classification and subsequent interpretation of data. Collectively, our data suggest amnion activation is largely an inflammatory event that occurs in the amnion epithelial layer as a prelude to the onset of labour.
Intake of direct cut or wilted grass silage as related to chewing behavior, ruminal characteristics and site and extent of digestion by heifers.

Six nonpregnant Friesian heifers (516 kg avg BW) with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used to examine intake of direct cut (DC) or wilted (W) grass silage in relation to chewing behavior, ruminal characteristics and site and extent of digestion. Dry matter content of the silages was 20.3% and 40.3%, and feed intake averaged 1.88% and 2.17% of BW (P less than .01), respectively. Mean ruminal osmolality was 291 mosm/liter for the DC and 318 mosm/liter for the W silage (P less than .05), with extreme values exceeding 350 mosm/liter for the W silage at 1 h to 2 h postfeeding. There was a shift from eating to ruminating on W silage associated with a longer duration of the average rumination bolus cycle (P less than .01). Duration of chewing time per kilogram of DM intake was 103.5 min and 91.7 min (P less than .05) for the DC and W silages, respectively. Fecal mean particle length was 2.2 times greater (P less than .01), accompanied by higher spread coefficients (P less than .001), for the W silage. No differences occurred between silages in ruminal digestibility of OM and NDF. In the total digestive tract, apparent digestibilities of OM and NDF were depressed after wilting grass prior to ensiling (P less than .01), but the proportion of digestible OM apparently digested in the rumen was . 74 for both silages. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Identifying paralogisms in two ethnically different contexts at university level / Identificación de paralogismos en dos contextos universitarios diferenciados étnicamente

Abstract Although educational researchers have long tried to answer the question ‘Who reasons well? ’, little has been done in regards to the influence of culture on argumentative reasoning quality. Among the factors that have been related with the construction of valid arguments, counterarguments and rebuttals by adults are: explicit argument training, task instructions and prior knowledge. No clear evidence exists regarding the influence of the ethnical background on the flaws or fallacies of reasoning. The present study applies the recent theory of paraschemes as a tool to identify university students’ paralogisms in a common argument-mapping task on everyday issues in two different cultural contexts: one European (Spain) and one Middle Eastern (United Arab Emirates). Our analysis showed that the influence of ethnical background was not statistically significant regarding the type and amount of paralogisms committed. On the contrary, the participants’ study major, being business or education, was shown to influence the production of argument fallacies. Implications of these findings for higher education are discussed.
AGA Institute technical review on acute pancreatitis.

Chris E. Forsmark,* John Baillie** *Division de Gastroenterologia, Hepatologia y Nutricion University of Florida Gainesville, Florida. **Seccion de Gastroenterologia. Wake Forest University School of Medicine Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Correspondencia: Chair, Clinical Practice and Economics Committee, AGA Institute National Office, c/o Membership Department, 4930 Del Ray Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Fax: (301)654-5920.
Exonic Re-Sequencing of the Chromosome 2q24.3 Parkinson’s Disease Locus

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) have identified over 20 genomic regions associated with disease risk. Many of these loci include several candidate genes making it difficult to pinpoint the causal gene. The locus on chromosome 2q24.3 encompasses three genes: B3GALT1, STK39, and CERS6. In order to identify if the causal variants are simple missense changes, we sequenced all 31 exons of these three genes in 187 patients with PD. We identified 13 exonic variants including four non-synonymous and three insertion/deletion variants (indels). These non-synonymous variants and rs2102808, the GWAS tag SNP, were genotyped in three independent series consisting of a total of 1976 patients and 1596 controls. Our results show that the seven identified 2q24.3 coding variants are not independently responsible for the GWAS association signal at the locus; however, there is a haplotype, which contains both rs2102808 and a STK39 exon 1 6bp indel variant, that is significantly associated with PD risk (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.11–1.64, P = 0.003). This haplotype is more associated than each of the two variants independently (OR = 1.23, P = 0.005 and 1.10, P = 0.10, respectively). Our findings suggest that the risk variant is likely located in a non-coding region. Additional sequencing of the locus including promoter and regulatory regions will be needed to pinpoint the association at this locus that leads to an increased risk to PD.
Investigation of the Plausibility of 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor Syndrome

