Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Germline E-cadherin mutations in hereditary diffuse gastric cancer: assessment of 42 new families and review of genetic screening criteria

Background: Mutations in the E-cadherin (CDH1) gene are a well documented cause of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC). Development of evidence based guidelines for CDH1 screening for HDGC have been complicated by its rarity, variable penetrance, and lack of founder mutations. Methods: Forty three new gastric cancer (GC) families were ascertained from multiple sources. In 42 of these families at least one gastric cancer was pathologically confirmed to be a diffuse gastric cancer (DGC); the other family had intestinal type gastric cancers. Screening of the entire coding region of the CDH1 gene and all intron/exon boundaries was performed by bi-directional sequencing. Results: Novel mutations were found in 13 of the 42 DGC families (31% overall). Twelve of these mutations occur among the 25 families with multiple cases of gastric cancer and with pathologic confirmation of diffuse gastric cancer phenotype in at least one individual under the age of 50 years. The mutations found include small insertions and deletions, splice site mutations, and three non-conservative amino acid substitutions (A298T, W409R, and R732Q). All three missense mutations conferred loss of E-cadherin function in in vitro assays. Multiple cases of breast cancers including pathologically confirmed lobular breast cancers were observed both in mutation positive and negative families. Conclusion: Germline truncating CDH1 mutations are found in 48% of families with multiple cases of gastric cancer and at least one documented case of DGC in an individual under 50 years of age. We recommend that these criteria be used for selecting families for CDH1 mutational analysis.
Creative culture, risk‐taking, and corporate financial decisions

I examine how creative culture affects corporate financial decisions. Firms have corporate risk‐taking behavior and policies consistent with variations in local risk‐taking propensity induced by creative culture. Firms located in areas with a strong creative culture have higher levels of risk exposure, investment, and growth. These firms also accumulate more cash consistent with the precautionary motive. My findings remain robust after controlling for endogeneity and a series of robustness checks. The empirical findings are consistent with the risk‐taking tendency associated with creativity and creative culture. This paper introduces the role of creative culture and risk‐taking in corporate financial decisions.
NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF A TAURINE-CONTAINING IRRIGATION SOLUTION FOR VITRECTOMY

Background: During pars plana vitrectomy, the retina is exposed to several iatrogenic risk factors, including excitotoxicity. A taurine-containing irrigation solution for pars plana vitrectomy (PURI PROTECT) has been developed and is claimed to have neuroprotective properties. Methods: Retinal ganglion cells (RGC-5) and retinal whole mounts were incubated in standard irrigation solution (SIS) and SIS supplemented with 3 mM taurine (SIS-taurine). Excitotoxicity was induced by the addition of 8, 10, and 12 mM or 250 &mgr;M glutamate. Cell viability and cell survival were assessed by the MTT test and Annexin-V/propidium iodide flow cytometry. Whole mounts were stained with the Live/Dead staining assay. Pars plana vitrectomy with SIS or SIS-taurine was performed in rabbits. Animals were followed-up by electroretinography. Results: RGC-5 incubated in SIS-taurine showed a 4.3-fold (P < 0.0005) better overall cell viability and an up to 8.5-fold (P < 0.05) increased cell survival under excitotoxic conditions compared with that incubated in SIS. Whole mounts incubated in SIS-taurine showed a 1.7-fold (P < 0.0005) and 1.6-fold (P < 0.0005) better cell survival under excitotoxic and nonexcitotoxic conditions, respectively. In the immediate postoperative period, b-wave amplitudes were significantly better in animals operated with SIS-taurine compared with control (P < 0.01). Conclusion: A taurine-containing irrigation solution may protect retinal ganglion cells against excitotoxicity.
Preferential Transfection of Adult Mouse Neural Stem Cells and Their Immediate Progeny in Vivo with Polyethylenimine

The subventricular zone of the adult mammalian brain harbors the neural stem cell population with potential neural regeneration and repair capacity. We describe a nonviral technique to preferentially transfect in vivo the adult neural stem cell population and its immediate progeny based on intraventricular injection of PEI/DNA complexes. The transfected population was identified by cellular and ultra-structural evidence showing their proliferating status and expression of the specific markers GFAP and nestin. Stable activation of the lacZ reporter by cre-recombinase transfection in R26R mice demonstrated survival and migration of stem cell derivatives three months after injection. Apoptosis is thought to be the most common fate of the stem cell progeny. Overexpression of Bcl-X(L) increased number and survival time of transduced progenitors and decreased the frequency of cells immunopositive for activated Caspase-3. This method thus provides selective targeting of the stem cell population and should allow an in-depth understanding of their biology.
The level of context dependence of engagement markers in Peninsular Spanish and US business websites

