Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus and CA 19-9 levels.

AIM To prospectively investigate serum CA 19-9 levels in type 2 diabetic patients in comparison with age- and gender-matched control subjects. METHODS We recorded duration of diabetes and examined fasting glucose levels, HbA1c levels and serum CA 19-9 levels in 76 type 2 diabetic patients and 76 controls. Abdominal CT was performed in order to eliminate abdominal malignancy in the diabetic and control groups. RESULTS The average CA 19-9 level was 46.0 +/- 22.4 U/mL for diabetic patients whereas it was 9.97 +/- 7.1 U/mL for the control group (P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed a positive correlation between diabetes and CA 19-9 independent from age, gender, glucose level and HbA1c level (t = 8.8, P < 001). Two of the diabetic patients were excluded from the study because of abdominal malignancy shown by CT at the initial evaluation. For all patients, abdominal CT showed no pancreatic abnormalities. CONCLUSION CA 19-9 is a tumor-associated antigen, which is elevated in pancreatic, upper gastrointestinal tract, ovarian hepatocellular, and colorectal cancers, as well as in inflammatory conditions of the hepatobiliary system, biliary obstruction and in thyroid diseases. Diabetes has been claimed to be a risk factor for pancreatic cancer, which is increasing its incidence and has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers. CA 19-9 is used in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer but is also a marker of pancreatic tissue damage that might be caused by diabetes. We propose that a higher cut-off value of CA 19-9 should be used in diabetics to differentiate benign and malignant pancreatic disease, and subtle elevations of CA 19-9 in diabetics should be considered as the indication of exocrine pancreatic dysfunction.
Five-Year Follow-Up Study of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Helicobacter pylori Infection Detected by a Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Fingerprinting Method

ABSTRACT Recent studies have speculated on the possible role of the mother in transmitting Helicobacter pylori infection to their children. In an attempt to either prove or disprove this supposition, we investigated the rates of infection of children born to H. pylori-positive mothers from birth to 5 years of age using serology and the stool antigen test. When infection of the children did occur, the strains from the children were compared to those of their mothers using DNA analysis. Sixty-nine of the 350 pregnant mothers (19.7%) had a positive serology for H. pylori. Fifty-one children underwent serological examinations and stool antigen tests at 4 to 6 days after birth, followed by 1, 3, and 6 months. They were continuously given the stool antigen test at 4- to 6-month intervals until the age of 5 years. Gastric juice samples were collected from the infected children and their mothers for culture and DNA analyses using a random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting method. None of the 51 children acquired H. pylori infection during the first year of life. Of the 44 children enrolled in a 5-year follow-up study, five (11%) acquired H. pylori infection. They acquired the infection at the age of 1 year 2 months, 1 year 3 months, 1 year 6 months, 1 year 8 months, and 4 years 4 months. Random amplified polymorphic DNA fingerprinting confirmed that the strains of the five children exhibited DNA fingerprinting patterns identical to those of their mothers. These findings suggest that mother-to-child transmission is the most probable cause of intrafamilial spread of H. pylori.
Transcriptional profiling of endometriosis tissues identifies genes related to organogenesis defects

Endometriosis is a common benign pathology, characterised by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the endometrial cavity with a prevalence of 10–15% in reproductive‐aged women. The pathogenesis is not completely understood, and several theories have been proposed to explain the aetiology. Our group has recently described the presence of ectopic endometrium in a consistent number of human female foetuses analysed by autopsy, reinforcing the hypothesis that endometriosis may be generated by defects during the organogenesis of the female reproductive trait. Herein, in order to identify, at molecular level, changes involved in the disease, we compared the transcriptional profiling of ectopic endometrium with the corresponding eutopic one. Statistical analyses lead us to identify some genes specifically deregulated in the ectopic endometrium, that are involved in gonad developmental process or in wound healing process. Among them, we identified BMP4 and GREM1. BMP4 was never associated before to endometriosis and is involved in the mesoderm‐Müllerian duct differentiation. GREM1 is needed for the initial step of the ureter growth and perhaps could possibly be involved in Müller ducts differentiation. These molecules might be related to the endometriosis aetiology since we showed that their expression is not related to the menstrual cycle phase both at RNA and at protein levels. These data support the theory that embryological defects could be responsible of the endometriosis generation. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1927–1934, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Rational Choice Meets the New Politics: Choosing the Scottish Parliament’s Electoral System

Abstract Although there has been extensive research on electoral system choice at the national level, we know relatively little about the dynamics of deciding the rules of the game for sub-state institutions. This article examines the factors that influenced the choice of a proportional electoral system for the new Scottish Parliament in 1999. Through the use of archival sources and interviews with key participants, we challenge the conventional rational choice explanation for the adoption of the mixed-member proportional (MMP) system. Although rational considerations on the part of the Labour Party were involved in the choice of MMP, our findings suggest that, as at the national level, theories of electoral system choice need to consider normative values as well.
Collaborative writing using wiki: Tertiary students’ perspectives

