Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Usefulness of BP230 and BP180-NC16a enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in the initial diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid: a retrospective study of 138 patients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the diagnostic value of commercially available BP230 and BP180-NC16a enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) in routine practice in patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP). DESIGN Single-center retrospective study. SETTING French academic dermatology department. PATIENTS The study population comprised 138 patients, who were admitted from January 1998 through December 2008. INTERVENTIONS Sera samples were analyzed by ELISA; clinical and immunopathological data were recorded from the patients' medical charts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES BP230 and BP180-NC16a ELISA scores were evaluated with respect to clinical characteristics (number of blisters, mucosal involvement, localized or generalized disease, and outcome) and routine indirect immunofluorescence (IF). RESULTS Of the 138 study patients, 81 (59%) had a positive BP230 ELISA result and 119 (86%) had a positive BP180 ELISA result. There was no relationship between a positive ELISA BP230 result and the disease extent at diagnosis or the presence of mucosal involvement. Serum anti-basement membrane zone autoantibodies (indirect IF) were more frequently detected when the BP230 ELISA result was positive (P < .001). The median anti-basement membrane autoantibody titer as detected by indirect IF was higher in patients with a positive BP230 result (P < .001). The BP180 ELISA result was associated with disease extent at diagnosis as estimated by both the percentage of patients with extensive BP (P = .01) and the mean number of blisters (P = .03) but was not associated with mucosal involvement. CONCLUSIONS The currently available BP230 ELISA is a reliable although less-sensitive test than BP180 ELISA in BP, and its diagnostic added value compared with BP180 ELISA alone is approximately 5%. Our results support the predominant contribution of the BP230-specific autoantibodies to anti-basement membrane zone antibody titer as detected by indirect IF.
LESSONS FROM THE PAST: TRADITIONS AND REFORMS

This chapter provides a historical perspective on English language education in Japan by examining three major attempts to reform secondary school teaching methods in the twentieth century: those instigated by Harold E. Palmer and the Institute for Research in English Teaching (IRET) in the 1920s and 1930s, American-backed efforts to introduce Charles Fries’s Oral Approach in the late 1950s and 1960s, and reforms promoted by the Japanese government itself from the late 1980s onwards. In the course of this examination, we highlight the importance of underlying traditions, and, on this basis, identify constraints and possibilities which have preserved their salience up until the present-day. We begin, though, by considering the late nineteenth century background, identifying the emergence of a particular English teaching tradition which has remained dominant despite all attempts to dislodge it over the last hundred years.
Prostaglandin E2 Increases Growth and Motility of Colorectal Carcinoma Cells*

Chronic use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs results in a significant reduction of risk and mortality from colorectal cancer in humans. All of the mechanism(s) by which nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs exert their protective effects are not completely understood, but they are known to inhibit cyclooxygenase activity. The cyclooxygenase enzymes catalyze a key reaction in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, such as prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Here we demonstrate that PGE2 treatment of LS-174 human colorectal carcinoma cells leads to increased motility and changes in cell shape. The prostaglandin EP4 receptor signaling pathway appears to play a role in transducing signals which regulate these effects. PGE2 treatment results in an activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway that is required for the PGE2-induced changes in carcinoma cell motility and colony morphology. Our results suggest that PGE2 might enhance the invasive potential of colorectal carcinoma cells via activation of major intracellular signal transduction pathways not previously reported to be regulated by prostaglandins.
Effect of Different Denture Base Materials and Changed Mouth Temperature on Dimensional Stability of Complete Dentures