This paper examines the impact of Spaniards’ and North-Americans’ level of context dependence (Hall, 1976) on the engagement markers (Hyland & Tse, 2004) used on the presentation page of 100 business websites from the toy sector (50 from Spain and 50 from the US). Following an observational and a quantitative analysis, the findings reveal remarkable statistical differences in the interactional discourse of this digital genre, which may be a valuable source of information for export companies to introduce their products abroad by means of their business websites. In addition, we believe that the business website can be used in the teaching and learning of Spanish and English for professional purposes, with a special focus on the way interactional discourse is produced and interpreted in this digital genre cross-culturally.
Portfolio optimization using multi-obj ective genetic algorithms

A portfolio optimisation problem involves allocation of investment to a number of different assets to maximize yield and minimize risk in a given investment period. The selected assets in a portfolio not only collectively contribute to its yield but also interactively define its risk as usually measured by a portfolio variance. In this paper we apply various techniques of multiobjective genetic algorithms to solve portfolio optimization with some realistic constraints, namely cardinality constraints, floor constraints and round-lot constraints. The algorithms experimented in this paper are Vector Evaluated Genetic Algorithm (VEGA), Fuzzy VEGA, Multiobjective Optimization Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) , Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2nd version (SPEA2) and Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm 2nd version (NSGA2). The results show that using fuzzy logic to combine optimization objectives of VEGA (in VEGAFuzl) for this problem does improve performances measured by Generation Distance (GD) defined by average distances of the last generation of population to the nearest members of the true Pareto front but its solutions tend to cluster around a few points. MOGA and SPEA2 use some diversification algorithms and they perform better in terms of finding diverse solutions around Pareto front. SPEA2 performs the best even for comparatively small number of generations. NSGA2 performs closed to that of SPEA2 in GD but poor in distribution.
The Impact of Social Grants on Poverty Reduction in South Africa

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the impact of social grants as a social protection measure implemented by the South African government. Literature reviewed in this paper reveals that this anti-poverty measure has contributed significantly towards the reduction of poverty levels in South Africa. The paper examines the social protection measure using the Income and Expenditure Survey data (2010/11). The income decomposition technique is used to analyse household income and the results are presented using the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke indices. However, only the results of the prevalence of poverty (headcount) are explained in this paper. The results show that social grants are well-targeted and have significantly reduced poverty levels in areas with high poverty rates such as the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces, among the African population, in female-headed households and in rural areas.
Ruminant Rhombencephalitis-Associated Listeria monocytogenes Strains Constitute a Genetically Homogeneous Group Related to Human Outbreak Strains

ABSTRACT Listeriosis is a disease that causes significant economic losses at the farm level because of high morbidity and mortality in ruminants. This study was performed to investigate the role of ruminants in the epidemiology of listeriosis in northern Italy and the possible association of animal-adapted strains of Listeria monocytogenes with strains associated with human disease. Twenty ruminant rhombencephalitis isolates previously confirmed as L. monocytogenes by bacteriology and PCR were characterized by serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multi-virulence-locus sequence typing (MVLST), and multiplex single nucleotide polymorphism (mSNP) typing for the detection of epidemic clones. Subtyping results were subsequently compared with those obtained from human, food, and environmental isolates of L. monocytogenes, including 311 isolates from the University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy, and 165 isolates representing major human listeriosis outbreaks worldwide, in addition to other unrelated isolates. Both mSNP typing and MVLST showed that 60% of the isolates analyzed belonged to epidemic clone I (ECI), which has been epidemiologically linked to several human outbreaks of listeriosis. In particular, the 1981 Canada outbreak was linked to the use of sheep manure and the 1985 California outbreak was linked to the use of raw cow's milk. In our study, ECI isolates were collected from different ruminant species on geographically and temporally distinct occasions for the last 13 years. Our results support the hypothesis that ruminants represent possible natural reservoirs of L. monocytogenes strains capable of causing epidemics of listeriosis in humans.
Changes in the Microflora and Physiology of the Anterior Intestinal Tract of Pigs Weaned at 2 Days, with Special Reference to the Pathogenesis of Diarrhea