Technology offers much potential to language pedagogy. In particular, the use of Wiki, which is part of Web 2.0 technology, is often recommended as a tool to support students’ writing activities. This study explored undergraduate students’ reactions to the use of Wiki for a group academic writing assignment. It involved 50 undergraduate students at a public university in Malaysia. Students’ views were obtained through a questionnaire, which consisted of a set of closed-ended questions and open-ended questions. The questionnaire items focused on four aspects, which are Interaction, Ease of Use, Satisfaction, and Motivation. The findings revealed that the use of Wiki enabled the group members to interact and there was a sense of satisfaction with the use of the Wiki in supporting their academic writing. The students’ experience in using Wiki motivated them to explore its use and also to recommend it to their friends. However, several issues related to the ease of use impeded the effective use of the Wiki. The analysis of the data from the open-ended questions shed some light on the challenges these students experienced in using Wiki for academic writing. © Centre for Language Studies National University of Singapore.
Mechanical ventilation in the early phase of ST elevation myocardial infarction treated with mechanical revascularization.

BACKGROUND So far, few data have been available on the incidence and outcome of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) requiring mechanical ventilation (MV). The aim of the study was to assess the clinical and prognostic impact of MV at short and long term in 106 patients with ST elevation MI (STEMI) requiring mechanical ventilation. RESULTS The incidence of mechanical ventilation was 7.6%. Reasons for intubation were as follows: cardiogenic shock in 64 (60.4%) patients, ventricular fibrillation in 32 (30.1%) patients and acute pulmonary edema in 10 (9.5%) patients. Patients submitted to MV were older (p = 0.016), more frequently had a previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI;p = 0.014) and a previous MI (p = 0.001). A higher in-Intensive Cardiac Care Unit death was observed in MV patients (44.3% vs. 1.5%, p < 0.001), as well as a higher mortality at follow-up (36.7% vs. 14.8%, p < 0.001). MV was associated with higher mortality rates both at short and long term. CONCLUSIONS In a large series of consecutive STEMI patients submitted to MV, the need of MV is a strong prognostic indicator of mortality both at short and long term. Among mechanically ventilated STEMI patients infarct size (as inferred by TnI values) and PCI failure were independent predictors of early death, while the duration of MV was related to death at longterm.
p19Arf Represses Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor β by Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Mechanisms

ABSTRACT In addition to cancer surveillance, p19Arf plays an essential role in blocking signals stemming from platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (Pdgfrβ) during eye development, but the underlying mechanisms have not been clear. We now show that without Arf, pericyte hyperplasia in the eye results from enhanced Pdgfrβ-dependent proliferation from embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5) of mouse development. Loss of Arf in the eye increases Pdgfrβ expression. In cultured fibroblasts and pericyte-like cells, ectopic p19Arf represses and Arf knockdown enhances the expression of Pdgfrβ mRNA and protein. Ectopic Arf also represses primary Pdgfrβ transcripts and a plasmid driven by a minimal promoter, including one missing the CCAAT element required for high-level expression. p19Arf uses both p53-dependent and -independent mechanisms to control Pdgfrβ. In vivo, without p53, Pdgfrβ mRNA is elevated and eye development abnormalities resemble the Arf −/− phenotype. However, effects of p53 on Pdgfrβ mRNA do not appear to be due to direct p53 or RNA polymerase II recruitment to the promoter. Although p19Arf controls Pdgfrβ mRNA in a p53-dependent manner, it also blunts Pdgfrβ protein expression by blocking new protein synthesis in the absence of p53. Thus, our findings demonstrate a novel capacity for p19Arf to control Pdgfrβ expression by p53-dependent and -independent mechanisms involving RNA transcription and protein synthesis, respectively, to promote the vascular remodeling needed for normal vision.
Lack of effects of GHB precursors GBL and 1,4‐BD following i.c.v. administration in rats

Gamma‐hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is used therapeutically and recreationally worldwide. Since the scheduling of GHB by the USA and the United Nations in 2000–2001, the recreational use of GHB precursors has reportedly increased. The aim of this study was to examine if potency differences of GHB and GHB‐like compounds are due to their blood–brain barrier permeability. The effects of peripheral and central administration of GHB, GHB precursors gamma‐butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4‐butanediol (1,4‐BD), and the gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)B receptor agonist baclofen on schedule‐controlled responding were examined in rats. GHB and baclofen were 276‐ and 253‐fold more potent, respectively, after intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration than after intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration, whereas GBL and 1,4‐BD, up to a dose of 1780 µg were without effect after i.c. v. administration. These data suggest that GBL and 1,4‐BD are not metabolically converted to GHB in the brain, that enhanced brain penetration cannot account for potency differences between compounds, and that baclofen, like GHB, can readily cross the blood–brain barrier.
Plasma-induced endothelial oxidative stress is related to the severity of septic shock*

