Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transanal vs laparoscopic total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: initial experience from Denmark

Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (LaTME) has improved short‐term outcomes of rectal cancer surgery with comparable oncological results to open approach. LaTME can be difficult in the lowermost part of the rectum, leading potentially to higher rates of complications, conversion to open surgery and probably suboptimal oncological quality. Transanal TME (TaTME) can potentially solve these problems. The aim of this study was to compare the short‐term results after TaTME with those after LaTME.
Technical efficiency of organic agriculture: a quantitative review

This article examines the variations in mean technical efficiency estimates in organic agriculture and the factors that explain the observed variations. A three stage process was employed in data collection. Firstly, journals on organic agriculture and related disciplines were identified and searched. Secondly, several publishers’ websites and databases, namely Cambridge Journals, Elsevier, Emerald, Oxford University Press, Sage, Taylor and Francis, and Wiley, among others, were covered. Databases included AgEcon Search, CAB Abstracts, DOAJ, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. Thirdly, the reference lists of studies found in the first and second stages were searched to identify additional literature. In all, 42 studies constituting 109 observations published in the period 2002-2014 were found. Unlike existing literature on technical efficiency quantitative reviews in agriculture, this article employs a battery of tests to select the appropriate solution for multiple observations from the same primary study, as well as the appropriate functional form for the selected fractional regression model. The mean technical efficiency of organic agriculture for the period of study and the effects of other study characteristics are thoroughly discussed.
Health‐related quality of life of young people with long‐term illnesses before and after transfer from child to adult healthcare

BACKGROUND The numbers of children with long-term illnesses surviving into adulthood and transferring from child to adult services has increased dramatically in the last 30 years. This study aimed to examine health-related quality of life pre- and post-transfer from child to adult healthcare for young people with three long-term illnesses. METHODS A total of 217 young people with cystic fibrosis, congenital heart defects or diabetes attending child and adult hospital services in Dublin, Ireland completed a questionnaire survey. Multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of five dimensions of health-related quality of life pre- and post-transfer. RESULTS Post-transfer young people with congenital heart disease and diabetes reported significantly lower physical well-being than their pre-transfer counterparts. Pre-transfer young people with cystic fibrosis reported significantly lower physical well-being than those with diabetes, but there was no significant difference post-transfer. Pre-transfer females reported lower scores than males on the Psychological Well-being and Autonomy and Parent Relation dimensions; however, these differences disappeared post-transfer. Higher maternal overprotection scores were associated with significantly lower scores on the Psychological Well-being, Autonomy and Parent Relation, and Social Support and Peers dimensions, regardless of transfer status. CONCLUSIONS Disease group, gender and maternal overprotection were predictors of health-related quality of life pre- and post-transfer from child to adult healthcare. Transition programmes should promote self-management and discourage parental overprotection.
Chemical and functional characterization of a fragment of C1-s containing the epidermal growth factor homology region.

C1-s, one of the three subcomponents of C1-, the first component of complement, is a serine protease comprising two disulfide-linked chains, the B chain, containing the catalytic site, and the A chain, involved in Ca2+ binding and Ca2(+)-dependent interaction(s) with the other C1- subcomponents. In an attempt to identify the regions responsible for the latter functions, C1-s was submitted to limited proteolysis with plasmin, a treatment that split the A chain into three major fragments, alpha 1, alpha 2, and gamma. Fragment alpha 2, which comprised the epidermal growth factor-like (EGF-like) region of C1-s, was heterogeneous, starting at serine 97 or phenylalanine 105 and ending at lysine 195. This fragment was reduced and alkylated and then digested with elastase, and three peptides covering positions 131-135, 131-139, and 131-140 were characterized by amino acid analysis, Edman degradation, and mass spectrometry, showing that position 134 of C1-s is occupied partly by an asparagine (47%) and partly by an erythro-beta-hydroxyasparagine, in contrast with the homologous position (150) of C1-r which only contains erythro-beta-hydroxyasparagine. As measured by equilibrium dialysis, native alpha 2, like the other plasmin-cleavage fragments, did not retain the ability of intact C1-s to bind Ca2+. In the same way, plasmin cleavage abolished the ability of C1-s to dimerize or to associate with C1-r in the presence of Ca2+. In contrast, both alpha 2 and the N-terminal alpha 1 fragment, starting at serine 24 of the A chain, were able to compete significantly with intact C1s for the formation of the Ca2(+)-dependent C1-s-C1r-C1-r-C1-s tetramer. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ursolic acid promotes cancer cell death by inducing Atg5‐dependent autophagy

