Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trends in hematological cancer in the elderly in Denmark, 1980–2012

Abstract Background The number of hematological malignancies is expected to increase as the Danish population ages within the next few decades. Despite this, data on the course of hematological cancers among the oldest patients are sparse with many intervention studies focusing on younger age groups. The aim of this study is to present Danish incidence and mortality rates among older patients with non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Material and methods Nationwide population-based study presenting the incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of NHL, MM, and AML with a focus on the elderly population in Denmark during the last few decades. Data were drawn from the NORDCAN database. Results Incidence rates of NHL, MM, CLL and AML were 10–50 times higher among the population aged 70 years or more than among the younger population. An increasing incidence with stable or decreased mortality rates was seen mainly among elderly patients with NHL during the last few decades, leading to increased survival and a greater prevalence of patients with NHL. Increased relative survival and prevalence could also be seen among elderly patients with MM and CLL, while the trends of the incidence rates were inconclusive for these diseases. Survival among patients with AML improved most notably in those aged below 70 years leading to an increased prevalence of AML patients predominantly in this age group. Conclusion Improvements in diagnostics and treatment have led to increased survival and therefore prevalence of elderly patients with NHL, MM, CLL and AML during the past decades.
Apoptosis in Macrophages and Alveolar Epithelial Cells during Early Stages of Infection by Legionella pneumophila and Its Role in Cytopathogenicity

ABSTRACT The hallmark of Legionnaires’ disease is intracellular replication of Legionella pneumophila within cells in the alveolar spaces. Cytopathogenicity of this bacterium to the host cell has been well demonstrated, but the mechanisms of host cell death due to infection by L. pneumophila are not well understood. In this study, induction of apoptosis in macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells by L. pneumophila during early stages of infection was confirmed by using multiple criteria, including DNA fragmentation by agarose gel electrophoresis, terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, surface exposure of phosphatidylserine, and cellular morphology by transmission electron microscopy. Induction of nuclear apoptosis in L. pneumophila-infected macrophages is mediated by activation of the caspase cascade death machinery. We provide genetic and biochemical evidence thatL. pneumophila-induced apoptosis in macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells does not require intracellular bacterial replication or new protein synthesis. In addition, extracellularL. pneumophila is capable of inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, induction of apoptosis by L. pneumophilacorrelates with cytopathogenicity. We conclude that L. pneumophila-induced apoptosis in macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells plays an important role in cytopathogenicity to the host cell during early stages of infection.
Augmented APP (A2P2) module for a posteriori probability calculation and channel parameter tracking

The augmented a posteriori probability (APP) module, denoted by A/sup 2/P/sup 2/, comprises two mutually supporting algorithms: (1) a soft-input soft-output (SISO) APP module, adjusted to output edge metric information and (2) a recursive estimator for the channel parameters that benefits from this information at each step of the recursion. The thus-estimated parameters appropriately transform, in turn, the channel output signals that feed the SISO module. When applied to decoding a parallel concatenated convolutional code (PCCC) transmitted by binary phase-shift keying through a channel with frequency offset (0.08/T/sub s/ Hz) and phase jitter (0.23-rad RMS), concentrated at 0.01/T/sub s/ Hz, (T/sub s/-symbol duration), the degradation compared to fully coherent reception is a small fraction of 1 dB, without use of a preamble.
Justisigns: A European Overview of Sign Language Interpreting Provision in Legal Settings