Background. Type of materials used in fabrication of denture base has an effect on dimension during denture base material processing and other factors related to clinical use. Objective. The study aims were to assess the dimensional stability including thermal changes of three different denture base materials. Methods. Ninety patients were selected to construct complete dentures with different denture base materials. They were randomly divided into three groups: group 1, patients with cobalt chrome metallic base; group 2, patients with heat curing acrylic resin fabricated by injection moulding technique; and group 3, patients with denture bases fabricated by conventional heat curing acrylic resin. The dimensional changes were assessed using digital caliper. Results. After the twelfth month, injection moulding acrylic resin had significantly the highest dimensional change followed by the conventional heat curing acrylic resin. There were no significant differences in the dimensions between the three types of denture base materials at normal mouth temperature, while, after hot tea drinking at 45°C, the dimensional change was significantly the highest in cobalt chrome metallic denture base group. Conclusion. Cobalt chrome metallic denture base has stable dimension compared to denture bases fabricated of acrylic resin but it was more affected by altered mouth temperature. The study was registered in the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trials Number (ISRCTN) registry with study ID (ISRCTN94238244).
Mitral valve reconstruction for active and healed endocarditis.

BACKGROUND Mitral valve reconstruction rather than replacement for mitral insufficiency offers a number of well-accepted benefits. However, the feasibility and results of reconstruction for endocarditis remain largely unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS We reviewed 22 consecutive patients referred to the Thoracic Surgical Service at the University of Michigan from January 1, 1991, through October 1, 1995, who underwent mitral valve reconstruction for mitral insufficiency caused by isolated mitral valve endocarditis. Mean age, preoperative ejection fraction, and New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class were 53 +/- 15 years, 54 +/- 12%, and 3.2 +/- 0.8, respectively. Seven patients had early operation because of septic embolization, persistent infection, or refractory heart failure. Fifteen were cured of infection and were operated on for progressive symptomatic heart failure and left ventricular dilation. Preoperative transesophageal echocardiograms demonstrated severe mitral insufficiency in 20 patients. Valvular pathology noted at operation included annular (6 patients) or leaflet calcification (2), chordal rupture (13), leaflet vegetations (11), annular abscess (3), annular dilation (18), flail leaflet (12), leaflet prolapse (17), chordal shortening (1), and mitral stenosis (1). Mitral valve reconstruction included debridement of infected tissue and implantation of an annuloplasty ring (20 of 22 patients), as well as other complex techniques. Postrepair transesophageal echocardiograms demonstrated mild mitral insufficiency in 6 patients and none in 16 patients. There were no operative or in hospital deaths. Mean follow-up was 20 +/- 14 months. One late death occurred at 30 months. At follow-up, 90% of surviving patients were in NYHA functional class I or II. CONCLUSIONS Mitral valve reconstruction for active or healed endocarditis can be performed with low operative morbidity and mortality and yields excellent functional results. Although longer-term follow-up is mandatory, these data support strong consideration of mitral valve reconstruction rather than mitral valve replacement for mitral insufficiency secondary to endocarditis.
Exploring political discussions by Korean twitter users: A look at opinion leadership and homophily phenomenon

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a network analysis of Twitter discussions about Myung-Bak Lee, a former president of South Korea, to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the public opinion exchange on Twitter. Design/methodology/approach – Opinion leaders in the discussion network were identified by considering the longitudinal distribution of tweets containing the former president’s name, and three types of messages (“followings,” “mentions,” and “retweets”) were analyzed using data collected from November 1, 2011, to April 20, 2012. The sample included 26,150 Twitter users and 892,034 relationships reflecting three types of messages. Findings – The results indicate that the discussion about President Myung-Bak Lee was dominated by liberal Twitter users who already had considerable influence both online and offline. In addition, Twitter users were unlikely to interact with other users with opposing political views. Research limitations/implications – Almost all of the opinion .
A 25Gb/s low-noise optical receiver in 0.13 μm SiGe BiCMOS

A 25Gb/s CMOS optical receiver with superior noise performance is presented. The fully integrated receiver comprises a transimpedance amplifier (TIA), a main amplifier (MA), auxiliary analog loops and on-chip bias circuitry. The receiver employs a novel noise optimization technique for BJT-based shunt-feedback TIA, together with gain and bandwidth boosting methods to achieve low noise. Designed and implemented in 0. 13μm SiGe BiCMOS technology and intended to interface a commercial photodiode, the receiver demonstrates state-of-the-art input-referred noise current of 1. 66μArms, reveals 78dB transimpedance gain and 18.6GHz bandwidth while consuming 96mW.
Improving mental health in health care practitioners: randomized controlled trial of a gratitude intervention.

