Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IFN Regulatory Factor 10 Is a Negative Regulator of the IFN Responses in Fish

IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 10 belongs to the IRF family and exists exclusively in birds and fish. Most IRFs have been identified as critical regulators in the IFN responses in both fish and mammals; however, the role of IRF10 is unclear. In this study, we identified IRF10 in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and found that it serves as a negative regulator to balance the innate antiviral immune responses. Zebrafish IRF10 (DrIRF10) was induced by intracellular polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid in ZF4 (zebrafish embryo fibroblast-like) cells. DrIRF10 inhibited the activation of zebrafish IFN1 (DrIFN1) and DrIFN3 promoters in epithelioma papulosum cyprinid cells in the presence or absence of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid stimulation through direct interaction with the IFN promoters, and this inhibition was also shown to block IFN signaling. Overexpression of DrIRF10 was able to abolish the induction of DrIFN1 and DrIFN3 mediated by the retinoic acid–inducible gene I–like receptors. In addition, functional domain analysis of DrIRF10 showed that either the DNA binding domain or the IRF association domain is sufficient for its inhibitory activity for IFN signaling. Lastly, overexpression of DrIRF10 decreased the transcription level of several IFN-stimulated genes, resulting in the susceptibility of host cells to spring viremia of carp virus infection. Collectively, these data suggest that DrIRF10 inhibits the expression of DrIFN1 and DrIFN3 to avoid an excessive immune response, a unique regulation mechanism of the IFN responses in lower vertebrates.
Mesothelioma from asbestos exposures: Epidemiologic patterns and impact in the United States

ABSTRACT Mesothelioma, a rare tumor, is highly correlated with asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma, similar to all asbestos-related diseases, is dose/intensity dependent to some degree, and studies showed the risk of mesothelioma rises with cumulative exposures. Multiple processes occur in an individual before mesothelioma occurs. The impact of mesothelioma in the United States has been continuous over the last half century, claiming between 2,000 and 3,000 lives each year. Mesothelioma is a preventable tumor that is more frequently reported as associated with asbestos exposure among men than women. However, the rate of asbestos-associated mesothelioma is on the rise among women due to better investigation into their histories of asbestos exposure. It is of interest that investigators detected asbestos-associated cases of mesothelioma in women from nonoccupational sources—that is, bystander, incidental, or take-home exposures. It is postulated that asbestos-associated mesotheliomas, in both men and women, are likely underreported. However, with the implementation of the most recent ICD-10 coding system, the correlation of mesothelioma with asbestos exposure is expected to rise to approximately 80% in the United States. This study examined the demographic and etiological nature of asbestos-related mesothelioma.
Physical trauma--a leading cause of medico legal cases at DHQ Hospital Abbottabad.

BACKGROUND Trauma is one of leading cause of suffering to mankind. No study has yet been done to see the incidence, pattern of injury, outcome and declaration according to Qisas and Diyat in the city of Abbottabad. The objectives of the study were to determine the frequency of age and sex with type of lesion and causative weapon after trauma in a medico-legal clinic and to find the impact on the commonest target organs in the study area. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted at District Headquarter Hospital, Abbottabad between 1st January 2004 and 31st December 2004. Cases presenting for medico legal examination in Medico-legal Department of DHQ Hospital Abbottabad. Patients were selected on basis of purposive sampling technique. Physical trauma group was sub-divided into firearms, sharp, blunt and road traffic accident. This group was further classified according to age, sex, area of body involved, type of weapon, seasonal prevalence, and whether injuries were declared according to Qisas and Diyat ordinance. RESULTS A total of 759 cases of physical trauma reported for medico-legal examination. Out of 759 cases of physical trauma, 3.4% cases of firearm weapon, 7.9% cases of sharp weapon, 16.2% of road traffic accidents, and 72.5% of blunt weapon presented in the medico-legal clinic. Male preponderance with 97% was noted. Two-third of victims were between 10 and 39 years of age. The months of May-July and October-December showed slightly elevated number of cases. The head and neck was the most commonly involved area. No case was certified according to Qisas and Diyat Ordinance. CONCLUSION Physical trauma constitutes the leading cause to the mankind which makes about 91.6% of cases. Males between 10 to 39 years of age are most likely to be victims. The face and head is the most affected area.
Transformative impact of Magnet designation: England case study.