The Directive 2010/64/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 establishes common minimum rules for European Union (EU) countries on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings as well as in proceedings for the execution of the European arrest warrant. This provision as well as the right to sign language as a human right reiterated by the EUD in the Brussels Declaration ensure that deaf sign language users can access the justice system, typically through sign language interpreters. There is a growing body of literature that examines sign language interpreting provision and practices in legal contexts in various countries. The common theme in the results of all these studies is the limitations faced by deaf sign language users in gaining access to justice, either through inadequate interpreting provision, poor quality interpreting services, or lack of training, accreditation and standards for legal SLIs. This paper reports on a survey that was developed as part of the Justisigns project to provide an overview of the current status of sign language interpreting in legal settings across Europe to better understand what the training needs of interpreters, and other stakeholders such as police officers and deaf people themselves might be. Drawing on key themes from the European Commission survey on legal interpreting in the EU (Hertog & Van Gucht, 2008) and the survey of ASL legal interpreters in the United States (Roberson, Russell & Shaw, 2011), a questionnaire instrument was developed and delivered through an online survey tool. The findings reveal that there are inconsistencies in how legal sign language interpreting provision occurs across Europe.
Molecular Determinants of Substrate Specificity in Sodium-coupled Glutamate Transporters*

Background: Archaeal and brain transporters differ in substrate specificity. Results: Two residues from hairpin 2 play a role in the substrate specificity of a glutamate transporter homologue. Conclusion: Hairpin 2 plays a role in the selection and translocation of the substrate. Significance: This work provides new insights into the molecular basis of substrate specificity of transporters. Crystal structures of the archaeal homologue GltPh have provided important insights into the molecular mechanism of transport of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Whereas mammalian glutamate transporters can translocate both glutamate and aspartate, GltPh is only one capable of aspartate transport. Most of the amino acid residues that surround the aspartate substrate in the binding pocket of GltPh are highly conserved. However, in the brain transporters, Thr-352 and Met-362 of the reentrant hairpin loop 2 are replaced by the smaller Ala and Thr, respectively. Therefore, we have studied the effects of T352A and M362T on binding and transport of aspartate and glutamate by GltPh. Substrate-dependent intrinsic fluorescence changes were monitored in transporter constructs containing the L130W mutation. GltPh-L130W/T352A exhibited an ∼15-fold higher apparent affinity for l-glutamate than the wild type transporter, and the M362T mutation resulted in an increased affinity of ∼40-fold. An even larger increase of the apparent affinity for l-glutamate, around 130-fold higher than that of wild type, was observed with the T352A/M362T double mutant. Radioactive uptake experiments show that GltPh-T352A not only transports aspartate but also l-glutamate. Remarkably, GltPh-M362T exhibited l-aspartate but not l-glutamate transport. The double mutant retained the ability to transport l-glutamate, but its kinetic parameters were very similar to those of GltPh-T352A alone. The differential impact of mutation on binding and transport of glutamate suggests that hairpin loop 2 not only plays a role in the selection of the substrate but also in its translocation.
Phenoxetol as a formaldehyde-removing agent for long-term preservation: our experience

On 10 June 2011, the US National Toxicology Program described formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen". However, formaldehyde is not just a human carcinogen but the cause of other many hazards; respiratory distress, red eyes, etc. Occupational health authorities throughout the world are therefore likely to increase the strictness of regulations for the use of formaldehyde within anatomical disciplines. This study evaluates an alternative for formaldehyde as a preservative for cadavers and human tissues. Tissue samples preserved in 4% formaldehyde were compared with those in 1% Phenoxetol (prefixed in formaldehyde) over a year. Histology slides prepared using Phenoxetol as a preservative were also compared with the conventional ones.The soft consistency, color and flexibility, especially at joints of specimens preserved in Phenoxetol, were found to be suitable for dissection, demonstration and display purposes. Culture of the eleven tissue samples showed no growth after seventy-two h. Microscopic structure of the tissues remained satisfactory when processed with 1% Phenoxetol. Students also found experience with cadavers preserved in phenoxetol very pleasant as it has a fruity smell as compared to the offensive odor of formaldehyde. Phenoxetol is a suitable alternative for the preservation of specimens. However efforts have to be made to reduce or replace the use of formaldehyde as a primary fixative.
Serotonin, Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia: Short‐term and Long‐term Efficacy of Citalopram in Panic Disorders