OBJECTIVE Chronic occupational stress is common among health care practitioners, with potential impacts on personal mental health and staff turnover. This study investigated whether directing practitioners' attention to thankful events in work could reduce stress and depressive symptoms. METHOD A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in 5 public hospitals with follow-up to 3 months posttreatment. One hundred two practitioners were randomly assigned into 3 conditions: gratitude, hassle, and nil-treatment. Those with scheduled long leaves were excluded. Participants in the gratitude and hassle group wrote work-related gratitude and hassle diaries respectively twice a week for 4 consecutive weeks. A no-diary group served as control. Depressive symptoms (primary outcome) and perceived stress (secondary outcome) were collected at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Intent-to-treat analyses were performed with mixed-effects regression. RESULTS Significant Treatment × Time interaction effects were found for the gratitude intervention, whether it was compared with control or hassle; the general pattern was a decline in stress and depressive symptoms over time, but the rate of decline became less pronounced as time progressed. Hassle and control were basically indistinct from each other. Relative to control, the gratitude group reported lower depressive symptoms (-1.50 points; 95% CI [-2.98, -0.01]; d = -0.49) and perceived stress (-2.65 points; 95% CI [-4.00, -1.30]; d = -0.95) at follow-up. RESULTS for the comparison between gratitude and hassle were similar. CONCLUSION Taking stock of thankful events is an effective approach to reduce stress and depressive symptoms among health care practitioners.
Pancreatic autoantibodies after pancreas–kidney transplantation – do they matter?

Type 1 diabetes recurrence has been documented in simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplants (SPKT), but this diagnosis may be underestimated. Antibody monitoring is the most simple, noninvasive, screening test for pancreas autoimmune activity. However, the impact of the positive autoimmune markers on pancreas graft function remains controversial. In our cohort of 105 SPKT, we studied the cases with positive pancreatic autoantibodies. They were immunosuppressed with antithymocyte globulin, tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and steroids. The persistence or reappearance of these autoantibodies after SPKT and factors associated with their evolution and with graft outcome were analyzed. Pancreatic autoantibodies were prospectively monitored. Serum samples were collected before transplantation and at least once per year thereafter. At the end of the follow‐up (maximum 138 months), 43.8% of patients were positive (from pre‐transplant or after recurrence) for at least one autoantibody – the positive group. Antiglutamic acid decarboxylase was the most prevalent (31.4%), followed by anti‐insulin (8.6%) and anti‐islet cell autoantibodies (3.8%). Bivariate analysis showed that the positive group had higher fasting glucose, higher glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lower C‐peptide levels, and a higher number of HLA‐matches. Analyzing the sample divided into four groups according to pre‐/post‐transplant autoantibodies profile, the negative/positive group tended to present the higher HbA1c values. Multivariate analysis confirmed the significant association between pancreas autoimmunity and HbA1c and C‐peptide levels. Positivity for these autoantibodies pre‐transplantation did not influence pancreas survival. The unfavorable glycemic profile observed in the autoantibody‐positive SPKT is a matter of concern, which deserves further attention.
Modelling growth and body composition in fish nutrition: where have we been and where are we going?