Postfinasteride syndrome (PFS) is a term recently coined to characterize a constellation of reported undesirable side effects described in postmarketing reports and small uncontrolled studies that developed during or after stopping finasteride treatment, and persisted after drug discontinuation. Symptoms included decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, sexual anhedonia, decreased sperm count, gynecomastia, skin changes, cognitive impairment, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. The aim of this study is to review the existing medical literature for evidence-based research of permanent sexual dysfunction and mood changes during treatment with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors including finasteride and dutasteride.
Testing a model to predict online cheating—Much ado about nothing

Much has been written about student and faculty opinions on academic integrity in testing. Currently, concerns appear to focus more narrowly on online testing, generally based on anecdotal assumptions that online students are more likely to engage in academic dishonesty in testing than students in traditional on-campus courses. To address such assumptions, a statistical model to predict examination scores was recently used to predict academic dishonesty in testing. Using measures of human capital variables (for example, grade point average, class rank) to predict examination scores, the model provides for a comparison of R2 statistics. This model proposes that the more human capital variables explain variation in examination scores, the more likely the examination scores reflect students’ abilities and the less likely academic dishonesty was involved in testing. The only study to employ this model did provide some support for the assertion that lack of test monitoring in online courses may result in a greater degree of academic dishonesty. In this study, however, a further test of the predictive model resulted in contradictory findings. The disparate findings between prior research and the current study may have been due to the use of additional control variables and techniques designed to limit academic dishonesty in online testing.
Shortest, Fastest, and Foremost Broadcast in Dynamic Networks

Highly dynamic networks rarely offer end-to-end connectivity at a given time. Yet, connectivity in these networks can be established over time and space, based on temporal analogues of multi-hop paths (also called journeys). Attempting to optimize the selection of the journeys in these networks naturally leads to the study of three cases: shortest (minimum hop), fastest (minimum duration), and foremost (earliest arrival) journeys. Efficient centralized algorithms exists to compute all cases, when the full knowledge of the network evolution is given. In this paper, we study the distributed counterparts of these problems, i.e. shortest, fastest, and foremost broadcast with termination detection (TDB), with minimal knowledge on the topology. We show that the feasibility of each of these problems requires distinct features on the evolution, through identifying three classes of dynamic graphs wherein the problems become gradually feasible: graphs in which the re-appearance of edges is recurrent (class [Formula: see text]), bounded-recurrent ([Formula: see text]), or periodic ([Formula: see text]), together with specific knowledge that are respectively n (the number of nodes), Δ (a bound on the recurrence time), and p (the period). In these classes it is not required that all pairs of nodes get in contact — only that the overall footprint of the graph is connected over time. Our results, together with the strict inclusion between [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], implies a feasibility order among the three variants of the problem, i.e. TDB[foremost] requires weaker assumptions on the topology dynamics than TDB[shortest], which itself requires less than TDB[fastest]. Reversely, these differences in feasibility imply that the computational powers of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] also form a strict hierarchy.
Genetic variation in the leptin receptor gene and obesity in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

PURPOSE Overweight (body mass index [BMI] 25 to 29 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2) frequently follow treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Recent studies suggest that risk is most apparent in females treated with cranial radiation at a younger age. Because radiation at a young age may affect the hypothalamus causing leptin receptor insensitivity, we hypothesized that a polymorphism in the leptin receptor (LEPR) gene, Gln223Arg, might influence susceptibility to obesity in survivors of childhood ALL. PATIENTS AND METHODS We genotyped 600 non-Hispanic white adult ALL survivors enrolled onto the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. BMI was compared between those with two copies of the Arg allele to those who had at least one copy of the Gln allele. RESULTS Female survivors with BMI > or = 25 kg/m2 were more likely Arg homozygous than those with BMI less than 25 kg/m2 (24% v 12%; P =.007). This difference was not observed in males. Moreover, among females treated with > or = 20 Gy cranial radiation, Arg/Arg individuals had six times higher odds of having BMI > or = 25 kg/m2 (95% CI, 2.1 to 22.0) than those with a Gln allele (P =.04 for interaction). CONCLUSION LEPR polymorphism may influence obesity in female survivors of childhood ALL, particularly those exposed to cranial radiation. Because obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in later life, identification of children at high risk might allow for early targeted interventions.
Chronic treatment with clozapine or haloperidol differentially regulates dopamine and serotonin receptors in rat brain