Ursolic acid (UA) has been reported to possess anticancer activities. Although some of the anticancer activities of UA have been explained by its apoptosis‐inducing properties, the mechanisms underlying its anticancer actions are largely unknown. We have found that UA‐activated autophagy induced cytotoxicity and reduced tumor growth of cervical cancer cells TC‐1 in a concentration‐dependent manner. UA did not induce apoptosis of TC‐1 cells in vitro as determined by annexin V/propidium iodide staining, DNA fragmentation, and Western blot analysis of the apoptosis‐related proteins. We found that UA increased punctate staining of light chain 3 (LC3), which is an autophagy marker. LC3II, the processed form of LC3I which is formed during the formation of double membranes, was induced by UA treatment. These results were further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Wortmannin, an inhibitor of autophagy, and a small interfering RNA (siRNA) for autophagy‐related genes (Atg5) reduced LC3II and simultaneously increased the survival of TC‐1 cells treated with UA. We also found that LC3II was significantly reduced and that survival was increased in Atg5−/− mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells compared to Atg5+/+ MEF cells under UA treatment. However, silencing BECN1 by siRNA affected neither the expression of LC3II nor the survival of TC‐1 cells under UA treatment. These results suggest that autophagy is a major mechanism by which UA kills TC‐1 cells. It is Atg5 rather than BECN1 that plays a crucial role in UA‐induced autophagic cell death in TC‐1 cells. The activation of autophagy by UA may become a potential cancer therapeutic strategy complementing the apoptosis‐based therapies. Furthermore, regulation of Atg5 may improve the efficacy of UA in cancer treatment.
PB2 Protein of a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Strain A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004 (H5N1) Determines Its Replication Potential in Pigs

ABSTRACT It has been shown that not all but most of the avian influenza viruses replicate in the upper respiratory tract of pigs (H. Kida et al., J. Gen. Virol. 75:2183-2188, 1994). It was shown that A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/2004 (H5N1) [Ck/Yamaguchi/04 (H5N1)] did not replicate in pigs (N. Isoda et al., Arch. Virol. 151:1267-1279, 2006). In the present study, the genetic basis for this host range restriction was determined using reassortant viruses generated between Ck/Yamaguchi/04 (H5N1) and A/swine/Hokkaido/2/1981 (H1N1) [Sw/Hokkaido/81 (H1N1)]. Two in vivo-generated single-gene reassortant virus clones of the H5N1 subtype (virus clones 1 and 2), whose PB2 gene was of Sw/Hokkaido/81 (H1N1) origin and whose remaining seven genes were of Ck/Yamaguchi/04 (H5N1) origin, were recovered from the experimentally infected pigs. The replicative potential of virus clones 1 and 2 was further confirmed by using reassortant virus (rg-Ck-Sw/PB2) generated by reverse genetics. Interestingly, the PB2 gene of Ck/Yamaguchi/04 (H5N1) did not restrict the replication of Sw/Hokkaido/81 (H1N1), as determined by using reassortant virus rg-Sw-Ck/PB2. The rg-Sw-Ck/PB2 virus replicated to moderate levels and for a shorter duration than parental Sw/Hokkaido/81 (H1N1). Sequencing of two isolates recovered from the pigs inoculated with rg-Sw-Ck/PB2 revealed either the D256G or the E627K amino acid substitution in the PB2 proteins of the isolates. The D256G and E627K mutations enhanced viral polymerase activity in the mammalian cells, correlating with replication of virus in pigs. These results indicate that the PB2 protein restricts the growth of Ck/Yamaguchi/04 (H5N1) in pigs.
Metal content and particle size distribution of street sediments and street sweeping waste.