Objective:To estimate the capacity of plasma from septic shock patients to induce in vitro reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by endothelial cells and to analyze whether ROS production is related to the severity of the septic shock. Design:Prospective, observational study. Setting:Medical intensive care unit in a university hospital. Patients:Twenty-one patients with septic shock. Interventions:The in vitro capacity of plasma from septic shock patients to induce ROS production by naive human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was quantified by using a fluorescent probe (2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate). Measurements and Main Results:Blood samples were collected on day 1, day 3, and day 5 from 21 consecutive septic shock adult patients and from ten healthy volunteers. Patients mean age was 58 yrs old, mean Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score at admission was 12, mean severity illness assessed by Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II was 53, and the mortality rate was 47%. In addition to assessment of in vitro ROS generation by HUVEC, oxidative stress in blood was evaluated by measuring lipid peroxidation products and enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Septic shock was associated with oxidative stress and an imbalance in antioxidant status. As compared with controls, plasma-induced ROS production by naïve HUVEC was significantly higher in septic shock. Moreover ROS production was significantly correlated with SAPS II (p = .028) and SOFA values (p = .0012) and was higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors. In contrast, no correlation was found between the severity of the septic shock and any of the levels of lipid peroxidation products or enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Conclusion:Plasma from septic shock patients induces ROS formation by naive HUVEC, and the extent of ROS formation correlates with mortality and with criteria of the severity of septic shock as SOFA score and SAPS II.
Two elections and a political regime in crisis: Turkish politics at the crossroads

Abstract Turkey had its fourth National Assembly elections on 7 June 2015 in the twenty-first century and this time they resulted in a hung parliament. The efforts at establishing a coalition government failed and the country moved to a snap, ‘repeat’ election on 1 November 2015. This paper focuses on how the voters registered their party preferences almost 5 months apart in the same legislative general elections and why. Using the same sample and interviewing those who lived at the same addresses as those in the ISSP Citizenship survey conducted February to April 2015 and again in October 2015, a panel data-set was constructed. A theoretical framework for voting behaviour that uses party identification, political ideology, ethnic, religious, social class identities and perceptions of the performance of the economy of the respondents to understand what factors help to influence the party preferences of the same respondents 5 months apart. A multivariate (binary logistic regression) analysis of the pre-June and October 2015 data sets revealed that economic voting had been the predominant factor in the June elections, but security concerns also interacted with popular economic evaluations in the November 2015 elections to reinstall the AKP to power.
BIOTECHNOLOGICALLY RELEVANT ENZYMES AND PROTEINS Enhancement in catalytic activity of Aspergillus niger XynB by selective site-directed mutagenesis of active site amino acids

XynB from Aspergillus nigerATCC1015 (AnXynB) is a mesophilic glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 11 xylanase which holds great potentials in a wide variety of industrial applications. In the present study, the catalytic activity and stability of AnXynB were improved by a combination of computational and experimental approaches. Virtual mutation and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the introduction of Glu and Asn altered the interaction network at the − 3 subsite. Interestingly, the double mutant S41N/T43E displayed 72% increase in catalytic activity when compared to the wild type (WT). In addition, it also showed a better thermostability than the WT enzyme. Kinetic determination of the T43E and S41N/ T43E mutants suggested that the higher xylanase activity is probably due to the increasing binding affinity of enzyme and substrate. Consequently, the enzyme activity and thermostability of AnXynB was both increased by selective site-directed mutagenesis at the − 3 subsite of its active site architecture which provides a good example for a successfully engineered enzyme for potential industrial application.Moreover, themolecular evolution approach adopted in this study led to the design of a library of sequences that captures a meaningful functional diversity in a limited number of protein variants.
Cooperativity Manifest in the Binding Properties of Purified Cardiac Muscarinic Receptors (*)

