Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glioblastoma, Cancer Stem Cells and Hypoxia

Glioblastoma (GBM) prognosis remains dismal, with most patients succumbing to disease within 1 or 2 years of diagnosis. Recent studies have suggested that many solid tumors, including GBM, are maintained by a subset of cells termed cancer stem cells (CSCs). It has been shown that these cells are inherently radio‐ and chemotherapy resistant, and may be maintained in vivo in a niche characterized by reduced oxygen tension (hypoxia). This review examines the recently described effects of hypoxia on CSC in GBM, and the potential promise in targeting the hypoxic pathway therapeutically.
Decreased oxidation susceptibility of plasma low density lipoproteins in patients with Gilbert's syndrome

Background and Aim: The association of hyperbilirubinemia in Gilbert's syndrome (GS) with a decrease in prevalence of coronary artery disease is a well‐known phenomenon. In this study, the state of low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation which has been postulated to be a significant determinant at the etiopathogenesis of atherosclerotic disorders was investigated among individuals with GS.
Use of a Daily Goals Checklist for Morning ICU Rounds: A Mixed-Methods Study*

Objective:To understand the perspectives and attitudes of ICU clinicians about use of a daily goals checklist on rounds. Design:Our three data collection methods were as follows: 1) Field observations: two investigators conducted field observations to understand how and by whom the daily goals checklist was used for 80 ICU patient rounds over 6 days. 2) Document analysis: The 72 completed daily goals checklists from observed rounds were analyzed using mixed methods. 3) Interviews: With 56 clinicians, we conducted semistructured individual and focus-group interviews, analyzing transcripts using a qualitative descriptive approach and content analysis. Triangulation was achieved by a multidisciplinary investigative team using two research methods and three data sources. Setting:Fifteen bed closed ICU in a tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital. Patients:Medical-surgical ICU patients. Interventions:None. Measurements and Main Results:Field observations: The daily goals checklist was completed for 93% of observed rounds, largely by residents (86%). The champion of the verbal review was commonly a resident (83%) or medical student (9%). Document analysis: Domains with high completion rates included ventilation, sedation, central venous access, nutrition, and various prophylactic interventions. Interviews: The daily goals checklist enhanced communication, patient care, and education. Nurses, physicians, and pharmacists endorsed its enhancement of interdisciplinary communication. It facilitated a structured, thorough, and individualized approach to patient care. The daily goals checklist helped to identify new patient care issues and sparked management discussions, especially for sedation, weaning, and medications. Residents were prominent users, finding served as a multipurpose teaching tool. Conclusions:The daily goals checklist was perceived to improve the management of critically ill patients by creating a systematic, comprehensive approach to patient care and by setting individualized daily goals. Reportedly improving interprofessional communication and practice, the daily goals checklist also enhanced patient safety and daily progress, encouraging momentum in recovery from critical illness. Daily goals checklist review prompted teaching opportunities for multidisciplinary learners on morning rounds.
On the emergence of the discriminative mode for transitive-inference

Transitive-inference tasks play increasing roles in many areas of cognitive science. However, discrepancies between the two competing paradigms (classical-Piagetian and IP-paradigm) imply that one paradigm fails to index its target (deductive) competence. Here, potential flaws of one were addressed using considerations from the other. Children of 5–7 years (N=216) solved 3-term transitive problems, some implying a single largest item, and some not. Findings indicate a discriminative competence (a Transitive-Switch) at least 2 years before competence in actually deducing correct solutions. Interestingly, although the transitive-switch was constant across age with both memory and inference increasing with age, it was nevertheless a much stronger predictor of transitive performance than either memory or age. A predictive relationship between memory and inference held for the 5- and 6-year-olds but not the 7-year-olds; suggesting as it approaches maturity, transitive-inference becomes independent of memory. Coincidental with this latter finding, only the 7-year-olds’ transitive performance approximated a deductive competence. As the initial validation of the IP-paradigm rested on acceptance of its age estimate of 4 years, its claim to index deduction must now be revisited.
Legislation by Agenda-Setting: Assessing the Media's Role in the Regulation of Bisphenol A in the U.S. States