During recent years the interest in street sweeping as a pollutant control measure has increased. For planning of street sweeping programs and disposal of street sweeping waste there is a need to investigate the composition of street sweeping waste and the effect of street sweeping on the remaining sediments on the street. Particle size distribution and heavy metal concentration has been measured for street sweeping waste, street sediments before sweeping and remaining sediments after sweeping. The results show that the concentrations of heavy metals are a function of particle diameter and proportional to the inverse of the particle diameter, i.e. the highest concentrations are found in finest fractions. Regression equations for metal concentrations as a function of particle diameter are presented. According to Swedish guidelines for environmental quality of contaminated sites, heavy metal concentration in the sweeping waste can not be considered as a serious problem. The largest amount of metals and sediment is found in the sandy fractions (0.125-0.5 mm). The street sweeper is more effective in removing coarse sediments than fine. This means that the street sediments after sweeping are finer than the sediments before.
Two Decades of the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation: A Content Analysis

Abstract: This year, the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation (CJPE) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. To commemorate this milestone, this study provides a content analysis of the full population of articles and research and practice notes from the Journal’s 20-year history. Using a framework that draws from an extensive literature review of similar studies in other fields, the CJPE papers were systematically analyzed and presented through descriptive statistics and graphic representations. In addition to providing an opportunity to reflect upon the history of the Journal, it is anticipated that this study will assist readers, and the Journal’s editor and editorial board, to consider possible future directions as the Journal heads into its next decade of publication.
Application of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in restructuring state intervention strategies toward paddy production development

DOI: 10.6007/IJARBSS/v3-i12/472 URL: http://dx.doi. org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v3-i12/472 Abstract: To structure state interventions policies into rice production development in Iran; by studying state intervention policies in major rice producing countries; a theoretical model was proposed. To test the fitness of the model by real data from the field, and to evaluate state intervention policies, CFA and SEM application have used. Convergent Validity (CV), Discriminate Validity (SD) and Construct Reliability (CR) of the model were assessed by applying appropriate tests and measurement indices, including SIC and AVE. Despite little is known about the Multicollinearity (MC) in SEM; extra care was taken; proper diagnosis and treatment for MC in SEM was practiced. The outcome is totally new structure for intervention policies, can be taken by state to boost rice production in Iran. The same procedure can be applied into agricultural development of other states.
Fluorescent HPLC assay for 20-HETE and other P-450 metabolites of arachidonic acid.

This study describes a fluorescent HPLC assay for measuring 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) and other cytochrome P-450 metabolites of arachidonic acid in urine, tissue, and interstitial fluid. An internal standard, 20-hydroxyeicosa-6(Z),15(Z)-dienoic acid, was added to samples, and the lipids were extracted and labeled with 2-(2,3-naphthalimino)ethyl trifluoromethanesulfonate. P-450 metabolites were separated on a C18 reverse-phase HPLC column. Coelution and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry studies confirmed the identity of the 20-HETE peak. The 20-HETE peak can be separated from those for dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids, other HETEs, and epoxyeicosatrienoic acids. Known amounts of 20-HETE were used to generate a standard curve (range 1-10 ng, r(2) = 0.98). Recovery of 20-HETE from urine averaged 95%, and the intra-assay variation was <5%. Levels of 20-HETE were measured in 100 microliter of urine and renal interstitial fluid or 0.1 mg of renal tissue. The assay was evaluated by studying the effects of 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT) on the excretion of 20-HETE in rats. ABT reduced excretion of 20-HETE by >65% and inhibited the formation of 20-HETE by renal microsomes. The availability of this assay should facilitate work in this field.
Ultra-early surgery for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: outcomes for a consecutive series of 391 patients not selected by grade or age.