Mathematical models in fish nutrition have proven indispensable in estimating growth and feed requirements. Nowadays, reducing the environmental footprint and improving product quality of fish culture operations are of increasing interest. This review starts by examining simple models applied to describe/predict fish growth profiles and progresses towards more comprehensive concepts based on bioenergetics and nutrient metabolism. Simple growth models often lack biological interpretation and overlook fundamental properties of fish (e.g. ectothermy, indeterminate growth). In addition, these models disregard possible variations in growth trajectory across life stages. Bioenergetic models have served to predict not only fish growth but also feed requirements and waste outputs from fish culture operations. However, bioenergetics is a concept based on energy-yielding equivalence of chemicals and has significant limitations. Nutrient-based models have been introduced into the fish nutrition literature over the last two decades and stand as a more biologically sound alternative to bioenergetic models. More mechanistic models are required to expand current understanding about growth targets and nutrient utilization for biomass gain. Finally, existing models need to be adapted further to address effectively concerns regarding sustainability, product quality and body traits.
Growth inhibition and apoptosis of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells by the methanol extract of Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Abstract Context: Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. (Myrtaceae) is a tall evergreen tree found commonly in Bangladesh. Its use in traditional folk medicine for the treatment of various health complications are well known. Objective: To explore the in vivo antitumor effect of Eucalyptus camaldulensis stem bark methanol extract (ME) against Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma (EAC) in Swiss albino mice. Materials and methods: The antitumor activity of ME was studied by determining viable tumor cell count, recording tumor weight and survival time, observing morphological changes and nuclear damage of EAC cells, and estimating hematological as well as biochemical parameters of experimental mice (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg/day for 5 d, i.p.). Results: ME showed 96% (p < 0.001) cell growth inhibition and reduced tumor burden significantly (81.4%; p < 0.01) when compared with control mice. It also increased the lifespan of EAC-bearing mice significantly (71.36%; p < 0.01). It also restored the altered hematological and biochemical parameters towards normal level. The high LD50 value (1120 mg/kg) of ME indicated its low host toxic effects. ME-treated EAC cells showed membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation (apoptotic features) in Hoechst 33342 staining under fluorescence microscope. The DNA profile in agarose gel (1.5%) electrophoresis also confirmed that ME caused EAC cell death by apoptosis. Discussion and conclusion: Results showed that ME exhibits strong anticancer activity through apoptosis and stimulation of host immunity. Thus, E. camaldulensis may be considered as a promising resource in cancer chemotherapy.
Axis-aligned Filtering for Interactive Physically-based Rendering

Computer graphics rendering is undergoing a renaissance, with physically-based rendering methods based on accurate Monte-Carlo image synthesis replacing ad-hoc techniques in a variety of applications including movie production. In interactive applications like product visualization or video games, physically-based lighting effects are increasingly popular. However, producing photo-realistic images at interactive speeds still remains a challenge. In Monte-Carlo rendering, a pixel’s color is computed by sampling and integrating over a high dimensional space. This includes effects like (1) motion blur, due to objects moving during the time the camera shutter is open; (2) defocus blur, due to camera lens optics; (3) area and environment map lighting, which is direct illumination coming from many directions; (4) global illumination, due to light reflected from one surface to another. The color is sampled through ray- or path-tracing. With insufficient rays, the image looks noisy because the integrand has high variance, and 1000s of rays are needed (per pixel) for a pleasing image. Previous work has showed a Fourier analysis for some of these effects, deriving a compact double-wedge spectrum, and a sheared filter that aligns with the slope of the spectrum. This filter can remove noise from a very sparsely sampled Monte-Carlo image, but is very slow. In this thesis, we will extend the Fourier analysis for more general cases, and propose a less compact axis-aligned filter, that aligns with the frequency axes. The resulting spatial bandwidths are then used for image-space filtering, that is orders of magnitude faster than sheared filtering. The packing of the Fourier spectra also provides adaptive sampling rates that minimize noise in conjunction with the adaptive filter. These algorithms improve speed relative to converged ground-truth by about 30x-60x, and we are able to demonstrate interactive speed with a GPU ray-tracer. We also demonstrate an application of our method to mixed reality with a Kinect camera.
Interplay between hydrophobic cluster and loop propensity in β‐hairpin formation: A mechanistic study