Starting in 2008, debate about potential hazardous effects from exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) migrated from the pages of scientific journals to the U.S. media, regulatory authorities, and state legislatures. In the context of deep scientific conflict about the existence of adverse health effects attributable to BPA, this article asks why it was the case that some state legislatures considered or adopted legislative bans on products made from BPA, whereas others did not. Drawing on existing theories of agenda-setting and policy change via punctuated equilibrium as well as a well-defined methodology (event history analysis), evidence of agenda-setting is presented. Particularly, it is argued that routine and high-impact health coverage was significantly related to the chance that a state legislature considered legislation banning products made with BPA. This was indirectly, but importantly, related to the actual adoption by state legislatures of legislative bans on products made with BPA.
Motivations, Satisfaction, and Fears of Death and Dying in Residential Hospice Volunteers

Rationale: Studies conducted on hospice volunteers’ characteristics and experiences have been cross-sectional. We conducted a prospective study to examine changes in the volunteer experience over time in a cohort of volunteers during the first year of a new residential hospice. Method: Eighty-two active volunteers completed an online baseline survey, and of these, 39 completed a follow-up survey at 6 months. The survey included measures of motivations to volunteer, satisfaction with role and with the organization, and fear of death and dying. Results: Repeated measures analyses indicated that motivations to volunteer remained stable over time while volunteer satisfaction increased with time. Baseline level of fears of death and dying varied by age, volunteer role, and motivations to volunteer and decreased at 6 months. Conclusion: Volunteering in a residential hospice tends to be a satisfying experience that helps to allay fears about death and dying.
Cigarette smoke and dopaminergic system

It has been reported that there is an ameliorative effect of cigarette smoking on certain neurological responses and neurodegenerative disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the neurochemical and neurobehavioral response of cigarette smoke (CS) in the adult male guinea pig brain. Both acute and chronic CS exposure enhanced locomotor behavior and caused a decrease in midbrain dopamine (DA) levels and corresponding increase in 3,4‐dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels. In addition, CS caused a significant increase in the protein levels of the dopamine D1 and D2 receptors. CS caused a significant increase in the binding capacity of the D1 receptor and a significant decrease in the binding capacity of D2. Furthermore, CS caused a significant increase in the binding capacity of the dopamine transporter (DAT). The mechanism by which cigarette smoke exposure increases locomotor activity remains to be elucidated but may include modulation of dopamine neuron activity that emerges after repeated direct smoke exposure. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 21:325–335, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20197
Rise of the Machines: The Effects of Labor-Saving Innovations on Jobs and Wages

How do firms respond to technological advances that facilitate the automation of tasks? Which tasks will they automate, and what types of worker will be replaced as a result? We present a model that distinguishes between a task's engineering complexity and its training requirements. When two tasks are equally complex, firms will automate the task that requires more training and in which labor is hence more expensive. Under quite general conditions this leads to job polarization, a decline in middle wage jobs relative to both high and low wage jobs. Our theory explains recent and historical instances of job polarization as caused by labor-replacing technologies, such as computers, the electric motor, and the steam engine, respectively. The model makes novel predictions regarding occupational training requirements, which we find to be consistent with US data.
Association of calmodulin and an unconventional myosin with the contractile vacuole complex of Dictyostelium discoideum

mAbs specific for calmodulin were used to examine the distribution of calmodulin in vegetative Dictyostelium cells. Indirect immunofluorescence indicated that calmodulin was greatly enriched at the periphery of phase lucent vacuoles. The presence of these vacuoles in newly germinated (non-feeding) as well as growing cells, and the response of the vacuoles to changes in the osmotic environment, identified them as contractile vacuoles, osmoregulatory organelles. No evidence was found for an association of calmodulin with endosomes or lysosomes, nor was calmodulin enriched along cytoskeletal filaments. When membranes from Dictyostelium cells were fractionated on equilibrium sucrose density gradients, calmodulin cofractionated with alkaline phosphatase, a cytochemical marker for contractile vacuole membranes, at a density of 1.156 g/ml. Several high molecular weight calmodulin-binding proteins were enriched in the same region of the gradient. One of the calmodulin-binding polypeptides (molecular mass approximately 150 kD) cross-reacted with an antiserum specific for Acanthamoeba myosin IC. By indirect immunofluorescence, this protein was also enriched on contractile vacuole membranes. These results suggest that a calmodulin-binding unconventional myosin is associated with contractile vacuoles in Dictyostelium; similar proteins in yeast and mammalian cells have been implicated in vesicle movement.
Rural-urban migration and child survival in urban Bangladesh : are the urban migrants and poor disadvantaged ?