Muscarinic receptors were solubilized from porcine atria in digitonin-cholate and were purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose and 3-(2′-aminobenzhydryloxy)tropane-Sepharose. The product identified on Western blots migrated with an apparent molecular mass of 60-75 kDa, with additional bands indicative of homotrimers (190 kDa) and homotetramers (240 kDa). Receptor eluted from the affinity column was accompanied by a mixture of guanyl nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins) identified on Western blots as Gi1/2, Go, Gq/11, and Gs (preparation M2G); the G-proteins were largely removed by further processing on hydroxyapatite (preparation M2). Solubilized purified receptors bound muscarinic ligands in an apparently cooperative manner. In studies at equilibrium, the antagonists [3H]AF-DX 384, N-[3H]methylscopolamine (NMS), and quinuclidinylbenzilate (QNB) revealed Hill coefficients between about 0.8 and 1.2. Also, the apparent capacity for [3H]QNB exceeded that for [3H]AF-DX 384 and [3H]NMS by about 1.5-fold in M2 and by 2-fold in M2G. Binding to M2G at high concentrations of [3H]QNB was fully inhibited by unlabeled NMS, which therefore affected sites not labeled at similar concentrations of [3H]NMS. Oxotremorine-M displayed a biphasic inhibitory effect on the binding of [3H]AF-DX 384 in M2 and M2G, suggesting that multiple states of affinity are intrinsic to the receptor; 5′-guanylylimidodiphosphate was without appreciable effect in M2 but resulted in a bell-shaped binding profile for the agonist in M2G. All of the data can be described in terms of cooperative interactions within a receptor that is at least tetravalent and presumably an oligomer. In the context of the model, copurifying G-proteins and guanyl nucleotides serve to regulate the degree of cooperativity between successive equivalents of muscarinic ligands.
Electrocardiographic consequences of cardiac iron overload in thalassemia major

Iron cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of death in transfusion‐dependent thalassemia major (TM) patients and MRI (T2*) can recognize preclinical cardiac iron overload, but, is unavailable to many centers. We evaluated the ability of 12‐lead electrocardiography to predict cardiac iron loading in TM. 12‐lead electrocardiogram and cardiac T2* measurements were performed prospectively, with a detectable cardiac iron cutoff of T2*less than 20 ms. Patients with and without cardiac iron were compared using two‐sample statistics and against population norms using age and gender‐matched Z‐scores. 45/78 patients had detectable cardiac iron. Patients having cardiac iron were older and more likely female but had comparable liver iron burdens and serum ferritin. Increased heart rate (HR) and prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc) were present, regardless of cardiac iron status. Repolarization abnormalities were the strongest predictors of cardiac iron, including QT/QTc prolongation, left shift of T‐wave axis, and interpretation of ST/T‐wave morphology. Recursive partitioning of the data for females using T‐axis and HR and for males using QT, HR, and T‐axis produced algorithms with AUROC's of 88.3 and 87.1, respectively. Bradycardia and repolarization abnormalities on 12‐lead electrocardiography were the most specific markers for cardiac iron in thalassemia major. Changes in these variables may be helpful to stratify cardiac risk when cardiac MRI is unavailable. However, diagnostic algorithms need to be vetted on larger and more diverse patient populations and longitudinal studies are necessary to determine reversibility of the observed abnormalities. Am. J. Hematol. , 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Leader Identity and Coordination

Abstract This paper examines policy effectiveness as a function of leader identity. We experimentally vary leader religious identity in a coordination game implemented in India and focus on citizen reactions to leader identity, controlling for leader actions. We find that minority leaders improve coordination, and majority leaders do not. Alternative treatment arms reveal that affirmative action for minorities reverses this result, while intergroup contact improves the effectiveness of leaders of both identities. We also find that minority leaders are less effective in towns with a history of intergroup conflict. Our results demonstrate that leader and policy effectiveness depend on citizen reactions, conditioned by social identity and past conflict.
Eyes on the street: Civilian Joint Task Force and the surveillance of Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria

Abstract What does the ‘war on terror’ mean in a volatile local context in which soldiers have scant knowledge of the terrain and the identity of an adapting and potent guerrilla force that resembles the noncombatant population? This overriding question is addressed through a field-based study of the Civilian Joint Task Force (Civilian JTF) in northeastern Nigeria, a hybrid vigilante network of local ‘youth with sticks’ (kato da gora) and local hunters (yan faratua) working closely with the Nigerian military to identify and capture members of Boko Haram in their communities and in the surrounding bush. The article underscores the key role of the Civilian JTF as ‘knowledge brokers’ in sharpening up the counterterrorism surveillance of the Nigerian military.
Suomi satellite brings to light a unique frontier of nighttime environmental sensing capabilities

Most environmental satellite radiometers use solar reflectance information when it is available during the day but must resort at night to emission signals from infrared bands, which offer poor sensitivity to low-level clouds and surface features. A few sensors can take advantage of moonlight, but the inconsistent availability of the lunar source limits measurement utility. Here we show that the Day/Night Band (DNB) low-light visible sensor on the recently launched Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite has the unique ability to image cloud and surface features by way of reflected airglow, starlight, and zodiacal light illumination. Examples collected during new moon reveal not only meteorological and surface features, but also the direct emission of airglow structures in the mesosphere, including expansive regions of diffuse glow and wave patterns forced by tropospheric convection. The ability to leverage diffuse illumination sources for nocturnal environmental sensing applications extends the advantages of visible-light information to moonless nights.