The gastrointestinal microflora and gastric physiology of piglets weaned at 2 days was compared with that of piglets allowed to continue sucking the sow. Although there was a significantly higher count of Escherichia coli in the stomach, duodenum, and jejunum of the early-weaned compared with sow-reared pigs, these differences were not detectable in samples from the ileum. There were no quantitative differences in lactobacilli and in streptococci between the two treatments. Lactobacillus fermentum, L. acidophilus, Streptococcus salivarius, S. bovis, and related biotypes were isolated from both groups of pigs. L. fermentum and S. salivarius were isolated more frequently from sow-reared piglets. The weight of digesta in the stomach was greater in weaned than in sucking pigs and was even greater in scouring weaned pigs, suggesting that in scouring pigs there may be gastric stasis. The gastric pH was higher in the weaned pigs at 4 days of age, but gradually decreased up to 10 days, during which time the lactic acid concentration rose. In weaned pigs there was a highly significant negative correlation between pH and lactic acid concentration in the stomach digesta, and also a positive correlation between pH and number of E. coli. These correlations suggest that lactic acid, from bacterial fermentation, is the major component in the regulation of gastric pH in weaned pigs. Three of twenty sucking pigs, but none of the weaned pigs, were secreting HCl (chloride concentration > 3 mg/g, pH < 3.5). In sucking pigs there was an inverse relationship between the chloride and lactic acid concentrations in the digesta. In weaned scouring pigs there was a nonsignificant increase in pepsin concentration in the stomach tissue. There was a threefold increase in the total proteolytic activity of the stomach tissue.
Comparison of methods for detection of colonization factor antigens on enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Fecal Escherichia coli isolates from 196 patients with watery diarrhea and 68 healthy individuals (controls) were analyzed in Bangladesh immediately after isolation for the presence of colonization factor antigen (CFA) I or II (CFA/I or CFA/II, respectively) by a mannose-resistant hemagglutination (MRHA) test with six species of erythrocytes and by a slide agglutination test with absorbed CFA/I or CFA/II antisera. The presence of CFAs was confirmed by immunodiffusion analyses done in Sweden. By these methods, it was found that 49 of 69 enterotoxin-producing E. coli strains isolated from patients carried CFA/I or CFA/II, whereas none of the nonenterotoxigenic E. coli isolates or the three toxin-positive strains isolated from healthy individuals carried these adhesins. All E. coli strains retained their MRHA ability after transportation to Sweden followed by one subculture and after storage at -70 degrees C (but not at room temperature) for 1 to 2 years without further subculturing. After 5 to 10 subcultures of the fresh isolates, however, 70% of the initially CFA/I- and 80% of the initially CFA/II-carrying strains analyzed did not hemagglutinate. The efficacy of different methods for detecting CFAs on the fresh isolates was compared with that of immunodiffusion. The sensitivity of MRHA with human blood group A erythrocytes for the detection of CFA/I was high (97%), but the specificity was only 69%. The sensitivity of MRHA with bovine erythrocytes for the detection of CFA/II in Bangladesh was very low but increased considerably when chicken erythrocytes were also used. Whereas both false-positive and false-negative reactions were obtained when absorbed CFA antisera were used for agglutination, antisera against purified CFAs were equally effective as immunodiffusion in identifying CFA/I and CFA/II-carrying strains.
Money, the Rate of Devaluation and Interest Rates in a Semi-Open Economy: Colombia 1968-1982

In this paper an empirical model for analyzing the behavior of nominal interest rates in a semi-open economy is developed. The model explicitly incorporates both the role of open economy factors (i.e., world interest rates, expected rate of devaluation) and domestic monetary conditions in explaining interest rates movement. The model is tested using quarterly data for Colombia for 1968-1982. The results obtained indicate that the semi-open characterization is adequate for the case of Colombia, and that world interest rates, the rate of devaluation and domestic monetary conditions have affected domestic nominal interest rates during the period under consideration. The results also indicate that unanticipated increases in the nominal quantity of money have exercised a negative effect on nominal interest rates in Colombia.
The use of poloxamer hydrogels for the assessment of biofilm susceptibility towards biocide treatments

P. GILBERT, M.V. JONES, D.G. ALLISON, S. HEYS, T. MAIRA AND P. WOOD. 1998. Poloxamer F127 is a non‐toxic, di‐block copolymer of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene. Aqueous solutions (30% w/v) show thermoreversible gelation, being liquid at temperatures < 15 °C and robust gels at temperatures > 15 °C. Chilled poloxamer (30% in tryptone soya broth) was mixed with an inoculum of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (104 cfu ml−1) and placed as 100 μl drops onto separate glass cover‐slips. These were placed into sealed Petri dishes containing moistened cotton wool and incubated at 35 °C. Viable counts could be performed on the poloxamer gels by transfer of the coverslips to diluents at < 15 °C. Growth curves in the gels and in liquid batch cultures were indistinguishable from one another with stationary phase cell densities, being approximately 5 times 1010 cfu ml−1 in each at 16 h. SDS‐PAGE of cell envelope preparations showed the poloxamer‐grown cells to exhibit a biofilm rather than planktonic phenotype. Susceptibility towards various concentrations of chlorhexidine, iodine and hydrogen peroxide was assessed for 10 min at 35 °C for suspensions of broth‐grown cells and for incubated poloxamer‐gels (1 and 16 h). The gels were immersed in biocide, on their glass supports, before transfer to neutralizer at 10 °C where dissolution was complete within 5 min. Further serial dilutions and plate counts were made. While modest decreases in susceptibility towards all biocides were associated with incorporation of the inoculum with the gel (1 h incubation), substantial changes were noted after prolonged incubation and adaptation to a biofilm phenotype (16 h incubation). The gel populations mimic the localized high cell densities observed in biofilms and will also be subject to the same nutrient and chemical gradients as found within natural biofilms. Thermoreversible gelation enables complete recovery of the test inoculum without further trauma. They therefore provide an effective model for assessing biofilm susceptibility towards biocides and would be suitable for screening programmes.
The effect of changing intraocular pressure on the corneal and scleral curvatures in the fresh porcine eye