AIMS To test the impact of the implementation of Magnet principles of improving nurses' work environments. BACKGROUND Magnet hospital designation developed in the USA in the 1980s to recognise hospitals that had created excellent patient care environments and supported the professional practice of nursing. A pilot initiative in England was the first test of the applicability of Magnet standards outside the USA. METHODS Research methods included surveys of nurses in the demonstration hospital in a predesign and postdesign and comparisons to survey results of nurses practicing in a national sample of 30 National Health Service Trusts. RESULTS Prior to beginning the Magnet journey, the demonstration hospital had a nurse work environment that was somewhat less positive than the national sample NHS hospitals. Nurses practicing in the demonstration hospital were somewhat less satisfied with their jobs than nurses in other NHS hospitals. Following a two-year period during which the evidence-based Magnet standards were implemented and Magnet Designation was awarded, the quality of the nurse practice environment had improved significantly, as had job satisfaction of nurses and their appraisals of the quality of patient care. The quality of the nurse practice environment after Magnet designation was better than that of a national sample of NHS trusts. Improved nurse outcomes were because of the improved practice environment rather than staffing enhancements. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of the Magnet hospital intervention was associated with a significantly improved nursing work environment as well as improved job-related outcomes for nurses and markers for quality of patient care. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Nurses can use Magnet principles to improve the quality of their work environments.
Simulating mergers in a vertical supply chain with bargaining

We model a two-level supply chain where Nash bargaining occurs upstream, while ﬁrms compete in a diﬀerentiated products logit setting downstream. The parameters of this model can be calibrated with a discrete set of data on prices, margins, and market shares. Using a series of numerical experiments, we illustrate how the model can simulate the outcome of both horizontal and vertical mergers. In addition, we extend the framework to allow for downstream competition via a second score auction.
Independent and Interactive Contributions of Parenting Behaviors and Beliefs in the Prediction of Early Childhood Behavior Problems

SYNOPSIS Objective. This study examined interactions between parenting beliefs and parenting behaviors in the prediction of early childhood externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Design. The authors observed sensitive and negative intrusive parenting behaviors during infancy and toddlerhood in conjunction with self-reported maternal beliefs about the importance of discipline/control and concerns regarding spoiling in a community sample of 185 African American and European American mother–child dyads. Multiple regression techniques modeled interactions between parenting self-reported parenting beliefs and observed parenting behaviors to predict mother-reported child internalizing symptoms and mother-reported child externalizing symptoms at 30 and 36 months. The analyses also explored the role of ethnicity as a moderator of these relations. Results. The combination of high and average spoiling beliefs and low levels of sensitive parenting was associated with elevated child internalizing symptoms. Negative parenting and beliefs reflecting concerns about spoiling were independent risk factors for elevated child externalizing symptoms. Conclusion. Parenting beliefs and behaviors should be considered jointly to identify risks for the development of early behavior problems.
Gαq negatively regulates the Wnt‐β‐catenin pathway and dorsal embryonic Xenopus laevis development