On average, child health outcomes are better in urban than in rural areas of developing countries. Understanding the nature and the causes of this rural-urban disparity is essential in contemplating the health consequences of the rapid urbanization taking place throughout the developing world and in targeting resources appropriately to raise population health. Using microdata on child health taken from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for 47 developing countries, the purpose of this paper is threefold. First, we document the magnitude of rural-urban disparities in child nutritional status and under-5 mortality across all 47 developing countries. Second, we adjust these disparities for differences in population characteristics across urban and rural settings. Third, we examine rural-urban differences in the degree of socioeconomic inequality in these health outcomes. The results demonstrate that there are considerable rural-urban differences in mean child health outcomes in the entire developing world. The rural-urban gap in stunting does not entirely mirror the gap in under-5 mortality. The most striking difference between the two is in the Latin American and Caribbean region, where the gap in growth stunting is more than 1.5 times higher than that in mortality.
The Diagnostic Sensitivity of Dengue Rapid Test Assays Is Significantly Enhanced by Using a Combined Antigen and Antibody Testing Approach

Background Serological tests for IgM and IgG are routinely used in clinical laboratories for the rapid diagnosis of dengue and can differentiate between primary and secondary infections. Dengue virus non-structural protein 1 (NS1) has been identified as an early marker for acute dengue, and is typically present between days 1–9 post-onset of illness but following seroconversion it can be difficult to detect in serum. Aims To evaluate the performance of a newly developed Panbio® Dengue Early Rapid test for NS1 and determine if it can improve diagnostic sensitivity when used in combination with a commercial IgM/IgG rapid test. Methodology The clinical performance of the Dengue Early Rapid was evaluated in a retrospective study in Vietnam with 198 acute laboratory-confirmed positive and 100 negative samples. The performance of the Dengue Early Rapid in combination with the IgM/IgG Rapid test was also evaluated in Malaysia with 263 laboratory-confirmed positive and 30 negative samples. Key Results In Vietnam the sensitivity and specificity of the test was 69.2% (95% CI: 62.8% to 75.6%) and 96% (95% CI: 92.2% to 99.8) respectively. In Malaysia the performance was similar with 68.9% sensitivity (95% CI: 61.8% to 76.1%) and 96.7% specificity (95% CI: 82.8% to 99.9%) compared to RT-PCR. Importantly, when the Dengue Early Rapid test was used in combination with the IgM/IgG test the sensitivity increased to 93.0%. When the two tests were compared at each day post-onset of illness there was clear differentiation between the antigen and antibody markers. Conclusions This study highlights that using dengue NS1 antigen detection in combination with anti-glycoprotein E IgM and IgG serology can significantly increase the sensitivity of acute dengue diagnosis and extends the possible window of detection to include very early acute samples and enhances the clinical utility of rapid immunochromatographic testing for dengue.
Reactions and coping strategies in lay rescuers who have provided CPR to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims: a qualitative study

Objective Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) provided by community citizens is of paramount importance for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) victims' survival. Fortunately, CPR rates by community citizens seem to be rising. However, the experience of providing CPR is rarely investigated. The aim of this study was to explore reactions and coping strategies in lay rescuers who have provided CPR to OHCA victims. Methods, participants This is a qualitative study of 20 lay rescuers who have provided CPR to 18 OHCA victims. We used a semistructured interview guide focusing on their experiences after providing CPR. Setting The study was conducted in the Stavanger region of Norway, an area with very high bystander CPR rates. Results Three themes emerged from the interview analysis: concern, uncertainty and coping strategies. Providing CPR had been emotionally challenging for all lay rescuers and, for some, had consequences in terms of family and work life. Several lay rescuers experienced persistent mental recurrences of the OHCA incident and had concerns about the outcome for the cardiac arrest victim. Unknown or fatal outcomes often caused feelings of guilt and were particularly difficult to handle. Several reported the need to be acknowledged for their CPR attempts. Health-educated lay rescuers seemed to be less affected than others. A common coping strategy was confiding in close relations, preferably the health educated. However, some required professional help to cope with the OHCA incident. Conclusions Lay rescuers experience emotional and social challenges, and some struggle to cope in life after providing CPR in OHCA incidents. Experiencing a positive patient outcome and being a health-educated lay rescuer seem to mitigate concerns. Common coping strategies are attempts to reduce uncertainty towards patient outcome and own CPR quality. Further studies are needed to determine whether an organised professional follow-up can mitigate the concerns and uncertainty of lay rescuers.
New Discrimination Features for SAR Automatic Target Recognition

We propose new features and a redundancy-free feature selection scheme for discriminating targets from clutter in high-resolution synthetic aperture radar imagery. These were found to be very useful for discriminating targets from clutter and well combined with various classical discriminative features. If a feature set with a larger dimension is used, its redundancy may increase. In order to reduce this redundancy, a rank-based feature selection scheme is devised. Our discriminating features and feature selection algorithm are evaluated using the moving and stationary target acquisition and recognition (MSTAR) data set.
Competition and Innovation in Automobile Markets