OBJECT This study was undertaken to determine the outcomes in an unselected group of patients treated with semiurgent surgical clipping of aneurysms following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS A clinical management outcome audit was conducted to determine outcomes in a group of 391 consecutive patients who were treated with a consistent policy of ultra-early surgery (all patients treated within 24 hours after SAH and 85% of them within 12 hours). All neurological grades were included, with 45% of patients having poor grades (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies [WFNS] Grades IV and V). Patients were not selected on the basis of age; their ages ranged between 15 and 93 years and 19% were older than 70 years. The series included aneurysms located in both anterior and posterior circulations. Eighty-eight percent of all patients underwent surgery and only 2.5% of the series were selectively withdrawn (by family request) from the prescribed surgical treatment. In patients with good grades (WFNS Grades I-III) the 3-month postoperative outcomes were independence (good outcome) in 84% of cases, dependence (poor outcome) in 8% of cases, and death in 9%. In patients with poor grades the outcomes were independence in 40% of cases, dependence in 15% of cases, and death in 45%. There was a 12% rate of rebleeding with all cases of rebleeding occurring within the first 12 hours after SAH; however, outcomes of independence were achieved in 46% of cases in which rebleeding occurred (43% mortality rate). Rebleeding was more common in patients with poor grades (20% experienced rebleeding, whereas only 5% of patients with good grades experienced rebleeding). CONCLUSIONS The major risk of rebleeding after SAH is present within the first 6 to 12 hours. This risk of ultra-early rebleeding is highest for patients with poor grades. Securing ruptured aneurysms by surgery or coil placement on an emergency basis for all patients with SAH has a strong rational argument.
Gain and overexpression of the oncostatin M receptor occur frequently in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and are associated with adverse clinical outcome

For many oncogenes, increased expression resulting from copy number gain confers a selective advantage to cells that consequently make up the tumour bulk. To identify oncogenes of potential biological significance in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 36 primary samples and ten cell lines were screened by array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). The most commonly occurring regions of copy number gain that also showed amplification were 5p15.2–14.3 (59%), 5p13.3 (65%), and 5p13.2–13.1 (63%). Gene copy numbers were significantly associated with expression levels for three candidate oncogenes at these loci: OSMR (oncostatin M receptor) (p = 0.03), PDZK3 (PDZ domain containing protein 3) (p = 0.04), and TRIO (triple functional domain) (p = 0.03). Further examination by fluorescence in situ hybridization on a tissue microarray of 110 primary cervical SCC samples revealed copy number gain frequencies of 60.9%, 57.3%, and 54.5% for OSMR, PDZK3, and TRIO, respectively, with OSMR adversely influencing overall patient survival independently of tumour stage (p = 0.046). By array CGH, copy number gain of OSMR was not seen in any of 40 microdissected precursor cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs). Moreover, global mRNA expression analysis, using Affymetrix U133A 2.0 Arrays, showed no overexpression of OSMR in SILs, suggesting that OSMR gain and overexpression are relatively late steps in cervical carcinogenesis. In the cervical SCC cell lines CaSki and SW756, exogenous OSM activated downstream‐signalling elements of OSMR including STAT3, p44/42 MAPK, and S6 ribosomal protein, and induced transcription of the angiogenic factor VEGF, effects that were reduced by OSMR depletion using RNA interference. We conclude that copy number gain of OSMR is frequently found in cervical SCC and is associated with adverse clinical outcome. As well as being a potential prognostic marker, OSMR is a candidate cell surface therapeutic target. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exploring the relationships among service quality features, perceived value and customer satisfaction

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships among service quality features (responsiveness, assurance, and empathy), perceived value and customer satisfaction in the context of Malaysia. The empirical data are drawn from 102 members of an academic staff of a Malaysian public institution of higher learning using a survey questionnaire. The results indicate three important findings: firstly, the interaction between perceived value and responsiveness was not significantly correlated with customer satisfaction. Secondly, the interaction between perceived value and assurance also did not correlate significantly with customer satisfaction. Thirdly, the interaction between perceived value and empathy correlated significantly with customer satisfaction. Thus the results demonstrate that perceived value had increased the effect of empathy on customer satisfaction, but it had not increased the effect of responsiveness and assurance on customer satisfaction. In sum, this study confirms that perceived value act as a partial moderating variable in the service quality models of the organizational sample. In addition, implications and limitations of this study, as well as directions for future research are discussed.
Cognitive interdependence: Commitment and the mental representation of close relationships.