The non‐canonical Wnt/Ca2+ signaling pathway has been implicated in the regulation of axis formation and gastrulation movements during early Xenopus laevis embryo development, by antagonizing the canonical Wnt/β‐catenin dorsalizing pathway and specifying ventral cell fate. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in this antagonist crosstalk are not known. Since Gαq is the main regulator of Ca2+ signaling in vertebrates and from this perspective probably involved in the events elicited by the non‐canonical Wnt/Ca2+ pathway, we decided to study the effect of wild‐type Xenopus Gq (xGαq) in dorso‐ventral axis embryo patterning. Overexpression of xGαq or its endogenous activation at the dorsal animal region of Xenopus embryo both induced a strong ventralized phenotype and inhibited the expression of dorsal‐specific mesoderm markers goosecoid and chordin. Dorsal expression of an xGαq dominant‐negative mutant reverted the xGαq‐induced ventralized phenotype. Finally, we observed that the Wnt8‐induced secondary axis formation is reverted by endogenous xGαq activation, indicating that it is negatively regulating the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. J. Cell. Physiol. 214: 483–490, 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
When the earth stops shaking: earthquake sequelae among children diagnosed for pre-earthquake psychopathology.

OBJECTIVE To examine risk and protective processes for posttraumatic stress reactions and negative sequelae following the Northridge earthquake (EQ) among youths diagnosed for pre-EQ psychopathology. METHOD Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, general anxiety, and social impairment were evaluated using telephone interviews among 66 children participating in a family-genetic study of childhood-onset depression at the time of the EQ. RESULTS Significant predictors of PTSD symptoms 1 year after the EQ included perceived stress and resource loss associated with the EQ, a pre-EQ anxiety disorder, and more frequent use of cognitive and avoidance coping strategies. PTSD symptoms were associated with high rates of concurrent general anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and social adjustment problems with friends. The only significant correlation between sibling scores was on measures of sibling reports of objective exposure. CONCLUSIONS Preexisting anxiety disorders represent a risk factor for postdisaster PTSD reactions. Postdisaster services need to attend to the needs of these youths as well as those of youths experiencing high levels of subjective stress, resource loss, and/or high exposure. That children within families show significant variation in postdisaster reactions underscores the need for attention to individual child characteristics and unshared environmental attributes.
Building brands through experiential events: When entertainment meets education

Experiential marketing is increasingly getting companies’ attention as a strategy to interact with consumers and engage them to better convey their brand image and positioning. However, its effects are still unclear both at the aggregate and individual levels. This paper addresses this topic and presents a field experiment investigating the effects of experiential marketing on brand image in retailing. Two similar consumer electronics stores with different strategies – traditional vs. experiential – constitute the setting in which a field experiment has been run. Two similar samples of consumers took part in our study by visiting one of these two stores, and answering a questionnaire before and after the visit with the primary goal to investigate the brand image and its changes due to the shopping visit. Brand image was measured as the overall brand attitude – via four items – and five specific desired brand claims that the company wanted to convey to consumers. Findings show that engaged consumers through the multisensory and interactive event arranged in the experiential store register higher levels of both brand attitude and all brand claims than those visiting the traditional store, and that the increase in both the dependent variables after the visit of the experiential store is higher than the increase in the traditional store. Thus, experiential stores are not only able to entertain consumers, but they are also able to educate them, by conveying them a set of brand claims more effectively than the traditional store. Key words: Events, experiential marketing, field experiment, brand management, brand image, multisensoriality.
Introduction: ‘Dying for Gold’: The Effects of Mineral Miningon HIV, Tuberculosis, Silicosis, and Occupational Diseases in Southern Africa

This article begins a special series, a roundtable discussion on mining activity and health, edited by David Stuckler, Sarah Steele, Mark Lurie, and Sanjay Basu. Mineral mining is among the world's most hazardous occupations. It is especially dangerous in southern Africa, where mining activity is a leading cause of HIV and tuberculosis epidemics. Inside mines, silica dust exposure causes long-term pulmonary damage. Living conditions are often substandard; poorly ventilated living quarters facilitate tuberculosis and airborne disease spread, and high rates of alcohol and tobacco use compromise immune responses. Family segregation, a legacy of apartheid's migrational labor system, increases the likelihood of risky sexual activity. Sex trafficking in women increases risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and labor trafficking in men through poorly regulated labor brokering impedes access to health care. Labor migration spreads mining hazards to rural, labor-supplying communities. Cross-border care is often inadequate or nonexistent, contributing to significantly greater rates of extensive and multi-drug resistance in miners, ex-miners, their families, and communities. Miners in high-income countries, working for the same transnational companies, do not experience elevated rates of death and disability. Cost-effective interventions can reduce HIV incidence through social housing, curb trafficking of high-risk groups, stop tuberculosis spread through screening and detection, and reduce drug resistance by standardizing cross-border care. Urgent action is needed to respond to mining's staggering, yet avoidable disease toll in sub-Saharan Africa.
How Have Shanghai, Saudi Arabia, and Supply Chains Affected U.S. Inflation Dynamics?