Using data from the U.S. automobile market, we empirically examine the link between competition and innovation. Consistent with a large literature, we use patent counts as a measure of innovation. The combination of the U.S. market’s economic importance, market dynamics, and the significant intertemporal fluctuations in firms’ market shares and patents make this an interesting market to examine the link between competition and innovation. We use firm-level time-series data over a long horizon (1969-2012) for nine well established firms selling in the U.S. market (GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen, BMW, and Daimler). Some of our key findings are: (1) increase in firms’ market shares result in higher patenting, and the relationship is reasonably non-linear; (2) higher market-wide competition results in an increase in patenting, and the relationship is weakly non-linear; (3) the (absolute) quantitative impact on patents is larger for firms’ market share effect as compared to market-wide competition; (4) there is relatively strong path-dependence in firms’ patenting behavior; and (5) we find interesting results linking patents to GM’s bankruptcy, the Daimler-Chrysler merger, environmental regulations, voluntary export restraints, and firms’ patenting over business cycles.
Using Student-Assessment Results to Improve Instruction: Lessons From a Workshop

The student-assessment results that schools must report to satisfy No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements could be useful in pinpointing strengths and weaknesses in instructional programs and students' skills. However, many school staffs lack the expertise to learn from assessment results. We describe lessons learned from a yearlong workshop aimed at helping 10 schools with this crucial work. Attended by school-based teams consisting of teachers, administrators, and graduate students in education, the workshop (a) explored different types of data and data analyses and (b) helped teams use data to analyze a school-specific problem and create an action plan. Lessons we learned include: schools need (a) a process for engaging in conversations around teaching and learning, (b) an opportunity for support of analyses of data from their school, and (c) leadership committed to the endeavor. Many participating school teams learned lessons from student-assessment results with important implications for instructional improvement.
Structural Priming as Learning: Evidence from Mandarin-Learning 5-Year-Olds

Three experiments on structural priming in Mandarin-speaking 5-year-olds were conducted to test the priming as implicit learning hypothesis. It describes a learning mechanism that acts on a shared abstract syntactic representation in response to linguistic input using an equi-biased Mandarin SVO-ba alternation. The first two experiments reported that these children exhibited reliable structural priming in production-to-production and comprehension-to-production using an adult design. A combined analysis of these two experiments suggests the absence of a significant modality effect, indicating that for these children structural priming was guided by a shared abstract syntactic representation. The absence of a significant effect in the magnitudes of structural priming between SVO structural priming and the ba construction suggests that in processing language young children treat ba as a function word rather than a content word. Experiment 3 involved 12 presentations of both the SVO structure and the ba-construction. Comparisons between Experiments 2 and 3 indicate a cumulative structural priming effect. Further, an inverse-frequency priming effect was found in Experiment 3 for the ba-construction but not the SVO structure. Cumulative and inverse-frequency priming effects indicate the learning properties of structural priming. These results support the priming as implicit learning hypothesis that structural priming is supported by a learning mechanism that acts on a shared syntactic representation in response to input.
Influence of age on the haemoglobin concentration of malaria-infected patients in a reference centre in the Brazilian Amazon

Anaemia is amongst the major complications of malaria, a major public health problem in the Amazon Region in Latin America. We examined the haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations of malaria-infected patients and compared it to that of malaria-negative febrile patients and afebrile controls. The haematological parameters of febrile patients who had a thick-blood-smear performed at an infectious diseases reference centre of the Brazilian Amazon between December 2009-January 2012 were retrieved together with clinical data. An afebrile community control group was composed from a survey performed in a malaria-endemic area. Hb concentrations and anaemia prevalence were analysed according to clinical-epidemiological status and demographic characteristics. In total, 7,831 observations were included. Patients with Plasmodium falciparum infection had lower mean Hb concentrations (10.5 g/dL) followed by P. vivax-infected individuals (12.4 g/dL), community controls (12.8 g/dL) and malaria-negative febrile patients (13.1 g/dL) (p < 0.001). Age, gender and clinical-epidemiological status were strong independent predictors for both outcomes. Amongst malaria-infected individuals, women in the reproductive age had considerably lower Hb concentrations. In this moderate transmission intensity setting, both vivax and falciparum malaria are associated with reduced Hb concentrations and risk of anaemia throughout a wide age range.