Long‐term administration of the atypical neuroleptic clozapine (CLZ) poses a much lower risk of extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) than does the use of typical neuroleptics such as haloperidol (HAL). To investigate the neural mechanisms of the differing CNS activities of these two drugs, we used quantitative autroadiography to measure changes in dopamine and serotonin receptors in rats after injection with CIZ or HAL for 21 days at clinically relevant dose ratios. Levels of D1, D2, and 5‐HT2 receptors were determined in frontal cortex, caudate‐putamen, and nucleus accumbens. Rats that received CLZ chronically showed CNS receptor changes markedly different from those in chronic HAL‐treated animals. Whereas rats treated chronically with HAL showed enhanced striatal D2 binding (average increase of 42%), those treated with CLZ did not. In contrast, CLZ, but not chronic HAL, induced enhanced striatal D1 binding (average increase of 43%). Finally, CLZ treatment decreased 5‐HT2 receptor binding by an average of 37%, while HAL had no significant effect. The effects of chronic HAL or CLZ treatment on receptors were similar in all forebrain areas examined. However, since D1 and 5‐HT2 receptors are more abundant that D2 sites in limbic and neocortical areas, the preferential modulation of D1 and 5‐HT2 receptors by CLZ suggests a greater impact of this atypical neuroleptic on activity of the limbic system than that achieved by the typical neuroleptic, HAL. These findings suggest that the clinical profile of atypical nuroleptics such as CLZ may be attributed to their effects on a receptor profile differing in pharmacological characteristics and anatomical distribution from that affected by typical neuroleptics.
Epileptic seizure detection based on EEG signal analysis using hierarchy based Hidden Markov Model

Epilepsy is defined as non communicable neurological disorder and characterized by repeated seizures. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is an efficient tool for analysing brain disorder. Low computation and efficient automatic epileptic seizure detection will be of great use for clinicians. In this research entropy features such as Shannon entropy, collision entropy and hjorth Factors are used as bio-marker for seizures detection. Feature selection is performed based on Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Efficiency of other features such as distance entropy and higuchi fractal dimension are evaluated. Hierarchy based Hidden Markov Model is used for classification. Two state ergodic Hidden Markov Model are designed for healthy-seizure, seizure-interseizure and healthy-interseizure classification. Average accuracy achieved for healthy-interseizure, healthy-seizure and seizure-interseizure are 95.62%, 96.67% and 95.00% respectively. The proposed algorithm is cross-validated with higher channel EEG signal.
Multi-objective robust ℋ∞ observer design for one-sided Lipschitz nonlinear uncertain systems

In this paper, the problem of robust ℋ∞ observer design for one-sided Lipschitz nonlinear systems in the presence of time-varying parametric uncertainties is addressed. The main idea is to minimize the ℒ2 gain from the disturbance to the state estimation error and at the same time the admissible one-sided Lipschitz constant is to be maximized. In addition to asymptotic convergence, the designed observer also ensures robustness against disturbances, parametric uncertainties and additive one-sided Lipschitz nonlinear uncertainty. The solution is represented in terms of LMIs which enables us to carry out the design procedure using Matlab LMI toolbox making the nonlinear observer design an easy task.
WHICH DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE MATTER FOR LONG RUN GROWTH

We present empirical evidence that, among a variety of cultural dimensions, the individualism-collectivism dimension, based on Hofstede's (2001) data, is the most important and robustly significant effect of culture on long run growth. Other dimensions that have a significant effect, albeit less robust, are generally strongly correlated with individualism and convey similar information. We found no significant or robust effect on growth from cultural dimensions that are independent from the individualism-collectivism cleavage.
Nonsurgical bleeding diathesis in anemic thrombocytopenic patients: role of temperature, red blood cells, platelets, and plasma‐clotting proteins