Understanding and forecasting inflation has always been a key focus of macroeconomics and monetary policymaking. Historically, many macroeconomists and central banks have relied on the ? Phillips curve? framework for this purpose. Recently, however, the Phillips curve framework has not been performing well. This article examines a number of possible explanations for the breakdown of the ? Phillips curve? relationship between slack and inflation. These explanations include the possibility that the curve may have flattened or shifted, that standard measures may not be capturing key aspects of the relationship, or that a series of ? unfortunate? and unprecedented events may have obscured the underlying relationship. Each of these explanations has some merit and support, but each seems unable to explain how inflation dynamics have evolved over the past decade. This article suggests that what is missing is a more comprehensive treatment of how globalization has affected domestic prices, through channels such as increased trade flows, the greater economic heft of emerging markets, and increased ease of using global supply chains to shift parts of production to cheaper locations. This greater role for globalization in explaining inflation, however, does not mean that the standard Phillips curve framework is ? dead. Rather, macroeconomists and monetary policymakers should update their existing models in two key ways: to include global parameters more explicitly and allow these parameters to adjust over time with the world economy.
Hyperinsulinemia for the development of hypertension: data from the Hawaii-Los Angeles-Hiroshima Study.

The present study was to assess the association of metabolic factors including hyperinsulinemia, with the development of hypertension in Japanese-Americans. One hundred forty normotensive (<140/90 mmHg) subjects aged 40 to 69 years old from the Hawaii-Los Angeles-Hiroshima study were followed for 15 years. Patients with cardiovascular disease were excluded. Body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), uric acid (UA), and glucose and insulin responses at baseline, 1 h, and 2 h after a glucose load were analyzed. Seventeen subjects became hypertensive (systolic BP > or = 160 mmHg, diastolic BP > or = 95 mmHg, or received drug treatment) during follow-up. Age- and sex-adjusted BMI, BP, serum UA, TG, insulin, and changes in fasting glucose during follow-up were higher in subjects who later became hypertensive than in those who did not. There was no difference in the change in BMI. Age- and sex-adjusted relative risks for the development of hypertension by quartiles of BMI, serum UA, TG, and the sum of insulin values (sigmainsulin) during a glucose load were highest in highest quartile of the distribution. When age, sex, systolic BP, BMI, serum UA, TC, TG, fasting glucose, sigmainsulin, and the change in BMI were used in a proportional hazard analysis, hyperinsulinemia, hyperuricemia, and systolic BP were found to be significant risk factors for hypertension. In conclusion, hyperinsulinemia, as well as obesity, hyperuricemia, and hypertriglyceridemia were associated with hypertension in Japanese-Americans. Hyperinsulinemia and hyperuricemia were independent predictors of the development of hypertension.
Time Investment in Drug Supply Problems by Flemish Community Pharmacies