A serotonin-anxiety connection has been widely recognized. In panic disorder (PD), however, most researchers have emphasized noradrenergic mechanisms. Serotonin related findings in PD, e.g. the documented antipanic potential of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are reviewed, lending support for a serotonergic deficit contributing to the pathophysiology of PD. Since citalopram is the most selective SSRI described, it was chosen as a tool for testing whether the serotonin reuptake inhibition per se is responsible for this antipanic effect.Twenty patients with PD with or without agoraphobia (DSM-III-R criteria) were treated openly with citalopram and assessed with CAS, MADRS, SCL-90 the Agora-phobia Scale, other self-ratings, and a panic diary.Thirteen of the 17 patients completing 8 weeks of treatment were judged as responders. The response seemed similar to or better than that seen with other anti-depressants. The response covered broad aspects of morbidity, e.g. anticipatory anxiety, agoraphobia and somatization. In the first week, a transient increase of panic-related symptoms was observed. Sixteen of the patients were enrolled in a 15 months' study of long-term maintenance treatment; 11 patients completed this phase. The gains were maintained during this follow-up, and further improvement was observed.Side-effects were similar to those of other SSRIs and mostly mild. For instance, weight-gain was not associated with citalopram treatment.The results support the hypothesis that serotonin reuptake inhibition is essential for the antipanic effect of antidepressants as well as for the initial paradoxical increase of anxiety often seen with these drugs. Thus, an initial deterioration, possibly due to transient decrease of serotonin transmission, turns to improvement when serotonergic potentiation has occurred.
Distribution, cellular localization and functional role of CCR2 chemokine receptors in adult rat brain

Recent studies demonstrated that the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1)/CCL2 and its receptor, CCR2, play important roles in various brain diseases. In this study, using quantitative autoradiography, we studied the pharmacological properties of [125I]MCP‐1/CCL2 binding in rat brain and we clearly showed the distribution of CCR2 receptors in cerebral cortex, nucleus accumbens, striatum, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, hippocampus, substantia nigra, mammillary bodies and raphe nuclei. Moreover, using double fluorescent immunohistochemistry, we showed that CCR2 receptors were constitutively expressed on neurons and astrocytes. Using RT‐PCR methods, we demonstrated that CCR2 mRNA is present in various brain areas described above. Four hours after an acute intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide injection, we showed that MCP‐1/CCL2 binding was up‐regulated in several brain structures; this effect took place on both CCR2B labelled neurons and astrocytes and to a lesser extent on activated microglia. To explore neurobiological function of CCR2, actimetric study was carried out. After intracerebroventricular injections of MCP‐1/CCL2, we showed that motor activity was markedly decreased. Our results provide the first evidence for constitutive CCR2 receptor expression with precise neuroanatomical and cellular localizations in the brain, and its regulation during an inflammatory process, suggesting that MCP‐1/CCL2 and CCR2 play important physiological and pathophysiological role(s) in the CNS.
Pharmacological Basis for Medicinal Use of Lens culinaris in Gastrointestinal and Respiratory Disorders