We investigated the structural determinants of the stability of a designed β‐hairpin containing a natural hydrophobic cluster from the protein GB1 and a D‐Pro‐Gly turn forming sequence. The results of our simulations shed light on the factors leading to an ordered secondary structure in a model peptide: in particular, the importance of the so‐called diagonal interactions in forming a stable hydrophobic nucleus in the β‐hairpin, together with the more obvious lateral interactions, is examined. With the use of long timescale MD simulations in explicit water, we show the role of diagonal interactions in driving the peptide to the correct folded structure (formation of the hydrophobic core with Trp 2, Tyr 4, and Phe 9 in the first stages of refolding) and in keeping it in the ensemble of folded conformations. The combination of the stabilizing effects of the D‐Pro‐Gly turn sequence and of the hydrophobic nucleus formation thus favors the attainment of an ordered secondary structure compatible with the one determined experimentally. Moreover, our data underline the importance of the juxtapositions of the side chains of amino acids not directly facing each other in the three‐dimensional structure. The combination of these interactions forces the peptide to sample a nonrandom portion of the conformational space, as can be seen in the rapid collapse to an ordered structure in the refolding simulation, and shows that the unfolded state can be closely correlated to the folded ensemble of structures, at least in the case of small model peptides.
Fell‐Muir lecture: connective tissue growth factor (CCN2) – a pernicious and pleiotropic player in the development of kidney fibrosis

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, CCN2) is a member of the CCN family of matricellular proteins. It interacts with many other proteins, including plasma membrane proteins, modulating cell function. It is expressed at low levels in normal adult kidney cells but is increased in kidney diseases, playing important roles in inflammation and in the development of glomerular and interstitial fibrosis in chronic disease. This review reports the evidence for its expression in human and animal models of chronic kidney disease and summarizes data showing that anti‐CTGF therapy can successfully attenuate fibrotic changes in several such models, suggesting that therapies targeting CTGF and events downstream of it in renal cells may be useful for the treatment of human kidney fibrosis. Connective tissue growth factor stimulates the development of fibrosis in the kidney in many ways including activating cells to increase extracellular matrix synthesis, inducing cell cycle arrest and hypertrophy, and prolonging survival of activated cells. The relationship between CTGF and the pro‐fibrotic factor TGFβ is examined and mechanisms by which CTGF promotes signalling by the latter are discussed. No specific cellular receptors for CTGF have been discovered but it interacts with and activates several plasma membrane proteins including low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein (LRP)‐1, LRP‐6, tropomyosin‐related kinase A, integrins and heparan sulphate proteoglycans. Intracellular signalling and downstream events triggered by such interactions are reviewed. Finally, the relationships between CTGF and several anti‐fibrotic factors, such as bone morphogenetic factor‐4 (BMP4), BMP7, hepatocyte growth factor, CCN3 and Oncostatin M, are discussed. These may determine whether injured tissue heals or progresses to fibrosis.
Xylazine or medetomidine premedication before propofol anaesthesia

The duration of action and cardiopulmonary effects of propofol (6.55 mg/kg intravenously), xylazine (0.8 mg/kg intramuscularly), medetomidine (30 micrograms/kg intramuscularly), xylazine plus propofol (3 mg/kg intravenously) and medetomidine plus propofol (3 mg/kg intravenously) were compared in dogs. A cannula inserted into a raised carotid artery before the drugs were given allowed the continuous recording of blood pressure and heart rate and the measurement of arterial pH, PCO2, PO2, bicarbonate and base balance. Xylazine and medetomidine premedication prolonged propofol anaesthesia in dogs. Propofol alone reduced blood pressure and transiently raised heart rate. The apnoea and hypoxaemia induced by propofol alone also occurred in the premedicated groups with hypoxaemia being most evident in the medetomidine/propofol group. Bradycardia was a common feature in all the dogs given xylazine or medetomidine, but hypertension was consistently recorded in all the dogs given medetomidine.