Introduction: Drug supply problems are a known problem for pharmacies. Community and hospital pharmacies do everything they can to minimize impact on patients. This study aims to quantify the time spent by Flemish community pharmacies on drug supply problems. Materials and Methods: During 18 weeks, employees of 25 community pharmacies filled in a template with the total time spent on drug supply problems. The template stated all the steps community pharmacies could undertake to manage drug supply problems. Results: Considering the median over the study period, the median time spent on drug supply problems was 25 min per week, with a minimum of 14 min per week and a maximum of 38 min per week. After calculating the median of each pharmacy, large differences were observed between pharmacies: about 25% spent less than 15 min per week and one-fifth spent more than 1 h per week. The steps on which community pharmacists spent most time are: (i) “check missing products from orders,” (ii) “contact wholesaler/manufacturers regarding potential drug shortages,” and (iii) “communicating to patients. ” These three steps account for about 50% of the total time spent on drug supply problems during the study period. Conclusion: Community pharmacies spend about half an hour per week on drug supply problems. Although 25 min per week does not seem that much, the time spent is not delineated and community pharmacists are constantly confronted with drug supply problems.
Bacillary Angiomatosis Associated With Pseudoepitheliomatous Hyperplasia

Bacillary angiomatosis is an opportunistic bacterial infection caused by either Bartonella henselae or B. quintana. The classic histologic presentation of bacillary angiomatosis involves three components: a lobular proliferation of capillaries with enlarged endothelial cells, neutrophilic debris, and clumps of finely granular material identified as bacteria with staining techniques. Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia is a histologic reaction pattern characterized by epithelial proliferation in response to a variety of stimuli, including mycobacterial, fungal, and bacterial infections. We describe a case of bacillary angiomatosis associated with pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia in an immunocompromised patient with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Histologic examination of a finger lesion demonstrated a capillary proliferation with neutrophilic debris and characteristic amorphous granular deposits. Warthin-Starry and Giemsa staining revealed clumps of coccobacilli. Cervical lymph node tissue also revealed organisms identified as Bartonella with PCR techniques. Stains and cultures for acid fast bacilli, fungus, and bacteria were negative. To our knowledge, there has been only one other report of bacillary angiomatosis presenting with pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia. We conclude that the differential diagnosis of entities associated with pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia should be expanded to include bacillary angiomatosis.
High performance SAR ADC with offset and noise tolerance

This paper presents a modified offset and noise tolerant technique for successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). With the coarse comparator adopted in the first (n - m - 1) cycles and the fine comparator working in the rest (m + 2) cycles, the tolerance capability of this technique is ±2mLSB. A prototype 10b 100MS/s SAR ADC with this technique is presented under 0. 13μm CMOS technology. Voltage-Controlled-Delay-Line (VCDL) is adopted in the comparator to minimize offset, noise and power dissipation. At 1.2V supply and 100MS/s, the prototype SAR ADC achieves 9.56 bits effective-number-of-bit (ENOB) and consumes 1.66mW energy, resulting in a figure-of-merit (FoM) of 22fJ/conv.
Chiral CE Separation of Dopamine-Derived Neurotoxins

An enantiomeric separation of dopamine-derived neurotoxins by capillary electrophoresis has been developed. Tetrahydroisoquinoline (TIQ), dopamine (DA), ( R / S )-1-benzyl-TIQ (BTIQ), ( R / S )-6,7-dihydroxy-1-methyl-TIQ (salsolinol, Sal), and ( R / S )-6,7-dihydroxy-1, 2-dimethyl-TIQ ( N -methyl-salsolinol, NMSal) were studied as model compounds. The CE running buffer (50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 3.0) contained 1.5 M urea and 12 mM β -CD as a chiral selector. During separation, the ( R )-enantiomers formed more stable inclusion complexes with β -CD, and thus had a longer migration time than their optical antipodes. It was noticed that the recovery rates of these TIQ derivatives were very poor (< 15%) during protein precipitation, a procedure widely used for cleaning up biological samples. The recovery was significantly improved by pre-mixing the sample with a surfactant ( e.g ., sodium hexanesulfonate or Triton X-100) to reduce the co-precipitation. The present method in combination with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was applied to study samples obtained from in vitro incubation of two catecholamines, dopamine and epinine, with aldehydes forming neurotoxins including ( S )- and ( R )-NMSal enantiomers. The later is known to induce Parkinsonism in rats.