Crude extract of Lens culinaris (Lc.Cr), which tested positive for presence of anthraquinones, flavonoids, saponins, sterol, tannins, and terpenes exhibited protective effect against castor oil‐induced diarrhea in mice at 100–1000 mg/kg. In rabbit jejunum preparations, Lc.Cr caused relaxation of spontaneous contractions at 0.03–5.0 mg/mL. Lc.Cr inhibited carbachol (CCh, 1 μM) and K+ (80 mM)‐induced contractions in a pattern similar to dicyclomine, but different from verapamil and atropine. Lc.Cr shifted the Ca++ concentration‐response curves to the right, like dicyclomine and verapamil. Pretreatment of tissues with Lc.Cr (0.03–0.1 mg/mL) caused leftward shift of isoprenaline‐induced inhibitory CRCs, similar to papaverine. In guinea‐pig ileum, Lc.Cr produced rightward parallel shift of CCh curves, followed by non‐parallel shift at higher concentration with suppression of maximum response, similar to dicyclomine, but different from verapamil and atropine. Lc.Cr (3.0–30 mg/kg) caused suppression of carbachol (CCh, 100 µg/kg)‐induced increase in inspiratory pressure of anesthetized rats. In guinea‐pig trachea, Lc.Cr relaxed CCh and high K+‐induced contractions, shifted CCh curves to right and potentiated isoprenaline response. These results suggest that L. culinaris possesses antidiarrheal, antispasmodic, and bronchodilator activities mediated possibly through a combination of Ca++ antagonist, anticholinergic, and phosphodiesterase inhibitory effects, and this study provides sound mechanistic background to its medicinal use in disorders of gut and airways hyperactivity, like diarrhea and asthma. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alteration of Physical, Chemical, and Biological Properties of Endotoxin by Treatment with Mild Alkali

Treatment with alkali is one of several methods for removing fatty acids from bacterial endotoxins and, in the process, detoxifying the material. Saponification of fatty acid esters is the major detectable chemical change produced by alkali; however, kinetic studies of mild alkaline hydrolysis of endotoxin failed to correlate rates of detoxification with rates of loss of ketodeoxyoctonates, heptose, O-acetyl groups, or fatty acid esters. The alterations occurring during the critical stages of hydrolysis apparently changed the essential chemical conformation of endotoxic particles before cleavage of a significant amount of material took place. The rates of both saponification and detoxification were markedly increased by carrying out the reaction in media of ethyl alcohol or dimethylsulfoxide instead of water.
Stock Market Returns, Corporate Governance and Capital Market Equilibrium

This paper analyzes why corporate governance matters for stock returns if the stock market prices the underlying managerial agency problem correctly. Our theory assumes that strict corporate governance prevents managers from diverting cash flows, but reduces incentives for managerial effort. In capital market equilibrium, this trade-off has implications for the firm's earnings, stock returns, and managerial ownership, because governance impacts the firm's risk-return structure. In particular, the strictness of corporate governance is negatively related to earnings and positively to s;. Various empirical tests with U.S. data using the governance index of Gompers, Ishii, and Metrick (2003) yield results consistent with these predictions.
Polymorphisms of Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase (NAT1 and NAT2) and Larynx Cancer Susceptibility

Our aim was to examine the role of NAT1 and NAT2 polymorphisms in human larynx cancer susceptibility. Genotype tests for NAT1 alleles *4, *10 and *11, and NAT2 alleles *4, *5, *6A and *7A, using PCR-RFLP analysis, were performed in 172 healthy Portuguese individuals and 88 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. NAT1 and NAT2 genotype frequencies were correlated between patients and control groups, using the chi-square test. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated from 2 × 2 tables with the Fisher’s exact model. The statistical analysis of NAT1 and NAT2 genotype frequencies revealed a significant difference of NAT1*10/*11 (p = 0.038) and NAT2*5/*7 (p = 0.003) genotype distribution between cases and controls. We also observed differences concerning tumor location, since NAT1*10/*11 genotype frequency was significantly different when comparing normal control individuals with the glottic subgroup of patients. The present data suggest that NAT1 and NAT2 polymorphisms may be correlated with an increased risk of larynx cancer.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Does repetition help? Impact of destination promotion videos on perceived destination image and intention-to-visit change

ABSTRACTAs a dearth of research on the examination of projected image in destination promotion videos (DPVs) is recognized and the question of how DPVs influence viewers’ destination image change is unresolved, this study (1) examines the projected image of Macau based on the video content analysis of their latest DPV (entitled “Experience Macao Your Own Style”); and (2) investigates the impact of viewing a DPV on viewers’ perceived destination image and intention-to-visit change. The efficacy of repetition in influencing change in DPV viewers’ image of the destination is highlighted. Findings from the experiment also indicate that the content of DPVs and repeating certain shots are effective in positively enhancing travelers’ perceived destination image as well as triggering potential travelers’ interest in further researching and visiting the destination.
From Fan to Fat? Vicarious Losing Increases Unhealthy Eating, but Self-Affirmation Is an Effective Remedy