Aim: To measure corneal and scleral radii of curvature in response to intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods: Using digital photographic profile images of 16 fresh porcine eyes, the curvatures of the cornea and sclera were determined in response to five consecutive incremental 100 μl saline intravitreal injections. IOP was measured and ocular rigidity calculated. Elastic moduli of the cornea and sclera were estimated. Results: Intraocular pressure and the radius of curvature of the sclera increased linearly with increasing volume. There was no statistical change in corneal curvature. The elasticity of the cornea and sclera was constant during the 15–50 mm Hg increase in IOP. The estimated range of the elastic moduli of the cornea and sclera were, respectively 0.07–0.29 MPa and 0.2 MPa to 0.5 MPa. The scleral rigidity ranged from 0.0017 to 0.0022. Conclusions: The elastic moduli of the cornea and sclera are independent of IOP. The modulus of elasticity of the sclera is higher than that of the cornea. Elevation of IOP changes the curvature of the sclera but not that of the cornea. Porcine scleral rigidity is similar to human scleral rigidity. Scleral curvature could be a novel method for measuring IOP.
What Makes Youth Become NEET? The Evidence from Russian LFS

This article addresses the issue of socio-demographic factors of becoming NEET, i.e. dropping out of employment, education or training for individuals aged 15-24. Empirical analysis was based on the micro-data of Russian Labour Force Survey (LFS) by Federal State Statistics Service for 1995-2015. The paper introduces the results of the analysis of the impact of education on NEET status, which were conducted for Russia on the basis of regression estimations for the first time. Contrary to previous studies, higher education doesn’t provide a universal ”safety net” from NEET status for all young people. NEET-unemployed youth in Russia mainly have tertiary education of one level or another, while NEET inactivity is concentrated among those who have only primary education and the size of the effect becomes even more pronounced for rural residents and females
Donor lymphocyte infusions to treat hematologic malignancies in relapse after allogeneic blood or marrow transplantation.

BACKGROUND Patients with hematologic malignancies in relapse after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation can be treated by infusing leukocytes from the original stem cell donor. METHODS The published literature on donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) was reviewed. RESULTS DLI induces complete remissions in the majority of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in early-stage relapse and in less than 30% of patients with relapsed acute leukemia, myelodysplasia, and multiple myeloma. DLI-induced remissions of chronic phase CML are durable, but as many as half of patients with other diseases ultimately relapse. Complications of DLI include acute and chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) and aplasia, which induce profound immunosuppression and susceptibility to opportunistic infections. There is a strong correlation of GVHD and disease response. CONCLUSIONS Novel methods of augmenting the antitumor efficacy of DLI and of dissociating the graft-vs-leukemia effect from GVHD are needed. These studies will require an improved understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of alloreactivity and the development of novel agents to control the nature and intensity of the alloimmune response.
Quality of Life in Children and Families With Bleeding Disorders

Quality of life (QoL) in children and adolescents with bleeding disorders and their families is a relatively new topic. It is important to understand more about QoL in this patient population to evaluate and if necessary to improve the care patients receive. To achieve this aim, a questionnaire to assess patients' QoL in hemophilia was developed and psychometrically tested. Three hundred twenty hemophiliac children and adolescents from six European countries and their families were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding different aspects of their well-being and functioning, as well as their views on hemophilia care. Generic QoL questionnaires showed that children with hemophilia have a higher QoL than other patients with chronic disease, such as asthma/atopic dermatitis and obesity. Several determinants affected patients' QoL (e.g., number of bleeds, social support). Parents' and children's assessments differed with regard to social and emotional aspects of QoL. The study showed that variations in QoL can be explained by clinical and psychosocial factors and suggested that QoL can be assessed and enhanced both by medical and non-medical (e.g., psychological) interventions.