On the basis of an interdependence analysis, it is proposed that commitment to a close relationship is associated with cognitive interdependence—a mental state characterized by a pluralistic, collective representation of the self-in-relationship. A cross-sectiona l survey study and a 2-wave longitudinal study revealed that strong commitment to a romantic relationship is associated with greater spontaneous plural pronoun usage, greater perceived unity of self and partner, and greater reported relationship centrality. Commitment and cognitive interdependence operate in a cycle of mutual influence, such that earlier commitment predicts change over time in cognitive interdependence, and earlier cognitive interdependence predicts change over time in commitment. Links between commitment and cognitive interdependence were weak or nonsignifican t for relationships among best friends, suggesting that this phenomenon may be unique to romantic relationships. Involvement in a close relationship can change individuals in fundamental ways. For example, close involvement can produce changes in everyday activity preferences, arising from attempts to coordinate activities with those of a significant other (cf. Berscheid, Snyder, & Omoto, 1989; Van Lange et al., 1997). Close involvement can also change the ways in which we communicate; for instance, increasing commitment is associated with enhanced tendencies to accommodate, or to diminish negative reciprocity during the course of interaction (cf. Gottman, 1979; Rusbult, Verette, Whitney, Slovik, & Lipkus, 1991). Does close involvement modify mental representations of the self or change the manner in which we think about ourselves in relation to our partners? The present work asserts that increasing relationship commitment is accompanied by a restructuring of selfin-relationship mental representations, including tendencies to perceive ourselves less as individuals and more as part of a
Research on Political Participation

Political participation provides a fertile field for research. Much previous work has centered on participation in the arenas of electoral politics and has regarded participation as varying along a single dimension of costliness or difficulty. Now, however, participation is understood to involve several quite different types of activity and of activists, and also to vary according to the institutional setting in which it occurs. Attention must be given to comparisons across institutional settings and across time within specific organizational contexts. The impact of participation on the individual, the basis of so much normative argument and prescriptive advocacy, requires far more investigation.
Prosaptide prevents hyperalgesia and reduces peripheral TNFR1 expression following TNF‐α nerve injection

THIS study demonstrated that hyperalgesia resulting from an intraneural injection of the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) was prevented by preemptive administration of a single dose of the prosaptide TX14(A) (200 μg/kg). TX14(A) is a synthetic 14-merpeptide with neurotrophic and cytoprotective activities. Efforts to elucidate TX14(A) antagonism of hyperalgesia concentrated on determining the effect of TX14(A) on the up-regulation of the 5 5 kDa TNF receptor (TNFR1) at the nerve injury site. It has been previously shown that TNFR1 expression is upregulated following nerve injury and parallels the display of nociceptive behavior. In our experiments, TNFR1 was decreased at the TNF nerve injection site in TX14(A)-treated rats when compared to vehicle-treated or control peptide-treated rats. Light microscopic evaluation of nerve injury site tissue displayed qualitatively similar neuropathology in both treatment groups during the time of peak hyperalgesia (day 3), but appeared more normal than untreated nerves at day 7 (histological scoring, mean ± s.d., 3.7 ± 0.57 for TX14(A)-treated and 5.67 ± 0.5 for control peptide-treated). These results suggest that TX14(A) decreased nociceptive behavior by attenuating both TNFR1 upregulation and Schwann cell activation in response to TNF injection. This prosaptide neurotrophin may also moderate nerve degeneration or promote regeneration. It is not known whether TX14(A) also acts rostral to the lesion site