Using archival and experimental data, we showed that vicarious defeats experienced by fans when their favorite football team loses lead them to consume less healthy food. On the Mondays following a Sunday National Football League (NFL) game, saturated-fat and food-calorie intake increase significantly in cities with losing teams, decrease in cities with winning teams, and remain at their usual levels in comparable cities without an NFL team or with an NFL team that did not play. These effects are greater in cities with the most committed fans, when the opponents are more evenly matched, and when the defeats are narrow. We found similar results when measuring the actual or intended food consumption of French soccer fans who had previously been asked to write about or watch highlights from victories or defeats of soccer teams. However, these unhealthy consequences of vicarious defeats disappear when supporters spontaneously self-affirm or are given the opportunity to do so.
Sensitivity of molecular dynamics simulations to the choice of the X‐ray structure used to model an enzymatic reaction

A subject of great practical importance that has not received much attention is the question of the sensitivity of molecular dynamics simulations to the initial X‐ray structure used to set up the calculation. We have found two cases in which seemingly similar structures lead to quite different results, and in this article we present a detailed analysis of these cases. The first case is acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase, and the chief difference of the two structures is attributed to a slight shift in a backbone carbonyl that causes a key residue (the proton‐abstracting base) to be in a bad conformation for reaction. The second case is xylose isomerase, and the chief difference of the two structures appears to be the ligand sphere of a Mg2+ metal cofactor that plays an active role in catalysis.
High frequency of DNA ploidy abnormalities in preimplantation embryos of the rabbit

The DNA ploidy of Feulgen‐stained cell nuclei of in vivo preimplantation rabbit embryos was assayed by cytophotometry. DNA ploidy abnormalities were detected in single‐cell nuclei readings by the criterion of ≥5C DNA. These hypermodal DNA contents are referred as to DNA aneuploidy. Two, 4 and 6 days old rabbit embryos, all of normal gross morphology, were investigated.
‘Healthy’ individuals’ perceptions of type 1 and type 2 diabetes cause and management

This study investigated ‘healthy’ participants’ perceptions of types 1 and 2 diabetes using mixed methods. A total of 38 participants were asked about their perceptions of both types of diabetes using video-based vignettes of four cases. Participants answered standardised questionnaires while thinking aloud and could expand during semi-structured interview sections. Four themes were identified: knowledge of diabetes, power to influence diabetes, limitations of responsibility or blame for diabetes and feelings about individuals with diabetes. Perceived controllability of causes and perceptions of illness management informs understanding of stigma and risk and emphasises the importance of comparing perceptions of both types of diabetes.
Positive selection of V beta 8+ CD4-8- thymocytes by class I molecules expressed by hematopoietic cells

A small subset of T cells of mature phenotype express the alpha/beta T cell receptor, but not CD4 and CD8 coreceptors (alpha/beta double- negative [DN] cells). The repertoire of V beta usage of alpha/beta DN cells is strongly biased towards V beta 8 expression, suggesting that the formation of the population is subject to selection. We now report that deficiency of class I expression leads to a strongly depressed frequency of V beta 8+ DN cells, but has little effect on V beta 8- DN cells. Studies of hematopoietic chimeras between class I+ and class I- mice demonstrated that expression of class I molecules by hematopoietic cells is necessary and sufficient for selection of most V beta 8 DN cells. The lack of a role for class I expression by thymic epithelial cells suggests that the mechanism of selection of these cells by class I differs significantly from the mechanism of selection of conventional T cells. Models to explain the selection of these cells as well as their possible function in vivo are discussed.