Research at the Naval Blood Research Laboratory (Boston, MA) for the past four decades has focused on the preservation of red blood cells (RBCs), platelets (PLTs), and plasma‐clotting proteins to treat wounded servicemen suffering blood loss. We have studied the survival and function of fresh and preserved RBCs and PLTs and the function of fresh and frozen plasma‐clotting proteins. This report summarizes our peer‐reviewed publications on the effects of temperature, RBCs, PLTs, and plasma‐clotting proteins on the bleeding time (BT) and nonsurgical blood loss. The term nonsurgical blood loss refers to generalized, systemic bleeding that is not corrected by surgical interventions.
Revision of the New World genus Peckia Roniveau-Desvoidy (Diptera: Sarcophagidae).

The New World and largely Neotropical genus Peckia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 is revised with a key to all species. Peckia is considered a senior synonym of Guanoxipha Lehrer, 2012, n. syn. and of Sarcodexia Townsend, 1892, n. syn. , the first one under Squamatodes Curran and the latter maintained as a valid subgenus, which here is redefined giving the new generic combinations Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann, 1830), n. comb. and P. (S.) notata (Lopes, 1935), n. comb. ; and the new subgeneric affiliations P. (S.) aequata (Wulp, 1895), P. (S.) chirotheca (Hall, 1933), P. (S.) dominicana (Lopes, 1982), P. (S.) florencioi (Prado & Fonseca, 1932), P. (S.) roppai (Lopes & Tibana, 1982) and P. (S.) tridentata (Hall, 1937). Peckia virgo (Pape, 1994) is transferred from subgenus Euboettcheria Townsend, 1927 to subgenus Squamatodes Curran, 1927. Sarcophaga adolenda Lopes, 1935 is transferred from its current position in Peckia to the genus Retrocitomyia Lopes, 1982, n. comb. A total of 67 species are recognized and grouped in the subgenera Euboettcheria, Pattonella Enderlein, 1928, Peckia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (sensu stricto), Sarcodexia and Squamatodes. Nine new species are described, viz., Peckia (Euboettcheria) santamariae n. sp. (Colombia), Peckia (Euboettcheria) cacao n. sp. (Costa Rica), Peckia (Euboettcheria) calixtoi n. sp. (Puerto Rico), Peckia (Euboettcheria) hernandosi n. sp. (Ecuador), Peckia (Pattonella) kladosoides n. sp. (Colombia), Peckia (Peckia) cocopex n. sp. (Costa Rica: Cocos Island), Peckia (Peckia) sarmientoi n. sp. (Ecuador), Peckia (Peckia) rosalbae n. sp. (Colombia) and Peckia (Sarcodexia) cocos n. sp. (Costa Rica: Cocos Island). The following new synonymies are proposed as junior synonyms under their respective species: under Peckia (Euboettcheria) tridentata (Hall, 1937) is Euboettcheria alvarengai Lopes & Tibana, 1982, n. syn. ; under Peckia (Peckia) chrysostoma (Wiedemann, 1830) is Paraphrissopoda hugolopesiana Lehrer, 2006, n. syn. ; under Peckia (Peckia) pexata (Wulp, 1895) are Sarcophaga concinnata Williston, 1896, n. syn. , Sarcophaga otiosa Williston, 1896, n. syn. and Paraphrissopoda catiae Lehrer, 2006, n. syn. ; under Peckia (Peckia) rubella (Wiedemann, 1830) is Sarcophaga capitata Aldrich, 1916, n. syn. and under Peckia (Squamatodes) trivittata (Curran, 1927) is Squamatodes stahli Dodge, 1966, n. syn. Lectotypes are designated for Sarcophaga aequata Wulp, 1895, Sarcophaga concinnata Williston, 1896, Sarcophaga otiosa Williston, 1896 and Sarcophaga volucris Wulp, 1895. Paraphrissopoda alvesia Lehrer, 2006 is deemed an unavailable name as no depository was given for the putative type material.